#2913 three things: oh deer, triple shot, back-to-back musical nights

 Happy Sunday and happy September! The 'ber months are here, and I'm ready for them. I don't usually write a three things post on Sunday, but these three things summarize the week that was, so here we go.

1. Oh deer. MT was driving home from Pocatello on Monday night and a deer jumped out and ran into the truck. The deer was not found by the highway patrol, but we can only assume it did not survive the impact. The passenger side headlight was completely removed from the truck, and the whole passenger side is dented and scraped and the doors cannot be opened. MT is fine, although he was mightily shaken up by the event. He is sad for the deer and sad about his beautiful beloved truck. It is drivable, so he made it home safely, even though he was a cyclops (one headlight.) Insurance will pay the $7,500 repair bill, and our portion of that payment is...$100. Whew! Apparently being hit by a deer is covered by comprehensive insurance, so we just have to pay the deductible. Here are a couple of pics of the damage:

2. Triple shot. I've been thinking about getting a new coffee maker for a few weeks. I figured I'd do it when I returned from Italy, but my subconscious had other ideas, and when I was washing my coffee pot on Monday, I accidentally cracked the pot on my sink, rendering it unusable. My coffee maker is duo, meaning I can brew a pot of coffee and it has  Keurig, too, so I was not completely out of coffee-making options. I could have waited and just used the Keurig, but that's not my style, so I went over to Target with a gift card I'd received and purchased a moka pot.

This is the 3-cup size, and it is small and cute. It's also heavy duty. I can't crack this one because it is made of steel. Did you know that a coffee in Italy is espresso? American-style coffee is a drip situation, way more water than coffee. What I'm trying to say is that the 1 cup in the moka pot refers to 1.5 oz of espresso, which is a shot of espresso. Three cups from the moka pot is a triple shot of espresso. 

I didn't actually put all of that information together when I made a pot of coffee on Wednesday morning with my shiny new moka pot. I was delighted by the bubbling up of the coffee and lovely aroma that floated through my kitchen. I poured the whole three cups into my big American mug, and it only filled the mug about halfway. I added milk and sugar and took the coffee outside to the deck. It's a simple pleasure. I took a sip and said out loud, "Whoa you taste good!" I took another sip and my eyes popped open and I felt alive and alert. I slurped down the rest of the coffee and felt great all morning. I didn't even miss having a second cup, which I usually do when I make a big pot of coffee. 

When I am in Italy, I will be looking for a small, espresso sized cup to bring home as a souvenir and from which I will enjoy my espresso. And I might not have the whole three shots at the same time again. However, I'll be using the moka pot again tomorrow, so we'll see.

3. Back-to-back musical nights. I volunteered to work at two concerts last week, one on Tuesday, and the other on Wednesday. I try to manage my schedule so I don't have back to back shows because too many late nights aren't good for me, but I didn't realize the date of the second show when I offered to work that night, plus I really wanted to see the artist.

Tuesday night I saw the band Pink Martini.  I didn't know anything about them, but I like their name. It turns out, I really like their music, too. They are more like an orchestra than a band, and the singer, China Forbes, has a gorgeous voice. It's like cocktail party music. Plus, the songs are performed in a variety of languages. On Tuesday, there were songs in English, French, Turkish, Portuguese, Spanish, Italia, Korean, and Japanese. I really loved it. At the end of the night, they encouraged the audience to form a conga line, and they did, and it was a spectacle. I had a good time, even though I did not join the conga line.

On Wednesday night, I heard Lukas Nelson. I say I heard him because I didn't actually see him. I was working the west side recycling station, and the view of the stage is non-existent. I did take a few minutes to try to get a look at the stage, but everyone was standing up, so I couldn't really get a good look, although I can say that I did see him on stage for a minute. Yes, he is Willie Nelson's son, and yes, he does sound a lot like his father. He also has a much bigger vocal range than Willie, including a spine-tingling falsetto. He was really good and I enjoyed the music very much. 

Have a great week!

 

#2879 three things: coffee at home, a new toy, and forgetting about time

 

1. Coffee at home. You know I love me some coffee. I will try pretty much any type of coffee drink at a coffee place, and there are some I like more than others, of course, but I can't think of many times that I couldn't drink whatever I ordered. Over the weekend, we went to Starbucks, we had coffee at the Solano Baking Company, I had coffee at Press in Battle Mountain twice (dirty maple chai for the win!), and I tried a place in Elko called Mudd Hut. They are all great, and I enjoyed the hell out of each delicious beverage I had at those places. 

