First vaccine shot today

I am getting my first vaccine shot in a few hours. I have to travel to the opposite side of the region in which I reside. I don't mind the drive, but it'll take me an hour getting over there. 

I decided to take the afternoon off as half a vacation day. My second shot happens in August.

I am happy that I got an appointment.

My intern and training a new colleague

My intern's work term ends in 1.5 weeks. She has been great helping me with recording training videos as I update my training slides. I let her know that I appreciated her help. I'm glad that I did.

In a few hours, I am training a new member of our team. I am ready. It will be different, but everything I seem to do is different!

Training and challenges

I'm not crazy about snap training sessions. I got the word on Monday that I'm to train a new employee. My manager thinks that I can do it the following day. Um, no.

I spent Monday ordering access for this person. I dislike training someone on an application that he does not have access to. That person doesn't learn well without it. Getting access to various applications at my workplace takes longer than it should.

On top of poor planning that's completely out of my control, I start training at 8 am. The new hire is in India. Luckily, I only train for four hours instead of the full eight hours each day.

I'm starting training on Wednesday. My manager did not complain. Monday was to get this person access and wrap up my development work. Tuesday is for wrapping up my work and updating my training materials. As long as I can back up my reasoning, it's all good.

My manager also wanted a high-level training plan. Nope, it goes to the new employee first. My manager has my training slides. He can figure it out there. That's micromanaging to ask me to do more work that is unnecesary. I have been training for years that I don't need to provide proof of my training plans and curriculum.

Ugh.

When I used to conduct onsite training, my manager would drop by. He is a control freak. I'd just ignore him and continue to train. Working from home, he has no control there. Training is zen to me. I don't supply the online session link to him, which is a bonus. He is not the target audience.

I also train in do-not-disturb mode. He has interrupted my training in the past by pinging the new employee. It will be more difficult for him to do that with a contractor who doesn't report directly to him and who will likely be a guest on Microsoft Teams.

Work is fascinating!

Weekend and cooking

I feel like I need another weekend. This one blew by too quickly.

I tend to cook on Sundays. I made french toast and chocolate banana muffins. I also made turkey salad and made wraps.

All were low-carb. I find that I sleep better when I cut back on carbs and sugar. It's cool.

This used to be my playground

On Saturday, I spent some time checking out my old elementary school from the outside. Naturally, it's closed on weekends. It's also closed thanks to yet another lockdown that our province is under.

The general layout and building looks the same. I miss the old playground, though. I had so much fun with an apparatus with tire swings, and more to play on.

I guess hopscotch is outdated. All those lines are gone. However, a square with four small squares in it still exists. Weird.

A lot of memories flooded in. It was nice to reminisce and think of simpler times. 

Weekend and my friend's apartment move

The weekend is finally here. Yay!

My friend and colleague is moving into her new apartment this weekend. She took Friday off from work and let me know through text messages. She has invited me over to her place once she's settled and it's safe to visit friends again.

Getting an apartment in the greater Toronto area does get expensive. She told me that she had asked our boss for a raise. I hope that she gets one, as her starting salary wasn't as great as it should have been.

For the past year, she lived with two roommates. It didn't work out and she prefers having her own space. I get it. We are similar in that regard.

I am happy for her.

Rest and a charcoal face mask

Yesterday, I took half the day off as a sick day. I felt exhausted at around noon. The rainy, gloomy weather outside affected me indoors.

I'm glad that I did. I ended up napping and reading. I felt a lot better with some rest.

I am currently using a charcoal face mask. My facial muscles are so relaxed right now. I look scary in a black mask, though.

Rain and milkshakes

It raining right now. I love the sound of rain. It's relaxing.

Yesterday, I did takeout, which is my usual. I caved and decided to get a couple of milkshakes. There was a buy-one-get-one-free deal happening. I had to.

The milkshakes came in mason jars. I love repurposing them for various uses, such as storing ghee that I've made and looseleaf tea.

The milkshakes were delicious. Not overly sweet. Not huge. They were perfect.

It's okay to treat yourself to something yummy. I'm glad that I did, as I haven't had much sugar as of late.

My next interview

I did well in my writing interview. I have moved to the next stage, which is apparently an on-site interview. I'm not sure if I'm ready for it during a pandemic.

I am hoping that it can be an online video interview instead. I would hate to do an interview in a closed environment wearing a mask.

It's an interesting shift as far as recruiters go. The first one is done. I get a second one. It's that elaborate.

We'll see what happens next. I never expected to go through a set of interviews during a pandemic!

Writing interview

For years, I have been an interviewer. On Monday, I became an interviewee.

It was an interesting session. It was deemed a writing interview. I didn't know what to expect. It was essentially one writer reviewing my writing sample that I had submitted last week and both of us discussing my process to produce the end result.

I felt pretty good after the session. I don't know whether it was good enough to get a formal interview or if that's it for me. I can never truly tell how the other person has perceived things.

A recruiter found my resume online. It has been quite the process. I feel like it doesn't hurt to see where this avenue will lead me.

A productive Sunday

I had a productive Sunday. I tend to cook in the morning. I made a batch of French toast to enjoy throughout the week. The bread has no sugar, which is great.

I also made mini turkey quiches. I'm still using up my leftover turkey, and added spinach and cheese to the egg mixture. They turned out better than I had expected.

My dad needed me to help book a doctor's appointment for him. Everything is done online and he isn't there. He's booked for a phone appointment later on today.

I also finished filing tax returns for my parents. He gave me all tax receipts on Easter Monday and wondered why I hadn't done them on Thursday. I have to work. I do my best tax work on the weekend when I'm not pressured. It was odd. Our tax deadline is always at the end of April, so I didn't understand why he felt like rushing things.

Sadly, the weekend is over. Here's to a new workweek!

Hot flashes

I have taken a couple of days off from posting. All is okay, except for waking up a couple of times this week in the middle of the night.

I believe that I'm experiencing hot flashes. I may be premenopausal. It's weird and interesting.

So far this year, I have had a mini period in February that lasted a couple of days. It was definitely shorter than usual. January and March have been menstrual-free.

My last hot flash was last night. I woke up at 5:45 am and it was unpleasant. I ended up turning on my fan at the lowest setting that's perfect for sleep and I was able to sleep in till nearly 10 am.

I have heard that drinking cold water helps. I may need to fill an insulated water bottle with some and test it out. It has been yet another research topic. 

Big head = smart

I have a big head. Yes, the physical size of my head is large. My graduation cap never fit properly. I do well with knitted toques that stretch, though!

I often poke fun at my head size. The other day, I had this meeting chat with my manager.

"There's so much innovative news that I want to share with someone. I asked myself, 'Who has a big head? I know! Cutiebootie.' So, I'm telling you," he said.

