#3077 not a redhead anymore?

selfie in August 2026

When I was at the dermatologist's office earlier in the week, I was chatting with Kelsey, the medical assistant, about all my spots. I said, "Well, I am a pale redhead who didn't always take care of her skin." Kelsey said, "Yeah, you've got all that pale hair." In my head, I was like, what? 

When the doctor was examining me, she asked if I had any red in my hair. I was like, "Yes, I am a redhead! Or I used to be, anyway. Now I've got my old lady hairs that are sort of strawberry blond." The doctor responded in some way that I don't even remember because I was sort of obsessing about the fact that this stranger that I just met didn't know I had red hair. 

Then I thought about people at work who didn't know I'd been a redhead. When those people saw photos of me from earlier days, they would say, "Holy crap, Sandy! Your hair was red!" People who knew me for a long time would laugh, and so did I, but I was secretly sad, too. 

There were times, about 20 years ago, that I paid Lanna (my hair stylist) to put light streaks in my hair, and even longer ago, like 40 years ago, I would put Sun-In on my hair to lighten it up in the summer. Now Mother Nature is saying, "Oh, you wanted light hair back in the day? You got it, sis."

It's weird to notice yourself get older, and see the changes to your body. 

And yeah, I could have Lanna make my hair red again, but I won't. I have accepted that I am now strawberry blond. 

 

#3048 3 things: currently I am...

3 wonky chickens

 

1. Currently I am going to be getting ready for bed. I woke up early this morning, around 6:30. No alarm, no fuss from the dogs. My body was just ready to be awake. I've had a pretty busy day, and now I feel tired. I really just wanted to take a minute to write something here.

2. Currently I am considering if I should take the bigger sketchbook I bought on The Trip to use as my travel journal, or if I should get a smaller size of the same type. Or maybe I should just get a mixed media sketchbook. I am guilty of analysis paralysis and chronic overthinking.

3. Currently I am eating...well, I'm not eating anything at the moment, unless you consider crunching on ice eating. I am drinking a Diet Coke with a splash of lemonade in it. Yes, I know it's 10:00 PM. I don't usually have trouble sleeping even after I have caffeine. I just had a hankering for a soda and I was at the c-store buying a bag of ice, so it wasn't like I went to the store specifically for a soda, but when I was there, I really wanted it.

That was fun! 

xoxo

#3044 three things: currently I am...

I'm trying something a little different with three things this week. I found a cool list on Pinterest called "Currently I'm" and there are 29 things on the list. I haphazardly chose three, so let's see how it goes.

1. Currently I'm smelling the pine and eucalyptus lotion I just put on my hands. Lizzie gave me the lotion for Christmas a couple of years ago after I told her how much I love those two scents together. It reminds me of a wonderful afternoon I spent on Angel Island in the San Francisco Bay. I hope I never forget the smell of the air there: the soil, the evergreens, the eucalyptus, and the salt air combined in such a fresh, wonderful fragrance. This lotion isn't exactly like the scent of Angel Island, but it'll do. Plus it makes my dry hands feel wonderfully moisturized.

2. Currently I'm trying to wrap up my aunt's estate. I've learned that having a will and a trust is not enough. There are affidavits to be signed, beneficiaries need to have been named, and sometimes attorneys need to be involved. I have been waiting for a document from the attorney who prepared the will and the trust to send me an affidavit so I can close out the bank account in Dixon. I've left him messages and emails, but haven't heard back. I will keep trying. You have to be persistent to get what you want!

