Weekend with Mom & Dad
My parents visited this weekend, yay! We always have a fun time with them.
They got in late Thursday. So late that they let themselves in and I slept right through it.
On Friday we:
- Did an early flight with Dad (more on that below), which included a stop then driving to get breakfast/pastries
- Picked up some tires Dad had bought online
- Had lunch at El Famous
- Visited Steven at work (he went to work when we got back from our flight around 11:00)
- Hung out at home and did puzzles
- Made lasagna for dinner (and ate some pumpkin pie)
- Did face masks (Mom and I only)
On Saturday we:
- Had breakfast
- Went on a run/walk/ride
- Did another puzzle
- Had leftover lasagna for lunch and finished the pumpkin pie
- Went shopping (me & Mom only – the boys hung out and watched movies)
- Had chili & cornbread for dinner
- Hung out and asked each other questions from a Table Topics Questions set (Mom wrapped a few of my holiday gifts for me – thanks, Mom!)
On Sunday we:
- Had breakfast sandwiches and hung out
- Went to the beach
- Had Burger King for lunch
- Tried another pumpkin pie I made (long story short it didn’t set because of the coconut cream I used)
- Said goodbye around 1:00. Sad!
We love having visitors, especially my parents! We’re so glad they came and we got to hang out so much. It’s nice to just sit and catch up (and work on an easy puzzle or two or three).
Alright let’s talk about this flight! My dad really loves to fly so we wanted to take him up (Mom doesn’t like to fly so it was just the three of us).
I really wondered if this flight was going to happen at all because the cloud ceiling looked really low both days we had a plane booked (Friday and Saturday). But we did a briefing and even though it was MVFR (marginal visual flight rules) Steven said we should be okay. Sounds good to me!
And it was fine on the way there (we won’t talk about the missing voltmeter in the plane…)! We stayed low (below 3,000 feet) but it was clear and quiet – hardly any other planes out. A nice simple flight! Edited to add (for my memory only): It was was quiet out that we kept hearing all the pilots announce they were doing 7, 5, 3 etc. mile finals. Steven and I laughed about that and explained traffic patterns to Dad and why a long final doesn’t usually work.
We went to Watertown Airport (KRYV), borrowed their courtesy car, and drove to the Pine Cone Restaurant in Johnson Creek to get breakfast and giant pastries. We originally chose Watertown because several people told Steven they have cookies and we thought it would be fun to fly there for cookies then go get breakfast.
When we went there Tuesday night we saw the cookie jar had a few store bought sandwich cookies in it, surrounded by crumbs. Steven and I laughed about how we had both assumed they were somehow making fresh cookies for people… because why else would they talk about it? We’ve been to FBOs (Fixed Base Operators) with much nicer perks than this one! Ha.
But the ladies who work at this FBO are super nice. They’re known for being very welcoming on the radio frequency. It’s kind of funny to fly there and hear the way they talk – just like normal convo on the radio. We are so used to hearing people talking in aviation code.
ANYWAY. When we went there Tuesday the lady working recommended the Pine Cone (we found out later she works there), so we went. It was fun to check it out and see the giant pastries. Steven got eggs and a cinnamon roll, I got hashbrowns and toast, Dad got a glazed donut, and we got an apple fritter to take back for mom, and cookies for the people at the airport.
The weather looked like it was going to be the same on the flight back, but the clouds were lower and foggier so we didn’t do a direct route – we flew a bit west to try to get away from the clouds. Dad said he liked flying so low and looking at everything below – I’ve liked that in the past too, when I am sitting in the back staring out the window. Now I’m sitting in the front and thinking about how high we need to stay above the ground and that if we encounter traffic we can’t go much higher because of clouds. And I’m thinking we have way less of a glide distance if there is engine failure. Anyway! It was obviously all good.