Today I worked from home, and as I usually do, I made a pot of coffee. I used Caffe Ibis Hawaiian Hazelnut. I like a glug of milk and a couple of little spoons of Sugar in the Raw (granulated brown sugar) in my coffee. I brought the mug upstairs to my office, fired up my computer, and took the first sip while the computer booted up. That coffee, even the first sip which is sometimes bitter to me, was decadently delicious. I just had a couple of cups before I switched to water for the rest of the day, but those two cups set me up for a pretty dang good day. 

It's probably the combination of working at home in my cozy office space, classical music softly playing in my ears, the dogs gently snoring on the floor next to me, my soft comfy sweats and warm socks keeping me relaxed and calm along with that great cup of coffee that makes my morning feel so good. Whatever it is, I'll take it. Sometimes you cannot beat having a cup of coffee at home.

2. A new toy. I  wanted to create a travel journal during my trip to Paris and Catalunya. I envisioned filling my new sketchbook with sketches and paintings and words while I was there, but each day was so full that I didn't have time to do any of that. I did make a zine each day, and those little mementos are really fun, and I am so happy to have them.

Basically, I came back with an nearly empty sketchbook, and I decided that I would go ahead and create the travel journal after the fact. Then things got a bit out of hand last summer, and my sketchbook remained empty, waiting.

Finally though, after a creativity workshop with Jill the Artist in which the topic was procrastinating, I decided to just jump in and start. It is not a day-by-day accounting of the trip; I've decided to create pages based on when memories pop up or when I a photo (I look at them often) moves me to tell about it. 

To that end, I bought myself an HP Sprocket printer. It prints 2 x 3" photos on special paper, kinda like Polaroid paper, except it comes out of the printer fully printed. An extra cool part is that the paper is a sticker!!! The photos I printed yesterday came out really nicely, and I had a great time writing about the time we spent at Palau de la Musica Catalana.  I'm excited about my new toy!

(Yeah, I know. That top sketch is a little scary.)

3. Forget about time. I saw this really cute graphic on Pinterest from ourmindfullife.com.

The last one on the list, "Do more of what makes you forget about time," has stuck with me. I find that when I am writing, drawing, and painting, I get lost in it and time slips away. It's so cool! Sometimes forgetting about time happens when I'm scrolling through my phone, too, and it's fun, but it isn't as fulfilling as spending the time creating. Have you found something that makes you forget about time? 

Kind of a bummer part of forgetting about time and getting lost in the flow is that I tend to go to bed later than is good for me. When I do get to bed, my mind is still humming from the buzz of endorphins brought on by doing something I enjoy so much, then it's hard to slow my mind and get to sleep. The extra bummer part is that I am really and truly soundly and happily asleep when that blasted alarm goes off  in the wee hours before dawn (5 am). Maybe I need to set a timer so my phone can remember the time and tell me and the muse when to shut it down.

Enjoy the rest of the week!

#2867 one thing at a time

I have a sticker that looks a little different from this one, but has the same words. I think it's funny, and I thought I embodied those sentiments, but it turns out, I don't. My cousin Sonia,  well, this could be her life's slogan. While she was here, she would get up, go to the bathroom, and stumble down the stairs looking for coffee. The first day she was here, I was up first and had a pot made, so she could just sit and drink it peacefully. The second morning, I slept a little later, so she was already up when I got downstairs. She looked at me frantically, grabbed my arms, and sort of yelled, "Where is the coffee?!" I introduced her to the magic and speed of the K-cup, and she was okay every morning after that. Truly, she would have to have a coffee before any other thing happened. I kind of admired her dedication to the mantra.

Another thing I noticed about Sonia's breakfast routine was what she ate, when left to her own devices. She would get a coffee, then prepare a slice of toast, sprinkled with a bit of olive oil, and top it with a slice of cheese (we had havarti, the King of Cheese, on hand.) She would also have a glass of orange juice, and a piece of fruit. Sonia sat at the table, her plate filled with the cheese toast and fruit, and she would peacefully eat, always chatting away with me and MT. There were no other distractions. She didn't mess with her phone. She didn't read a book or magazine. She enjoyed her food and drink, took her time, and only when she was finished was she ready to get on with the day. 

Maybe this sounds strange, but I have been thinking about distractions during meals a lot lately. My favorite influencer, Shannon at This French Life, is doing a cool series this month and next that she is calling the Joie de Vivre journey. She began the series three weeks ago, and has a ten-week series planned.  Check it out on Instagram (thisfrench.life). She posts pretty videos on weekdays for the series. She's also doing a series about locations from the book All the Light We Cannot See, a series currently on Netflix based on the book by Anthony Doerr. 

