Friday Five - Spending Other People's Money Is Fun!

 

Friday Five - Spending Other Peoples Money Is Fun!

1. I am looking forward to spending someone else's money today. In this case, my sister-in-law's. She is in need of some new clothes, and I have offered to take and help her in picking out some outfits. She has some physical challenges that necessitate simple clothing without zippers, snaps, or buttons, and in doing a bit of online research, Kohl's appears to carry affordable clothing that meets her needs.

Kohl's is not a place where I shop myself, in that their clothes seem to run 'boxy', but that would actually work well for my SIL, in that items need to be very easy to pull on and pull off. 

I'm a very good steward of other people's money, and I will thus be very diligent in finding items that work, are attractive, and are on sale. Plus, it's fun to not be the one pulling out a credit card at the register!

The type of easy slip on and off clothing we are searching for.

Afterward, we'll celebrate our expected success with a shared lunch - she and I both recently lost weight, so we are of like mind there, nicely.  The fast casual place we're going to has a crispy chicken katsu sandwich with plum sauce that we both much enjoy, and a nice big outside and shaded patio for eating. We are currently in the low to mid-70's here, unlike what I know is happening elsewhere, so outdoors is still enjoyable. And appreciated!

2. We are eating faux on the Fourth. Specifically, Smart Dog hot dogs from Trader Joe's, about as faux as you can get in that they are made from soy. I find them to be delicious, however, and actually prefer them over a 'regular' hotdog at this point. And I appreciate that they are lower in saturated fat and calories than a regular hotdog.

I bought Brioche hot dog buns from Aldi's - so good - and we'll top our July 4th dogs with mustard, red onion, and relish. That should bring each one as served to just over 200 calories, an easy treat to slide into my daily plan. Watermelon will round out my plate, others will likely enjoy baked beans and Barefoot Contessa Old Fashioned Potato Salad along with their hot dogs. I think my mom is planning to serve ice cream for those interested to end the evening as we enjoy the fireworks from her front yard.

3. I'm looking for a new physical challenge. My primary activity this year has been walking, a result of my husband falling and straining his back late last year. He's been slowly and steadily recovering since, and is now back to almost 100%, so I've begun pestering him a bit to pick back up where we left off with road cycling and golf. 

We'll start off the road cycling with a flat and easy 15 mile roundtrip ride, then advance from there. We find that we can increase in increments of about five miles a ride, more to slowly train our saddle muscles than our leg muscles. (IYKYK!)

And once we return from our upcoming Alaska Cruise, we'll start back up with golf lessons, likely much needed after so many months away from the sport. I have to say that even while I have no aspirations that I'll ever be a fabulous golfer, I do get much enjoyment from simply going to the driving range with my spouse, and then enjoying glasses of iced tea together afterward on the golf course's scenic patio.

4. I reached backward in time and picked a date for my once-upon-a-time running club group of pals to meet up at a brewery. I also reached backward in time and made a date with a girlfriend I haven't seen since high school, to come out for an overnight visit.

The running club reunion event will be easy- I'm just texting the where and when, and our collective joy at all being together again should take care of the rest. The high school girlfriend overnight visit should also be easy - we'll spend a long and leisurely evening enjoying dinner and sunset viewing at our west-facing social club, talking non-stop I'm sure. In the AM we'll walk down to the beach for breakfast before returning to the house for good-byes.

5. I'm returning to Bridge, a game I both enjoy and do not enjoy in equal parts. I much enjoy the strategy and the playing. I much do not enjoy how intense and at times downright unpleasant some of the other players are. It seems to be the basic nature of some of the folk that are drawn to this game, an energy I don't bump into at any of the other activities I/we participate in. However, I've decided to give it another try after my spouse sincerely asked. Oh, the things we do for love! 🙂

Weekend Wrap-up & Why I Blog

Weekend Wrap-up & Why I Blog

It was another vibrant, active, and fulfilling weekend here, but not by accident. I have spent much time and energy creating a framework in our retired lives that provides a plethora of options. Assuming we have the energy to do them all that is, sometimes a dubious assumption depending on how early our body clocks go off. 

