Officially an old
I needed to contact my snister last Thursday to update her on our travel plans, but I was on the go and too lazy to use my fingers to type a text on my phone, so I did the unimaginable – I called her. I’m officially an old!
Well, actually, I FaceTimed her. I wouldn’t just call someone. I’m not a monster. Ha ha ha.
Photo actually from a different FaceTime
So here’s the thing, Lately (like, for the last 6+ months), I’ve been so sick of using my fingers to text or type in my phone. I’m also super hesitant to open and read long texts or emails. If I open my Instagram DMs and see I have 5 unread messages from a friend I love but who normally sends long messages? I’m not going to open it right away. Really, I’m not going to open it until I’m at a computer (and am in the right headspace) and can respond there. Texting, messaging, and emailing from the computer is definitely preferable to using my phone*.
And preferable on top of that? Seeing people’s faces. FaceTime. Using Marco Polo. I can’t believe I’m saying that about Marco Polo. When Tiff suggested she, Val, and I start using it, I thought I would hate it because I dislike watching long videos. But it turns out when it’s my friends talking I care, and pay attention for the whole video. And it feels so much better than reading a text.
It’s funny to me that what sustained and fulfilled me so many years** – mainly communicating via the written word – isn’t quite doing it anymore. And it’s definitely a me, not them, thing. I’m just so burned out on communicating that way. Sounds like I’m craving in person interactions!
*The phone has a sense of urgency, since it’s almost always near me, despite having most notifications turned off, and despite telling myself I can take however long I want to respond. The computer makes me feel more in control, like I can do things on my time.
**Especially during the pandemic. I was at the height of my Instagram use and meeting so many new people and DMing and commenting all the time! Now I hardly ever want to do that! I just want to BE.
It was cold in Iowa last weekend
So far in 2024 I’ve been focusing on rushing less, doing less, and documenting less*, and it’s been absolutely lovely. It’s been a slow and gentle start to the year, mostly because we’ve had sh*t weather and are leaving the house less. Hey, I’ll take it.
We did leave this weekend though! We drove to Ames, Iowa, for a belated Christmas celebration with Steven’s dad and brother. None of us live in Ames, but we all went to college there, and Steven’s dad has some family there, so we picked it as an in-between point.
In the spirit of less documentation, here is the only “group” photo I took this weekend.
Each of us are represented with a stocking. Ha.
We got in Friday night around the same time, unpacked the cars, then got dinner. Steven and I both slept so well that night and Saturday night that we documented the brand of mattress when we left (it’s novaform brand, not sure which one).
On Saturday I walked** to the store for groceries and a chai for me,
I think the high Saturday was 4°F
Oh! And I did my first rock hides of the year!
then we had breakfast at the Airbnb and exchanged presents. Steven, his dad, and I toured Steven’s rebuilt fraternity, then got lunch, then explored campus*** and town, then we hung out a bit with Steven’s brother back at the Airbnb before the extended family came over and hung out for the evening.
On Sunday I ran** outside. It was -1°F with a -15° windchill, but I was bundled up and felt fine! But… I also got lost and had to run through deep snow to get back to the trail and added on an extra 2.5 miles. Oops?
We checked out of our Airbnb, got breakfast, and hit the road around 10:45 am! A short but good visit!
We stopped and saw my family on the way to Ames on Friday and on the way back home Sunday. My dad’s mom was feeling unwell and it was important to me to see her Friday, then of course I had to say hi to everyone who was over at my snister’s. That was a great way to break up the 6 hour drive and made me feel a little better about missing seeing them the weekend before!
*I didn’t even post on my personal Instagram until January 19th! WHO AM I?!
**Whenever I do Myers-Briggs I always test right on the edge of I/E, and get an E, but let me tell ya, YA GIRL is sometimes exhausted after peopling all day. EXHAUSTED. That is why I start my day with a workout and time to myself. I really need it before (and after) a day of making conversation.
***I wish it hadn’t been sub zero temps so we could get out and walk campus. Someday!
Random Thoughts Thursday 438
- Yesterday I did something I haven’t since February 2021 – I ran on our treadmill! And while I was super bored, it wasn’t horrible. Woo hoo, success! I prefer to run outside, but I don’t when it’s slick out, a heavy snowstorm, or miserably cold winds (which is what we’ve had a variety of since Friday).