3. Currently I'm hoping for the discipline to finish up my 2025 travel journal before I begin my next vacation. I'm almost done with the 2025 travel journal, but I have a few pages to go. I am actually on the last day of the trip when we went to the Van Gogh Museum. I have so many photos and postcards and stuff from the museum that I want to do a two-page spread on it. I'm excited to do it, but time seems to get away from me. How did I get anything fun done when I was working full time?

~~~~~~

Well...that was pretty fun! Quick and easy. If you're interested, here is the list from Pinterest.

Enjoy the rest of the week!

#3029 three things: healing, Harley, and glasses

1. Splint off, brace on. Yesterday morning I had a follow up appointment with the wrist surgeon, well, his PA, anyway. Fun fact: the PA, Ally, is the same person T saw after is back surgery. She recognized me LOL. I was so glad to get that splint off! I do have quite a big scar on my wrist; it is three inches long, straight, and is healing well. The stitches were removed and I had an x-ray to make sure everything inside was right, and it all looks good. Now I am wearing a brace. I do get to take it off when I shower and when I am at rest, like watching the Olympics. Other than that, I have it on. The wrist feels fragile, though Ally tells me that's mostly a mental thing, although I am restricted from picking up anything larger than one pound for another four weeks. The skin on my hand and arm is extremely dry, so I have been applying moisturizer regularly. There is also quite a bit of bruising. I put a thin layer of Vaseline on the scar to keep it from drying up and getting icky. I will meet with Dr. Holt or Ally in about five weeks for a final follow up appointment. When the brace is off, I am doing gentle stretches of the wrist forward and back. I also gently swivel the wrist. No quick movements because that hurts like hell. Overall, I am very happy to have the splint off. 

2. Harley to the vet. In January or February 2025 I took Harley the Lab to the vet because she was overweight and losing hair and she just wasn't healthy. She had hypothyroidism and was put on medication.  She started to lose weight and was doing great, but she kept losing weight, and now she is so skinny I can see all her ribs and her spine. Over the weekend she started vomiting and having diarrhea, plus she hurt her left front leg, probably coming down the stairs or jumping off the bed. Today she has been somewhat lethargic and had the saddest puppy dog eyes ever. I called our regular vet, but they couldn't get her in today or for a couple of weeks, so they recommended another vet, not an emergency vet, but more like an urgent care. I called that office and got an appointment for 2:30 this afternoon. 

Poor Harley couldn't jump up into the car, so I had to scoop her up with my forearms to get her in the car. (The wrist was not involved.) The tech at the vet came and scooped her out of the car when we got to their office. Harley then proceeded to have the walking poops, runny version, in the exam room, so the tech moved us to a different room. Harley squirted in there two or three times, too, but I was able to clean those up. 

The vet got an x-ray of the leg (it's fine) and some blood work. She is still hypothyroid, but she only weighs about 50 lbs - she should be 55 - 60. The vet recommended some medicine for the diarrhea, a pro-biotic to get her gut right, and an anti-inflammatory for the leg. She also told me to feed Harley a little more food every day and to mix and egg in with one of her meals. We will go back to the vet in four weeks to see how she's doing. I'd love to see her put on a couple of pounds in that time. 

3. Wearing my glasses. Since the day after I broke the wrist, I have been wearing my glasses. Usually I wear contacts, but there was no way I could get contacts in or out with the cast or the splint. In fact, taking out my contacts the day of the break was tricky because I had to do it with just my left hand.  Now that I have the brace and can take it off, I might try to put in my contacts tomorrow. What I wanted to say, though, is that I'm glad I got new glasses in late December. When I got the new glasses, I opted in for the transition lenses that turn dark in the sunlight. I'm glad I did because my eyes are so sensitive to light, I wouldn't have even been able to drive with my old glasses because of the sun glare. It's been a long time since I wore glasses every day, but I'm sure glad I have a good pair now. 

EXTRA: I haven't written in my journal since the accident because I couldn't really grip a pen very well. Same with drawing and painting. I did one painting and it was not very pleasing. I was planning to journal today, but the Harley thing came up, so that will wait until tomorrow, but I'm really excited to write in my book again. 

Be safe!

xo

#3027 three things I can do with my left hand

 

Since I broke my right wrist a week ago, I have had to learn to do things with my left hand. I am right hand dominant, so it hasn't been easy to be a lefty. I have the ability to use the fingers of my right hand, but the cast covers most of my palm, I don't have any flexibility in the wrist because of the cast, and holding anything that weighs more than a pound with my right hand is painful and uncomfortable. Because of all that, Lefty has had to step it up. Here are three things I can now do left-handed passably well.

1. Throwing a frisbee. This is extremely important to Stella the Dog. In the past, you know, two weeks ago, when I tried to throw the frisbee with my left hand, the disc just kind up went vertical and crashed to the ground. There was no flight. Now, though, I can get it across the yard in a nice smooth line most of the time. Here is a pic of Stella before I figured out how to master the lefty throw.

sad Stella

2. Stirring. This is a strange one because I didn't ever think about stirring anything with my left hand. I made myself a scrambled egg the other day, and I couldn't even figure out how to hold the wooden spoon to mix the egg in the pan. I felt so unnatural to me. Since then, I have mixed some tuna with mayo, cottage cheese with chia seeds and seasoning, and of course coffee. It doesn't feel normal, but things get mixed, so that's what matters. The other part of the stirring that that I am gripping the bowl/pan/cup with my Shrek-like right fingers and it isn't a strong grip.

3. Personal/toiletry. Left-handed tooth brushing is different to me. I have an electric toothbrush, so I just have to hold the toothbrush on my teeth and it does all the work, but moving the brush around to the different quadrants feels like solving an algebra problem. Also, maybe I put more toothpaste on the brush than usual or I'm focusing on getting all the teeth clean, but I slobber more now than when I was right handed. I almost always have a little toothpaste dribble on my shirt. My teeth are clean, though. Combing or brushing my hair is a joke. I know it shouldn't be that hard, but jeez, I keep trying to comb with the back of the comb. What's up with that? Mostly I opt for the finger brushing technique. Finally, the most private thing (wiping) has been quite an adjustment. I get it done and it's fine because needs must, amIright? 

Enjoy the rest of the week!

#3026 it has been a rough week

Well...the last week of January was NOT very nice for me.

 On Monday the 26th, I went to a meeting with my financial advisor to move my 401(k) funds from my employer's advisor. I got there a little early, and as I was backing into the parking space, I noticed my back-up camera was dirty. I decided to wipe it off. I was thinking about checking out the nearest Daiso store after the appointment, what I would have for dinner, and about a million other things, but not about how tall the curb was that I had to step up on to get to the back of my car. My toe clipped the top of the curb, and down I went. SPLAT! Face-plant on the grass (thankfully), right knee hit the asphalt, right hand somewhere underneath my body.

