More snow!

It's snowing. It's so peaceful looking at the snow falling.

It's supposed to be a two-day snow event. Here's hoping that all is great.

Snowday

It's snowing. We are expecting anywhere between 25 to 35 cm of snow today. 

It's definitely pretty to look at from indoors. Here's to a snowy Monday!

I'm famous!

I had mentioned a while back that I have a shake named after me at a local cafe. On Monday, I went there to pick up my order after getting my winter tires installed on my car.

There was a woman waiting for her order. She heard one of the owners say my name.

"Is that Cutiebootie as in the shake named after Cutiebootie?" she asked both owners.

"Yes!" they exclaimed.

"I feel so honoured meeting you," she said to me.

I didn't let the fame go to my head... haha!

Winter tires and appraisal

When I filed my insurance claim on Saturday, I decided to give uploading photos of my car's damage to an appraiser a try. I was supposed to get a link to upload them within 24 hour. I never got it.

I got my insurance advisor's name and sent him an e-mail. He was kind to not only write to me, but also call me.

He let me know that there are problems with this link. He first offered to get an appraiser to come to my home to inspect my car's damage. He then asked where I wanted to get my car fixed. I had a shop that I worked with in the past. He let me know that it does both appraisals and the actual work.

He arranged to get my claim information to them and I could simply drop by. After getting my winter tires installed, I drove over there.

The man helping me was nice, but not all there. He couldn't find my claim number after we verified it three times. He finally found it in his system.

He then couldn't get the printer to work. His counterpart wasn't wearing a mask when the sign on the door clearly stated that everyone needed a mask. Hmm...

He then asked whether I knew what my deductible was. I said that it was waived because I had reported the incident to the police. He asked me to check with my insurance. I said no. I got that fact from my insurance advisor this morning.

Sure enough, this guy saw the note that my insurance advisor had made on waiving the deductible. Yes, I don't need to do any checking.

Weird. I had a better experience my first time at this shop. Maybe he needed some caffeine.

Travelling in December and January

The other night, I booked my first flight in over 1.5 years. I am flying to the States just before Christmas. I'm spending three weeks there.

I am hoping that it'll still be safe to travel by then. I am there to attend three hockey games and to pay my respects to my friend.

I am contemplating whether I want to fly in late November. I can see two hockey games and work away from home, but away from home, if you catch my drift. 

Hockey games and travel plans

I am analyzing the hockey games that I have tickets for this upcoming season. They require that I travel down to the Twin Cities. One of the tickets is for the Winter Classic games, which is so exciting because it's outdoors at Target Field. I have never been there.

I have my regular vacation just before Christmas till after New Year's Day. I am considering using some of my 2022 vacation to add an extra week to my vacation. It will allow me to take in three hockey games.

There is also thought about travelling in early October for a longer weekend. I can also try working abroad for a week in late November, so I can catch two games after work.

The good news is that I can fly. I am still a bit concerned about the mask situation in the States. It seems less reinforced than it is in Canada. Even though I am fully vaccinated, I don't know whether it's true for those around me.

I am doing a lot of planning right now. It's exciting to think about travelling again. It will be different.

Napping and appointments

I did a lot of napping on Monday. I enjoyed it.

I spent the last hour consolidating my tea collection. I have both looseleaf and bags in different areas. I put them all in one big storage area. I'm pretty pleased. We'll see how it goes.

I was supposed to get a confirmation call from my dentist. As expected, it never happened. It's for 10:30 am later today, but the woman said that it would be between 10 am and 10:30 am. The uncertainty is annoying.

Tomorrow afternoon, I get my winter tires swapped out. It was a good call to take the day off.

Safe dental appointment and a day off today

My dental appointment went well. I felt extremely safe. There were tons of safety precautions in place. I ended up sanitizing my hands four times!

The insurance procedure was better explained to me. The dental office asks that you pay for services upfront. It files a claim on your behalf instead of filing a claim yourself. Nice!

I am fortunate that my dental appointments are uneventful. I thought that not having been to the dentist for a year would require a ton of plaque being scraped off my teeth. Nope, my hygienist said that I've been doing a pretty good job in that department.

Today, I have a day off. I'm taking my car in to get my winter tires installed. I then have to run an errand. Other than those plans, I have the rest of the day to casually figure out what else I'd like to do.

