2023 Goals Check-in #12
I’ll be posting monthly check-ins on my 2023 Goals. This is (FINAL!!!!) check-in #12!
Take care of my health
What to say, what to say… how about I made it through December?!?! Woo hoo! December felt more stressful and less joyous than in years past. I hate to say this, because I’m a Christmas lover, but it felt so good to get past Christmas and back to some routine and quiet. That’s mostly a reflection on my mental health.
So, not a stellar month, but not horrible. I had a 2.1% weight gain and an overall 19.5% loss for the year. I hit that overall loss number around June and am proud to have stayed around it for half the year. Success!
I ran, walked, biked (still biking outside!), and took strength classes at WWM this month. I had one therapy session, one massage, and two INR appointments. I met with my vascular doctor and he said I’m doing great and don’t need to see him for a year! I prioritized getting enough sleep, but learned it didn’t matter if I got enough sleep if I woke up every hour.
Spend less
(mostly tracking my two vices – sending packages and getting Starbucks)
I mailed three Christmas gifts ($8.67, $6.09, and $9.12, $23.88 total) and one birthday gift ($7.98), for a total of $31.86 spent on shipping in December.
January: $248.76
February: $81
March: $72.54
April: $44.40
May: $37.37
June: $99.47
July: $15.09
August: $48.86
September: $32.35
October: $0
November: $77.72
December: $31.86
Total: $789.42
Last year: $1740
Overall I spent $789.42 on shipping this year – $950.58 less than last year. Success!
I went to Starbucks quite a few times in December! I bought gift cards there on 12/1 ($45, 3 cards) and 12/23 ($10, 1 card) and got drinks 5 times – on 12/9 in Kansas City by myself, on 12/18 after my doctor appointment with Steven, on 12/24 on the way to Iowa with Steven (we shared), on 12/26 on the way home from Iowa with Steven (we shared) and on 12/30 after a walk with Steven.
That was a lot for the month but writing about my visits here really held me accountable. I was ASHAMED when they sent me my 2022 yearly recap:
104 visits?! What the actual f-word, Kim?!
I was hoping they’d send a recap this year in the same style but they didn’t. But I know I only went 32 times since I tracked it here. And I almost always had a gift card or free drink – I only reloaded my card a couple times, and when I bought gift cards. So, success!
Continue to purge things I don’t use from the house
Hmm, I didn’t donate anything this month or throw much away. I did come back from Christmas and immediately want to get rid of things in the storage room, but didn’t.
This category was not a huge success. It needs to be a concentrated effort, not worked on little but little (which is still better than nothing!).
Visit a new state with Steven
We visited two new states in October – Maine and New Hampshire! Success!
Maine Day 1
Maine Day 2
Maine Day 3
Maine/New Hampshire Day 4
Maine Day 5
Hide a rock a day for the year
FINALLY DONE! SUCCESS!!!! If I was not already burned out on social media, this challenge did me in. But I completed it! I only fibbed one day (way early on, when Steven kindly offered to pick up my prescription and I gratefully said yes then remembered when he got home I was going to do my hide that day – so I did two spots the next day) and legit went out and hid a freaking rock and recorded it every other day. GAH. NEVER AGAIN.
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Things I’m Excited About in January
This is going to be a short list because what I’m most excited about this month is how little we have going on (compared to December). I just want some quiet and time at home. We had that this weekend and it was amazing to just be and relax. I actually painted! Three days in a row! Craziness!
I’ll add words to these rocks later
Anyway, on to this short list:
- 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?
- 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?
What’s on your list for January?
2023: Unexpected Happenings
2023 was full of unexpected (mostly wonderful but some not so much) happenings and I’ve got to document them! Don’t worry, I’ll just do list form. Ooo, but let’s do categories!
Wonderful
- Paying off my student loans
- Going back to therapy
- Traveling so much! Tucson, LA (twice!), Denver, Arkansas, Maine, and Iowa a bunch of times.
- Visiting 3 National Parks
- Getting to fly with Steven – I didn’t realize I could be a passenger as he learned!
- Starting a strength class and falling in love! I’ve taken 59 classes since August 14th.
- Starting to listen to audiobooks
- Dying my hair for the first time as an adult
- Making so many new friends
- Josh and Lily (Steven’s flight instructor and his fellow instructor/girlfriend)
- People at WWM
- Danielle and Kelly (friends from that half marathon I did)
- Seeing far away friends so many times
- Tiff & Val – three times! (we had planned for two), and Val bonus times in Denver and Maine
- Courtney and David – two times (we had planned for zero)
- Booking a trip to Europe. The idea came to me in July to celebrate my 40th with a trip to Europe, and I booked it in October (for spring 2024).
