31 December 2019

wrinkles and roots

It's New Year's Eve. How did that happen?
The last few weeks have been more relaxing than I expected. I'm very grateful for that. At this time last year, I was feeling pretty stressed.

I took down Christmas, and am enjoying the blank slate in regards to home decor. I'm in no immediate hurry to put anything back up. The mantel can be bare until inspiration strikes.

I'm trying to outline goals for the next year and I'm having a hard time getting motivated to do anything except just... be. I feel calm and centered and it's hard to look into the future because I keep feeling like I need to focus on the present. Maybe that's a thing.

I know the universe will change things for me, so maybe it is okay to sit for a while and enjoy the lack of movement. There has been enough change in the last few years and it has felt really good to grow some roots.

Anyways.

Yesterday, I was carded while buying a bottle of wine... and wrinkle cream.

I've noticed that the creases around my eyes are getting deeper and stay even when I'm not smiling, so I upgraded my normal skincare routine to include a cream specifically for wrinkles. Yay.

After a little research I wound up buying the Neutrogena Rapid Wrinkle Repair Serum.
(I really like the Olay Regenerist Microsculpting cream- you can literally watch the wrinkles smooth out and redness go away as soon as you put it on), but I want to target dark spots at the same time. So we'll see how this works.

Tonight we have plans to go to a party at a friend's house in the boonies, and I'm halfway excited and halfway would rather sit around Ashley's fire pit. I think FG would normally rather have a calm evening, but since it's the first anniversary of losing his daughter, I think he wants a little distraction and a party does just that.
I do have a new sparkly skirt (and sparkly tights) to wear, so I guess I better start getting excited.

29 December 2019

missy to mrs

I had so much fun at Missy's wedding that I didn't take a single picture. 
This is a theme lately.

I was not amused that I paid $130 for hair and makeup to look like a hooker with helmet hair, and I get to donate another ill-fitting bridesmaid dress to the thrift store, so I'm actually hoping that no one got any close-up photos.

Anyway, the wedding was lovely. Missy looked absolutely stunning, and it was such a happy occasion. I bawled during the vows... I guess I still do that. My false eyelashes didn't make it, so I set them down in the pew and at one point Akhtar, FG, and I started giggling over it and almost made a scene during the mass. 

After the short and sweet reception with dancing and merriment, a few of us gathered by the fire pit at the hotel and drank wine and ate chips. Such a good day. 

Now I'm back home, moisturized and exfoliated, and Pumpkin is purring next to me.

There is a smudge on my glasses and it's so annoying. A week from now, after Lasik, I won't need glasses anymore. How wild is that?

22 December 2019

family christmases

Do you know what? This weekend was so great.

Saturday was both FG's family Christmas and Litmas. We purposely planned it that way to get both of our family's Christmases over with in one day. It sounds bad when I put it that way, but I don't really want to go back and figure out how to word it so that it sounds nicer.

It was the absolute worst day to have one of those headaches that makes me want to kill myself, but it worked out that way anyway. I just rallied and tried my best to enjoy myself.

FG's family Christmas was so fun. My house was full of people, most of them driving in from Austin. At one point, the house was full of chaos; loud with people chatting, laughing, opening gifts, kids literally running around at top speed. I sat in the middle of it all and took a moment to sit back and observe.
And you know what? The house was filled with chaos, but it was such a happy chaos. It was like the house was bursting at the seams because of the happiness inside of it. It was wonderful.

Yes, the house was a mess afterward and instead of cleaning up, I took another painkiller, donned my sparkly disco dress, and we piled in the car to Litmas.

FG's brother joined us for the party, which I expected because he's always down for a spontaneous shindig, but his mom and stepdad also decided to join as well. I think they had a good time; Litmas can be a lot to take in but they seemed to take everything in stride. Must be where FG gets it from.

Litmas was so much fun that I didn't take a single picture. We all took a family picture at some point and I think it turned out blurry, but I haven't actually seen it yet. The vibe was happy and festive, and in the middle of the party my dad won Best Lighting in the neighborhood's Christmas light contest. He took a picture with the sign in his full disco costume, afro wig and all. Random stuff like that is what makes the world go round, y'all.

Today we woke up, FG brought me coffee, then I got up to make more coffee for his brother. FG walked around the house with a trash bag, throwing away random wrapping paper and beer cans and such, which was so sweet, and after they left I cleaned up the rest of the house. Took a while but everything is back in order now. I took a hot bath, and watched some Netflix with Pumpkin curled up in my lap. She seems so small but maybe she was just curled up tightly because it's cool outside. I wonder if her joints hurt when it gets cold?

I am not on vacation until Tuesday which means I have to work tomorrow. I actually have to go see a customer, which means I should probably go to sleep soon.

On an unrelated note, there is an entire jar of salsa in my fridge but I don't have any chips and... that's just not right.

19 December 2019

chasing the peace

I'm supposed to be watching Netflix, but instead I'm sitting here wondering why I volunteered to host FG's family Christmas at my house the morning before Litmas. To be fair, he was stressing HARD over everything. He's slammed at work, I'm not. His house is a wreck and his decorations are still in the attic, and mine is perfectly clean and already decorated.

See?


The food will be catered, and basically all I have to do is provide seating and clean bathrooms. I can do that in order to infuse a little bit of calm in our lives this Christmas. Besides, I love an excuse to throw a party, even if it is stolen.

I came home tonight instead of tomorrow morning. I've got a glass of wine in front of me, a purring kitty curled up next to me, and I'm so happy to be home.

18 December 2019

Hi there

Sitting in my hotel room, with some Lifetime holiday movie on tv behind me, and all the lights on because hotel rooms can be so dreary.

I bought this book, Where the Crawdads Sing*, because the hardcover was cheaper than the kindle version, and I've been seeing everyone read it so I figured it must be good.

Oy, this was a hard book to get through. Even at the end, I wished it was about half as long. Honestly, if you can get it under $5, then it's worth it. It was very wordy, had a very lonely feel (which, I suppose, is a compliment to the writer, who can solicit such emotions), but overall dragged. In the first third of the book, I got tired of reading about grits. In the middle, I was actually engaged. The last third, I skimmed to get the overall gist. It killed a few hours of otherwise boring hotel time, so I suppose it served its purpose. Overall, I give this book a B-.

This week did not go as planned, which resulted in a LOT of adaptation. Long story short, the holidays are coming up and I am homesick and I am going to try to go home tomorrow afternoon.

