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A person can both Not Really Want, At All sweeping romantic gestures and glittery jewelry and giant bouquets of flowers and fancy heart-shaped boxes of chocolates, while still feeling a little disappointed to then not get those things. It is illogical, but such is the human heart. This past Valentine’s Day, I managed to override whatever part of my system feels sad and melancholy over not having the Hallmark Version of the holiday, and instead feel pleased about a) sending Valentines (although they ALL seemed to reach their recipients MUCH TOO LATE; note to self, start MUCH EARLIER) and b) making cookies and c) delivering said cookies to a few dear local friends and d) buying flowers for myself and e) supporting Carla in her desire to paper the house with hearts. It worked, truly, and I felt pleased and cheerful rather than resentful and pouty.
Today: I bought myself some yellow tulips that I am hoping will open up as the day goes on. I do love a cheery yellow tulip. I am making vanilla cupcakes with lemon curd filling and cream cheese frosting because, as Engie noted, why would I pass up a perfectly good opportunity for a baked good?! Also, I am using boxed cake mix because the cupcakes always turn out better than homemade, PLUS they are easier. I am also making tacos for dinner and I am going to have a GIANT MARGARITA, maybe two! with the tacos. Probably not three, because I do need to wake up tomorrow to take Carla to school, but we’ll see where the night takes us. I don’t plan on doing a single dish, although that means I may have extra dishes tomorrow, but that’s okay! It is worth it! (We’ll see if I can truly go to bed with dirty dishes piled in the dishwasher.)
Today is supposed to be both sunny and warm, so I plan to take a long, leisurely walk. Maybe I will even start a new audiobook instead of forcing myself to continue listening to the book I am reading with a couple of friends. (I am nearly 70% of the way through it, and it’s just not my favorite. Although it is improving with time. I suppose for a five-book series, I should give the author a little time to solidify the world around me before throwing in the towel.)
ANYWAY, despite all these happy things to look forward to, my husband is at the hospital and I am sort of feeling sorry for myself anyway so let’s skip right into some Sunday randomosity!!!!!!!!!! Aggressive exclamation marks!!!!!!!!
Edited to add: Turns out all I needed was to chat with you and pull a couple of fragrant pans of cupcakes out of the oven and my mood is considerably brighter. Onto the less aggressive and self-pitying randomosity!
1. My dreams have been highly stressful lately. Uncomfortably explicit dreams about people from my past. Not-finishing-the-assignment dreams. Last night, I dreamed that I worked at my old company, and got paid every month, but wasn’t actually doing any work. And there was an assignment due that I hadn’t yet begun, and I was kind of hoping everyone at the company had forgotten about me completely. But I was also feeling super guilty about getting paid for doing nothing. In the same dream, there’d been an Unknown Incident that resulted in needing to build a special room for my oven, but the room was in a tiny nook up several flights of stairs and it was 90 degrees in that space at all times. I think this last dream at least has some easily identifiable sources: a) I get hot to the point of needing to step outside every time I turn on the oven and b) my to-do list keeps growing and I keep not doing any of the things.
2. There are so many unappealing things on my to-do list. I think I’m going to try the thing where I list them out here, and the embarrassment of stating them publicly will spur me to do them. Come on, internet magic!
- Call the electrician. How many times am I going to mention this particular pressing task before I DO IT? The reason I have not taken care of it yet is because the electrician has both a weirdly specific estimate process and a weirdly complicated scheduling process. My husband suggested I find a new electrician; that would be WORSE, because these people have already done a whole-house evaluation and I cannot stomach the idea of researching a new electrician and having them come out and give us an estimate and then schedule a real appointment. I CAN’T DO IT. Also, we get a discount with this particular electrician which has to count for something, no?
- Figure out how to fix the doorbell????? Perhaps the electrician could give us some thoughts, if I ever get him back out here? I am seriously considering becoming an electrician myself because it seems like it would be easier.
- Email or call the landscaper. The reason I am balking at this one is because I ignored the landscaper’s calls and emails for MONTHS before we were finally ready to sign a contract for next summer. Apparently, all you need to do to get me to spend money with your company is to badger me, politely but at regular intervals, for several months???? Anyway, now I feel like I can’t suddenly Be Available to talk about new things we want to do with our yard. Also, while I DO want to do new things with our yard, I don’t know what they ARE and I am not ready for that conversation (or the price).