My nose was bleeding profusely, big, dark splotches of blood pouring out onto the grass and curb. I got myself up and somehow managed to get the car door open and grab a handful of Starbucks napkins to staunch the flow. I did drip on the doorframe of the car, but somehow avoided my clothes and the seat. Miracle. I had to get three handfuls of napkins before the blood stopped, clotted, whatever. I stood there gasping and wondering if anything was broken. My knee was certainly throbbing, and that's when I noticed my right wrist looked, well, not right. Also, I couldn't open the car door with my right hand, nor could I grip the car keys.

I made it into the building, limping and clutching my right wrist to my chest. Cleaned up my face in the bathroom. Glared at my wrist, and went to the appointment where I promptly asked for an ice pack and some Tylenol. I made it through the meeting without crying or throwing up and took care of the business. Back at the car, I called MT to let him know about the fall and that I was going to the ER, and I cried. A lot. I was in a lot of pain.

I went to the ER in my neighborhood. Filling out the form was excruciating and I cried. The staff got me in very quickly and took a look at everything I said was hurting. The focus was on my wrist which was pretty clearly broken, the type of broken that would need surgery and hardware to put back together. I was given the name of a surgeon and an appointment was scheduled for the next morning. The ER doctor put a giant cast on my arm from my fingertips past my elbow, gave me a sling and a prescription for Percocet, and wished me well.

The menfolk got home shortly after I got home, but not before I called Mom and Lizzie to cry. Lot of crying this week.

 

Tuesday morning, MT drove me to meet Dr. Holt, the surgeon, and the surgery was scheduled for the next day. I was in quite a bit of pain on Tuesday and tried to be as still as possible. I napped off and on. It was just really uncomfortable.

Surgery was around 1:00 in the afternoon on Wednesday. It was an outpatient procedure. I was at the clinic for a few hours. I don't really remember all that much about Wednesday.

Thursday I was up and moving around a bit. I now have a cast from the middle of my palm to just below my elbow. There is quite a bit of bruising on my arm and my fingers which look like little swollen purple sausages, but at least I can use them. The wrist feels pretty good as long as I don't twist it suddenly or hold anything for too long. It is even uncomfortable to hold my phone for longer than 10 seconds or so. 

The menfolk left for Pocatello this morning. I drove for the first time since Monday today to go get a coffee. It was fine. I've been wearing my new glasses which turn into sunglasses when I go outside, so it has been good. I've been napping this week and taking it easy. MT cooked a lot, so I have plenty of food to heat up. He even bought me paper plates so I don't have to wash dishes. LOL

The guys will be back on Saturday. I will get the cast off on Monday the 9th. At that point I will have a brace that I can take off and on when I shower. For now I have a waterproof bag to put my arm in when I shower, which is a lot easier than trying to tape on a grocery sack.

The worst thing has been remembering laying on the curb bleeding and in pain. I keep remembering tripping and hitting the ground. I don't know how my nose didn't break. I was so scared. It has been an awful week.

What I learned from all this is to be present. Pay attention. Yes, you have stepped up on a million curbs in your life, but one misstep, one little moment, can really f*ck up your day.

That was a lot of typing. I'm gonna take some ibuprofen and lay down now.

Be careful out there.

#3001 pdin 20 - three things I'm retiring to

The question I have heard more than any other in the past month or so is this, "So what are your big plans for when you are retired?" I always say that I have a lot of hobbies and I don't think I'll be bored, but it's a legitimate question. I don't think the plans necessarily have to be big, but I do think it's good to have plans. I've always said that I am a person who likes to have something to look forward to, and that's not changing. So, in that spirit, here are three things I am looking forward to doing in my retirement, in no particular order.

1. Decluttering the house. This project may not ever end because there will always be things, but right now I have way more things than I need or want. I don't know if I'll focus on one room or flit about the house as I see something that bothers me. Every room needs some decluttering work, so like I said, this project may be endless!

2. Taking care of my health. I am looking forward to prioritizing movement. I do walk the dogs in the morning, and I would like to lengthen the time we spend walking. Or maybe I'll continue with 20 minutes for them, then 20 minutes by myself. The dogs are fun, but it's nice to walk without them tugging on me all the time, too. I'm also interested in doing a bit of strength training, just some light dumbbell work to try to tone my arms and legs. Another thing is more time on my bike because I didn't ride my bike at all this year, and I missed doing that. 

3. Dedicated time for art. Does that sound pretentious and weird? The thing is that when I spend a good hour so so painting or drawing, the time flies by and I feel content while I'm doing the project and with the end result. I enjoy the process. I want to make sure I take the time for it every day because it makes me feel happy.

These three things are a starting point of things I would like to spend time doing every day. Maybe they are not big plans, but it's something. 
 

#2962 wait, there IS more

 

This weekend I was at the day spa getting a little self-care maintenance: brows groomed, a manicure, and a pedicure. I hadn't been to the spa since November, so I was due! I am fortunate to have an awesome aesthetician named Baily, who is not only a master aesthetician but also a competitive short-track speed skater. She's amazing! 

Since we haven't seen each other since November, we had some catching up to do. She was telling me about her boyfriend training to get a spot on the Olympic short-track team, how they are going to Montreal in October for a World Cup event to qualify for the Olympic team, and how excited she is about possibly going to Milan in February. She said she won't be on the team, but she'll go to support her boyfriend. Then she asked me what I've been doing this summer, and I said, "Just working." I did mention that I volunteer at RBGA and that I'm going on vacation in September, but my main reply was, "Just working."

As I was gazing at my pretty painted toenails the next day, I thought about our conversation, and I was annoyed with my dumb answer. I have been doing SO much more than just working. In fact, I'm am working fewer hours this summer than I have in the past. I do lots of stuff besides work! I could have told her that I've been to nine concerts so far this summer. I look at flowers and I talk to people from all over the U.S. and the world. I've read 12 books in the last three months. I spend good time with my dogs every day, taking them for walks and playing with the frisbee every morning. I'm holding down the fort at home while MT builds our real estate empire (lol) and takes time to pursue his dream of doing a major through hike. I write, draw, and paint. I plan, dream, and think deep thoughts. I go to the movies. I collect stickers. I take photos. I sit on the deck and practice the Italian art of dolce far niente. I am learning to speak French, Spanish, and Italian with Duolingo, practicing at least a little, and sometime a lot, every day. I have a 494 consecutive day streak in the app for goodness sake! I am healing my metabolism. I'm thinking about the next phase of my life. I am mostly filled with le joie de vivre. I AM WAY MORE THAN WHAT I DO TO COLLECT A PAYCHECK.

And you know what? The next time I see Baily at the end of August, I'm going to tell her all that stuff.

#2954 it's been a busy week

When my alarm went off this morning, I was sure it was Monday. I mean, I was SURE of it. I laid there for a minute, thinking of all the things I didn't do and wondering how the weekend passed by so quickly. I bet it was a good minute or two before my brain finally woke all the way up to realize it was really Sunday. It was so weird, though!

