Recurring Series

Five for Friday (v. 137)

1) Settling back in

I am slowly but surely settling back into normal life after my long vacation and two weeks away from work. This was the longest vacation I’ve ever had! We were gone for 9 full days, and I think that’s about my limit when it comes to being away from my girls. I missed them! (Although I loved my cat sitter and will definitely book with her again. She even got pictures of Lila!) Eloise has been very snuggly and even more Velcro-y than usual, and I don’t mind it a single bit.

Coming back to work after such a long break was difficult, but I also felt really refreshed. And good thing because there are some big-time changes happening within my department. They will give me lots of opportunities to try some new responsibilities and grow my skills, and I’m ready for it!

2) NaBloPoMo

It’s almost NaBloPoMo time! Every year, I think about sitting it out because it’s a lot of work and I feel guilty for clogging up everyone’s blog readers. (It’s the Enneagram 9 in me.) But I can’t help myself, and I will be participating this year. I totally understand why NaBloPoMo is not everyone’s jam, but I am very much looking forward to it. And, this year, I’m going to take a page out of Julie’s book and do an A-Z challenge! I’ve been collecting ideas for each letter, and I’m challenging myself to write 500 words or less on each subject. It’ll be mostly personal anecdotes, some of it about my childhood and some of it just about me as a person, and I think it will be a great creative challenge for me!

3) Falling for falling back?

I have a long-standing feud with Daylight Saving Time. I hate falling back and love springing forward. When it gets dark so early, I lose any sort of motivation for evening plans. However… I might be coming around to this falling back stuff. I’m already noticing how the days are getting shorter, and I’m kinda digging it? Here’s why: When I moved to my new apartment last fall, I implemented a cozy “wind down” routine once I logged off work for the day. I close my laptop lid and tidy up my desk, close all of the blinds around my apartment, and light a candle. The cats would get dinner, and I would get in my jammies early and start making my own dinner. Then, once DST started in the spring, that wind-down routine sort of fell apart. After all, I’m not closing my blinds at 6 pm when there are still hours of daylight ahead! I’m starting to see the benefits of earlier sunsets, and I can’t say I’m dreading falling back like I usually do.

(I’m also saying this as someone who lives in Florida and our time change isn’t as severe! It would be another thing if it was getting dark at 4PM.)

4) Chip and Lucy

After all of the drama of trying to find the perfect caretaker for Chip and Lucy (my mom’s dogs), I think we found a winner with the boarding place! Chip and Lucy did well, and we got to see cute videos of them twice a day via a secret Facebook group.

Chip seemed to struggle a lot more socially than Lucy did (when we thought it would be the opposite). In every video, he stood at the door to the big open area where all the dogs were playing, like he was guarding it or wanted to leave. He also came back noticeably thinner, so we’re thinking he didn’t eat much. Poor buddy. He also nipped the workers a few times, which we warned them would happen. But he didn’t get kicked out, and they said they would be happy to have him back! (Phew.)

Lucy was a little social butterfly! In every video, she was running around with the other dogs. (I saw this video once that said dachshunds walk like they’re late for work, and that’s all I think about when I see Lucy walking around, ha.)

5) Weekend plans

This is going to be a quiet weekend for the most part. I have a writing date with Mikaela tomorrow morning, book club on Sunday morning, and football with the fam for the rest of Sunday. I may try to catch some of the World Series since our very own Tampa Bay Rays are in it! I’m not a baseball fan and find it very boring to watch a game, but having it on in the background while I do other things could be a cozy way to spend the evenings. We’ll see!

Are you doing NaBloPoMo? What are your weekend plans?

Categories: Recurring Series

TGIF (v. 86)

The high of my week was a bedazzling girls’ night with Bri! I gave her some different options for her birthday date night with me, and she chose the one I was most excited about! She came over, we ordered pizza, and then we bedazzled while watching travel vlogs on YouTube featuring all of the places I’ll be visiting next week. (Bri is an evangelist for travel vlogs to get her excited for her travels!)

The low of my week was feeling like a chicken with its head cut off as I tried to prepare to be out of the office for two weeks. I really didn’t know how I was going to get it all done because I had to finalize October assignments, edit September content, and create tons of handoff docs detailing what I do. (The last thing I want is anyone covering for me to feel like I didn’t prepare them enough!) I’m also trying to set things up so my coverage people won’t have a ton to do since they already have enough on their plates! And in the midst of it all, there have been client fires and random meetings and a surprise project to handle. I love being busy, so I don’t mind all of this, but hoo boy, I will be very glad to shut things down at 4PM today and delete Slack/Gmail from my phone. (I don’t play around when it comes to my vacation time!)

I’m currently reading only one book right now! (Very strange for me.) I’m about halfway through Sipsworth by Simon van Booy. This is our October selection for book club. It was my recommendation, and it’s getting very mixed reviews. One friend gave it 2 stars and said she was being “generous.” Eeps! So far, I’m kinda bored by it, so it might be a whiff from me!