- Schedule a work call. This should be the easiest on my list, I think. The only thing holding me back is that I already reached out to this person and they didn’t respond, which always makes me feel like I am pestering.
- Figure out who will take care of our pool this summer. Talk about a Champagne problem!!!!!!! But getting a person whose purported livelihood is pool care/maintenance to call me back and then agree to have me pay them to do the work they purport to do is extremely difficult for reasons I don’t understand and I am avoiding it like whoa.
- Put last year’s earnings into my retirement account. (Another Champagne problem. I am so lucky that 99% of my problems are this variety.) WHY is this hard? It should not be. And yet.
- Schedule Carla’s next dental appointment. The hygienist wanted to schedule it for me, but I didn’t know when Carla’s first day of school was, so I said I would call back once I knew… but then I looked it up while the hygienist was finishing up, and so I could have easily made the appointment, but didn’t because I didn’t want to bother her?????? So now I have to make a phone call. Yay.
- Put a check in the mail to the orthodontist. We get a small discount on the price of braces if we pay in full in cash. I did not have my checkbook (why?????) when I signed the braces paperwork, but the office manager kindly told me she would give me the discount anyway, if I just sent in the check by the end of the month. She even gave me a self-addressed envelope. Why have I not simply WRITTEN THE CHECK and put it in the mail? THIS is the easiest item on my list. Just do it, Suzanne!
- Figure out what kind of person addresses what looks like rot in the wood siding of my house. Probably I just need to google this. And then I will need to begin the rigamarole of calling people and having them come over and give estimates. Why did we buy a new house again? Who thought that would be a good idea?
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- Fulfill the giveaway I offered on my blog. Wait a second. THIS is the easiest task on my list to fulfill! Guess what?! J is the winner of the paperback giveaway! Congrats, J! I will reach out to you for your address and send you a copy of the second book in Elena Ferrante’s My Brilliant Friend series.
3. You know how, in TV shows and movies, someone will cough ominously and then three scenes later they die of consumption? Carla is upstairs and I can hear her coughing and it is filling me with foreboding. We went to a school event the other day; I volunteered while Carla ran around in a howling pack of other children. Already one friend has texted me with the unsettling news that her kid just woke up with a fever. We have so far avoided the bulk of the Winter Illnesses that have felled nearly everyone else on the planet… but based on the frequency of the coughing, I suspect our time has come.
4. There’s no way to correct someone’s misimpression about your birth date without making them feel bad and/or stupid, right? There is a person in my life who very sweetly wishes me happy birthday every year… the day before my birthday. And now their spouse is doing it, too. And it’s very thoughtful and getting it on the actual date really does not matter – TRULY – I am now forty-three years old and it’s unexpectedly lovely when people remember your birthday at all, let alone get the date right. This is just a charming quirk I should love for as long as it lasts, right?
5. The best article I’ve read in awhile is this profile of Jodie Foster. I love Foster – most recently in True Detective. What resonated with me most is the idea of simultaneously craving privacy and connection. I wonder if it resonates with you, too, if you have a blog. The idea of having someone I KNOW – even though that’s a silly categorization, because I know YOU so much better than so many people I see out in the three-dimensional world day-to-day – read my blog gives me hives. And yet I thrive on the connections I find here, in bloglandia, via our (in most cases) text-only relationships. It was validating and comforting to read about Foster, who seems to have a similar personality and a similar struggle with finding the balance between being known and being understood.
6. Instead of doing literally ANY of the things I need to do (which also include larger, longer-term projects that I did not list in bullet #1), I decided I would put together an old-school blogroll. And I DID, based on the very haphazard and unreliable methods I use to check blogs regularly. But then I could not figure out how to create a new page in WordPress. I mean. I think I *DID* create a new page in WordPress, but I don’t know where said page LIVES on my blog. So then I tried to add the new page to the menu, and got very confused, and this is all to say that I did not accomplish anything except a Word document listing many (but probably not all) of the blogs I read. SIGH.
7. In addition to cupcakes, I am contemplating another baked good. I recently enjoyed one of these muffins at a friend’s house. Subsequently, I found myself thinking about the muffin with such longing that I asked my friend for the recipe. But I have yet to break down and BAKE the muffins. So far.
