Recurring Series

TGIF (v. 14)

The high of my week was my mom’s surprise bridal shower. In late May, two of my mom’s coworkers contacted me with the idea of surprising her and I thought that was the sweetest idea ever, so it’s been a long few weeks of helping them plan and trying not to spill the beans. But it went off without a hitch and my mom was indeed shocked (<– link to the Instagram video!) I feel so grateful to her coworkers for making her feel so loved and special. She deserves that more than anyone I know!

The low of my week was finding out one of my favorite coworkers is moving away. She got accepted into grad school, and I am so happy for her while simultaneously devastated that she’s leaving. It’s no fun when friends move away!

I’m currently reading Mine Till Midnight by Lisa Kleypas. It’s a historical romance novel and it’s light and fluffy and exactly what I need.

A blog post I enjoyed was Every state flag is wrong, and here’s why. It begins with Alabama’s flag and this made me laugh right out of the gate:

Someone gave the state of Alabama a box to check with the question “DO YOU WANT TO CREATE A FLAG” and this was the response. That or Alabama is unable to write its name and has to sign everything with a big red X. In general, it is a poor idea to pick as your flag an image that could be regarded as a negative answer to the question, “Should you visit Alabama?”

The best money I spent was $15 on beautiful pink roses and a vase to bring to my mom’s bridal shower. Everyone kept commenting on how beautiful they were and how good they smelled!

My plans this weekend include ice skating tonight (I haven’t been since I was a kid so this should be interesting!), lots and lots of final wedding prep, and doing some home organization in preparation for my move soon. And maybe some pool time? It’s been forever since I spent an afternoon at the pool!

What was the highlight of your week?

Categories: Recurring Series

Currently in May

Adjusting… to the real world after a wonderful cruise! I plan on fully recapping my vacation in the coming weeks, so stay tuned! It was definitely a… memorable… time. (How’s that for a teaser?!) Yesterday was my first full day back at work in 12 days and it was a good day! I got some work done and it felt good to be back to normal. And I missed all my coworkers! You know you work with good people when you actually look forward to work and seeing them again after a long time off.

Reading… The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein. I’ve never read this novel because I heard it’s sad and I just don’t like reading sad animal novels! But so many people have recommended it to me, and I figured I should read it (especially now, while Dutch is healthy and I can hug and kiss him every time I get sad while reading, ha!) So far, I can’t get enough of it and it’s making my dog lover heart so happy.

Watching… Revenge! I stopped watching the show early in the season, but I kept recording the episodes on my DVR. I just didn’t love the start of the new season, so I put off watching it. Then I heard that this season was the last season (which I’m happy about… I think it’s the right decision as there’s not much more they can do with this kind of show without the plot getting too crazy), so I decided I needed to have a Revenge binge! Plus, all my shows are currently on summer hiatus so there’s not much else to watch right now.

Recovering from… a sprained ankle. During my zip-lining excursion in Puerto Rico, I turned my ankle on a particularly treacherous hiking portion. It happened about halfway through the excursion and put a bit of a damper on the experience. When I got back home, I went to a walk-in clinic to get my foot and ankle x-rayed to make sure it wasn’t broken (which happened the last time I went hiking. I am done hiking for the foreseeable future, is what I’m saying.) Luckily, it is only sprained, so I didn’t need an air cast or walking boot. Very happy about that! All I’m really doing now is wearing a brace and trying to stay off it as much as possible. Luckily, it doesn’t hurt anymore… it’s just a little annoying to walk on.

Anticipating… my upcoming move. I am really excited to settle on a place and to start the process of moving. I don’t necessarily hate to move (I always love having a new home to organize and a new place to explore), but it can be very stressful and is just a lot of work. And it’s so costly! Especially since I have to factor in a pet fee, which can range from $250 to $500! But I am excited to move out and have a place of my own. And to move in with someone I get along with SO well (and whom I just seriously love and adore!)

Wishing… for another vacation! I have such wanderlust. I’m hoping to take a trip to Asheville later this year and maybe somewhere else? Hopefully, but I also have an upcoming move to pay for so time will tell!

Grateful… for my mom. I mean, I am always grateful for her because she is honestly the best. But she has been overwhelmingly awesome in the aftermath of my injury. She was perfectly fine with us taking it super easy the last two days of the cruise, drove the entire way home from Miami (without complaint!), and even did all the laundry when we got home. I am so grateful for her and her selfless love for me.