- The good news is I acclimated FAST to normal cold weather, and running in 11°F with little wind this morning felt completely fine (I did need to shower asap to warm up). Not saying I prefer that temperature for running, but it was fine!
- I noticed I paid much better attention to work meetings right after the holidays when I didn’t have a ton of meetings that day or lots of people chatting or emailing me during them. I felt so refreshed. Today I have eight meetings. Sigh.
- I’ve really gotten back into painting. Yay! I’m loving doing these “smeary” rocks and putting motivational messages on them. However, I haven’t hid a single rock this year! I’m burned out from hiding a rock a day last year. I will get back to it at some point!
Everyone’s welcome!
Do people still get pissy about gyms being crowded in January because of resolutioners? Probably?
My feeling is the exact opposite. I was excited for new folks to come work out at WWM at the beginning of the year. I have my best workouts when there are lots of people in class. I feed off of the energy of the room. Sometimes when I’m in a smaller class and don’t need to partner up at a station, I will ask someone if I can partner with them anyway so I push myself harder.
The holiday party! I think this photo is by Marissa-Gomez Photography. Trying to confirm.
So I was kind of bummed I didn’t meet any new people in the first couple weeks of the year! But yesterday there were FOUR new folks in class. Woo hoo! I introduced myself to them and partnered up with one. I hope they keep coming back at the rate that works for them!
Don’t drive in a whiteout
I’m sad to report I missed our youngest nephews’ joint birthday party on Saturday in Iowa. Iowa got a lot of snow, then Illinois started to get a lot of snow, then the winds picked up, then the snow stopped, but the winds kept going (and THEN the temps dropped below 0°F).
Snow Friday am (stopped in front of our mailbox)
We learned the hard way in December 2022 not to travel on the open plain highways of Iowa when strong winds are blowing snow across. There’s nothing to block the snow and it causes super scary whiteout conditions. I remember my watch kept buzzing during that trip saying “Your heart rate is elevated. Do you want to do a breathing exercise?” No, what I want is this cLoWn who has been tailing us for 30 miles to GO AWAY. Sigh.
The good news is, Iowa has an excellent 511 app that shows road conditions very clearly – including photos from the plows, so I was able to make an informed decision not to go. Again, the bad news is I didn’t go. I’m going to try to visit later this month.
I feel like I jinxed myself by writing about this trip on my Things I’m Excited About in January post. Or… it could be January in the midwest. We’ll never know.
Let’s review that list though:
- Relaxing and recharging at home ✔️
- Prioritizing sleep and healthier eating ✔️
- Going to William and Leo’s birthday party 🚫
- Running with Dad while I’m in town? There’s still hope for this, Dad! I know you’re reading!
- Quizzing Steven more from his Private Pilot 2024 Test Prep Book ✔️
- Seeing how the ISU (Iowa State University) campus has changed
- Maybe running on campus?
The only upside to not going is that I had a three-day weekend at home with no plans. See item 1: relaxing and recharging at home. On Friday afternoon I took a nap during the time I’d requested off for travel, then we had a chill evening of watching movies and painting. That nap was amazing. I’m still thinking about it.
Horrible pic of me but look at those three! Aww!
On Saturday I went to a strength workout at the gym then ran on an indoor track (at another gym). Then was busy the rest of the day with errands and chores, but Steven and I finished the night with dinner at El Famous and a video call with my family (I had left our nephews’ birthday presents in Iowa in December so we watched them open them. I’m glad I did that!).
Sunday was so damn cold the only smart thing to do was stay inside (okay, and go outside briefly to resin rocks in the garage and take rock photos). I did a few chores, a little Fake Meats work, a short walk (on the treadmill!), then painted and quizzed Steven from his test prep book the rest of the day (with movies on, naturally). I’m going to be able pass this test by the time we’re done reviewing the book!
