Recurring Series

One Photo Per Hour: Tuesday, August 12, 2025

5:39AM: It’s an early morning for me. Eloise is being very chatty, so I pick her up to try to give her some extra snuggles. She acts like I’m trying to strangle her, sigh.

6:49AM: The sunrise this morning was a good one! I snapped this photo as I was leaving the gym after spin class.

7:03AM: Look at my ladies! I was sitting on the couch after coming home, working through my NYT games, and they posed so perfectly for me.

8:43AM: My makeup routine. When I worked in an office, my makeup routine had many more steps. But now, all I do is draw on some eyebrows and put on some mascara. And I only do this on the days I have meetings. No meeting day? No makeup!

9:26AM: It’s work time! Lila loves to curl up on my laptop because what’s more cozy than the hard shell of the side of a laptop? I spend this hour working through my daily morning tasks – clearing out my emails, checking in on my contractors, and checking on our content queue to make sure there’s nothing that needs my attention.

10:49AM: Cute photo of me! I took this while in an hour-long leadership call. I didn’t meant to look so angry. I wasn’t angry! I was just listening intently while trying to take a picture.

11:51AM: It’s lunchtime. I’m listening to my Big Brother live feed update on YouTube while working on a coloring page.

12:15PM: I’m back to working and Eloise is being very chatty with me. I took this photo when she was mid-meow! I’m working on some contractor editing and preparing for a meeting.

1:00PM: A quick photo before a 1:1 meeting with my boss. This was a great conversation and we got a lot accomplished!

2:56PM: I cheated here and gave you two pictures in the 2:00 hour. Here’s what my view looks like on a regular basis. Lila takes over the left side of my desk and Eloise curls up on the top of the cart that’s positioned right in front of the window next to my desk chair. I love this view! I’m just doing boring work stuff, nothing to see here!

3:51PM: I take a break from work to fold some laundry. Eloise helps me by perching on a towel and not getting up for hours.

4:01PM: It’s back to work with a snack. I am still so very bad at eating snacks regularly throughout the afternoon. But at least today I had some apples and peanut butter!

5:45PM: I’m done with work and need to complete my chores for the day (laundry, which is done, and vacuuming my living room rug). I have to pick up all of the cat toys and scratchers and loungers from the floor and push my coffee table out of the way. Afterward, I dump out so much cat hair from my vacuum. It was honestly impressive.

No photos in the 6:00 hour, oops! My mom and I were at my friend Amber’s house to go through our London itinerary, so I totally forgot about taking a picture!

7:58PM: Those Florida summer skies – love them! My mom and I finished up with Amber after about an hour-ish of discussing our itinerary and moving some things around and it was time for dinner! My mom drove, so it was very nice to be the passenger princess.

8:47PM: I almost forgot to take a photo in the 8:00 hour, oops! I snapped the photo of the restaurant we ate at just as we were leaving. I had a delicious burger with tater tots. It really hit the spot!

9:48PM: Eloise has continued to confiscate my towel so I can’t put it away. I’m puttering around my apartment at this time, going through my nighttime routine and working on this post.

10:45PM: It’s finally time to settle down in bed. I have my trusty CPAP mask and the current book I’m reading (which I am loving, by the way!) I don’t read too much tonight because I am very tired!

What time did you get up yesterday? What was your last snack?

Categories: Recurring Series

Five for Friday (v. 119)

1) A lazy girls’ weekend

Last weekend was pretty good! Bri and I hit the road for Orlando on Saturday morning and got to Jackie’s just in time to love on her pets and then drive to a really cool Asian market for dim sum. It was my first time having dim sum and it was… fine. Asian food isn’t my favorite because I’m the pickiest eater ever, but I’m glad I tried it! Afterward, I made everyone go to The New Romantics bookstore where I proceeded to buy three books without taking a beat. The rest of the day was lazy! I did a lot of reading, Bri and I took Jackie’s dog Pascal on a walk, and I tried to figure out ways to steal her cat Tootles. In the evening, we went to a cute Italian restaurant for dinner.

On Sunday, we were up early to get breakfast before driving to an alpaca farm! We did a painting event that was a lot of fun, but truly the best part was that baby alpacas got to roam around the fenced-in area with us. They got into so much trouble! Trying to steal paintbrushes and water bottles and knocking down the instructor’s easel. Naughty, naughty! We got to feed them treats and touch their surprisingly soft noses and it was everything we could have wanted!

