Fancy Weekend

Saturday Starts

Saturday Aug 15

Sleep was good. I got up in the usual 7AM hour and got dressed. Had some Cheerios with banana, enjoyed a few evacuation,😂, and left just after Kev did (for another trail cleanup day) and I went for a two mile walk.  I got home, put in some hair color shampoo, did puzzles while it marinated on my head, and then took a shower. This stuff is magic for a quick cover and looks very natural. I do two pumps of blonde and a pump or two of light brown, mix it in my hands and scrub into the hair well. I use a little more than it says to, and I have found I need to leave it on longer, maybe an hour instead of 10 minutes, but it's amazing. I left the house again aaround 1:20 for hair and makeup at a salon downtown. 

Sat Eve

I left feeling like a clown, really not used to having all that stuff on my face, and was actually worried I looked "too much." My hair wasn't what I was hoping for but it would do. Overall I felt like an aging woman, and was having a moment of sadness about it. I sucked it up, got home just after 4PM and realized I hadn't eaten since cereal early in the morning. I nibbled a fig bar to hold me over, put on the press-on nails I've been seeing on Instagram (I did the shortest french mani ones), we got dressed in our Western Glam finest and drove down to the convention center where the event was being held. And it was a lot of fun. People really showed up in the theme, lots of boots and hats and bolo ties and turquoise. The company was great at our table, food was served family style among the tables (bison roast, grilled veggies, salad, skillet potatoes.) I wasn't too hungry so had a small bit of each. There was a live auction, the highest bidded-on thing was a Mexico vacation that went for $30,000. I realize that I love listening to the auctioneer and couldn't get enough of his skeedaddlin tongue. 🙌 We got home at 10ish and I was ready for bed. This whole thing gave me a bit of anxiety. Society functions are out of my comfort zone.

Sunday Morning

Sunday August 16

Happy Birthday to Dad today! 🎉 

I slept like a rock. I got up just after 7, dressed, did morning chores and actually felt like sipping a little coffee out front with Kev before he left for an all day climbing-related class. I tossed sheets in the wash, did puzzles out back with the kitties, admired my latest Conqueror Challenge medal for th quick Frida Khalo walk, which was 55 miles, chatted with Mom and Dad and dang it was just about 11AM when done. I made a turkey sandwich with chips and pickles and took my plate up to the office for island time, sending a mid-month invoice for one of my clients like prefer that, and then got to afternoon work. 

Turkey Spaghetti Night

I turned on a Hallmark movie called Aussie at Heart, which had two actors I enjoy. It was a perfect background to the work I was doing. I got one project sent off around 4:30PM and began another, getting an hour in before it was time to shut things down. I got dinner started, which was spaghetti with ground turkey, onion, zucchini, and mushrooms. Two jars of marinara, one tomato basil, one plain marinara. I added Tuscan seasoning, salt, pepper, Janes Mixed Up Salt, and onion powder. You need a bit more seasoning when using turkey. I cooked up gluten free noodles and we sprinkled on some grated Parmesan. It was really delicious. We ate while watching SILO and then I had a shower and got in my PJs, ready to wind down the day. 

Productivity Kicking In

Breakfast and Lunch

Sleep was mostly good. I woke at 2:30 to find the star lights on in the bedroom, meaning we had a power flash. It must have been such a quick one because I got up to have an evacuation and saw that the oven and microwave clocks were not flashing. It took a bit to get back into a nice sleep but I did, not waking again until around 7:30. I took a shower, did estrogen, scooped in the cat room, made the bed, fed the cats and had a small bowl of cereal. I did puzzles out on the front porch when Kev got home from early gym and sipped his cuppa. I did morning chores and left the house at 9 to get to a 9:30 mani/pedi appointment. I picked up some groceries on the way home, getting in by 11:30. I made a turkey sandwich and ate it with a pickle while checking email and then getting to work.

Dinner

It was a very productive afternoon. I blazed through three projects, getting drafts done for review. I had a 3PM call and a 6:30 call and continued working until around 7:30or so. I heated the remaining Tex Mex meat with quinoa and squash mix for an easy leftover dinner and nibbled some grapes for dessert. I then worked on the couch the rest of the night, going to bed around 11.  