Christmas will be very lean this year. I don't have the cash flow to be extravagant, and I don't have the time or energy to put into gifts. Years like this always end up the happiest, because I get to focus on the fun of being around family and friends instead of stressing over the gifts. I'm on PTO December 24th- Jan 1st. Nine days of relaxation, partying, a WEDDING (squeal and OH, I have to get my dress steamed *texts Ashley* and also I'll probably cry the whole time so I need to get tissues and waterproof mascara), and general merriment.

*Also, I grew up thinking that book titles should be underlined, but now apparently they should be italicized? Suzy, I depend on you to keep me current. Which is it?

15 December 2019

Elvis, magicians, and growth?

This Saturday was FG's company christmas party. Oh, was it fun.

I found a pleated tulle skirt with gold sparkles that I was excited to wear, and FG wore a sport coat and some pants that make his booty look good (that we went shopping for a while back after I discovered that his suit was about 20 years old and very ill-fitting).

I have to say, the people that he works with know how to throw a party, and they know how to party.

The party was in a hotel ballroom, so we booked a room at the hotel, as did many of his coworkers.

The highlights:
Elvis singing during dinner, and I convinced FG to dance towards the end of the party. Hey, you can 2-step to just about anything, and a twirl is always appropriate.

A magician. He wandered around the room doing tricks. He asked me to hold out my hand in a fist, then he drew an X on his hand in sharpie. He proceeded to "pick" the X off of his hand (he pretended to pinch it between his fingers, and the mark was gone from his hand), then pretended to blow it from between his fingers towards my fist. When I opened my hand, there was an X on my palm. I felt nothing, I have no idea how he managed to put an X in sharpie on my hand. He was pretty good. I considered googling the trick to see how it's done, but I think I'd rather just go with the magic.

I recognized many of FG's colleagues and employees from previous events, and it was nice that many of them recognized me as well. At least 3 or 4 times, his employees told me how much they love FG and how he's a great boss. Unsolicited. I thought that was pretty nice.

Then, the official party ended and the after party/ shenanigans began. We all moved to the hotel bar to continue the festivities. There was a woman who used to work for FG but she got promoted, and I've seen her a handful of times at social events. I like her, we have even exchanged phone numbers in the past.
At some point in the night she drunkenly confessed that she would like to have a threesome with myself and FG... and continued to elaborate about the details of her fantasy that she had been thinking about for a long time. It was not offensive, but rather it was a very interesting conversation.
Alas, she's not my type (she has a vagina), nor is she FG's type (she has an ass), and besides I have that strict, "no colleagues," rule that I never imagined I would have to apply to a threesome request. Ha!

At the end of the night, FG was absolutely hammered and I was pretty lit myself. We bounced ourselves off the walls into the elevator, and made it to our room, where as the least-drunk person I was tasked with preparing myself and FG for bed. (I have my 8-step skincare routine and he... he just fell backwards diagonally onto the bed fully clothed.) At some point, I attempted to take off FG's shoes, and we ended up falling onto the floor giggling. Try moving a joyous drunk man into bed who has 80 pounds on you. It was comical.

Then, things took a turn and FG started to feel sick... y'all know I don't handle vomit well. Thankfully, I was able to help him get out of bed and into the bathroom before anything happened, and surprisingly, instead of the usual panic attack I have when someone pukes, my vomit-anxiety did not peak. I think it's because I was drunk, or maybe I've learned to handle it better over the years, or maybe because the door was closed and I didn't actually hear anything. Probably it was a combination of all those things. Either way, I did not freak out, nor did I want to vomit myself, yay! I call that progress.

The rest of the night was uneventful and although I slept crappy and woke up with the spins and headache, overall it was a super fun night.

Next is Litmas.

*hydrates*

P.S. I have to travel next week and I'm so so so so so so so so OVER IT and ready to be home for a while.

13 December 2019

Friday the 13th, full moon, yeah

Today I drove 1.5 hours to a lab that did not have the appropriate reagents. I chatted with the lab manager for a while, then headed back home.

On the way, I was talking to a colleague who lives in New Mexico, and he asked if I happened to live near a local pie place that he wanted to buy a gift certificate for, but they were not available online. Coincidentally, it was 15 minutes from my house so I was able to get it and mail it to him. That was kinda fun.

At about 3pm I stopped at Hobby Lobby to get a shelf for above the toilet in my bathroom, (they were 50% off). I was browsing, when I heard, "Shouldn't you be working?"

I turned my head and it was my mentor, with a shopping cart. LOL I knew it was only a matter of time before we ran into each other shopping on office days. I always assumed it would be one of those days where I ran out in my jammies with my hair in a messy bun, so I'm glad I was in work attire, at least.

Just got done soaking in a hot bath with epsom salts and cbd. I have the WORST cramps, ugh.

Spent the last few evenings relaxing, watching Hallmark movies. Feels good, like I'm refilling my cup before I drain it again.

12 December 2019

hump day

When I logged into my computer a minute ago, I put in the password for my work computer.

That's the kind of day it's been.

I knew it was a full moon or something because things were just a little wonky, all day. Strange customer problems, nothing went on schedule. Not enough to ruin the day, but just enough to throw it off.

After finishing up in the lab this afternoon, I punched FG's address into the GPS and headed straight there. Two hours later, I opened the fridge, took out a cookie, and poured myself a glass of wine. Then I sat down on the couch to answer an email that I have been mentally writing all day. I could hear him struggling in the other room, so after I sent the email I helped him finish installing a ceiling fan. After dinner, I lowered my aching body into the hot tub. I've driven 400 miles in the past 2 days and my hip was hurting so bad. It was so, so relaxing.

(Side note, it's cool that FG has a pretty private backyard because I have yet to wear a bathing suit in the hot tub.)

When I got home and fed the cat, I noticed a message from the customer I'm scheduled to visit tomorrow. Their reagents did not arrive, so I guess that's postponed. I guess I get an office day tomorrow! And lunch with Akhtar, and everything else I had planned for Friday that will get shifted because that's how I roll lately. 

I made cookies tonight, because I'm about to start my period or something. They were really good and DIDN'T make my stomach hurt, so I think I'm really on to something with this "avoid dairy" thing.

Okay, at this point it's tomorrow already and I should go to bed.

08 December 2019

Simplification

Tonight I got out of the shower and a thought occurred to me.

I keep my nightshirts, socks, undies, and bras in my dresser, which is in my bedroom. My pj pants, robe, and slippers are in the closet, which is in my bathroom. 

