#3017 a lengthy recap with lots of photos of trees and coffees

We have a lot to catch up on, don't we? 

This might be a longish post, but let's just roll with it. Let's start with Dec 11, a Thursday, and the last work day for me of my career at Granite. I did actually do a little bit of work that day, then there was a retirement luncheon. Food was catered from Cafe Rio (my choice), and all my work pals were gathered round the conference room table. There were gifts and tears and words and hugs and it was really nice. Afterward, there were photos. Here's one:

my work peeps!

The next few days, Friday through Sunday, were kind of a blur. MT and T came home on Thursday night and stayed for the weekend. MT went back to Pocatello on Sunday morning, and T stayed here because he was taking care of the dogs while I went to California to visit Mom and Lizzie. 

I arrived in Southern California on Monday afternoon. We went out for dinner, then to the house to chat and chill. Every day Lizzie and I went out for a walk and coffee. She picked easy trails for me, which was kind of her. I really like the urban hill trails in the area where they live. The trails we walked on were all part of parks, but they still feel a little wild. The weather was good, in my opinion. We had some foggy mornings that gave good vibes. After the walk and coffee, we went home to hang out, then in the later afternoon, we go somewhere for late lunch/early dinner. 

On Tuesday we went for a walk at Laguna Lake park. It was a foggy morning, and one of my favorite things about the trail was the part where all the trees were decorated! A family who lives along the trail had decorated about a dozen (or more) trees with baubles and it was so sweet. I think if you double click on the photo, it will fill your screen with the image so you can see the decorations.

Laguna Lake Park trail

We went for coffee at a cute place in Fullerton called Lulu Coffee. The bagel with cream cheese and salami was delicious and the cappuccino was good, too.

at Lulu Coffee in Fullerton

That evening we went to Old World Village in Huntington Beach. We had dinner at the Old World Biergarten. I had schnitzel and cheesy spaetzel and it tasty. A fun thing was that there was a Christmas Market onsite that day, so we wandered around in there. It was nicely decorated, and there weren't too many people, so it was good.

in the Christmas market

The next day was Wednesday, my mama's birthday! Lizzie and I started the day with an easy walk at Creek Park. 

it was still fall in Southern California

For coffee, we went to a favorite place, Civitas (no photo) and took it to go along with a chocolate croissant for Mama. Around noon, we drove to San Juan Capistrano, about a 45 minute drive from their house. We had lunch in a cute restaurant called Sundried Tomato Bistro.

birthday lunch!

After lunch we crossed the street to walk around the mission. It was a beautiful day, and the grounds were all decorated for Christmas. If I remember right, the lighting ceremony was going to be the next evening. We didn't come back for that, but we sure enjoyed strolling around. A nice lady took our picture.

awww!

The light that afternoon was amazing, and we were happy to be together.

ussie with perfect lighting

We stopped at another restaurant, Bloom, for coffee and dessert before we headed back home. The drive down only took 45 minutes, but it was at least double that going back north. That's how it goes, I guess.

On Thursday morning, Lizzie and I walked at Clark Park. It was a lovely morning, and everything was so green, it looked like spring.

a blooming meadow on the Clark Park trail

For coffee, we went to Enchanted, a coffee shop in La Mirada. I had one of the seasonal drinks, a maple latte that was really good, and the biggest, most Nutella-stuffed croissant I've ever seen. I couldn't eat the whole thing in one sitting. The place was busy and the vibe was not relaxing, but the coffee and croissant were top notch.

coffee and croissant at Enchanted

That night we went to Il Gatto in La Habra. It is an Italian trattoria that is completely gorgeous. We didn't get the table we wanted, but the food was good and the wine was excellent. I'd be glad to go back to this place anytime. I didn't take pics of the food. We ordered from the happy hour menu, so we had a variety of delicious snacks that were really filling! The hostess did take our photo by their pretty Christmas tree.

we are full of Italian food

On Friday morning, Lizzie and I went another park in Fullerton, I think, to an area she called Lost Trail. We walked through a softball complex to a series of dirt trails. There weren't many people on this trail, so it was really quiet and nice. There was an amazing tree just off the trail.

I loved this cool tree!

An interesting thing to me about the trail is that it went to the Brea Dam, which is interesting because it doesn't dam anything. Lizzie wanted to go up a trail above the dam, but I didn't really want to, so she was kind and cut me some slack. It was a cool area, and I liked the walk a lot.

For coffee, we went to Golden State Roasting Company in Placentia. The seating areas were large, and the exposed brick was pretty. It wasn't exactly cozy, but it was nice. The coffee was good - I had a peppermint mocha along with a breakfast sandwich. Nothing special about the sammy, but it hit the spot.

peppermint mocha at Golden State Roasting Co.

Later that afternoon, we had late lunch/early dinner at Zumaya's in Whittier. I didn't take a pic of my meal, but I had carnitas tacos and they were really good. The meat was tender and flavorful, and the tortillas were amazing. They may have been made from masa; they were sort of chewy and soft and mmmm. So good! After the meal, we drove over to a Mexican bakery to get a coffee and a dessert to take home. The dude told me there was coffee in that mocha, but it was so smooth and chocolatey, I didn't taste coffee at all. We also went to a nearby store called Pour le Bain. I have been in the store before and it smells so good and has pretty things. Then we took an ussie with a giant Santa.

this Santa is BIG!