Because we went a different route we got on a different CTAF (Common Traffic Advisory Frequency – a radio frequency used by pilots to communicate with each other and announce their intentions while operating to or from an airport without a control tower) and heard a heated discussion between two pilots. One was warning the other that they were in an IFR (Instrument Flight Rules) approach path or something and the other basically told them they knew and didn’t care. The other pilot advised changing course and got a response of “mind your f*cking business.” Whoa.
Hearing that kind of worked me up! And Steven said (to me only) what I was thinking “the weather kind of sucks, let’s all focus on flying.” (Those people were at an airport south of us (Galt), so it didn’t affect us, thankfully.)
But there was a lot more traffic. Gah. As we were descending and getting close to Waukegan Airport, two planes were aimed right at us from different directions and at different altitudes and that kind of sucked because we needed to descend but didn’t want to get closer to them. Then we got into the traffic pattern at Waukegan and an airplane departing was headed straight for us and I was like “ATC (air traffic control) should be controlling traffic right? We have departing traffic pointed at us at minus 500.” I usually don’t talk to Steven when he’s landing but I was concerned ATC hadn’t said anything about the traffic yet.
Steven confirmed they should be, turned a bit, then ATC came on and told that person departing to immediately turn. Er, thanks.
Flying is exciting, guys! (I made this sound kind of scary – it’s not, just illustrating that a big part of flying is being observant and knowing what’s going on around you all the time.)
Then Steven buttered the landing and that part of our adventure was done! Dad said he loved it. I think we could fly him anywhere and he’d be happy as long as he can see out the window and check out what’s going on below. Same, same.
Reading Update (2024 #70-72)
[70] The Happy Ever After Playlist (The Friend Zone #2) by Abby Jimenez
Fiction / Romance / Romantic Comedy, next in series, Kindle
Synopsis: Two years after the devastating loss of her fiancé, Sloan is still struggling to move on, until a stray dog unexpectedly jumps into her car. Caring for the dog gives her a new sense of purpose, and when she can’t reach the dog’s owner, she decides to keep him. But when the owner, Jason, finally contacts her after a hiking trip in New Zealand, he wants his dog back. As they reconnect, their casual flirting turns into something more when they meet in person.
Review: I was really enjoying where this book was headed. Sloan and Jason’s chemistry was fantastic, especially their playful banter. The story got even more exciting when she discovered he was a famous musician. But then the time jumps felt a bit jarring and disconnected. I understand they were meant to show important parts of their journey, but the dark moment, its resolution, and the epilogue all left me feeling a bit confused, and seemed a bit too unrealistic. I know, I know, it’s a romance. Ha.
Recommend? Nah
[71] Nobody’s Perfect by Sally Kilpatrick
Fiction / Romance / Contemporary, Kindle First Reads book, Kindle
Synopsis: Vivian Quackenbush is stunned when she cleans out her husband’s sock drawer and discovers divorce papers. After nearly 25 years of marriage, with their only son off to college and plans to move, this bombshell sends her spiraling. Turning to her cheesy MomScout YouTube channel for solace, she starts sharing her emotional journey online. One of her videos goes viral, and she becomes obsessed with monetizing it and landing sponsorships, causing her to alienate friends and family in the process
Review: First, what a horrible last name for a character. Second, I was definitely hate reading this. This entire book was so cringe. I think it was meant to be a story about Vivian rediscovering herself and learning to do things for her own sake after years of serving her husband and son, but the journey to get there was one I didn’t want to take with her. Her obsession with YouTube, filming, and documenting everything just felt so ick to me.
Recommend? Hell no
[72] Cruel Winter with You (Under The Mistletoe Collection #1) by Ali Hazelwood
Holiday / Romance, saw collection on Kindle Unlimited, Kindle
Synopsis: Jamie is back home in Illinois for the holidays, and sets out on foot in a blizzard to borrow a roasting pan from her childhood best friend’s family. But when she arrives, it’s Marc, her friend’s little brother, who answers the door. Marc’s had a thing for Jamie for as long as he can remember, holding off on making a move until he’d ‘made it’ as a tech billionaire. When he finally tried, though, Jamie turned him down. Now, with the power out and no way to leave, they’re stuck together and forced to face the past.