Anyway, Day 2 of the Joie de Vivre journey was about mindful eating. The prompt was about making better food choices, but in my mind, I combined it with the Day 1 prompt about setting boundaries. Wait for it...I'm about to tie it all together.

Friends, I did something this morning that I rarely do: I ate breakfast without an interruption. I know that sounds weird, but usually, while I eat any meal at home, I multi-task. I read. Sometimes I write. I often throw a toy for Stella. I eat and I drink and I do something else.  Today, though, I simply savored my meal. I had a coffee and a slice of gingerbread from Starbucks, along with a glass of oj. I put the bread on a plate, and just sat there while I ate and drank. I steadfastly avoided looking through that pile of mail that was staring at me. I refused to pull my phone out of my purse to continue reading a new book I just started. I ignored Stella when she repeatedly woofed at me and nudged her frisbee in my direction. 

It's not that I shut down my mind. I thought about what I was doing. I enjoyed the flavor and the tenderness of the gingerbread. I noted the warmth and flavors of the latte. The tangy sweetness of the orange juice played off the other two items nicely. I didn't have a piece of fruit; all we have are bananas in the house, and I am not there yet. I thought about what I wanted to accomplish today, and if I would make it through the day without a nap (more on that in a minute.) I looked around my house and made mental notes of what needed to be cleaned up, thrown away, or put away. When the meal was finished, I was totally satisfied and quite full. It was nice. I think I'll keep working on making mealtime a one-activity event a habit.

~~

I haven't been feeling great for the past few days. On Wednesday, I had a flu shot at my doctor appointment. On Thursday, I felt run down and achy. I took the day off from work, and slept off and on most of the day. I went to work on Friday, and that evening, I got a covid shot. When I got up yesterday (Saturday), every one of my joints was aching and I was just tired. I took the big dogs for a walk in the neighborhood, had some coffee, read, and then took a nap. I was cold and unhappy about my condition. I slept. I laid on the couch wrapped up in a blanket. I came upstairs to use the bathroom, then got on my bed and fell asleep some more. My left arm, where the covid vax happened, has a bump and is warm. I was in bed by about 9:00 last night, and slept hard all night long. Today I feel okay. I still think I want to take a nap with my weighted blanket. 

First though, I'm taking time to do an art project that has been really fun. I'm not done with it yet, so I'll share it the next time I write. I also need to do the bookkeeping for all my entities (home, business, family), and I'll probably call that a day's work well done. 

I will share this little art project I did this week. The prompt was to draw some boxes, then fill them with little drawings. I am in a total hygge state of mind right now. You know hygge - a cozy comfiness that is perfect for this time of year when the days get shorter and colder. Here is my art:

I added some stickers, too, because why not? It was fun.

That's all I've got today! I need to go to bougie Harmons to get some coffee and finish today's art project, not to mention pay all those bills. 

Have a beautiful week. Do something fun and take the time to enjoy yourself.

xo

#2835 weekend wrap-up

I missed posting on Wednesday because I wasn't feeling well and I went to bed very early that night. I had a bit of a cold, with sniffles and a little cough. When I woke up on Thursday morning, my head was all stuffed up and I had a magnificent headache. I couldn't imagine sitting at my desk at the office, so I took a sick day and went back to sleep. When I woke up around 9:30, I took a shower, hoping it would make me feel a little more human. The steam cleared out my stuffiness, but the headache remained. I took some Tylenol, ate a piece of toast and drank some orange juice, and laid down on the couch under my weighted blanket. I tried to read, but the words were moving all over the page, so I just went to sleep. I woke up an hour or so later and moved myself and my weighted blanket upstairs to my bed where I fell asleep again. I pretty much slept the day away. When MT got home, around 5:30, I got up and moved around a little bit, but I was back in bed for sleeping by 9:00. 

I felt better on Friday. There was still a bit of a headache, but I was alert, even though I was a little dizzy. All that worked itself out over the course of the day, so that's good.

This weekend I've stayed pretty close to home. I did go to Old Navy yesterday afternoon because I had some Super Cash. Super Cash isn't as cool as Kohl's Cash because at Old Navy, you have to spend a certain amount of money before you can use the Super Cash. I failed to read that smaller print and thought I was going to waltz in there and get some free clothes. Nope. It's okay, though. I'm getting some cute stuff to take on vacation with me. Looking back, I don't feel like I presented my best self when I was in Greece. When I look at photos of myself, I look sloppy, and like I just couldn't be bothered. I don't want to compare myself to the other women who were doing art in Greece, but I can tell you they looked put together, and I did not. I'm a grown-ass woman. I can do better, so I'm going to pay more attention when I'm in Paris and Barcelona in May. 