8. Swimsuit season is creeping ever closer. I will be spring breaking in a place that requires a swimsuit, so I am fretting abstractedly about swimsuits. I own a swimsuit, a black two piece that includes a top and a skirted bottom. To be honest, that is probably the swimsuit I will continue to wear. But I always find myself pining for a NEW swimsuit. It’s tough to find a suitable suit, or at least a suit I find remotely flattering, when I am self-conscious of my rather lumpy lower half. It’s not just that I’m a pear shape, although the top part of the pear grows ever wider with the passing years; it’s that my hips are not a nice pleasing curve from hipbone to thigh: there’s a divot in there. I believe the young people call it a “hip dip.” I have become convinced over the years by body positive Instagrammers that this is not, as some might say, my fault; this is how my body is shaped, and I cannot control it no matter how many squats I might do or how little I weigh. (The latter, I know for sure; I remember being a 100-pound active high school student and worrying about my “saddle bags.”) But my body shape still doesn’t lend itself to a lot of the more pleasing bathing suit styles. ANYWAY, we all have our Things, and this is (one of) mine. I guess I am just wondering, what does YOUR swimsuit look like? And what swimsuit are you ogling, in case the one you own suddenly bursts into spontaneous flame?
9. My parents took me out to lunch for my birthday! It was SO DELIGHTFUL. I cannot remember the last time I celebrated my birthday with them?!? (Okay, yes I can; it was before Carla was born.) It was just the three of us and I felt very spoiled and loved and I cannot believe how lucky I am that they LIVE NEARBY. What a gift. I think we have settled into a good rhythm of seeing each other while allowing one another to Live Our Lives (although I would like to spend more one-on-one time with my mom). I hope I never take our time together for granted.
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10. My holiday cards are still up. I don’t want to remove them, although my husband is making gentle noises indicating he is growing tired of them. I had enough this year to line the entire kitchen. I affixed them to the wall above the windows/doors and they make me so happy! We also still have hearts on all the walls, which also make me happy. Seeing as it’s still February, I don’t really feel a lot of pressure to remove the hearts. Perhaps I will take everything down right before Spring Break.
11. I have never really been a big Branded Handbag type of person. I don’t even really USE a handbag that much anymore. But I have recently found myself coveting a high-end handbag for myself. I blame this new desire on my choice to follow Class of Palm Beach on Instagram. Are you a handbag person? If you could get any fancy bag in the world, what would it be? A Birkin bag seems like the obvious choice, especially because they are considered a better investment than gold (!!!!), but it also sounds difficult to get your hands on one. (Please also keep in mind that there is no way I would ever buy a Birkin bag. This is pure idle fantasy.)
Okay Internet. Tell me your favorite type of cupcakes and/or muffins. And please share all your magical body altering swimsuit choices with me as well.
Happy Birthday! Lemon cupcakes and tacos and margaritas sound delightful but I’m sorry it’s a call week. Boo to that.
I have so much to SAY.
First, your to-do list. M just got a summer job servicing pools! Not that this helps you in the slightest. And we are also doing a LOT of landscaping this year and wow, it’s going to be expensive. I’m excited though. The doorbell: we don’t have one. In our Calgary house the doorbell was broken/ disconnected for years and I refused to have it fixed. The only people ringing the doorbell were solicitors, otherwise I would generally know when people were coming over.
I have a number of bathing suits and they are all bikinis. And all black, with some small difference in detail. I don’t know why I have so many – well, I guess I would just buy the mix and match pieces on sale after the season. I do like bikinis or two-pieces, due to the bathroom situation. One thing I have noticed about my own body lately is that I, um, am losing my waistline? I’m starting to really develop what I think of as a menopausal woman’s torso, with kind of a square waist. So that’s fun. I’m trying to be positive about it – it’s just a new stage of life – but especially now, with styles being so nipped in at the waist…well, no one expects an almost-fifty-year-old woman to be rocking the styles of the youngs. HOWEVER. Still strange.
What else, what else. I hope Carla doesn’t come down with whatever germies are going around, and no, not a branded handbag gal but I do love my Lululemon bag and I have a smaller Matt and Nat bag for “dressier” occasions.
Oh Nicole, the loss of the waistline! It was so unexpected. I have been trying to tuck shirts in after years of letting them hang out, and every time I look at myself and go, “I look … straight up and down, what the hell.” It’s so jarring and odd!
