A girls' weekend, but with far less vodka

So I got all caught up at work today, and just in time to miss work on Friday. Still, it's totally worth it because I get to go to California for the weekend and hang out with my mom and Roberta. We've got a couple fun lunch ideas for Friday and Saturday, but as for other plans, we're kinda flying by the seat of our pants. Nothing definite, but everything possible. Our weekend will be super fun, and I'm looking forward to it.

    I packed both the magazines and the book for my flight tomorrow. So, progress.

So much to read, two too short flights

I have a lot of reading material for this weekend. I have a short flight Thursday and on Sunday, but I have enough to read for a round-trip flight to Hawaii. My new "Vanity Fair" arrived today, as well as a "Real Simple," and I still have the book I started two weeks ago. As for the book, I've barely made a dent in it, but I will count that as my primary reading text for the flying. I'll be alone and early for flights, so I'll have plenty of time to read. It's a relatively heavy book too, so that'll be my price to pay for not having finished it by now.

Tomorrow will be better, and fewer snacks

It's pretty interesting to me how lonely I get when everyone falls asleep way before me. For whatever reason, Sydney decided that a 5 p.m. bedtime was on her agenda for today, and when Brian got home, he immediately went upstairs to shower, and then after we did watch some TV together, he fell asleep on the sofa.

    So I'm downstairs watching TV, and it's super quiet in my house. Also, I hadn't yet turned down the thermostat, so it was warm inside, too.

    Also, I had the munchies all afternoon and I've eaten more than I wanted to today, and I'm feeling like a bit of a heifer. So, bad vibes all around for my afternoon and evening.

An "Archer" pic because "AHS" is scary

I think I have a busy week this week, and then I'm leaving on Thursday night for a girls' weekend back home in California. So there's a lot going on, and I have some packing to do.

    I'm watching "Archer" reruns on FX right now, and the channel is upsetting me by constantly showing "American Horror Stories" commercials. There is a reason why I haven't watched that show, which is that I got scared a couple episodes into the first season and have been too afraid to watch it since. Anyway, the commercials are freaking me out. How many different "American Horror Stories" do they have going on at one time? Because I've seen like five commercials for five different iterations. That's a problem, if there are so many. My odds of accidentally landing on one increases when there are like seven of them.

Football, football, football is back, baby

Well now that was a promising start to a new season. I mean, one pre-season win isn't a huge victory, and there is a lot to get better at, but still, my defense is beginning to click, and the offense is getting its feet under it. And while it's terrible to judge anyone this early, that Mac Jones kid looks like he maybe, might be a decent quarterback after he grows into the game a bit more. So for the beginning of the pre-season, it's not a bad look, and indeed, could be considered promising.

    I knocked another task off my to-do list today, when my new area rug for the living room arrived. Sydney helped me swap out the old one for this new one, and while I thoroughly enjoy the new color and pattern, it doesn't have the same thickness or weight to it. It feels very much like a lesser-expensive rug, but at least the shag is shorter, so now Brian can slide the coffee table easier, and I can clean up dog vomit easier. Priorities, right?

    Also, I think I may have, maybe figured out the best placement and intensity of the Tens unit for my arm, but I'm more and more wanting to see a chiropractor for my neck and general creaks and cracks. I mean, I might as well try it, per the acupuncturist's recommendation. If the Tens unit and the chiropractor works, then I'll be a very happy camper. Contrasting sharply to what I'd be if Brian's very hesitantly spoken theory is true, that maybe it's permanent and there's no fixing it.

More would be good, but this one is excellent

Well, you guys, I did it. I made it through my day and didn't buy the Toms I want. Duly noted, the email is still in my inbox, and I expect I'll probably buy them before the week is over, but tonight, it's a victory. I have a problem.

   And in television news: I have caught up on "The White Lotus." That show is uncomfortable and awkward with a capital U and A. So many awkward situations and people and incidents; it's just too much! I sit there and watch it with my hand over my mouth because I'm so nervous about what bad thing is going to happen next.

    Also, we watched two more episodes of "Schmigadoon," and I continue to find that show absolutely delightful. It's notable that we heaven't heard Kristin Chenowith belt out a tune yet, but I figure we'll get one soon enough. And Cecily Strong and Keegan Michael-Key are the best for doing this show. I mean, the whole thing is amazing and it's so great that something like that can still get made in this day and age. I mean, a musical? On television? And it's funny, and witty, and weird? It's so wonderful.

The math is the math, but shoes

So the goal is to pay off my credit card by next May. The math squares with this goal without any change to the budget, so that's a huge plus.

    But having said that, I also need to save some money for the usual adventures, journeys and holidays. So today, I enter into a new era of fiscal responsibility. In actuality, as I tell myself right now, I don't need to do any more "extra" shopping. I do need a new black sweater though, but that's only one sweater. Goddess, give me strength to refuse the Toms emails that will arrive between now and then. But there is this one in my inbox right now with the cutest sea turtles on them.

    So I guess, rather than go entirely against who I am as a person, I'll ask for markedly more restraint than I usually show, and still keeping in mind that I have a goal and things I want to do. So maybe that one pair of Toms will be okay. But also, saving for Disneyland.