"Should I report you to Human Resources? Yes, my manager said that I have a big head," I replied.

"People with big heads are intelligent. I have a big head," he said.

"My head is much larger than yours in comparison," I said.

It's true. Thus, I am smarter than he is allegedly. Ha!

Panties subscription has arrived!

I have so much to write about, but it'll need to wait a bit. My panties subscription has arrived!

I got these pretty pastel green panties with lace. They feel so smooth and buttery. It'll look much better when all the wrinkles are out, though!

 

 

And the back of the panties:

 

I also got a sleepwear set. I tend to wear the short-sleeved ones with shorts. This set fits so nicely.

Here's the top. I like the little pocket:

 

I took a photo of the shorts folded. They are super wrinkled, so I'll need to do another set of photos once I've washed them. They don't have pockets, but I'm glad that the top does!

I am so happy with this subscription!

So long, long weekend

My four-day long weekend is coming to a close. I start my day with a four-hour meeting that starts at 7 am.

I slept so well last night. I slept in till 10 am. I can't remember when I last did that.

Monday was great. I went out to do some shopping. I needed to get some low-carb bread. I also got a pair of double-walled glass mugs that were 45% off. I have wanted them for ages.

I am looking forward the weekend already!

Getting a compliment that I'm thin

Last Wednesday, I was doing my usual grocery store run after work. There was a woman taking up the middle of an aisle while looking at something. I wanted to get past her, so I could stand behind her. We were both waiting to pay for our items at the checkout.

I was my usual self by excusing myself to get through. I indicated that I didn't want to plow through and hit her. She was nice. We struck up a conversation.

She was telling me that during this pandemic, she has consumed way too much chocolate and that she was chocolate. She wished that she was as "thin as [I was]." She was so sweet!

I am not known to be thin. However, I'm thinking that my cutting out sugar has made a dent in how I look. I know that I feel much better and I tend to sleep better these days. My pants aren't as snug when I wear them. I thanked her for making my day.

She had a lot of items in her cart. I had a handful. I passed by her on my way out the door and she waved to me. I wished her a good evening.

It's nice meeting friendly folks, especially during a pandemic!

Happy Easter!

Happy Easter, everyone! I hope it's joyous and peaceful.

Glee making ghee

Yesterday, I did something different. I made ghee.

I bought a jar a few months ago and have since been in love with the nutty taste of ghee. I was down to the last few tablespoons and went looking for a jar last week. The supermarket that I was at did not have any.

I met up with a friend afterwards and mentioned it in passing. She told me that she makes her own ghee and it's pretty straightforward.

She was right. I made mine in thirty minutes.

I use ghee all the time. It's keto-friendly and it's nice that the milk solids are gone because I am borderline lactose-intolerant.

I won't be buying ghee. It's enjoyable making my own.

Happy Easter long weekend!

My extended long weekend has officially started. I am drinking a beer and just finished watching a hockey game. It's heaven!

Have a safe and happy weekend, everyone!

Being the interviewer and interviewee

I have so much to say, but I'm tired. I'll get around to these posts soon.

I have an interview to conduct at 08:00 today. The candidate is in India. Chances are that the next person hired on the team will require my training this person early in the morning. Luckily, I am able to span it across two weeks, so I'd be training three to four hours each workday.

The other night, I had a thirty-minute discussion with a recruiter. It went well. I am not looking for a job. Rather, this person found my resume and wants to find a position within the company that suits me. It's interesting.

I'll be working on updating my resume shortly.

Shorter workweek

I like a shorter workweek. It makes me look forward to a longer weekend. I am extending it by taking next Monday off.

My busiest workday is Friday. Yay to not having to deal with it this week!

Pigs in a blanket

I made pigs in a blanket with a silicone mould with little pigs. The bakeware is cute. However, you really need mini hot dogs to make it work.

I had regular hot dogs and cut them up into smaller pieces. I still felt that they were large.

The pigs in a blanket did turn out well. I will try reducing the time in the oven from 20 to 15 minutes. I found that the pancake batter was crispier than I would have liked. I used a sugar-free batter. I'm not sure if that had an effect.

I enjoy baking. It's fun.

Meeting up with a friend

On Saturday, I met up with my friend for a late lunch. It was the first time that both dined in a restaurant since the pandemic.

It wasn't on a patio or in a tent. We were sitting in a restaurant. It was great and we felt safe.

It was a bit different, but I was thankful to have spent a couple of hours with my friend whom I haven't seen since last September.

Bonus pay, relief, and friend

I gave my presentation online for work yesterday. It went well. I always feel great and relieved after it's done.

It's raining right now. I like rain at night. I find it soothing.

Yesterday, I got my bonus in addition to my paycheque. It feels good being temporarily rich. I have put the bonus towards paying off my debt, which continues to go well.

It's Friday at long last. I am seeing a friend, who is also my colleague, on Saturday. We haven't seen each other since last September. I am excited to catch up with her.

A break from the boss due to technology

My manager's laptop had issues charging. He basically said that he only had 23 percent power before he was done for the day.

As sad as his laptop situation was, I actually felt relieved that he wasn't online. My inbox got a break, which meant that I got a break, too.

We'll see if this break continues or if it's business as usual later today.

Income tax return - filed!

On Sunday, I filed my income tax return. I like that I got it over with.

My parents still haven't sent me all their tax slips and such. I tend to do theirs in April. We have until the end of April to file our tax returns. For a few years now, I do mine in early March, but I slipped a bit this year.

It was a productive Sunday. It's one less thing to think about.

Restoring my phone thanks to crappy app updates

Yesterday, my phone was acting up. After a number of automatic app updates, a number of apps weren't working properly afterwards

When I launched any e-mail app, it would flash and close up. I also had issues opening my Amazon, Sephora, and Rogers apps.

Normally, I can uninstall and reinstall a problematic app and I'm good. It didn't work for any of them. You also can't uninstall the Gmail app on a Google Pixel phone.

I ended up erasing everything on my phone and installing my data from a backup that had occurred three hours earlier.

Other than signing into every app that I use, my phone works well again. Man, I'm tired!

Happy Spring!

Happy Spring! It was a whopping 15°C on Saturday, which was lovely. It made the day so cheerful, complemented by the sunshine.

I spent this evening scheduling COVID-19 vaccine shots for my parents. My dad has his two appointments set up. His first shot is this Thursday. I have pre-registered my mom. She's six years younger than my dad, so she has to wait for a bit.

I hope that you are having a great weekend so far.

Sleep and Happy Meals

I have been sleeping well since I cut out most sugary items from my diet. Other than my leg pain the other night, I haven't woken up in the middle of the night to attend to my bladder this week.