Ooooh now I have another reason to wish we lived near one another! I am excited for your landscaping and want to know all the details! I LOVE landscaping stuff. It is so pretty. But… also overwhelming and expensive. I am also losing my waistline. Fun fun fun.
A belated happy birthday to you! I thought I’d throw this out there in case it interests you. There’s a group on Facebook called Handy Women (pretty easy to find via the search box, I believe) and these women are AMAZING. They do their own plumbing and electrical, tear down walls and do drywall, you name it. I am there partly to feel brave in the face of any household projects I might encounter (“If they can do it, so can I!” <– hahaha) and also just to learn.
A lot of people will post things like your doorbell issue or "who do I call to fix this" siding question, and the answers are so helpful. It's all just a fun, empowering group to be in. Maybe they could help with your questions, or give you that push to become an electrician after all! (LOL) Happy Sunday, my friend!
That sounds like such a cool Facebook group! I will look into it — thanks for the tip. 🙂
Really loved this post. Champagne problems here, too. call Cigna medical insurance to reprocess the claim. Pack for our trip. Buy a birthday present for a long-time friend.
Swimsuits… No body altering advice here but I tend to lean toward one piece- I just feel like they are more comfortable. I like Becca brand, a bit pricey, but I add them to Nordstrom’s wish list and they’ll send me notification when they go on sale.
Off to Nordstrom to check out these Becca suits! Thank you!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!! The margaritas are going to be amazing. I’d forgotten about the lemon curd cake – it’s been forever since I’ve had lemon curd.
I tried A Court of Thorns and Roses but I just couldn’t get into it. The word on the street is that the second book is where it’s at, but that wasn’t enough enticement for me to slog through the first book.
Stupid phone calls. I FINALLY rolled over an old 401k which has been on my list for years so I get a gold star for that but I haven’t scheduled the medical appointment that I planned to schedule for February – hey it’s still February right? Let’s hear it for champagne problems!
When I get in a mood I’m terrible for having the “I didn’t do the thing that I was supposed to do” dream. Sigh.
Good for you for rolling over the 401k! That’s a good one to have completely. Very sorry to hear that I am not the only one who suffers from that particular brand of dreams. SIGH.
Happy birthday!! I hope the dishes get done without you having to do them tomorrow! Your cupcakes sound delicious! And I love your pretend cat with a monocle. Too funny.
I don’t love cupcakes but GF cakes are just generally not great? I would much prefer a really good cookie. But I do like muffins. I think my favorite is probably blueberry made with fresh blueberries? The Gf bakery also makes some great ones like ones with thyme and raspberry or other combos like that.
I do love a blueberry muffin! Thyme and raspberry sounds like such a unique combination.
Isn’t it funny how dreams can be so stressful? I still dream about having assignments due too! I recently found out that I’m a fan of red velvet cupcakes, and now I want them all the time! I have no advice about swimsuits. I haven’t been swimming in such a long time! I wish you all the best as you tackle those not-so-fun things on your list!
I have tulips too although they’re not blooming yet. They are orange/yellow parrot tulips; I love multi-colored ones! I too put off calling anyplace, especially having been stuck dealing with phone systems, hold times and most importantly, not really knowing what I want to say. (then bumbling around sounding stupid) That does look like rot. I too have a spot that I need to have checked out. I have no idea who to even call. My favorite bakery has a raspberry scone with lemon icing and sometimes a blackberry one with orange icing. They are yummy!
Who do we call, Margaret?! If I find out, I will let you know and we can get our rot handled together.
As I am reading these posts, I am making mental notes about things I want to comment on—and then I get to the comment section, and I have lost my mental notes.
Let’s see. YES about Valentine’s Day. Yes to being sort of disappointed about the things one might not even really actually WANT; yes to managing to make it work via other celebratory methods.
I only just took down my holiday cards, right around Valentine’s Day. I was suddenly ready. Before that: not ready.
The electrician. Favorite part: “I am seriously considering becoming an electrician myself because it seems like it would be easier.” And the pool guy, and how difficult it inexplicably is to get one. I have been thinking that, with five children, I should send each one into, say, two trades, one major (electricity, plumbing, etc.) and one more minor, so that I NEVER HAVE TO TRY TO FIGURE OUT AGAIN HOW TO PAY SOMEONE TO DO WORK FOR ME.
