Quiet day thanks to snow

It snowed for most of the day on Tuesday. I went out briefly before lunch to fetch some food and buy a few items when the snow took a brief break. As I drove back to the hotel, it started to snow again.

It was nice spending some quiet time in my room. I watched a lot of TV, took a nap, ate and drank, and had me time.

I love being on vacation. It's getting cold here, so staying indoors isn't a bad thing.

My favourite cafe just closed for good

Yesterday was my favourite cafe's last business day. It is now closed, but will be opening somewhere else down the road.

I stopped by to get a drink. The man who co-owns the place with his wife made me my usual drink. I will miss the awesome service and their knowing what I want without saying a word.

Birthday celebrations at a patio and at the beach

I had a great day celebrating our birthday with a good friend. Her birthday was last week. Mine is early by a week.

We spent time eating and drinking on a patio. We then drove down to the beach to chat and take in the relaxing vibes around us. We also exchanged gifts.

I got her half a dozen donuts from Toronto. She moved away a few years ago, so we meet midway.

It's a great start to my vacation. Happy weekend, everyone!

Virtual meeting with real drinks

Last night, I attended a virtual meeting where we got to drink beverages and chat from the comfort of our own home. There was a nice woman who showed us how to make two cocktails. I loved it all.

On Wednesday, I went to the bar that this woman owns and got my cocktail mix that was pre-made. I haven't had pineapple juice and coconut cream in a drink in ages! It was recommended to add some rum, which I love. However, it tasted so go the way it was that I didn't even bother with the booze.

I have an ice cube tray where I made ice shaped as pineapples. It was incredibly fitting.

It was a fun hour chatting with new people. Now, I'm dreaming of this drink.

Finding items to use at home and making tons of iced tea

One more workday before the weekend. I am looking forward to it.

My doing spring cleaning and reorganizing various parts of my home has made me find items that I should use more often. I am using a heart-shaped bar soap, liquid soap, and a bath sponge in a gift box that I had never opened until now. They are all nice.

I am a tea drinker. Being at home, I drink a lot of iced tea these days. When I was in the office, it was always hot tea.

I love my tea collection. I bought a ton of tea when I went to London, UK and Istanbul, Turkey several years ago. I also have various tea varieties that I have bought locally.

There are some positives working and staying at home. Naturally, I miss people and being able to move around without distancing myself from others.

Wish - reusable drinking straws

I have been shopping on Wish for roughly two years. I like that you can find cool items for cheap. The downside is that these items come mostly from China and it takes a month for them to arrive.

I am a patient person. However, I don't recall what I had ordered until I see something in my mailbox.

For a while, I have wanted to get reusable drinking straws. I often go out to Starbucks to get an iced drink or someplace else for a fountain drink. I seem to use a straw every other day, which is not helping our planet.

I got a five-pack of purple glass drinking straws. They also come with two straw cleaners. I am extremely pleased with my purchase. It was also carefully wrapped in massive bubble wrap. I was impressed.

The downside is that I do not have some sort of travelling case for my straws. I guess that I need to look on Wish for it... haha!

Dentist, dry mouth, and Internet connection problems... fun!

On Tuesday, I had a dentist appointment at 9 am. I had pointed out to my team that I would be away for roughly 1.5 hours and then would continue working from home.

I typically have a one-on-one meeting with my manager every other Tuesday at 10:30 am. He sent me an e-mail, asking if he needed to reschedule. I said no, which should have been implied that I would make it home in time.

My regular teeth-cleaning and exam appointment has been fairly uneventful for a few years now. Sure, I have had three different hygienists (not my fault), but my teeth not having any issues have been the constant.

Sure enough, my appointment was over just after 10 am. I drove to Starbucks to get an iced black tea, and then drove home. I was home well before 10:30 am.

I have dry mouth. I am not sure whether I have mentioned it in my blog, but I have had it for over a decade. Going to the dentist makes the condition worse for a bit, as you have your mouth open for most of the appointment and the suction tool that is used doesn't make things better! It's the usual thirty-minute wait after you have your fluoride rinse where you can drink anything.