Weekend, hotel, hockey, and travel

It has been a few days. I'm doing well. I have simply needed some down time to myself.

I am currently checked in at a hotel. I am taking a couple of days off next week for an extended weekend trip. It's snowing and windy. I'm heading to the Twin Cities tomorrow. It is my last trip for this hockey season. It's bittersweet.

I will likely get a pack of tickets for next season, simply because the winter classic game is happening in the Twin Cities. I'd like to attend and I get first dibs if I remain a season ticket holder. I also don't mind travelling back to the state that I once called home.

I left work early on a Friday. I rarely don't. However, my day started at 8 am. I left at 4:45 pm. It's still a bit late, but it's rare for me to get out of there before 5 pm. I felt great.

Enjoy your weekend!

Staying at home all weekend and getting free food to cook

I have been at home all weekend. The snow has ended at long last. All is well.

I got free food from Goodfood for a week on Sunday. All fresh ingredients to cook various meals are included. I look forward to cooking and trying out these recipes.

I should go to bed. I have enjoyed sleeping in all weekend. Sadly, I won't be able to sleep in until this upcoming weekend.

Walking and winter storm advisory

I walked a lot on Sunday. It has been ages since I spent almost four hours at a mall. I did.

There is a winter storm advisory for tomorrow. Naturally, it's the day that I am meeting a friend whom I haven't seen in almost a decade. I told her that I'd let her know how things unfold. The worst case would be to reschedule for Tuesday.

It's never a dull day, even on vacation!

Skidding on black ice is scary

On Tuesday, I worked from home for a second day. I had to go out and run a couple of errands, including the grocery store.

Coming home, I saw two accidents. What was scary was that I was driving along black ice and thought that I would end up hitting the car in front of me. It was scary. I stopped in time, thankfully.

Later on today, I am getting my winter tires installed on my car. I have had this appointment for a week. I'll feel at ease once my winter tires are on my vehicle.

Snow storm

We are expecting between ten to fifteen centimetres of snow today. It's starting to fall as I type.

I will likely work from home today. The hassle of driving into work under such conditions isn't worth the risk. I am also getting my snow tires on this Wednesday.

Snow in November doesn't happen often. It can and it is!

Declutting and choosing what goes in my new car

Cleaning out my old car and figuring out what goes into my new car has been eye-opening. It has resurrected my decluttering project.

I currently have a lone umbrella in my car. That's pretty good, considering that I had seven.

I went through my USB cable situation. I have reduced the number from double digits (I lost count after ten) down to three. One is for my phone, which uses USB C. One is for guests, and the cable has both micro USB and lightning. The last one is for my iPod. Yes, I'm reintroducing music on my iPod in my car through an auxiliary cable, as this device has every song that I own and is still cool in my books.

My glove compartment has been significantly cleaned out. My car manuals, insurance, and ownership are staples. My sunglasses and glasses will be there soon. I also have bolts for my snow tires. Finally, I have a small battery jumper and a first aid kit for emergencies.

What did I get rid of? A winter hat and mittens. A ton of plastic straws and napkins. Way too many pens.

The storage area between the two front seats will have a small flashlight, hand sanitizer, plastic utensils (fork, knife, and spoon), and the aforementioned USB cables.

I got rid of a huge flashlight that does not work, oral sex gel (I had two tubes and don't have anyone to practice on these days), and a ton of car chargers with USB ports. I don't know why I had five!

I'm making good progress. I have the trunk to get through. I will probably have reusable bags, a snow brush, and my floor mats that came with the car. I'll introduce winter floor mats when it gets cooler.

It feels good to clean house and start fresh.

More snow

It has been a rough winter. When I wake up on Wednesday morning, snow will begin to fall for the entire day.

Oh, joy! We are expecting anywhere between ten and fifteen centimetres of snow.

I work from home on Wednesdays, so I'm good staying home. I am looking forward to warmer weather, though.

My outfit and shoes for the gala

My working overtime on Saturday kind of worked out nicely. I get Monday off. Later on tonight, I will be heading to a formal gala.

I have my outfit. It consists of a nice black sweater with gold buttons on the shoulders. It brings a nice, classy touch. It's also a comfortable sweater. I have never worn this one before, but I did get a grey one at the same time and have worn it for years.