Hungrier Day

Eggs and Toast

I woke at 5:45 with an evacuation. I got back into bed and stayed awake, poking around on my phone. I got out of bed at 7:30, had another evacuation and got dressed. I was hungry this morning so made scrambled eggs with a slice of jalapeno cheddar toast for me and Kev, once he got in from yoga. (Side note...yesterday, my chiropractor told me that I might feel tired, or more hungry today, after a HUGE adjustment that she did on the bowl-shaped bone that basically holds up my head. And I was both tired and hungry today) After food I got the morning chores done, and got puzzles done out on the front porch. I had yet another evacuation and then headed down the mountain for a 10AM appointment at Labcorp to get follow-up blood drawn. My doc mainly wanted to check my liver after taking the antifungal med, which I didn't finish because it made the evacuations doubly worse. Also, the watermelon didn't help either. 😂 I got home just after 11 AM and started work with island time. 

Turkey Sammich and Ho-Made Pickles

I had an 11:30 meeting that went to noon. I then had a noon meeting that went to 1PM. I was ready for a turkey sandwich on my little Dave's bread, this time I'm trying the sprouted slices.  I added on a little mayo and a slice of Swiss, and it was really good with my ho-made quick pickles. I ate at my desk. I had ALL kinds of technical troubles today and it was the real first time I was ready to retire. I was not into all the stupid Microsoft Sharepoint access BS. It wasted at least three hours of my afternoon that I won't bill for but it was all trying to access client files.

Tots and Tex Mex Meat

I had a last video meeting at 4PM, to discuss more new work. In all, for one client, about 20 projects have gotten into queue. Monday I need to kick off more with another client. We will see what happens or when/if I break on this push. I went downstairs around 5:30PM and got tots in the oven. It's funny that I haven't been craving most things but wanted tots tonight. Kev heated the remaining leftover flaps to go with and we ate while watching the latest Ted Lasso. I had a little bit of dark chocolate after dinner and then we rounded up the trash and walked it down the lane to the main road. I got in my PJs and worked on the couch until bed around 9:30. 

Smaller Actually Worked

Wednesday Morning

Sleep was good although when I would roll over in bed I'd smell myself...the weird after tan smell. 😂 I woke around 7:20 and went for my first evacuation. I then dressed, made the bed, fed the cats and then decided on Cheerios with half a banana for breakfast. I can't tell you how many years it's been since I've had Cheerios. It might have been back in the Houston days, so maybe 20 some odd years now! and it reminded me of how much I enjoyed them. I mean that bowl was so good. I ate out of one of the small Asian bowls that Ma got us and I always feel a little fancier when eating out of the pretty patterned pieces. After food I went out to fill the bird feeders and clip whatever was ready in the garden. I did puzzles and went up for island time and some work. A couple more evacuations occurred in the morning. At 12:30 Kev heated the little bit of leftover chicken soup from yesterday, which was perfect. More soups may come into play. After lunch I tried on the new, smaller, dress that came in from Amazon. It's the same fringy one, just a smaller size, and it fits, and looks so much better. 

Trying a Protein Drink and Leftovers

The afternoon buzzed by and some anxiety began to creep in as emails began flooding in. The shit storm of work is starting and I am bracing. At 2PM I had a chiro appointment, to review my X-rays. It has been two years since I've had them done and boy you could see the change. Hips were more in line but spine was out of whack. I suspect my pillow and a foam thing I sit on all day as culprit. Dr isn't concerned as she will get me back in line. Bodies are so strange and interesting. I left with two bags of fresh-picked jalapenos. After chiro I ran over to my facial girl who quickly zapped a couple starter zits with this strange prickly feeling electric wand thing. I was supposed to have a facial but the tanning girl told me I shouldn't while the tan is setting. So I rescheduled. But I left there with 6 fresh duck eggs from another client of hers that has a farm. What a day of bounty! She also gave me a protein drink to try so I had it around 3PM and will be buying some. I worked until 5:45 or 6 and we heated leftover flap and squash /quinoa mix for dinner. We then left to go pick up Kev's tux, which had the wrong pants. He will pick up new ones Sat day. I put on PJs as soon as we got home, and worked on the couch until bed by 11:30. 