And on Monday I had plans to repeat Saturday – strength workout then run, but I felt so off* during my strength workout that I went home and showered then went to Immediate Care (I got in right away!), and got a prescription for antibiotics (which I was able to pick up right away!), then ran, then met Steven for lunch (at El Famous AGAIN!**), then did Fake Meats work when I got home and spent the evening listening to movies and painting.
**When I told my snis we were eating there again she said “omg lol I can’t believe you guys aren’t sick of that place yet,” and so I sent her this pic with “I can’t wait to eat this exact same thing I had for dinner sat night.” Ha. I ran 10 miles yesterday then ate that. It was delicious. I could eat it again right meow.
So yeah. I intended to whine about missing the party (which was a success with the cutest decorations and food!) but say it was nice to have a little unplanned quiet at home… and you ended up with a short recap of my weekend. You’re welcome…??? Ha ha.
I mentioned I want to quit rushing around so much, and actually stop and think if the stacking of errands/chores/workouts/whatever I am doing is beneficial or making things worse for me. I’ve been scoring my days. Friday and Sunday got an A, Saturday and Monday got a C. Maybe I will report out on the scores for January at the end of the month.
*There’s like a whole other post here about how amazing our bodies are about telling us some things. I knew immediately that things were NOT okay.
Random Thoughts Thursday 437
- First! If you are a blogger, will you please tell me who your host is and if you like using them? The cost of mine is going up astronomically and I think I need to switch. TIA!
- My therapist kept asking me if my insurance policy was changing for 2024, and I told her no, the co-pay was the same, and figured that was that, BUT she looked into it THERE ARE ISSUES. If I want to keep seeing her virtually in 2024 she has to use a platform she is not in network with. So my options are 1) pay out of pocket, 2) see her in person, or 3) find a new therapist/quit therapy. I went with 3. And am disappointed and frustrated to start over but I don’t want to pay $165 a session until I meet my deductible (it’s a $20 co-pay when the therapist is in network).
- I was hesitant to try using Business Suite (Meta’s social media management program) to schedule content for the Fake Meats’s social media page because I didn’t trust it (and other reasons), but a friend told me how well it was working for them so I tried it out and lo and behold IT WORKS!!!! I can schedule a bunch of stuff and not have to get on my phone until it’s convenient for me! Woo hoo! I feel better the less time I spend on socials so this is a great discovery.
- In bad outdoor cat news: Tywin has been MIA for a week. I hope someone nice took him in.
- In good outdoor cat news: Snow Jr lets me pet him now! I gave it a try Saturday and he loves it!
- A few years ago I bought some Gore Tex cold weather running gear in size XL and was never able to use it because their XL sizing is so small. Even now it barely fits. Sigh, vanity sizing.
- Has anyone else watched Outer Range? We watched it last week and liked it.
My first vision board
I made my first ever vision board Saturday at the gym!
Side note – I LOVE that my gym hosts stuff like this. These events really build the community, and I never would have tried it if it wasn’t offered!
The gym provided the boards, glue, fun scissors, tape, washi, etc., and asked us to bring in magazines. I was shocked to find 7 magazines* in my nightstand drawer, from 2016-2019. They were all health/fitness themed, so my board skewed that way.
It felt good to flip through the magazines and pick out things that spoke to me and place them on the board (and to see what everyone else created!). Now I just need to put it up in my office!
*I used to LOVE getting and reading magazines! When that industry died out and it went digital, I didn’t transfer over to reading digitally. It doesn’t hold my attention like print does.
Reading Update (2024 #1-3)
[1] Winter Storms & [3] Winter Solstice by Elin Hilderbrand
Fiction / Women, book 3&4 in Winter Street Series, audiobook
Synopsis: Books 3 & 4 in the Winter Street Inn series with the Quinn family cover more of the entire year, but still mainly focus on happenings around the holidays. There’s family drama, relationship drama, work drama, health drama, a missing soldier, jail time, drug addiction… and several other story lines. Book 4 ends the series.
Review: I really grew to love the Quinn family characters and want to know more about what happens to them all – book 4 wasn’t tied up with a neat bow (but didn’t end on a cliffhanger or anything). I loved that the 4th book featured characters I’ve read about in other Hilderbrand novels that had not been part of the story yet. It’s fun to read her books and see what happens to these characters over their lives. Overall, this series is enjoyable, easy to follow, and light-hearted enough (like all her books!).
