Recurring Series

Friday Questions (v. 9)

Happy Friday! It’s been a while since I did a Friday Questions post, so let’s answer some more of the questions Nicole posed on her Real Talk Radio podcast:

1) When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?

I spent a lot of my childhood thinking that I wanted to be a vet. I am an animal lover to my core, and I always figured that was the perfect career for me. (My first science class in college quickly abused me of that notion, though. I struggled through basic anatomy!) I also remember telling people I wanted to be an author. (One time, a family friend said, “You want to be Arthur?” as if they thought my goal in life was to be a cartoon aardvark, but I digress.)

2) When you’re getting to know someone new, what’s your favorite thing to ask them?

I know it’s a lame question to ask, but I love to ask what people do for a living. I know, I know. We are all so much more than our jobs, but it’s also what we spend most of our time doing during a typical week and I always find the answer enlightening. And some people have really cool jobs! People always want to know more when I tell them I’m a copywriter, and I’m happy to explain what I do.

I also like to ask people about the last great book they read, but it’s demoralizing to ask this on dating apps. Nobody reads! Argh. But maybe it should be my go-to question to ask to separate the men from the boys. 😉

3) What’s something you know now that you wish you would have known three years ago?

Man, probably that both of my grandparents would be gone. Hopefully, it would have pushed me to spend more time with them, ask more about their lives, and soak up their wisdom. And this is coming from someone who was super close with her grandparents! I guess it’s normal to live with those types of regrets, of just always wanting more time with the people you love. Have you heard of that company called StoryWorth that sends weekly emails to your loved ones with prompts so they can tell the story of their life and your family? I really wanted to do something like that with Pops; it was something I was thinking about purchasing for 2019, but now I can’t. It’s miserable having regrets, it really is.

4) What’s one non-negotiable thing that you have to do every day?

Reading. Even if it’s just for 5-10 minutes at the end of the day, I always make time for reading.

5) If I could hand you an all-expense trip for two, where would you go and who would you bring?

Oh, this is so easy because I’ve been dreaming and scheming about doing something like this for a long time now, and I just want to make it happen! I would take my mom on a two-week trip to Italy. We’d spend some of our time exploring the cities and the rest of it sailing through the Mediterranean on a cruise. I really need to get my butt into gear and start saving for this because I’d love to have this memory with my mom more than anything.

What’s your non-negotiable? Where would you go on an all-expense trip for two and who would you bring?

Categories: Recurring Series

Day in the Life: Tuesday, November 13, 2018

Around this time of year, I typically complete Week in the Life, which is exactly what it sounds like. I spend an entire week documenting my day-to-day life. It’s one of my absolute favorite series, but I’m not going to be able to write it this year. I’m toying with the idea of doing it sometime in February or March, so stay tuned. 🙂

Anyway, even though I can’t do a full Week in the Life this year, I can definitely handle A Day in the Life, which is something I do so rarely now. (My last one was in 2014, what!) Here’s how yesterday shaped up for me:

4:45AM: First alarm goes off. I’m already slightly awake due to a weird dream, so I stumble into the bathroom, take care of business, and stumble back to bed.

5:00AM: Second alarm goes off, and I’m ready to get up. I check the weather (a balmy 73 degrees!), get dressed, and head out the door for a morning walk. I haven’t been doing any sort of exercise for the past month, but I’m trying to get back into my regular morning walking habit this week.

6:00AM: After three loops around my apartment complex, I’m back home and happy to see I’ve walked over 5,000 steps already this morning. I’m not attempting to walk 10,000 steps right now (maybe I’ll make that a goal from Thanksgiving – New Years?), but it’s nice to get some activity in early in the morning.

6:15AM: I finally take a shower after spending 15 minutes dilly-dallying around, playing on my phone. Once out of the shower, I do my hair and makeup, get dressed, make my bed, put away the dishes that were drying overnight, pack my lunch, and make my iced coffee.

7:20AM: All set to leave for work, but before I do that, I need to check and recheck that my hair straightener is turned off, and so is my oven and stove. Did I use my oven and stove this morning? Nope. But I still have to check all three things are turned off at least three times before I leave in the morning. OCD is not cute or fun, guys!

7:25AM: I’m finally headed out the door, but not before whispering to myself as I lock the door, “You just locked the door.” I commute to work and it’s stop-and-go traffic all the way until my exit. Fun times!

8:00AM: At work! I turn on my computer, put my lunch bag in the fridge, and then answer some emails before starting my first writing task for the day.