First Ever Tan at Home

Tuesday Morning

I got into bed last night and was winding down when, at precisely 10:12PM, it hit. I ran to the bathroom and proceed with a major evacuation. I then read that eating a lot of watermelon does not help this matter. And we had quite a large amount of it after dinner. I had another in the wee hours and then again when I got up just after 7. The good news is that it's likely NOT Alpha Gal. It is now pointing to the med. This really began when I increased my dose to 5mg from 2.5mg. It's crazy what havoc that small amount more is causing. Next Monday I will go back to a 2.5mg dose to see what happens. This amount of evacuation activity is not sustainable. I got dressed and decided to go do an early walk. I grabbed a pack of fig bars and nibbled, and listened to my book, on my 3 mile trek at the Farm and Gardens up the road. I got home and rinsed off, no soap, because at 10AM, the spray tan lady arrived with her fancy pop-up tent and airbrush, and magically gave me some color, filling in a good bit of my terrible farmer tan. With the gala coming this weekend I thought, why not?! It was very fast and I was at my desk working by 10:30. I heated some Progresso chicken noodle soup for lunch, half a can, and had half a banana, sharing the other half with Kev.

Leftovers and a Sweet Tater

The afternoon was productive. I had a couple calls and learned a LOT of work coming, all at once as I suspected it would. I had to wear loose clothing and had to not let skin touch skin all day as my tan set for at least 7-8 hours. She recommended I shower around 6-7PM, so I landed on 6:30. When clean and in my PJs I heated the leftover half chicken breast and some squash/zucchini mix and then added on a wee baked sweet potato. I tossed a few into the oven at 5:30 so it was nice and fresh with a little pat of butter melted on. I ended up having a slice of that crazy good jalapeno cheddar sourdough for "dessert" and watched an episode of Best Medicine. I then turned on The Forsytes, a PBS Masterpiece series that I'm fresh into. I skipped the watermelon tonight. Instead, I had a single Dove dark chocolate. The rest of the evening was spent doing some work on the couch. Bed was by 10.

Test Day 1

Brekkie and Lunch

Evacuations woke me just after 11PM last night. Another around 5:15AM this morning. Another When I got up at 7:45. I did estrogen, got dressed, made the bed and knew that I would be avoiding any mammal products as a test, starting with no coffee, because...heavy cream. I didn't feel like tea so am going cold turkey. I felt sluggish immediately and grabbed a banana and blueberry fig bar for breakfast, which I ate while doing puzzles in the reading room. I had two more evacuations in the morning and that should have removed all of yesterday. I went up for island time and then got to work. I was ready for some lunch just after 11. Nothing but a turkey sandwich on that jalapeno sourdough would do. I took two slices out of the loaf, spread on a bar bit of mayo and laid on four thin slices of turkey, skipping the cheese today. With it I had some of my ho-made quick pickles (rice vinegar, water, onion powder, Green Goddess seasoning, and Splenda) with the pickling cucumbers from the garden. I ate out back listening to my book and omg that bread. It didn't even need toasting.

Chicken/Quinoa Bowl Dinner

I had a quick call at noon and turned on a Hallmark movie, Absolutely Devoted to You. It was about a boy band reuniting and was cute. I had a call at 4, learning about some projects coming down the pipe for next week. Things are about to pick up. I shut things down around 5:30 and went down to the kitchen to get dinner started. I got quinoa on the stove, as well as a zucchini/yellow squash/onion mix, sauteed in a bit of olive oil. I filleted a chicken breast and seasoned it with salt, onion powder, fresh lemon juice, and Green Goddess seasoning, the true wonder of the spice rack now. It's so versatile and tastes great on everything. While Kev was grilling it up, I whipped up a little bit of lemon vinaigrette with avocado oil, rice vinegar, fresh lemon juice, pink packet, onion powder, Green Goddess, salt, and pepper. I grabbed a bowl and added in quinoa, the squash mix, sliced one of the fillets and then added on half an avocado and a few of my quick pickles for crunch. It was so yummy and filling. We watched SILO and had watermelon for dessert. Now we wait to see what happens. Bed was by 10.

