My alarm goes off at 6:15 a.m. and I hit the snooze button (well, actually I “lift up” my phone and then put it down again, which is the equivalent of a snooze button for the Sleep Cycle App that I use to track my sleep and as my alarm). Do you use the snooze button? I cannot jump straight out of bed.
At 6:30 a.m. I get in the shower. I usually start my workout around this time, but today is my “rest day” (which I purposefully switched from Monday) because I have an appointment for my mammogram in the morning.
I leave the house at 7:20 a.m. to drive to the medical center. It’s a 15-minute drive through the neighborhood. I am still trying to figure out the best routes to places now that we moved. None of them are ‘quick’ because I have to drive through neighborhood streets, but it’s actually a pleasant drive through beautiful fall-colored, tree-lined streets at this time of year. They don’t call Sacramento the “City of Trees” for nothing.
I get to the doctor’s office right at 7:40 a.m., which is the time I am supposed to arrive for pre-check-in. The lady who checks me in is really nice and greets me with a smile. I appreciate that in the morning.
At 8:00 a.m. sharp, the nurse calls my name. I like getting the first appointment of the day because it usually means there is no extra wait time! The nurse hands me a gown and sends me to a changing room. (“Keep the opening in the front, then wait over there when you’re ready”.)
At 8:05 a.m., I walk into the examination room and get my boobs squeezed every which way for 15 minutes. Not good, not bad, we just have to do what we have to do here. The nurse who’s doing the squeezing is “in training”, so she’s extra careful, explains every step elaborately, and apologizes a gazillion times for pulling and pushing my breast tissue to fit everything on the imaging platform. I find her demeanor endearing and I am slightly amused.
Then we’re done. I am told I can expect the results in about a week and I am sent on my way. It’s 8:20 am. when I get into the car to drive back home.
I am back home by 8:35 a.m. and immediately start making coffee. As you might have noticed, I didn’t make coffee before I left. I save that special moment for when I come back and can sit down and enjoy that first cup while I go through my emails. It’s a bit of a ritual.
At 8:45 a.m. I I take my coffee and a cinnamon bagel upstairs into my very own office to open my work laptop and take a first peek at my inbox – nothing urgent. I sip my coffee in peace and also check my personal email. I have an email from Tanja. Yay.
I am not fully set up yet, but here’s my new desk in my new office. I have a window! I have a door that I can close. I have space! And yes, I will have to get a bigger desk eventually, but this is great for now. So much better than when I was working from the corner of our living room!
I have a meeting coming up a little later where I have to give an update on my work progress for a specific project, so I work on that for a while.
At 10:32 a.m., I get a message from MyChart with new test results. Well, that was a little quicker than a week, wasn’t it? Is that good or bad news? I open MyChart and find that my results are normal. Boobs are fine. Nothing to worry about. Phew. That’s all I needed to know.
At 11:30 a.m., I make myself a quick lunch of rye bread with gouda cheese and forgot to take a picture, so I’ll insert a picture of the bread fresh out of the oven on Sunday. I was a little worried that my sourdough starters, Linus and Sally, had been sitting in the fridge for too long and that they weren’t fully revived yet, but the bread turned out so well! It tastes as good as it looks, and I wish you could have also experienced the smell when it came out of the oven.
I take my lunch break a little early and call my parents at 11:45 a.m. to chat for a bit. I always call them on my lunch break on Tuesdays, but I have to keep it short today because of the upcoming meeting.
At 1 p.m. I have a project meeting with my advisor and another colleague. I give a progress update on my task for the project and my other colleague does the same. Then we discuss next steps.
The meeting is finally over at 3:00 p.m. Two hours is a long time for a Teams Call, but these one-on-one or small group meetings are productive if we take the time to work together and don’t rush through things in 20 minutes.
