Life In General

How the heck is it almost June?

…and where have I been?

 

As usual, it has been a whirlwind of craziness these last few weeks.  I think I’ve been slightly depressed.  I chatted with my doctor about my new meds, and we will continue to give it time to see how things shake out.  I think overall I am less anxious with work stuff and getting along with my co-workers and team better so that is a WIN!

 

How has life been?  This image pretty much sums it up.

 

The reason I think I’ve been slightly depressed is that I just am not motivated to do anything.  I went out for a few days over the last few weeks for a walk but the energy for eating well and logging activity minutes is lacking.  BIG TIME!  I’ve also gained weight over the last few weeks.

 

With sad news to report, my father-in-law passed away.  He wasn’t well and we didn’t want him to linger.  We were able to celebrate his 90^th birthday in April.  We will travel to New Mexico soon for the funeral service.

The only other thing on my radar…vacations!

Family

I had to look back at the blog to determine when I was here last.  Oh my, how embarrassing!

Life has been…hectic.  We found out on St. Patty’s Day my father-in-law had gone to the hospital where he still remains today.  We decided on Sunday to hit the road in the RV and head east to New Mexico to support my in-laws.  We are hoping he will be moved to a skilled nursing home today.  

We celebrated St. Patty’s Day at the lodge followed by a busy week last week with lots of lodge events.

We split our dive up into three days, not originally planned but it is about a 16-ish hour drive from Idaho to New Mexico where we traveled through Utah and Colorado.  We stayed at the Provo, UT Elks Lodge, which was not open so sadly, I missed getting my Elks lodge pin.

My anniversary flowers made the 1,000 mile trek with us.  We celebrated 18 years on the 21st.

The next stop was Farmington, NM Elks Lodge.  We had three hours more to go and didn’t feel like pushing through.  The following morning we agreed this was a good decision.  The Lodge members were wonderful and I invited them on our Elks Group Cruise in September of 2027.

We drove into town for half priced burgers at an Irish Pub which also served sushi (odd choice).  When in NM, your burgers come with green chili.

The final trek brought us to Albuquerque.  We stopped for breakfast burritos in Cuba, NM and spent the night at a local RV park near my in-laws.

We were at the hospital all day yesterday and planned to be there again today.  We are hopeful the move will come soon and he can get some rehab.  It has been an interesting experience finding a place to park this RV around the hospital which is mostly parking garages.  Thankfully we didn’t get towed yesterday!

I’ll check back soon-ish!

The Last Of The Grandparents

 The world lost a great man.

Last week, my grandpa passed away.  He had just turned 92.  He had an aortic aneurysm and while we knew he could go at anytime, we were not prepared at all.  Thankfully we believe it as swift and he didn’t suffer.  We also believe he enjoyed playing his usual card games and meeting his friends for coffee in the day prior.  That gives us peace during this difficult time.

We are also holding onto the happy memories and so thankful we spent time together at both Thanksgiving and Christmas.  You never know when the last time you will see somebody will be the last time.  You hope you hugged them tight enough and told them you loved them.  I wasn’t able to celebrate on Grandpa’s birthday due to prior work commitments but I did call him to wish him well and sent a card in the mail.  

He is the only grandpa I’ve known my entire 42 years.  My other grandpa and my two great-grandpas had already passed away.  I was able to spend time with all four grandmothers (including two great-grandmas) but only one grandpa.  There are no more grandparents left.

Goodbye Grandpa.  I will miss you so very much.

Weekly WI: Playing Catch-Up

Hello and Happy Tuesday.  I didn’t mean to leave my stagnant for so many days but y’all, it has been busy!!!  Let me start with my Weekly WI for the last three weeks and then rewind.

Three weeks ago, I skipped the scale.  I had made this decision before we left for our Alaska cruise.  I wanted to give myself time for some of the vacation weight to drop off.  Despite some struggles getting back on track, I managed to pull off earning six blue dots the following week.  I was managing a bad head cold (tested negative for COVID) and just wasn’t feeling 100% all week.  I stepped on the scale to see a 3.2 pound gain.

