Keeping On

Its funny having a new work schedule. After a few years of working 4 10 hr days, working 5 8 hr days feels somewhat... decadent. LOL. Suddenly, I have 2 more hours in the day! I'm still going in early (730) but now I'm getting off at 330!! So I'm home by quarter after 4! The first day that happened, poor Ace was SO confused. Poor thing kept looking at me like "what the WHAT??" So now, I've decided that once my yoga studio gets the new flooring I'm going to get a membership there. With the extra time, I can make it to more classes and justify the fee. 😁 I think that'll help my back issues, as well. So the plan now is one week of weights and cardio, followed by one week of yoga, repeat until my rest week. Hopefully I'll make that first weight loss goal this year. I'm almost there! 

A confused boy...

A nice meal for funsies.

My dumpster fire got a friend! My friend L at work likes to get me Halloweeny stuffs.

Hubbs and I went on an adventure to the Break Room Brewing Company. Funny enough, they didn't have any of their own beers! They did have some good cocktails and some AMAZING food. 

Ranch water.

Mushrooms and pretzels.

Buffalo chicken bacon sammich and tater tots! So yummy.

Someone wanted us home again. So we watched The Thursday Murder Club and, as I suspected, I cried at the end. Then I decided to watch The Gurnsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. That made me cry, too. Its a great book, and a lovely film. Hubbs was sleeping. Hehe, but i enjoyed them! 

Snuggle butt.

Saturday we had a big day of meeting SIL at the museum of illusions, going to campisi's for lunch, killing time until Jaws, and coming home. 

Museum

It was fun!

Vortex tunnel almost broke my brain

Playing cards with yourself!

It POURED on us as we walked to a coffee shop on the way go the cars, so we had coffee and cookies while we waited for the rain to let up.a bit. Then we went to campisi's. 

I didn't get pix at campisi's cuz it was dark and very mobster, tbh. I had the Italian chicken marsala style, it was VERY good. 

Hubbs and I ended up around Irving where my old apt was. We shopped a bit around Kroger, daiso, and half price books. Hubbs is not a fan of that half price books cuz he kept losing site of me 😆

We decided to head over to alamo draft house and have some pre Jaws drinks. 

New accessory from Kroger of all places 

pre jaws shark stuff

"Get the bat shark repellant!" Lmao

It was fun seeing Jaws on the big screen. And I do love alamo draft house 😁 the area around Las Colinas and the Toyota music factory is kinda weird, but good. Lots of dining options and LOTS of people were there. 

We got home and i went STRAIGHT to bed. Hubbs laughted at me, but I was BEAT! It was a long day! Neither of us get labor day off (well, he doesn't and I don't wanna use PTO), so it's a week as usual. I'm going to do my normal 1st Sunday stuff since it's close enough. Hehe.

Much love, hope all of you are enjoying the end of summer and the start of SPOOKY SEASON!!

Officially Official

Well, it took about 2 years, but I can now call myself the Director of Quality and Risk Management. The position is contingent on a few things, but ultimately I feel up to the challenge. Hopefully this'll also make it easier for me to get what I need from other directors, now that it's a peer-to-peer thing and not a peon-to-director thing. Lol. I may be deluding myself here, but such is life. Moving up at work, feeling good about stuff. 😁 it hasn't quite hit yet, but I'm pretty stoked. It's essentially what I've been doing already, but with a couple things added. Yay for professional responsibilities.

Hubbs took me out for celebratory drinkies.

I may have had too much fun with pix.

Hubbs also got me a little congrats gift. We must get sushi for this .

Ace was super impressed.

And it turns out, he's an ass cat! Lol

Snuggle butt. Almost can believe the innocent act..  almost.

Saturday we had an unexpected visit from a couple of our friends. We had to take them to frescoes for margaritas, twisted Sisters for beer and dessert pizza, and geek out for fun. It wad a lovely unexpected visit for all of us.

Hubbs had a VERY interesting tigers blood sour. My favorite was a bock beer that tasted of vanilla and caramel. Not what I was expecting, but super delicious, especially paired with the cinnister dessert pizza.

Sunday we got sushi for lunch, got some groceries for the week, hubbs went to work, and I prepared for the work week. So, more of the usual. My hours are now 730-4 M-F, but I'm taking this Fri off because a and I already planned another margarita getaway in weatherford on thurs. 😁 yay for friends!

Routine Strikes BACK!

Back to life, back to reality. We get back into our routine and life just marches on. 

Back to the gym, strength training and cardio. Joining a yoga studio in Sept, I'm hoping that'll help with my back issues.