I have to go to 2 separate spaces after my shower to get ready for bed. Same for when I pack or pick out my outfits. Why do I have my life organized this way, when I could consolidate all of my daily clothing into one space?

So that's what I did. I basically moved all of the things I use on a daily basis into the closet, and all of the things I don't, got moved to the dresser or under the bed in storage bins. 

Why has it taken me so long to simplify my life like this?
I think it will work out nicely.

Making Christmas lists to prepare for the annual, "Take off work and go shopping" day with Ash. I decided to opt out of most gifts this year. Exchanging gifts with the siblings is always optional, and finances are tight, plus I've been in a very minimalistic vibe lately. 

So for the gifts that I am buying, I'm trying to make them a fun experience (like a gift certificate to a trampoline place for the boys), or something that is actually needed (like a rocking chair for Emma's nursery).

I'm getting stocking stuffers for FG, mom, and dad, and there's always the 5 favorite things game, plus gifts for the kids. That's about it. I want to focus on spending quality time with the people that I love, rather than what trinket to buy them.

Oh, OH! Public Service Announcement: You know how I keep searching for the Anne Murray 1988 Christmas album because it's the most nostalgic Christmas music? There's a playlist on Spotify. I am officially in the spirit.

03 December 2019

tuesday glass of wine

Why is it only Tuesday? I halfway want to go home, halfway am ok with traveling this week.  The crock pot and employer-purchased wine might be helping my travel fatigue, and San Antonio is not the worst place to be working, even if it's on the outskirts.

I keep having emotionally-charged dreams. Mostly about dudes, which is weird. I wish my subconscious would finish exploring what it needs to explore and get back to the types of dreams that don't make me wake up feeling strange and drained.

I went down to the front desk earlier to get some snacks. When I went grocery shopping, I only got ingredients and healthy stuff... clearly I wasn't thinking right. Armed with some chocolately trail mix and potato chips, I happily and lightly-lit-ly headed back up to my room in my fuzzy socks.

At the last second, a gentleman stuck his hand in the door and boarded the elevator. Wasn't HE charming! Older, with a twinkle in his eye and an english accent, he moderately-lit-ly gestured to the empty wine glass in his hand and commented on how lovely it was to be in an elevator on a Tuesday with an empty wine glass in his hand.

In the 10 seconds or so that we shared the elevator, he said he'd been here for 57 weeks. Holy crap. That's more than a year! Maybe tomorrow I'll head down to the manager's reception and get more about that story.

(I bet he misses his cat, too.)

01 December 2019

Good day.

Today I slept late, and woke up to a snuggly kitty and an even snugglier man who got up to serve me coffee in bed, as always. Not a bad way to start the day.

Then we (he) spent a few hours installing the new security light on the side of my house. From scratch. There was no light there to begin with and he casually tied into an existing circuit. Isn't that hot??
I believe all of my lighting goals have been met, now.

Frank and Chelsea, recovered from their trip to Vegas, came over to wish me a happy belated birthday. And they brought cake! Chelsea was appalled that I did not have a birthday cake. It hadn't occurred to me, but what a sad thing, to not have a birthday cake! She made things right.

They went to two different stores to find a gluten free cake for me.


We didn't even take it out of the grocery bag before lighting the candles and singing happy birthday. 

It was delicious. I forced them to take the rest of the cake home so that I wouldn't eat the entire thing. Good call. I only halfway regret that decision.

30 November 2019

35, quietly

Today I turned 35.

For many years, I've treated birthdays like any other day. As an adult, they lost their special-ness. This year, for some reason, this birthday seemed significant. Maybe because it's a nice, round number? Maybe because I'm firmly in my mid-thirties, and the next big birthday is 40 (which is scary)?

Regardless, I woke up late, ate pumpkin pie for breakfast (Thanks, Ash!), got my hair cut, went to Dollar Tree, and then sat on the couch watching Hallmark movies and reading magazines for the rest of the day while Pumpkin purred beside me. I decided not to go to Austin because the last thing I wanted to do was drive. Towards the end of the day I thought about calling a friend and grabbing a drink at this cute local wine place, but then I would have had to put on a bra and to be honest, I was perfectly happy to spend the day relaxing.

I needed a calm day like today.

FG's hunting trip got cut short, so he wound up in town and came over late in the evening. He plans to install a security light on the side of the house tomorrow, something I've been wanting for a while. Happy birthday to me... few things are hotter than a toolbelt and home improvement.

He is currently snoring softly in the bedroom while Pumpkin licks a can of wet food clean in the kitchen. I'm enjoying a glass of wine at the bar and planning next week's menu. It's raining and I can hear it pattering on the skylight in the yoga room.

You know, life is pretty amazing.

Nothing is ever perfect, and things can change in an instant, but I think 35 is going to be a good age for me.

Cheers.

29 November 2019

festive decor

When I work in my front yard (for example, putting up Christmas decorations), I always feel like the people driving by are looking at my butt. 

People are probably more likely looking at their cell phones, but I can never shake that feeling. I used to be self-conscious every time I bent down, but now I figure if people are looking, they're looking, and there's nothing I can do about it anyway.

Holy moly, I forgot how much work it is to put up Christmas lights. Things look a little different this year, and I've already gotten compliments from neighbors driving by. :)

The inside decorations got put up, too. I really won't have a chance to decorate after this weekend, so I did as much as I could today.

Pumpkin was interested in the tree... she better not pee under it.


This year the ornaments went on the wall again, gallery-style. They always seem to disappear inside the tree and look much more interesting on the wall. My dad suggested adding lights, and this is the final product:


It's a little wonky, but it's cute.

Now, everything hurts, including my hands. It's also warm and muggy outside. You think I'd be used to getting in the Christmas spirit while sweating.

27 November 2019

portal upgrade

Today, around 3:30 in the afternoon, I decided to start painting my front door.

It's the next thing on the list, I had the paint, it was a nice afternoon, so I went for it.

I've never painted a door before. It went surprisingly fast, standing in basically the same spot, vs painting a room.

I started by washing the door really well with hot soapy water and a sponge, then dried it off.

It took 2 coats of tinted primer, then 1 coat of the real paint.

I am so, so happy with how it looks.

Before:


I don't know why the previous owners chose this color. The best way to describe it... it was a terra cotta color with a mauve undertone. It bugged me every time I walked up to it because it doesn't really go with the other colors on the house, and it's the only thing painted that color.

After:


I don't know what this color is. I matched the color that's on the siding. This color scheme makes so much more sense to me!

It's brighter, happier, and open and I like it.

26 November 2019

so much stuff and updates.