A Drive

Sunday Egg Bites

I didn't end up going to bed until around 11:30 or so last night. The only thing that got me off the couch was Ted coming in and proceeding to hock the world's biggest hairball (or could have been an alien) onto the rug just beneath where I was sitting. It drug out into three separate pukes, which meant me busting a move to clean it all up. Poor dude. That had to have been uncomfortable. I then crawled into bed, turned on a story, and was out. And slept well. I got up around 7:30 this morning to pee, no evacuation! and got dressed.  I fed kitties. Kev made coffee. We sat out back with the boys listening to the fountain and the birds. When puzzles were done we went in and Kev heated us egg bites and made toast to go with. I cut my two egg bites and put the majority on the toast and it was yum. These are so easy to make I really don't know why I get lazy and not make them to just have around for good protein snacks. 

Lunch Protein Shake

After breakfast we got in the car and went down the mountain to get Kev's hairs clipped, then to Walmart where we got three more bottles of the 30% vinegar. When we got home I watered plants and Kev mixed up the vinegar weed killing mixture with salt and Dawn and went out to the lane. At 1PM I made a protein shake and took it out back to my egg swing to sip and listen to my book. Kev and Remi were enjoying a Sunday nap on the couch and I didn't want to interrupt the cuteness. There was an evacuation after the shake and I don't know why. There was no dairy in it and really no fat. 

Sunday Drive and Dinner

Around 3:30 we decided to get out of the house for a little drive to the other side of the mountain, into Dunlap. There's a farm stand/store that we've passed a few times and never stopped in. Today that changed. We trucked out and drove through the remaining bit of the World's Longest Garage Sale, which was this weekend. There was still a good many folks lined up and down the road. The farm stand is fantastic. We picked up a Sugar Baby watermelon, peaches. Kev got a couple gorgeous tomatoes and a loaf of homemade Amish jalapeno cheddar sourdough (yes there are Amish here). And, at check out, we (me mainly) got curious at their homemade fruit hand pies. I had to have a taste of a peach one, making Kev finish it. It was good but wasn't as to-die-for as we were expecting. But the BREAD y'all. Y'all. The loaf got opened in the car and we knew we were in trouble. When it's that good on its own means it will be lights out in a grilled cheese or plain with butter. Kev is looking forward to a BLT with it and the fresh maters. In the car, I mentioned the after-shake evacuation confusion and Kev says... "What if it's Alpha Gal?," which I honestly had not even considered. I did have a couple tick instances this year, and it takes a while to show itself, but it does present as an allergy to mammal products...beef, dairy, pork. I use a beef protein powder. Now I'm wondering. I have to get some follow up blood tests done soon so I contacted my doctor to see if she would add the Alpha Gal test onto the order. Dinner was burgers, on The Chug, and green beans. We left to go for a walk when the dishes were cleaned up and it began to rain. We dumped the compost and went back home where I walked 1.2 miles on the Trek Pad, listening to my book. I took a shower, got in PJs and chilled on the couch until bed by 10:30.

 

Perfect Timing

Jammy Eggs on Toast

I had a first evacuation at 5:45 this morning and then got back to sleep. A second evacuation happened just after 7AM and I then got dressed. We made the bed and Kev made coffee. I made him a turkey sandwich to put into his little cooler and we sipped out front for a bit. I had a third evacuation after a few sips, not even finishing half of what I poured. Kev left for his day of trail work and climbing in Alabama and I went back into the bathroom for a fourth evacuation. I could have just walked into a colonoscopy at this point. What the hail. After this fourth one though there was no more for the day. I went out to clip fresh flowers, got them in the vase, and then boiled two eggs and put them on a slice of toast for breakfast, to get something in my stomach.  Saturday cleaning commenced, the bathrooms being first on the list of course, with all the havoc wreaked lately. I then vacuumed and changed to go mow.  

