Random Thoughts Thursday 433
- Last night was our office holiday party. In the morning I drove to a different train stop so I would have more options to come home later, then was thinking “will I even want to stay late? Will I have anyone to talk to for that long?” (The party was from 4:00-7:00.) But the time flew by and I talked with lots of different people and had a great time! It’s amusing being the only sober one at these things. I ended up taking the 8:32 train home (got home past 10:00) and am glad I had the later option!
My outfit for the holiday party. Three people approached me to tell me they could tell I’d lost weight and thought I looked great, which was nice (some people don’t like that, but it doesn’t bother me – none of these people said it in a weird way). One of them said I walked “like an athlete – light on my feet.” Aww. Do I? Ha ha.
- Random (but not really) pet peeve – when you ask someone to take a group photo of you and they cut off your feet.
- Steven had loaned me some .5 readers and I finally tried them on last Thursday (after whining about my vision Wednesday) and WHOA! Everything was so crisp! I ordered some readers that are more me. Can I skip eye makeup now?
- I was really excited to see WWM post a reel of the rock painting class, especially after I told you all I was a bit regretful I didn’t take any photos or video!
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Reading Update (2023 #65-67)
This review is entirely audiobooks because my Kindle books were non-fiction (Atomic Habits & Anti-Diet) and I couldn’t get through them! Crazy because I used to only read non-fiction… and also only read a few books a year.
[65] Things I Wish I Told My Mother by Susan Patterson, Susan DiLallo, James Patterson
Fiction/Women, saw in “Available Now” on Libby, audiobook
Synopsis: Laurie and her mother Liz are opposites and have never gotten along, but when Liz has a heart scare, Laurie suggests they go on a European trip as a reward for leaving the hospital, and hopes they can bond a bit while there.
Review: I was really enjoying this surface-level book (I finished it in a day!), then the ending made me so completely irate I knocked it down from 4 to 3 stars. I do NOT recommend it unless you want to be that frustrated. I should have paid attention to the second part of this description from GoodReads: “A mother and daughter on vacation in Paris unpack a lifetime of secrets and hopes—with a giant Pattersonian twist at the end!” Ugh, I am still so annoyed with it.
Recommend? No
[66] The Rumor by Elin Hilderbrand
Fiction/Women, saw in “Available Now” on Libby, audiobook
Synopsis: Nantucket folks love to gossip, and when Madeline rents an apartment to help focus on writing her next novel, the rumor mill starts about her relationship with her husband, and her relationship with her best friend Grace’s husband. But maybe Madeline is the wrong one to gossip about…
Review: This was such a light, fun listen with lots of people misbehaving and rumors gone awry. This is what I wanted Bad Summer People to be. There are a lot of storylines in this book, but the great narration made them easy to follow, and I found them all interesting and didn’t feel like I was slogging through any of them or trying to rush through one to get to my favorite storyline.
Recommend? Yes
[67] Beautiful Day by Elin Hilderbrand
Fiction/Women, saw in “Available Now” on Libby, audiobook
Synopsis: Ha, I cannot remember any of the character names or find them with very little googling. Oops. Two families are united on Nantucket for a summer wedding and it should all be going according to plan – the bride is following the wedding plans her late mother made her to a T. But no family gathering is without drama, and as people reunite past grievances resurface and the weekend is anything but calm.
Review: Hmm. I didn’t love this book as much as other Hilderbrand books. Don’t get me wrong, I loved the juicy family drama, but even though it was set in the summer, I didn’t get the offset of happy summer vibes with it. Ha. There were some other annoyances – every few chapters was devoted to “the notebook” where the late mother had said how she wanted her daughter’s wedding to be and was just… super ick to me. It didn’t feel endearing. It felt controlling and odd. And there were smart phone references that seemed SO outdated (this book came out in 2013). Great narration again though, like in the previous book, but overall, meh.
Recommend? Nah
Best laid plans and all that
When I had my INR appointment (where they check how fast my blood is clotting*) early last month and it went so well that we booked my next appointment A WHOLE MONTH out I thought “that December 4th appointment could be my last appointment of the year! I better have my holiday gifts ready for the (hospital) pharmacists (at the Anticoagulation Clinic) in case I don’t see them again until January.”
I immediately put a reminder in my calendar to get their gifts ready this past weekend and had them with me yesterday.
Then my INR was so low** I have to bridge my blood thinners with a shots twice a day and go back in Thursday morning to test it again.
Best laid plans and all that. I feel like I jinxed myself!
I still gave Sonia her gift since I had it with me, and now I will see Edyta in person on Thursday to give her hers, and likely be back next week or the following.