In my defense, I had a busy week. On Monday I had the best pre-work morning I've probably ever had. I was up and moving around early. I played with the dogs, including going for a walk, I had time to sit on the deck and play around in my sketchbook, I had time to read and have coffee and even have a little something to eat - all of that before I logged in on my computer at 8:30 am. It just put me the the BEST mood to start the day.

On Tuesday I got a merit increase at work, which is always nice. I went to Trader Joe's for the first time in awhile. MT came home that night, and I got to talk to Lizzie.

Dutch Bros coffee had a bonus sticker drop on Wednesday, so I got coffee and a sticker before work. That night, MT and I went to see Don Felder, Kevin Cronin, and Styx in concert. The wife of one of my co-workers works at the big amphitheater where these guys were performing, and MT and I were able to get on the friends and family list. We had great seats, and we had a really good time. The albums Paradise Theater (Styx) and High Infidelity (REO Speedwagon/Kevin Cronin) came out in 1981, so my inner 15 year old was in heaven! I'd seen Styx before - in 1981 - but I hadn't seen REO. (I had tickets to the show, but Kevin Cronin broke his leg and the show was cancelled back then). On Wednesday night, Kevin was fine and put on a good show. He played all the songs from High Infidelity start to end. I loved it! I haven't listened to Styx or REO for years, yet every word from every song popped right into my head and right out my mouth. And Don Felder? Well, he was in the Eagles, so he played 35 minutes of Eagles songs, and it was great! So fun!

Thursday I was pretty tired, but I powered through the work day, then went up to Red Butte Garden and Arboretum (RBGA) to volunteer at a concert by St. Paul and the Broken Bones. Yeah, I hadn't heard of them, but I listened to their Essentials on Apple Music to get a feel for the music. I'm happy to report that they were even better live than recorded. The lead singer has a great voice, going into a falsetto that is really effective in their music. There is a horn section, too, and they were jamming. The musical style is sort of bluesy R & B with a hit of funk. It was a good show.

Friday I was straight tuckered out, so I just came home after work. T and I ordered food from Wing Stop and watched game 4 of the NBA Finals. I got to talk to my mom that night, too, which is always makes me happy. 

Yesterday I puttered around the house in the morning doing chores, then went to RBGA to record blooms in the Children's Garden. It was hot. I melted a little. When I got home, I took T to work, then took a nice cool shower before settling down on the couch to finally finish the series The Residence on Netflix. There were only eight episodes but it took me awhile to get through it. I liked it. The detective, Cordelia Cupp, played by Uzo Aduba, was fantastic. 

So now here we are on Sunday evening. I went to RBGA for my regular docent shift. It was hot. I stopped at the grocery store for a couple of things, came home and had lunch, then had to take a little snoozle. I'm doing laundry; I'm working on my new planner for the year, and fixing to do some art, too. I think I might take myself out on the deck and sip a beer while I watch the birdies at the feeders and the dogs frolic. Last weekend I planted some flowers in pots for the deck, and they are all doing well!

Let's see...what's going on next week? On Tuesday, MT and I will go see Drive-by Truckers at RBGA. That was the show I chose for my volunteer benefit. (If you give 100 hours of volunteer time in a season, you get a pair of tickets to a concert). Jill the Artist is having a workshop on Wednesday that I would like to attend. It's on Zoom. Thursday at work we will have Dip Day. On Saturday, we will go to Pocatello to attend my in-law's 50th wedding anniversary soiree, and on Sunday, I am volunteering at a concert in the evening. I gave up my docent spot on Sunday because I'll need to take care of some stuff at home that day since we'll be out on Saturday. Plus, there's work, of course. 

I can't sign off without acknowledging that it is Father's Day. I miss my dad every day. He was a good man and a good dad.

That's all for now. Have a great week! Stay cool! Stay hydrated.

#2939 what I've been up to

As I look back on this past week, what I think about the most is that I was willing to give myself some grace and recognize that when my body felt like it needed to rest, that's what I did. It seems that I often want to go to bed around 8:30 pm, but then I scoff and tell myself it's too early for bed. On  Monday, I didn't scoff. I went to bed! I had to set an alarm so I could pick T up from work. I was able to get back to sleep pretty quickly when we got home, and I felt good on Tuesday. 

Not every day went like that, of course.

On Wednesday, I went to see Beautiful: The Carole King Musical at Pioneer Theater Company here in SLC. The theater is on the campus of the University of Utah, so I was a bit concerned about the parking situation, but it ended up not being a problem at all. The theater provides free parking in a lot within steps of the venue. Parking was also easy due to the fact that the performance was a dress rehearsal of the play which opened to the public on Friday night. I really liked being in the smaller audience. I had an excellent seat in the fourth row near center stage and the show was great. Carole King's music is so familiar - I remember listening to Tapestry when I was a kid because my mom had the album. It's amazing how many well-known hits Carole King wrote. 

Friday was Valentine's Day. MT came back from Pocatello for the weekend. He and I went out for dinner to our favorite neighborhood pub, Copper Creek. I think it was the first time we've been out for dinner on Valentine's Day in years. Usually we just have a nice dinner at home. We watched a cute, easy movie when we got home - La Dolce Villa on Netflix. 

Yesterday I went to get my hairs cut. It had been about three months since my last visit with Lanna, and the hairs needed some attention. She just trimmed and shaped and snipped some life back into the curls. It feels good.

feeling sassy

MT went back to Pocatello this morning. He witnessed a bad accident right in front of him on the freeway near the Idaho border. A pick-up ran into the back of a semi and the semi dragged the truck along until it came loose. MT actually pulled the driver out of the pick-up with a highway patrol officer standing by. MT said the roads were wet, and it wasn't snowing hard, just flurries, but the pick-up was following the semi too close and there was a wreck up ahead, so when the semi slowed down, the guy in the pick-up did not. MT said the guy in the truck was alive but badly injured. So scary!!

This afternoon, I met my Red Butte Garden friends Wendy and Tracy for lunch at a restaurant in Sugarhouse called The Dodo. Wendy and Tracy each drive a tram and give complimentary tours on Sundays, and I am the docent. I love these two people. They are both kind and good, and I feel fortunate to get to hang out with them. We've met for lunch a couple of times this winter, and both times have been fun.

Since I'd never been to this restaurant before, I did a bit of research. The place is known for their desserts, so I knew I wanted to have some Toll House pie. I got a cup of one of their soups of the day, chipotle chorizo potato, which came with a very delicious roll. 

chipotle chorizo potato soup and a roll

The soup was really good, very flavorful, and just the right portion for me. I don't usually eat a lot of soup. It's not that I don't like it, necessarily, but it just doesn't hit the spot for me. In this case, though, it was perfect choice because holy gumballs, that slice of Toll House pie...

Toll House pie with whipped cream and chocolate chips

This slab of a warm chocolate chip cookie on a flaky, tender pie cruse was so very good! I didn't finish it all, so I brought it home and I've been nibbling on it this evening. The cookie was buttery and tender with a good amount of chocolate chips and walnuts. I'd absolutely have it again, and I don't know that I would share; MT would have to get his own slice. Wendy had the banana cream cheese pie with warm, homemade caramel topping, and she thought it was outstanding. Tracy didn't have dessert; he said he had a big breakfast and he had soup and a sandwich, so he was full. I did offer him a bite of mine, but he didn't take me up on it.