After our alpaca painting adventure, we came back to Jackie’s, packed up, and hit the road for home. I was back home by 2:30 and napping by 3, ha.

2) Medical news of the week

We’re winding down the doctor’s appointments, but I still have some medical news to share! Last week, I did my nerve conduction study and learned my carpal tunnel pain is considered “moderate” on a scale of mild to severe. Yesterday, I had a follow-up appointment with the orthopedic, where we discussed surgery. From what the doctor told me, recovering from carpal tunnel surgery is fairly quick (some people are back at work the next day!) and getting the surgery done before my condition is severe will also help with recovery time. I haven’t scheduled the surgery yet (waiting to get a call from the surgical coordinator), but I think I will move forward with it. It’s not like the carpal tunnel pain is going to get better without surgery. And I met my deductible for the year so why not?!

3) Breaking records

It’s been a wild time in Florida, as we’ve been breaking some long-standing heat records. First, on Sunday, we broke a record that has stood since 1890 – a temperature of 100 degrees recorded! Normally, our actual temps stay around the low 90s, but with the humidity (often 70-90%), it always feels much, much hotter. Then, on Tuesday, we broke another record with a heat index of 119 degrees. I did not experience those temps myself since I don’t live in Tampa proper (I’m in the coastal city of St. Petersburg, where our heat is a little lower thanks to the ocean breeze). It is still disgustingly hot, which means I’m staying inside as much as possible, blasting my AC, and trying not to think too much about how high my electric bill is going to be.

This intense heat is also making me very nervous about hurricane season. So far, so good, but the real test is late August – mid October, so keep your fingers crossed for us!

4) Mental health

My mental health has been on the struggle bus this week. I’m not having spiraling thoughts like I normally do, but I have this constant feeling of dread that refuses to go away. It’s manifesting with a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach. I feel really irritable and I’ve had the hardest time focusing on work this week (which is really unfortunate since it’s end of month and I have so much to do!). And I’ve been crying a lot, which is SO unlike me.

I’ve been trying to figure out the root cause of this anxiety.

Is it my recent hyperfixation with Superman? Seriously, you guys, my whole personality is Superman, David Corenswet, and the cast’s press tour. My IG feed is now broken because that’s all I’m being served now. All of it brings me a lot of joy, but I’m also a bit overstimulated.

Is it a really sad situation happening with a family member? I feel very emotional and helpless about what’s happening to them.

Orrr… could it be birth control? I started hormonal birth control on Sunday, so the timing works out. I did some light Googling and this birth control paired with Prozac can mess with mood disorders and even lead to serotonin syndrome.

I was feeling so anxious on Wednesday night that I took my first dose of the fast-acting anxiety medication my psychiatrist prescribed for me (propranolol). It’s a medication that only works on the physical symptoms of anxiety, and I can’t say I felt much of a difference, but I think it helped a little. My next step is to reach out to my psychiatrist to explain what’s going on and get her advice about the birth control. I’d much, much rather have a few days of really shitty period cramps/heavy bleeding than deal with this level of anxiety. Ugh.

5) Weekend plans

I have some good weekend plans ahead of me, which should hopefully help with my mood. Today, I am getting a massage in the late afternoon, and then maybe I’ll do some retail therapy. I’m not sure! Saturday is my writing date with Mikaela and afterward, my mom and I have appointments to finally get TSA Pre-Check (woop!). And Sunday, I have zero plans. There’s a part of me that wants to go see Superman again, so maybe I’ll do that.

How’s the weather where you are? What are your weekend plans?

Categories: Recurring Series

TGIF (v. 77)

The high of my week was seeing Superman! My mom and I had a lovely movie date on Tuesday evening to see the movie, which was so, so good. I’ve had a movie hangover after seeing it and just want to go straight to the movie theater to watch it again! David Corenswet can get it. *fans self*

Some of the movie hits too close to home, though, because Lex Luthor’s actions are way too familiar (jailing his enemies, trying to get rid of all the “aliens,” starting a separate task force to round them all up, working with the government on these specific initiatives, etc.). It was all a bit too prescient.