Review: This is a short story I finished in under an hour on the train. Did it keep me entertained for that hour? Sure. Did I care at all about these characters? Not really. Some short stories I’ve read do a great job getting you invested and setting everything up in limited words but this one didn’t.
Recommend? No
Random Thoughts Thursday 473
- Last week I shared my Random Thoughts Thursday post to Facebook and it was removed because it “violated community standards.” Huh? I tried to post it again and the same thing happened. Then I remembered I only have a Facebook page for my blog because someone required it for a partnership I did over 10 years ago. So I deleted both blog pages (for this blog and my old address) and instantly felt better. For years I wanted to get off Facebook but kept it for the gym I worked at at the time. Maybe I should consider it again.
- Speaking of socials, some people use so many filters on their pictures I don’t recognize them in person.
- Steven set up a camera in the cat house so we can see who’s in there. You can even PTZ (pan/tilt/zoom) it remotely to look on the upper level (third photo).
- Also, look how cute the trio is! (Maybe someday Ned will be part of the cuddle)
- Here’s my new mani from last week! I wanted some color.
- I am very excited I found the new holiday Alani drink! (it’s the small things)
Night flight
We went on a flight last night after 4 weeks off. FOUR UNINTENTIONAL WEEKS OFF!
I mean, the first couple of weeks were intentional because we did that big trip to Arkansas and back. But then we had flight cancellations due to airplane availability and weather and I was getting c-r-a-n-k-y.
And I know you guys really missed these posts too!
Ha, that’s a joke.
Anyway. We have a flight planned with my dad this week and we wanted to make sure we remembered how to fly (joking…), so we went after work to the TOP SECRET LOCATION we are taking him to. (Don’t get excited, Dad, it’s not actually cool.)
We took off right after sunset and flew in the dusk on the way there and in the dark on the way back. You know what I LOVE about flying during those times? I can see the other airplanes much easier because of their lights and contrast against the sky. I can see them MUCH better than during the day. So yeah, night flying is great for seeing traffic (not so much for emergency landings since you can’t see much of the ground but… eh?).
I was totally on my A game warning about traffic and being an amazing copilot in general. My goal is to end ONE flying session without Steven having to correct me on something or tell me not to do something. Maybe someday! I’m learning! (This is not a bad thing – I need to learn.)
Steven actually said I was on my A game and asked me how since we hadn’t flown in a month and I told him I’d been practicing and researching. I spent time figuring out how to use Foreflight so I could have more information more easily accessible for us, I’ve been studying the airports we talk about flying to, and I’ve researched how to communicate traffic better.
It was a fun flight. I am looking forward to doing it in the daylight with Steven and Dad!
(Technical notes for me – we flew N408ES, we flew about 50 kn each way, first flight was 4:44-5:18, second was 5:55-6:38, we stayed below 3,000′ because it was overcast, it felt cold on the ramp with the wind (mid 40s) and I turned the cabin heat on)
Stories from the weekend
I have to post some of these now so Random Thoughts Thursday isn’t SUPER long!
WWM Celebrations
The gym I go to turned 5 last week and there were celebrations all week long. On Friday night there was a workout party where we all wore the same outfit, did a warmup and short band workout together, then worked on deadlifts, chest presses, and squats (there was also food and drinks). Sounds lame when I describe it, but it was a blast and my throat hurt from doing so much cheering.
Then on Saturday I went to the 7:00 am class, then went home and showered and came back for 9:15 am book club. I was not expecting folks to be so vulnerable and emotional during book club! Just goes to show what a safe and welcoming environment the gym is. I really enjoyed hearing their experiences and what they got out of the book (Self Made: Becoming Empowered, Self-Reliant, and Rich in Every Way by Nely Galán). What I read of the book just made me anxious.