When I got home I decided to watch a movie, so I settled in for Bridget Jones: Mad about the Boy. I'm not ashamed to tell you it made me cry a few times. My dog Mac is a sympathetic creature, and when I cry, she is the dog who comes to comfort me. She snuggled next to me and put her head on my lap. Sweet girl.

Tomorrow is a holiday, President's Day, so I don't have to work. HOORAY! Harley has an appointment at the vet at noon. I will have to give her a doggie downer at breakfast so she won't be as hyper at the appointment. She is the most mellow dog at home, but she sort of goes a little bonkers when we are around people. She gets really excited and it's hard for the vet to examine her. I give her a mild sedative - prescribed by that vet! - and it helps her and all of the humans. 

I work on Tuesday and Wednesday, then Wednesday night I will fly to Long Beach to spend a few days with Mom and Lizzie. I'm looking forward to seeing them!

So there is a recap of the best parts of the week. Now I'll finish up a wee art project and get ready for bed.

xo

#2916: my three phases of vacation emotions

 I'm going on vacation starting tomorrow night, and I realized there are three emotional phases I go through as I prepare for a trip. Really, these three phases are all happening at the same time, but the intensity level of each phase varies in this order:

1. Anticipation. The trip is booked, and I feel excited, nervous and mostly full of anticipation about the trip. What are some things I really want to do and see? What can I learn about the place before I go? Are there any foods that are specialties of the region that I would like to try? What's the weather like? What's the language? What should I pack to wear? I like to do some research before I book a trip, and after it's booked, I am in info-gathering mode. I will likely buy a travel book or two if I don't already have one, and I comb through Pinterest to see what other people have done that I might like to do also. I love the anticipation stage. It's fun.

2. Nerves/anxiety. It's nearly time to go on the trip. It's time to pack. Do I have all the things I want to bring? Do I have too much? Will it fit in my suitcase? Will my suitcase be too heavy? Will my suitcase join me at my destination? Is there gonna be room for souvenirs? Did I pack my charging cables? Don't forget the glasses! Should I take the bottle of melatonin? What's going to happen at work? Will MT and T be okay? Will the dogs miss me? Will they be okay? What if I eat so much pasta that my pants don't fit? Do I have enough money? As a person who can spiral into anxiety, this phase really sucks. It leads me to procrastinate, which in turn can lead to forgetting things and/or overpacking. I tried to mitigate this phase somewhat by putting together a pretty good list of things I wanted to pack. It's still a lot. It's almost 11:00 pm the night before I leave, and I am packed, but there's still a bit of work to do.

3. Excitement. Once I get to the airport, I usually get into vacation mode. I realize that I can probably find almost anything I need at my destination. I know that I am bringing more than I likely need of everything. I feel so happy that I get to go somewhere awesome with people I love and who "get" me. All the planning and research I've done is about to come into play, and my mind is open to soaking up all the vibes.

At this very moment, I feel like I'm turning the corner on the nerves/anxiety phase and slipping right into excitement. 

I won't be writing here for the next couple of weeks. When I get back, though, I will want to relive the memories here on the screen!

#2914 I skipped September

Well...I knew it had been awhile since I wrote here, but I didn't realize the last post was on Sept 1. Where did the month go? It felt kinda long. It was full of work, concerts, long days and short nights, and constant thoughts of the looming trip to Italy. For tonight, though, let's just stick to three things:

1. The end of the volunteer season. I finished my final volunteer assignment of the season last Sunday, the 29th. I did the docent gig, then I recorded blooms. I don't usually do both on the same day, but things had piled up and it just worked out that way. It was a nice day, a little warm, but the colors were beautiful and I was happy to be doing what I was doing. I finished up my concert schedule with the last show of the season on Tuesday September 24, a show by Rodrigo y Gabriela. I worked the first show of the season (Burning Spear in May) and the last show, plus 11 in between, so 13 shows out of 30 (or was it 31?) Anyway, it was a good summer full of live music, and good times at Red Butte Garden. I gave the Garden 132 hours this summer. I feel good about every one of those hours. I truly love that place.

2. Prepping for Italy. The trip to Italy has been on my calendar for about a year, I think, and now here we are, just 10 days away from leaving. SQUEE!!! I have a list of things I need to take like art supplies, my journal, a book to read, and an umbrella, among other things. I have a list of clothes I want to take, too. This weekend I will be trying on the clothes to make sure they are how I want to represent myself while I'm on vacation. Not only that, but I am planning to keep not only my clothing but all the other stuff to a minimum. I pack around a lot of detritus, so I'm trying to be very mindful of that habit as I prepare for this trip. 

3. Why don't I do that here? A couple of Fridays ago, I wore a concert t-shirt to work. I got it at the Lukas Nelson show. I like the color of the shirt, sort of a mustard yellow, and I liked the graphics: a pair of cacti on either side of a skeleton head wearing a cowboy hat and smoking a cigarette. Except, when I got home and was really looking at the shirt, it didn't appear to be a cigarette, but a joint. I wore a shirt with a skull smoking a joint to the office. No one said anything, but I was annoyed with myself. That is not how I want to represent myself at work. I am fine wearing that Lukas Nelson shirt around the house (it's really soft!), but not out and about. When I'm feeling lazy, a simple white t-shirt, jeans, and a jacket of some sort will always be better than a shirt showing a skull smoking a joint. The thought that I take more care about what I wear on a vacation among people I probably won't see again and what I wear to work among people I see multiple times a week upset me. Clearly, it's been at least two weeks and I'm still obsessing about it! I can do better to look put together. Maybe part of it is that I have so many clothes that I get lazy instead of being thoughtful about what I'm wearing. Hmmm...

Happy October! Happy Q4! Go Padres!

#2911 three things; home alone, sleep, and live music

It's been 10 days since I wrote here, so here are three things that defined last week.

 1. Home alone. MT and his brother Kelly spent the past 10 days in Columbia, Missouri. They went there to freshen up a rental property we have there. They thought the work would take a couple of weeks, but by putting in some long hours, they were able to finish it up quickly. They drove straight through yesterday (Tuesday) and arrived here around 12:30 am. It's a 17.5 hour drive.  I guess they were eager to get home! I'm glad MT is back. I didn't mind his absence the first couple days of the week, but then I was ready for him to come home. It's not that I was lonely, but I like having him around. That's what happens after 30 plus years together, I suppose. (Our 31st wedding anniversary is tomorrow!)

2. Sleep. Since I was home alone, I was on family Lyft duty for taking T to and from work. He only had a couple of shifts at FedEx, so it was fine. On Friday and Saturday, he and Jordyn worked at the Das Energy festival at Salt Air. I was thankful Jordyn worked there, too, so they rode together and I didn't have to deal with the festival traffic. Friday night I was so tired, and it was so quiet that I wound up going to bed by 9pm, and I was asleep with ten minutes. I know that T and Jordyn got home around 2:30 am, but only because the dogs went to greet them and I was joggled by Harley jumping off the bed. I went right back to sleep, and the doggos let me be until nearly 8am. I felt so good on Saturday! I like sleeping. 