Perhaps a QT festival is required

So the Olympics are over. And today, to commemorate that, I was able to watch episodes of "The White Lotus," "Lego Masters," and some Quentin Tarantino retrospective on Starz. I deleted all the Olympic programming from my DVR, and it went from 17 percent open, to 94 percent open. And all is about right in my world. I have a couple more episodes of "The White Lotus" to catch up on, and episodes of "Schmigadoon," as well, and some movies still to watch, too. So much pop culture to catch up on! As well as finishing the book I started last weekend. I'm a busy entertainment sponge this week.

    Also, I'm busy at work and we have appointments this week, so it's a busy one for me.

    I've been using the TENS unit on my arm, and I would say that it was helping, but right now, as I type this, my hand is cramping and my fingers are not cooperating, so there's that. What the hell, hand? Get yourself together!

    We just had a family discussion about Quentin Tarantino movies, and I have to wonder, how old would you like your kid to be when they start watching them? I mean, I think there are a couple that Sydney can watch now, like "Kill Bill" (volumes 1 and 2), "Inglorious Basterds," and "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood," but there are some where no, I don't know if I'm ready for that yet, like "Pulp Fiction," "Django Unchained," and maybe "Reservoir Dogs." I myself haven't seen a couple of them, like "Jackie Brown," The Hateful Eight," and "Death Proof." But I'm not sure, is she ready for the likes of "Pulp Fiction"? We'll start with "Kill Bill," and see how it goes.

Marco Polo is way better again

I've finally started using my TENS unit on my arm muscles, and I'm not sure if it may or may not be helping. I realize that I need to give it some time, and I'm here for that, and fine with it. Still, I'm paying super close attention to my hand and fingers every morning, and hoping every day that I have any small amount of better movement. So, this particular fix is a work in progress.

    Ryan bought our friend group/Marco Polo thread the family plan of the Plus subscription, and him making that move and taking that step, and the rest of us sending him some money for our portion for the year, has made me a very happy camper. I had forgotten how nice it is to fast forward at times, and using the scratchpad is amazing. And we get to interrupt each other's Polos again! And there are more emojis to use. It's generally a much nicer situation now than it was yesterday. This is a fantastic development in my everyday phone-use experience.

    Brian and Sydney bought Taco Bell for dinner tonight, and I really wish I hadn't eaten any of it. I feel like I have a huge brick in my stomach, and it's going to weigh 12 pounds when I do my weigh-in tomorrow morning. I was doing okay this week, and this feels like a huge step back, when I really don't have any room for that. So tomorrow is a new day, and I'll be better over the next seven days.

Bring it on, AppleTV+

I can't believe I'm saying this, but I'm kinda looking forward to the Olympics being over this weekend. I'm behind on so many of my shows, and once the Olympics are done, I'll be able to move along with my normal television life. First and foremost on my list, "Schmigadoon." We watched the first two episodes last week, and by next week, there should be three more episodes for us to watch, and I can't wait.

    Yes, I have signed us up for AppleTV+. I had not wanted to do that, and I was resisting. But "Schmigadoon" is a powerful pull, and I knew we wouldn't get through it all within the week's free trial, so I've signed us up. I'll admit to not knowing that AppleTV+ is only $5 a month. I thought for sure it would be $12 or $14, and I simply did not want to pay that much. But $5, I have convinced myself, is worth the price of delightfulness, which is what "Schmigadoon" is.

    Will I watch "Ted Lasso"? Still unsure. My friends are bugging me about it, which I'm sure is why I haven't watched it yet. I know it's good, and I suspect that I will totally dig it as soon as I begin watching, but still, I'm being stubborn.

Other fishies in the sea

Well, it happened. My acupuncturist broke up with me. I'm trying to think how many treatments it's been, and I'll say seven, and I haven't had any movement and coordination improvement. I would say that I don't have the pain anymore, but I'm not sure that isn't entirely because of the ergonomic keyboard. And because of a complete lack of improvement, the acupuncturist thinks that our journey may have come to an end.

    He doesn't think that acupuncture is the best course of action, and suggested a chiropractor that he really likes, and has done good work on him personally. I like that as a reference, but I don't want to drive as far as that guy is, so I may be asking around among my friends here. I know one person who sees someone closer, so I may ask her.

    My frustration knows no bounds, and I'm just stuck here crossing off yet another possible fix, and moving on to yet another possible fix. I did start the muscle stimulator machine this afternoon, and will hook it up for another 15 minutes of work tonight, so perhaps that'll help a bit. It's hard to not feel defeated, and I do, but also there are still a couple lights at the end of my tunnel. Anyway, my acupuncturist broke up with me today. How many of you can say that?

In August, it's all August-y

So July was a month, and now we're on to August. Sydney and I just got home from a long weekend in California yesterday, and now we prepare for the new school year, which begins on Wednesday. I had a busy day at work today, and that should be the case probably every day this week. I'm still working through my dystonia with the acupuncture, and it isn't really doing a whole lot, which is very frustrating, but I'm still trying. I have an idea for a fun side hustle, but I need the time to get through my first portion of the project to see how it'll work out first. This month I have a bunch of stuff going on, which is super fun, and I'm eager to catch up at the office so I can settle down with everything else.

    So life has been progressing over the last month even though I haven't been posting anything!