(Short side vent – folks wrote suggestions for the next book club book on strips of paper, then we drew them and the last one drawn was the winner. When I was adding my suggestion I saw there was a Colleen Hoover book on the list. The first book club was a book of hers and the reason I didn’t go. If she was selected AGAIN I was going to say something (like, can we PLEASE have a different author since the last book was one of hers?!). She was the last to be eliminated! GAH, suspenseful!!!!! They ended up with The Housemaid by Freida McFadden, which I’ve read and liked.)
That was quick!
I ordered our Shitterfly holiday cards on Tuesday and they arrived Saturday! SPEEDY! Now I’m just waiting for the holiday stamps to arrive. I gotta get those Australia cards in the mail soon! It takes forever to get there!
Overdid it
I knew I was going to overdo it last week. I went to five classes plus the bonus workout party Friday night, plus bookclub, and spent my Friday off working and running around to get a tire fixed on my car. Then on Saturday I got groceries and spent a few more hours working. On Sunday when I got back from my (shorter than planned because I was beat) run I put joggers and a sweatshirt on and sat on the couch with Steven for several hours before we did anything productive (we eventually organized the shelves in our office which REALLY needed it). Ahh. I felt so much better. I just can’t be on the go all the time. It’s not for me. I’m grateful I had two days (Monday was a holiday) to be more chill after that.
The end of an era
Ha. Yesterday I finally replaced the toothbrush I’ve had since July 2015.
Ew! It’s not like that – it’s electric!
I remember my snis gave it to me for my golden birthday in 2015. The battery part of it finally corroded. It still works but seems to be running a bit slower. Crazy it lasted this long and they still have this model. I’m very much a fan of buying the same thing over and over again if it generally works (and just gets worn out). It’s so frustrating when you want to replace something that works for you and “improvements” have been made to it that aren’t really improvements. Anyway.
Not actually a compliment
I was going to share this story from work this week and a compliment someone gave me, then the more I thought about it, the more I realized the entire conversation we had was a dig at veganism. Ha. I’ll still share it though.
Long story short (hopefully), I was talking about Thanksgiving with a couple coworkers. Let’s call them Marge and Lisa. Marge said to me, while making a face, “oh, you make that vegan thing that’s shaped like a turkey?”
I ignored the face and tone and shared that yes I was, and was excited about it, then asked about their meal plan.
But Lisa said “Did I know you were vegan? I don’t think I did!”
And Marge responded with, “Yeah, she is but hasn’t made it her whole identity.”
This is the part I thought was a compliment. I don’t want it to be my whole identity. I don’t want it to be the first thing people think about when they think about me. I don’t want someone to think about what I eat unless we are going to be sharing a meal (or they’re surprising me with a treat).
I don’t want to be the asshole vegan. Gawd, there are so so many, and they are freaking unbearable.
So I told them, “Yeah, I am! And thanks, I don’t want it to be my whole identity. I just do it for the animals.”
Then Marge said “well lucky them.”
Sigh.
I have a lot of other thoughts about someone being bothered by a thing I do that doesn’t affect them at all, but I promised I’d keep this short! So, happy Friday! Enjoy whatever you eat today!
Random Thoughts Thursday 472
- When I was flipping through radio stations Tuesday morning I thought I heard sleigh bells and sure enough a station had already switched over to holiday music – 5 days earlier on November 1! I’m here for it. I’m not a huge Thanksgiving fan so this doesn’t feel too early to me.
- So I was very happy to get my first Starbucks holiday cup yesterday:
- And to wear some holiday sunnies on my run today:
- Speaking of Starbucks! Val picked me up the Italy and Rome “You Are Here” mugs on her trip and I am so excited to receive them! And to hear all about her trip.
- I can’t remember if I mentioned (and too lazy to look), but it’s the gym’s 5 year anniversary and there have been theme days all week, and there is a party tomorrow, and book club Saturday. Yesterday’s theme was “Mean Girls” and I LOVED seeing everyone’s outfits (on socials, I wasn’t there since I usually do my office day on Wednesday). Today was “Anything but a Water Bottle” and I wasn’t sure if I’d participate, then when I was getting dressed this morning I saw Steven left an empty Listerine Bottle on the bathroom floor (to remind him to grab another from storage) so I rinsed that out and used it. Ha.