By the time I got my drink, I could consume it. Yay!

Anyway, I got home and noticed that my connections to various servers on my laptop had died. I also didn't have wifi on my phone. Sure enough, my modem-router needed to be rebooted. I knew that I would be down when 10:30 am hit.

I have our corporate messaging app on my phone. I dialled into my meeting that way, so I was on time.

My manager is constantly late. Today, I hoped that he truly was late. Someone was on my side. He was late by fifteen minutes.

I rebooted my laptop. My wifi was up and running. All was well. I dialled in through my laptop, which was essential for me to share information on my screen with him.

My manager finally got to the office and dialled in. He asked again whether we should reschedule. I said no. We could do our meeting in thirty minutes.

The last one-on-one meeting was horrific. He was in a foul mood. Today, he was much better. He said that there should be more employees like me. I took that compliment, as it is rare for him to dish it out. I hope that he stays nice for a while.

Unwinding with beer, nachos, and manicures

Work has been hectic this week. It became especially stressful for my team on Thursday. Our manager was the cause.

I felt so drained on Friday that my team went out after work for nachos and beer. It was a good time had by all. Our manager had taken the day off, so that helped even more.

One of my colleagues is essentially my mini-me as far as work ethic goes. It's great.

A month ago, she asked me about my nails and how I apply polish on them. I described what I do. She had always thought that I went to a nail salon every week. When I broke the news that I do my own nails, she was impressed.

For the last three weeks, she has followed my lead by doing her own nails. I was so proud of her on Friday. Not only has she continue the same trend of giving herself a manicure, she had painted her nails purple, which happens to be my favourite colour. Her nails looked beautiful.

It's great when a stressful week ends on a positive, uplifting note.

Loving my legs and leggings

My guy loves my legs.

On Friday, I told my guy that I was at a bar after work, having a drink with a colleague and our manager. I indicated that all servers at this bar wear black leggings.

"I love when you wear leggings," he told me. "You have nice legs."
"Thanks, sweetie. I know that you love touching my legs when I have leggings on."
"Yes, I do. They are the most attractive pair of legs I have ever seen," he admitted.

He's sweet. I still remember when he first hugged my leggings after quality time. He truly loves them.

Working from home and being less stress, especially watching Fifty Shades Darker

I worked from home on Tuesday. I do it again today, which is my regular day working from home.

I enjoy working from home. It's not for everyone. For me, I am more focused and I don't have as many interruptions compared to being in the office.

I have always known that I am far more productive when I work from home. Tuesday was no exception, especially when I started my day at 06:45.

Tuesday consisted of my being on two conference calls. The second was my usual half-hour meeting with my manager.

He asked me how I was doing. Naturally, I am busy. However, my stress levels have subsided. These days, I wind up entering a zen, peaceful mode when I am focused on my tasks at home.

I also feel that a few changes have made me manage my stress better:

• Going into do-no-disturb mode on my work instant messaging app
• Blending a green drink every day and drinking it
• Eating out less
• Removing myself from annoying e-mail messages that get me worked up
• Not dealing with my insurance company's "courtesy" calls, as they irritate me
• Sleeping more
• Delegating my work rather than having the need to do it all myself

Here's hoping that my stress levels continue to subside.

The best part about Tuesday? When I was done with work, I headed out to get my DVD copy of Fifty Shades Darker. Needless to say, my stress levels are definitely reduced!

Natural sweeteners and a sore bottom

My guy and I are similar, even when it comes to wake-up times this past weekend. We both got up at 10:40 am on Saturday and at 10:00 am on Sunday.

On Sunday, my guy called me while driving off to his course. We had this conversation.

"How is your green drink blending program going?" he asked me.
"Good. I have been varying the original recipe. I have been experimenting with removing the green apple," I replied.
"Don't you want any sweetness in your drink?" he asked me.
"I can actually do without the sugar. I drink iced green tea without sugar. I also drink hot tea black," I replied.
"Well, if you lick your lips before each sip, that would be sweet enough," my guy said, being mushy and sweet.
"If I kissed your lips first, my drink would be perfectly sweetened," I replied.
"You're so sweet," he replied.