This weekend as an example. I woke up at 3:30 AM on Friday, 4:30 AM on Saturday, and then finally ‘slept in’ until 5:30 AM on Sunday. At this point in my aging life, I accept that it simply is what it is. I do try to catch catnaps in the afternoon as I can/need, but otherwise just try to keep on keeping on.

In a nutshell, our weekend was comprised of a lovely and romantic evening at a coastal steak house enjoying Happy Hour and time along the beach afterward, a social gathering at a drop-dead coastal home in Laguna Beach, a beach festival, a harbor picnic, and miles and miles of coastal walking.

Which is a large reason why I'm choosing to blog again. Blogging places me in the position of wanting to be more intentional on how I move through my days. I want to post about things that make my days better, more vibrant, more fulfilling, more positive, not about the things that drag me down or don't move me along. So, I'm increasingly more deliberate about the choices I make in my day, and I appreciate that tremendously!

From our social event in breathtaking Laguna Beach.
I don't think I'd ever want to leave home if this was my view.
To be fair, the homeowner has had to accept some definite tradeoffs.
Tradeoffs like limited spacing between homes, significant traffic
 noise from nearby Pacific Coast Highway, and extremely limited parking.
However, I'd still take the tradeoffs in a heartbeat in order to get those views!

It's much the same reason why I blogged here about my weight loss journey - it helped me to be more intentional in the choices I made along the way. So thank you for allowing me to do that.

Even in spite of some non-supportive comments I received. But even those helped to move the needle along. We humans seem to be good at providing support to those we deem as 'like us', but not necessarily as good at supporting the final success. Perhaps because we perceive it as some sort of critique on ourselves, even though of course it is not that at all.

What I wore to the event in Laguna Beach over the weekend. 
Posting the occasional after-weight loss photo here helps incentivize me to keep on keeping on with maintenance.
Because while maintenance is now a greatly diminished effort, 
is not wholly without some effort.

I hope you all make it a great and intentional day wherever you are!

Friday Five - Thin On The Inside

 Friday Five - Thin On The Inside

1. I am now, finally, as 'thin' on the inside as I am on the outside. After some 14 months of working to not just lose 25 pounds, but also to re-train my brain, I'm feeling like the job is pretty much done. I'm fully settled into my new way of eating and tracking, the food noise is drastically diminished, and I am not feeling deprived whatsoever. But, yeah, it took more than a year to work through the mental process.

It's why the current crop of weight loss injections makes me feel a bit sad - I am thrilled that they are available to help people lose weight, but I suspect (and studies seem to support) that without going through the long slog to rework the wiring in our brains, the 'old ways' will likely return once the drug injections cease. Regardless, I still wish anyone on them the very best of outcomes!!!

2.  We are celebrating the advent of the weekend, and a celebration, with a long walk at the harbor, followed by lining up early for Happy Hour at a wonderful steak house at the coast. The food at the steak house is fabulous, but I want only small bites to accompany my welcome-to-the-weekend cocktail, and Happy Hour is the easiest way to accomplish this without annoying either the restaurant or our servers.

The bar area where Happy Hour occurs is gorgeous, however there are relatively few tables for two, so we'll be getting there about a half hour ahead of opening to secure our place in the front of the line.  But I'm sure we'll end up chatting with other early arrivals, so I'm looking forward to the entire event, even the get-there-early portion.

After we eat, we'll be walking down to the beach to take in the sunset.

3.  The first plums and peaches of the season went on sale this week at one of the supermarkets I sales-shop, and they have been delicious!  It just kills me to pay between $6 and $8 a pound at our local Farmers Markets for produce, so I generally just don't. And this early in the season, the $1.49-$1.99 a pound sales the supermarkets typically run on plums, peaches, and nectarines almost always result in fabulous fruit. Later in the season it's a bit more of a gamble, but not yet at this point.