Today MT made a really delicious roast beef. It smelled incredible and tasted great. He did a wonderful job and I am super grateful that I didn't have to do anything but wash the dishes and enjoy the meal. 

This morning I tried a new coffee place in the neighborhood, Beans & Brews. I wanted to go to Brew Monkey, but the power lines in the area were being worked on, so Brew Monkey had no power. Beans & Brews was good. I had a mocha and I liked it just fine. I'd probably go there more often, because they are on the way to work, but they don't have a drive-thru. Important side note, I usually don't use the drive-thru at Starbucks, but they have the mobile app, so I order ahead and run in to pick up my coffee, which works just fine for me. 

There is another coffee place, Dutch Bros. It's not close to my house, but I thought it might be a nice change of pace every now and then. Most people really, really like it. I don't. I've tried several different items, and all of them are way too sweet, even for me!  Yesterday the over-caffeinated kid at the window seemed a little confused about the situation and gave me the wrong drink. I didn't like it and couldn't even finish it. I still have a bit of money left on my account there, so I'll go back eventually, but it might be a few weeks. I'll take Brew Monkey over Dutch Bros anytime, and Starbucks is still my jam. 

Wednesday is March! Do you know one of my favorite things to do is turn the calendar pages? I'm pretty sure I have mentioned the joy I get from changing the calendar. It's the little things! Other than calendar flipping, I don't have much planned for next week. 

Here's a couple of art things I did this week. This first one is from last Sunday's art group. The prompt was to make a unique vehicle.

My unique vehicle is a big car with windows for each doggo. I especially enjoy the hood ornament detail.

This one is from the Thursday prompt. We were given a list of words and told to combine two or three. I chose GIANT and RAINING. 

I made the umbrella a bit oversized to represent "giant." I got this idea from Pinterest. I like that both pieces are pretty different. The top one is out of my imagination and is kind of wild and child-like. This bottom one is a more simple line drawing. I used actual water color paints on the top one, and my watercolor markers on the bottom. I just keep doodlin' and seeing what happens. It's fun. 

Have a great week!

#2824 weekend wrap-up

It’s been a pretty good weekend. Yesterday might be my favorite day of the year so far. I slept in a little, then took the dogs for a walk and some outside playtime in the backyard. I went to a coffee place that is new to me, Brew Monkey, and it is so cute! 

It looks like a place I might like to go just to read and have a nice coffee and a change of scenery. The coffee, by the way, was quite good. Each month they have new specialty coffees. The one I had was called a Mocha Borgia, and it was a mocha flavored with cinnamon and orange. Yummy! I didn’t drink it there, though. I brought it home and enjoyed it with a sweet roll from Beardall’s Bakery. I was supporting the Magna small businesses! 

After breakfast, it was time for art. I am in a group hosted by Jill the Artist. Each month, she does a workshop for members through Zoom. I was unable to attend the live workshop event, but Jill records the workshops and posts them for the group, so I did that on Saturday around noon. It was a lot like some of our workshops in Crete in which we did some writing and some sketching and painting. It is good and fun.  We did a couple of sort of Valentine’s-related sketches, then we messed around with still life sketches and paintings. 

Drawing clusters of objects is a challenge for me. I have learned that it is easier for me to take a photo of a thing and sketch from the drawing rather than from the actual 3D reality. I didn’t take a photo of my collection of things that I drew. Maybe I will do that tomorrow and try it again. Anyway, here’s what I came up with yesterday:

It was kind of cool, because I painted the background first. The colors are kind of muted here, but it was mostly pink and orange. I let that dry, then I sketched in the candle, the mug and the plant. I decided to use my watercolor marker brushes to “paint” the objects.  

I can’t get over how enjoyable the “arting” is for me. Even when the results are wonky, it’s fun to try. Painting with watercolors is great. 

In the evening, I made myself a pizza. Using pizza dough I’d purchased at Trader Joe’s, along with marinara sauce and quattro formaggi cheese blend, I cooked it up in my cast iron skillet, and I thought it was good. Simple and tasty. I also took the dogs for a walk and had more outside playtime, and everything was working out nicely. 