I have had a few apple slices this week. They were a part of a McDonald's Happy Meal. I'm collecting Mr Men and Little Miss toys. I have the option of having apple slices or fries in the meal. There are fewer carbs in the former, although it does have natural sugar.

As an adult, I never imagined ordering Happy Meals!

Sick day

I took Thursday off as a sick day. I woke up just before 4 am with hamstring and ankle pain that affected my right leg. I likely overworked them when exercising. 

I was up for over an hour trying to ease the pain before I went back to bed and slept like a log for 3.5 hours. I heard my alarm go off. I felt sluggish. I decided to take the day off and slept some more.

Right now, my hamstring is doing better. I skipped exercising. Here's hoping that I can sleep better tonight.

Mr Men = Spongebob

Yesterday, I decided to get a Happy Meal from McDonald's. I haven't had one since I was a kid.

Why did I get one? It's offering Mr Men as the toy. I grew up with the Mr Men series, so it's a nostalgic thing.

Well, I specified the Mr Men Happy Meal. What did I get? Spongebob. Ugh!

Apparently, Mr Men all got a facelift and became Spongebob. I will try again soon and hope that the folks at my local McD's get my order correct!

Random act of kindness came in the mail

A few weeks ago, a tea company in Vancouver that I follow on Instagram did an act of random kindness. The company wanted to send me some goodies. It was so completely out of the blue!

Well, my gifts came in the mail. I got a bunch of looseleaf tea varieties. I also got some hand-carved wooden spoons to scoop the tea out of the containers. One is round and the other is heart-shaped.

This photo shows my purple jasmine tea with the heart-shaped wooden spoon:

  

It was such a thoughtful gesture. This company made my day and month.

Facebook and my ex breaking his hiatus on it

I don't do a whole lot on my Facebook account. I have moved around over the years, so it's easy to keep in touch with people. I wish friends happy birthday, check in here and there, and that's it.

The ex has a Facebook account. He stopped using it back in 2017. Unfortunately, I got a notification that he has posted two new photos.

The photos aren't exciting. However, they either have some sort of hidden meaning or he's simply ready to be social again.

His profile pic is a car from the 70's. What's interesting is that the licence plate is from Texas. It's where we last were together before he broke up with me.

His cover photo is a lighthouse. It's a beacon of light when it's foggy. Maybe he is seeing the light. I also love lighthouses, but I don't know if he knows that I do.

Perhaps I'm reading into this photos more than I should. It's just weird that he has resurrected his Facebook account after a four-year hiatus.

I have removed him as a contact on Skype. Perhaps it's time to do the same on Facebook.

Daylight Saving Time glitch on my phone

The weekend has come to an end. I appreciate weekends more as I get older.

With Daylight Saving Time, my Google Pixel phone didn't automatically flip ahead an hour. Luckily, I spent the day at home, so it didn't really matter. The issue was fixed by Google by asking users to reboot their phones.

Weird. All is well.

Pickle fries

I had pickle fries for the first time. They are fries made out of potatoes, but are seasoned with pickle juice and salt. I enjoyed them.

I am not a pickle person. I don't like them in burgers. I love sweet relish and cucumbers, but have never been thrilled with the sourness. For some reason, I was fine with the pickle juice on these fries.

On a different note, it'll be Daylight Saving Time soon. I'm up way too late!

Happy shopping outcome

The weekend is here. Yay!

I have some errands to run later on today. I made a decent shopping list. Most of the items are food! Here's hoping that I get everything that I need.

On a slightly different note, I had placed an order online for an item with a small business that I frequent often. I got to exchange e-mail messages with the owner. I had ordered a plushie. She said that there was some glitch on her end and it wasn't available. I got a refund.

However, there was a larger version of the same plushie that she had, but wasn't listed on her site. I got it without tax. It was such a lovely outcome that I didn't expect. She has always been nice to me and it was such a nice gesture to have the tax knocked off.

Great customer service from a small, local store that has survived this pandemic. It's one of many reasons why I return.

Breakthrough at work

I enjoyed work on Thursday. I managed to make an important breakthrough with a side project that I'm working on.

With this side project, the documentation is outdated. The software has changed its look and feel. The person working first-level support is horrible. Instead, I have been working with a software developer who has pointed me in the right direction a number of times. I have been so fortunate. Even she recognized that he's not the most savvy person.

I attended a meeting later on in the day. A speaker kept on saying "you know" so often that it became annoying. It was at least once in a sentence. Ugh!

One more workday to go. I like the sound of that!

Good vacation day with sleep

I had a lovely day. My car got serviced. All went well. I ran all my errands that I had planned.

Last night, I was so tired that I ended up nodding off with my earbuds in my ears, music playing, my lamp next to my bed on. I can't recall when I last did that. I slept for an hour. It was nice. I then continued to sleep until just before 9 am.

I'm back to my two-day workweek. I like the sounds of it!

Planning

I have been planning what I will be doing after my car is serviced. I have three errands that I must run. Lunch and dinner are in the planning stages. It's fun!

There's one place that sells a massive meatball as an appetizer. It looks like a meal to me! I also like the idea of having Persian food.

It's great having plenty of choices to choose from.

Vacation day on Wednesday

It's a new workweek. I am taking Wednesday off as a vacation day. It's nice to break up the week into smaller segments.

I'm taking my car in for its usual servicing. It still doesn't offer shuttle service. I enjoy sitting there and relaxing. I also have a couple of errands to run afterwards. Considering that I'm not travelling much these days, I might as well start using my vacation days up slowly.

One more workday before my vacation day. It's great looking forward to a vacation day.

Cupcakes and an orchestra performance

On Saturday, I picked up a perk, which consisted of two cupcakes. They had plenty of butter. I loved every bite!

I won a pass to see the Louisville Orchestra perform virtually. Its first performance for me was on Saturday. It was awesome!

I used to play the viola and clarinet growing up. It was nice reliving those memories while seeing professionals show their creativity and skill.

Weekend, wings, and cupcakes

The weekend is finally here. Yay!

After work on Friday, I went out briefly to fetch some takeout for dinner. I got 50% off chicken wings and a four-cheese spinach dip with baked pita triangles. Delicious!

Later on today, I'm fetching a couple of complimentary cupcakes. I have been pretty good reducing my sugar intake for over a week. I will ruin it a bit with the cupcakes before I hop back on sugar-reduced train.

Have a great weekend! 

I am a winner!

I attended a virtual event last night. There was a giveaway at the end of it.

Normally, I don't win a thing when it comes to these draws. For some reason, I had a good feeling about it. Sure enough, my name got selected! Yay!

I get to virtually watch an orchestra play down the road. I'll have more details later, but I am absolutely thrilled!

