If I Should Go Missing, Check the Mud Room

 ...I've probably been buried under a pile of debris that fell from one of the cabinets. Although, now, that isn't as real a possibility as it was on Saturday morning, when I started purging said cabinets; a chore that had been on my Master To-Do list for ages and for which I'm actually quite proud of myself for finally getting up the strength to accomplish, despite the risk to both life and limb.

While I was cleaning out the cabinets, I realized two facts: one, I have a problem with candle hoarding,

and, two, candle hoarding may not be my only problem

In addition to unearthing more chalk paint than any one human has any business owning; I also discovered several items of a nostalgic nature, including a post card that Mom and Dad sent to us the last time they visited Hawaii before Dad passed away.

I also rediscovered this photograph of Queen B.

The frame it is in is sterling silver, engraved with the time and date of her birth, as well as her weight and length. It was a gift from her God Father  and something I'll treasure, always (so, what was it doing tucked away in the deepest recesses of a mud room cabinet, you ask? You got me there).

Speaking of things I'll always treasure; this is one of the Man-Cub's many, many arm casts.

Apparently, I was saving it for the day that he is rich and famous and his fans are clamoring for a piece of his childhood, at which point I will sell it to the highest bidder (or, it went straight into the trash after I snapped this photo; I'm not saying either way).

The purging and reorganization of  the cabinets took the best part of the day but, I can now say that I have tidy cabinets that house only items that are useful, necessary, and/or sentimental to me. This means the chances of me surviving the opening of a cabinet door have been greatly increased.

As an aside, I may also have a problem with wine hoarding. Although, is that an actual problem, problem?

Discuss.

Sunday Self-Care Status

I knocked a few items off my self-care goal over the past few days. It required taking a couple of days off from Not So New Job, which, is an act of self-care all on its own. I am lucky to have a team at work who can handle things when I'm away; just as well, if not better than I handle them myself, if I'm being totally honest.

I wrote about Thursday's shopping excursion to Neighboring City in yesterday's post. Today, I will report that I got a pedicure on Friday, as well as spending some quality time with Boomer Dog (I taught him to crawl! It's the cutest trick, ever!). I also grabbed my favorite drink from Starbucks (Venti skinny Cinnamon Dolce Latte, thankyouverymuch) and I took a nap.

So, whilst I was not terribly productive on Friday, I was relaxed and that's the point of a day off, I think. Plus, I now have pretty toes.

Friday Favorites: Going Commando Edition

Yesterday, I went to Neighboring City for an appointment with my new doctor, and, while I was there, I ran a number of very important errands.

Shopping. I went shopping.

But, not just any shopping, nooooo; for the first time in over a year, I went shopping sans mask, and, friends, trust me when I say that going Commando, Pandemic Style is glorious. Major props to Neighboring City for relaxing its' Covid restrictions to make it possible (a large portion of the county population is vaccinated, so please relax the grip on your pearls).

The first stop on my Covid Comeback Tour was Sam's Club, where I spent a good deal of time fawning over the wine selection.

My absolute favorite wine of all wine is Santa Margherita Pinot Grigio; it's expensive enough that I only buy it on occasion. But! Sam's Club had it at a significant discount, so, I bought enough to cover any occasion.

I also bought a bottle of this wine because the label is fun. 

Yep. Made a blind wine purchase based on the label, alone. I'm living dangerously over here.

After Sam's, I went to the new Homegoods store in the mall. I had high hopes. I was disappointed. It wasn't the only disappointment of the day; I also struck out a Lowes and Walmart (I was looking specifically for new cushions for the wicker set on my porch; looks like I'll have to cough up a lung to pay for some online).

My luck took a turn at Penney's, where I found a new purse and then again at Ulta, where I found my usual primer and concealer after having struck out on both items at Sephora earlier  (I'm totally breaking up with Sephora; I've been cheating with Ulta, anyway).

After all my shopping was done and I had finished up with the good doctor, I took just a few minutes to wander through the garden section of a local nursery. I'm not ready to purchase bedding plants yet (I'm waiting to see if the hydrangeas I planted last year actually make a comeback), but wandering through flowers soothes my soul and, yesterday was all about self-care for me.