I am sitting here, at my bar, absolutely ready for bed at 8pm on a Tuesday.

You know what I'm NOT doing? Packing. 

Last week, during my last-minute trip to Laredo, my boss asked for volunteers to work 3-11pm in Dallas the night before Thanksgiving. It's not normally something we do, but this VIP customer has been having some issues and has 24/7 onsite support right now. I offered, and to my dismay, he accepted! I was trying to be a team player, hoping that someone else had already volunteered, but nope. 

To recap, I drove to Laredo and back, then drove to San Antonio and back, then planned to drive to Dallas and back, Austin and back, and then back to San Antonio and back, all within a span of 3 weeks. My hips hurt just thinking about it. Seriously, the muscles in my leg that are involved in pushing the gas pedal are sore and have been since April. I have been taking my yoga mat with me and focus on hip and leg stretches in the evenings. There has to be such a thing as driving ergonomics. I should look that up.

Anyway, I prepared for another hectic week and psyched myself up for it, then today I got a text message saying that it wouldn't be necessary to go to Dallas. THANK GOD, because that was going to be rough and I am feeling pretty exhausted.

Now I get some breathing room, and I am so grateful for it.

I am still working in San Antonio next week and the promise of working locally for the rest of the year got rescheduled so now anything can happen.

FG's schedule also changed today. He was supposed to leave Thursday to go hunting all weekend, but now he is here on Thanksgiving, so we get to enjoy the day together at Ashley's mother-in-law's and that is so nice.

Even though things are falling into place, it's not how I planned this Thanksgiving/ birthday season to go. I had hoped to take another trip with Suze and skip Thanksgiving and spend my 35th birthday in some new cool place, but for various reasons it didn't work out. Now that it's here I'm glad I don't have a trip planned, because I'm burnt out on traveling for the moment... work-related or not.

In a fun twist, every member of my family will be out of town on my birthday, as well as FG. I might very well spend my birthday alone! I'm normally pretty chill about birthdays, but 35 feels like a significant one. I am so tired of driving, but am heavily leaning towards going to see Suzy and Kenzie in Austin, just for the night.

I was craving a night out dancing, but pretty much got that out of my system at Missy's bachelorette party last weekend. Towards midnight, my feet, hips, and knee were hurting and I was ready for bed. I was going to suck it up and keep the party going because I wanted Missy to have a fun night, but then I saw Zach yawn and I silently thanked him because I knew it wouldn't be long before we went back to the hotel. Ha, I was right.

Oh! The plants I was growing for the shower all lived and the shower was absolutely lovely.


The bridal party all wore purple and cowboy boots, and I suggested that FG wear this interesting shiny purple shirt he had hanging in his closet... I mean, when is there going to be another appropriate occasion for that??


I love that he's totally down for wearing coordinating clothing for things like wedding showers. Gosh, he's cute.

Also, Pumpkin has been acting like a normal cat again. Eating, playing, etc. Not sure why things turned around, but I'm glad they have. 

pretty bathroom

I finally get to shower in my bathroom again!

The paint is done. The tiles are scrubbed and sealed. Everything is caulked, clean, and fresh. There is a full-size towel bar now. I even got a new shower curtain. Here are a couple of crappy pictures that don't exactly capture how clean and fresh it looks:



This is one big project officially crossed off the list. (Except now that I painted the trim, the doors are looking a little yellow and dingy...)

18 November 2019

smart trick

Have you seen this neat trick to dry makeup brushes upside down?


I can't remember where I saw it, probably pinterest, but all you do is take hair ties and hang them on the towel bar so they dry properly.

This was obviously taken pre-paint, but the idea is still good.

16 November 2019

bathroom, painted.

I officially hate gray paint colors.

I did not have plans this weekend, other than watching FG's dog while he went hunting, so I figured it would be a great day to finally paint the bathroom. The weather was great, so it was no big deal to keep the doors open all day.

After spending all day priming over the grey color, and getting flashbacks of how much it work it took to cover up the grey guest bathroom in the old house, I finally got my bathroom painted. For simplicity's sake, I chose the same pinkish white that I used in that bathroom and I really like it.

I re-did the trim and baseboards in a nice, crisp white and things look so clean and bright now.


Still have a couple of items on the list before it's done, but this was huge, huge progress. And also, more work than I expected. I'm freaking tired and already sore. Tomorrow is going to hurt.

I uncovered some strange things, like very sloppy grout work that got all over the (dingy) baseboards, and some humongous holes where the toilet paper holder was mounted to the wall (which I now have to go buy spackle for). I'd like to know the story behind that one.

Unfortunately, I have to travel next week back to the border, which recently had some crazy Mexican mafia shit happen, so I'm not thrilled about that, and then I have to travel over the weekend, but maybe soon I'll be able to finish my bathroom.

13 November 2019

Hey, this is what's going on

What is it about the time change that makes me sooooo sluggish? By 4:30, I'm thinking about dinner and by 6 I'm wanting to tuck myself into bed. I'm 34 and 11.5/12ths, not 84, although there doesn't seem to be much of a difference.

Been doing a lot of crafting lately. I just feel like it. When the weather changes, I get the urge to clean and declutter. Yeah, there's spring cleaning, where I clean the windows once a year, but fall cleaning is better because I'm in fluffy socks organizing chaotic drawers and clearing away the year-long decor to make way for holiday glitz. Ah, it's weird how some things bring you such happiness.

I turned down a work trip to the Bahamas in early December. I weighed my options and this year, 2 weeks away from home right before the holidays sounds more stressful than fun, even if it's a paid trip to the Bahamas. Wait... did I make a mistake? No, No. I'd be all alone and I'd be working. So I did not make a mistake.

My electricity bill is $65 this month. Horray, horray, horray. The rest of the year will be expensive, not just because of the holidays, but also because of the wedding. Hair and makeup, gifts, hotel (ha! just kidding, I used points), etc. etc.

Since my brother bought a house this year and Christmas lights are expensive, I'm going to give them the stuff that I didn't have the energy to put up last year, and therefore will unlikely put up every year in the future. Win-win.

Houses. I'm still thinking that this house is too big and I want to move into a smaller house in the next few years. But... this house is pretty awesome for entertaining. Too bad I've thrown exactly 2 parties? I think it's because I traveled so much, but next year maybe I can start actually using the big party house for its intended purpose. There is a lot of business coming into Houston so that should keep me in town a lot more.

Oh, something funny to note:

This past weekend, I went to FG's grandson's birthday party. I gave him a book about trucks and things that makes noise, and signed the card, "♥ Nen."

