Recurring Series

Yesterday, Today, & Tomorrow

Happy, happy Friday! What a week it’s been! I’m super happy it’s the weekend. This week has taken its toll on me. Work has been fine, it’s just a bunch of other bugging issues cropping up that are sapping my energy. I hope this weekend is a restorative one.

Let’s end this week with a fun “yesterday, today, and tomorrow” post, mmkay?

Yesterday, I…

Was pleasantly surprised by the fall-like morning! It was only 72 degrees and breezy. I am honestly shocked that we are having such nice weather lately. The mornings start in the low 70s, and we hover around the low 80s throughout the day. I think Florida is finally experiencing fall! (Well, Florida fall, at least. It’s a reprieve from the 110-degree days we had been having!)
Took myself out to lunch. I love doing this. Getting away from the office, sitting outside, eating a meal in silence, and reading my book. It’s honestly the best and makes me happy.
Made gluten-free cookies. Yum, yum! My mom has gone gluten-free because we believe she has some sort of sensitivity to it. She was getting stomachaches and headaches multiple times a week, and I kept kindly nudging her to try going gluten-free just to see if that’s the cause. And so she’s been gluten-free, and it’s been working! And we discovered gluten-free cookies in the process, which I think I like better than regular cookies. Weird. But awesome.
Watched the Scandal premiere! Gosh, I love this show. And beforehand, I watched the whole cast on Ellen, and that was just the most fabulous. They are good people.

Today, I…

Will have a bagel for breakfast and I’m super excited about this. Bagel Friday FTW!
Have a hair appointment! Woo! I’m planning on freshening up my hair color (thinking this color, maybe) and just trimming my layers. I’m planning on growing my hair out to donate again, and I’ll probably go back to a bob next summer. Maybe. We’ll see how I feel.
Will wash and vacuum my car! Eek… it needs a good washing, for sure. It’s been more than a few months.
Have a fun night planned – Xtreme Book Club! One of my friends suggested doing laser tag for book club this month and a bunch of us were totally on board with that idea. So we’re meeting at Sweet Tomatoes for dinner and then heading over to a laser tag center to play a few games. I mean! I’m so excited! My book club is the best.

Tomorrow, I…

Am thinking about going out to brunch. I haven’t been out for brunch in a long time! Hopefully, I can find a non-chain place that serves a delicious brunch (bonus points for a yummy mimosa!).
Have to drop my baby off for his biannual comprehensive check-up. It’s a pretty involved process where they take lots of tests to ensure he’s healthy and there are no internal issues we need to be concerned about. I’m always so nervous about these exams because I’m just always worried something is terribly wrong with Dutch. You never know! Good thoughts and prayers for another healthy check-up, please!
Need to buy my nephew a birthday present! Eek! I’m still not sure what I want to get him. He’s super into “Paw Patrol” so my brother has suggested that, but I think I might look for something a little more educational. I’m okay with being the lame aunt who buys books and puzzles! 🙂
Will have a low-key evening in. My goal is to catch up on my DVR (it’s already out of control with all the show premieres this week. Maaaaybe I have a TV addiction. Maybe.) and do some writing. Fiction writing! At least an hour! This is a must.

What is something you did yesterday, you did or will do today, and have planned for tomorrow?

Categories: Recurring Series

TGIF (v.4)

The high of my week was working from home yesterday! Oh, it was just so nice. I woke up at 7:15, took a shower at 7:45, and was sitting at my computer to start working by 8. I was super productive, got to snuggle with Dutch all day, and enjoyed the quiet and calm. I’m not sure I would love a full-time work-from-home position because the hustle and bustle of office life is good for me, but it will be nice to be able to do this a couple of times a month!

The low of my week was not doing well with healthy eating and exercise. This whole week was a wash for me. I feel crappy when I eat crappy, so it makes no logical sense why I continue to do so. (Besides habits and comfort zones and yadda, yadda, yadda.) My mom shared the below picture with me, which came at the perfect moment. I just need to find out what works for me!

The best article I read this week was NFL Should Ditch the Pink Crap and Recognize Domestic Violence Instead. I can’t even tell you how disgusted I have been with how Roger Goodell (NFL commissioner) has treated this situation with Ray Rice. It was handled poorly from the beginning. (Sorry, Ray Rice gets a 2-game suspension for domestic abuse and Josh Gordon gets suspended for an entire season for smoking pot? This makes sense in whose mind?!)

“[T]he NFL is in a unique position to take this disaster and turn it into something incredibly useful and good. The League could be global leaders in domestic violence awareness and prevention if they chose to the lead on this now. They could prove to disillusioned fans that they really do give a shit about the millions of women who tune in to NFL games every week. They could open up lifelines to women who didn’t feel like they had anywhere to go or any place to turn.”

A podcast episode I loved was The Notorious RBG by Stuff Mom Never Told You. Ruth Bader Ginsburg is just badass, you guys. If you ever wanted to know just how badass she is, listen to this podcast. The ladies do a fantastic job discussing her life and impact on politics.