- I really like the RAGRABI logo for 2025. I hope it goes somewhere central or north so Dad and I can participate. And I hope it doesn’t interfere with other summer happenings.
Reading Update (2024 #67-69)
[67] The Friend Zone (The Friend Zone #1) by Abby Jimenez
Fiction / Romance / Romantic Comedy, rec from Val, Kindle
Synopsis: Kristen and Josh have a connection from their first meeting, but it isn’t meant to be – she’s dating someone. Even if she wasn’t, she’s going to have a medical procedure that makes it impossible to have children, and Josh wants a big family. Kristen hires Josh to work for her parttime and as they spend more time together, they become closer.
Review: What even is this book. Gawd. This is the classic “keeping a secret” trope for most of the entire freaking book and it MADE ME INSANE. (Spoiler) After Kristen and Josh hook up (she’s broken up with her boyfriend) she’s like “we can only be friends with benefits” then starts being a total bitch to him most of the time, because she wants to keep him at arm’s length because she’s decided for both of them they don’t have a future because of the medical thing she isn’t telling him about. GAH. Kristen obviously has a lot of trauma and self worth issues because of her past but it’s barely touched on so you’re just like “WhY iS sHe DoInG tHiS?” Don’t even get me started on the very dark turn toward the end of the book. This wasn’t the story for me!
Recommend? No
[68] How to End a Love Story by Yulin Kuang
Fiction / Romance / Contemporary, saw in “Available Now” on Libby, Kindle
TW: suicide
Synopsis: In high school Helen’s sister jumped in front of another student’s (Grant’s) car, and died by suicide. Fifteen years later Helen’s a YA novelist and her book series is being made into a TV show. She joins the writer’s room and discovers Grant is one of the writers. She wants to hate him, but it’s harder than she thought it would be.
Review: So many thoughts. First, this is a really interesting (disturbing) premise. Even though the death was not Grant’s fault, it’s obviously affected him deeply, and he has debilitating anxiety attacks. He seems happy in public, but alone, he’s a shell of a person. Helen is a first generation immigrant and the way she was raised has affected her (traumatized her) so much. She can’t imagine being as cheerful and carefree as Grant in public. She struggles with basic interactions and questions why anyone would ever want to spend time with her, because she wasn’t outwardly shown love growing up. These two are a mess, and therefore pretty interesting yet… the whole “we can have sex and that’s it” trope was too fresh after the first book so it was a struggle at times.
Recommend? Nah
[69] To the Gorge : Running, Grief, and Resilience & 460 Miles on the Pacific Crest Trail by Emily Halnon
Biography & Autobiography / Sports, heard about from Ali on the Run, audio
TW: cancer, death (including humans and a dog)
Synopsis: Halnon runs the entire Oregon section of the Pacific Crest Trail (with a goal of getting the FKT – Fastest Known Time) in honor of her late mother, who passed away from cancer. She intersperses stories of her mother, her mother’s cancer, and her sister-in-law’s cancer between recaps of running the trail.
Review: I’ve been interested in this book since Ali mentioned it on her podcast and am so glad I did the audio version. Hearing this from Emily herself felt so raw and real. I would not have felt that if I read it on Kindle.
There is a lot of grief in this story. Her mother passed in January 2020 and she did this run in August 2020. And her mother passing was not the only bad thing going on in her life. So know that going into it. But it’s beautifully done. I felt like the stories she told about her mother, her family, and herself were perfectly placed within her recap of running the trail. It was a lovely exploration of her grief. A little bit of me was like “I want more running stats” – but then she gave them all in appendices in the end.
Recommend? Yes
Stories from the weekend
Khali and Starbuck’s vet visit
Khali and Starbuck had their annual vet visit Friday. They’re healthy! Although Khali had a “senior” blood draw. SORRY MISS KHALI YOU ARE NOT ALLOWED TO AGE. (She will turn 9 next year.)