Working with a diva who loves putting files into folders

I work with a colleague whom I have nicknamed Diva over the years. She is one.

It's crazy that she recently celebrated eight years with the company. I trained her.

From the moment she set foot with the company, I noticed her thing for putting files in folders. It is to the point where it's overkill and an obsession.

For over a year, she wanted to put files in a repository into subfolders. She was the only person who complained about the setup. I explained why I put everything in a single folder. I set up all documents. I need to make sure that they are all there in a glance. I also assign document numbers to them. It takes me a week to do all that work for each major software release that we have. It would take more time if I had subfolders to switch between views.

Well, she went ahead and did her folder thing. That's fine if she wants to waste her time and claim that it'll reduce errors made by her. It's more because she has a folder obsession. I'm wondering if it's OCD.

It's not a showstopper to me. She will live with or without putting files in folders and subfolders.

This week, she faced an issue and couldn't solve it herself. She goes with asking people first. I'm the complete opposite. I'll try and troubleshoot it before I poll people. I normally don't poll folks on my team because, often, no one has the experience. There are finally a few people who do. I went ahead and ignored her. She needs to put in some effort, rather than taking a shortcut by simply asking first.

She is a diva. She expects everything to be done for her. Thank goodness she did her folder thing herself. Such a waste of productivity!

Technical support - hit and miss

I have made this observation in the past, but the various helpdesks that I have at work suck. I dealt with one guy who was incredibly useless.

In a particular software application, there is a field called Area. It's essentially your department's name. I clicked the dropdown field and none of them matched what I belonged to. On top of that, the documentation had a broken URL to the application, so I had to ask about both issues.

I got the proper URL. The guy told me to select one and let my colleagues know what I had selected. Huh? He was so out of it that I asked if I could connect with a subject matter expert instead. I did (at least he got that right) and she was a ray of sunshine. She answered my questions and created an area just for me with all the proper access rights.

It's nice when I go from frustrated to happy. That guy needs to go, though. Even the woman told me that!

Memories of my friend and bedposts

It's March. A year ago, I travelled to the States. It was my last trip there. It was my last hotel stay.

It's crazy that I have been working from home for nearly a year. After this trip, I was asked to isolate at home. There were neither any COVID-19 cases in Minnesota, nor Ontario.

A year ago today, I had lunch with my dear friend in Minnesota. Little did we know that it would be our last get-together before she got diagnosed with Leukemia.

I miss her. I do have a happy memory to share.

Years ago, I returned to Minnesota to return my leased car. I had a three-year lease, but only worked in the States for two years before I got laid off. The car stayed in Canada with me for a year before I drove it down. I stayed with my friend in Iowa.

She let me know about a cool hotel that we needed to check out in her town. We went with her family. The hotel gave tours. We went upstairs to the bedroom. There was a couple looking around. The man looked at the bedposts. 

"These posts are so high. I could tie you up against them," he said to his partner.

He looked at my friend and me, a bit embarrassed. I seized the opportunity to say something.

"Too much information," I said with a smirk, which made my friend and I laugh.

I wish that I remembered what the name of that hotel was. I hope that it's still there.

Tired, less sugar, and happy

I've been tired the last couple of days. All is well. I'm happy that it's the weekend!

I decided to cut back on sugar as of Friday. I have been indulging in desserts that I've noticed how I don't sleep as well as I used to. My clothes also fit tighter.

A break from meetings

I enjoy when my boss is away for one reason or another. It's a nice break from way too many meetings.

On Wednesday, he took half the day off. Our team has a daily chat towards the end of my workday. I find it a drag sometimes, because I don't exactly want to talk to them when I was to wrap up my work and call it a day. My manager can't end a chat on time, let alone any meeting.

I start my day earlier than most on the team. I can technically call it a day at 4:30 pm. I did that yesterday and it felt great.

Last Thursday, he wasn't feeling well and took the day off to rest up. It was nice not attending our weekly team meeting. 

I am fortunate that I get along with him. However, having him not remember how many years I have been with the company still rubs me the wrong way. It resurfaced last Friday. I nearly wanted to say, "Yes, it's ten years. You didn't see the e-mail to sign my e-card and only acknowledged my milestone when I had to tell you that you missed it in our daily chat."

Today will be interesting. There's a departmental meeting at the same time as our weekly team meeting. We'll see whether he will acknowledge that the former meeting is far more important than his.

Long week, especially dealing with a colleague who jumped the gun

This week feels long already. I had to deal with a project manager who can't read.

I had sent a bunch of links for a couple of developers to review, clearly asking them to review my work. This project manager decided to forward them to a different department and said that my work was done. What? It was an incredibly premature move.

It's sad that I had to explicitly state that it's not done in my eyes. My work needs an internal review first. 

It's unfortunate that the developer who originally forwarded his work to me had copied this project manager on it. Next time, I will remove her completely from the message when I respond because she can't read.

Ugh!

Wrapping up the weekend with businesses reopening

My weekend is practically over.

I went out on Sunday to pick up an order. I do like curbside pickup. I have been out on Sundays more often. It's nice.

Today marks the first day that businesses reopen in my area. It doesn't exactly make me want to dine out or hit a mall. It's a small sign of hope during this long pandemic, which is nice.

Have a great week ahead!

Shopping thoughts

I have been more nostalgic and reflective as of late than I typically am. I had a talk with a friend who is in the same boat. She blames it on the pandemic.

My region will have many restrictions eased as of Monday. It has been in lockdown for over two months. Yesterday, I went into a different part of the province where stores were open again. I didn't have any inclination to visit them.

It is one change that I have noticed since this pandemic started. I don't have a desire to go shopping and browse. I like curbside pickup. I look at what I want online, pay either online or at the store, and pick up my order. Done!

I simply get groceries and items at the drugstore. I also get takeout.

I haven't been to major stores, such as Walmart and Costco, since this pandemic started. I don't feel comfortable in them.

Maybe the urge to visit major malls and large stores will come back once we are all vaccinated. Right now, visiting them isn't a priority. 

Talking at 7 am for work

My manager wants me to give a talk about our team's processes to two colleagues in India. I'm talking in a few hours at 7 am.

There are times when I feel like he complicates my work life because he can't do this task. He doesn't have the hands-on expertise and he isn't great at speaking.

Hopefully, I'm coherent and functioning by then.

On a good note, I do like an earlier start. It means that I can end my workday early. The downside is that we are getting more snow, so it's not like I'll be out and about afterwards. At least I can admire the clean, white snow in a warm home.

Shoulder pain and lounging

I woke up on Tuesday with a pain in my shoulder. I have a feeling it's due to posture. Doing shoulder rolls and relaxing my arm has helped reduce the pain throughout the day. It's down to a dull ache that occurs occasionally.