The best money I spent was nothing. Ha! I honestly only spent money on food, groceries, gas, and some toiletries. Nothing exciting to talk about, sadly!

My plans this weekend include a long walk with Dutch, a pedicure with Mom, and celebrating my brother’s birthday on Sunday. (By watching football and eating pizza and cake. Works for me!) It should be a calm, low-key weekend, which will be nice.

What was the highlight of your week? Any fun weekend plans?

Categories: Recurring Series

Currently in September

Feeling… a bit out of sorts lately. I’m not sure what’s going on, but I’ve felt a bit crabby lately. I have a short fuse, and I get annoyed by the slightest things. I haven’t been sleeping well lately, so maybe that’s why? I hope so, at least, and I hope I can snap out of this funk soon!

Writing… very little. I really want to make fiction writing a normal part of my routine, but it’s been really hard trying to fit it in. My weekends are filled with writing posts for this blog, being social, and having downtime so I haven’t figured out a way to also work on my novel. Luckily, I have my writing partner and we meet a couple of times a month (less now since she teaches college courses on top of a full-time work schedule so her time is very limited!), but I want to get into the habit of writing for at least 2-3 hours every weekend. Something’s gotta give!

Reading… The UltraMind Solution by Mark Hyman. I first heard about this book from Nicole, and the premise sounded very intriguing. I’m only reading a few chapters a week so I can digest and process the information slowly. I’m not sure if I’m 100% on board with his ideas, but I’m willing to read through his research and make up my own mind about it.

Listening… to fantasy football podcasts whenever I can. I’m a little obsessed. Add to the fact that the two podcasts I listen to update five times a week (usually an hour per episode!) and I’m inundated. But I can’t stop! They’re so interesting to listen to. At least to me.

Planning… a birthday getaway. I’m not sure yet what I want to do. I’m wavering between a long weekend in Orlando or driving up to St. Augustine for a few days. I’ve never been to St. Augustine, but I’ve wanted to visit for a long time. Have you been to St. Augustine? Is it worth it?

Happy… because I won my work’s football pool! I only won once last season (and I tied with another coworker so only got, like, $30!), so I’m pretty proud of myself for kicking ass. Now, if I can win once more then I can win back all the money I’ll put into the pool over the course of the season.

Anticipating… seeing Nora next week! I’m so excited we could work it out to spend some time together while she’s in Florida for the week. The weather looks dreadful (80% chance of rain all week!), but we’ll make it work. I’m just excited to see her and give her all of the hugs I’ve been wanting to give her over the course of this year.

Enjoying… apartment hunting. It’s fun! Right now, I’m doing it solely for research purposes. There are so many apartments to choose from. I have to decide where I want to live – St. Pete? Clearwater? Largo? Tampa? – and what kind of apartment I want and how much I’m willing to pay for it. And I wanted to get an idea of how much I’ll need to pay for move-in costs. I really loved the apartment I looked at last weekend and the rent comes under budget for me – even better!

Loving… Big Brother, that football is back, playing the Wii with my nephew, the Lumosity app, cookie dough, podcasts, Dutch snuggles, Dove chocolates, and long emails with faraway friends.

What are you currently reading, anticipating, and planning?

Categories: Recurring Series

Five For Friday (v. 36)

1) The maintenance light is on in my car. Like a proper adult, I’ve been ignoring it, hoping it will magically go away, but it hasn’t and I’m going to have to take it in to be looked at. I thought it started blinking because I needed an oil change, but I got the oil changed and it was still blinking. So, it must be something else and I am scaaaared to find out what it is. I really hope it’s something fixable and covered under my warranty. Oh, please, oh, please.

2) I think I need to invest in an old-fashioned alarm clock. Right now, I use my phone but then I find myself scrolling through Instagram or Twitter or Facebook or Pinterest and before I know it, 15 minutes have gone by and the whole reason I was on my phone in the first place was to set my alarm! Sigh. I need an intervention. The truth is, I’m not even all that addicted to my phone. I don’t check it that much, and I usually leave it in my room or in my purse when I’m home. But in those last minutes before I need to be asleep, it’s suddenly oh! I haven’t checked Instagram today! or oh man! What is everyone saying on Twitter right now? or ooh! I remember seeing a notification on Facebook I haven’t checked. I don’t want to remove all social media apps from my phone, so I think the next best thing is to simply use an alarm clock and leave my phone in the living room or bathroom overnight.

3) This upcoming Sunday is the last one without football! My brother and I have been counting down for months, and I am so ready and excited for the 2014 season to start. Sundays without football are very sad Sundays indeed.

4) I was sore for three straight days after the workout I did on Monday. It’s been a long, long time since I have felt so sore – one of those hurt so good feelings! In the workout, you’re supposed to perform 10 sets of the 10 moves, and I only had time for two sets. And I’m not sure if I could have made it through another set, even if I did have the time! It was so hard. I’m going to work my way up to those 10 rounds, though – count on it!