Meal prep. An eggplant Stew with chicken thighs. Much yum.

Adorable kitty who often gets the zoomies and draws blood.

Chilled cat. Apparently the 17 of Aug is black cat appreciation day. We appreciate the Acey Face.

Weekends bring shenanigans. Hubbs and I had a half price books, Warhammer store, bjs brewhouse and Costco run on Friday. I also got my oil changed, made an appt to get my other 2 tires changed, and paid for the next 6 mo of auto insurance.

Found at half price books.

new friend from Warhammer store

New cushions from Costco.

Saturday we went to see Shin Godzilla in theaters, went to lunch after at roscoes bbq, hit up Kroger for more essentials, and then relaxed at home. 

Godzilla!!

The extra couch has been taken over by stuffies, cushions, and Ace. It made me laugh. Some day, we will get rid of it... but not this day. It is nice to have a spot for them. I think hubbs gets tired of them being out and about all the time.

Sunday comes around and it's the usual. Cooking up chicken boobs for lunches, planning workouts and outfits, doing laundry, and relaxing before the work week starts. I wish I could announce a little something something, but nothing has been made officially official yet. So yeah, that might be next week's post. Maybe. Sigh. As dad would say, I'm just plugging away.

I hope all of you are doing well, keeping cool, and having a good time. We are going to have some fun playing a game hubbs bought us. Its called Tether. We are playing it through a journal, a magic journal that can traverse time. One of us is in the past, one in the present, and we have to figure out what is stalking our town. What is... the Terror?? It seems fun, looking forward to it. Much love from TX! MUAH! 😘

It's a Good Life

Sunday started with bestie and I going to a Cafe to talk and read a bit. Then we picked up Hubbs and went to New York Pizza and Pasta. When I tell you that the service was AWFUL... I mean, the fried ravioli came out, then my salad came out, then my Buffalo chicken tenders, then the garlic cheese sticks, AGES later they tell us that the pizza was made wrong, but give it to us anyway, and then they bring hubbs' sammich in a TO GO container, cuz, you know, WHY would he want to eat now?? AND we had to ask for the check. Just... wow. Anyways then we dropped bestie off for a post carb nap and hubbs and I went to D Pad games. 

Coffee shop patio, tho we enjoyed the A/C inside.

Avocado toast and an Iced latte.

Monday we got up and had bfast at Los gallos (big, fluffy flour tortillas). Then we cleaned up the condo, packed up the car, and headed home to the cat. Hubbs and I went the back roads home so I could swing by the pharmacy for my refill. We got home and came to the bedroom to find our Acey Face. He came out from under the bed after meowing at us quite viciously. He was NOT amused. We got an earful, but quite quickly it turned to purrs and biscuits.

Leaning on his favorite human.

Tuesday we went to HEB for groceries and lunch. We got poke bowls and sushi. We also got cake 😁 The rest of the day was spent doing laundry, prepping food for the next 2 days at work, and cleaning. I decided I'd just do snacks at work, but then I got some tarragon chicken salad at HEB. It's the BEST!

Wednesday was back to work. I was super salty about it, and I realized why. For a week I'd been able to go to bed at the same time as my hubby. I got to spend a week with 2 of my favorite people and now... bestie is far away and hubbs and I had to go back to sleepy kisses and not seeing each other. It's always interesting to me, the phenomenon of being super bitchy because I can't spend enough time with the people I love. We know and accept this is how our lives are now, but damn it, it's hard. I'd like to see hubbs when we get home and have evenings together. I'd like to be able to have drinks with bestie randomly without having to schedule them in advance. It would even be nice to pop in and see family randomly. I know my clan is scattered from hell to breakfast and that's just how it is, but DAMN it sucks sometimes.

Snacky lunch to make up for a week of "treat mah self." Think I can market it as a "cleanse?" The green pepper and tomatoes were fresh from besties dad's garden. We also have more of both and some eggplant.

Thurs was more work, my 2nd day back in the gym and I hit my goal! My treadmill goal that is. 1.5 miles in 30 mins (warm up and cool down included).

Got home and the void was laying it on THICK.

Go ahead, touch the tummy, it's safe, he swears. 

Friday I did yoga in the AM, then got me a MOD pizza, and watched movies when my poor hubbs had to go to work. 

MOD is great. Unlimited toppings 😁 so good!

Sat we went to the in-laws for a late bfast, then came home via cocina frescoes (so good) and were lazy the rest of the day. It's amazing how quickly we get back into the groove of things because it does NOT feel like I was on vacation just a few days ago. 

