Friday the 13th (of 2022)

Today is DD's birthday and she was actually born on a Friday so we think of Friday the 13th as a lucky day.

We are on the road again after leaving at 7 am. Our ETA to meet DD and DS to celebrate the birthday is about 4 this afternoon (with breaks and traffic time built in). Hopefully it will be better than yesterday. We are on a different route going north than usual because of our stop in Nashville and it stinks! Tons of trucks blocking the 2 lanes and we had 4 serious backups due to what looked like disastrous accidents. We get off this road after the first 100 miles thank goodness. Our biggest challenge traffic-wise will be skirting NYC early afternoon. I will probably drive that part as I am a more confident driver than Mike after my many years of long commutes. He always lived within a few miles of work and tended to drive outside of busy times because of his long work days. He didn't want to take the parkways through NY because they make him nervous but that is my preferred route and should be pretty this time of year.

Have a safe and healthy Friday!

If it works out for you, I'd go 287 (Garden State Hwy) and go east at 287 into White Plains and take that over to 95 and go up to Mass. that route. You can circumvent the Newark and NYC traffic, skip the GW Bridge, and all the Bronx traffic.

We did that and it was a much better road than 81, the truck road we were on Thursday.

Leave it to a Californian to know what routes are less congested, even in another state :)

We have skipped spring, and moved from late winter temps to summer temps. Its 80 and sunny. DH is taking a long weekend to visit our daughter in Boston. I'm not going, because I'm out of personal days. I'm going to spend the weekend with my Mom so my Dad can go up north for the fishing opener. I wish I could stay home and start some planting in my flowerbeds, but I guess there will be time for that later. Since we are going to travel so much, I remind myself I should probably keep it simple.

I've had a good week of reasonable eating, but all bets are off for the weekend. I stress eat at my parents house. I'm bringing what I hope will be better choices when I feel the inevitable need to sooth myself with food.

Remember, I did live there for a little while in my 20s and then used to drive my aunt from Connecticut down to Baltimore each summer for many years. Cutting over on 287 was my preferred route. Anything to avoid the NYC traffic!

Painting continues! I got home and saw the garage door was the wrong color. Oh well. He said it was his fault and will repaint it.

My hair is all one color again and my house cleaners came. The second window guy said he can come out and give fixing it a try tomorrow (and will also work on an upstairs one with the same problem). So wheels are turning and that is good.

I went to Target and got some very real looking little fake plants for the bathrooms. So real looking even down to the "dirt"! and none were more than $15. Normally I am not a fake plant person, but these look legit and some of my bathrooms are rather bland.

On the weight front, my clothes are tight. Cue the impulse to eat better and walk! Walking will have to be after dark as we're well into the 90s the next several days.

Greetings

No lost pups today. All is good. I made a trip to the ceramic supply store to get clay and more of my favorite banana slug yellow stain to mix my signature slug color. If you have never seen a banana slug, google it. They are pretty bizarre.

liz i do not envy your drive. i have never driven in new york but i have done Los Angeles, Chicago, San Franisco and other stuff. No thanks. I don't think I could do it again.

Mexican food last night. So good. That and pizza were among the things I missed most in those first years after VSG.

At the clay store I also bought a bag of clay weighing 25 pounds. I can barely carry it. No wonder I was so miserable being 100 lbs overweight. Even now I think about how I could stand to lose 25 and could move around so much better. Yet here I sit. Wishing ain't doing.

Shirley congrats on your work success. So good to hear you like your job so much. More of that is needed in the world.

My friend who lost her dog for the one night has ordered a FI collar for the dog which has GPS tracking you can follow with your phone. I will be interested to see how well it works. In her panic she also ordered two bullhorns thinking she could drive her neighborhood calling the dog through a bull horn. I appreciate the sentiment but don't think that would work. But Sassy is safe and sound now and hopefully this will never happen again.

I spoke to my brother last night and he is actually threatening to come visit me! I have only lived in California for 20 years now and he has never been here. We will see. I think he wants to try taking his dog on an airplane.

Turkey pot pie tonight with more carbs than this girl needs. At least I had some tuna protein.

Cheers all and peace. Diane S

Luckily Peps tip on driving kept us away from NYC traffic. We made it to Massachusetts in record time.

I forgot to mention, both my dad (soon to be 82) and his wife (69) have Covid. When I called to check on them today they didn't answer so I texted, "everyone good?" I got a text back, "sorry we missed your call, we were doing yard work. It's beautiful outside!" So, Covid thankfully is not the monster it used to be.

A lot of our friends and family of all ages have had it in 2022 and almost all had a super mild case that they got over quickly (no one got terribly ill). All were vaccinated.