5) I keep forgetting that this weekend is a three-day weekend! I honestly have no plans for Labor Day, other than sleeping, relaxing, and reading a good book. It’s going to be a super low-key, plan-less weekend and I couldn’t be happier!

Do you use an alarm clock or the one on your phone? What are your plans for the long weekend?

Categories: Recurring Series

A Day in the Life: Monday, August 25, 2014

Let’s do another day in the life post! I think I might start doing these once a month because they are so fun to put together. Even if my life is pretty boring. Ha!

4:36am: First alarm goes off.

5:30am: After five or six subsequent alarms (I use Sleep Cycle and then two backup alarms on my Clock app because I’m crazy), I finally get up and take Dutch on a short morning walk.

6:00am: Workout time! I do the “1,000 Reps” workout and make it through two rounds before wanting to pass out. The last time I attempted this workout, I only made it through one round so I deem today a huge success.

6:35am: Start getting ready for work. Waste too much time dilly-dallying and don’t have time to do my hair. Oh well! Days like these, I just throw my wet hair into a bun and call it a day. Pack my lunch. Pack my bag. Head out the door.

7:25am: Commute to work. It’s a little slow on the Interstate today, but not too awful. I am thankful for a fairly easy commute with very few traffic delays!

8:00am: Arrive at work, power up my computer, and put my food away in the fridge. Eat breakfast (cereal!) while writing this post.

8:15am: Get coffee and work on my to-do list for the day. A lot of writing to do today! Once I finish up these pages, I’ll be done with my writing for the month. Right in the nick of time!

8:30am: Tackle the first task on my to-do list, which involves proofing a coworker’s pages that he sent me last week.

10:30am: Email my edits to my coworker, take a bathroom break, and then eat my morning snack while reading a few blogs. Forget to take a photo of my morning snack, but it’s a hard-boiled egg and a cup of green grapes. Yum, yum! It’s while I’m eating said grapes that a coworker comes by to chat. After offering him some grapes, he proceeds to question if cinnamon on grapes would taste good. I had cinnamon at my desk so I offer it to him and he takes the challenge. Verdict? Not bad.

10:45am: Read over 10 pages that I wrote last week to see if I spot any errors (I do!), then send them over to my writing partner for his edits.

12:00pm: Lunchtime! I can take lunch whenever I want to, but I usually go by how I’m feeling. Today, I am hungry by noon and didn’t really feel like getting started on my writing tasks for the day before lunchtime, so I eat early. My lunch is boring (honey/dijon/lime chicken, yellow corn, applesauce with a side of three miniature candy bars), but I get to settle in with Cath and Levi while I eat. (Side note: LOVE. THIS. BOOK. Cath is just… she’s me. Rainbow Rowell has written me in character form.)

1:00pm: Back to writing – I have seven pages to knock out before the end of the day. It’ll take some serious dedication!

3:30pm: Take a break to have an afternoon snack of Teddy Grahams, and also a therapy session with Linda on Gchat. I think I also proposed marriage to her, so there is that.

3:45pm: Back to work, and I have three pages to go! I. Can. Do. This!

5:40pm: Pages done! Whew! Will need a quick read-through tomorrow, but I’ve written them. Yay! Leave work and commute home.

6:00pm: Arrive home to a giddy Dutch. We go on a long walk outside, and it actually feels… nice? There’s a breeze and everything! The heat index has been hovering around 117 degrees the last few days, so I love a tiny cool-down! Anything in the double digits feels divine.

6:15pm: Take a relaxing bubble bath. I’ve mentioned this in other “day in the life” posts, but I take bubble baths almost every day. I love ’em!

6:45pm: Start dinner. I’m making Italian baked chicken, mashed potatoes, and peas for dinner. Super easy and delicious meal! (The chicken consisted of me cleaning one chicken breast, dropping it in a plastic baggie, dumping an entire bottle of Italian salad dressing, and letting it marinate overnight. Not the most exciting meal, but incredibly simple and yummy!)

7:15pm: Dinner is cooking, so I work on this post and read a few blogs while it does its thing.

8:00pm: Finish cooking dinner. The chicken finishes first, then I mash my potatoes, and lastly quickly make a veggie dish.

8:20pm: Sit down with my mom to eat. (We usually eat different meals at different times, but she saw what I was making tonight and wanted some!) Completely forget to take a picture of my dinner, but it was yummy! We watch Masterchef while eating.

9:0opm: Turn on the Emmy’s and it’s a snoozefest. (I’m really not one for award shows!) But nothing else is on, so I watch it while playing on my phone and snuggling with Dutch. We also eat a yummy dessert!

11:00pm: Finally turn off the Emmy’s and start getting ready for bed. (Why did I stay up this late to watch that?!)

11:20pm: Lights out! This is super late for me to be going to bed. I’m usually turning off the lights by 10:00 at the absolute latest. Tomorrow’s alarm is going to hurt!

Are you a snoozer like me? When’s the last time you took a bubble bath?