Morning Smiles
I stopped during my run to talk to Tanja’s Doppelgänger this week. I saw her on one of my runs again, – not once, but twice! – and I decided it was time to tell her that her sighting always puts a huge smile on my face. I approached her, wished her a good morning, and then told her that she looks like a dear friend of mine from afar and that I am always happy when I see her (even though she’s not my friend, ha). She laughed, was a little flattered, I think, and said she was happy she could make my morning a little sweeter :) We wished each other a good rest of the day, and then I continued on my way… with a smile on my face!
Coffee’s ready!
Elisabeth recently got a programmable coffeemaker and that reminded me that my coffeemaker also has a programmable feature which, for an inexplicable reason, I have rarely used so far. So, I started using it immediately this week! While I have no clue why I wasn’t using it, the most important thing is that I am using it now. It’s glorious to return from my morning run to the smell of fresh coffee! Thank you, Elisabeth!
Sweet Treat
My co-worker went to Costco before work this week (she had to pick something up for a potluck), and also picked up a big box of Häagen-Dasz ice cream bars (they were on sale, I mean, what was she supposed to do?). She had to store them in the freezer in our breakroom during the day before taking them home, so she offered the people in our suite an afternoon treat. That was so sweet and it was exactly what I needed yesterday after a bit of a stressful week.
CREAMI
Speaking of ice cream, I think I forgot to mention that, after thinking about it for an obscene amount of time (as I do!), I bought a Ninja Creami a few weeks ago. Costco had a sale that I couldn’t pass up, I had some reward money that I could throw at the purchase, and so it was a no-brainer to invest, especially if you consider the fact that I love ice cream. I am usually a salty snack person, but ice cream will always beat any salty snacks. I am particularly excited to make my own high-protein frozen yogurt. As you know, frozen yogurt is somewhat hard to find at the store (and not cheap, if you do) and it’s still usually, but unnecessarily loaded with sugar. I like the plain, tart frozen yogurt the best and now I can make my own.
Proud of myself
I had a little bit of a situation at work this week that made me feel blown off by someone, and as if my work and my deadlines were not as important as theirs, but I was able give myself a little pep talk, gather my courage and get on top of the situation (which hopefully made a good impression on my supervisor).
I also completed a successful week of field work with my colleague last week. It was a long, hot week in the Central Valley, but we got a lot accomplished (and learned a lot about farming! Did you know that pistachios grow in “grape-like clusters”? And did you know that pistachio plants are dioecious, meaning individual trees are either entirely male or female and you need both types for pollination and nut production. Mind blown!)
Baby Bird
Remember the mourning dove baby we had in our backyard last year? Well, we have another one. Tuesday evening, Jon woke me up after I had gone to bed already, and asked me to come outside because he found another fledgling in front of our garage. It was sitting right where I would pull out with the car in the morning and Jon thought we should probably move it. I told him that I’d move it in the morning, if it was still in the same spot – which it was. I used a dustpan to move it a little over to the side (but not too far, because I am sure mama bird was watching closeby.)
When I returned in the afternoon, the baby bird was gone. I hope it just learned to fly in a short period of time and flew away.
Bonus happy things
- I know I owe you another health update (working on it!), but I wanted to share that I hadn’t had any symptoms for the better part of two weeks now and it’s so nice to feel “normal”.
- The friend that I mentioned a couple of months ago that was pregnant, had a healthy baby girl last week. I am so thrilled to hear the good news!
- Naps. I am taking them without guilt whenever I feel I need to rest.
- I had lunch (+ a short walk) outside with my colleague this week. Sometimes you need to step away to freely talk about the office gossip. Haha. She’s also been a great sounding board for me.
- I’ve been working a regular 5-day work week again this week and the more leisure mornings and longer evenings have been nice. However, I am still on the fence if I want to trade in my day off (probably not consistently. I also don’t want people to “expect” me to be here every Friday, so I’ll probably keep a lose schedule and go back and forth before 4/10 and 5/8 weeks.
- I was so happy to read about all the cool blogger meetups recently. I love that so many people in our cool blogging community have been able to meet each other in person – it brings this community that much closer!
Have a great weekend, friends!
Michelle G.
August 28, 2026 at 4:35 pmSo many awesome, happy things here! I did not know anything about pistachio trees, so that was interesting. I love pistachios! The Ninja Creami looks like fun. How nice that you said hello toTanja’s Doppelgänger! Happy weekend to you!
San
August 30, 2026 at 10:30 amMy mind was blown by the fact about the pistachios! I had no idea.
The Ninja Creami is amazing. I am really glad I splurged.
Tobia | craftaliciousme
August 29, 2026 at 2:36 amI had no idea about pistachios. Wow. The things one is ignorant about.
Talking to the stranger made her probably as happy as it made you.
I can’t wait to have a blogger meeting with Melissa in four weeks.
San
August 30, 2026 at 10:31 amOh, you’re going to meet up with Melissa! I love it.
Nicole MacPherson
August 29, 2026 at 6:37 amI always find it fascinating to know how nuts grow, and I just reread that sentence and it sounds weird. But it’s true! Nuts never look like what we think they will. I remember my MIL had a walnut tree and it was such an odd thing, finding out what walnuts look like. And cashews, they look weird too!