But I’m here to talk about Starbuck. Oh, Starbuck. I gave her one gabapentin, even though part of my brain said two. I mean, look at her, she is so smöl! Surely one will work?
No. One gaba was one too few. She was sleepy limp kitty at home but once she got into the car she had ALL THE STRENGTH! Then acted like she was on catnip at the appointment, rolling around on the ground and jumping all over the place.
I told her she was embarrassing the family after how well Apollo behaved last time. The vet reassured me she was fine, just a bit squirmy (she wasn’t being mean or cowering). Anyway, two gaba next time.
And to top it all off, she went under this lid and did the biggest cat poop I’ve ever seen. What a little stinker. Literally.
The good news is we had a fresh fecal sample! Fun times.
All that flight planning for nothing!
We had plans to fly with Josh on Saturday, and Steven wanted ME to sit in the front (eek!) so I did prep for the flight on Thursday and Friday so I wouldn’t look like (too big of) an idiot in front of Josh.
Then we found out kind of last minute that the plane has been out for maintenance all week and we couldn’t go. Womp womp. That was a bummer. It was perfect flying weather too. Sigh! That meant we had time for something else on Saturday though (more on that below).
For real though
Just wanted to share this rock I painted Friday night. Steven suggested I NOT hide it in case a child finds it. Good thinking, Steven. I will be looking for a home for it.
Learning to leaf blow
Since we were going to be home Saturday, that meant we had time to leaf blow. Steven asked for a second leaf blower last year so I could assist, because we have a ton of trees and an acre of grass and it takes him forever by himself!
It was really windy here last week and a lot of the leaves fell. We had huge piles all over (this photo is part of our front yard).
After 2+ hours, we had the whole yard cleaned up! Leaf blowing is fun, but I sure was pooped out after.
Pack Expo
On Sunday we went to Chicago for Pack Expo – a huge expo at McCormick Place for machines that package things, and packaging itself. We were there to see what was new, but also look at machines that package powders.
it was huge. There were 5 halls of vendors. We walked about 11K steps. I forgot how everyone wants to talk and sell to you at expos like this. We just wanted to look and not be talked to and joked about ways to communicate that.
After we left we went to Can’t Believe It’s Not Meat, and really enjoyed it! There was no place to sit so we ate in the car. It was giving 2020.
It was another long day – it took an hour and a half to get there and back because of traffic. I was glad for the extra hour. But still pooped when we got home.
This part of the post is really random but I have to share that we watched Single White Female Sunday night. Have you seen this film? What the AF. It was pretty good until it wasn’t – the ending goes off the rails. And FYI the dog dies. I’m really good at seeing an animal, saying “does this animal die?,” then looking it up, then looking right at the screen when it shows the dead body, then getting upset. Go, me. Like, I am RARELY looking at the screen cause I am painting while we “watch” something, so how do I always look up at the bad spots UGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH.
Holiday card outtakes
Every year I try to get a photo of the cats together for the front of the holiday card. It involves bribing them with a food tube and usually happens on the stairs – not the best setting, but that’s where they want to go and I’m just grateful to get them all in one shot.
We took the photo this Saturday, and I only had to do a bit of editing. Original:
Final:
Yes, we gave Ned a derpier face.
And now, for the outtakes. Since they are eating a food tube, we get a lot of funny shots!
Ha, such little goobers.
And now for an important question. We were struggling to find a template to use for our holiday card because most of the images are vertical. We finally found one, then I realized we used it in 2020 (with less images on the front). Think anyone will notice?! I think not.
Hi! I’m Kim, a 40-something-year-old living in northeastern Illinois with my husband Steven, and our cats, Khaleesi, Apollo, Starbuck, and Eddard aka Ned. My current main hobbies are running, painting rocks, flying, reading, and eating. I follow a vegan lifestyle and am employed by the federal government. I write about a variety of topics and consider this a “life” blog – a place I can share anything that’s on my mind. Please visit the “About” page to get a better idea of who I am! 🙂