4. I spent a lot of energy reconnecting with friends via text yesterday, and my calendar is now full of lunch togethers. I love each of my girlfriends a bit more each year, as we all move through this odd phase called 'aging', and I don't take any one of them for granted. Illness has already come calling for several of my girlfriends, and I am therefore committed to gathering and keeping as many of them close to me as possible. Plus I love a good lunch date!

5.  I am re-appreciating all over again how low maintenance we made the outside of our new home. At this time of year I just want to be outside and enjoy all the good-summer vibes. And our no-maintenance, faux grass and hardscaped yards allow me to do just that. I spend about 30 minutes a month blowing and sweeping, and really, that's it. I call it our 'townhome without shared walls'. The house is big, but the yard is not, and that was one of the goals we achieved during this most recent move.

The landscaping to the right belongs to and is maintained by the HOA, not by us. We just get to enjoy it, nicely.

It's Good To Be Back To Our Coastal Life

 It's Good To Be Back To Our Coastal Life

Warning: This post is full of feel-good emotions. Please skip if you are not feeling up to a big dose of joyfulness!

And also, trust me, I have cr#p in my life just like everyone else, but I generally prefer to deal with it quietly, so as to resolve or move it along as quickly as possible.

We had a truly wonderful time on our recent visit to Atlanta and Savannah, Georgia, followed by a visit with our Tennessee-based daughter and her family. We enjoyed delicious food, saw wonderful things, and had interesting and lively conversations all along the way. Plus a lovely visit with Laura of, first, The Occasional Nomads, and now Make The Lemonade, and her charming husband, Brett.

But, it is also so very, very, very wonderful to be back in the midst of our coastal life here in California. We returned to absolutely beautiful weather, and have already walked close to 15 miles since returning home on Friday evening. We met up with friends for a Father's Day dinner at our harbor, and had a random encounter with one of the stars of Netflix's limited series, Selling The OC, at our favorite local brewery. Tyler Stanaland, in case you are wondering. I noticed him initially, because he is THAT HANDSOME! 😄

I did feel like I was living in a dream this past weekend, because I was hit anew with how much I love living near the ocean now that we are retired and no longer needing to commute. I'm increasingly loathe to leave what we and others refer to as our 'bubble', because we find people here to be significantly more relaxed and carefree then when we travel inland more than 5 or so miles. 

I am beyond thankful each and every day to live within walking distance of these views.

I spent my entire adult life wanting to live closer to the ocean, but commutes made it untenable until we retired. Now that we're here, I don't see us ever leaving. If we move again, it will be to get even closer than we are now (we're just a smidge over a mile away currently). We have absolutely no need to move, but as Laura and I discussed this past weekend while visiting together in Tennessee, we are restless spirits that enjoy change.

We are here for about two weeks, than we'll be off to an Alaskan cruise with our family. Once we return, we should be here for the remainder of the summer. Which will not be a hardship!

And I maintained my weight during our recent trip in spite of enjoying wonderful bites every place we stayed. The offset to the food were the miles and miles we walked, close to 40 altogether.

One of the recent outfits for summer I purchased for both our recent trip, and here at home.

I can highly recommend this summer's lightweight, looser fitting pants - so pretty and comfortable!

I have a long list of chores to get done today, though my husband and I will be making time to enjoy a short coastal bluff stroll this afternoon once the running around and chores are done.

I wish you all a wonderful day wherever you are!

Friday Five - No One Is Driving That Car!

 Friday Five - No One Is Driving That Car!

We left temps in the low 70's, and landed smack in the middle of the humid high-80's over here in Georgia. But we're having a great time!

1.  We have walked and walked in Atlanta, and life is good. We've been averaging six miles a day, which is enough miles to feel great, offset our once a day meal splurge, and ensure we sleep like logs. 

2.  We're enjoying all the wonderful food things.  So far we've sampled fried green tomatoes, fried chicken, mashed potatoes, turnip greens, cornbread, biscuits, and peach cobbler (my spouse). We've shared most meals, my preferred way to dine when traveling in that we can't take leftovers home. And while I want to enjoy delicious food for my main meal, I don't want an overwhelming amount. It's worked out well, and our servers have generally been suggesting it in advance of our asking, or been quickly supportive when we inquire. Which has been lovely.

