Happy Birthday, Dad

Today is my Dad's birthday.

Dad would be complaining about the cold temperatures, possibly even considering going to the lake, regardless.  Nothing a campfire and some of your cowboy coffee couldn't solve, right, Dad?

I know he wouldn't want me, or anyone, to be sad or crying on his birthday.  Instead, try to think of happy times and happy memories of him.  Share your stories with others.  Celebrate his life on his birthday.  Have a slice of cake and be happy.  I know that's what he would want.

Oh My Blog

It started with a 3 day weekend due to MLK Day.  Then came the cold front/winterymixpocalypse. FBISD cancelled school for Tuesday and Wednesday.  It looks like we'll be going back for a 2 day work week.

I'm catching up on things I should have been doing and one of them is blogging.  The journal prompts I've missed are below.  Don't expect full responses to each - some of them suck.

I'll be back to blogging in less of a list type manner starting tomorrow.  Looking forward to the weekend! lol

5. A time you don't want to forget. My wedding.  I had so many people there who I loved.  We all had a great time.  I danced and danced.  Everyone was happy. 

6. A trip you want to take this year. I don't know.  I don't have any specific places in mind.  I'd like to see people.  I'd like to see my family and friends in El Paso (for a fun trip, not the result of something bad happening), my sister Jerra (and maybe meet my nephew), perhaps a trip to Arizona to see Alex and California to see Michael.  There are so many people I'd like to see.  Heck, maybe I'll just take a cruise with Dan.  I just need life to be less filled with bad trips so I can make time for good trips.

7. Your top 3 priorities. Family/friends, my library and its minions, my health.  I know I need to up my self care...

8. A list of places you have visited. Skipping.

9. Do your actions match your words? Yes.  Sometimes my words are quite lofty.  I try.

10. One thing you have learned about yourself last year. I am ever the optimist.

11. A challenge you have overcome. Fucking 5:30 am alarms (excuse my language).

12. A need you can meet. Doing more things which make me happy - like blogging, reading, and spending time with people I like.

13. A place you have been recently. Tul-sa, Oklahoma.  I don't know why I break Tulsa down into two separate pieces when I say it... but yeah.  Visited for Jono's graduation.  It was an adventure.  I'd never been there before.  It's VERY wide open.

14. Someone who made you proud. There are people in my life who make me proud every day just by getting up and doing what they do.  Sometimes that is a battle.  Know I love you and appreciate you.

15. A good idea. Sleep. Reading. Travel. Adventure.  These are all of my favorite good ideas.

16. What are your personal gifts. I'm resourceful and kind. 

Ice Breakers, Eye Patches, and Garbage, Oh My!

Going back to work excites me.  Ice breakers?  Not so much.  It's no secret to anyone, including the people I train with on the regular, that I loathe ice breakers.  While today's wasn't as bad as the picture below, it was an ice breaker, nevertheless.  To make up to everyone else for the ice breaker I didn't force us all to do, when I had to do some training in the afternoon, I opened the library cafe for free coffee, hot chocolate, or tea for everyone.  No ice breakers, only happiness in cups.

In other news, I achieved 1 of 3 goals I set for myself this month in my first post.  I went to the eye doc today.  He gave me a hard time about not wearing my glasses.  I suggested I just get an eye patch to cover my right eye ("the bad one").  While an obviously stylish choice, he vetoed the idea and again insisted I just wear my dang glasses.  I agreed I would and put my glasses away as I left his office.

Today's journal prompt was: "Something that you're looking forward to".  I wasn't inspired by that because I already answered "What are you most looking forward to" as my first prompt.  I feel like this list of journal prompts was something that was an assignment a student turned in, expecting the teacher to not actually read it and notice that half of it was garbage.  

Anyway.  Instead, I'm going to leave you with a quote, because I want to: "What you allow, is what will continue." - Unknown

It's All Poop

I hate to use the same meme base in two blogs, back to back, but whatever.  This best described my day.

The journal prompt for the day is: Describe your day in ten words.

1 & 2 - Dragon poop
3 & 4 - Cat poop
5 - Sick
6 & 7 - Boring shopping
8 - CHORES
9 - Tears
10 - Cranky

I guess today was both a good day and a bad day.  I'd rate it a solid 6/10.  I woke up and got ready at a reasonable hour, regardless that it was my last day of winter break, to go see my new doctor - Dr. Hotty McHotface.  I've had sinus and lung issues for about 2 weeks which had not been improving on its own. 