Wonderful but Stressful
- Teaching veterans to rock paint (I taught the staff then did 4 sessions with veterans). This was a wonderful opportunity but making time to do it and the drive to the city was too much.
- Working so much for Fake Meats. It’s really fulfilling to help Steven but it takes time and is never done. Such is small business life!
- Getting Tywin neutered then finding out he has FIV
We got vegan cinnamon rolls after I got my APS news
Not Wonderful
- Finding out I have Antiphospholipid Syndrome (APS) and need to take blood thinners for life
- One of Steven’s friends from childhood passing away
- Several family members having breast cancer (none are blood family)
- Painting so much less
Reading Update (2023 #71-73)
[71] The Nanny by Lana Ferguson
Fiction / Romance / Contemporary, saw in “Available Now” on Libby, Kindle
Synopsis: Cassie can’t afford to pay rent or for schooling since she quit doing OnlyFans. She sees an opening for a nanny position that seems too good to be true – it provides a place to live and great pay. She gets the job and loves the kid and is attracted to the (single) father and tries to keep it professional, but that goes awry (obviously) and then she figures out he was her #1 OnlyFan – the one she thought she had a connection with but never showed up when they planned to meet.
Review: Gosh, it feels odd to say this, but this book was mostly sex with not a lot of substance and I was not super there for it! Weird, because lately I’ve been annoyed with closed door books and this one was the complete opposite. I guess I’m having a Goldilocks moment. They kept mentioning Cassie’s tough past with parents who didn’t want her but never really got into it, and it was weird to use that to help her connect with the daughter (who is said her dad works so many hours as a chef) but not really explain more about it. I wanted more character development.
Recommend? No
[72] Winter Stroll by Elin Hilderbrand
Fiction Women, book 2 after Winter Street, audiobook
Synopsis: Book 2 in this series picks up just under a year after the first book ended – in the first weekend of December when Nantucket has its Winter Stroll – a festive open house of businesses and homes and a ball. The Quinn family is back with more drama.
Review: I enjoyed this as much as the first book. It was entertaining and short, and every storyline kept me engaged! I’d say more, but don’t want to give the storyline away.
Recommend? Yes
[73] Wreck the Halls by Tessa Bailey
Fiction / Romance / Romantic Comedy, wanted to read because I’ve liked past Tessa Bailey and this was new and seemingly holiday themed, Kindle
Synopsis: Beat and Melody’s mothers were a famous rock duo called Steel Birds back in the day but had nasty breakup and haven’t spoken in 30 years. Beat and Melody met once, when they were both 14, for a feature on the band, but were otherwise separated by living on different coasts and by their mothers hating one another. When a network approaches Beat about doing a reality show to reunite the band he initially says no, but comes around to the idea because he’s being blackmailed and needs the money the network will give him to pay his blackmailer. He gets Melody on board and and the feelings they had for one another at their brief meeting at age 14 (they’re now 30) resurfaces.
Review: What a disappointment. I thought I really liked Tessa Bailey because of It Happened One Summer and Hook, Line, and Sinker but this story was weak and ridiculous. And not Christmassy, which bothered a lot of people on Good Reads, ha ha. I didn’t mind the ridiculousness of a filming set following them around – that may have been the only interesting part of the story. It was mostly that Beat and Melody felt they had any connection at all beyond their mothers, and how Beat punished himself for his privilege. And gah, what a lame ending.
Recommend? No
Trying out the Asics Nimbus 25s
I didn’t recap our Christmas Day! Oops! We stayed at my snister’s all day and everyone came there. It’s so lovely to be in one place all day. We used to run around to three different houses and I thought that was fun when I was younger, but now I enjoy just being. The chaos doesn’t appeal to me anymore.
In the morning I ran with Dad, then everyone came over for lunch and presents, then most folks left and Steven and I watched a holiday movie his dentist hygienist had recommended (Noelle, we liked it), then we hung with the remaining family and went to bed. A nice, chill day. I was in the moment and the only photo I took is off me and dad on our run/ride.
My dad is AMAZING for riding his bike slowly for 7+ miles in the rain with me! One of my best Christmas presents.
