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
I so wish I did not have to talk about the election at work but it’s part of every convo and has been for months since it impacts markets and interest rates. Ay yi yi. I can see why they have that sign. It is kind of nice to have a politics free zone in the world?
I was awake at 5 am yesterday and laid in bed until 5:40 hoping to fall asleep. Sleep has been rough lately. Today I was up at 5:40 and laid in bed until 6:05. You know what’s going to happen tomorrow? My 6 am alarm is going to wake me up. (I could have slept until 6:30 or later the last 2 days as the boys slept until then.)
We haven’t talked about politics at all at work, so it’s nice to have that space to compartmentalize my life! Having to talk about it at work, and especially how it’s going to impact your job, has to be a burden. I think it’s a good thing to have a sign like that at the hair salon – they don’t need to be getting into conversations that can quickly go south!
Waking up before 6am on the weekend should be illegal! I hope next weekend is better for you. <3
I was drinking water when I got to this: “This is my very healthy and balanced lunch, by the way. I’m here for all of your nutritional advice needs.” Nearly sprayed water over my computer! Having just had a bowl of Boo Berry for lunch (hey, it was half off after Halloween), I am not throwing stones.
Your hair looks very cute! I got mine trimmed yesterday, and as we were the only ones in the main area, my stylist and I could commiserate over the election. She would love to have that sign!
Congrats on writing through a week in the life, well done! I’ve read all the posts but haven’t had much to add. The books looks interesting (hope they’re good) and the hair looks lovely! 🙂
That was quite the week from start to end. And I enjoyed reading about how you spend and structure your day. Oh and there’s nothing better than getting a haircut. I love my visits to the hairdresser.
I love your hair! And, I know why they have that sign at the hairdressers. People (not everyone, but some people) love to talk about politics to me while they’re getting a massage. Imagine how unpleasant it is to be GIVING SOMEONE A MASSAGE while they go on and on about how great Trump is. I just have to turn my brain off and go on with what I’m doing, but sometimes I imagine my hands closing tighter and tighter around their neck, ha ha.
I know that feeling after a workout- “oh, I never noticed I used my lats (or triceps, etc.) so much!” I take it as a sign that I definitely pushed myself hard enough.
Sounds like a really nice day.
OMG, Jenny. I didn’t even realize people would talk like that WHILE GETTING A MASSAGE. Just be quiet and enjoy your spa time! Gah. That’s gotta be so hard. You could definitely use a sign like that!
I loved Frozen River so much. It may be in the top 3 this year. Hope you enjoy it too.
You know I love your writing dates. I find them so fascinating.
Your hair looks great. My daughter had her hair done yesterday too, you must be on the same schedule. I cannot imagine talking politics with my hairdresser. I mean, what if she voted for Trump? But really what can happen is that the people in the chair next to you might jump in, and suddenly, if not everyone agrees, things might get ugly. Best to keep the chat non-political, I say.
I had popcorn (with butter) and a coke zero for lunch today.
I had some weird suspicions about previous hairdressers, especially regarding Covid protocols that made me wonder about them! I like the sign – let’s just keep this place a politics-free zone where we can chat about our lives. Because you’re right – you and your hairstylist may be on the same wavelength but then someone in the chair next to you might not, and suddenly, things get real ugly real fast. No, thank you!
I am so jealous of you “the flu and COVID vaccines do nothing to me” people. HOW? I was laid up for an entire Saturday after just the COVID shot and they wouldn’t even give me the flu shot because I’d had a reaction to vaccines in the past, so I now I have to make an appointment with my doctor and I know they’re going to be annoyed with me for asking for an appointment when I could just go get one at a pharmacy. Maybe I’ll go to a different pharmacy for my flu shot and just lie about the reaction to the vaccine question. I’m really just venting about this. I feel like it should be easy to get a vaccine and it’s not. Also, they make me sick. LOL.
I am SO SORRY you have to deal with such awful reactions to the shots. You must have a much more robust immune system that immediately goes into attacking mode! My body is just like, “Eh, whatever!” <3
Your hair looks great, so healthy and shiny!!!
I am 100% on board with not talking about politics. Some people love it; I am not one of them. Side note and completely unrelated, but the best haircut I have ever had was in Florida! I honestly cannot remember the name of the place or the hairdresser but he did such a good job and I have been trying to get that haircut again but it has never been as good!
Pretty hair!!!
Good job on getting the flu and Covid vaccines! The book rewards are warranted. Jon and I got our vaccines a few weeks apart, but didn’t have any side effects from either one.
Your hair looks great. I am glad you have a great hair stylist. I haven’t been to a salon since before Covid LOL