A year ago (or even half a year ago!), I would have seen this as a set back and been upset, especially about the shots. But now, I try to figure out why my INR got low (if I can), then sort of shrug it off. The most annoying part is if I have to go pick up the shots at the CVS pharmacy in Target, and if it’s hard to find time with my work schedule to come back and get tested again. Otherwise… it is what it is***. And I call that attitude progress!
*I have Antiphospholipid Syndrome – my body makes antibodies that attack tissue and form clots, so I have to be on blood thinners and have my INR (International Normalized Ratio) monitored
**When it’s too low your blood clots too fast. I cut my finger this weekend and it hardly bled, and I got my first bloody nose since being on blood thinners this morning and it hardly bled so… yeah, my INR is low.
***That other people give me my shots (Steven at home, my snis when I am at her house) helps me have this attitude
First time I ever ironed my PJs 🤭
I had the best time at the WWM Holiday PJ Party on Saturday night! It was seriously the most fun I’ve ever had at a holiday party. I was laughing so hard my cheeks hurt!
I was really excited to go to it, but a small part of me was like “er, I am still kind of new and don’t know everyone’s names or know too many people too well. Will I just stand somewhere by myself the whole night?”
Of course, that didn’t happen. I was chatting to people as soon as I got there, then joined a fun game of Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza, ate with a group, then had a blast watching people play silly holiday themed physical games*, loved the White Elephant Game**, and did a few karaoke songs before I came home with a huge smile on my face.
What a great way to start off the month!
And yes, I did get my PJs out of the drawer and realized they needed to be ironed before I went. Who would have thought I’d ever be ironing my PJs?! They actually still look a bit wrinkly in the photo below, ha ha ha.
Me with Marybel, the owner
Oh! And there were gifts for the first 5 people and I was number 5, so I got this awesome tumbler!
*Game 1 was trying to pick up candy canes from a bowl with one tied around your waist, Game 2 was being blindfolded (I did this one) and using your non dominant hand to scoop super light “snowballs” on to a plate, and Game 3 was having a container with a tiny hole on it on your back that you have to shake ornaments out of. That one was hilarious (they all were). People were twerking and being so silly.
**I brought a painted rock, paint pens, and some blank rocks as my gift, and got a scent theory set (room spray, candle, bubble bath) & champagne as my gift!
Oh! One last WWM thing!
A friend of mine said she knew how much I was enjoying WWM classes and wanted to get me a WWM gift card for Christmas but didn’t see any on the website so she made this one and sent me a check. How incredibly thoughtful! And perfect timing because I had just changed from the 12 pack to 18 pack the day it arrived! I have the best friends.
2023 Goals Check-in #11
I’ll be posting monthly check-ins on my 2023 Goals. This is check-in #11!
Take care of my health
TW: this one is particularly whiny about weight and mentions binge eating
I’ve felt ashamed of not making more weight loss progress in the second half of the year and then sharing it here in my monthly update, but I know you all don’t judge me or particularly care so… get out of your head, Kim. Also, I don’t “have” to share anything I don’t want to (I won’t track this here in 2024), and weight shouldn’t be (and isn’t) my only focus! But it is my main metric in this section so… I get in my head.
All that being said, this was another month where I felt out of control with my eating. And I don’t mean I had too many sweets or overate, I mean binge eating. It was disappointing to have so many struggles with it this month, when I had been doing well throughout most of the year. The most disappointing part is I cannot figure out the trigger*, other than having less structure in my life than in the earlier part of the year because of travel. I need to rewire my brain. And I need to give myself grace that I won’t unlearn 22+ years of bad habits in one. Come on, Kim.
The numbers: .9% loss for the month, 21.19% loss for the year.
I ran, walked, biked, and took strength classes at WWM this month. I had two therapy sessions, one massage, and one (good!) INR appointment. I journaled. I prioritized getting enough sleep when I could. I painted a bit more.
I will end this section on a positive! I’m excited to fit in my favorite orange winter coat again (third photo above)!
*Most research says restriction leads to bingeing, but I don’t think I am very restrictive beyond my vegan diet (for ethical reasons) and trying not to wolf down LOTS of sweets every day. Maybe I need a professional outside perspective on that though.
Spend less
(mostly tracking my two vices – sending packages and getting Starbucks)
I’m back to shipping birthday and holiday gifts, and there will be more shipping in December. I spent $10.61 and $8.81 on shipping birthday gifts to friends in the US, and $23.04 and $35.26 on shipping holiday gifts to friends in Australia. $77.72 total
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
Total: $757.56
Last year: $1740
I started buying more holiday gifts this month. I’m not even going to calculate what I spent! Follow me for more financial advice, ha ha.
