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Yooper Trip 2025

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We finally made it to the Upper Peninsula! Getting here wasn’t exactly smooth sailing, but hey—that’s part of the adventure, right? Friday night, we pulled the RV up to the house to start packing, and in true “oops” fashion, managed to fry the wiring in the entire living room. Turns out plugging the RV into the outside outlet while the hot tub was still on the same circuit was not our brightest idea. So now the living room is dark and moody. Issue#1 on the now-growing list of things we have to deal with upon our return. Don’t worry—Issues #2 and #3 will make their grand appearances later. We kicked off August 9th bright and early, tackling the usual last-minute scramble: packing the stragglers, taking out the trash, and finishing the dishes. All that domestic hustle before… heading to work. Because apparently vacations don’t start until after the real workday. This was our third adventure in the Itasca. Trip #1, I had to meet her on the road (thanks, work), so I drove the tow car. Tr...
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Pre Retrograde post

 I looked at my calendar and I see that Mercury will be going retrograde tomorrow. Let me get this communication out before that!   The gravel project around the house—meant to cover a 3-foot perimeter where rain falls from the eaves—has been a bit of a rollercoaster. We initially hired someone to remove the grass along the house, with the clear expectation that they would return to level the area, lay down weed barrier, install edging to contain the gravel, and then pour the rock. Unfortunately, that’s not how things unfolded. In the end, we had to bring in someone else to actually clear the full 3 feet, since the original worker seemed unable to grasp how to use the yardstick we provided. And L has been laying down all the weed barrier and guides herself. And then we began pouring the rock, which turned out to be the easiest part for me. I am 6 weeks post-mishap with my knee, and it is much better, but not able to get down in it yet.   Less than three weeks un...
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and soon, the Summer Solstice

The weather here has been beautiful lately—overnight lows in the upper 60s and daytime highs barely nudging into the 90s. Living near the water has its perks; there's a steady breeze that makes things feel pleasant overall. We’ve even been able to open the windows some days. And I have been taking my motorcycle out more, even riding it to work some days.  Work at Office Depot is still going well. I do wish it weren’t a full 40 hours a week, but that’s not something I can change at the moment. Thankfully, it’s mostly stress-free—apart from the usual nonsense that comes with retail. Some customers really seem to be trying to wear down my last nerve, and the entitlement levels can be unreal. But not all are bad—some are kind, and some are even grateful, which helps balance things out. I’ve been able to carve out a little time for art on Fridays, which—for now—seems to be consistently one of my two days off. Sundays are my other day off, but those tend to be reserved for family time an...
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1/3 of the year already gone... WOW

The Print Manager position came with a substantial raise and a full 40-hour week. My drive is 10 miles/15 minutes. I do not have to get up in the middle of the night anymore to be at work. Even the days I open I do not have to wake before 6am! My employee discount is 30%. And, my GM is is kick-ass and we get along fabulously. So, still loving Office Depot. In other news, my mother-in-law passed the morning of the Mango’s inauguration. L brought some stuff back with her then.  We made a trip up to see her Dad 3.9-12 and picked up a few more of her Mom’s belongings. Well, her dad passed the end of March, not quite 10 weeks after her Mom. So Land her brother had to pack up the apartment. All of this to say our garage is (again) full of things we must sort through. As far as life here….we are tucked in, basically not doing a whole hell of a lot. We participated in the April 5 "Hands Off!" protests, which marked the largest day of public demonstration against Trump during his ...
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Giving myself Grace

As I look back now on 2024, using the post from an art group I am in as well as my blog posts here,  I can see that 2023 was the year of "NOT according to plan" and 2024 was spent "Regrouping". The recent art group post asked 5 things:  1) What were our plans for 2024, 2) What did we want to do artistically, 3) What did we learn about ourselves in 2023, 4) What was our art focus for 2024? and 5) What was our word for 2024? My plan for 2024 was to protect my peace, which might mean finding a different job.    And I did that, and I am glad, even though it meant taking a severe pay cut. I was approved for an ACA health plan and SNAP so both of those things are helping bridge the income gap. Artistically speaking, in 2024 I planned to continue de-stashing so probably just making greeting cards and journaling.   I did journal most every day (I do so to remain sane) and I made greeting cards. Still behind on the de-stash but not as overwhelmed as I was. Did I learn...
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Welcome Home... Us, not Francine!

On August 14th, after a full day of work, we set off on our trip—a lesson learned: always take the day off before leaving! Our journey started on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, taking us through Louisiana, then up through Texas to visit family in Plano. From there, we continued to Moore, Oklahoma, for more family time, and then ventured through Kansas and Nebraska into South Dakota. We explored Wall, The Badlands, Mount Rushmore, Mammoth Park, Crazy Horse, and Custer State Park over several days. Our adventure then led us into Wyoming, where we hit a snag in Casper—a flat tire. Thankfully, Les Schwab fixed it for free! We managed to cross Highway 26/287 just before it was closed due to the Fish Creek Fire and arrived at our campsite in the Grand Tetons with plenty of time to relax. We sat back, enjoyed some adult beverages, and watched the sunset—perfect ending to the day. We explored Yellowstone and stopped by the Elk Horn Archway in Afton, where our dog had his stitches removed, and...
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103 days ago.. and now 20 days left

Well, life has certainly not been boring since we returned from the Total Eclipse trip!! Tori's eye has healed, thankfully. Has had no further issues with the uveitis, which we were told might reoccur as it is an inflammation, not an infection. Binx & Tres are still coming by regularly for kibble and pate. Sadly, Midnight injured his ACL and ended up having to surgically repair it ($2500!!) but is now in his 2nd week post-op and recovering nicely. Hard to keep him on "bed rest" as he is still quite active, in spite of coming up on 9 years of age.  My health has significantly improved, likely due to reduced stress and better sleep. I completed all my annual check-ups, and everything is as expected. Working freight at my job has also given me some strength training, which is a nice bonus. Thankfully, none of last year's issues have returned! All tests, including Hem/Onc, came back with great results—no diseases, including connective tissue disease, and no genetic pr...
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