3. Musical bookends. On Monday the 5th, I had a volunteer assignment at the Stray Cats concert at RBG. Their songs kind of all sound the same, but it's a good same-ness. That rockabilly style is energetic and fun. They sounded great, and it is amazing what a bunch of joyful noise three dudes can make. The crowd was totally into it, dancing and singing the night away. Here's a pic I took:

On Sunday the 11th, I was back at RBG to see Gary Clark, Jr. I think this was the fifth or sixth time I've seen Gary. I really like his music. I was a guest that night because this was the show I chose for my benefit tix for volunteering over 100 hours last year. I had two tickets, but T didn't want to come with me since he was hanging out with Jordyn, and of course, MT was in Missouri. I didn't mind. I go to shows at RBG all the time by myself. This time I packed a couple of beers and some snacks and felt glad I wouldn't have to get my cleanup gear ready during the encore.

Not a bad way to start and end the week, eh, listening to live music outdoors in the summer? I am so fortunate to have these experiences each year. 

I hope your week is going well. It is already the middle of August, can you believe that? The summer has flashed by. I'm looking forward to the autumn for many reasons, so I'm certainly not complaining!

#2910 let's catch up

Hello!

The last time I wrote was on the 21 July, and I wrote about what happened the previous weekend, 13 and 14 July.  The week from 15 - 21 July was hot and full of work. I did get a fresh, shorter hair cut, and I am happy with it! I don't like to spend much time fussing with my hair and having it short is very easy. I just let the curls do what they want, and it feels good. Here's are before and after pics:

On the evening of 23 July, I hopped on a flight to Long Beach to spend a few days with Mamacita and Lizzie! It was nice to get out of Salt Lake during the 24th of July which is a state holiday known as Pioneer Day. There is a huge parade downtown and cacophonous firework displays all over the valley. I was also glad to take a little break from work. I've been working a lot, as everyone in the office has, and the break just felt really good. My objectives during the visit were to rest, read, write, chat, and make plans for our trip to Italy in October. I feel confident that all objectives were achieved! We also went out to restaurants that were new to me, and each of them was great. One of them, Belmont Brewing Co., is right on the beach in Long Beach, so I got to hear and see the ocean. I didn't dip my toes, and I'm okay with that. Even hearing the waves and feeling that breeze soothes my soul. I was happy to be there.

I got home on Sunday night. MT went backpacking over the weekend and had returned home earlier that day, so he was eager to talk about his hiking adventures. He is enjoying semi-retirement, and is hiking and walking a lot more now that he is cutting back his work hours. He seems happy, and I'm happy for him.

This past week, I was supposed to volunteer at the Pat Benatar concert, but she cancelled. You know, she is 71 years old. Voices age. Guitarists seem to get better with age, but vocalists struggle, I think. The air here is so dry and smoky, too, that I totally don't blame Pat for calling it off. It didn't hurt my feelings at all, although I would have liked to hear her.  I only worked on one concert in July - Lyle Lovett. I was also okay with having limited concert time because it was bloody hot. Have I mentioned that? In fact, it was so hot before the Lyle Lovett show, that I saw a couple of people pass out waiting in line. Thankfully, medics were onsite, and the people were helped quickly. 

Basically, last week felt like work-sleep-eat. The first of the month is always kind of like that. July seemed manageable, though. Maybe I'm getting the hang of my new assignment?

For the next couple of weeks, T and I are on our own as MT has gone to Missouri to work on the rental property we have there. His brother Kelly went with him. Individually, both MT and Kelly are formidable contractors; together, they are freaking awesome. They worked together on one of the properties here in town, and it was beautiful when they finished. They push each other. I'm glad that Kelly went with MT. It is a long drive, and it will be good for MT to have his brother with him. 

What's ahead this week? Well, I have two concerts at RBG. I'll be volunteering at the Stray Cats show on Monday, and on Sunday, I have tickets to see one of my favorites, Gary Clark Jr. MT was supposed to go with me, but he's not here. I will ask T if he wants to come, but he probably won't. Fun fact - I'll be volunteering at five shows in August: Stray Cats, OAR with Fitz and the Tantrums (my prediction for favorite show of the summer), Beach Boys (!!), Pink Martini, and Lukas Nelson. In addition, I have my regular gigs of bloom recording and courtyard docent every week. It's a lot, but I love it. 

Last but not least, here is the art I made for August:

the wee calendar

Overall, I like it.. The pen I used to draw it is what Jill the Artist call a "bleeding pen" in that when it's hit with water, the ink smears and darkens the paint. I knew it would happen, but it came out a bit darker than I wanted. I might try it again in my sketchbook with a different pen and different colors. If I do, I'll post a pic.

August zine

Saw it on Pinterest, thought I could do it. I think it's cute. 

Notice a theme in the August art? I'm nuts about the little birdies that feed in my backyard!  Maybe a fountain and a birdhouse will be my next yard additions?

Gotta go feed the doggos. Have a great week! Stay cool!

#2905 low energy day and art show

Yesterday, Saturday, I had what can only be described as a low energy day. I was up early to feed the dogs, but I was not ready to be awake, so we all went back to bed when they were done with their morning activities for some hurkle durkle time. I looked at my phone for a little while before I fell back to sleep. Fortunately, MT woke me up when he left around 10. I say fortunately because I wanted to participate in a Zoom call with Jill the Artist at 11:00. It was quite fun. There were about 10 of us on the call, and the theme was "summer." We recalled summer memories, favorite summer foods, etc. and doodled what we heard. I liked hearing the stories and drawing stuff. Even as I look at my scribbles now, I am smiling.

After the call, I took a nap.

MT came home and brought some burgers from 5 Guys. It was good; I was really hungry.

After I ate, I took a nap.

Low energy day.

In the evening, I sat out on the deck, drank a cold beer, and read. Stella insisted on some frisbee tosses, so I did that, too, and scattered kibbles for the big dogs to sniff for. I enjoyed that hour or so. 

At night I did art. I made my wee calendar for July, and I also made the zine for July. 

stylized fireworks

Dog Days zine!

I started on the bottom with the dogs, and they are all pretty small, getting progressively bigger as you go to the top because I was getting tired of drawing dogs LOL. I kinda wish I'd done it a little differently, but mostly I really like it. 

So yeah, resting my mind and body on Saturday was just what I needed. I didn't leave the house at all that day, and it suited me just fine, thank you very much. I felt fine, physically, like I don't have a cold or anything like that, but I was just straight up tired.

ART GALLERY TIME!

Here are some of my little art projects from June. I don't think I've shown these here, but if I have, thanks for having another look. 

First up, a couple of thank you cards I made for two co-workers who gave me gifts for my birthday:

thanks for the Dutch Bros gift card!

thanks for the beautiful paints!

These next offerings are all Jill Badonsky prompts:

Jill provided a bunch of words and our assignment was to combine a couple and come up with something.  I had some scrapbook paper that I cut freehand stars from, and put them in a vase, filling in some spaces with glitter pen stars that I drew. 

Vase of Stars

The prompt was alphabet soup, so I created my own brand and used an existing brand as my inspiration. I used Snapseed to give the painting a mood and a frame.

Sandy's Alphabet Soup

The prompt was giraffes. I painted the background colors first, then drew the three giraffes and added the spots. The giraffe on the left is my favorite.