I guess they've all been discussing what the baby will call all the grandparents and they assumed that I'd picked out my name... at first they thought it was Nan and they were all excited that I picked out my "grandma" name!

I tried to explain that it's Nen and it's just my name, and I'm definitely NOT part of the grandparents naming thing, but with all the commotion I'm not sure it translated.

Either way, the point was that it was super cute that they all approved and were really happy that I decided what the kid will call me. I'm sure it will sort itself out eventually, lol.

The even bigger point is that the kid got a ball pit from his aunt, and he lost it with happiness.  It inspired me to get Andrew a ball pit for his birthday. I already ordered it (and 400 balls) and it's sitting in my foyer and I have to wait over a month to see if he likes it. Gah!

11 November 2019

Hangover kits

Omg y'all these are so cute.

hangover kit diy

Missy's bachelor(ette)* party is coming up and in addition to my crazy plant favors** for the shower, I wanted to do something fun for the party afterwards.

I have seen these hangover kits on pinterest and thought they were such a cute idea. Who doesn't love hydration and snacks and a painkiller after a night on the riverwalk?

I went to the dollar store and got enough to make 12 kits for about 20 bucks.

It contains:
water
powdered sugar donuts
pretzels
advil
a mint

I put the mint on the outside with hot glue because it was really minty and I didn't want it to make everything else taste minty.

I wanted to get sunglasses, too, but wasn't willing to spend that much money on 12 pairs of sunglasses. It would have been cute, though.

I, myself, travel a little extra than everyone else, so I will have my own gluten free hangover kit, mostly consisting of chips and veggies and cbd oil.

*The shower and the bachelorette/bachelor party is joint. What do you call a joint bachelor/bachelorette party?

**I planted the cuttings today and CROSS YOUR FINGERS that they all live another two weeks and survive the drive to San Antonio.


10 November 2019

cold and work and fun

It's supposed to be cold next week and I AM SO EXCITED ABOUT IT.

I haven't turned my heater on yet, because I've been opening the doors to let the fresh, cool air in. I turned on the fireplace today, mostly to make sure it still worked, but this massive cold front may force me to use the furnace. I also put the heated mattress pad on my bed. Hello, coziness.

I'm glad I don't have to travel next week, mostly so I can cover my plants while the temperature drops below freezing for a few hours overnight.

Last week was interesting. So many problems. We were basically working on an active construction site and had to wear hard hats and such. I'm pretty chill about a lot of stuff, but the thing that made me call my boss was the fact that the restrooms weren't ready and I'm NOT about to use a construction site porta potty so I had to drive around the block to use the chick fil a restroom several times a day. My boss pretty much told me not to go back until they have a certificate of occupancy. The jobsite foreman was pleased about that and so was I. Sheesh.

Pumpkin has gotten back to normal, eating and snuggling and even playing a little. I'm not sure how long it will last, but I'm happy I have my cat back.

Missy's wedding stuff is coming up fast. I got my dress in (We ordered online so for modesty and warmth I bought the one with the highest neckline and most sleeves I could get), the shower/bachelorette party is soon, and the next thing you know, it'll be 2020.

Oh, I got all of the cat food cans washed and turned into cute little planters for the favors, and printed out the little flags. If I can get the plants to live, these are going to be really cute.


The rest of the year is going to be a lot of fun, and I'm so excited for all of it.

02 November 2019

news and fluff

I woke up on Wednesday morning at 05:30 to the sound of a puking cat.
Oy.

I got up, cleaned it up, and settled back into bed.

Then I laid awake for about an hour. When my alarm went off, instead of hitting the snooze button, I got up and started the coffee maker.

I poured myself a cup, sat on the couch, and decided that I wanted to watch the news.

I turn 35 in 28 days. Is this how being a grown-up happens? One day you wake up and WANT to watch the news?

I don't even know what channel the local news is on. I had to text my mom and ask her. And then, I was annoyed because the morning show had a bunch of dumb fluff instead of the weather, traffic, and headlines I was expecting.

Whatever happened to the 15-minute condensed version of the news that would play on repeat in the mornings, so that you could catch it before heading to work? I would up watching some dumb cooking demonstration before I got annoyed and turned off the tv.

This must be why I don't watch the news. Sorry, adult self. It's just not happening.

24 October 2019

slow it down

This week has been a super slow work week. I keep trying to schedule things, and nothing happens. By Wednesday I was bored and stir crazy and I accepted that the universe is giving me a slow week and I should embrace it.

So last night I spent the night with FG on his couch catching a wine buzz and watching Friends. Then today I went to the park with my mom, sister, and nephew, and had a wonderful, chill day. I am floored by how much Andrew is talking now. I sat for a while and watched him narrate while he played. What a remarkable, cute kid. He's growing so fast, makes you want to soak him up while he's still little.

Since I have ample time at home, I finished fixing up the guest bathroom. I have to say, that tile and grout sealer is great. The water beads right off and everything is so shiny and clean. I have started on the master bath. The caulk was a lot easier in here, but the tiles are a lot grungier. I'm going to have some serious arm muscles from all this scrubbing.


I took a break from giving Pumpkin steroids to see how she would do. For a few days she did great, but the last few days have been rough. No eating, and when she did eat, I eventually had to clean it up off the floor... and the chair, and the rug, and the bed, etc. Yuck.


Poor kitty is not feeling well. I'll start another round of steroids tomorrow.

It's supposed to cool back down tomorrow and I'm so ready for it.

18 October 2019

plants and plants

I don't know what I was thinking.

Vicky asked me if I would take care of the party favors for Missy's bridal shower and I said, "Sure!"

...and suggested that we give everyone a small plant with a tag that says,"Let love grow."

Damn you, pinterest. And wine.

I'm not going to buy 30 plants, so now I'm trying to propagate/ keep small aloe vera and pothos plants alive until the shower a month from now.

Good thing she's going with a rustic theme, because I'll be able to avoid buying 30 small pots and am going to use cat food cans with a ribbon tied around them.
Ha, crafty!

Then I have to figure out how to transport them to San Antonio.

If it works, I will have outdone myself.
If it fails, I'm going to be spending a lot of money at a garden center in a few weeks.

I asked my neighbor if I could have some cuttings of some plants in her front yard. I know she has a bunch of pothos and I'm pretty savvy with those particular plants. I actually have 4 that I've kept alive for many years.

She came over with 2 huge bags.


I definitely only needed like, 40 leaves but now I have a giant amount.

Anyone want some?

