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

What’s your favorite summer fruit? I am usually all about berries, I love apples any time of the year, but right now I am slightly obsessed with peaches. I always forget how wonderfully sweet and juicy they are. I’ll have to pick some up on my grocery run today.

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There was an M6.0 earthquake in the Antelope Valley Fault Zone on the east side of the Sierra Nevada yesterday afternoon. We could feel it all the way over here in Sacramento, 100 miles to the west. I was startled when I felt my chair shaking a little bit. First, I wasn’t sure if I was imagining it, but when I looked up, I saw that our hanging planter by the window and the hanging baskets in the kitchen had started to sway back and forth. Jon was out in the front yard and said he didn’t feel it (but he was probably distracted). As you can see on the shake map, the seismic waves were pretty mild down here, but it looks like the people near the epicenter got a pretty good shake.

Sacramento and the Central Valley don’t really have active faults. The major faults systems in California are along the coast (the best-known faults are of course the San Andreas and Hayward faults) and in the Sierras. While there are many earthquakes in California every day, they’re hardly ever felt – even locally – because they’re relatively small in magnitude. We usually only feel any shaking in Sacramento when the earthquake is a larger event, like the one yesterday. 

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I think I have a bit of summer blues. Some of my friends have announced their summer travel plans, many other Germans I know have traveled or will soon travel to Germany to see family. I won’t be one of them.

This is the first week of summer break in Germany, and originally we had hoped that my family would have been able to come and visit this summer after their visit last year had to be postponed. Unfortunately, because of where we’re at with the pandemic, we had to postpone their visit again this year, as they’re still not allowed to enter the United States under the Covid-19 travel ban. As disappointed as we all are, I do believe that it’s not a good time to travel yet.  So, we’re just going to hang in there and make the best of this summer. Hit me with your best staycation tips, ha!

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This was a short week for me (because Monday was a holiday and today is my regular day off, luckily), but I feel like I have worked a full week and then some. I’ve been reviewing comments on a report with a colleague and instead of doing it separately and then getting together to discuss them, we tend to work more efficiently when we just sit down and work through them together.
However, in the time of Covid and WFH, that means we’ve been working on the report over Teams for hours on end last week and this week. Like I said, very productive, but tiring AF.  I am ready to sleep for the next three days.

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Oh, and on a different note, have I mentioned that it’s supposed to hit 111F/44C again this weekend in the Central Valley? The joy! [\sarcasm]

Stay cool, kids, if you’re anywhere on the West Coast (except for San Francisco. They never seem to get the heat memo!). Otherwise, enjoy your 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.

Did you hear that crazy story this week where David Keene, a former NRA president and current board member, and John Lott, an author and gun rights activist, were invited to give remarks to a fake high school graduating class? Unbeknownst to them, the two men gave their speeches to thousands of empty chairs set up to represent the estimated 3,044 kids who should have graduated high school this year and instead were killed by gun violence. Change the Ref, an organization founded by Manuel and Patricia Oliver, whose son Joaquin was killed at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, organized the stunt and called it “The Lost Class” of students. Genius.

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Are you watching the European Football Championship (UEFA Euro 2020)? It should have been held last year but was postponed because of Covid. I almost forgot that it started on June, 11 but I have been watching the (German) live games as much as the time difference has allowed, and I am thrilled that they have made it to the knock-out stage (albeit with a bit of a struggle). Hopefully, they’ll go forward with a bit of a more compelling performance.

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Here’s your PSA of the day: trying to guilt-trip someone into spending time with you never works. It usually has the opposite effect. Just sayin’. 

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It is peculiar to me that my FSA (Flexible Spending Account) will reimburse expenses for OTC drugs, but not natural supplements (you need a doctor’s note for that) when they’re supposed to help with the same symptoms. 

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One of the few perks working for the government is that I get “in-lieu-of”-holidays. When a holiday falls on a weekend, I get the preceding or the following day off. If a holiday falls on a Saturday, but Friday is my regular day off (I work a 4/10 schedule, as you might recall), I get the preceding Thursday off. It’s a pretty neat arrangement if you ask me, and I am not mad about it. 

 

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.

My parents got their second vaccine shots this week and it gives me such relief to know that all my family members – well, except for the kids – are now protected. I am not sure yet when we’ll decide to travel and finally see them, but the possibility is definitely getting more likely. 

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I had a coupon and picked up a box of the Yasso Vanilla Chocolate Crunch Dipped Greek Yogurt Bars last week and they were so good. I am usually more of a salty snack kinda girl, but during the summer months, ice cream beats everything else. What’s your favorite flavor?

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Our gardeners were at it again. They trimmed our Scotch Broom (as per direction from our landlords) this week, as it was getting out of hand and taking over our patio area. I had talked to them on Monday morning to tell them that they were supposed to just trim the branches and was a bit taken aback when I went outside later to see how much they had cut it back. Our bush looks more like a “tree” now, but I must admit: I like it. Makes our small backyard look and feel a lot more open and spacious (as long as the Scotch Broom doesn’t drop all its leaves and plays “dead” for a while, like the Bougainvillea 6 months ago).