I took a sick day to rest up. It was nice to lounge around once the pain had subsided.

We've got snow. I didn't bother shovelling it due to my shoulder. I will ease into it later on today.

Snow

My long weekend is over. Sad, but it's true.

We were supposed to get two waves of snow. The one on Monday morning didn't materialize, so I went out to fetch some lunch.

The second wave is here. We are expecting between 15 to 20 cm of snow. Fun!

Valentine's Day thoughts

I'm still up. It's Valentine's Day.

When I had a boyfriend, this day was just like any other. We said that we loved each other throughout the year.

Now that I am single, I simply look forward to eating chocolate and taking advantage of the post-Valentine's Day sales on candy.

It's all good.

Video of my late friend

I wanted to sleep in on Friday. I did manage to get more sleep, but I received a couple of text messages at 09:00.

They were from my dear friend's husband. She had passed away in early January. He was using her phone to text me, like he did back in January, and said that it automatically put all photos featuring her into a video. He then texted me this video.

It's a nice keepsake to have. When we met up, we rarely took photos together or of each other. I have a handful of them from trips spent with her over the years and I cherish them. This video is special, to remember her by.

The last photo is recent one, probably closer to her passing. She looked thin and tired, which would be expected going through chemotherapy.

I have been thinking about her often. It's nice that I am now keeping in touch with her husband.

Happy lunar new year!

Happy lunar new year! 

It's the year of the ox. I am oxcited!

Long weekend is nearly here with my new toy

One more workday until my long weekend. Yay!

I'll have lots of time to play with my new toy. I found the online manual. I have read it. I am ready!

Give me Liberty!

It has finally arrived! My Womanizer Liberty is here!

It took a week longer to arrive. A COVID-19 outbreak happened at a Canada Post sorting facility, so extra precautions were taken.

The lilac looks prettier when I took it out of the packaging. I had to charge it. The instructions that came with the Liberty aren't complete, but how to pleasure yourself got to the point!

I'll let you know how happy I am soon!

Out and about on Sunday

I went out on Sunday. It's rare for me to venture out on Sundays. However, I have done it twice within the past month.

I don't mind going out on Sundays. I find it more relaxed than Saturdays. I am a homebody, though. Going out on Saturday and Sunday feels like overkill!

It was nice getting some takeout for lunch. I found a decent Hakka restaurant on my way home from fetching an order for curbside pickup.

It's a shorter week for me. I have decided to take this Friday off for Lunar New Year. I rarely take this day off from work. Monday is a holiday, so I get an extra long weekend. Yay!

Sleepy

My weekend is going well, except that I was up till 4 am yesterday. I got up at around 9 am and lounged.

I am sleepy. I'm only up because I'm drying my hair, so I thought that I'd quickly say hi before I crash.

Snow, errands, and recipes

It's snowing. I was hoping to run an errand later on today, but I think that I'll just stay at home and try on Sunday instead.

This business has curbside pickup from Wednesday through Friday, and Sunday. I am typically running errands on Saturday. So, I have either Friday or Sunday to drop by the store and pick up a couple of orders.

It used to be open on Saturdays. However, with this second pandemic lockdown, it has revised its hours. 

At least I get to stay home all warm and cozy. I am currently going through a new cookbook, dreaming about which recipe to try first.

Taking myself out of a group at work due to workload

Last year, my manager made me participate in a group in our organization on how to improve various processes. I did like participating, but my workload became extremely heavy in August and kept on building.

I ended up being a leader in a subgroup with three other people. All were guys. They didn't take much initiative. I set up the meeting for us to talk, I took notes and meeting minutes, and I presented our findings to our team. The next step was to present them within our organization.

I didn't have time to put a slide deck together or give a talk. I had an annoying woman who took over from someone within our group, hounding me when I could present. I felt like I was giving excuses, but I wasn't. I put in so much overtime to get my deliverables out the door that I was exhausted.

As a last resort, I asked the three guys on my team if they could help me out. Crickets.

The group leader has changed again. I have worked with this person and we get along. She asked whether some folks in the group would like to take a break from it due to deliveries. I pondered it and decided that I needed the break.

I didn't discuss it with my manager. I wanted out because I felt like I wasn't getting the support from my little team and my workload continues to be heavy.

I felt good about my decision. It's right for me.

Sleeping much better

I took a break from blogging last night. I needed it.

On Sunday night, I was so exhausted from not getting enough sleep over the weekend. I found myself on my bed, with my head without a pillow underneath and where my feet should have been, fast asleep, without my comforter pulled over me. I haven't done any of that in years.

Last night, I slept well. Here's hoping that I can continue the trend. The winds are gusty tonight. Luckily, I sleep with earplugs these days.

Sleep and an upcoming longer weekend

I didn't sleep well last night. I walked too much on Saturday that my right foot was causing me some grief. Eventually, I did fall asleep, which was great.

I'm back to the grind on Monday. I just realized that it's almost February. It is rare for me to take Lunar New Year. However, it lands on a Friday this year and the following Monday is a Canadian holiday. I want to take advantage of a longer weekend.

Sleep and nonsense

I didn't sleep great last night. I woke up a couple of times and couldn't fall back to sleep immediately.

It's weird that I'm still awake, though. I should be off to bed.

I had mentioned that I was a panelist in a Zoom meeting a couple of weeks ago. I had a great experience.

Well, I noticed that one person who follows me has changed since I was on that panel. Before this meeting, she liked all my posts. After this meeting, she has scarcely liked my posts. Weird.

I don't expect everyone to agree with my opinions. I just offered what has worked for me. She gives me the impression that she was offended by something that I had said and I suppose not supporting me is her way of dealing with it.

She kept asking me a bunch of questions about various topics when she first joined and I was patient with her. Now, I have to deal with this nonsense? I decided to remove her as a connection. I don't need to deal with her immaturity.

Off to bed. I will sleep well.

New panties and vibrator order

My panties subscription came in the mail. I got this black mesh one:

The waistband is comfortable and satiny. The mesh feels smooth and soft. I'm happy with them.

I also got paid and bought my Womanizer Liberty vibrator in lilac. It has been shipped, which is impressive. The place where I normally get my spanking implements, PinkCherry.ca, is having a Valentine's Day sale. I'm pleased with an extra 20% off.

I am looking forward to receiving my new toy and wearing these panties.

Constipation is not fun!

Recently, I made the mistake of eating not-so-ripe bananas. I tend to eat ripe bananas. Last week, I ran out of them and got a hand of bananas that weren't ripe yet. I then ate one.