We are both mushy. Our date was in a few hours. It went well. I am sitting here with a sore backside to prove it.

A couple means three to my local Starbucks barista

I am a regular at Starbucks. I don't drink coffee, though. I am there for tea and the occasional bakery item.

I decided to grab an iced green tea before I headed off to work. I ordered through the mobile app, which has been wonderful. I often get iced green tea without the lemonade. For some reason, at Canadian Starbucks locations, most baristas think that I want lemonade when I say that I want iced green tea. Um, no. Ordering through the mobile app has resolved this issue.

On Thursday, I felt like getting a donut. I don't eat donuts often. I used to do rotating shift work and we ate tons of them. I got sick of them. These days, if I eat a few in a year, I'm laughing. So, I ordered a donut on my app.

Two orders. Two items.

I headed over to my local Starbucks. It has a drive-thru. It's roughly a five-minute drive away from home.

"Hello, what can I get started for you?" asked the male barista.
"Hello. I am picking up a couple of orders for Cutiebootie," I said to the speakerbox.
"Through mobile order?" he asked me.
"Yes," I replied, puzzled that there is perhaps another ordering method before you arrive.
"Three orders?" he said in the form of a question.
"No, a couple means two. I have two items."

It amazes me that there are folks out there who do not know what a couple means. You guys make a lovely couple. There are two of you in a romantic relationship. If there were more, you'd have a threesome or a more-some.

I drove over to the window. Wait, it gets worse...

"Here are your three items," he said to me as he handed them over. "Your drink, your donut, and your straw."
"I still ordered two items," I replied.
"The straw made me think that it was three items," he explained.
"Okay. That's not what I had in mind."

So, when I order an iced green tea, I am actually ordering the straw as an item.

If I ordered a grande mint majesty tea, I can be potentially ordering a multitude of items:

• Teabag
• Honey
• Sugar
• Milk
• Stir stick
• Paper cup
• Cup lid
• Hot water
• Napkin

When I order a grande tea, I am not ordering a single item. Oh, not at all. I am essentially ordering nine items. Wow, I get so much for so little. Incredible. NOT!

Affection, lounge hours, and Skype chats

I can always tell when my guy misses me. It all started before he left for his flight.

On Friday, after we had had lunch and some quality time, he reached for my hand and held it. I tend to be the one these days who will reach for his hand and beat him to the punch, simply because it's who I am. He reached for my hand when we were outside in gusty conditions and he wished me a safe drive home. I wished him safe travels.

When we had lunch that day, we had this conversation:

"I have two stops before I reach my destination," he remarked.
"I hope that you have time to hit a lounge, since you have reached elite status," I replied.
"I'm not sure whether that fancy lounge that we've been to will be open by the time I'm there. I am taking a redeye," he responded.
"I'm pretty sure that it's a 24-hour lounge," I replied.

I wasn't expecting him to call me just before his final flight. He did.

"Hey, the lounge was open and it was busy," he replied.
"See, I told you. Did you believe me? Nooo!" I teased.
"Yes, you were right. I had two bottles of my favourite yogurt drink," he said contently.
"That's good. There should be less whining on the plane," I remarked.
"I just had to share that with you," he told me.
"And, I have no yummy food," I teased.
"You never know. Maybe you'll be back there with me," he replied.
"I hope so. I don't have elite status!"

We actually texted on Skype till he had to put his phone away. It's always a sign that he misses me -- that he wants to talk to me as long as he can. The feeling is always mutual. It also feels good to be missed.

Boyish, girly, and free

In the early stages of our relationship, I noted to my guy that he is boyish. It isn't every day that you hear him say that he is driving along the highway, and decides to take a break by pulling over and getting an ice cream cone.