14 October 2019

removing hard water spots

Let's talk about my guest bathroom. It's not updated (although I actually kind of dig those old-school seashell sinks), and it's in need of some repairs.

I never use it, but I'm motivated to fix it up so that I can use it while updating the master bathroom.

I figured it would be a quick project; just replace the gross caulk, clean it, and seal it.

I did not know that it would be a huge pain in the ass. When I started, I discovered that whoever put down the new caulk did a horrible job. Not only did they use the wrong kind of caulk, they caulked right over the old caulk. So I pulled up the newest layer of caulk, then had to pull up the older layer, which was practically mummified and black from mildew. Gross. It took a lot of elbow grease but I finally got it clean and applied the new caulk, properly.

Then I cleaned the tiles. Except... they weren't clean. They looked fine if you looked at them straight-on.

However, if you looked at them from an angle, for example if you were sitting in the tub, you saw all the hard water spots and old soap scum residue.


Now, it's not a huge deal. If I was just cleaning it for routine use, I would have moved on.

Except, I plan to seal the tiles and grout, and anything left on the tiles gets sealed in. I don't want to seal this grungyness on the tiles, I want to seal CLEAN tiles so that they don't get dirty like that. That's the point.

So began my crusade.

I'll make a long story short and tell you what didn't work at all:

Kaboom (did not touch the spots and smelled terrible)
Comet (My faithful standby couldn't get the job done)
Bleach (I wasn't optimistic, but it did get the grout clean)
Vinegar (I think this would have to soak on the tiles to make a difference)
Dryer sheets (I've used them before but this is way too labor-intensive to be practical)
Soft Scrub (again, good for the grout, bad for the hard water spots)
Full strength CLR (how disappointing)
Magic eraser (what a joke)
Borax (nope.)

Scouring stick got an honorable mention. It did a decent job but still could not clean some of the grimier tiles, and it required SO MUCH SCRUBBING.

What finally worked?


Good Old Bar Keeper's Friend. I use it all the time on the sinks, but I've never used it in the bathroom. I saw it in the cupboard, thought, "Well that might work," and tried it.

Well, it worked like a dream. I thoroughly rubbed some on with one of those green scrubby pads, rinsed it off, and now the tiles are all shiny and clean and I am SO SATISFIED.


You could eat off these things, they're so clean.

13 October 2019

good weekend

Oh, I'm so happy right now. I've got a pocket full of organic blue corn chips (literally there is a pocket in my oversized knit cardigan and I put chips in it and I can't think of a better use for the pocket).

This weekend was so good.

Saturday Mah and I went garage sale and thrift store shopping. I found a 20 dollar bill in the pocket of some pants I haven't worn in months. Don't you love when that happens?? While we were out shopping I picked up this sweet little stained glass for $3.75, plus a $2 dress and a $3 necklace.


Then we wandered around Enchanted Gardens. I love that place. There's always something neat to look at and it's just plain pretty.


We each took home some notoriously hard-to-kill plants and are very confident that we can keep them alive.



The Air plant and ZZ plant might just be able to make it here. Cross your fingers.

I spent Saturday evening at FG's and it's finally cold enough to really enjoy his hot tub, but before that we went grocery shopping because nobody parties like we do.

Today I climbed up on the roof and I think we got all the major leaks fixed in the gutters and porch. If that's the case, then I can go back and fix some of the rotted wood. Cross your fingers again.

I made a killer chili and then we took a glorious nap and damn, that's a good day.

11 October 2019

a little break

Oh, what a glorious day. It's FIFTY TWO degrees. Finally, we get a break in the heat!

I had an office day today, so as soon as the temperature started to drop I opened up every door and window, turned on every fan, and let the fresh air sweep into every corner of the house. I left it that way all day long and I don't even care that there are leaves on the floor because the energy in here feels so good.

Yes, by the way, I wrote that correctly... I had an office day. Not only was I in town, I didn't have to go anywhere. This was a slow week and I'm freaking grateful for the break. Taking every second to breathe because it's only a matter of time before it revs up again. I knew this summer would be busy but I did not anticipate just how busy it would be. It's all good, though, because I did hit Diamond status and I'm okay with a little hotel street cred.

I finally got to the grocery store and re-stocked the pantry and fridge. The shelves were so bare for so long; it's been months since I've had proper food in the house. You know it's dire when there are no beans or even a jar of spaghetti sauce in the pantry. I've been coming home to half-shriveled grapes and a few stale crackers for months. It feels good to revive the kitchen.

I've gotten a lot done to make life feel calmer this week. Getting to sleep in my bed and wake up with a purring cat in my face does wonders for my soul. I even got to wash my bras! It's the little things.

I felt so dang happy and centered today that I took a minute to sage the house, infusing it with positivity, then did some extra-stretchy yoga while Punk took a nap.


It's not possible to do yoga at home unless there is a designated cat perch.

I blocked off tomorrow to hang out with Mah, then on Sunday FG is helping me fix a few more rotted eaves on the house. The previous owners did some half-ass "improvements" that had lead to more damage that I've had to go back and fix. I don't need any kind of bad karma in my life so I'm fixing them properly and it's good to learn but I'd rather not have rotted eaves in the first place, ya know?

Oh, I also had time this week to start working on the guest bathroom. The plan is to fix that (re-caulk, deep clean and seal the tiles) so that I can use it while I'm doing the same thing + painting the master bathroom. The paint swatches have been up so long that I don't even notice them anymore.

Also. I have never lived in a house with a ceiling fan in the kitchen, but it seems like such a fantastic idea. It's always the warmest room in any house, with a need for air circulation... why is this not more common? I think I want to put one in there. But that's further down the list.

I think it's time for a hot bath.

08 October 2019

New Orleans

Another month, another trip!

New Orleans made it on the list because of some super cheap airfare. It's about an hour-long flight. Seriously, as soon as you hit cruising altitude, the plane starts to descend. My kind of flight.

I booked a room at the Hampton Inn in the French Quarter, about a 5 -10 minute walk from Bourbon St, Jackson Square, Harrahs, and a grocery store. That's pretty much all we needed.

Y'all, this hotel was so clean, so nice, so friendly, and in a great location. Plus it was free because I used points. Hampton Inns always have a fridge and a microwave in every room, and they have a really good breakfast. I was very pleased and would absolutely stay there again.

I didn't plan much for this trip. We have both been there before and have done some of the touristy stuff, so we kept it pretty mellow. It was a quick trip, and everything was within walking distance, so we didn't rent a car and lyfted to/from the airport. I packed outfits that looked cute with tennis shoes, traded my roller bag for my cool collapsible backpack (it fits under the airplane seat and came in handy when we had to carry groceries ie: bottles of booze for several blocks).