I picked T up from work, and a couple of hours later, I picked MT up from the airport. It was nice to have everyone home! Stella even came up and slept on the bed with us. Yes, we had all three dogs and both MT and I in the bed. It was mostly fine. Stella would yip on occasion if someone got too close, but mostly, she was really good. I wonder why she decided that last night would be her first night on the bed? I could tell she was feeling very comfortable during the day because she had come up to my room while I was getting ready for the day or whenever I went upstairs to use the bathroom. Here’s a photo of Stella watching Harley wrestle with Mac: 

This morning, we all had a nice lie-in on the bed. MT was telling me about his vacation, and the dogs were being so good and everyone was calm. I took them out for a walk, and it was drizzling. By the time we got home, it was starting to snow, so we cut outside playtime short. I went to the grocery store. We had some inside play time, and then Mac and Stella got into a big scrum. They were fighting over a toy. Actually, each of them had their own toy, but they put them down near each other, and then got all territorial over the toys when they picked them back up to play again. It was awful. I didn’t know what to do. I was afraid to reach for them in case they got confused and tried to bite me. It was very noisy and seemed to last forever, although I’m sure it was less than a minute. 

Now it is really quiet at my house. Stella doesn’t even want to play. She is up on the bed with MT, staying far away from Mac. The behavior is so unlike her, it breaks my heart. I was thinking that we were all getting along so well, now I feel like we are back to square one. The trust between them is broken, at least for today. They did go out for a walk with MT this evening and had their dinner, then Stella went right back upstairs. Mac is staying with me down here in the TV room. I hope we can get back to fun play times. At one point today, each dog had their own toy and I was tossing toys all over the place, and each dog was being very good about playing with her own toy. It was fun and it was so cute. Harley likes to have a ball rolled so she can chase after it. She then wants me to take it out of her mouth, and she gives it up pretty easily. Mac likes to have a ball tossed in the air so she can catch it, then she wants me to tug it out of her mouth, if I can catch her.  Stella likes to run after her toy and bring it right back for another throw. 

Mac and Stella both just went outside together, and although I can see that Stella is super wary about Mac, it looks like Mac wants to be friends again. She is wagging her tail at Stella and giving her space. I’m glad I’ll be home tomorrow to monitor their behavior. I’ll keep my fingers crossed for peace amongst the doggos. 

#2820 Saturday with Sandy

I had a very good night’s sleep on Friday/Saturday. For one thing, I was extremely tired. I took MT to the airport on Friday morning - he was on his way to Florida to go on a cruise with his parents and wanted to be at the airport by around 4AM for his 6AM flight. Neither of us slept very well on Thursday/Friday because we were worried about missing the alarm. Friday was kind of a daze. I took a melatonin to ensure good sleep and went to bed around 9PM. I got up this morning around 8AM. 

Another thing that might have made me feel so tired was that I received a shingles vaccination on Friday afternoon. My arm is still sore!

This morning, I fed the dogs and took them for a walk. They are doing well while we are out walking, but getting out the door is kind of a fiasco because they are so excited to go. Here’s a before-the-walk photo:

Mac is kind of blurry because she had just jumped up, all four feet off the ground. Harley wears a harness to reduce the stress on her throat when she pulls. Stella is excited about the whole thing. She often has this face.

After the walk, they are a bit more calm, and look like this:

Today was nice and mellow for me. After the walk, I made a pot of coffee, had some breakfast, then wrote in my journal for awhile. I cleaned up the kitchen, a fairly quick job, then settled on the couch to finish a book I’ve been reading since November. I liked the book, but I was reading other book club books at the same time. Since the book was my own, I didn’t have to hurry to finish it. I enjoyed the book, even though I thought it was quite long, over 500 pages. 

T had to work this afternoon, so I dropped him off, then decided to go to the library. I hadn’t been there for awhile, since I was reading my own books. I decided I needed a little something new, light, and maybe quick. What book to choose, though? WARNING: nerd alert! I didn’t see anything right off the bat that interested me, so I turned to my Goodreads list. There were so many books on the list, that I decided to sort it in the order I’d put the book on the list, and just pick the oldest one. I’d put it on the list sometime in 2020, so yes, the book was there, but it did not fit the new, light, and quick criteria. I got it anyway. As I was driving to Harmons to buy coffee, I had a stern conversation with myself. Why would I have books on my TBR list from over two years ago? There’s no way I was going to be able to read all the books on my list, so I decided to get rid of all the books I’d put on the list in 2020 and 2021. I went to another library, returned the novel I’d picked up at the first library, then chose another book that was still on the list and fit the criteria. I feel better! Currently, that TBR (to be read) list on Goodreads only has 34 books on it. Some of them I own, so it’s good. 

New book in hand, I decided to try out a coffee place in my neighborhood that I’d read about in the Axios Salt Lake City newsletter called Azúcar. It is a Latina-owned business and I was excited to try the Mexican mocha. I also got myself a pastry, which are locally sourced from Mexican bakeries. 

It was pretty late in the day, around 5PM, so the pastry wasn’t exactly fresh, but it still tasted nice. I think it was pineapple, maybe? The coffee was delicious. There’s the book I picked up at the library! I can see myself going back to Azúcar regularly. It was nice to sit there with my book and my delicious treats of coffee and pastry. 