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The Washington Post published an article yesterday saying that the federal government will maintain expansive work-from-home policies after the pandemic. I don’t remember if I mentioned it but we were given a survey a few weeks ago asking us to weigh in on pre-pandemic and pandemic work experiences to determine how to move forward in the future. I thought it was great that they were trying to get input from each employee. I am curious what this is going to mean long-term for our agency. We haven’t gotten any specific guidance yet (other than that we’re not going back yet.) How are things moving forward in your work environments? Are you still working from home, or going back to the office?

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I don’t want to jinx it, but I picked up my knitting again this week… oh, after only weeks of not even as much as side-glancing at it at all. Knitting is usually something I do more during the winter months, but I was craving some “relaxing” repetitive motion with my hands. Do you knit during the summer? I’ll have to take advantage before it gets too hot again.

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.

Yesterday, Jon and I celebrated our 15th anniversary. This is  c r a z y  to me. This fall, we’ll have known each other for 20 years. I don’t know where the time went, but I am glad we’re still here, still in love. I don’t take it for granted. We celebrated by going out to dinner for the second time since we got vaccinated. Outdoors, of course. As I mentioned yesterday, I am not yet ready to change my behavior all at once, but going to a restaurant for a meal to celebrate was really nice, to finally have an opportunity to get dressed up again for something.

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I finished a 10-day Green Smoothie Cleanse on Wednesday (which I will talk about another time maybe). All I want to say about it now is that it was a good experience, I would be open to doing it again, but I was really, really looking forward to my morning coffee yesterday morning. I tried a coffee alternative during the 10 days and it was tasty (for not being coffee), but nothing like the real deal. 

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I’ve been horrified about what’s been happening between Palestine and Israel. My co-worker is from Gaza and I was seriously worried about his family, which still lives there. I finally reached out to him earlier this week (I was a little apprehensive and didn’t know what to say, but then I thought “That’s BS, just ask how he’s doing!”) and I was glad to hear that his family is okay and he was very appreciative of my message. But besides that I realized: I really have to learn more. The conflict between Israel and Palestine has always been on the periphery of my radar, but I had the privilege to often push it out of sight. However, that’s not okay. I’ve been committed to learning more and a friend has pointed me to some good resources. This article sums up the relationship between Israel and the United States and The Daily is a good resource to keep up with what’s happening right now. I hope you’re paying attention and talk about this. 

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I am really looking forward to deep-diving into a new project at work. As you recall, I had a bit of ebb and flow in my workload lately and got quite a bit of “groundwork” tasks for other people to fill my time, but I’ve started working on this new remote sensing project this week and I couldn’t be more thrilled. This is the type of work I want to be doing.

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Are you as excited as I am about the F·R·I·E·N·D·S reunion? If you’re not, we can’t be friends. (Just kidding. Maybe.)

Have a great long Memorial Day 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.

If you missed it, I had a great IG Chat conversation with my friends Ulli and Stefanie this morning and we talked about motivation and working out (during the pandemic). Ulli posted the recording on her IGTV feed. I’d be curious to hear how you’ve felt about working out during the pandemic. Did your motivation change? Did you work out more or less, or did you completely fall off the bandwagon? I love talking about this stuff and am contemplating writing about it more if you’re interested.

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I bought another houseplant last week. I am a bit obsessed. Trader Joe’s had (small) fiddle leaf figs for $5.99. What a steal. Now I just have to make it grow strong and tall. Wish me luck!

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Speaking of strong and tall, have you heard of self-watering planters? If you are a house plant newbie like me (who has killed a fair share of plants), you might want to look into these. These planters have a water reservoir on the bottom and instead of watering your plants from the top, you just keep the water reservoir filled up and the plant can draw up as much water (through capillary action) as needed. I also have a self-watering planter box outside for my small vegetable garden and it seems to be working exceptionally well because the plants always have access to water from below (especially since we’ve already had temperatures in the 90’s in the last couple of weeks and it can be challenging to keep up with the watering in the summer). 

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Remember how I mentioned a couple of weeks ago, that there might be a possibility that  I’d be returning to the office for some work-related tasks that I can’t do would be difficult to do from home? Yeah, things changed and I won’t be going to the office anytime soon (and I am kinda glad about it). 

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Random fact: my (paternal) grandmother would have turned 100 years old today. Sadly, she died at the very young age of 61, when I was only 6 years old. And even though I didn’t get to grow up having her around, my sister and I spent a lot of time with her when we were little, and I am grateful for all the memories that I still have of her. 

Have a great weekend and happy Mother’s Day to all the mothers out there! 

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 feel like I should talk about the most recent police shootings and the ongoing trial of Derek Chauvin, the officer who killed George Floyd last year, but I am honestly out of words, guys. Every time this happens again (and again), I wonder why officers use their weapons and power so recklessly, and every time I come up empty-handed. I just can’t wrap my head around it and I seriously don’t know how we’re going to change as a society. We need gun control so very badly, and people seriously have to reckon with their calls for “freedom and second amendment rights” and their underlying biases that obviously get other people killed on a regular basis. 

