Bye Bye

Sunday was fun. We went to Mass, then bestie came over and made Pierogies while I made veg and Sausages. Then mom, AL, hubbs and I made a chocolate biscuit graveyard. 😁 Mom and AL found out that hubby is quite an artist. 

I had fun coming up with this one 🤪

It was a good time for all of us. I've decided these things are a really great investment. The gingerbread barn last year was great, and this was super fun, too. 

Bestie made Ace a little viewing hole. He was such a good kitty. Came out and was social and got loves and everything!

Monday we had lunch at the red claws crab shack. Then we took AL to see Coyote Vs Acme. Came home via HEB to get provisions and dessert. Ended up sitting around talking, laughing, and having a good time. 

Tuesday we hung out in the morning, then took AL to the airport. Took mom out to chuys for one last meal of tex mex, then to Messina hof in grapevine for a little wine taste. Dropped her off at the airport and came home. Ace seemed happy to have things back to normal again.

Wednesday I had plans to have lunch with my old boss and CFO. My old boss texted to say the old CFO couldn't come cuz she had an early grand baby to see. Then she called and said she had a cow who was trying to birth a stuck calf, so SHE couldnt make it either. (Saved the cow, couldn't save the calf.) So, i went with hubby to go see his nephew who was in town. Whippersnapper just turned 26... made me feel OLD.

Lunch turned into a bigger crowd than we originally thought.

Then thurs and Fri were work as usual for me. After a meeting my CEO said "you worked hard this week, and you were only here for what? 2 days?!?" Lol... stuff was due! Hubbs will be spending the next 7 days straight at work, so boo, but then we get a long weekend together. 

I sometimes wish that my family (and friends) lived closer. We are literally scattered from one end of the US to the other, and younger sis is going to be international soon. Hubby asked what I thought it would take to get people to move here, and then came up with an elaborate barn/house that we could make "like WY" involving a/c, dehumidifiers, fans (to simulate the wind), cultivation of sagebrush, and painted mountains. It was cute (and totally irrational). The heat this weekend was oppressive, so I totally get why someone wouldn't want to move here. But, there is a comfort in being with people who know you well and who you can relax around. Maybe that's my problem. I don't relax at work because it's work and the people there can be friendly, but it's hard for me to trust them, you know? Like if I say the wrong thing, it could come back to bite me in the ass. So I keep myself on something of a leash at work. Hubby is wonderful, but relationships do need work, and it's so easy to misinterpret intentions and words. I tend to overthink things and he isn't always the most forthcoming of men, so while we can relax together at times, if there's any friction it makes relaxing difficult. But with family? With mom and AL? No pressure, no worries. Here's the plan, we can change if we want/need. Plenty of good conversations, lots of laughter, and I hadn't thought about it until AL mentioned it, but they wanted to get to know Hubby better, too. There wasn't much chance at the wedding and we haven't gotten together (with him) since then, and he is part of the family now. It was fun watching them learn how amazing he is at painting, how many stories he has from playing hockey (I may have bragged on him about being MVP), how intelligent he is, etc. They knew he must be ok since I fell for him, but now they have a better idea of why. It was just a nice, fun, chill visit. We didn't even need the TV (its in the shop, don't ask). 

I'm really happy that we have plans to see more of our family and friends in the coming months. Our day-to-day is nice, but we need that time with others. I look forward to where live takes all of us and I hope against hope that it will involve a migration closer to one another. As it is, I'm glad we have people who do make an effort to get together. As adults it's HARD to coordinate plans and schedules and stuff. As for making new friends? Man, I think if we don't make any thru church then the closest we can get is some of the bartenders we see fairly regularly (at Twisted Sisters in particular). 

Anyway, that's my rant for this blog. It sucks saying goodbye to people, but it's so nice when they come to visit. And between Sept and Nov, I should get to see all of my family of origin, if you will, with bonus aunt and grandparents! Hehe. It's been too long. We still plan to go to WY for Christmas next year, so that will be fun. Get to show hubbs where I'm from. 😁

Saturday I goblined HARD. Also cleaned a bit. Lots of plans on Sunday, so probably won't be able to as much as I usually would on that day. 

Reminder of Korea.

Cozy lazy 😁

Good day... even if Ace didn't want to cuddle

Pouty mc pout face

Eggs in purgatory with Texas toast. Not gonna lie, it works.

Be Prepared!

Last week at Mass, Fr Reehan told everyone that the following week (this week) was the ministry fair. All of the various ministries would be represented, and to pray about where we might be called to serve. At that time, I thought maybe 1 or 2. This week at mass, I thought "maybe I'm not called to anything." I had no intention of going. Well, a lady sat next to me (the one who asked if I'm goth) and we talked after Mass. (She usually goes to 8am, but came to 1030 that day.) She asked if I was going, I told her the above. Then she mentioned the ministry she does... it was one I had considered. So, I went to the fair and I signed up for 3 things. Lol... it was very much a "FINE, Lord. If you INSIST" moment. So, on the 27th I'll take the eucharist to the homebound and nursing homes as a trial to see if im called to it. Another other only requires a one night a month commitment, and the last is just praying for people. 

I was able to work from home this week, which was awesome cuz this weekend is BUSY! One of the benefits of working from home is the ability to cook/not bring ALL my food for the week to work. 