The next day Lizzie and I did our traditional Saturday walk around La Mirada Regional Park before hitting the Farmer's Market for pastry and stickers, then picking up coffee from Starbucks. We stayed home the rest of the day. Mom cooked canalones and we drank a bottle of cava to celebrate my retirement, Mom's birthday, and just being together.  

On Sunday we didn't go for a walk, but we did go back to Civitas for coffee and pastry to go. Then I had to pack and get on the plane to come home. 

The highlights of this past week were getting a live Christmas tree, this cute Norfolk pine...

our Christmas tree

...going to the Christmas breakfast at the country club with my work friends, then taking my final walk of the year through Red Butte Garden (the Garden is closed from Dec 24 - Jan 1)...

no snow to be seen

...taking a drive down Michigan Ave to admire the thousands of lights on the sycamore trees...

magical Michigan Ave

 

...and celebrating Christmas at home with my menfolk.

Happy Christmas from MT, me, and T!

The bummer part is that I've had a cold since Christmas Eve. It's still hanging on, but I do feel better today.

So, yeah, this is a long post, and if you've made it this far, thanks and nice going! It's just a little snippet of my exciting life LOL

I don't have much on the agenda for next week. Of course, Wednesday is New Year's Eve followed by New Year's Day. I'll be surprised if we make it to midnight on Wednesday, but we'll try! I think my main activity will be figuring out how to spend my days productively since I won't be working anymore. I've cut myself some slack this month since I've been on vacation and it's the holidays, but I know myself well enough to know that I must have some kind of structure planned or I will default to scrolling through Instagram and playing games on my phone. I have a list (surprise!) of things I want to do daily, weekly, monthly, and quarterly, so I'll use that to shape my days. I'm excited to see what's next.

xo

 

#3014 three things I will miss about work

OMG, it's here. Tomorrow is my last day at work. I will be on vacation until Dec. 25, and that's my last day on the payroll, but I won't be doing any more work for Granite after tomorrow. (If I'm being honest, I doubt I'll do any work tomorrow, either, teehee.)  Last Wednesday I told you three things I would NOT miss about work, and in the spirit of fairness and reality, here are three things I WILL miss, in no particular order.

1. A paycheck and having my health insurance covered by the Company. I will be getting "paid" through my 401(K) and eventually through Social Security (I hope), but it will be different than the checks I was getting for actually doing the job. After shopping for open market health insurance, I had a renewed sense of gratitude for the health insurance coverage provided by the Granite. Health insurance is expensive, for reals. We are going to be okay financially, but I will miss having a paycheck show up in my bank account every other week, and it will be slightly painful to watch the health insurance payment go out of my bank account every month.

2. Dip Days and December traditions. We all like food and fun things. At work, we would have little celebrations we call "Dip Day." Everyone brings their favorite dip or appetizer, maybe small bites or desserts, and we put it all out for everyone to graze on throughout the day. It is a fun way to mingle away from our desks and have some tasty snacks. I've always had a love/hate relationship with Dip Day. I love it in the morning, and sort of hate myself in the afternoon. The food is always so good. 

Our department also has many fun December traditions. We do Secret Santa. We decorate the office. We order buckets of cheese and snack on cheese and crackers all month. The whole company has an employee appreciation luncheon which is a catered buffet to which all employees are invited. We have a Pie Day, where we bring in pizza from the legendary Salt Lake pizza place, The Pie. The admin department has a Christmas breakfast, usually at a local country club, that is always fun and festive. 

I will miss these events and others that made work special.

3. People. Really, the people I work with in the admin department will be the thing I miss most about this job. I was lucky enough to be on the hiring team that brought many of the folks in the department on board, and selfishly, I tried to make sure we hired people I wanted to hang out with eight to ten hours a day. You spend a lot of time at work, so having cool coworkers is important. I have and have had cool coworkers my whole career at Granite and at the newspaper in Pocatello, too. Heck, my BFF LA was a friend I made at the paper! 

The people in the admin department are hard-working, dedicated, fun-loving, intelligent, and hilarious. It has been my pleasure to see some of them fall in love and get married, start their families. I've seen others go through terrible health crises and come out stronger, sassier, and full of life. I've seen some of them become grandparents and I've seen others find their second chance at love. I've seen them become leaders and experts in their jobs. I've seen them take on new challenges and thrive, redefining what that role looked like. I've seen them learn new ways of doing their work, and roll with the punches that come from working in corporate America. 

Through it all, each person remains kind, loyal, and loving toward each other. You're having a hard day? Someone will give you a hug (if you allow it.) You need a ride to work? Someone will help you out. You need something brought to your house? Someone will bring it to you. It's the little kindnesses that are freely given that makes the Utah office really special. 

I feel fortunate to have had a nice career at Granite. There have been some shitty times, without a doubt, but I feel like I can say that most of my nearly 30 years there (29 years and eight months, to be precise) have been a pleasure. I've learned a lot. I did the best I could, and at the end of my career, I can say I think the Company got its money's worth out of me.