A Reel that made me smile was not one Reel, but a series of Reels by a new creator I found, Olima Omega. He basically finds the craziest influencer videos and spoofs them, essentially showing the ridiculousness that is today’s Internet culture. This is the one that started my undying love for him!

A show I watched this week was the Big Brother finale! Okay, so I’m writing this post before the finale, so I have no idea what will happen. I think I will be happy with any of the final three winning, but my heart is set on one person taking it home. Fingers crossed!

The best money I spent this week was on so many different tours and excursions for our trip! I booked a brewery tour in Vermont, a very expensive gondola ride in Vermont (but everything I read said that it’s totally worth it), a day pass for Acadia National Park, and a ghost tour in Boston. We’re going to have a great time (please send all the good vibes that neither of us will get sick or injured on this trip. We are very unlucky when it comes to stuff like this.)

My plans this weekend include so many things! Today, I have a massage scheduled at 5PM and afterward, I might poke around Target for a few trip items I need. Tomorrow, I have a writing date with Mikaela in the morning, and the rest of the day is free! I’ll be spending most of the day packing, cleaning, and getting everything set up for the girls’ cat sitter. And Sunday is football with the fam! I’m staying over at my mom’s house since our flight is early on Monday, so it’ll be easier to wake up in the same place and have everything we need ready to go.

What was the high of your week?

Categories: Recurring Series

Currently in September

anticipating our New England road trip. For so long, I didn’t even know if it would happen or if we’d have to make some drastic changes to our itinerary, but it’s happening. This time next week, I’ll be in Boston!

obsessing over the weather in Boston, Bar Harbor, and Stowe. Every morning, I check my weather app to see how things have changed. So far, it seems like it will be perfectly chilly for us!

refusing to look up fall foliage maps. I do not want to be disappointed if the foliage isn’t as vibrant as I want it to be. There’s nothing I can do about it, so I’ll let myself be surprised!

creating a big master to-do list for the week. There are chores to do, packing to start, an itinerary to finalize, tours to book, and odds and ends like preparing for the cat sitter. AHH!

tracking my daily page count total for a reading challenge at work. Last I checked, I was in the lead, so let’s hope I maintain that! (Today is the last day, so fingers crossed.)

watching the new season of The Traitors US. It’s all “normies” (typically, the cast is filled with reality TV veterans, Real Housewives, and random celebs), and the cast is excellent!

listening to an outstanding thriller called Ask for Andrea by Noelle Ihli. This was a Kim recommendation, and she knocked it out of the park!

choosing my next book to read. Typically, I stick to my strict TBR list when choosing what to read next, but I have a short window between now and when I leave on vacation, so I want something quick and easy I can finish by Sunday evening. I might just pick a book off my shelf on a whim! (Update: I picked up Sipsworth by Simon van Booy.)

researching everything I can about anti-inflammatory diets because I think it’s time to make a big change to the way I eat (ugh)

playing around with my Medrol dose, once again. Right now, I’m back up to 6mg (my original dose was 12mg, before I was on meds), but I think I need to up it to 8mg.

buying an insulated medication travel case because I have to travel with two different medications that need to be kept cold. One of them can be kept at room temperature if needed, but the other one absolutely cannot so… erm… fingers crossed?!

dealing with a facial rash near my nose. It’s not super noticeable, thank goodness, but I haven’t been able to do my normal skincare routine in weeks because of it. My dermatologist believes it’s perioral dermatitis, and she cautioned me that it can be really difficult to treat. Hooray! She prescribed two topical anti-inflammatory meds (I use one in the morning, the other in the evening) as well as a round of antibiotics for a week. So far, no real changes, but it’s still early.

loathing the way my beloved Miami Dolphins are playing this season. And our best player is out for the season. Thankfully, I have my backup team (the 49ers, my brother’s fave team) to root for and they are playing exceptionally well this year!

eating Snickers pumpkins. I don’t love regular Snickers, but give me Snickers shaped like a pumpkin or a Christmas tree or a heart, and I’m all about it!

annoyed by all of the political ads. And since I’m in a blue city in a red state, I get to see allll of the Republican ads.

feeling like I am in a good place with my mental health, after a pretty big dip at the end of August/early September.

What are you currently loving and loathing?

Categories: Recurring Series

TGIF (v. 85)

The high of my week was spending an evening with a friend, watching episodes of Drag Race. We’re watching the season that was released earlier this year, and it’s such a delight! What’s even more fun is watching with someone who loves this show so much and talking about our faves together.

The low of my week was learning that Chip has been banned from Rover. Oh, boy. We thought we found a great dog sitter for Chip, but a little over a week ago, Rover contacted my mom to ask for more details about an “incident” that happened while Chip and Lucy were at the dog sitter’s house. We didn’t know much about this incident, only that Chip had nipped him, but the dog sitter seemed fine to watch the dogs even after all that, so we figured it was all okay. Imagine our surprise when they banned him completely from Rover because of this incident.