At 3:05 p.m., my colleague, who was also on the previous call, sends me a message and asks if I have time to talk a little more. I answer in the affirmative, and he calls me back and we chat about the previous meeting and his frustrations with part of the project — the old dilemma: never enough time or funding to do the science right. I agree with him that it’s hard to push back against senior scientists who have more control of the scope of work and project budget.
After we hang up, I continue processing drone data. I am currently putting together multiple drone survey datasets using photogrammetry. It’s a lot of fun and I enjoy the work of stitching images together to create a 3D digital model of the physical world.
I finally call it a day at 7:00 pm and close my laptop. It’s been a long day and I am getting hungry.
I go downstairs at 7:05 p.m. and start dinner. It’s Taco Tuesday, and Trader Joe’s carnitas are perfect for a quick and easy dinner. Not pictured are the refried beans (they look nasty, but taste so good.)
Jon and I have dinner and then I watch the News for a little bit. I am not really committed these days because I do not need to hear which other unqualified person clown Tr*mp has nominated for his cabinet circus. So, I get my laptop and start writing this post. I also try to catch up on more of your recent blog posts.
My bedtime reminder goes off at 9:45 p.m. and I go upstairs and get ready for bed. It was my rest day and it’s ok that I didn’t work out today, but I decide on 20 minutes of restorative yoga class to at least earn my (Peloton) ‘blue dot’ for the day.
Lights are out at 10:20 p.m. – good night.
I am doing NaBloPoMo this month. 30 blog posts in 30 days. Come join me. #nablopomo2024Links to the Participants List and NaBloPoMo2024 Blog Post Ideas! Happy writing!
Ernie
November 20, 2024 at 11:53 amI’m excited for you to have an office. It’s lovely and bright. Great news on the mammogram results. I agree, it’s a necessary thing to get done. Glad you checked it off your list. Tuesday calls with your folks at lunch is a wonderful routine. I do not like to wait to eat until after 7, but taco Tuesdays sound tasty.
San
November 21, 2024 at 9:25 pmThank you, Ernie. I really like my new office and I am happy about the mammogram results. Also, we don’t always eat that late. Ha.
Elisabeth
November 20, 2024 at 12:02 pmYOUR VERY OWN OFFICE. With a door! And natural light.
I am so happy for you, San. I’m literally beaming in front of my laptop in NS <3
And yay for clear test results. These things aren't fun but they save so many lives. Thanks for sharing and for the reminder to women to get checked!
San
November 21, 2024 at 9:25 pmAh thank you my friend for being so excited for me :) It’s been a long time coming.
Alexandra
November 20, 2024 at 12:08 pmBravo on not only booking but going for your mammogram. And cheers that it came back clear!! Always a relief.
Like you, I prefer to get up that little bit early for health appointments and always try to get the first one. I made the mistake of saying this when I needed to see the dentist. The first appointment was at 7 am! That one was a tad early!
I love your little office space. I lost mine to the OH and ended up moving my tiny desk into the bedroom, but have a magnificent window to look out as compensation.
Dang, now I want tacos for dinner …
San
November 21, 2024 at 9:26 pmOh boy, yes, 7 am is a little early… haha… but at least you’re up and at it ;)
I’m sorry you lost your office but it sounds like the view from the bedroom window makes up for it :)
Tammy
November 20, 2024 at 12:33 pmThe office is darned cute and the window is wonderful! The light in California is beautiful. Skipped over to read the post about photogrammetry (new word for me) and I love learning new things, it’s so intriguing. And well done on getting your mammogram.
San
November 21, 2024 at 9:27 pmOh yay, I am glad you checked out the photogrammetry link. I figured not everybody knew what that was – but isn’t it fascinating? :)
NGS
November 20, 2024 at 12:57 pmWhat a beautiful office! I’m so happy you have your own space – that’s going to be quite an improvement on your quality of life.
I do not hit snooze because it drives my husband crazy. Instead, I get up (I have to get out of bed to turn off my alarm that is across the room) and immediately turn on my very very bright SAD lamp for 20 minutes. That’ll show him.