Recommend? Yes
[2] Olivia Strauss is Running Out of Time by Angela Brown
Fiction / Women, free on Kindle First reads, Kindle
Synopsis: Olivia just turned 39 and is freaking out about her age. To make light of it, her best friend invites her on an outing to the Nettle Clinic, where a few tests can tell you your death date. Only they never exactly tell Olivia her results, so it just freaks her out even more.
Review: I did not like this book until the very end, and was honestly hoping Olivia would die. How horrible is that? None of the characters in this book are likeable, very few of Olivia’s decisions made sense to me, and it was driving me absolutely batsh*t crazy that they would not share what her results from the clinic were. Why did I even finish this?!
Recommend? Um, no
WHY AM I LIKE THIS 😐
I’m not doing a list of goals this year, but I did think of ONE thing I should really work on – not rushing around so much.
I have this bad habit of stacking activities/chores/errands/whatever because in my mind that’s more efficient and leaves me more free time later, but it NEVER works out that way. When I get to the end I am exhausted and cranky.
For example, today is my Friday off, my plan is to:
- Do my long run (I won’t have time tomorrow morning and I want to chill Sunday morning with Steven)
- Get a haircut
- Stop at Trader Joe’s?
- Get a massage
- Get a car wash?
- Do a video call with a friend in Australia
That is too much stuff! When I was making the massage appointment for today and saw I already had a hair appointment I almost didn’t make it. But no days next week made sense for the massage, and my body really needs it.
Sigh.
Now, how do I turn this into a SMART goal?
I don’t have any related photos so I present blissed out Starbuck. I should aim to be as calm as her.
Speaking of calm, my snister sent me this message Monday:
I love those three for me. My snister knows me so well. Now, to figure out how to calm down…
Random Thoughts Thursday 436
- Stephany sent me (weeks ago!) a lovely holiday package with a CAT BUTT(!!!) puzzle, cat tea towel, microfiber hair drying towel, and 5 year one-line-a-day journal. Thank you so much for the thoughtful gifts, Stephany! I was thinking about buying a one-line-a-day-journal so it was the perfect gift. Stephany had talked about hers, and it sounds like such a cool exercise. I just started mine on January 1st.
- I woke up January 1st with the cold Steven had at the end of the year. I had planned to start 2024 off with a run, but I went on an easy walk with Steven instead, then took Tuesday completely off (and took the day off from work and rested all day). I’m proud of myself for not forcing exercise when I don’t feel well. That was my MO in the past, but I actually listen to my body now!
When I took my glove off to take this photo it pulled on a friendship bracelet sent to me by a friend from the Netherlands and broke it. Normally, something like this would really upset me, but I was able to save the word she put on it (” ‘HAPPY’ ” because that is how people feel when they are around you” she said) and half the beads and wasn’t upset. Look at me, not getting upset about a small thing. Go Kim!
- I was sad to miss Tuesday’s strength class and happy that I felt well enough to go yesterday. Two friends there asked where I was Monday – there wasn’t class on Monday, but there was a Polar Bear Plunge into Lake Michigan that I never planned on doing but thought about going to watch. It felt really nice that friends from the gym were all “where were you?!” (I told them I was sick and they joked that maybe the cold lake would make me feel better, ha! Doubtful.)
- Not to keep going on and on about having a cold, but does anyone feel like their colds are different after having COVID-19? For example, pre COVID-19, my colds followed a pattern of sore throat, dry cough, productive cough, then phlegm for a week+. Now my colds go much faster and they’re mostly just my eye and nose leaking, and then a dry cough that sometimes becomes a productive cough.
- My right shoulder has been a bit sore since the week of December 11th so I have been going light with weight. All that to say, guess what it being sore perfectly aligns with? Me starting to use this mug (with my right hand) that weighs 3 lbs 6 oz with water in it! Ha! Probably not any real correlation but I thought that was a funny coincidence.
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 work in an account management role. 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! 🙂