#3013 revenge bedtime procrastination

The other day I was telling my co-worker DM that I felt tired because I got to bed around midnight. I told her I'd catch a second wind and started doing something I enjoy, and time slips away from me. Even though I know it is getting late and I feel sleepy, I don't want to go to bed because I really like this "me time" and the flow I get into. Another co-worker who heard the conversation told us there is a name for this phenomenon, so I googled it and sure enough, there is. It's called Revenge Bedtime Procrastination (RBP), or just bedtime procrastination. It is driven by the absence of leisure in your free time. 

This has been a "thing" for me for months, and it only happens Sunday through Thursday nights. On Friday or Saturday nights, I have no problem calling it a day by 9:00 PM, and it must be because I know I will have the whole next day to do stuff I want to do and my time is my own. On Sunday through Thursday nights, I know I have to work the next day and my free time is very limited, so when I finally get to have me-time, it is not long enough to be satisfying. 

I thought I was the only person experiencing this thing, but I'm not. It seems that it is related to ADHD, which I do not have; I'm just selfish and want to have time to do things I want to do. (LOL)

~~~

I've got a big week coming up starting tomorrow. It is my last week of work. Tomorrow I'll be in the office "consulting" and encouraging my co-worker DM who will be taking over my job. On Tuesday, a couple of former co-workers have invited me to lunch. Wednesday I have an appointment with my GP, and then I think I'm working from home, but it depends on what DM wants to do, and Thursday is my final day of work. I think there is going to be a little luncheon which will be nice. MT and T will be home Thursday afternoon, and the three of us will celebrate my retirement together. I told MT I want to go to the local pub in the neighborhood and he seemed surprised that I didn't want to go somewhere else, I don't know, fancier? More expensive? Friday I will on permanent vacation, thought technically still on the payroll until Dec. 25. Wow. This is really happening. I feel excited and a little anxious.   

#3012 three things I won't miss about work

My last work day is getting closer and closer. Here are three things I will not miss about my work.

1. Month end close. I work in the administrative department of a big publicly traded construction company. My month-end closing window is two days. The first business day is spent getting as all the billings completed and processing as much accounts payable as possible. The second business day is making a list of anything that did not get entered into the accounting system so we have an accurate record of what we earned and what we owe. In the summer, these two days are intense and long. It's a little less stressful in the cold months, but there is pressure to account for everything. I won't miss this process at all. 

2. Long days. When the weather is cold and the crews aren't working as much, the days are long because there isn't much to do administratively so time does not fly. When the weather is hot, everyone is working from the minute we walk in the door until usually past when it's time to go home. It's the nature of the construction beast. I won't miss those early mornings and getting home late. 

3. Commuting. I'm not talking about walking 20 steps from my bedroom to my home office, of course. I'm talking about that 30 minute commute. It doesn't seem to matter anymore what time of day you are on the road; it's always busy. If there's rain or snow, the commute is always longer. In the winter I drive home in the dark, and I don't really like it, irrespective of the weather. I won't miss the drive to and from the office.

Six work days to go...

#3007 pdin 26 Thanksgiving eve

scribble wreath with color

Yesterday I wrote that today would likely be a short work day, and the team did get notified that, if the workload allowed, one could sign off at 1:30. I did not feel that the workload allowed, so I worked my regular shift. The co-worker that I've been training to take over my position (let's call her DM) was also working from home today, and I know she was logged in until at least 5:30, just like I was. 

One might comment, "Sandy, you are retiring in two weeks. Why don't you go ahead and coast?" The answer is simple and sort of annoying: I can't. I mean, my sense of obligation, responsibility, and ethics, I guess, won't let me coast when I know there is work to do. (I get that from my dad, I think.) I already know there will be things that I won't finish before I go, but I don't want to leave a jumble for my innocent co-worker, DM. Next week is month end close; Monday and Tuesday will be big training days. From Wednesday on, though, work will probably calm down a little and I imagine that DM will take on all the things and I will be there to advise and help as needed until the 11th. December 11 is my last working day, after that, I'll be on vacation and holiday, so my last day on the payroll will be December 25. Merry Christmas to me! 

As of now, though, it is the Thanksgiving break. I'm planning to drive to Idaho tomorrow in the late morning. Cocktails are at 1:00, and the meal is at 3:00. I'll spend the night at my MIL's house. On Friday morning I have a coffee date with my BFF, I'll go see the new property that T and MT are working on, then I'll head back home by noon or so. I've got a few chores on my calendar for the weekend, and maybe I'll squeeze in a movie, too. I'd like to see the second part of Wicked.

I woke up with the hiccups this morning - how odd is that? I got rid of them quickly. Tonight I have a teeny tiny headache and I feel kind of tired. I have to be careful because this is the time of night when I tend to catch a second wind if I start doing something that I really enjoy. I want to play in my travel journal - no, it's still not done, but I have a plan to finish it before Dec. 15 - but if I get into it now, I'll lose track of time and then it will be midnight. I want to get up a little early tomorrow to clean up the kitchen and do a couple of things before I get on the road. It's probably best if I save the travel journal for Friday when I get home. 