Before heading out, I decided to make good on my promise to the husband to clean the cat box.  For two cats, there was way too much poop in that box.  Maybe the weight loss kibble is working?  Maybe the husband is using the box too?  Who knows. 

As I was washing my hands, I heard the bearded dragon start pacing around her terrarium.  I went to investigate.  Now, the dragon is poop shy.  She will avoid pooping when someone is watching.  Today I discovered that she will stop, MID-POOP, if someone is watching.  She froze. She looked at me, I looked at her.  Disgusted, I went off to get cleaning supplies.  I came back to a dragon poop explosion.  Sometimes I hate her so much.

I finally made it to my appointment with Dr. Hotty McHotface.  He was super nice and straightforward.  I don't have the death-plague, so I have to go to work.  

After grabbing Chicken Fries from Burger King (they make me happy), I decided to brave the Walmart Neighborhood near my house.  It wasn't bad, which led to me doing more shopping than I had planned.  I guess the fancy cottage cheese with fruit mix-ins counts as therapeutic shopping.  I'm still counting this as a No Spend day in my n-bujo-jo.  I even remembered to pick up bacon for the instant bacon maker my mom sent me.  We'll try that another day.

As I pulled up into the garage, I broke down crying over my dad.  I don't even know what triggered me.  I tried to pull myself together, but couldn't quite get myself to stop.  It hits me hard when it hits me that he is really gone.  It's so easy to tell myself that he is just doing his thing - going to work, then heading off to the lake for the weekend.  I don't know why I'm breaking down randomly.

In an attempt to pull myself out of it, I did a bunch of chores around the house.  The husband was visibly pleased (actually smiled at my accomplished tasks) when he got home.  Making myself busy helped.

I'm just cranky at this point.  Not sure why.  I've made myself a coffee, Sadie is curled up behind me, acting as a kitty heating pad, dishes are done, laundry is almost done (early! Not even waiting until Sunday!)... but still.  I'm ready to start another day.

2018 - Let's Do This

When I was thinking about arbitrary New Year resolutions I could gleefully decimate or habits I could track in my fancy new non-bullet journal journal (n-bujo-jo, for the hip), I remembered that I have a blog.  I also remembered that I loved writing and I haven't done much of it in a very long time.

Armed with 365 prompts and endless electronics which connect to the intarwebz, I find myself with no excuse not to blog. So, here we go.

Also, I'm making up for Monday because I already skipped day one (HA).

Jan. 1 - What are you most looking forward to?

Positive change.  I need to be more mindful of the things I do and how they effect me mentally, physically, and financially.  Yes, this all sounds like work, but holy cats, it's about dang time.

I've been watching some of my friends set up their fancy bujos (bullet journals).  I started pinning ideas I liked for my own bujo.  My wonderful mother, though confused by my request for pens and markers for Christmas, bought me what I asked for.

I set out to make my own bujo.  After several days of frustration and stress (this thing was supposed to make my life better, not more stressful), I gave up.  I mean, really, I can't even handle the stress of adult coloring books.  I can't imagine what made me think I would find peace/happiness/whatever-it-is-you're-supposed-to-find by making one of these things.

In a random retail therapy trip to Hobby Lobby, I discovered their Create 365 - The Happy Planner line of planner things.

Now, I put everything of importance on my Google/MS Office Calendars.  If it needs to be done, or someone needs me somewhere at a particular time, it goes there.  Then I get reminders on my myriad of connected devices.  I have no need for an actual planner for things like that.

However, these things have stickers.  LOTS of stickers.  I like stickers.

So, I bought a mini planner and an obscene amount of stickers (thousands...).  I also bought more pens because I found some which were glittery and my world needs a little more shine right now.

My mother thought I was crazy for numbering each day of the year on my new calendar.  I know you can buy calendars with the days already labeled for you, but this one has STICKERS for each day!

I've put a few different things on the sideline under "Notes" that I intend to track: Blogged, No Spend, No Sugar, Cooked at Home, etc.  

I'm hoping this new toy keeps me entertained enough to keep to these resolutions/goals.

Jan. 2 - Three goals for this month.

I feel less bad for starting this blogging thing on day 2 as opposed to day 1 since the prompt is connected.

One of my main goals I'm tracking in my n-bujo-jo is No Spend - my goal to spend less on stupid (though fun) stuff.  So far, so good.  I fear I'll just save up everything I want to buy and buy it all at once so it looks like I've made progress in my n-bujo-jo... We'll see.

A huge goal is to start renovations on my bathroom.  Our bathroom had to be torn out completely due to mold and moisture in the insulation in the walls.  It's unrelated to Harvey, but it occurred at the same time.  Let's just say the people who flipped our house before we bought it deserve whatever poor karma comes their way.  

