Weekly WI: My Busiest Month

October is my busiest month!  It is also my most challenging month for weight loss.  Similar to 2023, when I vacation in September then roll into October, the pounds tend to pack on.  This is definitely something to get ahead of in 2025.  For now, we just tackle it one pound at a time.

What have I been up to?

After October travel plans shifted, I’ve actually had the last few weekends off.  Besides the enjoyable time spent with The Hubs, family, my Elks family, and friends, I decided I could get used to retirement life!

I celebrated It’s Your Day at Flying Pie where I got my first Birthday Month freebie, a pizza.

I met Michael, Sierra, and Mike at Brown Beard Brewing Co.’s new location in Garden City for their kick off pirate party.  We had a great time with several Boise Beer Buddy members.

The Nampa Elks Lodge hosted their first annual Oktoberfest party.  We also attended a BSU Tailgate Party.

I made a quick trip to Spokane to celebrate Dawny’s 50th Birthday.  We stayed at the Northern Qwest Casino where we saw comedian Vicki Barbolak.  She was hilarious!  We ended up on stage when she called up the October birthday babies.  It was a great couple of days.

We visited the Golden Gem Mercantile for coffee flights.  Thank lost money at the Coeur d’ Alene Casino.  

Plans to visit a brewery didn’t pan out so we ordered a pizza to go and swung by the Coeur d’ Alene Elks for a pint and a visit.

Day 2 was spent in the spa area, eating Italian food, gambling and visiting with one of Dawny’s coworkers.  We packed in a lot during out 48-hours.

I ended the last couple of weeks volunteering at Hoptoberfest, a beer festival put on by Boise Brewing Company.  I just love volunteering at beer festivals.  

There is so much more on the calendar including lunch with friends, several more freebie meals to collect, Witches Night Out with Wanda and Michael, Truck or Treat with ISP, and another mini-staycation after more cancelled travel plans.  

Weekly WI: Tackling The Post Vacation Blues

Goooooood Morning and Happy Tuesday.

I’ve been back to the grind for a week and as usual, it has been a busy week.  This week is expected to be busy as well and it is my favorite month…

So lots of fun to be had.  Birthday & Oktoberfest in the same month?  I am one lucky gal!

My vacation gain was 8 pounds and while I was wayyyy over my points this week on a few days (hooray for tracking), I managed to snag a loss of 4.6 pounds.  

The biggest thing this loss does for me is helps my mental state.  I’ve been really struggling this last week and my members at my workshop gave me such great motivation along with some really great virtual workshops when I was prepping for this week’s technique.  I’m feeling alllll the areas of my gain in my mid section and that hasn’t been helping the mindset either.  This is going to be a busy month but with some advise I heard at a workshop this week, I will work on releasing those feelings of needing to do all the right things all the time.  Sometimes you just have to do what you're doing and keep on moving.  Tracking was successful last week, even when I went into the negatives.  

My mantra: you can have whatever you want, you just have to weigh, measure, and track it!

Norway Bound

 The Out of Office reply was set and the suitcases packed.  I forgot to hit send before we left so now you know, I’ve been MIA for a while, which honestly, is sort of the norm lately.  But just so you know…

Our next European Adventure awaits…Norway.  

I’m a mix of excitement and also worried it will go by too fast.  I need a break right now and travel is good for my mental health.

Big destination travel such as this also allows me to fully disconnect from my main role as a police dispatch supervisor.  It is a grueling job, not only the calls you take while sitting at the console each day but the performance management and coaching of staff.  It takes a lot out of you and the only guaranteed way I get to disconnect is to get out of town…or in this case, the country!  

Travel is good for my soul.  I’ve said it many times and I wholeheartedly believe it.  I also saw something recently on Instagram that married couples who travel are happier too.  When Kenyon and I travel together, we get to spend that uninterrupted time together we rarely get at home.  And when we are stuck in the same tiny room on a cruise ship, we are forced to really spend time together.  I love it and I’m looking forward to it all.

With that being said…unless I have some pre-planned blogs to publish, you’ll hear from me later this month.