Yes, Another Turkey Sandwich

It took four hours to mow today, with all the rain it took two passes per row, bringing my outdoor walk to 9 miles, and a total step count for the day of almost 24,000. I also finished my cute book and moved on to the next one in the series, by some fluke there was no wait on Libby! Lucky day. And let tell you about some amazing timing. After that four-hour mow, in mostly hot sun, sweating my tail off, I blew off the grass clippings, cleaned out the bird feeder and rolled the mower into it's storage spot in the garage. I closed the garage door and went to go shower and dang if a big storm cranked up, like out of nowhere. Maybe 5 minutes after finishing the yard work. That was crazy! For dinner I baked some tots and made a turkey sandwich, which is kinda all I'm wanting to eat these days. I finished Love on the Spectrum-Australia and started the first episode on a Fox series called Best Medicine. Kev rolled in around 8:45 and bed was by 10.

Easing Into the Weekend

Sluggish Start

Well, the antifungal med was NOT the sole cause of the "evacuations." I am sad to say that it's likely the tirzepitide but I will live with it. The antifungal did make it much worse so there's that. So I woke around 1AM and had an evacuation. Then again at 5AM, then again when I got up around 7:30. A triple crown event. I did the estrogen, dressed, scooped, made the bed, fed the cats and got coffee brewing. I swear it's Groundhog Day every single day. I went to dump the recycle into the bin outside and spotted a neat slug cruisin' along over some rocks. I admired him for a bit and then went on to water the outdoor plants. I heated two egg bites, gobbled them down, put on my socks and shoes, and went to the Gardens to get three miles in, while listening to my book. I stopped in at the main house on the property to drop off a set of bird note cards that I'm donating to the auction that the Farm and Gardens is having later this month. After my walk, enjoying what I call "The Dr Seuss Forest" portion of the trail best, I went back to the main house to catch up with the Director, who I really like. 

Dr Seuss Forest, Lunch, Dinner

It was around 11:30 by the time I made it home. I was in the mood for a protein shake lunch so that was that. I poured a cup of cold water into the blender and added a pink packet, chocolate Stevia, a scoop of chocolate protein powder, a teaspoon of peanut butter and some frozen strawberries and banana chunks. I sipped at my desk having island time and soon it was time to leave for my afternoon massage. When done I did the grocery shopping, stopping in at the usual two stores and then heading up the mountain. It sprinkled on the car along the way and as dark as the sky was, I was for sure there would be much more than there was. After groceries were put up Kev sliced the watermelon I picked up and...it wasn't good. Almost the entire thing went into the compost bucket, minus the few bits that were decent, which we gobbled up on the spot. 😩 I heated a leftover stuffed bell pepper for dinner at 5:45 and around 6:30 we made a quick run to dump the compost. I took a shower when we got home, getting into PJs and settling on the couch. I ended up a little hungry around 8PM. I nibbled a Babybel cheese, a PaleoValley beef stick and four almond flour crackers. Me and Kev then shared dark chocolate and I wish I would have skipped it. I was already full enough. We watched the Big Chicken documentary on Netflix to wind the day down.

Walk, Talk, Work

Post Walk Lunch

Sleep was good. A couple Aleve kept the hip pains away and I slept until 7:30ish this morning. I didn't linger because I needed to be dressed, make the bed and feed the kitties before the Kev made it home from early gym around 8. He walked in, and we both walked out, headed over to Town Hall for election day. We were in and out within 15 or so minutes and were ready for post-civic duty cuppas. Kev made the coffee and we sipped out on the front porch. it was a bit foggy but I filled the feeders and we had a nice view of the birding buffet. After I finished my three puzzles I put my shoes on and went to the local Farm and Gardens to walk and listen to my book. I got three miles in and headed home, just in time to set up my computer for a meeting at 11. I had a nice, healthy, light sweat glow. 😂 Just after the call I made a turkey sandwich for lunch, eating at my desk and watching Love on the Spectrum-Australia.

Leftover Dinner

The afternoon brought a nice balance of work and some nothingness, and some stretching time on the floor. A rain popped up around 3:30 or 4PM. I took a shower and got into early PJs to finish the work day, which ended around 5:30. I went down to both get dinner started and make a batch of egg bites to have on hand for breakfasts or quick protein snacks. I cooked up a half cup of rice (with corn) to add on to our leftover dinner, last night's Parm chicken and green beans. We watched an episode of Widow's Bay and zoned out the rest of the evening. Ending the evening with Dad K in our thoughts as he undergoes some tests.