Which is what I came here to talk about anyway!
I received a pair of the Asics Gel-Nimbus 25s for my birthday (in July!) and was finally brave enough to try them Christmas Day. I had my doubts, but Val had told me good things about her updated Asics, and so had you all (re: your super cushioned shoes)!
They just look so different from the 24s. The 24s rare on top below, the 25s are on bottom:
Anyway! Verdict – they felt good on that run. It was all hard surface and the cushion felt nice. I was worried that being higher off the ground would make me trip, but I didn’t. I felt optimistic about them.
Then I wore them for my long run on the crushed limestone trail yesterday. And they felt too cushiony and light at first. I didn’t even know that was POSSIBLE! But for the first 3-5 miles of my run, my feet felt off, like I lost my connection to the trail. Weird, right? Or maybe not. By the end of the run they felt okay.
And, lots of rocks got into them on the trail, which was annoying. But I can wear gaiters to fix that.
So, early review is great on hard surfaces (which I try to avoid running on), and weird on trails. I will try them again on the trails to see if that feeling continues or if I get used to it.
Unrelated, but Jen and Troy and family came over last night for pizza, treats, and games, and we had such a fun time. I pulled out the game Loaded Questions, and I had forgotten how funny it can be! It’s simple – you roll a die and try to get across a board first, and on the way you ask the group questions from a card based on what you land on. Then everyone answers and you have to guess who says what. It just gets so silly. We were laughing so hard and I loved it. There might be a few inside jokes now too, related to someone getting “lots of kisses”. Ha ha ha.
And they saw our tree! So that’s four outside parties that saw it!
And Jen bonded with Khali and Ned. And we tried to convince them to take Tywin home (Tywin greeted them and walked them to the front door).
Ha, talking about a die reminded me of playing a game with our nephews Christmas night and it involved rolling a die. Ella was sitting on my lap so I taught her to blow on the die for good luck. Such a good aunt.
And one more Christmas story! It’s so fun to watch the kids open their gifts. Nephew William was opening something from my mom and he opens it all excited and goes “Are you serious?! Are you serious?!” I don’t even remember what it was but I loved seeing and hearing his joy at receiving it.
2023: Taking Back My Health
My biggest focus in 2023 was taking back my health, and I’m proud of the slow progress I made – and want to share my timeline!
TW: some discussion of weight & eating stuff
First, some history – I’ve been a runner since 2006, and even taught small group fitness classes from 2013-2020, but have always had binge eating problems. It’s gotten better this year but I haven’t mastered it yet. And that’s okay, progress isn’t linear. I’ll keep at it.
All that to say, while I’ve been active for many years, since I’ve never had the diet portion of my life figured out, my weight has fluctuated during all that time. At the beginning of 2023 I was at my heaviest weight ever and felt like garbage – because I was eating mostly garbage. I also wasn’t running (I hadn’t since 10/26/22), because running didn’t feel good or bring me joy anymore.
I didn’t feel like myself. I missed feeling healthy, eating nourishing foods, and running. My 2023 goal started out with a focus on wanting to lose weight so it would feel better to run again, but it evolved into a physical and mental health journey.
Note: this timeline is just the highlights and doesn’t include everything in those categories
January – December
Physical: I tried to eat reasonable portions and not binge eat but also not have anything off limits (except when I took a break from sweets). I very much have an “everything in moderation” mindset.
Mental: I continued to read, paint, and take baths for relaxation. I went on some friend dates in the beginning of the year and that trailed off when my summer got nutso busy.
January & February
Physical: I walked every day and did a half assed strength workout at home every few days.
Mental: I took time off work and went to Tucson to spend time with Tiff and Val. I stopped tracking my workouts as intensely as before or being concerned about ending workouts in “.00.”
March
Physical – I started running again – I had lost some weight and had more energy and was excited to try again (after four months off!). I walked on days I didn’t run (and sometimes did those half assed strength workouts at home).
Mental – I took time off (full time) work in LA with Steven (although it was partially a work trip for Fake Meats).
April
Physical – I continued running and got my bike tuned up. I walked on days I didn’t run (and sometimes did those half assed strength workouts at home).
May
Physical – I started riding my bike again, and continued running (Steven and I did a deliberately slow and cautious buildup to a 5K in June). I walked on days I didn’t run (and sometimes did those half assed strength workouts at home).
Mental – I started therapy for burnout (I started working for Steven parttime in January and started teaching some rock painting classes but didn’t reprioritize my time and hobbies and was struggling).