I realized that I can't eat bananas that aren't ripe enough. I ended up being constipated. It has been years since I experienced a serious bout of it. Luckily, a combination of fibre, fish, veggies, and exercise got me back to being my regular self in more ways than one.

Weird, huh? I have learned my lesson. Constipation is highly uncomfortable and I felt like I had a larger stomach. It was scary at times, but I'm definitely myself again.

Theory about a mysterious gift last Christmas

Just before Christmas, I received a book from an anonymous person. I saw the Amazon Prime sticker on the box and thought that it was something that I had ordered that had arrived. I ripped the box open and still don't know who sent me this book.

I have been thinking that it may have been the ex-guy. He has an Amazon Prime membership. He obviously knows where I live. I haven't communicated with him since I told him to stop contacting me last July. He has never mentioned anything about this book. He likely got confirmation that the shipment was delivered and was satisfied with that information.

The book? It's The Longevity Paradox by Steven R. Gundry. It's essentially a book about how to live a long, healthy, happy life.

Perhaps the ex felt guilty that he broke my heart and ruined a part of my life that this book would help me. Maybe he truly wants me to live a longer, happier life.

Anyway, I haven't read much from it. I suppose that I should and see if I do grow old, happy, and healthy.

Scheduling meetings and having my performance review

My first day back at work went well. I impressed myself getting up at 6:45 am for a 7 am conference call.

I had a performance review meeting with my manager just after lunch. Before I went on vacation, he made it for 3 pm for an hour. I had 3:30 pm onwards blocked off as being out of the office on my calendar due to my early start. I also had a meeting at 3 pm.

I got to love when folks don't look at other people's calendars to schedule meetings. My favourite is my diva colleague who asked me to specify what time would work for best for me for her meeting when she clearly knew that I was training our new intern for two weeks.

Dumb. Just dumb.

Anyway, my performance review went well. My boss called me a "rock star." Not to sound weird or pompous, but I have earned it.

A human resources person recently spoke to my manager and did a review of each team member's salary. This HR guy asked my boss why my salary was "significantly higher" than the rest of my team colleagues.

Here's my short list:

• Experience - I have been doing my job for years. I have the most experience on the team.
• Competence - I do my job well and take pride in it. I also complete many tasks with quality and at a faster pace than the rest of my peers.
• Education - I'm the only one with a master's degree in this field.
• Knowledge - I have a lot of it. It explains why I train new employees joining our team.

My manager said everything he had to say about my skills and performance. I am working at a different level than the rest of the team. It's true, which satisfied the HR guy.

I have earned my salary through hard work. It's nice that I have a manager who agrees. I am looking forward to a bonus!

Last day of vacation

I spent a casual, relaxed last day of my vacation. I went out briefly to fetch a kebob dinner deal. You buy one dinner and get another for free. There was a lot of food. I needed a nap afterwards.

I start my day at 7 am for a four-hour conference call. Tuning into the first hour should allow me to get through my inbox of e-mails. Oh, joy!

Walking down grade 2 memory lane with a class photo

Back in early July, a friend reached out to me on a Facebook group. We were in grades 2 and 5 together. I haven't talked to her in decades. We messaged each other and caught up on our lives.

A few hours ago, she tagged me in our grade 2 class photo. There were some missing names. I managed to fill in the gaps, except for one person.

I shocked myself in that I could vividly spell people's names and it felt like I was in grade 2 again. My friend's memory is pretty good, too. Between the two of us, we produced a list of everyone in the photo, minus the one guy.

She said that she's grateful that she found me. Likewise!

Rediscovering neighbourhoods and new good eats

During my vacation, it has been fun rediscovering neighbourhoods that I have frequented in the past. Coupled with getting good eats, I have enjoyed my ventures here and there.

Within walking distance in my neighbourhood is a Hong Kong-style eatery that opened a few months ago. I finally got around to ordering its signature beef brisket with thin noodles and this dish was fantastic. There were four different noodle options. I may need to try them all!

I also got the beef brisket macaroni in tomato sauce dish. Both were 50% off. Insane, but a great deal.

Being on vacation is the weekend every day

The weekend is here! Being on vacation feels like every day is the weekend. I will miss my vacation. It has been relaxing and nice so far.

I had the best apple and pineapple fritters on Thursday. I finished them off on Friday. Should I get more? I want to, but will wait it out. I don't want to overdose of them. They are that yummy.

Credit update - great news!

I haven't talked about my finances for a while. All is great!

Last hour, I checked my credit score. My credit score went up by 60 points on the Canadian scale!

It is a big deal. I have been in the poor category for a few years. I am now in the fair category. Yay!

My goal is to get my credit score in the good range. I need a credit rating of at least 713, which is doable as I continue my journey to repair my credit rating.

I'm pleased. It does take a lot of work. It's nice to see results.

Vibrators and paddles

Being on vacation, I have been thinking about sleep and food. Thanks to a vibrator gift post at Disciplined Behaviour, I have mine picked out already.

I want the Womanizer Liberty in lilac. I will buy it sometime next week when payday rolls around.

While I was on that site, I checked out the spanking paddles. I have a decent collection, but it has been ages since I used them. I suppose that it's time to use them. I am on vacation after all.

Sleep

Last night, I didn't sleep all that well. I woke up way too early, likely because my body is used to getting up for work. Ugh!

The other issue was that I had black tea fairly late in the evening. Oops.

I hope that I'll sleep better tonight. I'm on vacation. Please co-operate, body!

Being a panelist and on vacation

I had a fun evening being a panelist in a Zoom meeting. I am normally an attendee. It was different being on the opposite side. I had a good time and enjoyed being with cool people.

My vacation is going well. I slept in till 9:30 am. That's late for me.

I went out briefly to pick up an order that I had placed over the weekend. I also got some bubble tea.

It has been relaxing. I love it.

Going out on a Sunday - rare!

I went out on Sunday. I can't tell you when I was last out on any Sunday. It has been that long and is a rare occurrence.

The main reason for my venturing out was to pick up an order that I had paid for on New Year's Eve. The business took the first week of January off. It returned the following week for curbside pickup on Wednesday only. It then went back to its regular pickup hours on Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Sunday.

I couldn't do the weekdays because I was training my intern. Hours are from 11 am till 4 pm. I normally am out and about running errands on Saturday. So, Sunday, it was!

Although it was a cloudy day, it was nice getting out and walking around. I also like the fact that I am on vacation and feel relaxed.

Foot pain

My foot pain has returned. It was bad on Friday night, but eventually went away and I was able to post here. It's back again.

My way of dealing with it (consuming magnesium, potassium, a banana, and Ibuprofen) helps. What is weird is the length of time that this pain has been with me. I'm not sure why.