3. We've enjoyed chatting with our servers. We so enjoy viewing snippets of what life where we are visiting is like, and our restaurant servers often provide a terrific mirror with which to do so. Because we tend to eat quite early, restaurants are usually quiet when we arrive, and our servers have had time to briefly chat. I love to hear what brought them to an area, and how they are enjoying it. We experience delightful, quick little conversations so often as a result.

And we get in-return thoughts, often stereotypical, about our home state of California as well, which I actually appreciate. Yesterday, as an example, we were chatting with our server about the rise in popularity of mock-tails among young people, and the affect that was having on the bar and restaurant business. She said that something called 'Cali-sober' was increasingly a thing among her peer group. When we looked at her quizically, she said, 'You know, no alcohol, just that other 'thing' instead". It took a moment, and then we all broke into laughter.  

That is what I love most about travel - the little slice of life moments we get to experience.

4. We're seeing all the tourist stuff, and I'm 100% OK with that.  Because that's exactly what we are! Self-mocking aside, our preference to walk everywhere does tend to put us along side local residents, and that is when we are prone to get a glimpse of what life for locals is like in whatever area we're visiting. But I'm equally OK with being a tourist, because the big stuff is what generally brings us to an area in the first place.

The city of Atlanta as reflected in the lake at Piedmont Park.

Our visit to The World Of Coca Cola was a whole lot of fun.

Our spontaneous visit to the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta Museum, located just across the street from our hotel, was not only free to enter, but so, so interesting.  

And where we picked up the best souvenirs of our trip - small packets of shredded currency, also free! We picked up one packet for each of our granddaughters.

The home of Martin Luther King, Jr, was unfortunately closed for repairs during our trip. We did, however get to visit the MLK National Historic Park, where Dr King and his wife, Coretta Scott King, are laid to rest.

5. We have enjoyed seeing all the Waymo self driving vehicles and the self propelling delivery rolling carts that are all over this city. Because we live in the 'burbs, these techno self-driving cars and carts haven't made it our way yet. So, it was lots of fun to see so many of them out and about every day as we walked around the city.

There is no driver in that car if you look closely!

Some of the self propelling delivery carts even have names. So cute!

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So much already seen and visited, and we still have Savannah and Nashville to go!

Friday Five - Summer Is Here!

 Friday Five - Summer Is Here!

1. I took my mom clothes shopping and we ended up 'twin-ing' each other. I think about 50% of our purchases were identical, primarily the multiple pair of flowing, lightweight summer pants we both purchased. I don't really mind, as long as we don't wear the same outfit to the same event - that would definitely be a bridge to far! 😄

I bought this entire outfit, but there is no waist gap in mine!
My stomach may be flat, but it is no longer a 20 or even a 30 year old stomach, and absolutely no one needs to see it!

This ensemble is so pretty and comfortable.
And it will be perfect for our upcoming trip to already-hot-and-humid Georgia.

2. I spent several days in a row in one of our local beach towns, noshing, sipping, people watching and enjoying glorious weather. I had a slew of activities over the course of the week in one of our adjacent beach towns, that included several lunch and coffee dates. And our currently spectacular weather made each one especially enjoyable. We have not yet been socked-in with our seasonal grey - the grey has been clearing each day before lunch. So, clear blue skies combined with temps in the low to mid 70's has made for some days that seem designed for enjoying life while sitting outside in the sunshine.

3. I love that live events are such a big part of our lifestyle now. We attended four live events this past week - a jazz concert, a Broadway musicals tribute, a play, and a summer outdoor concert. Not only do we enjoy the shows, the energy, and our fellow attendees, my spouse and I also enjoy great follow-up discussions, generally over a post-event dinner. 

We prefer matinee performances whenever possible for just this reason. It’s so nice to move on to a leisurely meal without the pressure to be sure and finish up and pay before our event begins.