And now it's Sunday, so I got groceries and will prep my meals (an Italian Stew that uses 2 of the eggplants and a bell pepper from the garden, along with shredded chicken thighs), then clean the apt, and get ready for the week. I took a protein powder and gym break during vacation, so now its back to it. I didn't gain a bunch, so that's good. I did hit the gym 2 days last week and did yoga on fri AM. I think I may go ahead and do a yoga membership. It's kinda nice doing it with people and not with a DVD. 

Anyhow, that brings you up to speed. I hope all is well for you and you are keeping cool in the dog days of summer. As a treat, here's ace watching hubbs playing Battlefield 6.

And here's him being all snuggly. His back on me, paws on hubbs.

MUAH! 😘😘 Much love ❤️❤️❤️

On the River

It's been a lovely bday week. Monday was work as usual and then I treated myself to a yoga class after. 

This was NOT stretchy stretchy ya ya... this was make you BURN and BALANCE!!

SUCH a pretty studio tho. The pods are for when they do aerial yoga... I have not been brave enough to do one of those classes.

Tuesday was work as usual and then since it was technically the start of my vacation, i got a burrito bowl and margarita to go from Torchys. Took it home and watched movies with the kitty cat. 😁

How they packed my margarita. Also had a sticker covering the straw hole 😁

Burrito bowl and Mexican candy margarita. SOOO GOOD!

Got myself a 4 ocean bracelet with a SHARKIE! Little tangible bday gift, that also cleans the ocean. 🦈

Wednesday I took off while hubbs worked. Took myself to brunch, had a massage and facial, got chicken lettuce wraps from pei Wei on the way home, and relaxed. 

Iced latte with amaretto and vanilla, and bfast bagel with egg, cheese, and sausage.

Then appt for massage and facial.

Before

After. The scalp massage was nice. Then i sat in the sauna at 140 F for about 15-20 mins, took a shower, and headed out. 

Dinner with Ace. Tho he was uninterested in anything but biting ME.

Pretty kitty

So mom gave me these a while ago, and i figured, meh, why not?

Turned out pretty good, really! Now all that is left is a pedi with the bestie 😁

Thursday hubbs and i headed south. 😁 the road trip wasn't bad, we just ran into one snarl of traffic outside of San Marcos. We met up with bestie and went to Round Table pizza, then a toy store that had a store cat (who bit my ankle, then did a jump onto my leg, bite, and jump away), then next door to a brewery where hubbs got a case of beer for $12, to the liquor store and then home! We ran out later to HEB for the rest of the drink making necessities. 

Bfast at slovaches in West

Round Table with a round table.

The Maui zowie pizza (so good)

Hard working cat

Sleepy spice.

Friday we did a bookstore crawl to triple 6 Cafe and social club in San Marcos and a trip to the painted porch in Bastrop. It was a lovely little day trip of Gothic goodness, books, lunch, and brewery.

A dirty mummy's curse (Chai latte with espresso)

Truth

Fireplace.

tree

Bookstore cat 1 of 2! They don't like dogs and basically stalked one out of the store 😆

bestie making friends with the kitty 

Around Bastrop 

Bastrop Amber

Cute eatery. We wandered around a bit, popped into a shop or 2 and then had a farewell drink at 602 brewery. (Not pictured, sammich and quesadilla from Cafe, salad and artichoke dip from Bastrop.)

Steely Dan brown ale

Its a cute little town!

Interesting flowers. We headed back to the condo to relax a bit before dinner.

We went to dinner at El Rio and your gal got a little overheated and sickly. Thankfully there wasn't an episode or anything, but my vision got a little blurry and I'm glad the bathroom had decent A/C. I camped out there for a while, and then was able to rejoin the table. Then we came back to the condo and went to bed. 

Saturday we woke and went to the new braunfels farmers market. 

Had a good time, had some mead, and then back to the river.

All were so good, we had to have one of each!

we harvested some veg from the garden, and ran off a bunch of these guys.

hubbs took this pic, he's been taking more lately. Lol

So many veggies!

Time to cool off in the river!! Not gonna lie, it was a HOT day.

Hubbs made us some drinkies. A Mango margarita and a lemon lime basil vodka drink. Both were delicious and strong. So we floated, drank, and enjoyed. We ordered in for dinner (burgers and fries) and watched movies until bedtime. I also got to talk to D in Korea, so all in all it was a great day.

Adult Capri sun 😊

As its Sunday, I'll go ahead and publish now with what we've been up to so far and next week you'll get the rest of the story. The bday week has been incredible and I feel super lucky to have such wonderful friends and family. I love you all so much, and I thank God for you!! ❤️❤️ take care of yourselves and don't forget the sunscreen!!