June
Physical – Steven and I ran our 5K, I started half marathon training, and I started massage again. I walked on days I didn’t run (and sometimes did those half assed strength workouts at home).
Mental – I continued therapy.
July
Physical – Steven and I ran another 5K, I did lots of long runs and long rides and LOVED THEM, and I did RAGBRAI (56 mile bike ride) with my Dad and snister. I got a standing height desk for home. I continued massage. I walked on days I didn’t run (and sometimes did those half assed strength workouts at home).
Mental – I took time off work for trips to Iowa (trip 2 with Tiff and Val and family, trip 3 with Steven and family), I continued therapy.
August
Physical – I completed half marathon training but didn’t run a half. I started doing group fitness at WWM. I continued massage. I kept up with cycling outside. I walked on days I didn’t run.
Mental – I took some time off work in Denver and hung out with Val and Carrie. I continued therapy. I flew with Steven for the first time and realized it makes me extremely happy and giddy.
September
Physical – I tried acupuncture and liked it! Unfortunately they would not work with my insurance so I haven’t been back. I did a 10K with Rachel. I kept up with group fitness. I continued massage. I kept up with cycling outside. I walked on days I didn’t run.
Mental – I started journaling and stopped sharing my weekend recaps here (which lifted a self-imposed “must document everything!” weight, and helped with some uneasy feelings of all that being public). I took this month off therapy, which was a bad idea.
October
Physical – I got balayage. I ran a half marathon and made two new friends. I kept doing long runs after the half. I kept up with group fitness. I continued massage. I kept up with cycling outside. I walked on days I didn’t run.
Mental – I took time off work for a trip to Maine with Steven, Val and Steve. I dabbled in meditation. I started therapy back up. I set boundaries.
November & December
Physical – I kept up with long runs and group fitness. I continued massage. I kept up with cycling outside. I walked on days I didn’t run.
Mental – I traveled to LA to spend time with Tiff and Val. I kept up with therapy and journaling. I said no to co-hosting a rock painting challenge again to protect my mental health (and am so glad I did – December was nuts with work).
Hopefully the very repetitive nature of this timeline demonstrates how I slowly built all of these things up. That is what has made keeping up with them all possible – I didn’t try to do it all at once. And I think slowly building up my fitness has kept me from getting injured, too (*knock on wood).
It wasn’t all sunshine and roses though – my mental health has gone up and down throughout the year. I felt mentally burned out for most of December. I’ve been struggling to come up with creative ideas for months. My eating has been off since October (but I’m determined to get back on track so I feel my best again). I wanted to try fitting yoga in and still haven’t. Etc, etc. There are always improvements to be made!
But! I’m extremely proud of the progress I’ve made this year and am excited to have this foundation going into 2024. I’m curious to see how consistent strength training transforms (or doesn’t?) me, and if my body will feel healthy enough to run a marathon (I plan to see how I feel in late February/or mid March then decide. Or heck, maybe even April. Ha!).
Random Thoughts Thursday 435
- Tywin update! He is doing well outside since he went back out on the 22nd!
- When we got back Tuesday Steven noticed the front right tire of my car was flat and filled it with air for me. I completely forgot about it until I left for class Wednesday morning at 5:34 am and there was a warning it was low. Err…. I didn’t want to drive on it, but if we are late to class we have to do burpees! I reversed down the driveway, rushed upstairs to get the key to Steven’s car, then it took me 5 minutes to back it out without hitting the garage (he has to park really close to the right and I could not recall the maneuver to get out). I sped to class and was three minutes late! But! The first class had gone long and I was safe from burpees. Phew. Steven took it to the tire shop for me and it had a nail in it. All fixed. Thanks, Steven. (Note, we had lots of burpees in class today, womp womp.)
- I got my step increase at work! Woo hoo! Since I work for the federal government, my pay is schedule based (not merit based) and only increases if I move positions into a new grade, get a new (time-based) step in my grade, or get a cost of living increase. I am at steps 4-6 of my current grade and get the increase every two years. So my next one will be in 2025 (but we will hopefully get cost of living increases each January).
- I feel like something changed in Google spell check recently. If I type a word wrong and am one letter off, it won’t offer me the word I was trying to write. So I just retype it. It’s annoying. Like, it could not figure out delicious and schedule below?
- Steven got me Kindle Unlimited! I’m excited to have that, along with my virtual library card (to a library in North Carolina*) for reading and listening options.