Back home, I took the dogs for their evening walk. It was pretty dark and there was a lot of activity in the neighborhood for some reason, so we didn’t stay out long. The doggos were okay with it since it was their dinner time, anyway. 

After a nice chat with my mama, I watched a movie I’ve been wanting to see since I got back from Greece, The Two Faces of January. It is filmed almost entirely in Greece, with the first part in Athens, and the biggest part in Crete, including Chania. It was awesome to see familiar sites! I love to watch movies that are filmed in places I have been. 

Now it is bedtime. Mac and Harley are already sound asleep on my bed. Stella sleeps downstairs on any couch she chooses. I’ve invited her to come upstairs, but she rarely does. It’s okay. I don’t really want three dogs on the bed!

Enjoy the rest of the weekend!

#2795 three things: special days

 

1. National "days". You know how every day is a National "This Thing" Day? For example, today, 17 November, is National Homemade Bread Day, National Baklava Day, National Butter Day, National Rural Health Day, and National Take a Hike Day. It is also World Pancreatic Cancer Day. I'm not making this up. There is a website, and probably an app, that tells you this information. I didn't partake in any of these national things, but I had a couple of events today that I'll put on my own list.

2. Red Cup Day. Today is Red Cup Day at Starbucks. In my mind, Red Cup Day meant the day the holiday drinks were announced and the red cups are available. But the holiday drinks, including my favorite, peppermint mocha, came out a week or so ago and the cups were a holiday special edition. Thursday is typically the day I go to Starbucks anyway, so I stopped in for a peppermint mocha this morning. I used the mobile order feature on the app, so my coffee was ready when I got there. Next to my festive little holiday cup was a plastic red cup. I thought the barista had put someone else's coffee close to mine, so I picked up my festive cup and turned to leave when the barista told me that I got the plastic cup, too. I was so excited! I thought they were giving me a little gift because I'm such a regular customer. 

I take my cup of coffee and my red cup into the office to show my friendly co-workers. One of them comes in, and she doesn't have a red cup. My suspicions are confirmed! They like me! They really like me! They gave me a red cup! My friendly co-worker whose daughter works at Starbucks then came into the office and said, "Hey! You got a red cup! You must have ordered a holiday drink." I nodded and lifted my peppermint mocha in salute. My other co-worker, who did not get a red cup then said, "Oh, you have to order a holiday drink to get one, huh?" Starbucks mom said, "Yes." 

Sigh. I'm not special after all. It totally cracks me up that I thought that I was special to Starbucks even for a second. 

Oh well. I still got the Red Cup, and I learned that Red Cup Day literally means you get a red cup.

3. Dip Day. There is a long-standing tradition at the office, and we call it Dip Day. Everyone is welcome to bring a dip, or really anything they would like to share, and we snack all day long. We called today's Dip Day "Worksgiving". Get it? A take on "Friendsgiving"? We had a wide assortment of stuff. There were pumpkin dishes, including a pie, a cake, and a dip. There were traditional dips like cheeseballs and heated dips, salsa and pepper jellies over cream cheese. There was also stuffing, sweet potatoes, rice krispie treats shaped like turkeys, a charcuterie board, plus all the things you could want as a conveyor of the dips. We do NOT mess around on Dip Day. It is a time-honored tradition that everyone likes a lot, until the end of the day, that is, when the dips are all picked over and looking sad, if there are any left, and people feel kind of ill from snacking all day. 

This was probably our last Dip Day of 2022. I think we had three of them this year. We didn't have any for the past couple of years, of course, because of The Virus, so it was fun to see Dip Day's triumphant return.  Viva Dip Day! 

I wish I'd taken a photo or two. It is truly a spectacle. 

#2783 Saturday with Sandy

I started the day off very, very slowly. I didn’t get out of bed until after 8:00. It was surprising that the dogs weren’t all amped up about getting their breakfast a whole lot earlier, but they were snoozing hard. MT has a cold and slept in the guest room, so the dogs and I had the whole bed to ourselves, and we used all the space. Plus, it was overcast and chilly, so snuggles were required.

A shower, coffee, breakfast, and reading are Saturday morning rituals that cannot be messed with. Usually on Saturday I will read until it’s time for the book club meeting at 1:00, making sure I get all the pages read. However, this week, I knew I wouldn’t finish the pages because I just started the book on Thursday and the club was wrapping up the book discussion this week. I didn’t join in the discussion, but I really like the book! (Daisy Darker by Alice Ferney, in case you were wondering. It’s a superb book for Halloween, since it all takes place on Halloween!)

