Throwing a Wrench in the Lunch Plans

Picture of the Day for January 31, 2019. Every Thursday, if I'm in town or there no other unforeseen complications, I meet my two sisters for lunch. I have a huge work project going out the door tomorrow and there was no way I could carve out any time away from the office today. I let my sisters know I was throwing a wrench in the plans and my sister Paula responded with content-appropriate emojis that totally cracked me up. Paula and technology are not friends, but she has wholeheartedly embraced communicating via emojis. 

Getting Organized

Picture of the Day for January 30, 2019. I normally let my mail stack up and deal with it twice a month when I pay bills. I'm trying to make paying bills and keeping track of my finances/correspondence a little less onerous so I started using this folder. When I bring in my mail, I open everything, throw away the junk, and file the items that need to be addressed, paid, or filed. Seems to be working so far! Now, to organize every other aspect of my disorganized life... 😀

Handicap Parking Spot Deadbeat

Picture of the Day for January 29, 2019. Uh oh. I pulled into a parking spot this evening near the restaurant where I was having dinner and didn't realize until I came back to my car that I was in a handicap parking spot. Eek! I'm not "that person" who wantonly parks wherever she damn well pleases. To be fair, the parking lot was not well lit, the spot was in a weird location well away from the front door, and the handicap marking was pretty faint. 

Frosting Recipe

Picture of the Day for January 28, 2019. A friend of mine, Jen, was killed in 2017 in a horrific car accident. She was more than an acquaintance, but not in my close circle of friends. I still think about her though from time to time. And occasionally I check her Facebook page to see what friends have posted there since her death. Her husband will post on their anniversary or mention how their small children are doing without her. Friends and coworkers will post reminiscences. This picture is one of those reminiscences. Jen was a pastry chef and one of her friends had been bugging Jen for her famous buttercream frosting recipe. After Jen's death, the friend found the handwritten recipe which unbeknownst to her had been tucked into her suitcase. That was a sweet surprise for the friend. I need to give this recipe a try.

YouTube Junkie

Picture of the Day for January 27, 2019. I've become obsessed with YouTube lately. I don't actually sit and watch the videos, but I listen to them while I'm getting ready for work in the morning or when I'm driving home from work or when I'm trying to fall asleep at night. I especially like the thrill of clicking on the home page and seeing what random/weird videos have been curated for me to see. 

This is just one more example of how the digital age is impacting us. No more contemplative silence for me. Instead, I need to know what 5 text messages will drive my man wild or what the new age gurus have to say about the state of metaphysics or how to use body language to increase my presence at work! The list goes on!

Good Words of Advice

Picture of the Day for January 26, 2019. Spent some time today clearing out old, unneeded files from my work laptop's hard drive. Came across this quote I didn't remember saving. Excellent words of advice for someone (me) who tries not to, but occasionally indulges in unproductive bouts of regret at poor decisions and paths not taken in my life. 

Old Friends and a Wedding

Picture of the Day for January 25, 2019. Was able to attend the wedding reception of the younger sister, Carrie, of a dear friend of mine, Sharla, up in Ogden, Utah. Haven't seen Sharla in nearly ten years and it's been even longer than that for Carrie since both have moved on to different locales. In the years since I've seen Sharla, she's developed a serious health issue that severely limits her activity. She had been resting on a couch during the reception, but when she saw me and our mutual friend, Suzanne, walk in the door, she jumped up and ran over to us. Sharla didn't know we were going to attend, so our appearance was a total surprise. It was good for the soul to see Sharla and reconnect with her. It's also good for the soul to have someone so excited to see you. Makes you think you must be doing something right. That, and the fact I'm blessed with my relationships with friends and family. 

Forgot to get a picture of Sharla and her husband/kids, but I did capture a photo of the bride and groom at the end of the evening as they walked through a line of well-wishers brandishing sparklers.

Beverage Problem

Picture of the Day for January 24, 2019. Hmm. I think I have a beverage issue. A co-worker even commented today how many cups I had on my work desk. 

Wrong Birthday

Picture of the Day for January 23, 2019. My Salt Lake City Mercer office gave me a birthday card signed by my colleagues. It was a very lovely card and gesture. Problem is, my birthday is in December, not January. The office administrative assistant was so embarrassed by the mix-up, but I told her I would accept birthday greetings at any time! 