Good night!

#3004 pdin 23 maybe for the last time

Lakers vs Jazz tonight

I had the opportunity to go to the Jazz game tonight with a seat in the company suite. The company has had the suite for lots of years now, and I've been able to go fairly often over the years for Jazz games and concerts and now hockey games. In the past, I've been able to take family and friends to games in the suite, and I have always loved doing that. I haven't ever taken the suite for granted; it has been one of my favorite perks of working for Granite.

Tonight it occurred to me that this might be the last time I get to watch a game from the suite. It was a bittersweet realization. Of course I can go to a game whenever I choose to buy a ticket, but it won't be quite the same as sitting in the comfort of the suite with my co-workers. 

By the way, it was a good game although the Jazz did lose by two little points. They gave it their best in the final four minutes to get that close, and it could have gone either way, but in the end, the Lakers prevailed. 15,000 of the 20,000 people in attendance were thrilled. There were a LOT of Lakers fans in the building.

#2998 pdin 17 - Sunday scaries?

Sleep didn't come easily last night. Maybe it was because I'd been doing something I enjoy - playing around with the travel journal and writing in my regular journal and I wanted to stay in the flow. Maybe it was because the book I read in bed was getting good and I was sorry to leave the story. Maybe it was because Harley was cold and was pressed up against me so snugly that I could barely move. Maybe it was because as I was drifting off I had a terrible half-asleep/half-awake nightmare. Maybe it was because I had to go into the office in the morning and I was having a bout of the Sunday scaries. 

It's ridiculous, but there is something about going to the office on Monday that causes me to lose sleep. It's part of the reason I chose to work from home on Mondays and go to the office on Fridays. I don't have Sunday scaries when I know I get to work from home, and I don't have Monday scaries about going to the office on Tuesday.

Probably this particular episode is because I am training the woman who will replace me when I retire. It's not that I don't want to train her; I do! I think it's more that I worry I won't do a good enough job passing along what I know in the weeks to come. Of course I will do the best I can, and it's not like I'm the only person around who knows how to do the stuff I do. She will be fine, and there will be changes to the job once I'm gone, anyway, but still. It's my sincere desire that when I say good-bye on the 11th, she will feel confident in taking on the role.

Tonight I am feeling pretty tired, so I'll play around a bit with some art to relax and get to bed sooner than later.

Good night!

#2880 the wrap-up

I am always stunned and a little dismayed about how quickly the weekends pass. I barely remember what I did yesterday (Saturday) because it zipped by so quickly. 

The past week was interesting. I didn't work on Monday since we were driving back from Dixon. We spent Sunday night in Elko, NV. In the morning it was lightly snowing, and as we continued east, the snow turned to a drizzle of rain, then fog and low clouds, and finally partly cloudy skies when we got home. 

Here are some photos of the landscape and weather:

In the office on Tuesday, the Company announced a big reorganization. My job basically stays the same, but there are a lot of changes that will happen in the business as a whole in the next month. It will make for an interesting year. 

Friday night is movie night at my house, and I always get to pick the movie. MT had gone to Pocatello for the day, so when I got home from work, I played with the dogs, ate some dinner, and chose the movie. We have pretty much every streaming platform there is, I think, so picking a movie can be tricky. Usually, I pick a platform, then chose a movie on that platform. This week I picked Peacock, and the film Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris. (Note: If a movie involves Paris or France in general, or Rome or Italy in general, I'll probably watch it.)  I really liked this movie. It's about a widowed house cleaner in London who decides to go to Paris to buy a haute couture dress from Christan Dior. The story takes place in the 1950s, and really, it is just charming and sweet. It doesn't hurt that the gorgeous Lucas Bravo - you may know him as Gabriel in Emily in Paris - is in it, but the story and everything about the movie is great. It was a perfect Friday night movie for me.

Today my favorite thing is that I went to visit my friend Wendy from work. She has Guillain Barre syndrome, and has spent the past two months in the hospital and in acute physical therapy rehab centers. GBS attacks the nerves, and was brought on by a virus (not Covid). Her body's immune system went to work fighting the virus, then overstepped and attacked her nerves. She was unable to feel her hands or feet for most of the time she was hospitalized. Happily, the feeling and use of her hands has come back, and she is able to walk again using a walker. She can't stand up for a long period of time, but at least she is up and more mobile. I was glad to see her and really glad to see her doing so well. She's being discharged from the rehab place tomorrow, and I'm hopeful that with continued physical therapy, she will regain her physical abilities and be able to come back to work. I really miss her.

I made her this little card:

Those little spatters seem to be all the rage in the watercolor videos I watch all the time. My spatters are a bit big, and my leafs are kinda wonky, but it's cute.