Speaking of which, I made a snap decision to take today off, too. My super-awesome office manger has been gently reminding me that I have reached the point where I am no longer accumulating vacation time, so, I needed to use a few hours. I'm not sure what I am going to do with my time, but, a pedicure could be in my future. It will be a nice treat, even if I am not allowed to go commando.

So, We Did a Thing...

I may have mentioned here, a time or two, that the Man-Cub will be graduating from college in December. I'm sure I've also mentioned, a time or ten, that he attends school in Hawaii.

Graduation from college usually means having a graduation celebration, right?

Right.

When he originally left for college, we sent him off with a grand luau, and, I always envisioned throwing another one for him upon his matriculation. Due to a combination of him having an inept student advisor his first year of school and the Covid nonsense of last year, he was forced to take an extra semester, which, means a December graduation rather than the May date that I had originally envisioned.

Anyone want to host a luau in Colorado in December?

Yeah, me neither.

So, we are doing the next best thing; we are taking the luau to Hawaii.

Last night, I pulled the trigger on renting this amazing house...

...it cost a small fortune, not gonna lie.

Happily, along with all the stress and frustration that came with Not So New Job came an increased salary, which, combined with the sale of the house in Neighboring City, means that we can afford to pay a small fortune for the peace of mind of knowing that we, our immediate family (including the Cub's grandparents, girlfriend, cousin, and Second Son Mikey) will be able to relax and celebrate the Cub's accomplishment in grand style.

Naturally, I have all sorts of fears around this booking. Will Covid rear it's ugly head? Will an unexpected hurricane pummel the island? Will someone get sick, injured, or worse before our scheduled departure?

Hopefully, none of the above, but; I wouldn't be me if I didn't obsess over unlikely (but, theoretically possible) doomsday scenarios when planning (and paying for) a vacation. I do it every time.

So, if you are the praying type, please throw out a little request for a smooth, uneventful, totally amazing and unforgettable vacation for me and mine. We all deserve it and we will all be grateful for it.

 

Horror-Mone Update: Week One

I started this HRT journey last week. I'm calling it a journey because it is becoming increasingly clear to me that there will be no short trip to my desired destination, which, is the Land of Normal. 

You know Normal? Where every day features stability in emotions, weight, appetite, body temperature and sanity? Where, upon waking, one springs from bed with nary a twinge, let alone full-on body pain? And that's after sleeping through the night, without waking numerous times to fight off the fires of Hades before being consumed.

That Normal. I owned real estate there once; it was magical.

Anyhoodle, HRT is apparently a science of trial and error, which means that I am adjusting dosages of both estrogen and progesterone until I hit the sweet spot wherein I can control the symptoms present in Horror-Monia, where I currently reside (try to avoid purchasing real estate here; it's a dump).

In addition to tinkering with the progesterone and estrogen; I will be adding treatment for my thyroid since the results from all that bloodwork I had done indicate that I have Hashimoto Disease, which is a thyroid thing (my ability to absorb new information about the rapidly increasing betrayals of my body has reached it's limit; I'll try to get more specific once I have a chance to start processing all this crap).

I am scheduled for an appointment with my doctor in a couple of weeks so that we can start sorting it all out. As a consolation for my misery, the practice in which the doctor works has offered me a complimentary relaxation facial and microdermabrasion session, as well as a free consultation with their nutritionist. 

I'm planning to take a day off from Not So New Job so I can make a day of it, complete with a stop at the new Homegoods store, which opened in Neighboring City, recently; if I'm going to continue to reside in Horror-Monia, at least I can surround myself with nice things.

Here Come the Brides

Yesterday's weather could not have been more perfect for a wedding in the mountains! The sun was shining, the temperatures were mildly cool, and there was no wind of which to speak. I actually don't think I've ever seen such a pretty day for an event of any kind.

The venue for the wedding was quite unique; the ceremony was held outdoors, and the reception was held in a reclaimed 1800's log cabin schoolhouse. Since the girls were only allowed thirty guests, the intimate setting was absolutely perfect, and, the mix and match decor provided by the event planner was an amazing reflection of the uniqueness of the couple, themselves. Which, speaking of..