Reminiscing… about all the wonderful experiences of my cruise. Swimming in the clear blue waters of the Bahamas, driving a speed boat through the Caribbean Sea, snorkeling in a private cove in St. Thomas, zip lining in Puerto Rico. It was an incredible time and I feel so, so lucky that I have the means to experience all of this. I sacrifice in order to do so, but I also know it’s a blessing, too.

Loving… being back to normal life. Vacations are so much fun, but I also really, really love my normal life. I remember a time when I hated my normal life and would always feel so, so sad when vacations ended and I had to go back to the monotony. It’s good to have built a life that is enjoyable and makes me happy. Nothing can compare to being on vacation, but real life feels good, too.

Categories: Recurring Series

Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow

Woohoo – it’s the weekend I have been waiting for! Tomorrow, my mom and I leave on our annual cruise and I am just beside myself with excitement. This will be our seventh cruise and our first time sailing out of Miami. I just can’t wait to spend seven days sailing the high seas, sipping fruity drinks, and enjoying quality time with my best friend. This blog will remain quiet for a while as I vacation and then come back to reality, but I hope to return at the end of May with tons of cruise recaps! For today, I thought it would be fun to do a “yesterday, today, and tomorrow” post since I haven’t done one of these in a long time. Enjoy!

yesterday, I…

worked from home. Yes! My last full day of working and I got to do it from the comfort of my apartment wearing yoga pants. And I had a productive day and finished up all the work I needed to do before I left. I’ll be able to enjoy my vacation with ease, knowing I won’t have a ton of deadlines I have to rush to meet when I return to work.
enjoyed lunch with my mom. One of my favorite benefits of my work-from-home days – I get to enjoy a nice lunch with my mom! We usually meet each other at Panera Bread and eat outside, so I get sunshine and a nice chat. It’s awesome!
packed for my vacation. WHEE! I love packing. It’s slightly nerve-wracking because I’m super neurotic and always worry about leaving something uber-important behind. But it’s also fun and just builds my anticipation.

today, I…

have my last day in the office for TEN WHOLE DAYS. And I only have to work for 3.5 hours! And it’s Bagel Friday! Yay!
will say goodbye to Dutch for a week! As excited as I am for vacation, I am also incredibly sad to leave my Dutchers for a whole week. I’m going to miss that little stinker so much!
will drive to Ft. Lauderdale with my mom. Originally, we planned to just drive down to Miami (where our cruise is departing from) on Saturday, the day of our cruise. But then we decided: why not extend our vacation by a day? So we did! We’ll drive down sometime in the late afternoon, arrive in Ft. Lauderdale in the early evening, have dinner, and relax. Plus, this means Saturday will be nice and easy since the drive to the port is less than an hour away, rather than four!

tomorrow, I…

will be in Miami for the first time ever! Can you believe I’ve never visited Miami? It’s crazy since it’s only a four-hour drive from where I live. But I won’t get to explore too much of Miami – we’re heading straight to the port! Maybe next time!
will sail away on my seventh cruise. My mom and I are sailing on the Carnival Glory; it’ll be our first time on this ship for both of us! We’re stopping in Half Moon Cay, the Bahamas, where we’ll be doing a bike and hike excursion; St. Thomas, USVI, where we’ll be doing a speed boat and snorkel excursion; San Juan, Puerto Rico, where we’ll be doing a zip-lining excursion (our third time zip-lining!); and Grand Turk, where we’ve planned a lazy day of laying out by the ginormous pool and walking along the beach.
will enjoy the most divine day of the cruise! Departure day is always so filled with excitement and promise. There will be our first drinks of the cruise, the first time lounging on the deck, the first dinner, and the first night of entertainment. Eek – I can’t wait!

What is your “yesterday, today, and tomorrow?”

Categories: Recurring Series

Virtual Coffee Date (v.4)

I haven’t done one of these posts in a long time, so I thought today is the perfect day to sit down with a cup of coffee and discuss some goings-on!

If we were having coffee today… I would most likely want to talk about my upcoming vacation. Since I’m just 5 days away from leaving, it’s the only thing on my mind! I’d probably mention that I’m having tons of vacation anticipation, but also a fair amount of vacation anxiety. (This has to do more with worry that something terrible is going to happen to make the trip not happen than actual travel anxiety.)