Anyway, it's slowly dissipating. Here's hoping that I can kick the pain to the curb soon.

Vacation has begun

My vacation has started. I'm happy about the downtime. I don't have anything terribly exciting to do, though.

I am continuing to reorganize things at home. I found an old work notebook from ten years ago. My handwriting wasn't great then. I am sure that it still isn't.

Perhaps I can spend some time practising my cursive.

Trying to use up my vacation from last year - a problem I never thought that I'd have

Today is my last workday before I go on vacation for just over a week. It's not that I want to. I have six vacation days that I didn't use up in 2020. I need to use them up by the end of this month.

I would normally be thrilled to take time off. I'd be travelling somewhere. Ontario, the province in which I live, is under lockdown. I can get groceries, fetch takeout, do curbside pickup, exercise outdoors, and that's about it.

It's funny. I originally thought I had five days of vacation. I realized through doing a calculation that I had an extra day. It's amusing to me that I am not thrilled about taking time off during a pandemic.

Then again, I have been working hard for two weeks. I trained a new intern and got my regular work done. I also dealt with my dear friend's passing, so I'm okay with taking time off for me.

I will likely continue reorganizing things around the house. I did some of that tonight. It felt therapeutic.

My mom and her memory loss

For years, I have witnessed my mom's memory deteriorate. Yesterday, it took quite a dip that has left a lasting impression on me.

My mom talked to me and said that there was some man living in the same house. I had no idea who or what she was talking about.

This man was my dad. She didn't know that he was my mom's husband.

I said that this man was her hubby. She then replied that she didn't know that she was married. I asked her how I was born without a dad. She simply didn't know.

It was quite telling. However, when I asked her if she knew who I was, she immediately said both my first and last names.

It's such a shame seeing a great memory slowly deteriorate. It makes me a bit nervous, as I have a similar memory, I hope that I don't follow this same path.

I'm not sure how to deal with memory loss. Here's to more research. Perhaps having her look at old photos may be helpful. Then again, I don't want to frustrate her if she can't remember who the folks are in them.

Receiving my friend's voice message

Yesterday afternoon, I received a text message from my dear friend's hubby through my friend's cell phone. He had texted me a voice message from my friend that was played at her funeral service. He thought that I'd like to have it to remember her.

It was such a nice gesture. I texted him back and thanked him. I was grateful to have been able to attend her funeral from afar. Hearing her voice again was and still is comforting.

I sent him my love and thoughts to him and his daughter. He appreciated it.

It's hard to believe that it has been a week since I got the news about my friend's passing. Although I am healing, it will definitely take a while to get back to my regular self.

More thoughts from my friend's funeral

My friend organized her entire funeral. We are similar in that we are natural planners. She wasn't a control freak. She simply wanted to take care of it without burdening others. It was just who she was.

She made sure that everyone had a bagged lunch after the service. It made me smile. It was so her.

She left a voice message to all of us. She said that we were her miracle. Her daughter let out a sob. I lost it there as tears trickled down my face. It felt good hearing her voice.

She chose the music that was played. I have the list, which is now a part of my playlist and will always remind me of her.

At the end, Amazing Grace was played. The Mayo Clinic managed to record her heartbeat. Her heartbeat was then used as the beat for the song, which had guitar as the melody. It was unique and I felt connected to her -- as if she were saying to everyone that they would be okay.

I managed to grieve at her streamed funeral. I felt a lot better today. It was a lovely service celebrating her life. She somehow managed to reassure us that things were going to be okay. I am healing one day at a time.

Grieving and celebrating my friend's life

On Saturday, I attended my friend's funeral online. It was my first experience attending a virtual funeral. I am grateful that the funeral home offered this service.

It allowed me to attend when the Canada-US border continues to be closed due to COVID-19. It's also nice for those who can't travel or want to stay safe to attend remotely.

It was a beautiful celebration of my friend and her life. There were many parts of the service that made me smile. Essentially, my friend organized her own funeral and made sure that we were all taken care of. She was always that way, including right up to her death.

I may write more about what was said and share in another post. Right now, I am simply reflecting and appreciate her even more.

I didn't write the previous day. On Friday night, I decided to grieve in my own way. I played music that she loved. It brought back fond memories of both of us attending these performances live and enjoying these songs together.

Bluetooth speaker bottle - weird and broken

Yesterday, I received a gift from my company. It was a bluetooth speaker bottle. The idea is that the cap acts as the bluetooth speaker. You unscrew the cap and you have a beverage bottle.

It's such an odd combination. I hope that folks don't put water in the bottle and cap it.

My problem was unscrewing the cap. It was so tight that I actually broke the speaker. So, I only have a bottle without a cap.

It was a nice gesture, though. I do have many bluetooth speakers, so I'm not heartbroken about losing this one. I just wish that caps weren't secured so tight on bottles. It shouldn't take me half an hour to try and loosen it. Instead, I broke it!

Oh, well. At least I have a nice beverage bottle. It's stainless steel and pretty.

Dealing with incompetent colleagues

There are a couple of colleagues at work who occasionally rub me the wrong way.

In December, before I went on vacation, I indicated to both of these folks that the first two weeks of January would be devoted to training a new intern. I said that my work pace on my usual tasks would be slower than expected. I also mentioned all these details in other e-mails.

My first colleague asked whether I could document a "small" feature by the end of next week. What part of training someone for two weeks straight and not working at my usual pace do you not comprehend? I already have two tasks that you are fully aware of that are taking longer than my usual pace.

She asked me to take a look at the feature. I clicked the link and there were no details. I basically said that I can't commit to a date because I don't have enough information to make a proper assessment. I also said that the software guy copied on this e-mail should supply details on what this feature entails and what he plans on providing to me so I can assess how long it will take me.

Ridiculous.

Then, there's the diva on my team. She can't make a decision on her own. Our manager asked a question and she immediately created a meeting to discuss it. She then specifically said that I'm training and to suggest a time if it doesn't work. Um, no. You are booking a meeting. Look at my calendar. It says that I am completely booked. I am not about to drop working with my intern to attend a boring meeting because you can't make a decision on your own and you don't want to respond to an e-mail.

I asked that she hold the meeting without me. Frankly, it can be decided in an e-mail, but she can't take the lead when she is leading this whole project. Ugh!

We'll see if she whines to our manager that I am rejecting attending her stupid meeting.

Two more days of work to go. It has been a rougher week than expected.

Thoughts about my friend and memories of her

Losing a friend is heartbreaking. I wrote my thoughts in a virtual condolence book. I felt that what I had written was a nice tribute to my friend.

I keep thinking about all the wonderful memories that we made over the years. I will treasure them.

I'd like to take a day off to properly mourn her. Unfortunately, I am training a new intern. Instead, I'll defer it by leaving work early on Friday. 

