Five Things Friday: just five things I’m thinking about or things that made my week, or things that I otherwise feel like sharing.

The news out of Texas this week has been devastating. The rare snow storm that hit the state has been brutal. People are without power and water. I can’t wrap my head around what’s happening there. This was totally preventable. It’s been a matter of deregulation and free markets in Texas that has created an electric grid that puts cheap prices over reliable service and leaves people abandoned in situations like this. I will never understand why people don’t get that taxes are supposed to pay for – and upkeep – these kinds of services. This has nothing to do with socialism, it’s called “taking care of your people”. These types of services should never be for profit! Here’s where you can donate to food banks and mutual aid groups in Texas.

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I’ve made my own “cabbage juice” last week. It sounds as exciting as it was, ha! I read that cabbage juice and zinc is very good to balance your gut flora and since I’ve been dealing with a sensitive stomach, I am giving this a go to support gut health. Cabbage juice is easy to make even without a juicer (you just shred it and put it in a jar with water), but then it has to sit and ferment for 3 days before you can drink it. It basically tastes like diluted “sauerkraut juice” (which makes sense, because sauerkraut is fermented cabbage – duh! – everybody knows that, but what you don’t know is that I LOVE sauerkraut, so that is a win-win!) and you have a glass of it once a day for a little gut cleanse.

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I’ll be in two back-to-back workshops (remotely, of course) next week and the first week of March, and of course, they’re on East Coast Time. You’d think that three-hour time difference isn’t so bad when most of your family and friends live in a time zone that is 9 hours ahead, but if the class starts at 9 am EST, that means I have to be up and at the computer and “perceptive” at 6 am PST. Put me on a treadmill or an exercise bike at 6 am any day and my legs will know what to do, but starting a workshop at this hour is a little brutal.

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Target’s Hearth & Hand Collection speaks to my heart and I picked up a couple of stoneware plates and bowls recently to replace some of our old, chipped dishes. Not sure if it’s a smart move to replace single items instead of buying a whole new set, but these were more like spontaneous, retail-therapy purchases and for now they make me really happy. 

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Do you ever disinfect your phone? I’ve gotten into the habit of wiping down and disinfecting my phone more frequently, especially after any outings (like grocery shopping) where I inadvertently end up using the phone in public with my ‘dirty’ hands. I have hand sanitizer in the car that I use every time I get back from the store, but cleaning the phone surfaces is probably also a good idea. (Tip of the day!) 

TGIF! Have a great weekend!

Five Things Friday: just five things I’m thinking about or things that made my week, or things that I otherwise feel like sharing.

I am so happy to report that all packages from the Secret Santa Mug Swap have finally made it to their respective recipients. I did expect a little bit of a delay with the postal service this time around, but I didn’t think that this would drag so far into the new year. If you were one of the participants that had to wait for their package for quite a while, I appreciate your patience and understanding. I’d still love for you to share your Secret Santa Package with everyone. Look out for an email from me shortly! 

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This is random, but if you ever buy pretzels as snacks, pick up Snyder’s Butter Snaps next time. They are so much better than the regular pretzels, IMHO. You’re welcome.

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Our electric kettle, which we had for 10+ years, broke (well, started leaking) and we had to get a new one. I was set on getting a gooseneck kettle (because pour-over coffee ftw!), but most gooseneck kettles are too small (around 32 oz/1L capacity) for our daily use,  and so we went with a glass kettle with temperature control. Did you know, boiling water is too hot for pour-over coffee? The sweet spot is between 195F-205F. 

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Out of curiosity, I started the process of tracking all grocery items that we buy this year (by month, category, and quantity). Tell me I am not crazy (I know I am, but I really want to get a better understanding of our grocery spending).

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Work broke me stressed me out this week. Between computer issues, feeling like I am being micromanaged, and some miscommunication, it’s been quite a week and I am ready for the weekend. How about you?

TGIF!

Five Things Friday: just five things I’m thinking about or things that made my week, or things that I otherwise feel like sharing.

As mentioned in my “Currently”-post, NaBloPoMo is upon us. Every year, I think I’ll drum up some excitement and find participants early and make it a “thing again”, and every year, November sneaks up on me as if I didn’t know that after October comes November. As always, I’ll take the challenge and will post 30 blog posts in 30 days. As always, you’re invited to join me (via the above link). It’s a totally casual, no-pressure invitation, but I’d love to read more from you this coming month if you’re up for it. Come on, what else do you have to do. It’s not like you’re going anywhere this holiday season. (Ha. Not funny, I know.) 

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I had my annual performance review this week and it went really well. I am glad to hear that my supervisor – and the other project managers that I work for – are happy with my (remote) work and what I have accomplished in the last year (especially considering the situation we’ve all been finding ourselves in since March). It was reassuring to know that progress was made, deadlines were met, and things were accomplished, and that everybody was able to stay productive during these trying times.

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4 days until election day. I know I sound like a broken record, but please vote. I think I know that many of you already have, but we need every last person to participate in this election this year. It’s too important to sit this one out. Here’s a reminder on how to vote in every state. At this point, you’ll have to make sure to find your local election office and vote in person. Stand in line, if you must. Bring a chair, bring a book, bring breakfast, lunch, and dinner. If you waited until now, this is what you’ll have to do to make your voice heard. Don’t let them turn you away.

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Here’s your reminder that we’ll change clocks this weekend. I am always on “alert” for that because Germany usually changes clocks one or two weeks earlier than we do (which temporarily “throws off” the phone FaceTime schedule I have with my family), so I am always prepared that it’s coming. At least, we gain an extra hour of sleep. I don’t know anybody who doesn’t need this right now!