My brown palazzo pants are still a go. I like the contrast of colours, rather than dressing all in black and feeling like I am at a funeral.

I am going with black socks and a pair of brown suede lace-up shoes. I have a pair of black leather dress shoes with chunky heels. The downside is that the temperature is supposed to dip down to -11°C. My brown suede shoes will keep me warm. The black ones will not. We also have snow and ice on the ground. Warmth and traction trump everything here. I don't care if my footwear may look odd to some. I need my feet to stay warm and I need to be safe.

I'm ready. Here's hoping that being a finalist turns into some sort of acknowledgement of the work that I did last year.

Thoughts, winter storm, and cuddles

I have a lot to say. The problem is that I said a ton on Monday at work that I am too tired to write about it right now. I'll give it a try in a future post.

In the meantime, a winter storm is brewing. It starts in a few hours. When weather forecasters recommend that you work from home, you do just that. It's estimated that 15 to 20 centimetres of snow will fall. Add to this mix strong winds and freezing rain, and it makes sense to just stay at home.

On Monday night, I went to the grocery store to stock up on food. I enjoy cooking at home these days. I make the time.

My guy is still in India. He is fortunate to not endure all this wintry weather. He told me that he prefers sleeping, especially on snowy days. I like the thought of cuddling up next to him on a snowy day. I wish we had a fireplace!

Snow tires and 60's music

It's the middle of May. I finally got my snow tires off.

This past winter was the first time that I got snow tires. I have lived in Minnesota and Manitoba for nearly nine years when you total everything. I don't know why I waited that long to get them, but they were great during all the snow and ice that we got here.

I have my tires stored at the dealership. I had originally wanted my tires changed last week, but there wasn't enough time to get them out of storage. So, it happened on Wednesday.

I seem to be able to strike up a conversation or have some sort of common bond with drivers shuttling me between the service centre and my home. Getting a ride home consisted of my humming to 60's music with my driver. He was enthusiastically tapping his hand to the beat. He was great in using is GPS to get me home.

"It's my first time not providing directions to get me home. Instead, I got to listen to 60's music," I remarked.
"You seem young to know 60's music," he noted.
"I grew up listening to that era. It was my mom and dad's decade, so I had no choice but to listen to it. Today was like reliving my childhood, but not my decade of music," I replied.

He smiled. I thanked him for making my day.

Weather fluctuations causes wardrobe confusion

These temperature swings are maddening! Last Saturday, it was 7°C as a high with rain. On Wednesday, I went out for a break during the day, as I work from home. The temperature reached a high of 27°C.

I am confused as to how I should dress. On the weekend, I had a light winter puffy jacket, a winter hat, mitts, and Sherpa-lined shoes. On Wednesday, i went outside in a short-sleeved t-shirt, lightweight jeans, no socks, and sneakers.

It's almost like we skipped spring. Weird!

Dinner and spanking options

We left the office the other night and headed towards my car. Although dopey, my guy noticed my winter tires.

"Hey, I get to see your winter tires on Bluie for the first time," he said.
"Yep, they are my Michelins," I replied.

We got into my car and I drove us to our usual Chinese restaurant. It was nice holding hands along the way.

I parked. We walked over to the restaurant. We had forty minutes before the restaurant would close for the evening.

We were promptly seated at a booth. We were advised that the kitchen would be shutting down at 21:30.

"What do I normally get?" my guy asked me, still sobering up.
"You get the ginger beef," I replied.
"Oh, yeah. That's right," he said, smiling at me.

Moments later, I placed our order. We then chowed down.

My guy sobered up quite nicely once there was food in his system.

"Do you know how much your hotel room was when you visited me?" he asked me.
"I'm not sure. I'll need to look my bill up," I said, getting my phone.

My guy is pretty good at paying me back. Although I would have been fine shelling out the bill, he always insists on at least splitting the cost. He's sweet that way.

We finished just before the restaurant closed. Nice! We paid and left.

I drove us back to the office.

"I can either spank you in your car or at the office. I'm giving you the choice," he said, holding my hand.
"How about at the office? You have never spanked me there since we moved buildings," I said.
"Sounds good. No one is at the office at this hour," he noted.
"I'm a good girl, though," I playfully teased.
"No, you're not. Why do you think that I always spank you?" he asked.
"You like to," I noted.
"I do," he admitted.

I always enjoy getting a spanking from him.