And I'm super irritable about it

I have a confession to make. Something has come to light in my head rather forcefully over the last couple months, and it's that I am letting things go by, and not get done, and not get attempted, because my fingers and hand don't type well. A super random example: When my coworker Ashley was teaching me how to do a task at work, I realized that I was envious of her typing and how her fingers and hand moved so well. And in knowing that my fingers and hand don't work properly, I realized that I was afraid to do the job.
So, in a new attempt at making this thing better, I just ordered finger/hand compression gloves that perhaps will help me feel better. At any rate, it's disconcerting that I'm still so unhappy about this. I don't complain about it much, and I expect 95 percent of the people in my circle forget I deal with it, but it's a constant struggle and irritation and disappointment for me. Every minute of every day. Here's hoping that some random compression gloves may be helpful. We'll see on Wednesday.

I'd rather be walking in a field of flowers

I find that I'm very pleased that tomorrow is Friday. I am very ready for the weekend. We don't have a lot planned, just a movie on Saturday morning and then football on Sunday, but just the act of hanging out, sleeping in, and perhaps reading some and taking a nap is a decadent one for me right now. All things concerned, it hasn't been a great week, but it could have been worse. And now I'm eager for it to be over.

    We did finish the first season of "Titans" tonight, and began the second season, as well as watch a little bit of the football. Since Brian was home when I got home, we watched a couple of our shows, and then moved on to the football and such. Entertainment is a good thing, friends!

And I've just started watching them alone

I've been watching a movie here and there this week. There are a few on the streaming services that Brian isn't interested in that I want to see, so I've decided to just start watching them. Yesterday, I watched "No Sudden Move." Today, I watched the documentary, "Val," about Val Kilmer. Both were good, neither were great, but I feel better having put my eyes on them, having added myself to the numbers who have watched the films, thereby promoting Brendan Fraser and Val. There are a couple more I want to see, but I can't think of them right now. I should have a running tally, but I never think of that when I'm thinking of the movies.

"Titans" is a good show; we're liking it

Tonight's agenda includes watching a few more episodes of the show, "DC's Titans." It's a grown-up version of the 'Teen Titans" cartoon, and is a live-action, adult situations show. The third season has just started streaming on HBO Max, and the advertisements intrigued Brian and I enough so that we started watching it from the beginning last week. We're several episodes into the first season, and very much enjoying it. It's unfortunate that a new show comes along just as football season begins, because now there's no time for television on Monday, Thursday or Sunday. But we'll soldier through, as we do. I've got the show queued up for once Brian gets home.

    I've got the movie "The Mummy Returns" on my television right now, and Brendan Fraser is making me quite happy. He's awesome. I'm very pleased with the Fraser renaissance happening in film lately, and am very into supporting it. There is so far one movie, "No Sudden Move," that he stars in that I have access to. Sadly, I haven't watched it yet. JJ didn't really like it very much, and I kinda want to watch it with Brian, but I don't have the energy to argue for it, I suppose. I guess I'm waiting for it to land on one of my movie channels. Okay, so I decided to go hunting for it, and have found it on HBO Max. I just started it. I guess I'll have an opinion in bit.

I'd like nachos again this week, please

I did have nachos the other day, and they were delicious. I was down a full pound last Friday, so that felt super good, and I totally celebrated with a plate full of chips covered in black beans and a ton of cheese. That may just become my cheat meal of choice, as everything else I eat can be enjoyed in moderation and still be within my points. I feel like the nachos are totally not that.

    Our Pumpkin/Pumpkin Spice Challenge is going well. We've tried a few more things: a pumpkin spice latte, a pumpkin tart and a pumpkin/brownie poke. I have no idea what a poke is, but it seems to be a kind of muffin? It's heavier than a cupcake, but that may have been the brownie in it. Anyway, Sprinkles has its pumpkin cupcake right now; we have a pumpkin whoopee pie on the counter downstairs; and I'm waiting for the pumpkin coffee I saw at AJ's to return. Also, Nothing Bundt Cakes has its pumpkin cake available for now. What I'm saying is that this Challenge is a commitment.

    For the first time in many weeks, Sydney and I don't have a single appointment in the afternoon at all this week. I hadn't thought too much about that until I realized it early this morning, and I gotta tell you, it's pretty awesome. It's like a carefree week that will only cost me my lunch money.

Yes, definitely nachos and maybe Ikea

So because Sydney had an appointment this afternoon, I have already missed out on a day of writing from the sofa in the afternoon. Also, because of football.

    Alas, tomorrow is Friday. On that day, I will weigh in for my Weight Watchers. I honestly don't expect to be down at all, and if I am I'll be very pleasantly surprised, but I do know that I did pretty well this week, but I definitely know where my failings were, and next week I'll do better. Having said that, I'm also definitely having nachos I think for lunch tomorrow, and yummy breakfast on Sunday. So there's that.

    Sydney and I have a Super Secret Girl Day on Saturday, and I'm compiling our options for the day. We'll see how the kiddo feels, and move forward from there. There are no movies at the theater for us this weekend, which sucks, but there is a lot of streaming television for us all to sit for.

Pumpkin/pumpkin spice is the name of the game

As far as Septembers go, this one is going okay. I figure that as long as the days are still in the single digits, I can still celebrate the month as a new one. I had wanted to get through one full month of postings, just a single month where I manage to post every night, and that has not happened, nor do I think it'll happen before the end of the year. I'm too late for September, I have out-of-town weekends in October and November, and December is December, meaning so much other stuff going on.

    So having given up on the posting-every-day goal for the month, I have grasped a new and more interesting and calorie-stuffed experience for September. Sydney and I have decided to taste every pumpkin and/or pumpkin spice item we come across this season. Duly noted, that is a whole lot of items. I've had three things so far: pumpkin scone, pumpkin tart, brownie/pumpkin poke. And irritatingly, of all of those things, Sydney hasn't tried any of them. She was all in when we discussed this initially, but since then, she's bailed on the tasting. So I've been tasting and tossing out the second half. I don't want to eat it all, per Weight Watchers, but to be committed to the experience, I do have to at least take a couple bites. All the better to have an intelligent opinion. I already have another item, and have yet to get my pumpkin spice latte, so there is a lot of ground yet to cover.

    What else? Oh yeah, I'm posting right now from my sofa in the living room in the early evening. I've decided that I need to start posting in the afternoons. Waiting until nighttime when I'm upstairs isn't working out too well lately. So for now, I'll be taking my posting to an earlier time slot.

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.