*Since we are unincorporated, we have to pay to use the local library, and it’s quite expensive so I use a cheaper out of state library. I wonder if the cost went down since I last checked. Just kidding, I live in Illinois, why would the cost go down on something?
Week in the Life THOUGHTS
Whoa. Writing all those “Week in the Life” posts was intense – they take a lot of time to write and prep photos for, let alone remember all the stuff I did during the day. The smarter move would have been to do a “day in the life,” see if I liked that, then bump up into a week.
Playing with Photoshop AI with our nephews
The other smart move would have been to not pick such a stupid busy week with so much running around and very little downtime. Sigh.
I didn’t love doing it, but I’m glad I tried it out! I actually learned a lot about myself, mostly that:
- I’m doing an incredibly atrocious job of having real downtime. I fill my downtime between activities with tasks and it leaves me exhausted and cranky. I do this because I hope getting more done during the day will leave me time at the end of the day to relax, but it rarely works out like that. I only seem to relax when I leave the house and spend time with other people. When I do this (don’t take real downtime):
- Small unimportant inconveniences set me off.
- I just want to be left alone.
- I don’t feel very talkative.
- I should NOT have scheduled the cats to have to go to the vet every Friday for 5 weeks. That was nuts. I won’t make that mistake again.
- Having Tywin in the house was really stressing me out and I didn’t realize by how much until he went back outside (then the guilt about that set in).
- My Garmin thinks very little of me.
- Posting to my rock Instagram at night instead of in the morning may make me feel less overwhelmed.
And I already knew that:
- I dislike having lots of appointments, or stacked appointments. I stack them thinking it will be more efficient (see above about trying to do more so I can do less later) then end up making myself irate.
- I don’t like logging what I eat.
- Forcing myself to document things takes away the fun.
- It’s not appropriate for me to share much about work (my full time job) on here.
I loved:
- How supportive you all were with reading those long posts, thank you!
- How many people could relate to my rants about certain trivial things. That made me feel better about it. Thank you!
Will I do a whole week again? I am leaning toward no but never say never!
Will I keep working in therapy on trying to be more relaxed and less panicked about my to do list? Yes.
Week in the Life: Sunday, December 24
I was inspired by Stephany & Beckett to do a week in the life series! Tune in (or tune out!) for the mundane!
6:30 am – I didn’t sleep well, but I got 8 hours and managed to sleep in until 6:30! Woo hoo! I get up and go to the bathroom and brush my teeth, then give the cats their wet food. I open up the dishwasher to let the dishes dry out (we always run it before we leave), then edit my Saturday post and publish it.
My calves felt a bit tight when I walk down the stairs so I get out the Stick and roll them. Go figure, my watch actually told me to run this morning, but I don’t plan to.
7:05 am – I chase Apollo around the foyer and in the downstairs bathroom, petting him. It’s a game he likes to play where he wants to be petted but is constantly moving. He happily rolls around in the bathtub – something he loves to do but hasn’t for a week since Tywin was in there.
7:15 am – I change, start Mega Maid (our robot vacuum), eat breakfast, and go for a walk on our street, finishing Winter Stroll and then listening to a Fuel for the Sole podcast.
8:07 am – I see Mega Maid came apart while she was cleaning and didn’t vacuum, so I get out the vacuum and do it, then shower, finish packing, and get the house ready to go. Tywin helps Steven pack the car.
9:20 am – We head out and stop to get gas/Dunkin Donuts (for Steven), then drive through Wisconsin to Iowa.
10:40 am – We stop at Starbucks to go to the bathroom and I get a gingerbread oatmilk chai and share it with Steven. I do my rock hide of the day as we head out.
Rock by @happystones_netherlands
10:48 am – We back on the road and I quiz Steven from the Pilot Test Prep book all the way to lunch (with one stop at a rest center for me to use the bathroom).
12:45 pm – We get Taco Bell in Dubuque, Iowa. Their order system is so easy to use, and even has a “switch to veggie” (vegetarian) button. I’m impressed! My taco and crunchwrap are delish.
1:15 pm – We head back out on the road. I drink most of the Dr Pepper Steven got when he left Taco Bell. I work on the Fake Meats reel about the peppermint rice krispies in the car, then quiz Steven more.
2:23 pm – We arrive at my older brother’s for family photo. The whole family shows up and we take the photo then hang out a bit. I give my younger brother the blanket he asked me to make, and I say yes when m sister-in-law asks if I want a bloody mary.