The low of my week was an official diagnosis of moderate carpal tunnel syndrome. Yes, the doctor’s appointments continue! It’s finally time to deal with this carpal tunnel pain, which I first saw an orthopedic about back in May. The earliest appointment for a nerve conduction study to diagnose the severity of my carpal tunnel syndrome was July 22nd! I had the study done on Tuesday and it was quite the weird experience. The doctor put a bunch of electrodes on various parts of my hand and wrist and then would use a different electrode to deliver a mild electrical shock through my nerve, causing the muscles in my hand to jump. This was testing how quickly my nerves responded to electric signals—the slower the response, the more severe the carpal tunnel compression.

I don’t have the exact results of the test, but the doctor was confident enough to diagnose me with moderate carpal tunnel syndrome. The good news is that this can easily be reversed with surgery and I likely wouldn’t need to have the procedure redone. The bad news is that things are getting progressively worse and I will likely need surgery at some point. It’s a lot to think about! I have a follow-up appointment with my orthopedic next week to go through my results and talk about my next steps.

I’m currently reading only one book! This is unheard of for me, but I finished an audiobook earlier this week and have gotten a bit behind in my podcast feed so I’ve been prioritizing podcasts over audiobook listening right now. The book I’m reading is Someone in the Attic by Andrea Mara, which is a super creepy thriller. You can tell how creepy it is just from the title! I’m enjoying it so far and very curious how everything will unfold.

A Reel I loved was this incredibly sweet “first look” video. The pure happiness in this man’s voice! This is the goodness we need right now.

A show I watched this week was Big Brother! We are in full swing with the Big Brother season and I couldn’t be happier. This show is a commitment (it’s on three times a week and I also listen to live feed recaps every day), but I love it so much.

The best money I spent this week was $50 on some new clothes from Old Navy. I desperately need new shorts, and I love the way Old Navy shorts fit and feel on me. So I finally did a little online shopping over the weekend. I got three pairs of shorts and a fun sleeveless top for $50! (Funny story: I was ONE PENNY short of getting free shipping on my order, so I found this $2 swimsuit sarong in their clearance section. Gotta get that free shipping!)

My plans this weekend include a fun girls’ weekend in Orlando! Bri and I are hitting the road to Orlando on Saturday morning where we plan to have a very low-key weekend with Jackie. On the agenda: cuddling with Jackie’s pets, reading, and being lazy. On Sunday morning, we’re going to a “Painting With Alpacas” event that seems like it will be a blast! And maybe I’ll convince them to go to a bookstore? Maybe.

What was the high of your week? What are your weekend plans?

Categories: Recurring Series

Five for Friday (v. 118)

1) Reading retreat

My reading retreat last weekend was so lovely! I did not make my goal of reading 15 hours over the course of the two-and-a-half days, but I logged 11.5 reading hours and I’m very happy with that number! I finished the audiobook I was reading, sped through the second book in the Thursday Murder Club series, nearly finished a romance novel, and logged around 150 pages of Home of the American Circus by Allison Larkin! I would consider that a successful reading weekend. If I can manage something like that once a quarter, perhaps, then I would be one happy bookworm!

2) Chip and Lucy time

I was on Chip and Lucy duty this weekend, which is my favorite kind of duty! We had lots of snuggle sessions on the couch, a ton of kissing, some games of fetch, and less time outside than I thought. It was just so hot and humid that I couldn’t stand to be outside for longer than a few minutes. I couldn’t go into the pool (for reasons I’ll talk about in the next point!), which is the only place I want to be when I’m outside in the summer. So we spent a lot more time inside than I thought! I also left once a day to check in on the girls, and I had a lot of explaining each time I came home smelling like a pair of dogs. Oops!

3) Medical news of the week

This week, I got bloodwork done to test for Celiac disease and food allergies. All of the food allergy testing came back negative, which wasn’t surprising. I’m still waiting on the Celiac panel.

I also saw my gynecologist for a follow-up about my ultrasound. As expected, I do have fibroids (as well as a very small ovarian cyst) and it’s actually the smaller one that is causing my period symptoms. The other, bigger fibroid is in an area that doesn’t cause symptoms.

It seems like the best scenario for me is an endometrial ablation. If I do that, I won’t be able to get pregnant. While I am fairly certain I don’t want children, I am having a lot of feelings about having that option completely taken away from me. I’m not sure I’m ready to go there just yet.

My gynecologist did not make me feel all that comfortable about getting an IUD, either. She cautioned me that a) it will take 6-8 months to start seeing a difference and b) I may become one of the unlucky people (around 30%) who still have heavy periods afterward. Honestly, I did not love the way she vilified IUDs, but I guess since I’m coming at an angle of helping with period symptoms and not preventing pregnancy, she wanted me to be aware of the potential downsides.