..this cake topper was a bone of contention between the brides for many a moon. Kristi had it made in the Ukraine (it's made of sugar, and features both brides, plus all three of their dogs and the cat. Kristi wanted to include their ten chickens, but they wouldn't fit on the topper) and was so excited to surprise Erin with it. Erin was less than impressed (in Erin's defense, it did arrive damaged; one of her eyes was missing and Kristi's face had melted, slightly. Kristi managed to salvage it with a Sharpie and a creative application of store-bought cake fondant).

The girls compromised by adding a second cake to the reception, especially for the topper. So, Erin got her fancy cake and Kristi got her more personalized cake. Anyone care to guess which cake the guests liked best?

Hint: It wasn't this one

We started the day with mimosas in the main guest house on the property. The event coordinator provided a breakfast that featured the fluffiest pancakes that I have ever eaten in my life. She paired them with homemade maple syrup and strips of candied bacon that were to die for.

I noshed on my stack of pancakes while the stylist created the most intricate messy bun that I have ever had in my life...

..after which she airbrushed my makeup and glued fuzzy caterpillars across my eyelids (clearly I am not a fancy gal who is used to false eyelashes).

I don't have a ton of pictures from the day (it's really strange to be in front of the camera, rather than behind it), but I do have a few that I was able to get on my phone, as well as some that Hugh took from his seat during the ceremony.

The girls both looked amazing, and, most importantly, were happy as could be. Despite their reservations, each of the girl's families had made the trip for the wedding and I have to hope that they saw how incredibly happy Erin and Kristi make each other and that their support of the girls will increase, tenfold.

If that doesn't happen, the girls have more than ample support from friends who love them without condition. I am so proud to count myself among them.

Anyhoodle, here is a photo dump of what I was able to capture throughout the day. I'll have to share the photographer's photos once she gets them back to the girls. 

The shoes that tried to kill me

The basket I put together to surprise the girls with

Now, I am going to down a few ibuprofen tablets and put my feet up before I have to prepare Easter dinner for the crew who is running the ambulance today; it's a different Easter for us, to be sure, but, we're here for it.

Happy Easter, by the way!

Five on Friday

I'm taking the day off from Not So New Job today, to prepare for Erin and Kristi's wedding tomorrow. I have a ton of stuff on my To Do List including: 

• Run Lola through the carwash and vacuum Boomer's hair out of the cargo area
• Pop up the third row of seats (I will be driving the bridal party to a series of locations for photos)
• Get her tires rotated (this is a Hugh mandate)
• Hem my dress, to accommodate the height of the new heels I purchased yesterday (I'm using hem tape; ain't no one got time for sewing)
• Pick up the last items that I need for the gift that I am planning on surprising the girls with
• Pick up flowers to give to the girls from Mom (she isn't attending the wedding and wanted the girls to know that she is thinking of them)
• Search the market for a ham for Easter Sunday
• Come up with a Plan B if ham is nowhere to be found (Easter quiche, anyone?)
• Get ready for the rehearsal and rehearsal dinner later tonight 

One thing I won't have to do is my nails, which, brings me to the first of today's Five...

...one of my team members at Not So New Job dabbles in ColorStreet Nails and she gave me a manicure yesterday so that I wouldn't have to deal with it today. She did an awesome job and I may now be a convert to nail polish sheets; the process of applying the polish is really easy and, unlike nail polish, there is virtually no mess (longtime readers need not fear; OPI will always reign supreme on my toes!).

The girls wedding color is purple, which is a perfect Spring color. Speaking of Spring...

the first actual sign of the season showed up in the flowerbed at the office. I am now waiting with anticipation for the annual blooming of the tulips, iris, lilacs, and apple blossoms.

Another favorite view from this week:

Selling the house in Neighboring City was bittersweet. On the one hand, we made bank. On the other hand, none of my babies live near me, now. On the bright side of that, though; the girls are doing well in Texas, Mikey has been pre-approved for a home loan and is currently house hunting, and the Cub will soon be home for the summer. It's all good.

Speaking of things that are all good; I finally got my prescription filled and have started on my HRT journey. It's too early to tell if it is going to provide relief from the symptoms that I have been plagued by, but, I am optimistic.

Also optimistic is Boomer Dog, who never fails to show the greatest of hope that someone, anyone, will throw his ball for him.

Oh, to have such faith in the generosity of men. Bless his heart.

Anyhoodle, I am off to start the chores on my To Do List. Next on the blog will be a play-by-play of the girls' wedding! 

I'm so excited!