4.  I made an improvised pasta dinner one night, and it turned out fabulous. I cubed and sauteed one large chicken breast half in some olive oil, after first seasoning with some kosher salt and fresh ground peppercorns. I set the finished chicken aside and next sauteed a basket of sliced mushrooms and half a diced red onion. I re-added the chicken, plus some artichoke hearts, and tossed with some pesto from my freezer and a bit of heavy cream that was leftover from a recent party. I served it over some penne pasta and topped with a sprinkling of freshly grated Parmesan cheese. My husband took one bite and said he loved it, and would I please tell him there was more? 

A list of items always in my fridge or pantry for these type of impromptu dinners:

• Artichoke hearts
• Sundried tomatoes
• Kalamata olives
• Capers
• Fresh Parmesan cheese
• Pasta (all sorts)
• Good quality olive oil
• Kosher salt
• Black peppercorns

Any combination of the above, tossed with whatever vegetables need to be used up, plus a bit of protein from the freezer - generally a few shrimp or one Italian sausage or a couple of strips of bacon, or, if I think sufficiently ahead, a defrosted chicken breast half - and dinner for my spouse is pretty much guaranteed to be a hit.

5.  I spent a glorious day kayaking with my girlfriend. The harbor where we kayak is hugh- at least 16 miles around in it's entirety. We generally alternate which 6-8 mile section we are going to kayak, pulling out midway for lunch. Sometimes we bring packed lunches from home, but this time we walked up a short block to order and take a to-go lunch back to our kayaks to eat. So much fun. And such a gift to be able to enjoy so much beauty on a regular basis.

Friday Five - We Bought The Business Class Seats!

Friday Five - We Bought The Business Class Seats!

Now that my sister-in-law is fully settled and comfortable with her new lifestyle and routine in my mom's 55+ community, I returned to travel planning with a vengeance the past week. So much got accomplished!

1. I crossed all the 't's and dotted all the 'i's for our upcoming trip to Atlanta and Savannah, Georgia, which we are visiting before heading to see our daughter and her family in Tennessee. I booked all of our organized excursions, plotted out our timelines and walking routes, and made all our restaurant reservations. It does take hours to do all this, however, the benefit is that once we take off we can simply enjoy and follow the travel plan, no additional planning or thinking required.

I've done this often enough over the years that I have a very good sense of our interests and available energy. And I do build in downtime each day to simply sit and enjoy some liquid refreshments in between our activities. Which is also when some of our most pleasant and spontaneous conversations with locals occur.

2. I added on a week in Philadelphia as a start to our fall tour of the UK in order avoid having to book connecting flights. There are no direct flights from LAX to Edinburgh, Scotland, where our tour begins. In researching direct flights in and out of Edinburgh on the terrific and informative website, Flights From, I noted that Philadelphia was one of the airports listed. In that we've never been there, we decided to fly there first  before flying onward to Edinburgh. So, we'll fly direct to Philadelphia, spend a week visiting, then fly direct from there to Edinburgh. So much less stress this way!

3. I booked a gorgeous boutique hotel in Philadelphia, because location and luxury are increasingly priorities in our lives. In the grand scheme of things, it's a small upgrade that really enhances our city touring experience. As I've mentioned previously, while I don't necessarily want to travel more than we already do, I'm now at an age where I do want to travel nicer.

4. I booked Business Class seats for our long haul direct flight home from Dublin. I gulped, I admit, before hitting the BUY button, but only because it's a bigger number than I'm used to, not because we can't afford it. I don't expect to book Business Class for every flight going forward, but if the experience turns out to be as pleasant as I think it's going to be, I do see us selectively flying Business Class as we continue to age.

5. I started working on booking excursions for the Greenland leg of our Summer 2027 cruise, because people on the cruise forum I'm on said they were already starting to fill up. I want to learn about the area, and to walk and sight-see as much as possible while there, but I also want some unique experiences. So on one of our stops we'll be combining a town walking tour with some unique (and tiny!) samplings of the local proteins. As in reindeer, caribou, seal and whale. Click here for more Greenland traditional cuisine information.