8:40AM: My stomach is grumbling, so I take a break. I walk to the kitchen to grab my yogurt from the fridge and get stopped by a colleague who wants to talk about a project that I’m the writing lead on. We chat for a while and then I head back to my desk, yogurt in hand. Just as I’m sitting down, another colleague walks by to talk about one of my clients.

9:00AM: I’m finally able to eat my breakfast, which I do while reading a few blogs.

9:15AM: I start working on a special project, something I’m trying to find the time to do in the midst of all my other tasks. I spend a little bit of time on it daily, and slowly but surely, I’m getting it done. It’s brainless work (recategorizing web content pages for a client going through a website redesign), so I can listen to a podcast while doing it. Yay! In the midst of working on that, I make plans for dinner with a friend and also discuss some of the logistics of this weekend with some friends. (We’re all sharing a house in Orlando for our dear friend’s wedding.)

10:15AM: I need a brain break, so I play Candy Crush on my phone and pretend work doesn’t actually exist for a few minutes.

10:30AM: I go back to my original writing task for the day (I’m trying to get five web content pages written and edited by the end of the day). I get sidetracked by emails and organizing an editing trade with another writer, but manage to get two of the five pages written before lunch.

11:25AM: My stomach is grumbling again, so I decide it’s time for lunch. I chat with a colleague while preparing my gourmet lunch of tuna salad, ;), and then go to my desk to eat it. I spend the second half of my lunch break outside, reading. (I also call a hair salon near where I’m staying this weekend to schedule a blowout for the wedding. Why not, ya know?!)

12:25PM: Back at my desk and I start the second half of my work day with editing. Once I’m finished editing my colleague’s pages (I don’t have much to say because she’s a great writer!), I finish up my writing task for the day. Once the pages have been written and read over, I send them out for editing.

3:15PM: I definitely have earned a break after all of that, so I snag a bag of popcorn from the break room, pop it, and eat it back at my desk while reading blogs.

3:45PM: I get back to work, publishing content on a client’s website. I sent off this content for approval a few days ago, and it’s a task I really need to get done today. It’s fairly mindless, which means I get to listen to another podcast. Yay!

4:30PM: Edits are back! I read through them, accept some of the editor’s well-thought-out edits, reject the ones that don’t make sense due to the client, read over the pages again, and then send them off to the client for approval.

5:15PM: I call it a day! I’ve accomplished five of the seven tasks on my to-do list, so it’s been a pretty successful day in my world. I make my to-do list for tomorrow, clear out my emails, and shut down my computer.

5:30PM: I’m out of the office and driving to meet a friend for dinner.

6:00PM: My friend and I meet at Capital Tacos, and my meal is incredibly delicious. We chat about the logistics of this weekend (we’re driving to Orlando together), plans for 2019, travel, blogging, and, like, a billion other topics.

7:20PM: After a delicious dinner and great conversation, I drive home.

7:35PM: I’m home and excited to see some packages at the door! I open them immediately when I get inside. It’s two books, a makeup brush cleaner (because I need to clean my brushes more than once a quarter, eeks), and a gentle fabric wash so I can handwash my new Thirdlove bras.

7:40PM: Put my hair up and take my makeup off (ahh!), and then start my nightly bubble bath.

7:45PM: My mom texts me, “Everything is okay, but can you please call me?” So I do! She was just having phone issues with another person, which is why she wanted to be sure she could receive calls. We proceed to talk for 45 minutes, haha. I eventually slip into my bath while we talk because there’s no use wasting bath water!

8:30PM: We hang up and I spend a little more time soaking in the bath before getting out, drying off, and putting on my pajamas. I brush my teeth and then sit down on my bed with my computer to start this post.

10:00PM: I finally finish writing this post and inserting photos. I’ll probably read a few chapters of my book before calling it a night. (I’ve already made the executive decision that I’m “sleeping in” tomorrow, which means a 6:30AM alarm, not a 4:45AM one.)

10:30PM: Lights out!

What time did you wake up yesterday? Tell me something you did yesterday – fun, boring, whatever!