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I’ve been making a list of things I want (to allow myself) to do when I am fully vaccinated in a few weeks. Have you thought about these things? (Haven’t we all?) I should probably share my complete list sometime, but I’ll share one thing already: I want to go to Ikea. I haven’t been to any stores (besides Target, the supermarket, and Home Depot) in a year and I really just want to wander the aisles at Ikea.

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Jon and I played Scrabble for the first time in ages last weekend and it’s been so much fun that I downloaded a Scrabble app. This is unusual as I am usually not someone who plays games on their phone. I know this is probably just a phase (and I really don’t need to be spending more time on my phone than I already am), but I’m giving myself a pass on this one right now. It’s a good brain exercise after all. Do you play any games on your phone?

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There’s a possibility that I’ll be going back to the office in a few weeks for some work-related tasks that I can’t do would be difficult to do from home and I feel somewhat peculiar about it. I will probably be fully vaccinated by then and will most likely not even encounter many other people as we’re all still working full-time from home, but I’ve gotten so used to the WFH life that it feels weird having to go back. Does that even make sense to anyone but me? Other people are dying to go back to the office, but I’ve been quite comfortable at home and in no rush to go back. But really, it’s fine. It’s going to be fine. 

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If you follow me on Instagram, you know that I am currently (still) obsessed with apple-cinnamon steel-cut oats for breakfast. How do you like yours? Or what do you have for breakfast these days? Do share!

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.

We got both our stimulus payment and our tax return within the last two weeks and it’s been a nice and welcome cash injection, I must admit.  However, we really don’t need the stimulus like other people and I do hope that people who really needed the help during the pandemic have received it!. Have you gotten your stimulus check yet?

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As I have mentioned (everywhere!), Jon got his first COVID-vaccine shot this week and I couldn’t be more excited. In case you’re curious: he received the vaccine through our medical center at a local vaccine clinic. He got the Pfizer vaccine and had no side effects (other than a bit of a sore arm) from his first shot. I am currently signed up with myturn.ca.gov, California’s vaccination coordination site, waiting for my turn. If you are in California and haven’t gotten your vaccine yet, you should sign up, too. 

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I am currently doing research for a project at work, which means googling (no problem!) and calling (ugh!) companies to ask for specific information. While I don’t mind calling people in general, turns out, cold-calling companies to ask questions (they might not want to answer or don’t know the answers to) is not my strong point. I’d be a horrible sales rep, haha, and I am not even trying to sell anything.

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If you follow me on Instagram, you might have seen that I bought some new plants for our apartment. I feel ridiculous even talking about it, but we didn’t have any plants at all for a long while other than one cactus (that I kept outside) and a succulent on my new work-from-home desk. Our living room gets very little direct sunlight, sadly, so I didn’t really bother buying plants that would just “die” on me.  But of course, there are plenty of plants that thrive in low-light environments and now I want to add more. I already asked on IG for suggestions for any low-light houseplants that are pretty and easy to care for, but if you want to drop any other suggestion in the comments, that would be fantastic, too. Please and thank you :)

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I am so excited to bake my sweet plaited yeast bread again for Easter this weekend. This is pretty much as far as our Easter activities will go. We haven’t dyed any Easter eggs and we didn’t decorate, but who am I to skip traditional yummy food, amirite?!

Have a great Easter weekend! What are your plans?

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

Do you ever have a week where time just seemingly disappears? I had high hopes of blogging this week and didn’t find a free pocket of time to sit down and write. And I worked long days, worked out, cooked dinner, and went to bed. Lather, rinse and repeat. There just wasn’t much time for anything else, so I am extra thankful for having today off and that it’s the start of the weekend!

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My sister – an elementary school teacher in Germany – who just went back to in-person teaching a few weeks ago is eligible and scheduled for her first vaccine next week, just a day before our birthday. I am so, so relieved that she’ll be protected soon, and in turn, will be less of a threat to our parents (who are still waiting for their turn to get the vaccine). Germany seems to be just as ‘disorganized’ in getting people vaccinated as it is here, although I am very happy about every single person who’s been able to get it so far. Will you get vaccinated when you are eligible?

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I saw my co-workers this week for the first time since we started working from home a year ago. We met up on campus for lunch (as in, we all brought our own lunch and sat at a minimum of 6 ft apart – which meant, everybody at his/her own table – at an outdoor seating area). It was nice to see each other in person (not over Teams) and catch up, although I have to say that I still feel wary of meeting up with people (even outdoors). Jon and I have been so strict in not seeing people outside our home that it will take some getting used to until we feel completely comfortable again once we’re all vaccinated. Do you feel that way, too?

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Yesterday, I finished up the training class that I told you about two weeks ago (the one that started at 6 am PST) and I am happy to say: it was really awesome. I thought it would be hard to be alert and receptive at 6 am, but the presenters were really, really good and the topics were absolutely engaging. In fact, I wish I would have another week of training in front of me next week. 

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I had leftover zucchini last week and since we’re all about not wasting food in this house, I made a batch of zucchini-cheddar scones. Baking is never a bad idea, amirite?

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.

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!