MT has spent the weekend washing all the quilts we brought home from Dixon. I was thinking about something my mom said about a quilt my dad had that his mother had made for him. Mom said that Dad never wanted to put the quilt on his bed because he didn't want it to get dirty or ruined. I confess that I feel the same way. I know my dogs will get fur and dirt all over it, and I want the quilts to be pretty. I also feel that the quilts are meant to be used and loved. What good are they in a neat stack, tucked away in a closet or a linen box? The quilts are wonderful and so beautiful and filled with great memories for me. I don't remember every quilt individually, of course, but I certainly remember Grandma quilting. I clearly remember her sewing quilt blocks and putting together the tops in the winter, then doing the actual quilting on the rack in the summer. She was an amazing sewer. She made all the quilts by hand, and the stitches are so tiny. I don't remember her having any patterns, she just picked how she was going to do it and started sewing. 

I have a dozen new quilts, plus probably another half dozen or so that I've had for a long time. I'm going to use the quilts. I will rotate them. There aren't many that will fit my king size bed, but I think there are a couple. The smaller ones will be in the spare room, and a few of the much smaller ones will be in the living room to snuggle with on movie night, or for couch naps. I can fold them and drape them over the couch so the dogs can't lay on them all the time. I've got plenty of other blankets the dogs can lay on. 

Here is a little collage of some of the quilts:

I didn't take all of these quilts; I'll have to take photos of the ones I brought home. I do have the one in the upper left corner, that magnificent blue and white creation. So pretty!

What am I looking forward to in the week ahead? T will be seeing all the doctors this week: GP, dentist, and eye. He's turning 26 in March and will no longer be on my insurance plan, so we are making sure he gets treated before the end of March. He is signed up under the Affordable Care Act and has health insurance coverage that actually goes into effect on Feb. 1, but no dental or vision. 

My book club is back in action. We are reading "The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store," by James McBride. It's been good so far. We will discuss the last third of the book on Thursday. Also on Thursday, one of my favorite things is happening: a new month is starting so I get to flip all the calendars. It's the simple things. I will be creating my wee calendar page tomorrow, I think, so I will likely be ready to show it to you on Wednesday when I write here again.

On Friday, MT and I are going out with some of my work friends to a comedy club downtown. I think that will be fun. 

My weather app says that the high temperature this week will be in the mid 50s. What kind of madness is that? We've had a fairly dry January. There has been some snow and rain, but my yard is just a muddy mess right now. It felt more like mid-March than late January today. 

Have a wonderful week! Do something that makes you forget about time! Lose yourself in something awesome.

#2871 three things: my vibe, joy at work, and charmed by chateaux

 

1. My vibe. Right now, my vibe is pretty relaxed and content. I have had a good couple of weeks of art time, as I created a project I've been wanting to do for awhile. I finished it tonight, and I'm mostly happy with how it turned out. There are a couple of duds, but I just call them wabi sabi and move on. I look forward to sharing it with you soon.

2. Finally, a bit of joy at work. I'm caught up! All summer I have been struggling to keep up with emails, special projects, and everything in between. I had to make peace with the fact that I wouldn't be able to catch up and stay within a day or so of the new work that came in because the flow was heavy, but kind of sporadic, too. Not good flow. But yesterday...yesterday was the magical day that I finally cleared up all my unread emails, checked most everything of importance off my daily task list, and actually left the office at my designated leaving time of 4:00. It was glorious. I smiled the whole afternoon, and when I announced to my friendly co-workers that my emails were all taken care of, they actually applauded and cheered for me. LOL It was awesome. After a moment of soaking in the joy, my co-worker across the aisle quietly said, "Um, I'm going to send you an email now." That cracked me up. It was a brief moment of an empty inbox, but a fantastic moment after a tough, tough summer.

3. Charmed by chateaux. For several years, I have followed an account on Instagram called This French Life. The woman who has the account is an American who now lives in France, with an apartment in Paris and a country home in Brittany. This week, Shannon has been showing chateaux in the Loire Valley that are all decorated for Christmas, and it has been really beautiful to see. The chateaux are gorgeous, from the buildings themselves to the interiors, and also the grounds. The tour isn't about history, but about the decor. I especially liked the third chateau she visited, Chateau Chenonceau. If you have a few minutes, hop over to You Tube and search for "This French Life," then scroll down to Shorts and look at the videos. You can also find her on Instagram at "thisfrench.life." 

#2859 mid-month wrap-up

Writing here is always on my mind, but sometimes sitting down to actually write is more than I can take on, I guess. Let's see if I can recap the first half of the month. By the way...can you believe that September is already half over? 

I finished up my concert volunteer season with back-to-back shows by Fitz and the Tantrums on Sunday the 10th, and Buddy Guy on Monday the 11th. I am glad to be done with concerts. I am happy them when they start, and I am happy when they are over. I have one week left of my docent responsibilities. Bloom recording will likely be complete by mid-October. There are still some plants blooming, but the flowers are definitely tapering off. I still love to go up there at this time of year. The light is so mellow, and the temperatures have been mild. It's warm, but not too hot, and it cools down so nicely after sunset. I love fall here. Here are some photos:

Leopard Lily

Asters

Joe Pye Weed in front of the water pavilion

Obedient plant

This tree tells me fall is on the way

The big thing for my personal health was that I had a spot of skin cancer on my chest. I had a biopsy, at it was revealed to be a basal cell carcinoma. The darn thing had burrowed in and spread out a bit, so I had it excised out on Friday. I've got about a three inch slice in my chest, closed up by 10 or 11 stitches. The doctor is pretty sure he got all of it, though, so that's good. The stitches will come out on the 27th. The site has been pretty sore this weekend. There's some bruising, too, so it's been tender. In the next few months, I will go back to the dermatologist for a full body examination. I'm pretty sure there are more skin cancer spots. That one on my chest has been around for a long time. I'm glad to be done with it, even though I'll have a nifty scar to remember it by. (I'm not going to share the photos.)

Work is still busy, but feels like it is easing up just a little. I have a sweet home office set-up that make my work-from-home days extra groovy. 

T and his girlfriend celebrated one year together yesterday!

MT is painting the kitchen cabinets. We've talked about painting them white for years, and he decided to go for it over the past couple of weekends. He's doing a great job, and even though only the primer layer is on, it already looks so different and so much brighter! I think he's going to re-do the countertops and the backsplash eventually, too. He's pretty handy to have around. I'll take a photo when it's all done. 

There has been other stuff going on, too, of course, but I'm not really ready to talk about that yet. 

I've been doing a little bit of art. It's been on the back-burner, along with writing. I miss doing both. Take a look:

a wee sketch of birds on a fence

Abstract of storm clouds over the sea and a beach plus rain (the purple part)

The prompt was pink, parachute, potted plant. I continued the alliteration.

That's all I've got for tonight! Take care of yourselves. Wear sunscreen and a hat.

xoxo

#2809 feeling pretty dang good right about now

First of all…GO UTES! Utah football just flat-out opened up a can of whoop-ass on the USC Trojans in the PAC-12 Championship game. The Utes won, 47 - 24. USC was ranked number four in the country, and was all set to go into the College Football Championship Series with a win over 11th ranked Utah. This week I heard on sports radio about how great the USC quarterback, Caleb Williams, is and how he will win the Heisman trophy this year. Williams did look good in the first quarter, all cocky and slinging the ball around with his F*CK UTAH fingernails. A few sacks and some wild scrambling later, he was limping around and looking pretty defeated. USC won’t be competing for the National Championship this year. Neither will Utah, but they already knew that. USC lost twice this season, and both losses were to Utah. I don’t know why, but the victory felt especially sweet. And now I know what I’ll be doing on New Year’s Day: watching the Utes play in the Rose Bowl game! 

Today was kind of weird. We had a big snowstorm last night and got four to six inches of the white stuff here at my house. Yesterday was warm, with temps in the low 50s, but a chilly south wind blowing. The storm came in and it got cold, and then even colder when the snow stopped. The roads were messy this morning, so I started my work day at home until the snow plows had a chance to do their job. I got to the office around 10:00, and worked until 1:30 when I had to leave to give T a ride to work. I cleared it with my boss to finish my work day at home. I had a lot to do, and I appreciated not having to drive back so I could get everything done and finish my day at a reasonable time - around 5:00. It was a long day, and a long week. 

I am participating in a photo-a-day challenge on Instagram called #Decemberreflection2022. Susannah Conway sends out a list of prompts for each day of the challenge, and then I post a photo. I’ve been doing it for a few years, and I think it’s fun. Today’s prompt was Favorite Mug. Here’s mine:

I got it in Chania at a little souvenir shop we visited on our last day in town. I like the owl. There’s also a little red heart with the word “Crete” in it. Cute! It’s fun to see what other folks post, too. I saw a Roy Kent mug that I really liked. LOL

Do I have any plans for the weekend? I’ll probably do a little art - because I like it! - and I’ll clean the house up some - because it needs it. I’d like to put the Christmas tree(s) up and put out some decorations. Maybe I’ll watch a movie on my big TV while I sit right here on my comfy couch. I’ve also been yearning to bake something. It’s a seasonal thing. A pan of Mississippi mud brownies maybe…

My aunt Mary used to make this decadent dessert. I haven’t made them in years, but some gooey, chocolate-y goodness sounds nice. 

Whatever your plans are, be safe out there! Keep washing your hands. 

#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. 

#2788 three things: TJ's, noise, sloppy

 1. Trader Joe's. I went to TJ's today for the first time in about a month. Last time I went it was all about pumpkin, and this time it was all about stuffing. The Thanksgiving vibe is strong in the store. Most of the items I bought are staples: tuna, roasted potatoes, dog treats, orange chicken, etc, but I almost always find some new stuff to try. A few of new things that I bought today include the Syrah Soaked Toscano Cheese Spread and Dip, Turkey Sausage Stuffing Fried Rice, and a Pomander Room Spritz. I tried the cheese dip this afternoon, and it was really nice. I spread it on a bit of bread, and I liked the flavor a lot. I bet it will be tasty on a cracker, too. I haven't tried the fried rice; I may have it for lunch on Monday. I spritzed a room with the pomander spray. It smells good. I like going to Trader Joe's. I always leave that store with a smile on my face.