If we were having coffee today… I might ask you how your Mother’s Day was. I would hope it was a good day, though I know how difficult this day is for those who have lost their mothers, don’t have a relationship with them, or are aching to become a mother themselves. I would tell you that I had a good Mother’s Day, celebrating the most important woman in my life, my mom. I would tell you that we went for a long walk, took pictures in a park for her wedding invitations, and then went out for a late lunch with my brother and his family. I might mention that I was bummed that my grandma couldn’t partake in the festivities, being too sick from her last round of chemotherapy. (Which would probably lead to a discussion of how awful cancer is!)

If we were having coffee today… I’d probably tell you that I’m feeling a bit lackluster with my workouts lately. I’d mention that I’ve been thinking seriously about a gym membership because I miss having access to classes and more workout equipment. I might even grumble about the fact that two of the five pieces of cardio equipment at my tiny apartment gym have been out of order for a while now, which limits my choices!

If we were having coffee today… I might mention how I spectated at a race this weekend and how darn happy I was not to be running it. I’d tell you that my mom and my soon-to-be stepdad both ran the 8k and did very well… and that my reward for not running was to get 7 ant bites (including 3 on my bum!)

If we were having coffee today… I’d definitely ask about what you’re currently reading, and I would talk about the book I just started last night, Hush by Kate White. I’d tell you how this was the first book I suggested for book club since my abysmal pick in August of 2014 (Code Name Verity), so I am hopeful to redeem myself with this novel.

If we were having coffee today… I would tell you that the plans are all coming together for my mom’s wedding in July! I’d laugh a little as I told you how crazy this wedding planning process has been – mainly because very little planning has happened! But then I’d tell you how a date has been set (July 11), a honeymoon has been secured (a 7-day cruise; yes, I’m jealous!), and my mom has asked her best friend to officiate (yay!). I’d tell you that, this upcoming week, my mom and stepdad will be purchasing wedding bands, getting their marriage license, and sending out invitations! Next up: finding a wedding dress!

If we were having coffee today, what would you want to talk about?

Categories: Recurring Series

Five for Friday (v. 43)

1) On Tuesday, I got together with a bunch of girlfriends to do a fun craft project at a DIY studio in town, called MakeMe Studio. Originally, I wasn’t too excited because crafting just isn’t my thing, but I went into it with a good attitude. I knew my final product wouldn’t be the best (it most likely would be the worst!) but I wanted to let go of perfectionist tendencies, let go of being self-deprecating to save face, and just have a good time. And that’s what happened! We painted our canvases in a color of our choice and then decoupaged leaf-shaped scrapbook pages onto the canvas to form a flower. I don’t really think my final product resembles a flower (especially compared to what my friends made!), but I had a really fun time and I would do it again in a heartbeat. It felt really good to be creative just to be creative.

2) I am so close to cruise time I can feel it! A week from tomorrow, we leave! My mom and I are actually beginning our vacation on Friday afternoon, leaving St. Pete around 12:30-1:00 and driving down to Ft. Lauderdale for the night. Miami is only about a four-hour drive from where we live, but I’d rather drive down the day before to be on the safe side! Plus, it means we get to start our vacation earlier! Whee! We have all of our excursions booked (more on that next week!), so all that is left is getting past this next week.

3) On that same note, I am in panic mode about not getting sick. In this last week alone, five coworkers have called in sick. Obviously, you can’t be on a cruise ship while sick, so I’m going to do everything I can to remain healthy and away from all the germs. I have a pretty solid immune system (ahem, knock on wood), so I am hopeful that continuing to take my vitamins, chugging water, and washing my hands constantly will keep any germs away! I’m also considering wearing a surgical mask and sealing off my cubicle, but that seems a bit drastic.

4) I spent a fun afternoon with my two nephews on Sunday afternoon! I wanted to have some serious baby snuggles (my baby nephew is sooo sweet and snuggly!), but I knew my mom wanted some one-on-one Dominic time and I noticed that my older nephew was getting jealous of the attention we were giving the baby. So, I let my mom have Dominic and I spent some one-on-one time with Jovy in his bedroom, which was really nice! I say this all the time, but he is at such a great age! All the ages are the best ages, I guess!

5) Happy Friday! I am really looking forward to this weekend. There will be some last-minute cruise shopping, a trip to the bank to discuss my auto loan (fingers crossed they want to refinance!), spectating at a race that my mom, my future stepdad, and some coworkers will be running, and having a fun Mother’s Day lunch out. And then the countdown to my cruise and ten days off work begins!

How was your week? Any fun weekend plans?