Finally, I need to get my eyes checked.  My old glasses work ok... but not well enough for me to want to bother with them.  

My Midlife Crisis

After taking a moment to sit back and consider my life, I realized that I am having a midlife crisis.  Really, there's no need to panic - I think all of my "crazy" is actually what most would call normal.

When my mother had her midlife crisis, she bought tap shoes, a baton, and a hoola hoop.  She wore said shoes to work.  (I may need a pair...)

They looked something like these, if I recall correctly.

My midlife crisis looks like gardening, buying stocks instead of more shoes, planning out meals, and doing The Big Purge.  I'm not sure which one surprises me more.

As previously posted, I bought plants while out of my right mind.  12 out of 12 of the plants (Blue Hostas) in the front yard are happy and thriving.  The two butterfly trees I purchased are doing okay in the back yard.  I ordered 6 more plants - Mandarin Honeysuckle and Gardenia "frost proof" shrubs.   I really want a watering can and new water hoses. (WHO HAVE I BECOME?!)

I decided to start playing with the stock market.  Instead of buying more shoes I won't wear (I have over 60 pairs and rarely wear anything other than my tennies), I decided to buy stock.  I have no idea what I am doing, but I do know that I've already lost 42 cents in my first week of stock ownership.  It's bullshit, I say.

 While I was in El Paso, I bought a chalkboard weekly menu board with the intention of meal planning.  We typically go out 4/7 nights a week, with the remaining three spent ordering take out or fast food.  In an effort to increase our bank account balances and decrease our waistlines, the decision was made to eat in more often.

The Big Purge has begun.  I am a (recovering) make-up hoarder.  It took me two hours and several trash bags to clear out 2 of my make-up drawers.  I'm not done.  Next up will be my closet.  After that, the craft closet and office (summer project - gonna need time for that one).  

I don't know about most people's midlife crises, but I'm thinking it might be a good thing if mine become regular habits.

Nocturnal Gardening, Shovel Services, and the Mosquito Den of Creation

I know that had a fever and/or was highly medicated when I decided it would be a good idea to order live plants on the Internet.  I was in crazy mode and ordered all sorts of things for DIY house plans!  I also ordered wallpaper.  That's another story for another day.

I selected the plants based on the fact that the sale said that they would tolerate lots of water or drought (this equals I can ignore them).  Also, they're blue plants.

They're "Cool Blue Mix Hosta" plants, whatever that means.

They arrived yesterday with the instructions to plant immediately.  I've been really sick lately and Dan is still sick, which meant the planting had to be soon, but not immediately as suggested.  Dan and I set out for garden soil, gloves, a tiny shovel, and a kickboard to save my aging knees (32 is hard!).

By the time we got home from the store, it was after 9 pm and dark.  I sent Dan inside because he has the death plague.  I grabbed a rather large shovel and set out to work.

Let me sidebar for a moment - I've joked/"joked" with one of my friends for years that she has unlimited "shovel services" since we're such good friends.  This translates to I'll bury whomever she needs me to bury when the time comes.  I suppose, before tonight, I'd never really used a shovel seriously.  IT'S A LOT OF WORK.  While I know it will definitely mean more loose ends if we have to hire outside help for shovel services, that's where we are.  I had a hard enough time digging up the soil in the planters by my front door to mix it with the gardening soil.  I absolutely doubt my abilities to dig a large hole.  So, all shovel services are officially cancelled.

Must be great at digging holes

Back to my nocturnal gardening adventure.  I managed to get 2 of the 4 bags of soil put out and mixed in with the stuff that was already there.  I planted the dang live root plant things.  I watered them.  I cleaned up (most of) my mess.  

All the while, I was thinking that it was amazing that I was not being bothered by the legions of mosquitoes which guard my front door.  Anyone who has been to my house knows that the front door area of my house is the Mosquito Den of Creation - where all mosquitoes come from.  They swarm even when it is chilly.

The entire time I was out there, not a single mosquito even came near enough for me to hear its high pitched buzz.  I was seriously impressed by the bracelet things I bought from Big Lots for $0.95 each.  I bought two and stuck one on each wrist.  Totally worked.  I highly recommend these things if you're going to exist in the outside world with mosquitoes.  

Buy these!  Buy all of these if you see them!  They work!

I'll update at some point with pictures of the plants, should they ever actually grow into things with leaves.  For now, I am going to go celebrate my nocturnal gardening accomplishments with some Easter clearance blue Peeps.