I went to Starbucks on 11/11 with Val and Tiff (and we used a gift card from my snis, thank you!), 11/15 at my office with coworkers, and 11/29 when I was in the office, but by myself.
Continue to purge things I don’t use from the house
I took two bags to Goodwill on the 20th.
Visit a new state with Steven
We visited two new states in October – Maine and New Hampshire!
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
Still doing it! Just one more month, woo hoo! I think documenting this every day has put me off of documentation. Maybe that is why I didn’t take any pictures or videos at my rock class (and I really didn’t want to take any video for reels when I was in California this month). This year has really steered me away from social media. At least, the social media that takes a lot of work.
Things I’m excited about in December
Woo hoo, I remembered to do this series (because of a Google calendar reminder, shhh)! Here is something that should have been on the November list but wasn’t because it was a surprise – our sunset skyline tour!
Now, on to December:
- Steven’s stage check pre solo flight tonight* – he’ll fly with another instructor and when he passes he’ll be approved to do his first solo flight! *weather pending
- The WWM Holiday Party tomorrow – it’s a pajama themed party with food, games, and karaoke
- My work’s holiday party next week – I’m usually bummed I have to leave so early to catch the train so I’m going to plan ahead and drive to a different station with more train options this year
- Steven’s birthday (and the cake I ordered for him!)
- Longer days starting December 22nd (coincidentally, Steven’s birthday)
- Seeing my family for Christmas
- How quiet it will be at work the week of December 25th
What are you excited about in December?
Random Thoughts Thursday 432
- I am happy to report Bobbi saw our tree in person – so that’s one more person, Mom. Ha.
I bought this sweatshirt in Carpinteria and will be living in it this cold season
- I’m not sure if this is new to Windows, or if I just live under a rock, but on Sunday it asked me if I wanted to try Phone Link, to link my iPhone to my PC. I was hoping this would somehow help with downloading photos (I’ve been having issues with that since the latest iOS update and Windows update). It didn’t, but it does something I’ve wanted to do FOREVER but was too lazy to figure out how to – it lets me receive and respond to text messages from my PC. This is amazing. Some people type me novels and I would much rather respond with a full keyboard. Honestly, I’d always rather use a computer keyboard to respond.
- Here’s the latest mani I got with Lorena Wednesday last week. It’s mood changing polish so when my hands are (rarely) warm, it changes to a red. Fun! I hadn’t ever used the color changing polish before, surprisingly.
- I am slowly figuring out which days we will see which European friends on our trip next spring! I’m very excited that a friend of mine who lives in Germany (Hi, Dunja!) is traveling to Brussels to spend time with us while we’re there! Yay!!!
- I got my bonus leave at work, woo hoo! And when I hit 15 years on December 8th I get more leave too!
- I signed up for a December accountability challenge at my gym. Things like that aren’t usually my jam – I don’t tend to be externally motivated – but I thought I’d give it a try. You get points for uploading photos and going to class. I won’t get the most points and win, but I do hope to be motivated by it!
The winner gets a $50 merch credit (and second place gets $25). I actually won a $25 merch credit in November and ordered this shirt. I love a good pun!
- Tis the time of year where I am happy to wear my compression socks because it’s cold out and no one can see them. Ha ha!
I am AGING
My eyesight is starting to deteriorate and it’s freaking me the f-word out. I’ve never had to wear corrective lenses, so to wake up with fuzzy vision and not be able to clearly read text on my phone for a few minutes, or to see streaks around car lights at night (or even off of lettering on my shirt in the gym, wth) is concerning.
Not concerning that something is wrong with me or that something is bad about having unclear eyesight. I know an ophthalmologist can tell me what I need to do. I know this is normal and there are solutions!
Concerning in that it’s a reminder I am AGING. A not so small part of me was hoping I’d have perfect vision, naturally, forever. Is that even possible? Ha.
Ugh.
My own elf
In yesterday’s post, I didn’t emphasis how extremely grateful I am that my mom wrapped all my Christmas presents* and several birthday presents. I dislike wrapping so much – I get upset every time I do it.
It comes down to me not being good at it, and being upset for long it takes, and still comes out looking like crap. Would it look better if I practiced more? Yes. Am I going to practice more? No. Am I trying to think of ways to get my mom to wrap our remaining Christmas gifts*? Yes. Ha ha.
But all that to say – thank you SO MUCH, Mom! You saved me time and a lot of aggravation, and now my gifts are beautifully wrapped and even have bows and ribbon and sh*t.