I love that you talked to Tanja’s doppelganger! It probably made her day to know she’s unconsciously making someone else’s day. Isn’t it interesting how people can affect us without ever really knowing it?
I have an ice cream maker and I love it. I think I’ve only made frozen yogurt once though. My kids love – and still benefit from – it!
So many happy things in here, San. I hope they continue into next week!
San
August 30, 2026 at 10:32 amHahaha, take your mind out of the gutter, Nicole! LOL But honestly, why are so many nuts grow in weird ways?!
I definitely felt like I wanted to let Tanja’s Doppelgänger know that she was having a positive impact on my day.
Birchie
August 29, 2026 at 6:46 amNow that you’ve broken the ice with TD (Tanja Doppleganger) maybe she’ll become a friend.
I’m with Nicole in that I love seeing nuts! Take that whatever way you will.
Having done my share of blogger meetups this month, I can confirm that it is epic. I can’t repeat enough how much of a ringleader you have been in introducing us to each other.
San
August 30, 2026 at 10:33 amHaha, Tanjas was joking that I was going to replace her with her doppelgänger LOL
Thank you Birchie, that is really sweet of you to say…I am so happy about our blogging community and all the friendships that have formed!
Catrina
August 29, 2026 at 11:31 pmNice job standing up for yourself at work!! Even if your supervisor doesn’t notice it this time, speaking up for yourself is good practice, and I think it gets a little easier every time you do it.
I remember learning that some trees have “genders” – I couldn’t wrap my head around it. And now I am mind-blown about the pistachios growing in clusters! I always imagined them growing more like almonds.
San
August 30, 2026 at 10:34 amThank you Catrina. It is really good practice for me (because I tend to be someone who supports others but never gets the credit, if you know what I mean, so I have to learn to stand up for myself more often).
I was so ignorant about how pistachios grow, now I can pick out a pistachio orchard when I drive down the freeway! LOL
Suzanne
August 30, 2026 at 5:05 amSuch a great list of happy things, San! Good for you, for turning the uncomfortable work situation into a chance to show your own professionalism. That’s always so hard, but really rewarding.
I would love to hear about your experiences with the Creami. We got one last year, used it once, and haven’t done anything with it since. It feels daunting to me for reasons I can’t put my finger on!
San
August 30, 2026 at 10:38 amThank you, Suzanne. I tend to be a “quiet worker bee”, so it felt good to stand up for myself for once.
I’d be happy to share more about the Creami. I can see how it can be intimidating (there’s so many recipes and opinions about it out there). I don’t know what your reasoning was for getting it. The low calorie, protein ice-creams are what’s hyped, but you can also make regular ice cream with it and as I mentioned, I really wanted it to make tart frozen yogurt. You don’t have to be adventurous with it if you don’t want to be. I think if you can just find a couple of recipes for the ice-cream that you like best and then have that “ready to go” in the freezer when the craving strikes, that’s how I am intending to use it.
J
August 30, 2026 at 3:19 pmI love that your coworker gave everyone ice cream! MANY years ago (summer of 1998) I worked in a building where the management company paid for the ice cream truck to come every Thursday afternoon, and we could all go outside and get a free ice cream. I always got the Häagen-Dasz coffee ice cream with nuts. SO GOOD.
The leaves on the pistachio tree remind me of a fig tree, so I’m not sure I could tell the difference if there were not fruit on the tree. I also have never seen them on the tree, they’re cool looking!
J
August 30, 2026 at 3:21 pmI went an looked at another picture of a pistachio tree, and I’m wrong, the leaves do not look like a fig tree. LOL.
Sak
August 31, 2026 at 4:00 amHow fascinating about how pistachio’s grow. I’m glad you have the choice between a 5/8 and 4/10. I used to work a 9 hour day with a day off every other Friday which I really liked.
The ice cream maker sounds like a fun purchase!
K @ TS
August 31, 2026 at 5:27 amI definitely need to hear more about this ice cream maker! I love ice cream, but high cholesterol runs in my family and I would love to be able to control the ingredients more! Also my brother cannot eat eggs, and surprisingly a lot of store ice cream has eggs in it! Do you love the machine? Have you tried to make frozen yogurt yet? I need details!
NGS
August 31, 2026 at 8:54 amJust like I am thrown by the idea that figs and lemons grow on trees, I’m SHOOK by the idea that pistachios do not come from the ground. I think in my mind everything is a peanut.
Those Häagen-Dasz come home with us every time we go to Costco. It was nice of your co-worker to share hers because we do NOT share ours!!
Anne
September 6, 2026 at 8:34 amI wasn’t going to leave a comment (since I am, as always, late to the post), but I had to share that I thought “Tanja’s doppelganger” was something Peloton-related. That, maybe, she’d completed the run previously and you could see that? I have no idea what I was thinking, but it took me an inordinate amount of time to figure out that you were talking about….a real person. (insert gen-X favorite crying laughing emoji here, gosh I’m old)
Also, plant genetics is a fascinating field. That is all.