If We Were Having Coffee… 10/30/16

It is unseasonably warm today so maybe we could forgo the coffee and drink something a bit cooler. Maybe we could even sit outside on the deck. We are in for a warmer than average week, too. Of course, it will cool off a bit for next weekend… the weekend that we are going camping. For now, the air is a bit balmy but our typical Midwestern humidity is gone making it quite comfortable.

I am thankful for the warm weather since tomorrow is Halloween. I always love when it is warm enough for the kids to trick or treat without coats. My older daughter is going to be a pirate and my younger daughter is going to be Bat Girl. I’m not sure how much longer my 12 year-old with trick or treat, this year may be the last one. It is sad how those “last times” sneak up on parents.

My 12 year-old has district band auditions on Tuesday. It brings back so many memories of my band days. Luckily we both play the flute so I have been working with her at home. I don’t think she cares about auditions as much as I do, getting her to practice has been a struggle. Well, she practices for 15 minutes and thinks that is good enough. I disagree. She has a natural talent. I want her to have the drive to push herself to be better. I am not seeing it yet.

We have been preparing for the camping trip next weekend with both Girl Scout troops. We will have five cadettes going (mostly 7th graders) and seven “minis” (brownies, mostly 3rd graders…I have taken to calling my brownie troop “minis” because my guilty pleasure lately has been Dance Moms). So we have been working on menus and activities. We have a good itinerary with a mix of horseback riding, indoor games, outdoor games, crafts and flag ceremonies. We will do some dutch oven cooking (taco bake and breakfast casserole) and some campfire cooking (hot dogs) and of course, s’mores.

I have a work presentation on Wednesday afternoon and I haven’t even given it much thought. It is the same presentation that I gave last year for the same medical school class so I have slides ready to go. I am giving it with two other people and my part is the smallest part. I am still nervous, though, since I hate public speaking. I think I have avoided thinking about it so that I won’t stress about it. But now that it is only a couple of days away, I am starting to stress. Wish me luck!

I have a busy evening with The Walking Dead (which will hopefully be less depressing than last week) and game 5 of the World Series. Go Indians!

What would you tell me if we were having coffee?

Thanks to Part Time Monster for hosting Weekend Coffee Share. Join in by creating your own coffee share post with the tag weekendcoffeeshare and/or add to the linkup here.

Advertisement

If We Were Having Coffee… 10/23/16

Thanks for meeting me so late. I wanted to meet this morning but I was just too busy with family stuff. I had a fun-filled day of Girl Scouts and Halloween parties. Then I watched The Walking Dead season 7 premiere. And I am not okay. I am emotionally drained. Don’t worry, I will not give spoilers. I will warn you, however, that it is a rough one.

Given that it is late on Sunday evening (and I have work tomorrow morning) and I am shell shocked from The Walking Dead, this will be a short coffee date. I really just wanted to check in since I missed coffee share last week (and my Facebook page was kind enough to remind me that I hadn’t posted in 14 days. So helpful).

Much to my dismay, the Chicago Cubs have made it to the World Series. Being that they are long-standing rivals to my beloved Cardinals, I do not want to see them win. I lived in Cleveland for several years so I am rooting for the Indians.

November is almost here! Are any of you going to participate in NaNoWriMo or NaBloPoMo? I did NaBloPoMo last year. It was hard but it was a good experience. I haven’t decided if I am going to do it again this year. I wish I had the time for NaNoWriMo but I don’t. Some day.

What would you tell me if we were having coffee?

Thanks to Part Time Monster for hosting Weekend Coffee Share. Join in by creating your own coffee share post with the tag weekendcoffeeshare and/or add to the linkup here.

If We Were Having Coffee… 10/9/16

Hello, old friend! (*warm hugs*) I’ve missed our coffee dates lately.

Time marches on. Welcome, autumn. I love October. This weekend has been crisp and cool, the start of sweater weather. I am excited for bonfires and campfires and the fiery change of the color of the trees. And The Walking Dead (two more weeks!!)! It is hard to believe that it is almost Halloween. And the election is scary close. As I watch the debates tonight all I can do is shake my head. What a farce.

Speaking of The Walking Dead, I watched a new sneak peak video clip of the season premiere on Facebook today. I have to admit, I have been living in denial for six months, removing myself from the discussions about who will meet their demise via Lucille. In my mind, all of my beloved friends have been safe and happy during the hiatus. When the new season premieres, I will have to face the fact that some will be lost. Watching the clip I felt the normal adrenaline rush and also felt a little sick to my stomach. The premiere is going to be so intense!

My STL Cardinals did not make the playoffs for the first time in several years. They fought hard in the end but came up short. I am still proud of them. It is unusual to not root for them in the postseason.

My trip to Seattle was amazing. I so enjoyed that city. The conference itself was good and I learned many things. Our hotel was downtown and we got to explore that area. We went to the Space Needle and the Pike Street Market. The Market was the best experience and I truly could have spent all of my time there. The atmosphere was electric, from the diversity of the food and vendors to the live music. I saw crabs bigger than my head and watched the guys throw fish. I ate a cannoli while smelling the beautiful bouquets of fresh flowers that stretched farther than I could see. I also went into a little shop that had the most beautiful glass bongs I’ve ever seen (ha ha). I visited the Gum Wall. I saw more Starbucks than I could count. And I used Uber for the first time. I feel more hip because of that!

On my flights, I broke out an actual hardcover novel like the dinosaur that I am. I read “From a Buick 8” by the incomparable Stephen King. I thoroughly enjoyed it. I saw him speak recently (on a Facebook live feed) when he was honored by the Library of Congress. My favorite author, he has certainly shaped me as a reader and also as a writer. His storytelling skills are unparalleled. It was so nice to spend a little time with him in the air.

I only have one more physical therapy session. After that I have another movement lab and then I enter the followup phase of the study. My back pain was worse during my trip and has been a bit higher than baseline ever since.

Catch me up. What would you tell me if we were having coffee?

Thanks to Part Time Monster for hosting Weekend Coffee Share. Join in by creating your own coffee share post with the tag weekendcoffeeshare and/or add to the linkup here.