Categories: Recurring Series

Five for Friday (v. 56)

1) I was supremely disappointed in the midterm election results. I was honestly shocked that Ron DeSantis won governor of Florida. He’s a Trump acolyte who ran a racist campaign, and it makes me really scared for what’s going to happen in 2020. Thankfully, we saw a lot of progressive candidates win in other places and the Democrats took back the House, so hopefully that bodes well. Florida just cannot get its act together, it seems. I really, really wanted Andrew Gillum to win. He deserved it. The good news is that we restored the voting rights to around 1.5 million people (giving back voting rights to ex-felons) and I am hopeful this means a blue wave will come to Florida in 2020.*

2) I’ve added a whole lot of new podcasts to my feed (because of course I need more podcasts to listen to). Some recent additions: Believed, which explores the Larry Nassar case and how he got away with his crimes for so many years; The Dream, which is all about MLMs; He Read She Read, in which two married bookworms talk all about what they’re reading; and Standoff, which is exploring the Ruby Ridge tragedy that happened in 1992 and how it’s become a foundation for the modern right. Also, a friend just alerted me to a new podcast called Imagined Life that sounds incredible. The premise: “Each episode of Imagined Life takes you on an immersive journey into the life of a world-famous person. It’ll be someone you may think you know, even admire – or maybe the opposite. You’ll get clues to your identity along the way. But only in the final moments will you find out who “you” really are.” HERE. FOR. THAT. I haven’t listened to any of the episodes yet (there are two out so far), but I am so intrigued and cannot wait to listen.

3) Going back to work after losing Pops was difficult. I took off Monday-Thursday of last week and went back into work on Friday. Since it was only a half-day, I figured it would be a good way to ease myself into things. And, man, Friday was harder than I expected. I barely did anything, just responded to some emails and did a task that didn’t require any thinking. I wanted to leave immediately. It was one of those moments where I realized the world kept spinning, even though mine had shattered. This week has been tough, but gradually got easier and better as the week went on. Routine is always good, but I’m also reminded of Pops with everything I do with work. If I’m working with a client in the home improvement space, I think about him and how he owned a construction business for most his life. If I’m working with a client in the healthcare arena, I think about those last few weeks with him in the hospital. Ugh. It will get easier once the loss isn’t so raw, and I’m trying to give myself grace to get through each day, one moment at a time.

4) Pops’ passing is making me think about wills and life insurance and last wishes in an entirely new way. It’s morbid, but my mom and I have been having a lot of conversations about it and I’m wondering if I should make some sort of “In the Event of My Death” file on my computer that has passwords to my accounts, billing information, and stuff like that. Thinking about death makes me so anxious, but I really don’t want the burden to be on my family to get everything in order. Maybe that’s a goal for 2019.

5) November is the first month since July that I picked a Book of the Month book. I’ve been a little disappointed in their selections lately, which is all on me. This is nothing against Book of the Month because they can’t cater to everyone’s tastes every single month. Some people like getting books from authors they wouldn’t otherwise know of, but I tend to prefer getting a new release from a tried-and-true author. Maybe that’s because I don’t necessarily want to spend my $15 credit on a book that I may hate. But I was stoked that Nine Perfect Strangers by Liane Moriarty was a pick this month, and I snagged it immediately. I debated canceling my membership, but I think I’ll keep it and just continue being super selective about what I pick. That’s the beauty of BoTM – you don’t have to pick a book every month. Skipping a month (or three in a row, ha) is totally acceptable.

What’s a new podcast that you can’t get enough of? Have you made any sort of arrangements in the event of your death?

*I wrote that before all this recount craziness started. I’m crossing my fingers and toes for Gillum and Nelson! Please, please, please.

Categories: Recurring Series

A Wednesday Morning Coffee Date

It’s been a while since I’ve caught you guys up on my life, so how about a coffee date? I’m definitely going to need the coffee today, since I was up late watching the election coverage (and, ugh, it felt like 2016 all over again thanks to some disappointing results from my state). I’ll be drinking a peppermint mocha, of course, since it’s peppermint mocha season finally! (My very favorite season.)

If we were having coffee today, I’d talk about how I’ve put my search for new kittens on hold. While I was hoping to be a new cat mom right now, everything flew out the window when Pops was admitted to the hospital. And then when the unthinkable happened… well, I’m not in the right frame of mind to welcome new kittens into my life. I may end up waiting until the new year to make it happen because the holiday season is always a little crazy. Right now, I’m just trying to stay off the animal shelter’s website (made the mistake of looking and falling completely in love with two one-month-old kittens, yikes) and get all my ducks in a row so that I can be in the right place to be a new cat mom in 2019.

If we were having coffee today, I’d tell you that I learned where the source of my lower back pain is coming from. I had two appointments with a chiropractor in October and he noticed that I was out of alignment, so he cracked me back into place (it didn’t hurt as much as I’d expected; it actually felt kinda good!). But I was still having pain, even in late October when I wasn’t doing my daily 10,000 steps. That’s when I wondered if it was my sleeping position. I’ve long been a stomach sleeper and it’s my favorite way to sleep, but it’s also the worst possible sleeping position because it puts a lot of strain on your neck and lower back. So, I started training myself to sleep on my side or back using a body pillow, and it’s helping a lot. I still have some twinges in my lower back from time to time, and I haven’t tested out this theory while also walking 10,000 steps, but I think I may have found the culprit. I will also try specialised Croydon osteopathy for back pain management. This London osteopathic clinic offers personalised sciatica care.