Trio

Jill showed us a cartoon-type pic and encouraged us to use the shape of the face, then fill it in with exaggeration.. Similar to the giraffe painting, I painted the background colors first, then added my features. I used Snapseed to get the frame. 

 

Self portrait

The prompt was furniture, fruit, and ocean. 

Wish I Was Here

Can you believe 2024 is officially half-way done?  I think these next few months are going to fly by, too. 

Until next time...

xo

 

#2901 the summer cold monster strikes

the summer cold monster attacks

 

Friends, I have had a rough week. It seems I cannot escape the summer cold monster. It will pick on other people, knocking them down for a day or so. I have had to contend with it for several days. My colds are kind of predictable in their story arc, so that's a sort of  gift, I guess, because at least I know where I am in the progression.

Monday afternoon, MT and I went on a hike - more of an easy nature walk for him, but a straight hike for me - and it was fine. The weather was good, and I felt great before, during and after. We picked up some food to bring home. I took a short nap, and went out to the deck to finally plant the flowers and to re-pot some starts I'd been rooting out for awhile. I watered the trees and felt pretty good about everything.

When I came inside to get ready for bed, I noticed my throat felt a little tight and kinda scratchy. I also had some slight pain in my lower back (summer cold signs one and two.) I decided the back pain was from bending over to pot the plants and the throat tightness was from being outside in the cooler evening air. I rubbed some Vicks on my neck and went to bed.

On Tuesday morning I felt a little rough. I took some DayQuil and went to work. I sneezed and blew my nose throughout the day, and said, "Yep, I'm catching a cold." I felt a tell-tale cold sore growing on my lip (signs three and four). That night I made dinner and went to bed by 8:30, loaded up with Nyquil

Sign five of the summer cold happened Tuesday night/Wednesday morning: leaky face. You know when fluids escape out of your nose and eyes and mouth (drool) and you have no control over any of it? Gross. Sometime in the night I'd taken another single capsule of NyQuil, so I was pretty out of it in the morning. Wednesday is a work-from-home day, so I texted my boss and told her I wasn't feeling well and I needed to sleep a bit longer before I logged on for work. I got up around 10:30, took a shower, and logged on at noon. It wasn't a good experience. I was having a hard time focusing, and I know I made at least one mistake (fixable, but still), and my eyelids weighed forty-two pounds each. I called it a day after a couple of hours and went to bed, sleeping from 2:00 - 6:00. I'm pretty sure we had some food that MT brought in. I think I talked to my sister, and I was back in bed by 8:30 or so. 

Thursday is a vague memory. I didn't go to work. I'm pretty sure I texted my boss sometime in the morning. I slept until 2:00 (14:00) - so that's what, 17 hours or so?  I showered - I just felt so gross - and drank some water, and maybe had some toast. I think I slept some more. I think there was food and more sleep. I don't remember. It's all a blur. I might have taken T to work.

Friday I did get up around 5:30. I knew I couldn't make it to the office, so I asked my boss if I could work from home, and she kindly agreed. I did manage to do quite a bit of work, and I think it was quality work, too. I took a nap when I logged off, then got up for some dinner, talked to my mom, then went back to bed.

Yesterday was Saturday. I was supposed to have a haircut, but I rescheduled the appointment, and cancelled all weekend plans. I slept until 2:00 (14:00) again. I ordered pizza, ate, then slept again. I woke up a couple hours later to sit on the couch for awhile. I actually stayed up quite awhile that time, so I knew that the monster was shrinking.

This morning I got up around 8:30. I'd called for a substitute docent at Red Butte - there was no way I'd make it three and a half hours up there today. I showered, got a chai latte from Dutch Bros and some donuts (been craving Krispy Kreme), and now I'm here at my desk. There is a very high possibility that I will nap within the next 10 minutes, but I have high hopes that I will be a medium-functioning human come Monday morning. 

With all of this sleeping, I haven't been awake or had the energy to write, draw, or even read very much. Thankfully, right now I can breathe through my nose with ease, I haven't been coughing as much my body feels fine. My head is still slightly fuzzy, though. 

Take care of yourselves!

#2899 three things: Dixon update, a rough year, and the walk

First thing...each of these topics could be an entire post in itself. I will attempt to keep them brief and related to each other. 

1. Dixon update. This is the first month since September that I have not traveled to Dixon. That certainly doesn't mean that nothing is happening. Most of the month has been spent waiting on the county to approve the well permit. The permit was issued last week, so we are ready to proceed. The driller needs a tree to be trimmed, but the tree is actually dead and covered with trumpet vines, so it is coming down tomorrow, then the driller will determine a day to begin the drilling process. I'm told it will take about a week. After that comes the pump installation, hook-ups to the existing waterlines, and potability testing. All of that will be done by the pump company. After all that is done and water is running in the house, I would expect the house to be listed on the MLS and hopefully it will be sold fairly quickly. Crossing my fingers. 

2. A rough year. Since my uncle passed away in July last year, I have taken on a lot of the responsibility for my aunt and the property. Sometimes I have felt overwhelmed. I am so thankful for all the help and support from MT, Lizzie, Mama, Rick, and David. I'm also thankful to my doctor for prescribing anti-anxiety medication. I often wonder how I would have managed without it. I'm sure there would have been a lot more tears and more physical ramifications. It wasn't just the monthly trips to Dixon and the worries about Mary, Lee, Bettie, and the property. I had a heavy load at work as well, plus my commitment to volunteering at Red Butte Garden. Of course something had to give, and volunteering got the short shrift last year, but I still had over 100 hours there, which was about half the hours from the previous year. 

Looking back through my journal, I often noted how tired I felt, and how I didn't feel well physically, mentally, or emotionally. I didn't sleep well or long. I ate poorly, relying on take-out often because I was too worn out to prepare a meal at home, or sometimes even get to the grocery store.  Another thing is that my body decided it was time to menopause. As a result of all that, I gained nearly 20 pounds in these 10 months. I fucking hate it. I feel every one of those pounds on my body. The good news is that I finally feel like I'm in a good spot to take better care of myself with healthier food choices and exercise.

3. The Walk. On Pinterest I saw a cute, helpful pin about taking care of yourself. I'm terribly surprised I didn't pin it because usually I do, and now of course I can't find it. Anyway, the first thing on the list was to walk 30 minutes a day. You would think this would be so easy. When I'm on vacation, I think nothing of pulling on some shoes and going for a walk. Why is it that here at home I think I must put on some exercise clothes and have just the right shoes? After overthinking this for a few days, I decided to just go for a walk. Today it happened. It's not that simple though, is it? Not for me.

