Recurring Series

Snapshot of My Day: Wednesday, November 20

Time I woke up: 7:30 a.m.

First thing I did upon waking: After feeding the girls and getting dressed, I went downstairs to my car. You see, last night, I discovered my wallet was missing. It has my driver’s license, debit card, credit card, Target Circle card, insurance cards, and FSA card. (No cash, thankfully!) I did one last sweep of my car to make sure it wasn’t stuck in a random spot, but no dice.

Today’s weather: Warm but less humid than usual, which is a nice reprieve. The high was 79 and it was very gloomy due to the hurricane that THANKFULLY passed way, way west of us.

Something I spent money on today: $54 to replace and renew my driver’s license.

An out-of-the-ordinary thing that happened today: Mostly, dealing with the craziness of losing my wallet! I guess 2024 is the year of losing things (first my keys and now my wallet). I have no idea where it went—thankfully, my debit/credit card was never used (which makes me wonder if I’ll just find the wallet in a random spot in a few days). But I wasn’t going to wait around to maybe find the wallet. I went ahead and canceled my cards and went to the bank to get new debit/credit cards. I was also able to snag an afternoon appointment at the DMV to get a new driver’s license. I’m leaving on a cruise in less than two weeks and there’s a holiday in the middle of all of that, so I didn’t want to wait around for things to be mailed to me. Next up: replacing my insurance cards, FSA card, and Target Circle card.

Last thing I read (not on the Internet): Our Woman in Moscow by Beatriz Williams.

Last thing I read (on the Internet): The Reddit thread about the show I’m currently watching (The Summit) to make sure everyone else was as frustrated by the people on the show as I am.

Last text I sent: “I hope they fall off the mountain.” I sent this to my mom about The Summit.

Last text I received: “For reals.” My mom’s reply, lol.

Last website I visited: My blog to grab the prompts for this post.

Last show I watched: The Summit, ugh.

Last podcast I listened to: Beach Too Sandy, Water Too Wet, one of my fave podcasts!

Last thing I said: “Lila, I need you to stop walking all over my laptop.” She’s cute, but she can be a menace.

Last thing I ate: Ice cream!

What I was doing an hour ago: I was watching Survivor and coloring.

What I will be doing an hour from now: Probably tidying up my apartment. It’s a bit of the mess from the wallet search + procuring the appropriate documents to get my driver’s license renewed.

Current whereabouts of other members of my household: Lila is snoozing on the table next to me and Eloise is snoozing on the ottoman under my desk.

One thing I crossed off my to-do list today: Did I get anything done today? Not anything work-related but I did make it to my Wednesday evening HIIT class! I felt like I struggled so much during this workout but I got it done.

Categories: Recurring Series

Currently in November

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Loving… NaBloPoMo. I was on the fence about tackling this challenge again, but it’s been so fun and I’ve met new bloggers! I’m enjoying myself.

Loathing… Abby. That’s the name I gave to the abscess on my underarm. I’ve had a cyst in this area of my underarm for years, and every now and then, it gets a little swollen. This time, though, it turned into a huge abscess (it was 4 centimeters when my dermatologist measured it) that needed to be drained. I was lucky enough to see my dermatologist the day I called for an appointment (she’s usually booked out for months). The abscess was very painful and irritated, and draining it helped a lot. But it’s still not back to normal. The area is pretty red and I’m still doing warm compresses to drain it. Ugh.

Reading… Our Woman in Moscow by Beatriz Williams, which has been a fantastic historical fiction book about Soviet spies. (Feels a little prescient to read it right after the election, too.) And I have about an hour left in my audiobook, The Very Nice Box by Laura Blackett.

Watching… not much these days. I’m trying to keep up with my weekly episodes of Survivor, The Summit, and The Floor. But otherwise, my time is taken up with writing and reading blog posts!

Listening to… Christmas music! Is it too early for Christmas music? Maybe, but I don’t care. I am ready for the holiday season!

Anticipating… birthsgiving! It’s fun when my birthday falls on Thanksgiving like it does this year. For my birthday, I have requested a traditional Thanksgiving dinner. Too much?