This week was a tough one as I had birthday festivities planned.  I had also taken part in several meals out the week prior since it was crunch time to get my freebie meals in.  I am nervous going into this week.  I was also still battling this darn cold that just could not go away.  Turns out it had developed into a sinus infection so I am taking antibiotics for that now.  On Sunday, getting ready for my pre-birthday meet up with friends, I was feeling pretty skinny and just overall good in my skin (minus a sinus infection).  I was actually starting to convince myself maybe I was back down but boy I was hoping I wasn’t up more.  My weigh-in this morning is down 0.2 pounds.  Not as much as I wanted but I’ll take it.

I’ve done some reflecting as to where I was last year and feeling okay-ish.  This is a pretty big hit for my end of month weigh-in.  I have reminded myself that even though I was really up after July, dedication and focus to my WW program brought the scale back down so I will get there again!  I have two more months to end this year strong.

I enjoyed some pre-birthday festivities, including several meals out.  Last Wednesday, I invited Phoenix and Stacey over for an at-home beer tasting.  We tasted one pumpkin beer she picked up, one Oktoberfest beer I found at Trader Joes, and one pumpkin cider I also found at TJs.  All three were different but good and it was a great way to try them all at once.  We ordered my birthday pizza from Old Chicago but sadly it was undercooked and still raw.  Booooo!  I love pizza so it was a letdown.

Sunday I met up my gal pals (Stacey joined us too) for brunch at Huck House Brunchette.  The wait is long so you know it must be a good place.  I had a mimosa flight because I don’t think I’ll be back so I might as well try as many as I can!  The food was good, very large portions, and the service a bit slow.  We had a nice time getting together as it has been a while.

Afterwards, Phoenix and Stacey joined me at Telaya Winery for 2 for 1 wine flights as part of a promo from my real estate team.  It was delicious although my very favorite wine was not in this particular flight.  We also shared a glass of that too.

I went to dinner at my parents house that night to celebrate my birthday with Mom, Dad, Grandpa, and my brother Brandon.  Brandon made caramel apples and Mom and Dad made corned beef.  Oh yum!  I enjoyed every bite guilt free.

We still have two more birthday dinner’s to collect on Wednesday and Thursday, Carino’s and Tucanos.  I am looking forward to the food and the company as I finally get to spend time with Kenyon.  It has been a madhouse at work with so much overtime and so little downtime.  I was exhausted on Sunday evening and slept over 12 hours!  I would love to say I feel rested.

On my birthday I competed a virtual 5K as part of the Idaho Health Matters platform.  I split it up into three segments plus I couldn’t remember if it was 3.1 or 3.2 so I did a smidge extra.  Yeah for birthday activity and earning FitPoints!

I am also addicted to Starbucks Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew.  OMG.  Good thing pumpkin season is almost over and I didn’t learn of this until later in the season.  It is just simply amazing.

Work Training, A Family Gathering, And The Week Ahead

It was a busy week.  On Thursday, I had ICS400 training, the last of my leadership training hours needed to earn my POST Supervisor Certificate. It was a good class and thankfully I passed the test.  Afterwards, we went for Mexican food at Enrique’s in Kuna where I had a well deserved beer.  

It was amazing and hit the spot.  I ate way to much though and was miserable the rest of the evening. Don’t you just hate that?

Friday, I went out for a long walk and listened to an Aaptiv audio workout.  I even jogged a little.  It felt good to sweat and with our 100 degree temps, it has been hot this week.  Saturday, I followed up with some upper body weights.  I have been feeling so tired lately and almost like I’m lacking energy.

I was thankful for my coworkers that helped cover the first four hours of my overtime shift so I can spend time with my extended family yesterday.  My Great Aunt Jane and Great Uncle Bob celebrated 60 years of marriage. There was a small family gathering at their cabin in Centerville with a BBQ.  The company was amazing and the food was delicious.  I had a wonderful time seeing my family.