That was a major blow for us, but we believe we have found an alternative. My friend recommended the dog boarding place she’s taken her dogs to, so Chip and Lucy had an evaluation this week, which they passed, and they’ll spend today there to make sure it’s a good fit. Chip isn’t reactive around other dogs, but he can get nippy with people if they try to pick him up or handle him a certain way. So, we’ll see! (Fingers crossed it all works out because omg, I never thought it would be this hard to find a dog sitter!)

I’m currently reading three books, as always! I just started Sky Daddy by Kate Folk. It is very weird, but I am trying to push through my uncomfortableness because so many of you have loved it! My romance is If Not You by Ellen O’Clover, which has been delightful so far. And on audio, I’m listening to Adult Assembly Required by Abbi Waxman, which has been a light, easy read.

A Reel that made me smile was the Cat Olympics! One of my favorite cat IG accounts does this event every year, and there’s nothing I love more than opening Instagram to see another video from him! My favorites have been the Great Cup Long Jump and Air Jail Hold.

A show I watched this week is the premiere of Survivor 51! It was a great premiere, and I’m excited for another crazy season.

The best money I spent this week was $40 on the softest, warmest jacket for my New England vacation! OMG. I love it so much. It’s so cozy! I want to wear it all the time, although it’s a little unnecessary for Florida. But hey, we got some seriously cold days last winter, so it might come in handy more than I think!

My plans this weekend include a lot of fun things! Today, I’m meeting up with Bri and Mikaela to record a podcast episode, and after that, I’m meeting up with family because it’s my nephew’s EIGHTEENTH birthday today. (No, I am not okay.) Tomorrow, I have a hair appointment and then a brunch date with my mom, Bri, and Bri’s husband. And Sunday, I have a pedicure date with my mom and football with the fam. Yay!

What was the high of your week?

Categories: Recurring Series

TGIF (v. 84)

The high of my week was celebrating my brother’s 40th birthday! First, we celebrated on Sunday because it was the first football Sunday of the year! (I am so happy football is back!) Then, on Tuesday (his actual birthday), we went out to dinner to celebrate. It’s hard to believe my brother is in his forties now. I’ll be joining him next year, but for now, I can be the bratty little sister talking about how young I am to still be in my thirties. 😉

The low of my week was more psoriatic arthritis pain. It’s not at the level it was before I started treatment, but I’m also not where I was when I was on a higher steroid dose. I’m getting bloodwork done on Saturday and after that, I’m going to start the process of increasing my steroid dose until I’m at a level where I don’t have any pain (per my rheumatologist’s recommendation). I want to see what my inflammation numbers look like at a low steroid dose while on methotrexate/Humira. A science experiment, I suppose! But then I’ll wait until I’ve been on Humira for a full three months (so… end of October-ish) and try tapering again. I keep doing this process because a) I want to get off steroids and b) I need to understand how much of my pain is being managed by steroids vs medication. It’s not just because I want to be off steroids, but also because so far, the steroids have been doing most of the pain management, and if that remains the case after being on Humira for three months, then it’s back to the drawing board.

I’m currently reading three books! In print, I’m reading The Anatomy of Anxiety: Understanding and Overcoming the Body’s Fear Response by Ellen Vora, M.D. I don’t agree with everything she says, but it has given me some very interesting takeaways that I’ll be sure to share soon. My romance is Get Over It, April Evans by Ashley Herring Blake. AHB can be hit or miss for me, and right now, this is middle of the road. I can set it down for days at a time, which is probably not a good sign. And on audio, I’m reading Time to Burn by Ellery Lloyd, which Jamie of The Popcast has been raving about lately. I’m halfway through and so far, I can’t get enough of this book! It’s so good!

A Reel that made me smile was this one about the reality of hotel room lighting. I was CACKLING!

A show I watched this week was The Floor. It’s a silly game show hosted by Rob Lowe, but it has become surprisingly strategic over the past few seasons and it’s a fun one to play along with. (Although I would be terrible at this game because my social anxiety makes word retrieval so difficult for me!)

The best money I spent this week was $22 on this great sling bag! A few years ago, I saw a woman wearing this bag while I was on a trip and I loved it, but when I looked it up online, it was too pricey for me. And then I randomly saw it in a shoe store this week and couldn’t snatch it up fast enough! It’s super roomy and has a spot on the strap to slip your phone/wallet so it’s in easy reach.

My plans this weekend include book club tonight. We’re having a pajama party and breakfast for dinner! Tomorrow, I am getting bloodwork done and then getting my flu/Covid shots (really nervous about how I’m going to feel since it’s the first time I’m getting these shots while on immunosuppressant drugs. Pray for me!). The rest of the day is free! I’m thinking of taking care of some errands (boring) and maybe going for a walk with my mom and the dogs. And Sunday, I have a writing date with Mikaela followed by football with the fam. My beloved Dolphins play my brother’s beloved Niners, so it will be a divided house. (We’re probably going to get demolished by the Niners, so should be a blast!

What are your weekend plans?