It was lunchtime and I figured I'd take about 15 or 20 minutes to walk. I decided not to take the dogs because I just wanted to be quick. I headed up the street and crossed the road to walk on a little path between houses. I got to the end of the path, and I'd only been walking for about five minutes, so I turned right and walked through a nice neighborhood.  Pretty soon I felt a bit disoriented. I wasn't lost, but I wasn't exactly sure where I was in relation to my house. I finally came to a place I recognized, a school, and I turned up the street knowing I'd get to the street light and I'd know exactly where I was and how long it would take to get home. Turns out I grossly miscalculated the distance between the school and the stoplight. I'd been walking for about 20 minutes, and I was still a good 10-15 minutes from home, all up a slight-but-steady hill. Oh, and did I mention the pollen count was high and it was humid (for here?) I was a gasping, snotty, watery-eyed mess of a woman those last 10 minutes.

In the end, I was out for nearly 40 minutes and I walked nearly two miles. It was a bit more than I wanted to do right off the bat, but there you have it.  Now I just need to limit my visits to Crumbl and take-out places, and get to bed at a reasonable time. I got this, right?

#2898 weekend wrap-up

Thinking back over it, I've had a pretty chill and restful weekend. Did I check many/any things off my to-do list? No.  Am I upset about it? Not at all. I'm okay with what I did do, and I'm really okay with being okay.

On Friday after work I went to the Garden to record blooms. The plants are really starting to show off now. The lilacs are blooming, as are the peonies and the wisteria. Alliums are popping up everywhere. Pollen count is high, and there are bees buzzing around all over the place. The horse chestnut trees are blooming and the hummingbirds are feeling very territorial about it. There are bunnies and squirrels and quails all over the place. 

When I got home, I went up to my room to practice with Duolingo, then figured I'd sleep for a bit until it was time to pick T up from work. Fortunately, MT came upstairs to see what I was doing (sleeping soundly!) and he told me he'd pick T up, so I crawled under the covers and went to bed for real.

The dogs let me sleep in until around 7am on Saturday. I had a slow morning puttering around the house, then I went out to do some work in the yard (very rare for me.) After, I showered then did some work on my planner. For the past jillion years, Lizzie and I have been giving each other planners for our birthdays. Last year, she said she didn't want to get a planner because she was going to fashion her own. Since I'm a copy-cat, I decided I'd do that as well. I am doing the same layout as my Papier planners that I have been using for the past few years. It's kinda cool, and also kinda not, I think. A few times I found myself wondering what the hell I was doing when this same thing could be purchased and it would be ready to go. I'm committed to it now, though, so I'll try it for a year. I did like the repetition of making the pages. It' was meditative.

Today I went to Red Butte Garden for my Sunday morning docent shift. It was a gorgeous day: blue skies, mild temperature in the low 70s, and bright sunshine. The Garden was hopping. There were so many people visiting today! Both of the trams were full and busy all day long. I had to tell some folks that it would be an hour before they would have a chance at a ride - they were lining up for the complimentary tours. In the end, I counted 52 people who got tours today. (I downloaded a counter app to keep track.) I talked to people from Rhode Island, Alaska, Florida and the Bay area. I pointed people in the direction of the wisteria, the natural area trails, and the Children's Garden. I took photos of families (at their request.) I told folks where they could find some snacks or a place for lunch. I smiled and I smiled and I smiled. It was exhausting.

For a person like me, an introvert, it takes a ton of energy and willpower to engage with people like I do at Red Butte Garden. Before my docent shift, I usually stop for coffee at Starbucks, I listen to calming music, and take my time getting there by driving up 800 South through the neighborhoods instead of taking the freeway. In other words, I gather my chi. After the shift, I am mentally and emotionally tired. Usually I go straight home, but today I stopped at Trader Joe's because I was out of many staples. The store was packed with people. The check out line went all the way down the chip aisle. It was madness. When I got home, I had to nap to recover. 

After my nap, I came downstairs and turned on the TV. The Padres were playing the Braves on ESPN, so I plopped myself down on the couch to watch a few innings. I wound up watching the whole game. At some point I told myself to get up and do something, but my body refused to cooperate, so I gave in and just let myself watch TV. After the baseball game, I turned over to the NBA playoffs to watch the end of Game 7 between the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Denver Nuggets. The Timberwolves won, and I like that outcome. Oh yeah, and the Padres beat up on the Braves, and I liked that, too. 

So now here I am, at my desk. I just made some spectacularly wonky art. It's just really not very good, and that's totally okay. I may show it to you at some point, but today is not that day. I'm feeling protective of it and of my feelings about it. 

What am I looking forward to in the week ahead? I taking Tuesday off from work because MT is having a medical procedure that requires someone to give him a ride because he will be heavily sedated. Friday is MT's birthday. I'm pretty sure we will go out for dinner at a place of his choosing. In the meantime, there will be all the usual stuff: work, bloom recording, cooking, cleaning up, reading, language practice, art, plants, dogs, etc. 

I'll leave you tonight with a couple of photos. I took this first photo at Red Butte Garden on Friday evening at the arbor between the Fragrance Garden and the Medicinal Garden. I wish it was a scratch and sniff photo! This scent of the wisteria and the lilacs was so sweet and intoxicating! I just wanted to sit on that bench and soak up those amazing smells.

Then there's this next pic. Yesterday I was at Lowes looking at plants. I heard an incessant chirping very near me. I looked all around, and I finally noticed a little movement in the plants right next to the ones I was buying. I focused in to see a wee sparrow perched in a plant, chirping for all he was worth. I don't know if he was stuck or if he really wanted to be there, but he was there the whole time I was looking around. Maybe he'd found his happy place.

Have a great week!

#2895 I like sleep

I didn't write yesterday, Wednesday, and here's why: I was asleep. On Tuesday night, I went to bed with a bit of a stuffy nose and a tight throat. I took one Nyquil, and slept soundly. On Wednesday morning, I had a hard time waking up. Thankfully I was working at home, so I didn't have much of a commute. I was able to stay in bed a little longer than usual. 

I logged on for work at 7:00, as usual, and was hit with big yawns and heavy eyelids around 11:00. I took a nap at lunchtime. When I finished work, I decided to take a nap. It was four hours long. I woke up long enough to take out my contacts and brush my teeth, then I was back in bed 30 minutes later by 9:30. I wondered if I would have a hard time falling to sleep, or staying asleep. Nope. I slept like a rock until 5:00. 

Sometimes my body just sort of shuts down like that, and I listen when it tells me to rest. I'd done something to my left hand overnight on Tuesday, because when I woke up on Wednesday, it was very sore. I took some Tylenol, and tried to massage the particularly achy spot, but it hurt all day. Today it was fine again. Maybe the sleep was to repair whatever strain or sprain I'd done to my hand?

So, that's pretty much the excitement of my week. LOL Well, that's not entirely true.

On Monday I attended a concert volunteer orientation at Red Butte. We watch an active shooter video presented by campus police so we can learn what to do if there is an incident at the concerts (run, hide, fight are the options.) It's sad that we need to learn things like that. We haven't had any incidents that I know of at the Garden, but it's good to be aware and have a plan. After the orientation, my friend Liz and I went to a pub to have a beer, a snack, and a chat. I enjoyed spending a bit of time with her. 

Tuesday was fine. Wednesday, you know about, and today was fine, too. I'm looking forward to the weekend, not because I have any plans; I just always look forward to the weekend. 

I am planning my next trip. Can you guess where I'm going?