2. Noise level. Today is Thursday which means the whole admin staff is in the office. It is fun and nice to see everyone, but I am not nearly as productive on Thursday as I am on any other day of the week. It is definitely because of people. I chat more because there are more people around, and the overall noise level makes it harder to concentrate. I had an office of my own for many years, so I was insulated from the noise during that time. Now that I'm out in the cubes, I notice the noise a lot more. I admit that I am often part of it, and I work through it even when I'm not contributing to the noise. There is a tremendous difference in the noise level on Tuesday and Friday when I'm in the office and there are only about half a dozen other people in there with me. I find it remarkable that in the pre-Covid times we were able to accomplish anything when we were all in the office. Maybe it was more of a dull roar back then because we saw each other every day so there wasn't as much conversing. There are some women I see only once a week now because our in-office schedules are opposite. It can be tough to concentrate on Thursday, and I'm always extra tired on Thursday night. So strange.

3. Sloppy. I recently sent a photo to someone I think is a total rock star. She commented that it wasn't a bad photo, though she looked a little "sloppy" (her word). I don't agree with her self-assessment, but I understand what she meant. There were several days when I was on vacation that I felt sloppy, although I didn't identify it like that at the time. For one thing, my hair always looked like crap. It wouldn't by curly or wavy, it was just messy. I mostly wore it pulled away from my face in a wee pony-tail because I just couldn't look at it. And my clothes...ugh. I am feeling a bit chonky and I bought a couple of new (t-)shirts that are big and loose, and overall, it looked like I just didn't care. In my mind, I saw myself looking cute and funky with my single word t-shirts, but now that I see photos, I do not look cute or funky. I look like I could not be bothered to put myself together. There were a couple of days that I thought I looked ok. It was eye-opening, though, to be around the other women who are similar in age to me. I don't think they are doing their shopping at Old Navy or Eddie Bauer, necessarily. LOL As I was doing the art, I kept reminding myself not to compare what I was doing with what anyone else was doing. Lizzie and I agreed that we must "own" what we put out there, and that goes for art, writing, and how you present yourself.  So, although I know I can do better than I did some days, if I think, even in my mind, that I look cute and funky, that's the vibe I've got to bring. That's that. 

#2779 seriously counting down now

 

Today was my last day of work this month! 

I declared myself on vacation when I got home. I poured a little glass of wine and sat out on the deck, until I got chilled, anyway. Tonight I’ve been relaxin’, watching the Padres beat the Dodgers. YAY!

Tomorrow and Sunday will be all about trip prep. I’ve got clothes and art supplies stacked on the guest room bed. Some filtering needs to be done, plus gathering of other things I want to take with me. There are also some household things to take care of, like paying the bills, cleaning the fridge, and removing the current layer of dust and dog hair so it’s not too overwhelming when I return. 

The ballgame is over and I am, in typical Friday night fashion, completely tuckered out. 

Have a great weekend!

#2746 mustard

This is part of an actual conversation I had at the office this week.

Me: I am sort of craving chicken Mcnuggets. 

W: Huh. Like from McDonalds?

Me: Yes.

W: Do you want the sauce or the McNuggets?

Me: Yes. I want both things.

M: What is your go-to sauce?

Me: Hot mustard.

M: They have hot mustard sauce?!?

Me: Oh yeah. It's the best. 

M and W groan appreciatively.

Me: Do you all have multiple mustards in your fridge?

M and W, simultaneously: YES!

Me: Me too! I like to keep a Dijon, a spicy brown, and usually just a regular yellow on hand.

M: I'm a fan of a stone ground, too. Sometimes I get one with horseradish. 

W: I have Dijon and regular all the time. Spicy brown sounds intriguing.

M: Do you put mustard on a grilled cheese sandwich? 

Me: YES!

W: What?

M and I explain the magic of mustard with grilled cheese to W, who agrees to try it out.

Me: I also like a sweet and spicy mustard on a grilled ham and cheese.

M: Oh snap! That's next level!

The three of us pause to ponder the wonders of mustard, then get back to work.

The end.

PS - I did have the Mcnuggets with hot mustard, and they were just what I wanted.

#2681 a weird day

The day started out well enough. I packed my lunch (leftover pasta and an apple), made myself a yummy breakfast sandwich and a nice cup of coffee, and headed to work. The first 45 minutes went by just fine, then time seemed to just. Stop. 

There were just three of us in the admin department until about 9:00 when a fourth person got in. I’m not counting the two IT guys who were there because they were doing their own thing. Usually there are seven or eight women in the admin office on Friday. Today there were at least two people who were ill and stayed home. Another woman decided to partake of company ski day, and the other woman, well, I’m not really sure where she was. Maybe she took the day off. Anyway, it was super quiet because, like I mentioned, it was company ski day, so most of the engineers were up on the mountain, and there really weren’t many people in the building. 

The time dragged on. I wasn’t the only one feeling this way. My two office companions were also commenting on how slow the day seemed to be going. There is a stupid clock hanging on the wall that is frozen at 11:14. It is prominent and I see it all the time. It just seemed to be taunting me today, so I pronounced it dead.

Although it made me giggle, it did nothing to skooch the time along. 