My goal today was not to leave the house, but I had to go to the store from pure necessity. I was out of coffee. I have K-cups, but I wanted some beans so I could brew a nice pot. I don’t buy coffee from my regular grocery store. Instead, I go to a somewhat bougey grocery store called Harmons. They have fancier items than my regular Smiths, like a very nice bakery, a superb selection of cheeses, and a beans from a local roaster, Cafe Ibis. (Actually, the roasting company is up in Logan, in northern Utah, but they have good beans!) I bought their Highlander Grogg beans that have tasting notes of vanilla, hazelnut, and aged scotch whiskey. It smells so good! I will make a pot tomorrow and report back. 

Harmons also has a groovy salad and soup bar, so I made myself a big ol’ salad. I’ve been craving salads this week, probably to balance out all the grilled meat I ate the past couple of weeks. After the big salad, I needed a nap, so the doggos and I sacked out for an hour. Glorious rest!

Now I am practicing the fine art of hygge. I’ve got a candle burning. I’m settled into a corner of the couch with pillows and blankets and the aforementioned Daisy Darker. Utah football is on the big TV. It’s raining outside. The dogs are snoozing in their comfy spaces. MT is upstairs, reading. T is at work, so I am enjoying some quiet time. I’m going to do a little sketching and some more writing. I’ll probably make myself a cup of coffee.

Oh! Check out my new favorite mug:

That little red spot on the left is a heart with the word CRETE in it. Owls are a THING in Greece. I’ll probably talk about that factoid in an upcoming post. 

I just remembered the World Series is on tonight! I will be flipping back and forth between football and baseball now.

Hygge out, friends!

#2761 three things: sad, sad, silly

1. It will be better in the long run. My local Starbucks is going to be closed this month while the shop undergoes a major remodel. A week or so ago, there was a sign on the door that the store would be closed for a couple of weeks at the end of the month, but this morning, a new sign declared they would be closed starting tomorrow through the end of the month. I am sad about this, and to get over my sadness, I remind myself that there are many, many Starbucks around the valley, so I will be able to get a coffee treat at another location.  I also tell myself that based on what the baristas told me about the remodel, the new look will be nice and we will all be happy. I will miss the convenience of my Starbucks, though. Thursday mornings will not be the same without you, Starbucks.

2. It's gonna take a long time to get better. The Utah Jazz management completed their annihilation of  what used to be a good team by trading All Star Donovan Mitchell today. A couple of years ago, we had three All Stars on the team, and two of them have been traded this summer. I'm sure the third is looking to get the heck up out of Salt Lake City. I sort of lost my shit right there in the office when I found out about the trade. I very nearly cried. My eyes were hot and my throat was tight. I don't have a lot of hope for the team this season. T thinks they will only win 15 games. Ugh. No longer must-watch TV for me. I'm annoyed.

3. Time to lighten up. Last night I volunteered at the Joss Stone concert at RBG, and I had the good luck to work alongside a lovely woman called Libby. I've met her before and enjoyed working with her. We were stationed at the Donor Terrace, checking tickets and giving wristbands to the guests in that area as they arrived. A blonde woman, who was alone, stopped to chat with us. She said  to Libby, "Oh! I talked to your husband the other day! He gushed about all of your accomplishments, and told me how proud he was of you. I wanted to let you know!" The woman probably talked for about a minute, and I was watching Libby's reaction. She was smiling, but she seemed kind of stiff, and a couple of times, she looked over at me,  widened her eyes, and raised her eyebrows. 

I wondered what was making Libby react this way. Was her husband fooling around with the blonde woman? Had Libby's husband recently passed away? Maybe Libby wasn't married at all. I don't know her at all, except that she volunteers at the Garden and at a couple of other places, and that she is from southern Georgia.

The blonde woman left us and went to her seat. Libby watched her walk away, then turned to me and said, "Huh. I've been divorced for 50 years. I really don't think she talked to my husband!"

For some reason, the whole exchange tickled my funny bone. The blonde woman was so sincere about telling Libby all that her "husband" said about her, and Libby was kind of bemused by the whole thing. Libby and I had a giggle about it. 

   

#2721 weekend wrap-up

A quick break from vacation photos to talk about real life here in SLC...

It was a nice weekend, weather-wise, here. On Saturday I didn't get out of the house very much. In the morning I made myself some breakfast and tried some new coffee beans. I bought the Italian dark roast. I don't usually drink dark roast coffee, but I thought I'd give it a try. 