My other option is hormonal birth control, which has helped eliminate my periods in the past. This was before I had fibroids, though, so I’m not sure if it will be as effective, but it’s worth a shot, I think. Otherwise, there’s not much I can do unless I want to get an ablation.

In other fun news, I had my skin check on Friday and had to get a mole removed. I thought it was just a skin tag, but my dermatologist was concerned and sent it out for testing. Thankfully, it came back as just a fibroma (basically, a benign tumor) and all is well there! (But that’s why I couldn’t go into the pool. While I didn’t have to get stitches, it was an open wound on the back of my leg and I didn’t feel comfortable being in chlorinated water!)

Next week, I have my abdominal ultrasound as well as a routine dental cleaning (somehow I scheduled them for the same day, sigh). I can’t eat for four hours before the ultrasound, so I scheduled it for 10 a.m., which was the earliest appointment available. My dentist appointment is at 7 a.m., which means I will need to get up extra early to have breakfast so I’m not a hypoglycemic mess during the ultrasound. Fun times!

4) A coloring callus

This is embarrassing to admit, but I have somehow developed a callus on my right pointer finger from all of the coloring I’ve been doing. The callus is right where the marker sits on my ring finger (and where my other two fingers push down on the marker to keep my grip steady). It’s ridiculous. I didn’t get a callus from something cool like learning to play the guitar. I got it from coloring! I told myself I should take a break from coloring to let the callus heal, but I have not. I have a PROBLEM.

5) Weekend plans

My weekend should be a good one! My only plans are game night tomorrow night with the fam and a movie date on Sunday evening with two friends. It’s the 30th anniversary of Clueless (omg) and there’s a showing at our local movie theater! Afterward, we’re going to get dinner and discuss details to organize a book crawl, a la this Instagram Reel. Woop!

Categories: Recurring Series

Snapshot of My Day: Tuesday, June 24

Time I woke up: 5:15 a.m.

First thing I did upon waking: I brushed my teeth, got dressed for the gym, filled up my water bottle, and then was almost late to leave for the gym because I spent too much time taking selfies in the mirror. Oops!

Today’s weather: Hot and humid. The high was 92 and as I’m typing up this post around 8 p.m, the humidity is hovering around 70%. It start thundering and got cloudy at 5 p.m., but a storm never materialized.

Something I spent money on today: Groceries! I went to Publix after my spin class since I hadn’t had time to go grocery shopping this past weekend.

An out-of-the-ordinary thing that happened today: I got bloodwork done! This time, I’m testing for Celiac disease and food allergies. It was quick and easy! I went early (right after spin class, but before Publix) and was out of there within 10 minutes. I’m also relieved that getting bloodwork has gotten easier now that my veins are easier to find. (It used to be a process because of my hidden veins, but then a phlebotomist told me dehydration can make it hard to find veins, so I try to be extra hydrated on the days I get bloodwork done!)

Last thing I read (not on the Internet): The Paradise Problem by Christina Lauren

Last thing I read (on the Internet): Heather Cox Richardson’s Substack newsletter

Last text I sent: “Booked.” I sent this to my mom after booking Wednesday’s HIIT class.

Last text I received: “Me too.” My mom’s response!

Last website I visited: Gmail to read some infuriating newsletters regarding politics. It’s fun! I rant alone in my apartment! I wonder why I have so many newsletters that tell me terrible things!

Last show I watched: The Amazing Race (I’m watching season 4!)

Last podcast I listened to: Currently Reading

Last thing I said: “Lila, are you secretly a genius?” I found this page she had opened on Feedly with all sorts of coding language, and I have no idea how she opened it or got to this page. The only conclusion I can come to is that she’s a tech genius!

Last thing I ate: Reese’s peanut butter cups!

Cat hair everywhere!

What I was doing an hour ago: I was reading and commenting on blog posts.

What I will be doing an hour from now: Most likely, I’ll be tucked away in bed, reading my book!

Current whereabouts of other members of my household: Lila is sitting next to me on the table and Eloise is perched on some of my “fresh from the dryer” laundry. I should be upset that my clean laundry immediately has cat hair on it, but she’s so cute that I can’t get mad at her!

One thing I crossed off my to-do list today: Laundry! I’m very happy I was able to get my laundry done, even if I am folding it at 9:30 at night.

What time did you wake up today?