A few highlights from the weekend!
Friday
- My biweekly manicure (and pedicure, this time!) appointment with Lorena.
- Family Dinner with Jen, Troy, & Declan. We love our time together. I appreciate their enthusiasm for our mundane stories. It feels good to have people in our lives that care about the dumb little things we care about.
Saturday
- Steven driving me to teach class. I know my accident was almost two years ago, but I still have major anxiety driving in the snow, especially when it’s similar to the slush I crashed in. When Steven told me he wanted to run an errand I suggested he do it while I taught so I wouldn’t have to drive in the snow, and he did. What a sweetie.
- Putting some photos up. Christina and Will gave us some printed photos from our October family photo session and it inspired me to hang those up, along with some others I had sitting on a bookcase. I got to use the laser I got Steven for Christmas to make sure everything was aligned!
- Eating homemade gyros for dinner.
- Laughing at the movie Jexi. Jexi is about a phone-dependent millennial whose new phone has a nutso virtual assistant, Jexi, on it. The movie got bad reviews but made me laugh out loud A TON. Bonus fact: the main actor in this movie, Adam Devine, was born in Waterloo, Iowa (see bullet below).
- Seeing that the 2020 RAGBRAI route goes through Waterloo, Iowa (basically, my hometown). I think Dad and I will do Day 4 and 5 (right, Dad?!?!) through Waterloo, then past it, like we did in 2015. The fun thing about doing the midweek days, rather than the last day like we normally do, is the nighttime events. In 2015, we got to go to a fun free concert the night after we rode! On the last day, people are understandably eager to pack up and go.
Sunday
- Finally getting the Christmas tree out of the house and de-Christmasing. Woot! This is the longest we’ve ever taken to remove our tree… oops. But we did it! We take our tree to the local forest preserve, and they chip it and use it for the trails and landscaping. Cool, right? In past years, we transported it in the back of Steven’s work van, but he doesn’t have that van anymore, so we cut the tree in half and took it in two trips to the preserve in my car. I’m glad it all worked out, and there aren’t a zillion needles in my car (just like, one hundred).
- Family Dinner #2 for the weekend at our house! Jen, Troy, and Declan came over for homemade guac and (ordered out) pizza and games.
Lowlights
- I remembered at 4:00 am Saturday that I was supposed to log on to my work computer Friday night to email a file out. When I did, I saw a bunch of emails about someone getting national accolades for something I did, which upset me. But that person actually said “I am surprised Kim is not getting the recognition since she’s running the show/etc.”, which I appreciated! But it still stings. Their name is the one out there, and they haven’t been very involved.
OMG! That totally sucks about the project recognition. I know how badly that stings and I’m sorry. I’m happy someone mentioned you but it’s not enough. I hope somehow that is rectified. We all know who the star is!
Thanks. It was really hard to see since their name was featured nationally across all of our company and I wasn’t mentioned at all. 🙁 I am grateful they thought to call me out.
I am so impressed with how perfect your pictures look – that laser level method is awesome. Much better than my estimate, bang a nail into the wall, hang, step back, assess, remove picture and nail and try again method, LOLOLOL.
Totally understand not wanting to drive in those conditions as your accident sounded terrifying. I think it’s OK – some fears don’t need to be conquered until they do. They don’t right now.
RAGBRAI should be super fun this year! Are you going to do the other ride as well?
That was my previously used method! Which worked fine, too 😉
Thanks for saying that about driving. I do hope I get better at some point – I hate feeling so nervous about driving to work!
I am only going to do some of RAGBRAI. I am curious to hear about Iowa’s Ride and how people like it though!
Aww man… that’s a definite low for the weekend 🙁 It sucks that someone else got that recognition. But good for them trying to correct the record and remind people that you were the one running the show.
Yes, I am so glad they did that – not many would!!!
Ooh, thanks for the “Jexi” review. The reviews were so bad that I’ve been skipping it.
I’m sorry about the snow stress; I think I can relate after having an ice-related driving accident many years ago. I’m glad you’ve got a supportive partner to help out!
What did you put in your homemade gyros?
I randomly grabbed it at the library and am so glad I did! I would be curious what you think since it’s a San Fran tech industry movie.
Yeah, you get it! I am glad too. It would be easy to tell me to deal with it. How did your driving lesson go?
Steven made homemade seitan for the gyro “meat,” then did a vegan yogurt sauce (store bought vegan yogurt) with cucumber and green onion and spices and it! And we topped it with tomato and green onion. Nom.
I have such a crush on Adam Devine, lolol. He’s just so goofy and adorable. I recently learned that so many people can’t stand him and it was shocking to me. He seems so harmless. Ha.
That lowlight is really awful, ugh. I am sorry you’re dealing with that! It SUCKS not to be recognized for the work you put in. Hugs!!
I usually cannot stand him because he normally plays such annoying roles! But he’s not annoying in Jexi; he just seems like a normal guy.
Thank you! I talked to that client yesterday and he mentioned he has a call with the communications guy in my region to talk about me, solely, so I wonder if they are doing a write-up on me. Other people on the project were really upset I was not mentioned and were making noise about it, so that may be why he’s talking to him. I’m grateful other people wanted to recognize me!
I know a place you can stay on your overnight!!! 😀 Although it’s not in Wloo, so maybe that makes it not acceptable..
Also – what happened with the RAGBRAI drama?
Also – is Will going to ride this year?!
Thanks for the offer! I was going to ask! That would be great. We will probably request a ride to Iowa Falls and pickup from Aanamosa.
So the entire RAGRBRAI staff quit, and started Iowa’s Ride, and was going to have it the same week as RAGBRAI. RAGBRAI hired new staff. Bike clubs told Iowa’s Ride it was ridic to have both rides the same week, and making planning difficult for the clubs. So Iowa’s Ride moved their ride up a week, and is having it go east to west across Iowa, vs RAGBRAI going west to east the following week. I am curious how many clubs will do Iowa’s Ride instead.
Will should totally ride!