Autumn Vacation is Finally Here!!!

 

          I cannot believe I made it to vacation. It has been a tough year. Seems I have been physically not my best all year. I am so over it. I have told my kids they will be wrapped in bubble wrap if they even attempt to get sick or hurt this vacation. I am making no plans, other than to relax. I have learned my lesson LOL.

          My daughter turned 17 this year and is now a senior in high school. That is so hard for me to fathom. She also just passed her learner's permit test, so today we are going to the DMV to pick up her actual permit and then to the bank to open her first bank account. Going to be an emotional day for me watching my baby start to become an adult.

          I have aspirations of just getting healthier this vacation. Already that is challenging me because I am hungry and want breakfast LOL. I need to find something good for my body to eat. Then I am going to do my steps while watching something good on TV. I have a lot of shows and movies I have put off watching until now. Afterwards grocery shopping, and then waking kids up so we can get ready for DMV. Son wants to go with us to see how the system has changed. I think he just wants to go to support his sister.

          After those horrible, responsible activities, if it is not storming, we are hoping to go to food truck world for dinner. Then everyone can choose their own food that they deem fits their mood.  Then home to do some serious relaxing and Autumn refreshing my home. Going to just take it easy on myself this vacation. 

          

WOW 1st Post of 2026

 

          WOW I am shocked that this is my first post of 2026, and it is already mid-May LOL. I guess I have been majorly slacking in the blogging arena. This year I am just not feeling it. I haven't even really celebrated holidays. I did not even decorate for Christmas LOL. With my kids being older, I did not have the responsibility to make it magical for them. We are all growing up over here unfortunately.

          According to my picture over there <--- I am really old LOL. I have done every single one of those things. Many of those are a forgotten skill and never learned by the current generations. I am not sure if we have progressed, or made the current generation too reliant on technology. I know I am too reliant now. I mean I can still do all of those things from back then, it is just easier to use technology.

          I watch a lot of older TV shows, and it boggles my mind when they have to look for a phone or use a map. When they need information, they don't have a computer of IPhone to look something up LOL. Go back to any show before 2000, and it is a completely different world they were living in.

          My world is different too. My kids are growing up too fast and I am starting to feel my age. My daughter is going to be a senior in high school now, which is shocking my system and boggling my mind. My son has also taken to doing lots more around the house. When I asked him what brought the change on, he said it was because he realized I was getting close to sixty years old. I argued and ended up realizing I was two years older than I thought LOL. That was a shocker.

          So, now I am trying to reverse aging a bit on my body. I am cutting back on processed food and sugars, and focusing on healing my GI system. I did not realize it controls a lot of our health. If it is out of whack, then everything else is as well. I had to take antibiotics last month, and it completely screwed up my GI system. I have yet to recover from the mess they made of my body. I am never taking antibiotics again.

          Now, off to find something productive to do LOL. I already did Mambo #5 and mowed yesterday, so it should rain today. Laundry has been done and put away, puppy bathed, floors cleaned, rugs washed, reviews submitted, and school is out for the summer. I officially have too much time on my hands LOL.

2025 Recap

 

          WOW, what a year it has been; it flew by as well. I don't think I have ever had a year go by so fast. It got to be a bit overwhelming towards the end. I am glad it is over, and we get a whole brand new one to play with. I plan on enjoying the upcoming year as best I can.

          I am trying to think of this year's highlights, and I am coming up short LOL. I know good stuff happened. The best thing was I got my dream puppy, my little creature of chaos LOL. The Beast is wild but adorable. She has the cutest yawns. My kids are even infatuated with her.

          Bad stuff happened as well. The worst was my daughter dislocating her knee. That was a nightmare to witness that. Literally, since it involved calling 911, and I have nightmares about not being able to push the buttons to call. Thankfully, she has recovered for the most part. She says it still aches, but with her, I have no idea if she is just being dramatic.

          The holidays were fun. Halloween is still our favorite. I tried to do Thanksgiving, and by Christmas, I had given up LOL. It was just a regular day around here. In fact, both my son and I went to work. I was going to work tomorrow, New Year's Eve, but they scheduled too many nurses, so I changed my schedule to my normal one. Now, I will be home with my family. Odds are my son will be home too, as he has the flu. We are spraying lots of Lysol and using sanitizer over here.

          I am not making any resolutions for the new year, I am just going to try and do better. I am going to try and better my health. I am going to try and get some bills paid off. I am going to try and celebrate holidays. I am going to try to just be happy. 