It all worked out beautifully. Here's what we did:

Saturday:
Fly in, check in to hotel, go to grocery store, walk down Bourbon St.
The great thing is you can walk around with booze, so we bought our own at the grocery store, had a couple pregame drinks at the hotel, then poured them into a coffee cup and made our way to the party scene. Hand grenades may be a Bourbon St. tradition, but they are disgusting and sugary and you couldn't pay me to drink one. Coffee cup wine is my jam.
The people watching is A+ and if you don't like the music blasting from one of the bars, walk/dance a few feet and you'll get another option. We didn't even go into any of the bars, we had enough fun walking around, stopping to boogie with the crowd every so often. FG even caught someone flashing their boobs at the balconies for beads, but I missed it.


Sunday: We slept late and then headed toward Jackson Square. I ate a sandwich before we left, FG stopped to get some gumbo, and then we wandered around town.

No itinerary, there is plenty to see. Musicians on every corner, art displayed everywhere you look. I wish I was rich enough to fall in love with a cool piece of random art on vacation and ship it home to display on my living room wall and casually tell people who compliment it, "Oh, I bought that in *insert location here*."
...one day.

We walked up on a bunch of random, fun things... like skeletons throwing beads, which I thought was pretty creative.


Some of the balconies are decorated so beautifully. Tons of flowers, plants, people chillen on the patio smoking doobies and waving sleepily. I don't even know which route we took, but at one point we ended up by the river, which was a great spot to stop and sit for a while.


(it was windy)

Fortunately the weather was gorgeous, plus the Saints won so everyone was in a great mood, so it was very pleasant to wander around outside for hours and stop into a few of the shops. I try to get a Christmas tree ornament from new places I travel, and I found a super cute santa riding a gator.

(I also saw this cheeky figurine of an alligator receiving fellatio from a drunk gal on bourbon street that I thought would be hilarious tucked into the garden, but I didn't have room for it in my backpack. Shucks.)

At some point FG stopped to try beignets while I drank coffee, and we listened to this cute musician for a while, then kept on walking.


We stopped at the hotel so I could eat a frozen Amy's dinner, then we headed to the casino and gambled until we (FG) ran out of money. As we were heading back to the hotel, we decided to go to Bourbon street again, and it was just as crazy as the night before, just a little more ratchet since it was later in the night.

Monday we requested a late checkout, and had planned to go bowling but they weren't open yet, so we went back to the casino and overall I won $16 on roulette (lucky #3). FG tried another gumbo place, (which he said was better than the first), and we headed to the airport.

Overall, it was a good trip. Very relaxing and lots of fun.
Also now I have a craving for gumbo so I guess I have to make it.

Other neat things to do:
-There are a few ionic restaurants but since I can't eat at any of them and FG just wanted gumbo, visiting them wasn't a priority. Do your own search if you're interested.

-I will say that on Bourbon Street, there was a bar, Napoleon's Itch, that made mojitos and hurricanes using fresh herbs and juices instead of that nasty premixed stuff. Cash only, cute gay dudes bartending, worth every penny.

-Hiking
-Frenchmen Street
-Cemetery, plantation, swamp, etc. tours
-Ride the streetcar (we mostly dodged it crossing Canal St.)
-Riverboat

-I've done the cemetery tour and would recommend it. It's so cool and unique. If we had time we would have wandered around the mausoleums for a while.
-I've also done the plantation tours (Oak Alley is a drive but it's really neat.)

This is the last official trip of the year. We're looking at a weekend in December for one more trip, but right now nothing's planned. It's been good, y'all. From Atlanta to Denver to NOLA, lots of fun places pinned on the map.

30 September 2019

health, rest, pets, adult stuff

Random thing: I'm trying to figure out if it's smarter to get my knee looked at this year, since I've met my deductible (but am halfway through my "Out-of-pocket-Max"), or if I should enroll in a different healthcare plan that covers more, and wait until next year. I am pretty sure it will require surgery and I think I pay 15% of whatever it costs... I think? Health insurance is so confusing. Merp.

Also I looked at lasik. That's definitely not covered by insurance but it's at the top of my list.

Anyway, this weekend was my ME weekend-- the weekend that I blocked off way in advance with no plans so I could do whatever I wanted.

Y'all, Saturday was so good.

I woke up late, made muffins, sewed a few things, napped, went shopping, did laundry, and it felt great to not have any obligations and take care of random stuff around the house. I even got some picture frames for some of those pictures I had printed.


I've lived in this house for over a year and there are no pictures of people I love anywhere. Well, I fixed that.

Sunday I spent with FG's family. His dad was in town and they wanted to have lunch. I originally was like, "No WAY this is MY weekend," and insisted that he go without me. But on Sunday I actually felt like hanging out with them, so we spent the day visiting and I had a lot of fun. I really like his sister; we have a similar sense of humor and I think we've figured out each other's vibe.

It's such a cool and significant thing that we don't dread hanging out with each other's family. Like, a few weeks ago we went to Frank's for lunch and FG was so excited to see everyone and even had a small gift for dad.

But anyway, back to things.

I lost the other big fish. While we were in Memphis, I saw my mom on the security cameras with a shovel and a grocery bag... Houston had some really heavy rains and I guess he jumped out and didn't make his way back in. Poor guy, he was a cool fish. Now, there are a bunch of small fish and a couple medium fish in the pond and I'm that much closer to filling it in. ($$)

Pumpkin. She wasn't eating, even with the steroids, and I was concerned enough that I asked the vet about how we approach this "end of life" thing. Like, logistically, how do you know when it's time to euthanize, and if I come home to a dead cat, what do I do with the body? I can't dig a hole that size in the back yard, and what if I'm traveling and mom has to deal with it?
Apparently you can cremate pets for a moderate price and there are a bunch of overboard options like framed pawprints and such. I'm not sure if I want ashes back, or if I just want them to take her and do whatever they do with dead animals. I joke about taxidermy... that sounds so hilarious and badass but it's probably way over budget and in reality it would probably be kinda creepy.

Well, I started mixing tuna in with every bowl of food and now she's eating very well and looking really good. That's good, because I'm obviously not ready to say goodbye yet. Her kidneys may be slowly failing but she's still got a little spark.