4:03 pm – We drive to my snister’s and I quiz Steven more. We bring all our stuff in, then I get my computer out to write the caption and post the reel I made in the car.
5:00 pm – Hang out time with the fam! We have soup for dinner,
then some cake, and I get out my computer to edit the family photo and use AI to make a ridiculous version that our nephews find hilarious.
We play Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza, hang out a bit more, then we get ready for bed. I read a bit and am asleep by 10:14 pm!
Week in the Life: Saturday, December 23
I was inspired by Stephany & Beckett to do a week in the life series! Tune in (or tune out!) for the mundane!
5:18 am – I wake up to Apollo scratching at the carpet right before his feeder goes off. I get up, make sure everyone gets food (Tywin doesn’t eat at first, and is not very talkative, so I hold him for a bit then he eats), then go back upstairs to go to the bathroom and get ready for the day.
I open Instagram to look at the birthday picture I posted for Steven, then remember to edit my “hiding a rock a day” reel – I haven’t added any videos to the draft in a few days.
Again, my watch tells me to take a rest day. Granted, I got under 6 hours of sleep. UGH. I need more sleep. Maybe tonight.
5:50 am – I reread and edit my Friday post then publish it. I haven’t made time to read blogs lately so I open Feedly to read and comment (and enjoy my breakfast while doing so).
6:23 am – I finish catching up and feed the cats their wet food because Apollo is crying LIKE HE IS DYING.
6:30 am – I wrap a present for a friend who has a December 30th birthday. I try to make it look nice, because the packages she sends are always beautiful.
6:43 am – I remember I have some long DMs on my rock Instagram and try to respond to them quickly before I drive to class.
6:49 am – I drive to class and listen to Winter Stroll.
7:00 am – Upper Body class. I feel lightheaded and have a headache and get Tylenol out of my car during class to take. Eek! Saturday class does not jive with me.
8:03 am – I drive to Walmart and find the perfect birthday card for my friend, and get some candy canes I need to make rice krispies later.
8:22 am – I do my rock hide at Starbucks and get a gift card for my friend then drive home.
8:32 am – I arrive home and make my shake and start a bath. I’ve been wanting to take a bath all week but that’s the room Tywin was in so I didn’t (because his stuff was everywhere). It’s a short bath, and kind of annoying, because Starbuck is scratching at the door to get in and Steven lets her in when he brings me vegan bacon (!!!), and she is fine for a minute then Ned comes in and she growls at him and he won’t leave. Sigh. I’m such a grump this week. I post my rock hiding reel for the week and get out.
9:13 am – I get dressed and package my friend’s gift and buy postage for it.
9:38 am – I make the base for the rice krispies (they use peppermint marshmallows and have peppermint extract in them) and chat with Steven.
10:23 am – I go to the post office to drop off the package and check my PO box, then get gas.
10:53 am – I arrive back home and put on holiday music and start wrapping our remaining gifts. Since Steven is helping we get in done in under 30 mins, woo hoo!
11:27 am – We finish the rice krispies – we melt white chocolate chips and spread it over the top, then put crushed candy canes on top of that.
11:45am – I change and put makeup on.
11:50 am – We eat some of our Thursday night leftovers.
12:00 pm – We clean up lunch and cut up some rice krispies to take with us. We drive to Evanston (arrive at 1:00 pm) to visit Eric & Abbie and their family, and Abbie’s parents and sister, who are in town for Christmas. We have a wonderful time with lots of laughs, catching up, great conversation, and yummy snacks, and drinks (I even have some prosecco!).
Their cat, Iris
5:45 pm – We drive home and arrive around 6:35 pm. I feed the cats and tidy up the kitchen and get some things ready for the cat sitter. Steven makes us leftover sandwiches for dinner.
6:50 pm – We eat and watch The Other Guys – it’s taking us three viewings to complete this movie, a sign of how wacky our nights have been! I work on this post then respond to blog comments, respond to some Fake Meats comments, and delete emails from my spam account.
7:20 pm – We clean up after dinner (Steven cleans the litters while I do this each night), give the cats their nighttime dry food, and go upstairs to get ready for bed and pack for our trip to Iowa. I read Wreck the Halls for a bit, and swear that I fall asleep before 9:00 but my watch says 10:07 pm when I check the next day. That can’t be right!
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! 🙂