The part about the hygienist. How you looked up the date, but then didn’t want to bother her. I identify with this so strongly.
Oh SWIMSUITS!! I have Lands’ End swim capri leggings with a lil skirt, and I love them so much. I just love them love them love them. I wear them with a tankini top. It is the first time in my life I’ve been able to move around in a swimsuit without thinking about it too much. I will say, though, they are a bulky thing to try to peel off and dry out. BUT I DO NOT CARE.
The hygienist thing is SO DUMB because I *knew* it would result in me having to make a phone call, which I hate. And yet, asking her to go back into the scheduling system seemed worse at the time???
I do like Lands End! I will check out these swim capri leggings.
I’m pretty sure I’ve made those apple streusel muffins, and they were delicious.
Anyway… happy birthday! I love the pile of presents, but especially the drawing of “Wallace.” Hee hee! And I’m glad you made cupcakes.
About all those phone calls… you know, it would be so much easier if you picked up the phone, dialed, told them what you wanted and set up the appointment. BUT NO. It’s always a huge, huge, hassle… I know. I think you should set up a “power hour” where you just tackle all the phone calls (or at least as many as you can get through.) You’ll know that hour is going to suck, but it would feel so good to get it taken care of- or, at least get the ball rolling on some of those issues.
Good luck with the swimsuits! My goal is to not have to wear one this summer : )
YES. A power hour is what I need. You are exactly right. I am going to put one into my schedule as AN IMMOVABLE APPOINTMENT and see if that gets me to do it.
I have no suggestions for a new swimsuit but am looking for one myself. I did get one a year ago or two but it is only one I wear on my balcony. I don’t feel comfortable in public with it.
I hope your husband is doing ok and won’t have to be hospitalized for long.
Also very sorry for the many calls you have to make and coordinate so many home projects. So annoying. I sometimes hype myself up and do a phone call day. I find it easier to make a bunch on one day instead one each day.
Oh I’m sorry for the confusion! He is AT the hospital, not IN the hospital. Just… working.
Love the idea of hyping myself up for all those calls.
Oh that is good.
Fingers crossed for your calls.
I already hate myself for how long this comment is going to be.
We are back to twinning with the list of things which are mostly not that difficult, and yet when you start to think about doing them a brick wall appears in front of you and no matter what you tell yourself, that wall is not coming down until some magical unknowable set of circumstances decides to knock it down. I give you dispensation to Just Wait until that happens.
Oh wait HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEAR SUZANNE, that should have come first, but here we are.
Agree also on the Valentine’s Day stuff. I didn’t do anything (well almost anything) and I regretted it, and next year I’m doing stuff. And the Valentine you sent me being late meant it arrived on the Perfect Very Needed Day, so there’s that.
No, if the wrong-birthday-wishing people ever find out, just say you assumed they meant for the next day, or change your birthday, it can’t be that hard, it might just need to be done.
I am uncomfortable in any bathing suit for all the tiresome self-hating dumb traditional reasons. I had a couple of the short dress kind which looked okay but I hated all the fabric floating around in the water. I had fuck-it bikinis which did not look good but were more comfortable for swimming. I randomly had someone recommend one of these:https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B0BD8X6FL4/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 and they are the least expensive most comfortable will-actually-allow-myself-to-be-photographed in suits I’ve had in forever. I have red and green and black.
Leave the cards up. I’m mad at Matt for unplugging our outside Christmas lights.
The bag of my dreams would be a capacious soft leather with a really comfortable long wide strap that would ergonomically distribute the weight of all my crap and a million pockets to organize all my crap, because I just need to haul around a lot of crap at this point in my life.
Those muffins sounds like the best! And that snowman – LOL for days.
I received your Valentine’s note in the mail and it made me deliriously happy. We don’t do much for Valentine’s in our house and it was just so fun to open up my mailbox and see a message from you!!! ❤
I hate all bathing suits. They ride up. They are never flattering on me. They seem to showcase every body flaw I'm conscious about…Thankfully, I don't really enjoy swimming anymore because if I so much as look at water I start to go blue from hypothermia.
My maiden name was Wallace and it is the PERFECT name for a cat ❤
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MY DEAR FRIEND!!