Welcome December

 

        Wow, this year has flown by fast!!! Not even sure what happened to November. Well, this is a busy month full of what should be fun stuff. I am just not inspired yet. I really want to be, but it's just not happening.

          Is my birthday month, though I am not even sure how old I am now LOL. After 55 I stopped counting. We also have end-of-semester stuff to do. Then Christmas Eve, Christmas, and New Year's Eve. My puppy starts obedience school and has vet and spa days. Oh, and intermixed in are working and HOA meetings.  I don't even know where to begin with presents. We did start opening our Advent calendars.

          My neighbors have all started decorating like crazy LOL it is insane how many lights are up already. It looks so pretty at night. My house is still in bah humbug stage LOL. Inside I will give myself credit for putting away autumn decor in living room and bringing out some Christmas throws and pillows LOL. It looks like the beginning of festivity. Perhaps inspiration will hit me and the magic of the season will begin. I hope so.

          

Happy Thanksgiving Week

 

         I cannot believe it has been a month since I posted. It's been busy, but then again, it has been a lot of doing nothing. Mostly because at the beginning of the vacation, my daughter accidentally dislocated her knee, so she has been laid up. We have been forced to stay inside for the most part since she has a hard time maneuvering around. She is finally learning to walk again. Her brother has been fantastic about helping her with physical therapy.

          Thanksgiving week now, and I am still not recovered from all the Halloween stuff LOL. I have yet to be inspired to decorate for Christmas. My whole neighborhood has already begun big time. I am going to be shamed into decorating soon LOL. Oh, and I guess I have too, since I am back on the HOA board again. I cannot believe I committed to that once more. I need to be committed LOL.

          Thanksgiving and Christmas are very low-key for us. I used to watch my mom get so stressed over cooking and presentation. I am not going to do that. I cook, but I keep it simple, and I never expect the kids to gather round the table. Besides, both my son and I will be working the holiday. It will be cool to get the holiday pay, especially since I have medical bills that I will get hit with soon. Because of them, I actually signed up for health insurance LOL. I am all sorts of grown up now. I have health insurance, life insurance, a 401K, and a brokerage account LOL. My brother shamed me into getting all of those. I wish I had listened to him way back when he started bugging me about it. His accounts are super impressive now. Mine, not so much LOL. It's a work in progress though.

Vacation Mode On

 

          Finally, it is vacation time. Though I am doing nothing LOL. I did all the trips I wanted to do when my brother was here. So, now I get to just relax. 

          I am doing responsible adult stuff LOL yesterday took new puppy in for her first vet visit and shots. Found out she has an ear infection, so ear drops for 2 weeks. Tomorrow, getting oil changes LOL, and today, scheduling eye doctor appointment for new contacts LOL. Wild times over here.

          Next week, ex-hubby arrives to visit with our son and help with Halloween. He had fun with us last Halloween; he came, so he wants to do it again. We have big plans for Halloween night. Going to create a haunted pirate ship with a big kraken in the driveway for handing out candy. Son even got himself a fancy pirate costume, and I got his dad some stuff to wear. I am dressing as Mr. Smee, and my daughter is doing a cosplay outfit for her game. The Beast is going to be a pumpkin. Other dogs do not like people; don't blame them, so they are staying inside that night. 

          I am hoping the weather holds. Florida is actually participating in Fall this year LOL. Temps are down in the evenings, almost even chilly. Storm brewing in the Atlantic, though, so it might bring rain. Hopefully not on the 31st. That would be awful for the kids. I will enjoy it day by day. Pets love the weather because I keep the patio door open in the morning.

The Beast has Arrived

 

          This is the newest member of my family. We have named her "The Beast" LOL. Isn't she cute? She is only eight weeks old. She is a Yorkiepoo. A fellow nurse needed to find homes for an unexpected litter, so I got this one for free LOL, all I have to do is give her a good home. Been working on that. She is getting as spoiled as can be. All the while trying to not piss off the other animals. 

          Been a busy month; October is always that way. So much to do. Currently, my brother is here visiting with his friend. Today, they took my son to a 49ers game in Tampa. My daughter and I stayed here in town because she wanted to go play basketball with some friends. Last night we went to the Gothic Market and I saw so many interesting people LOL. The day before, we went to St. Augustine and Buc'cees. The day before that, we went to Gatorland. All of this on top of working days straight, so I could have these days off.   One more weekend of work, and then I am on official vacation for 18 glorious days. I am going to need it LOL.