Mondays lunch: the dill was from our grow pot 😁 so good!! 

 I may have gone a little crazy. I wanted to save some of the basil from outside, so I'm going to try to get this cutting to root. Then the cilantro seemed like it could use replanting. I'm gonna figure this out. Hehe.

Why yes, I painted the planters. Why do you ask? Lol.

Tuesday was more of the same. The conference I attended had dueling pianos playing during lunch, which was way fun. 😁

Wednesday the conference wrapped up, and I did the final clean before the weekend. Kitchen and the floors. THE FLOORS! Hubbs has been made responsible for game room and guest bathroom. Its taking massive self control not to take over and just DO them.

Thursday I got some stuff done for work, then we headed to Grapevine for GrapeFest. Hubbs didn't know that I got us tickets on the wine train! Hehe, nice little date night and hotel stay. 

Friday we picked up my aunt and my mom from the airport. Saturday we went to mead fest.

It was So. Hot

hubby had fun, no matter what he says.

The fun house was a SAUNA in TX.

Our family leaves on Tuesday. We are having a wonderful time together. More later. Much love, M.

Strategizing

I've been tracking calories, protein, and fiber for about 2 or 3 years now. On and off with the workouts, and I just got done with a long 'off' era. I went back this week, 3x, lifting to failure. I. Am. SORE!!! However, my plan is to continue, make sure I do some kind of cardio 5x a week, and end the year strong! I haven't weighed for a while... got disheartened when it was the same 5 lbs, up and down, and up and down. Then came the blahs, the focus on food, the plans... and I'm back to what I'm sure to be true. Lifting heavy will help curve the osteoporosis, and help me age well so that while getting older is inevitable, getting frail can be put off. 

I better live to 110 on pure SPITE!

Work is work... waiting on things from people, reminding people of things, remembering how to do the quality part of my job, and thinking ahead. Good news is I can work from home next week while I attend a virtual conference thru the national association of Healthcare quality. 😁 its gonna be pretty nice. 

I've also been making progress on my TBR shelf, which gives me some sense of progress. The Warhammer books I've read have been quite entertaining, and I have 4 more to go. I think it's best to just think of them as standalone stories set in the same universe. Otherwise I'd probably go crazy trying to figure out an 'order' to read them in. 

I also added some funness to my red, fuzzy hat! Just call me Carmen Sanantonio! 

Thursday and Friday it... RAINED!!! Just a bit in north tx (near the big fire) and then WE GOT SOME on Friday. Hubbs and I stayed in, had pizza and he played games while I watched alien. 😁 it was a good evening, and a nice end to the work week.

The basil needed to be replanted. It's gotten HUGE. It also doesn't like the outside. Sigh.

We now have the big uns, the smol ones, and the sprouts... nature is miraculous, and I won't hear otherwise. 

Saturday we did some cleaning, and I had a massage. So. Great. Even splurged for hot stones. I am so sore. I felt super off all day... as I think Darwin said, I'm feeling poorly and stupid and I hate everything.

Sunday after Mass I'm gonna meet up with A in weatherford. Gotta get those post surgery margs that we missed a week ago. Hehe. I hope all of you are doing well, making progress on your TBR piles, and enjoying some fall-feeling weather. Unlike us. It's just more summer.... sigh... good things to come tho, I knows it. 

Happy 'ber months

September looks like it's supposed to be cooler and more rainy than Aug was, and I'm so ready for it! In other news, it's nice to share a bed with my hubby, and the no motion transfer is wonderful when he gets up for work in the AM. Less great when I dont know where the cat is until I feel a weight on the blanket. I'm afraid I'm gonna yeet the Ace one day (like I yeeted Cake once). Also Ace likes to try to claw the headboard when we are drifting off to sleep... we know it's a losing battle, but we are prepared to go down fighting.... at least I haven't caught him clawing the mattress yet.

I wish I was this cat... watching my servants go to work while I sleep all day. 

Work was work as usual. On Wednesday evening I ran out to As so that I could be her driver on thurs when she had another procedure. I finally started The Reguators (2 renewals later). The TBR shelf is slowly getting smaller... tho it did grow from when I initially took the pic. Sigh. 

The hospital had a Chick FIL A in it, and this cute outdoor seating area! I'm soooo jelly!!!

Rain started on Thursday as I drove thru a freak storm on my way home from a's. Friday morning was rainy as well, which was kind of nice, tho my sandals got soaked! After work on fri, hubbs and I went to Costco for some things.

Only grumpy was left?!? A whole box of care bear squishes and no one wanted grumpy?!?! 

So we brought him home.

Saturday turned into a shopping/date day. We went to hubby lobby for some stuff, then lunch at torchys, target for some sheets, then to the theater to watch coyote vs acme. After the movie we went to HEB to get sushi and dessert. All in all, a good day.

Floral arrangement, courtesy of hobby lobby.

LOTR EXTENDED IN THEATERS?!? Hehe.

It's the first Sunday of the month, which means I'm going to be cleaning everything. Lol. I'll probably make hubby help when he gets home. Clean house to start the month. The plants are still going crazy, which is so fun to see!! 

I hope all of you are doing well and enjoying the slightly cooler weather. Much love from texas!!