I am considering looking into a financial adviser. I have a little extra cash and I'd like to see if I can invest in something. I'm sure it couldn't hurt to go in and talk to someone and see what my options are, because it's just as confusing as health insurance.  WHY don't they teach us shit like this in school??

26 September 2019

small bursts of joy

Today I had to wait around for a while to get my flu shot at CVS.

(PSA: The flu is starting early this year, people. Every single lab I've visited in the last 2 weeks has had positive flus already. Get your flu shots and wash your hands.)

Anyway, while I waited, I downloaded the CVS app and started uploading some of the old pictures in my phone to get them printed. I'm always a little worried that something will happen to my phone, or my SD card will get corrupted and I'll lose some of my favorite photos. By the time I got my shot, they were done.

I would up printing 76 photos. Here are a few:






I put some in extra frames I had, but definitely don't have 76 extra frames laying around. So I started putting them around my house in random places. Tucked into a mirror frame, stuck on the fridge, etc. I'll eventually get another album and a few frames to put them in. But for now they're all random.

They make me so happy every time I see them.

23 September 2019

wait...what.

I want to take a few minutes to record something that I noticed.

The hotel room in Memphis was... not up to my standards.

It was gross. Dirty. Probably not to a normal person, but to me it was.

The first thing I do in every hotel room is wipe down the door handles, light switches, fridge handles, remotes, etc. When you travel as much as I do, you statistically are exposed to more germs than you would be if you went home every night, and those places are statistically higher risk for exposure. It makes sense, and I want to stay healthy.
Usually it's a precautionary measure, and I don't uncover much filth, which is nice.

Well, in this hotel room I started wiping, as I do, and with every surface that I wiped, the cloth came back dirty and black. It seemed as if everything was grimy. Even the bedside table had something that I can only assume was a booger, and the dining table had a coffee ring on it. It was like housekeeping didn't wipe ANYTHING down. I was seriously grossing out, and it escalated as I attempted to clean each new surface and each time the cloth came back dirty.

I frantically exclaimed my disappointments, as FG quietly unpacked his suitcase into the dresser, which I had previously wiped out because there were hairs and dust inside the drawers. He didn't say anything, except that maybe no one ever cleans the remotes except me, and it wasn't until today that I realized how chill he is.

He could have agreed with me, fueling the fire.
He could have disagreed with me, which might have caused a fight.
He could have told me to calm down.
He could have pointed out that I was overreacting, which would have caused tension even though he was right.
He could have suggested we change rooms, which would have evoked even more anxiety.

He could have done a hundred things.

But, no. I was too fired up to be rational, and he knew it.

This man went about his business, stayed chill, and let it pass. I honestly don't even know what he did while I whizzed about the room wiping things down because he stayed out of my way.

He patiently let me have my ridiculous moment, didn't stress, waited until I fizzled out, and then when I calmed down we carried on with life, happily.

Oh my God.
What a freaking genius.

I wonder how much he does that?

Memphis

FG and I are getting pretty good at this thing where we take cheap trips to random cities.

Two big factors that make it possible and enjoyable:
1. Use points for airfare, hotel, and rental car.
2. Purposefully do not schedule anything before 2pm. This way we can sleep in and leisurely eat breakfast/ get moving. We like the idea of exploring a new city but we also like to relax on vacation.

Basically, like with previous trips, I compiled a list of things I found on Pinterest and we picked what we wanted to do. I made a rough itinerary, and if we felt like doing it, we did. Saturday we planned to go hiking but instead we spent most of the day lounging around. It was awesome.

Here's what we did:

Wednesday night
Land in Memphis and check in to hotel. We had planned to go to Beale Street but were too tired.

Thursday


Graceland- THIS WAS SO COOL. We spent the whole afternoon there, and it was a lot of fun. We did the Elvis Experience + the planes. Lots and lots of walking so we were worn out and decided to have drinks on the patio of a nearby bar, where we talked to some locals about things to do around town. Made us glad that we were too tired to go to Beale Street because they said it was kinda shady and had a lot of crime.

Friday

Riverboat cruise- This was neat and mellow. Boats are not really my thing, but it was nice to take a little ride on the Mississippi. We learned lots of fun facts... and they sold booze.

Big River Crossing- I made a mistake and we missed the light show. Oops. But we did take a little walk on the bridge and it was neat to walk over the water at night. (A little hard to find, so it's helpful to put The Church of the River into the GPS, takes you right to it.)

Beale Street- We did check it out, and it's kind of like a mini Bourbon Street. Lots of bars and music and quirky shops. The street is closed off and you can walk around with alcohol. Yes, it's a little seedy; homeless folks asking for money and it smelled like urine in spots. I can see why the locals discouraged it, but what else do you expect from a street lined with bars?? You have to have realistic expectations, I think. We went at dusk and the vibe was festive and fun.

Saturday

Levitt Shell at Overton Park- They have this summer music series with free concerts. We took a sheet off the bed, spread it on the grass, and chilled to the tunes with snacks and purse wine. It was a pretty impressive show for a small free outdoor amphitheater. Good sound, video monitors, and solid lighting. The weather was gorgeous, too.

Sunday

Bass Pro Shop Pyramid- Yes, I'm serious. We spent several hours in here. This used to be a sports stadium and now it's a huge Bass Pro Shop. The decor is so over the top, plus they have this elevator that takes you to the top and you can look out across the city. There are 2 restaurants, several aquariums, a hotel, a gun range, a small museum, a gift shop where they make fudge, arcade games spread throughout the store... it's worth a stop.

Crosstown Concourse- I really wasn't sure what this was until we got there. Basically they took an old Sears warehouse and converted it into this multi-use space. There are private businesses, retail stores, restaurants, random cool art... all in this cool old building that was renovated but still has some of the original grungy features. Such a cool, funky place. We wandered around for an hour, checking out the different floors.




Stuff we didn't get to do:

Hiking Options:
TO Fuller state park
Shelby Forest
Herb Parsons Lake Trail
Overton Park

Other Neat Stuff:
-Memphis has a ton of those bikes and scooters that you can rent through an app. We didn't use them this trip, but have tried them before and they're a lot of fun.
-Broad Ave Arts District- We drove by on Sunday and hardly anything was open.
-Railgarten- Parking is limited, definitely a place to uber.

Other Notes:
-The speed limits are stupid. 55mph on the freeways, with cops every couple of miles. We are so used to driving 65+ that it was really difficult to stay at such a low speed.
-Parking is pretty good in this town. We didn't have issues finding it, and any parking that we paid for was pretty reasonable.
-Lots of free public activities and outdoor spaces. Overall, it was a cool town.