Thinking about… how I want to approach goal-setting in 2025. I may even give up annual goals in favor of quarterly goals, which would be a wild thing for me to do. I love my annual goals! But a year is a long time and I always start feeling meh about halfway through the year about the goals I set. It’s just something I’m pondering, though.

Buying… Christmas presents! With a large order placed at Amazon, I will be nearly finished with holiday shopping. I just need to think about what to buy for my book club gift exchange and some other family members.

Grateful… for a new therapist. I feel so lucky to have found someone I click with immediately and don’t need to go therapist hunting. I have my second appointment with her tomorrow and I am looking forward to it!

What are you currently reading and watching?

Categories: Recurring Series

Three Things Thursday (Bookish Edition)

Typically, Three Things Thursday is a blog series I do where I choose 10 random categories and write 3 things about each. For today’s post, I only chose 5 categories and they’re all bookish! Let’s dive in, shall we?

Three bookish memories from childhood

1) My weekly library trips with my mom. We would go every Saturday morning, and I would check out 10 books, as that was the maximum number of children’s books I was allowed to check out. I would read them all and be ready for my next 10 books the following Saturday.

2) Receiving a copy of The Complete Guide to the Baby-Sitters Club, which I read so many times that the cover fell off and my parents bought me a new one. THE BEST.

3) Getting in trouble for walking and reading during my walk home from school one day. Apparently, it’s “unsafe” to be lost in a book when there are cars around?! Hrmph!

Three books coming up on my TBR list

1) The Last One at the Wedding by Jason Rekulak—I hated this author’s previous book, but I heard really good things about this one, so I’m going to give him another try. Don’t let me down, Jason!

2) Worst Case Scenario by TJ Newman – I loved Newman’s previous two books and I’m excited to dive into her latest release as soon as my hold is in.

3) The Night Swim by Megan Goldin – I bought this book from Book of the Month years ago and I’m finally going to pluck it off my shelf soon.

Three of the lowest-rated books on my Goodreads Want-to-Read list

1) Pete and Alice in Maine by Caitlin Shetterly (3.38 stars) – Lisa gave this novel 4 stars but it has a very low rating on Goodreads. A lot of people said this book is boring and apparently the dialect the author uses is slightly problematic? IDK. I may try this on audio since more character-driven stories work better for me in that format.

2) All This & More by Peng Shepherd (3.4 stars) – This “choose your own adventure” story piqued my interest when it was talked about on Sarah’s Book Shelves Live. Most reviewers say the book just goes on forever, so I’m not sure if I’ll give it a try or not.

3) Piglet by Lottie Hazell (3.45 stars) – Another SBSL rec! I may remove this one from my shelf, though, because a lot of the negative reviews talk about the disordered eating that’s rampant through the book and that’s just not something I need in my life.

Three book goals I’m pondering for 2025

1) Read one 500+ page book every quarter – I tend to shy away from big chonkers, which is why I’m pondering this goal. Right now, the books I have my eye on are The Shell Seekers by Rosamunde Pilcher (544 pages) and 11/22/63 by Stephen King (849 pages). If you have ideas for other 500+ page books, I’m all ears!

2) Read more Agatha Christie mysteries – This year, I set a goal to read 6 mysteries by Agatha Christie, which has been such an enjoyable goal! And it would be fun to become an AC completist and read more of her books in 2025.

3) Choose six books I previously abandoned and give them another shot – I’m curious about all the books sitting on my “abandoned” list on Goodreads. It’s possible that I just wasn’t in the right headspace for some of them. Then again, there are so many books to read so why rehash the past?

Three 2024 releases I loved this year

1) The Women by Kristin Hannah – I devoured this book, even though it was long and sad and heavy. Learning more about the Vietnam War and PTSD among those who served was fascinating.

2) Listen for the Lie by Amy Tintera – Listening to this book was, hands down, my most favorite audiobook experience ever. It was so good!

3) Just for the Summer by Abby Jimenez – I loved this contemporary romance that had a lot of difficult themes at the core of the novel. The ending was pure perfection.