I was in such a time warp that I found myself eating crapola when I wasn’t even that hungry. Yesterday at the office we had a post-Valentine’s Day festival with snacks and a Fiiz-style drink area. There were lots of leftovers. It wasn’t that I had a lot of snacks, it’s more that I wasn’t taking care of myself and making good choices.. I brought food, but I didn’t eat it - except for that breakfast sandwich. I skipped lunch because I wasn’t feeling too hungry, until I was hungry, and then it was FINALLY time to go home. 

I cam home feeling hungry, and  after walking the dogs, I was hangry. I decided to make dinner at 5:00, and I ate waaaay too much. I went upstairs and laid on my bed, waking up an hour later, still feeling full and kinda yucky in my belly. 

It is President’s Day weekend. This is the first President’s Day I’ve had off in over 20 years. Here in Utah, we usually trade off President’s Day in February for Pioneer Day in July. This year, Granite added Martin Luther King Jr Day as a holiday. That’s in January, so Utah opted to switch out MLK Day for Pioneer Day. I was fine with that, especially since we were just coming off the Christmas/New Year’s break. It’s going to be nice to have a three-day weekend.

Mostly, I’m ready for this day to be done. I’m not as tired as I usually feel on Friday night, but I feel a bit bloated and gross. I’ll have my weekly chat with my mom, then get to bed, I think. I’ve got three days ahead of me to have fun with, and I intend to be ready!

Happy weekend, y’all!

#2607 the best thing about today

 

There were a couple of good things about today, and they could both be traced back to one thing: that I was working from home!

This morning, my alarm went off at 5:15 and it was still dark as dark can be. I did not want to wake up. I was willing to wake up, and then I remembered that it was Wednesday and I was working from home, so I re-set the alarm and slept until 6:30. Glorious! Decadent! The sky had lightened by then and it felt a lot more civilized to wake up when the sky was not pitch black. I made it down the stairs in time to log in for work at 7:00 and all was well.

At lunch time, I zipped over to the grocery store to pick up a few items. I had enough time when I got home to take the doggos out for a noon stroll. They were happy. We walked around the neighborhood and talked to a couple of women that were out in their yards. It is still warm, but the very hot temperatures of the summer seem to be over. What a treat to take the dogs out for a quick walk in the early fall sunshine.

I get to work from home a couple of days a week, and I really appreciate it. The week seems to go by so quickly when it’s broken up like that. Work from home days are when I plan to do projects that need a little extra time and concentration. It’s worked out well for me. 

How is your week going? What was the best thing for you today? 

#2578 three things: Lisa, my vacation, and other people’s vacations

1. Lisa Scottoline. Do you know the author Lisa Scottoline? I do, at least on Twitter. The book club just finished reading her latest novel, Eternal, and Lisa joined our Twitter discussions each week. It is pretty cool when the author joins the conversation and answers questions and interacts with the group. It doesn’t happen very often, and honestly, it’s kind of thrilling when it does happen. I was delighted that Lisa took the time to answer my questions. Very generous of her to take the time with the group. I know that everyone loved it. How was the book, you ask? Check out the 2021 Reading tab for a review coming soon.

2. I’m on vacation. As of 4:00 this afternoon, I am officially on vacation! I have taken time off here and there, an notably at the end of 2020 I took nearly two weeks off. I didn’t go anywhere, though. This time, I am leaving town. It will be the first time I have been away from Mac since she has lived with us. It has amused me tonight to imagine what she would say and to give her a cartoon voice. 

3. Hearing about other people’s vacation plans. My seating situation at work changed recently. I moved from an office and out into the cubicles. I now have neighbors, and we all chatted and worked throughout the day. Mostly we talked about upcoming vacations. One of my coworkers is going to PuertoVallarta next week (another coworker is there right now). Another coworker is going to Tulum, Mexico in three weeks. I have been to both of those places. My visit to Puerto Vallarta was only a cruise ship stop, so I don’t know much about the place, other than the bartender at a bar near the cruise ship terminal was heavy-handed while pouring tequila. On the Caribbean side, we actually stayed up the road in Akumal, and had an excursion to the ruins at Tulum. It was beautiful. I’d be happy to go back there. I know both of my friends will have a wonderful time in Mexico. 

Hey Mom & Lizzie - see you soon!

#2569 today's best: this morning

The best thing about today was the first couple of hours of the day. Granted, the day is incomplete, but I don't think that anything will top how I feel about the way I started the day.

I changed my work hours to 7 AM to 4 PM. The mornings have kind of been a challenge of my own making. I get up just after 5AM on work at the office days, and around 6AM on work from home days. Last night I decided that it would be better if I woke up at the same time every day, so I figured 5:30 would be a good target. 

Today was a WFH day, so I knew I'd be ready to work by 7AM no problem. So here's what I did. I got up and got ready for work - very simple process on days when I work at home. By a bit after 6, I leashed up the dogs and took them for a quick walk around the neighborhood. I fed them, then zipped over to Starbucks to pick up a mocha. When I got home, I had a bit of time to sit out on the deck in the sunshine and read my book for a few minutes. The dogs were playing. The birds were chirping. The flowers on the deck are blooming. The coffee was warm and I felt happy.

When it was time to come in and log in for work, I was in a really good mental place. It was a wonderful way to start the day!