For the rot, call a contractor. Any contractor. Actually, call all the contractors and maybe you’ll get one to actually appear. This is something that needs to be handled sooner rather than later.
“I am seriously considering becoming an electrician myself because it seems like it would be easier.” LOL! Yes, it probably would but when/if you get the electrician to show up, he/she should be able to help with the doorbell.
Here’s hoping Carla is just exhibiting allergies and not presenting with a full on germ episode.
Ugh – bathing suits. My preference is a tankini type top and swim shorts. Not boy shorts; not jams. But regular looking shorts. They are hard to find but I think they camouflage the worst of my issues.
I have been lusting for some cranberry muffins (maybe tomorrow, I’ll find the energy to make them) but my very favorite were from a bakery that isn’t here anymore. A lemon poppy seed with a crumble topping. I have yet to replicate this recipe all these years later, but maybe one day…
OH YAY!!! Thank you so much, I’m so excited to win the giveaway! I was actually JUST THINKING of the next book, and how I’m looking forward to reading it, so this is EXTRA special.
I hope you have (had?) an amazing birthday, with tacos and margaritas and fun. I’m glad that writing this post helped cheer you up. I love Wallace, and that he has a monocle.
I agree with Gigi about the contractor. Do you belong to any neighborhood groups on Facebook or something? Do you have new friends nearby? Find out who they use. We have a contractor who does all of our misc little jobs that we are not qualified to do. We met him through my MIL, he took yoga from her. He has fixed our heater (something was loose), fixed our A/C (don’t remember what was wrong that time, but more serious than something loose), installed our mantle over our fireplace, fixed the hanging rod in my daughter’s room when it collapsed under the weight of her clothes, assembled our new bed frame, installed our ceiling fans, on and on. He’s great. If you find someone you like and trust who actually gets back to you, keep him/her. I’ll bet they could fix the doorbell as well.
Are you going to have your blogroll on the side, like I do? Or will it be its own tab, like your ‘about me’?
Oh bathing suits. UGH. I am intrigued by Swistle’s swim leggings, I wish I could have found those before I went to Maui a few years ago. I’m on medication that requires me to be very careful about sun exposure, and sourced my swimming costume by going to brick and mortar stores, and it did NOT go well. I looked ridiculous. I have the same pear bottom as you, except mine is 15 years older. Sigh. I have a bathing suit for wearing around here, that I bought in exactly the same brand and size as my last one, but it is just a touch too tight. Frustrating. And stupid, because instead of giving up and going to buy myself a bigger size, I just hope that miraculously it will fit this coming summer. I would like to swim, I haven’t been in a couple of years. We have a pool (condo, so often there are other people there, which is a downer).
Jodie Foster is the best, I’m going to read that interview next. I almost passed out watching her sex scene in True Detective. She’s 61 and THOSE ARMS AND LEGS. My legs did not look like that when I was 20 and very thin. I know that I never will. But I’ll tell you, they are motivating me to stick with my daily weights/squats/lunges, for sure.
Enjoy your cupcakes, they sound divine. I’m not really a cake person, but a good cranberry scone ticks some boxes for me, for sure.
Happy belated birthday!! Those cupcakes and tulips are perfect, and I love the idea of taking charge of holidays and celebrating oneself.
I love tankinis because they come in a variety of coverage styles, but are still more convenient for bathroom trips than a one-piece.
(Not to alarm you, but from previous costly experience, that rot may need a professional to look at it as soon as you can arrange it.)
Happy happy birthday to my bloggy birthday buddy! I did not have baked goods, but I would have chosen exactly what you made if I could have 🙂 And I also have a person who thinks my bday is the day before and I just say thanks! But I do worry about their embarrassment one day when they eventually realize!
I hope your birthday was stupendous! The cupcakes sound (and look) delicious!
Having birthday lunch with your parents is a gift; you are a fortunate woman.
We’re currently watching True Detective; I have always loved Jodie Foster; she’s a great actor and isn’t out there pushing any agendas, politics, bullshit, etc…Also, the show is more sci-fi that I’d anticipated. And it scares the crap out of me so much that we can’t watch it just before bedtime because I’m all riled up!
I hope Carla is feeling better!
Do you want me to help you with your list? I mean, I could put the orthodontist check in front of you and have you sign it…ya know, before they take away your cash discount. 🙂
I have had the same bathing suit for years. Sometimes people say they buy a new one every year and then I realize that some people swim more than once or twice a year. I guess now that you have a POOL you’ll get out more!! Woot woot!!