Poop Emoji Wars

Picture of the Day for January 22, 2019. In retaliation for the flying poop emoji I gave my sister Robynne for Christmas, she gifted me with a poop emoji candy dispenser for Valentine's Day. Love it!

Snowy Day and Evening

Picture of the Day for January 21, 2019. First really snow of the winter season here in Salt Lake City. Nothing prettier than fresh snow in the day and the moon shining down on new snowfall in the evening hours.

Man with Cat

Picture of the Day for January 20, 2019. Ben the Cat staring into my brother-in-law David's eye prior to getting his regular does of antibiotics. Apparently, this is a ritual. Pretty cute. 

Shifting DNA

Picture of the Day for January 19, 2019. Checked my 23andMe DNA results online and they've changed significantly! I'm about 5% more British, 10% more Scandinavian, and a few percentage points less French/German than the last time I checked. I've heard as the pool of DNA samples grows, the results can be a little more precise.

Maroon is the "It' Color

Picture of the Day for January 18, 2019. I'm loving ALL things maroon lately, including my new winter scarf. 

Popcorn Problems

Picture of the Day for January 17, 2019. I'm having a little issue with popcorn lately. As in:

1. Eating too much of cheddar-flavored, white cheddar-flavored, and sea salt/black pepper-flavored popcorn. It's my treat when I come home from work.

2. Eating popcorn in a civilized fashion. I can't seem to get it from the bag to my mouth without spilling some on the carpet and the couch. 

3. No plans to stop eating and spilling popcorn in the near future.

Mystery Visitors

Picture of the Day for January 16, 2019. The snow reveals all sorts of things-like who or what is hanging around your house. There are creatures who love to hang out in the shrubs next to my driveway. 

Book Report: At the Water's Edge by Sara Gruen

Picture of the Day for January 15, 2019. I read so much fluff nowadays. It's due to a combination of cheap books available on my Amazon Kindle and wanting to escape when I do get time to read. I'm at the point now where I don't want to be edified in any way or learn something about myself or be moved when I read for fun. It's a shame because there are so many good books out there. My niece, Renee, loaned me At the Water's Edge by Sara Gruen and it's a good example of what I've been missing. I loved it! A sign of a good book, in my opinion, is when I can't stop thinking about the story and the characters. I haven't been able to stop thinking about this novel in the week that's passed since I finished reading it. Here is a synopsis from the book cover:

In January 1945, when Madeline Hyde and her husband, Ellis, are cut off financially by his father, a retired army colonel who is ashamed of his son's inability to serve, Ellis decides that the only way to regain his father's favor is to succeed where the Colonel very publicly failed - by hunting down the famous Loch Ness monster. Leaving her sheltered world behind, Maddie reluctantly follows Ellis and his best friend, Hank, to a remote village in the Scottish Highlands. Gradually, the friendships Maddie forms with the townspeople open her up to a larger world than she knew existed. Maddie begins to see that nothing is as it first appears, and as she embraces a fuller sense of who she might be, she becomes aware not only of darker forcers around her but of life's surprising possibilities. 

Clean Office

Picture of the Day for January 14, 2019. My company has a "clean office" policy which means all client-related files and documents need to be locked away when you leave for the evening. I have to say, I've been doing pretty well. No one is more surprised than I am since "clutter" is my middle name.

WASP Calendar

Picture of the Day for January 13, 2019. Finally had my New Year's visit (a bit delayed) with my 93-year-old neighbor Erma which is always a treat. She always saves this WASP (Women Air Service Pilots) calendar that she receives in the mail from the National WASP WWll Museum for me since she knows I love aviation history. It's become an annual tradition. A couple of years ago the museum didn't produce their yearly calendar and I hardly knew what to do with myself without it. 

Ten-Year Photo Challenge

Picture of the Day for January 12,2019. There's been a challenge going around on Facebook and Instagram to post side-by-side photos of yourself taken 10 year  apart. The variation of the challenge I was to post the first and most recent pictures of yourself that you posted to Facebook. I cracked up when I saw mine. In both instances, I had my hair draped across one side of my face. This is NOT typically how I do a selfie (when I do them). This was a total coincidence!

2009

2019

Condo for Sale

Picture of the Day for January 11, 2019. And just like that, the condo I lived in for 10 years (from 1999-2009) and owned for a total of 20 years is up for sale. The property was officially listed today. Glad not to be a landlord anymore, but it's still bittersweet.