What’s a bookish memory from your childhood?

Categories: Recurring Series

Week in the Life: Sunday, November 9

I don’t wake up to an alarm on Sunday, which is very nice! I wake up around 9:45 and I’m happy that I’m feeling good—no side effects from the shots. My arm isn’t even sore! That’s a win. I snuggle with the girls for a bit and then get up, feed them, and sit down at my laptop to finish up yesterday’s post. It takes me longer than I expected (because I hadn’t written most of it, oops) and I finally finish things up around 10:45. Then, I gather all of my CPAP equipment so I can do my weekly washing (humidifier, mask, gear strip, and hose). I have a big tub that I fill up with warm water and unscented dish soap and let the humidifier, hose, and gear strip soak for 30 minutes. I also have a smaller bowl for my mask, as I soak it in a solution specific to CPAP masks. Once that’s done, I start getting ready for the day (no skincare routine this morning, there’s no time!). Before I leave, I take out all of my CPAP equipment from their little baths and let them air dry (I put my hose over my shower rod so it can drain), insert images into my post and publish it, and then gather up all of my things. I’m out the door by 11:45.

I pick up my mom at her house and we stop at PetSmart to pick up a few things for Cici, my brother’s new dog! We buy some treats and teething toys. I also peek in on the cats available for adoption and my mom tells me to “walk away,” haha. There won’t be a third cat for me, as much as I’d love one! But I think two is a good number for one person.

After PetSmart, we stop by the store to pick up a few items for football, like subs and chips. Then, it’s back home for a day filled with dogs, football, and food!

Honestly, not much happens during the day! These are my days to mostly be a lump on the couch, watching football and being around my favorite people. My older nephew came over this time, which was a nice change! Lately, my brother has been coming alone so we had a full house this afternoon.

I spend the day watching football (the Dolphins play tonight so at least I could watch the games without nerves!), reading my book, playing games on my phone, and chit-chatting with the family. I also add a few items to the Christmas list I have set up for Eloise and Lila. Oh, and of course, I snuggle with the dogs!

My nephew leaves around 6:30 (his mom picks him up) and when she arrives, he asks if we want to come out and see the puppy! OF COURSE WE DO. Cici is so sweet and cuddly – she lets both my mom and me cuddle her and doesn’t make a single sound. I’m completely in love with her.

I leave my mom’s before the 4:00 game ends (since it’s a complete blowout) and arrive home around 7:30. I give the girls some treats, feed them dinner, and then hop into a bubble bath for myself. I read on my Kindle and then continue reading on the couch while I wait for the Sunday Night Football game to start. I finally got some good reading done today, something I haven’t had much time for this past week. Once the game comes on, I eat dinner (the second half of my sub; I ate the first half while I was at my mom’s) and then it’s time to get some stuff done around my apartment.

First, I make my snack packs for the week and separate all of my pills into my day-of-the-week container. I take out the trash, unload the dishwasher, and scoop the litter boxes. I do my skincare routine, brush my teeth, and tidy up the apartment. Finally, I set my schedule and to-dos for the week, catch up on my One-Line-a-Day journal, and make my schedule for Monday. I also work on this post!

I watch the SNF game until the end and then go to bed around midnight.

sunday in the life: 2023, 2022, 2020, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014

Categories: Recurring Series

Week in the Life: Saturday, November 9

My alarm goes off at 7 a.m. and almost immediately, I recognize that I’ve got some serious muscle soreness from yesterday’s workout. Like, did you know everytime you play with your hair, whether you’re flipping it over your shoulder or tucking it behind your ears, you use your triceps? I do now because everytime I try to do anything with my hair, my triceps scream at me. My trapezius muscles are also unhappy with me. I guess yesterday’s workout was a good one!

Once I’m up, I feed the girls and then sit on the couch playing my NYT games. Then, it’s time to get ready for the day. I do my morning skincare routine, tidy the apartment, take my meds, get dressed, and do my hair. I also pack up my backpack for today. Around 8:25, I’m out the door and driving to Starbucks to meet Mikaela for a writing date. When she arrives, we spend the first 10-15 minutes venting about the election. We both needed that for sure.