Ok, I'll be honest, they had me at Italian. Yes, I'm slightly obsessed. The first sip was abrasive, but three cups later, I decided I like it! To carry on the Italian theme, I was reading the book One Italian Summer by Rebecca Serle. Book my trip to Positano right away, please!

The big thing I did yesterday was to swap out my winter clothes for my summer clothes. I pared down quite a bit, too, which felt good. I still have lots and lots of clothes. For instance, I found that I have two pairs of every type of pants: two magic pants, two chinos, two water-resistant pants, two capris, three jeans, but I only wear two of them to work because the other has a wee hole that Mac put in them when she was a sharp-toothed puppy. I quickly separated the pants into two piles. I didn't throw any pants away, but I set one pile aside. I have found twos in so many of my clothes. Thinking back, I'd find a shirt I like, then buy it in two colors, I guess. 

Next Saturday, I will go back through the clothes I kept and make some more decisions. For example, can that top go with more than one bottom? Does the color really suit me? Most importantly, does wearing this article of clothing make me feel good about myself?

The book club met on Twitter. I enjoyed the book we just finished. It was called On a Night of a Thousand Stars and it was set in Argentina, switching time between the 1970s and the 1990s. A young American woman travels to Buenos Aires with her Argentine parents and the young woman becomes interested in learning more about the desaparecidos - the people who were disappeared beginning during the Peron administration in the '70s. The novel was engaging all the way through. It really had me hooked into the story. 

This morning I volunteered at Red Butte Garden. It has been so busy up there on Sunday mornings! There are two trams that run with complimentary tours from 10 am to 1 pm, and they were busy the whole time. When my shift was over at 1:00, I walked around for about 15 minutes, then went to my car. The parking lot was totally full. 

When I got home, I had to take a nap. Being out in the sun, even though I had water, really tired me out. Plus I wasn't feeling very well this morning. I ate some french fries late last night, and they didn't agree with me this morning. Bad choices.

Tonight the three of us had a family dinner at 'Bout Time pub. We went to watch game seven of the Western Conference semi-finals. It wasn't much of a game. Dallas obliterated Phoenix. The final score was 123-90 and it was never close. It was fun to hang out with MT and T, though.

Next week, I'm going to write about art I saw on vacation. I have an interesting post in mind for Tuesday, and I want to do a little more research on it. I'm excited about some of the art because weird things catch my eye and I can't wait to share them with you!

In the meantime, here are some lilacs that I saw at Red Butte Garden today. Pretend your screen is a scratch and sniff and breathe in the glorious, sweet lilac scent!

#2657 a new toy and things it takes me a week to think about

Today my work group/team had our annual Christmas breakfast followed by a gift game. Everything was fun and nice. Here’s what I got to take home:

Two boxes of K-cups!

Brews a pot OR single cup!

It is a Keurig Duo, so it will brew a pot of coffee OR do a single cup from a K-cup. It is really more coffee maker than I need, and it’s pretty good sized, but I think I kinda like it. The woman who opened this gift absolutely did NOT want it, so when it came to be my turn to pick a gift, I was happy to take it from her and she was happy to get a chance at another gift. I hope she got something she wanted. I lost track of who ended up with what along the way. 

Since the thing is big, I ended up doing a bunch of rearranging in my kitchen so it could have a home on the counter, so that was a bonus good thing that came out of it. I then also had to clean out some cupboard space for the K-cups. I felt I then owed it to myself to enjoy a cup of coffee after all that work. It was good. I tried the Green Mountain breakfast blend. It was mellow and tasty. I didn’t get much of a caffeine jolt from it, so that was nice. For me, it was a nice, warm way to end my day.

Here’s a story for you:

A woman I know said that she is giving up coffee. As someone who is getting more into coffee, I wondered why this woman was getting out of it, so I asked her. She told me that she likes bold, rich, flavorful coffee, but with lots of cream and sugar. I could not resist saying at the time, “Oh, so it’s really the cream and sugar you want to drop, so you have to give up coffee?” Of course she said yes, because, you know,  that’s the truth. 

It’s been about a week since I had that conversation, but I’ve been thinking about it a lot, and I have finally come up with a snarky comparison.  I could say that I am giving up lettuce. I like leafy, green, crunchy romaine lettuce, but with creamy dressing and cheese. Therefore, I must give up lettuce. Same concept, right?

I mean, there are ways to drink coffee without cream and sugar, just like I could eat lettuce without creamy dressing and cheese, for example. It’s all about the changes you are willing to make for something you like. Maybe this woman doesn’t really like coffee; she said she doesn’t drink if for the caffeine, but for the flavor. Last I heard, she was switching to tea. I wish her the best. I don’t care what she drinks. I just thought her explanation was hilarious.