It is back to work today, Monday, and part of Tuesday.  Kenyon and I hope to get out of town for a quick getaway the last part of the week.  I need to recharge my batteries.  I have plans to visit with friends Monday and Tuesday before work.  This will make for a really great week.

A Shift In Travel Plans

As I sit here and drink my morning coffee out of one of my favorite Starbucks, I am having so much trouble taming the travel bug inside me.  I love the I can reminisce about our past travel destinations with something as simple as a coffee cup.  

Travel feeds my soul.

I have a couple side hustles coming up that will help get me out of town for a few days.  Mostly, I have been all over the place with indecisiveness as we wait for the cruise industry to start back up and what we want to do with our existing cruise bookings.  I thought I was okay with pushing our October cruise out and waiting until March 2022 as we hope to go on our NCL cruise to Australia and New Zealand.  I have recently gone down the rabbit hole of following a group of cruisers on Instagram in the UK who recently completed a four-day cruise on MSC in/out of Southhampton, London.  Now the cruise desire is light up like a roadside flair and I just really want to get back on a cruise ship!

As luck would have it, we had not yet cancelled our October NCL cruise down the coast of the Pacific North West when we received the “official” word the cruise company had to cancel it.  The plan right now  is to use as much of the fleet as possible to cruise to destinations that do not use a US port (Rome, Italy, Jamaica, and Dominican Republic) and to also start back up in Hawaii and Alaska.  This is why we were canceled.  Our ship needed to be used on an different itinerary.  We were gifted a 10% coupon towards our next booking, which I thought would be a 14-day Europe cruise in 2023.  The coupon was only good on sailings through 2022.  

We spent some time looking at options in October and spotted an Alaksa Cruise with a good price tag and perfect flight options to get us to the port on the same day of embarkation and a flight home the same day as disembarkation.  And….the flights were just $58 each way or 2,500 Southwest rewards points.  That is a KILLER deal.  It didn’t take long to make the decision we would be calling our cruise guy and booking an Alaska cruise in October of 2021.  

The icing on the cake is that Mom and Dad will be joining us.  I am over the moon my parents are going to travel with us.  I think this makes me 100x more exciting for October to get here (but not too fast because I am ready for warm temps).

This is a modified cruising itinerary from our previous Alaska cruise with less port stops and it does not cruise the inside passage.  I hope it will still be enjoyable for my parents as they have been wanting to return to Alaska for many years.  I also hope it doesn’t get cancelled!  We will have three ports of call: Juneau, Icy Straight Point, and Ketchikan.  We will be on the NCL Bliss, which has a brewery and a Starbucks as well as some entertainment that my parents will enjoy.  I am really living on cloud nine right now.  My parents are the best so we are going to have a great time.

We currently still hold our other cruise booking for March 2022 and we are staying hopeful that Australia and New Zealand will start accept travels again without a 14-day quarantine.  All we can do is sit and wait and hope for the best.

Family Time & A Trip Down Memory Lane

Hello and Happy Saturday!

It was an enjoyable two days off with lots of family time.  Aunt Barb is here from New Mexico and cousin Sarah here from (previously Colorado) South Carolina.  We have been having a great time.  

Wednesday was a special VIP tour of the Melba Museum.  I thoroughly enjoyed seeing the museum when I was in Melba last Saturday.  

I have so much family history wrapped up in this tiny town where I also spent many years of my life.  I have so much love for Melba, Idaho.

Lunch was at Cooks Two Hole Bar, which meant a delicious cheeseburger twice in a matter of a few days.  It was just as good the second time.  After a visit with my cousin Lori and seeing the old shop where my grandpa/uncle worked rounded out a day of many trips down memory lane.