Then, we get to work. She works on her book and I finish up yesterday’s post, publish it, and start on today’s post. Around 10:45, we stop working and Mikaela reads what she’s written today. As always, it’s incredible! She’s written 71,000 words of her book and she’s close to the end. Eeks!

I leave Starbucks a little after 11 a.m. and take Ruby to the gas station for her first fill-up! (Well, from me, anyway.) What a beautiful milestone.

Then, it’s off to Target! I go directly to the pharmacy so I can get my flu and Covid shots. They don’t hurt at all and now we wait and hope I don’t have a reaction. I take my $5 off $20 coupon that Target is giving to everyone who gets their flu shot and then do some shopping. I have a headache and don’t have any ibuprofen with me, so I pick up some Advil (as well as Tylenol so I can start dosing myself as a preventive measure. Does this work? I have no idea, but every since I started doing this, I haven’t had any reactions from the shots.) I meander over to the books section because this is my deal with myself: If I get my flu and Covid shots, I can pick out two books. I’m happy with my choices!

I meander around Target for a little while longer, but I stay far away from the Christmas section because I’m scared of what will happen to me if I do. (Chaos, that’s what.) I pick up a bag of cheddar and caramel popcorn to munch on, and then pay for my things and head out. This could have been a much more dangerous visit to Target so I’ll take what I can get.

I drive to Tampa for my haircut appointment and I eat the popcorn on the way there. I’m also drinking an orange soda. This is my very healthy and balanced lunch, by the way. I’m here for all of your nutritional advice needs.

My hair salon is in the very cute Hyde Park Village, which is one of my favorite areas of Tampa. It’s this cute little spot that has tons of shops and restaurants. After parking, I’m happy to find that the salon is only a five-minute walk away.

My hair appointment goes well! I really like the stylist (we bond over the fact that both of our cars flooded during Helene, sigh) and it feels so good to chop off my split ends. She takes about 4 inches off, which is exactly what I wanted. She also adds some long layers and trims my bangs. I feel lighter and happier after leaving the salon! (Side note: I also noticed a sign on every mirror in the salon that said, “We will not discuss politics. Please respect the privacy of our staff.” Interesting!)

After my hair appointment, I stop into Paper Source to poke around. I was hoping to find a few Christmas gifts, but nothing really caught my eye (well, aside from the tuxedo cat LEGO set that I really want, but I’m not willing to spend $100 on that) so I leave without buying anything. And then I head back home! It has been a busy Saturday already.

Once home, I give the girls some treats for being alone for so long (the travesty!) and then get into comfy clothes and settle down in my bed. I set an alarm and take a wonderful two-hour nap. When I wake up, I see that my brother has texted me: They adopted a dog today! Her name is Cici and she’s a golden retriever and I cannot WAIT to meet her!

I laze around in bed for a while and eventually get up, feed the girls, and leave to go to the grocery store. Nothing exciting to report here! I put things in my cart, pay for the things, and drive home. Easy-peasy.

I put away the food that needs to be refrigerated and then sit on the couch to play some phone games. My mom Facetimesme and we chat for a while, and once I hang up with her, I start making dinner. It’s another homemade nachos night! I eat dinner while watching this week’s episode of The Floor, which is a game show I am currently obsessed with (and not just because Rob Lowe hosts it). When I finish the episode, I Facetime my mom again because I forgot to talk about a few things during our last phone call. We chat for a while and when we hang up, I sit down at my laptop to read/comment on blogs and work on this post. Then, I take a bubble bath, which was very nice! Afterward, I sit down on the couch and start to read my book, but I have been feeling “meh” about it so I decide to abandon it. Onto the next one!

And then I scroll through social media a bit (mostly Reels, and the algorithm has been beautifully curated to show me mostly dachshund videos and cat videos) and then I’m feeling tired so I decide to abandon all semblance of a nighttime routine and go right to bed. Oops.

saturday in the life: 2023, 2022, 2020, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014