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Are you “doing” something for Halloween? I am not expecting any trick-or-treaters (or, should I say, I am not planning to participate in any activities) and I am hoping that our neighborhood (which is very popular for Halloween) will not be crowded with people. I understand that it sucks for kids, but I also hope people stay sensible and find some other, more socially distanced activities closer to their home.

Happy Halloween!

Five Things Friday: just five things I’m thinking about or things that made my week, or things that I otherwise feel like sharing.

Jon and I had our 19th meet-a-versary earlier this week. 🖤 It’s mind-boggling to me to think about how long we’ve known each other. I had calculated a while back that on September, 22, Jon knew me exactly half of his life. He looked at me incredulously, when I told him. It definitely doesn’t feel like that long. How long have you known your SO?

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This week has been so mentally draining. I don’t know about you, but if you still follow the news regularly, you probably know what I am talking about. Throw social media on top of it and it’s been particularly hard to escape the sh*tshow that’s been going down for the last week with Trump contracting COVID-19, going to the hospital, allegedly taking ALL THE DRUGS, miraculously “recovering” within a few days, boasting the American healthcare system chaos (that so many people can’t access) and asking people to not let COVID-19 dominate their lives. WTH, bro?

And all this, while I haven’t even mentioned the vice presidential debate (although big kudos to Kamala Harris for putting up with it and calling Pence out by saying “I am speaking“. We all felt you, Kamala!), all the other nonsense Trump has said since Monday, and the foiled plot of a militia group to kidnap Michigan governor Gretchen Withmer and attack police officers. What the hell is going on in this country?

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All this is why it’s so important that we voted this week. We got the ballots in the mail on Tuesday and they were filled out and ready to be dropped off at our nearest polling place on Wednesday morning. God, I am hoping you’ve made a plan to vote. Here’s a reminder on how to vote in every state. Please don’t let your voice go to waste.

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I emailed my supervisor this week to coordinate my taking some “use or lose” leave this month. In all the years that I’ve lived and worked here, I’ve never had “use or lose” annual leave available at the end of the year that forced me to take time off when I was not planning a trip to see family. It’s a weird feeling, to be honest, and I truly wish I would take the time off to travel somewhere, but I don’t see that happening anytime soon. However, I definitely feel that taking a few days off is never a bad idea, but especially this year, so I am thankful for it. 

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I haven’t run outdoors because of yet another round of bad air quality for two weeks. I’ve been thankful that I had my spin bike to keep me busy indoors, but I really hope to get out this weekend for a nice long run by the river. What are you up to? Do you get a long weekend (because of Columbus Day, which really shouldn’t be celebrated anymore)?

TGIF!

Five Things Friday: just five things I’m thinking about or things that made my week, or things that I otherwise feel like sharing.

Let me lead with the highlight of my week: the spin bike that I ordered a couple of weeks ago arrived today – hooray! Yes, you guessed it, I also jumped on the bandwagon and bought a spin bike during the pandemic. No, unfortunately, it’s not a Peloton, but I think I’ll be very happy with the one I ordered nonetheless.

If you recall, I had started regular spin classes at my gym in the spring of 2019 and really, really loved it. When the pandemic hit in March and the gyms were closed down, access to that class disappeared. I got through the summer by running outdoors and doing home workouts, but now that we’re moving into fall and winter and the days are getting longer, a spin bike for home use seemed like the perfect solution for my early morning workouts. And the best part: Jon is excited to use it, too! 

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I’m happy to report that the air quality here in the Central Valley has significantly improved over the last few days. The fires are still burning, but the biggest fire close to us, the LNU Lightning Complex is 87% contained at this point. Yesterday morning was the first day since the fires started that we had a good air quality index reading. It’s been a relief!

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I am currently reading Mary Trump’s book. I am not sure if it’s a waste of my precious time or a must-read (I guess, I’ll determine it after I finish), but I definitely was intrigued to hear her perspective on her uncle. Have you read or are you planning to read the book?

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Speaking of Trump, have you heard of the ‘deferred payroll tax‘ nonsense?  He signed an executive order in August that allows employers to delay the collection of the 6.2% Social Security tax from employees who earn less than $104k annually. Isn’t that the perfect executive order by a president shortly before the election to “boost” his standings with unsuspecting supporters? Some extra money in your pocket sounds great, right? 

Well no, not if it means that your employer will start withholding the deferred amount from your paycheck again early next year. It means you’ll get a slight pay bump in pay this fall, but a significant decrease in pay for the first few months of 2021, because you still owe this money on tax day. So, this whole thing MAKES NO SENSE. People who still have a job don’t need this money right now, I’d argue, and if they do, they’ll for sure not be able to repay it in a few short months. What are we supposed to do? Hold the money in a savings account (that doesn’t even pay interest, ha!) until it’s being recollected again? Not to mention the bureaucratic lift for payroll offices to implement this temporary change in withholdings! 

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I’ve been tending to my garden for the last few weeks/months, but nothing is growing. I am not sure why. I think I did see some bees around, but I am not sure if the plants just weren’t pollinated sufficiently? The cucumber plant has a ton of blossoms, but many have shriveled up without producing fruit. The zucchini plants have blossomed, but I also don’t see any beginnings of a zucchini fruit yet. My tomato plant might have given up altogether. It’s a bit of a mystery. Any gardeners with advice? 

TGIF, friends! Enjoy the long weekend!