My guy doesn't like that he is boyish. Growing up, he always wanted to be a rugged, macho type of guy, like Clint Eastwood.

My guy is a combination of boyish and manly. He is the latter when he sees some sort of threat happening to me. It's not typically a life-threatening event by any stretch. When he hears about someone being somewhat mean to me, he wants to protect me and beat that person up.

Of course, that sort of violence never happens. He also knows that I can take care of myself. However, it's always a nice feeling when he is so protective of me.

My guy is in Turkey for business for two weeks. I will join him on the weekend.

We talked over Skype this afternoon. He was telling me how posh the hotel room is and that I'd be pleased there.

My guy is an elite member at this hotel chain. There is a lounge area where you have all-you-can-eat-and-drink access.

My guy was so excited about the lounge area:

"It's free, free, free!" he exclaimed, with his voice getting higher and higher.
"Did you clear out the bar by drinking every alcoholic beverage that you could down?" I asked him.
"No, I haven't been drinking. It's all free!"

It's that playful boyishness that I like about him, among his fine qualities. It also confirms that he likes being Cheap Bastard.

As for me, I tend to be childlike and girly now and again. Last week, my guy came upstairs to visit me at the office. We moved to a meeting room to chat privately.

It was nice to take a break from work. We held hands. I was sucking on a purple lollipop. It was a part of the post-Halloween stash of unwanted candy that a colleague had left in the common cafeteria.

"Is my tongue purple?" I asked him, sticking out my tongue at him while trying to look at my tongue myself.
"It is," he confirmed. "I like how childish you are. It's cute, as are you."

He is a sweet, boyish, and manly.

Summer Spanks: Last Flings or Lessons Learned

A few weeks ago, I decided to participate in the upcoming Summer Spanks: Last Flings or Lessons Learned fun. Between September 5 and 7, I am to post a spanking-related story, poem, or whatever I am in the mood to share.

I then read the fine print after I had signed up and I need to offer an individual prize. Well, I am a huge Starbucks fan, so it is only fitting that I offer a $25 CAD gift card. It is the perfect gift, even if you aren't a coffee lover. I fit the mould in that I like coffee-flavoured drinks, but I can't do coffee with cream and sugar. Starbucks has a variety of non-coffee drinks and yummy food.

So, the tough part is trying to figure out what I plan on writing for this post. The fun part is actually being creative with the post.

I am a writer by trade. Today, I had my performance review at work. Well, my manager and I ran out of time because I had a meeting to attend. He had asked our team on Monday to spend an hour indicating how we achieved our various goals. It took me less than an hour to fill out my form and send it to him. He told me that I wrote a ton. I had to remind him that it's normal for me to write that volume in point form. He nodded in agreement.

Anyway, if you have any topics to suggest for this exciting challenge, please drop me a line!

Slapping before drinking

I was just looking at some past posts that I had written. If you look at my archived posts, I didn't write anything in 2010. That year was hectic. I was wrapping up my graduate degree. I was going through a divorce. I simply didn't have anything interesting to say because spanking was on hold in my life.

Well, in 2011, I attended my graduation by flying to Atlanta, and then driving 1.5 hours south to get to the university campus. I stayed at my fellow graduate's home for the entire weekend. It was wonderful.

I was the oddball out of the entire group. I was the only straight person out of all of us. I didn't feel weird or anything -- just an observation.

We had been friends for three years. Graduate school brought us a lot closer. I remember the three of us (one guy, who just got married a few weeks ago) sitting on her couch and saying that if we all lived in the same city, that we would hang out often. I would have to agree. Thankfully, Facebook keeps us in touch.

Anyway, during our graduation weekend, we were all drinking. My friend was saying that it was a custom for her to slap a woman's butt before a drinking session, but she wasn't sure whether I would like that. I was exempted from this ritual. Little did she know what a huge turn-on that was for me then and still is!

She did land a few hard smacks across her girlfriend's bottom. I loved observing. I was secretly getting wet and aroused.

I should visit them again. Perhaps I should be a participant on the receiving end this time around.