If we were having coffee today, I’d talk about the books I’ve been reading. My reading hasn’t slowed down in the past few weeks, even though my life has been anything but. I’ve been reading a lot more nonfiction because it’s easier than a plot-heavy novel right now. I sped through You Can’t Touch My Hair by Phoebe Robinson, listened to Other People’s Houses by Abbi Waxman, and really enjoyed Bachelor Nation by Amy Kaufman. I tried to read This Will Be My Undoing by Morgan Jerkins, but something about it wasn’t sitting well with me so I abandoned it. Maybe I’ll come back to it another time. Right now, I’m reading the fourth book in the Chief Inspector Armand Gamache series as well as a romance novel.

If we were having coffee today, I’d talk about my new couch! After seven weeks of being couch-less, my beautiful new couch is finally being delivered today. It has been rough not having a couch because the only place to lay down in my apartment right now is my bed, and if I lay down for just a few minutes to read, it’s very, very hard to get back up, ha. I will surely be sharing pictures of it when it’s delivered, but I am really just so excited to have a couch and feel like my apartment is mostly put together again.

If we were having coffee today, I’d mention how I’m not tackling NaNoWriMo this year. For obvious reasons, I’ve decided that it’s not the right time to try my hand at completing NaNoWriMo (a challenge every November to write 50,000 words in 30 days). While I worked diligently for all of September and most of October to plot my novel so I’d be ready to start writing in November, I’m not in the right brain space to devote to the challenge. Maybe next year!

If we were having coffee today, I might tell you about some of my plans for November. This weekend, my mom and I are taking Chip to his first Running of the Wieners event. Hopefully, it’s not too emotional for me to be there without Dutch. Later this month, I’m off to Orlando for the weekend for a friend’s wedding. I’m taking a full week off of work during Thanksgiving, and I’m looking forward to it so much. And at the end of the month, I’m turning 31! I still have no idea what I want to do for my birthday. Maybe nothing. I don’t know.

Categories: Recurring Series

Friday Questions (v. 8)

It’s time for the next installment of “Friday Questions,” where I work my way through the Community Questions portion of the Real Talk Radio podcast. There were some great questions in this round!

1) When was the last time you tried something new and what was it?

Recently, when I started walking 10,000 steps daily. I’ve had to slow down on this goal because of the sacrum pain I’m experiencing whenever I attempt a 10k steps day, but I’m hoping some chiropractic adjustments to my lower spine will allow me to get back to my walking once again. I love it so much, and it is so good for my mental health.

2) If you could take a semester-long course in any subject, what would it be?

How to Write a Romance Novel? Haha, that would be super helpful as I go about finally finishing this damn romance I’ve been writing for years and years. I struggle a lot with plotting out a romance novel because there’s a specific way it needs to be done, and taking a course about writing romance would be great!

3) What is the biggest challenge or obstacle you’ve dealt with in the past year?

Losing Dutch. It’s been eight months now, and sometimes, I still think I’ll come home to him waiting for me at the door. Or laying on my bed when I come out of the shower. It’s been so hard to lose him because he was my best buddy for so many years, and he became even more important to me over these last few years as it was just me and him, living together. I relive the day we put him down often, and the emotions and grief and sadness feel unbearable sometimes. But I’ve been getting through it, moving forward, even taking steps to welcome some new pets into my life. And I have my mom’s dog, Chip, who has helped immensely with the healing process.

4) What’s one thing you can do today that you weren’t capable of a year ago?

I’m more confident in the decisions I make at work. I feel very capable in my role and I know what I’m doing, and I’m able to lead meetings and handle crises that come up with a skillfulness I didn’t have just a year ago. As someone who has never felt very confident in a work setting, I really love the assertiveness I’ve gained in my role.

5) What’s something you hope to be able to do a year from now that you’re not yet capable of or very good at?

I’d love to be able to open up to people more easily. I am very closed off to my feelings IRL, even though it seems I can word vomit like the best when it comes to my blog and online persona. But IRL, I find it very hard to open up and talk about the stuff that is bothering me. I mean, damn, even some of my best friends don’t know everything I’ve gone through with my dad, and that’s because it’s just hard for me to be vulnerable when I’m face-to-face with a person. It’s easier to wear my sarcasm shield and keep people at arm’s length.

What semester-long course would you take?