Thursday I hosted an extended family get-together at my house where we celebrated three birthday parties.  Hailey turns 17 this month and Barb celebrates her birthday the day after.  Sarah turns 19 in June.  We had a great time with food, booze, and family drama!  Oh and lots of dessert options.  Hey, what can you expect when you get so many people together in one room? 

It is back to work for me with some fun on the agenda for my days off next week.

This Week Is Flying By...

Good Afternoon.

 

It has been so busy lately and it feels like this month is just flying by!  We celebrated Mother’s Day a day early and the family came over for a low key gathering.  It was really good to spend time with my immediate family, although we were missing my sister Jenny.  Grandpa even came and I really love when I see him.

 

Wednesday I met up with Phoenix and Stacey for some Cinco de Mayo festivities in downtown Caldwell.  It was PACKED!  Both the food and the alcohol lines were long.  I came prepared by bringing my own light margarita in my WW thermos.  It worked out nicely.  They also had burros walking around with beer for sale in their pack.  I was able to get a photo with the burro wearing the tiny hat, just like mine!

 

We were able to swing by Jalapenos for some Mexican food before we ended the night, quite inebriated from all the fun.

 

I was back to work starting Thursday and I am on through Tuesday.  It is shaping up to be a long week!  I’ve been keeping up with my daily activity and thinking I might try for a month of perfect activity goals.  I don’t know yet.  Some days I look forward to a rest day and then when I remember I have to log 22 days of closing all three rings on my Apple Watch this month.  So, that keeps me plugging away.

 

I have blown though almost all my points this week (thank you Cinco de Mayo) but oddly enough, I am feeling very “thin.”  I love when my body just feels smaller.  It definitely makes me hopeful for a loss this week.  I would really love to break out of the 196s.

Ringing In The New Year In New Mexico

We spent our New Years Eve, along with Kenyon’s birthday in New Mexico.  It has been about 18 months or so since we last visited the in-laws and they were really wanted us to come.  Due to COVID we have had to push this trip back since April.  Finally, there is a slim chance we could go and we took it.  While I was on the fence if we should make the trip, I am glad we did.  It has been an enjoyable time.

We have not been able to meet our great nephew, Karson who is absolutely adorable.  So is our great niece Kanani, who will be five in February, and our niece Kirana, who will be five in June.  

We had the whole family together and were able to get a group photo, which was a feat in itself with so many people looking in so many directions.  These types of memories are priceless.

We celebrated Kenyon’s birthday.

Then rang in the New Year.  

It was a really great trip that went entirely too fast.  I am very ready to get back on track and start working hard at my WW program in 2021.  With in-dining restaurants closed, it was not the best food choices.  Oh boy am I craving fresh fruits, veggies, chicken and rice.  More and more I realize how much the Purple Plan is amazing, especially when I am off plan for a few days.

I kept up with activity and logged at least 30 minutes each day.  I was able to see my Aunt Barb and we went for an hour walk at a nearby area with these really need wood carvings.

Until next time New Mexico.

Happy New Year & Happy Birthday Kenyon

Today is Kenyon’s Birthday! 

It is also New Years Eve!

I hope you are all having a great day even though celebrating like you used to might not be possible. It is so hard to have to deal with all these changes. I hope 2021 will bring brighter and happier times. 

Christmas 2020 Unlike Any Other

Christmas 2020 sure looks a lot different for us all.  

Instead of starring my day running around getting ready for our big extended family get-together it was very low key and a bit sad.  I missed seeing my family and this was the first time since I was a kid that we didn’t have the Annual Family Christmas Party.  

We celebrated with some of my immediate family on Christmas Eve and earlier today we went to my parent’s house for a small Christmas dinner.  I work this evening and we will be having an ornament exchange as well as possibly ordering take-out from somewhere.  We have been approved to wear jeans and a few of us purchased a team Christmas themed T-shirt.  It is sure to feel festive at the Idaho State Police Dispatch Center.

I hope next year will look a light brighter.  Whatever the day holds, I hope you spend it with those you love.