*Purchased so far, for my family. We still have to shop for Steven’s dad and brother. And I still have all of Steven’s birthday gifts** to wrap.
**This includes things his dad and brother send me to wrap 🫠🫠🫠
Come see our tree
We had such a fun weekend with my parents! When my mom asked about coming out the Friday after Thanksgiving I was really excited – when we get a Christmas tree, that’s when we get it, and I knew she’d love to be a part of that, and that I could really use her help decorating it!
So after lunch at El Famous (a mandatory stop) on Friday we went to pick out our tree at Kroll’s Harvest Farm near our house. We’d gotten a Canaan fir the year before and didn’t care for it and decided to go back to our old standby, a Fraser fir. We went tall – our tree is between 10 and 11 feet!
Ha, the guy who works there tried to sell us on a Canaan again. That must be why we tried something new last year.
We picked out our tree in record speed and got home and realized the trunk was too big for our base, so Steven and dad cut some of it off, then stood it up. We let the branches out and gave them the night to settle before we decorated.
The cats immediately checked it out, of course.
Mom and Dad brought this cat scratcher truck for the cats and they love it!
For the rest of the evening, Mom wrapped most of my Christmas gifts. I hate wrapping, and she loves it, so I made sure to buy as many gifts as I could before she arrived. I only wish I could have figured out a way for her to wrap her own!!!
Steven and Dad hung out with us while we were wrapping, then we had chili and cornbread for dinner, then watched Love Actually, and went to bed quite late. Oops.
Dad and I were both up early on Saturday and he rode his bike with me (it was 24°F out!) while I ran.
After I got home and cleaned up, I got some holiday decorations up and put Judy (our garland) up on the stairs, then got to work on prepping a giant appetizer spread featuring foods Steven sells on FakeMeats.com. Steven and I cooked and prepped it all, while taking video and film, and Mom set the board up (and Dad worked on figuring out which of our Christmas tree lights were good). It took about two and a half hours. Crazy, right?
I’m so glad Mom was there to make the board look so nice, and that Mom and Dad were there to help us eat it, and Josh (Steven’s flight instructor) came over too! Whenever we’re eating a meal with him he asks if the food is from FakeMeats so Steven figured he might like to come over and try all the products. And he did try everything – even the vegan caviar and shrimp.
It was fun to have Josh over and visit. Mom kept saying we needed to have people over to see our tree and I was like “this is it! Josh is here and seeing it!” Ha ha. (We rarely have people over – not because we don’t want to, we just don’t hang out with a ton of people around here and none of our family lives here and our friends are spread out all over the states/world. COME SEE OUR TREE.)
We hung out and chatted then headed out for Dad’s birthday present. In his (October) birthday card I had written that we’d give him his present when he was at the house in November but he must have forgotten, because when I said it was time to go for his birthday surprise he was very “huh”? Ha.
The present was a sunset skyline tour of Chicago, with Steven piloting. On the way to the airport we asked Dad if he knew what his surprise was, and he said yes, and we asked what gave it away, and he said it was when Josh left the house and said he was going to the same place as us, ha ha ha.
We took the Cessna 172, which is what Steven flies most often.
(Mom didn’t want to fly, so she went to the outlet mall while we did this)
It was a tight squeeze for two full size adults in the back, but totally fine for a less than an hour flight!
Steven had never done this flight before, and said it was nice and easy – you just follow the shoreline down to the city and back. You have to stay below a certain altitude because of ORD traffic, and watch out for other sightseeing aircraft, but we only saw one other plane near our altitude.
I have done helicopter tours over downtown, but hadn’t done anything like this, and I really enjoyed it. It was fun to see all the landmarks from the sky, and we saw a beautiful sunset too.
And Dad really liked his gift, yay!
After we got back home we had Thanksgiving leftovers for dinner, then got to decorating the tree.
I always feel like out tree is a bit plain with only lights and balls and asked Mom to bring some ribbon and I think it really spruced it up!
On Sunday we woke up to snow, and it was still snowing. Dad and I went on a walk, then came back and I filmed a reel for Fake Meats, then we all had breakfast and hung out for a bit. Steven and Dad did some switch projects in our bathrooms (installing a fan timer), and Mom and I looked at sunglasses on Goodr that we don’t need, and she made ribbons for Judy, then they took off around 1:00.
I got a little less than 6 hours of sleep each night they were here and it really hit me hard. I was a bit delirious and out of it before they left, so after they left and I ate some lunch I took a two hour nap. I hadn’t done that in ages and it felt amazing. I was even able to fall right asleep at night. I must have really needed the rest!
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! 🙂