You know what? I basically like most cupcakes. Red velvet with cream cheese frosting. Vanilla with strawberry frosting. Carrot cake with cream cheese frosting. Lemon cake with lemon curd and vanilla frosting. Now I’m hungry.
There is so much good here, but I’m going to focus on two points: when you said “turns out all I needed to do was chat with you” (I love this) and the Jodie Foster comment. I can’t read the article (paywall), but I understand the gist of what you’re saying. First and foremost, I adore Jodie Foster, and always have. Second, I have no problem spilling my guts to all of you here, but if anyone in my real life finds out about my blog, I clam up. I can’t make eye contact. It’s weird. Why is this true? 🤣
I just wanted to come in on the bathing suits….I currently have a lands end make your own combo that works great for me! It’s a bottom that looks like bike shorts (and has pockets!) with a sporty bikini top and a long sleeve rash guard to go over it. It’s great for chasing my kids around and also for swimming, and because it’s shorts and a rash guard, I don’t have to use as much sunscreen!
I read the same interview with Jodie Foster and found her to be all I’d hoped she’d be. That is authentic and smart. What a life, and one she’s navigated pretty darned well.
My to-do list is long and filled with things I keep putting off. I say to myself this week I’ll tackle _____, but then find a way to rationalize putting it off. I used to be so productive, I don’t know what has happened to me.
Happy belated birthday! LOLing that your friend has the day wrong by one day. It would be so awkward to explain now!
I hope your husband is doing better.
ACOTAR is my sister’s fave series so I started it and she told me you just have to get through the first book. The start of it was so slow for me. I was like “are we going to be in the woods hunting forever?!” But I really liked the end and 2nd and 3rd books.
Ahh, swimsuits. I am a one piece gal but love a fun cutout. I want to do a high waisted binkini at some point. And the body positivity folks are right – it is your body! I hope you find something you love if you decide to get something new!
Happy birthday! We are going to Minnesota for Spring Break– so the opposite of swim suit weather, and my winter WI body and I are sort of glad. But! I really wish we were going to AZ– I could use some DESERT in my life right now for some reason. I read a newspaper article a couple years ago that asked pro bakers for secrets of the trade, and more than one of them said cake mix is better than from scratch because the proportions are always right.
Happy belated birthday! I hope it was a lovely day because YOU are the loveliest soul.
If you still need help figuring out the blogroll issue, let me know and I can absolutely help out! I do WP stuff for my day job so I’m very familiar/comfortable with it all.
I am firmly in the one-piece land for swimsuits. My favorite are from Aqua Eve, which makes plus-size swimsuits that fit me SO WELL. They actually make me feel confident in a swimsuit for the first time ever! https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08V5K3YVP/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Sorry about call week, but happy birthday and hooray for your parents being nearby and for the added advantage of spending time with them. How lovely. The drawing by Carla is so fun and sweet.
I don’t know what kind of cupcake or muffin I would prefer, I guess GF, but a damn good GF one would be my preference. 😉
Sorry about the long list of to-do’s. It is annoying. I make lists and lists and after awhile I usually buckle down and do them. Our older girls’ bedroom is freezing to a point of nonsense. I don’t even know who to call. Who would fix that? Do they need more insulation in the walls? Is it a roof issue? When we had the addition done, I asked those guys and they didn’t really know what to do about it.
It’s so funny that the couple has assigned you a different day for your birthday. I guess it won’t matter unless they are one day invited to your birthday party. Ha.
Suzanne, you need to tell these people immediately that your birthday is a day later than they think. I congratulated a close colleague for YEARS on the wrong day and he never corrected me until he finally did and I was so embarrassed and also kinda upset that he didn’t tell me earlier! I promise, they’ll probably feel the same way and are just happy that you told them when your ACTUAL birthday is.
Ah, swim suits. I am honestly glad I don’t have a lot of opportunities to wear a swim suit. I have a black two-piece suit that is just timeless and which I hope will NEVER fall apart. Swim suit shopping is the worst!
I am so so happy for you that you parents are now so close. What a gift! Also, happy belated birthday!
Oh, and for what it’s worth: my holiday cards are still up and will stay up.