Her funeral is on Saturday. Luckily, it will be streamed online. The border between the States and Canada is still closed. At least I can still say goodbye.

My friend's passing

My dear friend passed away from Leukemia on Sunday. I got the news last hour.

It's heartbreaking. She enriched my life with her friendship. I am thrilled that I knew her for over twenty years.

Her last e-mail to me was that she loved our friendship. She loved me. She wished that we had travelled more together.

She was the ideal travel companion. We never had a disagreement when we travelled together, be it snorkelling or drinking beer. We knew that we would be travelling companions when we retired.

I have been looking at photos of her. I particularly like the one that I took of her with her daughter at a playground. They are both smiling, with her young daughter hugging her.

I was fortunate to have met up with her for lunch back in December 2019, and January and March 2020. I will remember hugging her for the last time after lunch and waving to her as she drove off.

I am happy that I got to say that I loved her and cherished our friendship. I am at peace telling her what I needed to before she passed on.

May she rest in peace.

Foot pain relief and back to work

On Sunday morning, at roughly 4:10 am, I woke up to foot pain. It was unpleasant, but I minimized how long it persisted.

I may have figured out how to tame the pain after years of enduring it and trying things out:

• Potassium (1 tablet)
• Magnesium (1 tablet)
• Banana (it has both potassium and magnesium, but it works best with the supplements)
• Ibuprofen (extra strength)

The pain disappeared an hour later. I drifted off to sleep and then realized that I was okay.

I head back to work in a few hours. I am training virtually, so it will be interesting setting up a laptop remotely. I spent a bit of time on Sunday going through my work inbox, as I know that I won't have time to sift through it all before I conduct training. Fun! 

I haven't missed much at work. I didn't miss work while on vacation. I have always been good at detaching work from my personal life.

Vacation is nearly over

My two-week vacation is nearly over. Originally, I had three weeks of vacation planned. I wish that I had kept it on the one hand. I do feel that it is best to keep it at two weeks. I may not want to work again if I do three weeks!

I train a new intern on Monday. My manager originally thought that he'd get involved in training. Frankly, I see that being a disaster, as he doesn't have the skills to answer specific questions related to our authoring tool. So, I decided to cut my vacation short and take this remaining week of vacation after my two weeks of training delivery are over.

I earned an extra week of vacation last year thanks to hitting my ten-year work anniversary. It's unfortunate that I can't travel due to the pandemic. However, it has been nice taking time off from work and doing whatever I feel like doing, even if it's just lounging at home.

I spent my first few days doing nothing but relaxing. I then moved to cooking, baking, organizing, and driving around. It has been great. I have enjoyed unwinding.

Happy 2021! Hello, shoulder pain... ugh!

Happy 2021, everyone! Here's to a better year filled with joy, health, optimism, and happiness.

For a few weeks, I have had a nagging pain in my right shoulder. It escalated two days ago. It feels like I have a pinched nerve.

I decided to make circles with my right arm. It felt knotted. After several rotations, my shoulder was sore, but felt better.

Today, my shoulder is doing much better. I can extend my arm up to the ceiling and not feel a ton of discomfort.

I have a feeling that lifting a 15-pound turkey, moving my stationary exercise bike every day, and playing games on my phone have contributed to this pain. I have stopped lifting heavy items with my right hand and take breaks when I am using my phone. I am also doing shoulder and neck rotations. So far, my shoulder is doing well.

It's interesting starting a new year with an ailment.

New year's eve

It's new year's eve. It feels odd. I also feel some sense of relief.

I can't wait to get rid of 2020. I am hopeful that 2021 will be better. It's the optimist in me.

I may venture out later today. For now, I'm off to bed.

Free frapp

Yesterday, I ran my errands a day earlier than I typically do. It was such a sunny day that I needed to get some vitamin D. Later on today, we are expecting a mix of snow and rain. I want to simply stay at home and avoid driving in it.

I dropped by my local Starbucks. I am a regular customer. I approached the drive-thru and the barista knew who I was just looking at my car.

When I got to the window to pick up my beverage, she said that she had made an extra drink by accident and wanted to give it to me. She knew that I'd likely want it. She was right. It was a double chocolatey chip creme frappuccino. I thanked her for the free drink.

I have never had one before. I must admit that it was pretty good. It was nice that she thought of me.

Getting hardened fluid from a stress ball off my dresser

Monday was a productive day. I decided to reorganize what's on my dresser. I thought that it would take me an hour. Nope.

I found out that my blue M&M's stress ball had exploded. The clear fluid in the squishy stress ball must have oozed out days ago. It was solid on my dresser, between items.

I learned that the fluid is corn syrup. It's a question of submerging items in warm to hot water to melt the residue away, such as on my hand lotion. Naturally, I can't submerge my entire dresser in water. Instead, I poured some hot-warmish water on the surface and started to chip away at the mess.

Later on today, I'll finish the work. I ran out of elbow grease!

Cooking and week 2 of vacation

I spent Sunday cooking. I like taking leftovers from Christmas and making other yummy meals out of them.

I made turkey stew for lunch and salted caramel French toast for breakfast. I am pleased with how they turned out.

My first week of vacation is over. I have one more week to go. It goes by quickly, but I am enjoying the downtime.

Christmas

My Christmas was quiet, but nice. I spent three hours cooking. I spent the rest of the day relaxing.

I roasted a turkey. I love my convection oven. It does a great job crisping the skin and keeping the turkey juicy.

I made mashed potatoes with ghee. It was a first and it turned out nicely.

Stuffing is a must. I no longer stuff the turkey with it. Instead, I make it on the stovetop and it's so much easier. I live for stuffing.

I did something different and made salted caramel quick bread at the same time that the turkey was roasting. It turned out well for my first try. It was nice to have dessert.

I also roasted sweet potatoes. The key is to poke a ton of holes with a fork before they go into the oven, so the sweet potatoes don't explode.

I fed my parents. They seemed to enjoy the food. They took a nap afterwards.

Oddly, I couldn't nap. I slept well last night, though. I'm happy that they had a great meal.

The ex and his boring e-card

The ex decided to send me an e-card on Christmas Day. It was roughly around when I posted yesterday.

I took half a day to finally click the link. It was what I had expected. He wished me a merry Christmas and a prosperous new year.

Boring. It could technically be a form letter.

Months ago, I told him to do me a favour and not contact me. Apparently, e-cards are exempt in his eyes.

The only positive thing is that he was on time sending such a greeting. He's still a jerk.

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas! For those celebrating, I hope that you have a safe and joyous one with family and friends in your bubble.

Happy holidays! It's snowing, so it feels like Christmas.