San
November 21, 2024 at 9:28 pmYes, a huge improvement on my quality of life indeed! My work day improved tremendously!
Do you feel a big difference using the SAD lamp (haha, I love how you said “that will show your husband” LOL).
Tobia | craftaliciousme
November 20, 2024 at 2:30 pmYOUR OWN OFIICE. How great is that. I am so happy for you.
And you do have a long day.
San
November 21, 2024 at 10:49 pmI do work long days on a regular basis but this one was especially long.
Lindsay
November 20, 2024 at 4:49 pmCongrats on the office and the clear mammogram! How amazing that you got results so fast! I totally get the rest day blue dot restorative yoga class – I’ve been doing that or a mobility stretch every few days lately. Thanks for sharing your day!
San
November 21, 2024 at 10:49 pmThank you – I am all about the good news and I am glad the results came back so fast.
Grateful Kae
November 20, 2024 at 8:04 pmFun post!! Looks like a nice day, besides that you worked until too late!! Haha. Glad the mammo all checked out fine. ;) I love the new office too! I know how much you disliked that living room office thing.
San
November 21, 2024 at 10:49 pmHaving an office really is a huge improvement in life quality around here ;)
Tanja
November 21, 2024 at 6:15 amYou got an email from me – I like to wish you a happy day :)
Love the setup in the new office but agree, you might need a bigger desk at one point. xo
San
November 21, 2024 at 10:50 pmThank you my friend, your emails always make my day :)
Daria
November 21, 2024 at 8:21 amWell done on getting that mammogram! I get mine in March since march 8th is an international women’s day so it’s a good reminder. That bread is delicious, thanks for taking us with you throughout your day.
San
November 21, 2024 at 10:51 pmOh, that’s a great idea to schedule the mammogram around International Women’s Day… that is a good reminder!
Michelle G.
November 21, 2024 at 11:37 amHooray for fast results! MyCart is so cool, and I wish my local clinic would use it. Yes, I do think light blue is your color!
Your office looks like a nice place to work.
San
November 21, 2024 at 10:51 pmMyChart is super-convenient. Why doesn’t your clinic use it? Or do they have a different system?
iHanna
November 21, 2024 at 3:12 pmWhat a lovely day you had, the tree lined street view is beautiful. In Sweden you are automatically called for a mammogram every second year after your 40th birthday I think, so that’s great and easy to do.
San
November 21, 2024 at 10:52 pmYeah, we get reminders too for the mammogram, but you still have to call and schedule it. I think it’s great that they remind you though.
Meike
November 21, 2024 at 9:49 pmI do snooze my alarm (and usually not only ones). I am not a morning person! I can’t believe your starter survived after so long. It must be a very happy starter.
San
November 21, 2024 at 10:52 pmOh yes, my starter is an oldie… several years old and therefore VERY stable and quite happy, even if it’s parked in the fridge for a few weeks. :)
Nicole MacPherson
November 22, 2024 at 5:10 amThe first time I had a mammogram I did the ties up in back – and that was embarrassing, I don’t know what I was thinking because there are signs everywhere that say to do them up in front!
Noemi
November 24, 2024 at 11:20 amI love these kinds of posts! As someone who’s work day is very rigorously scheduled, I very much appreciate hearing what life is like when one has more flexibility. Thanks for sharing!
Stephany
November 24, 2024 at 12:17 pmYour office looks amazingggg. I am so happy for you! I’m still working from a corner of my living room but hoping I can upgrade to an office next year!
Hooray for a clear mammogram!
Anne
December 7, 2024 at 11:35 amOK, two things. Well, 3.
1. So glad for quick results that are also GOOD results.
2. Your OFFICE. I LOVE IT. The window! The light! (*looks around at NW-facing apartment in December and sighs, longingly*)
3. Seriously, how do you hit your macros for marathon training by consuming a) a bagel and b) a piece of bread with cheese? I mean, I know you ate dinner, but my goodness. It seems like we have to have missed a snack in there, or something?