SIGH. Starbucks is back to their plain old cups. No more holiday! Sob.
But- I did get The Last Gift of Christmas. Every year we do a Secret Santa gift exchange at work, and every year it gets messed up in some way. This year we didn’t draw names until the 23rd (???) and as a result, I FINALLY got my gift yesterday…
I’m SO EXCITED! We’re already planning a fancy charcuterie board for next week, after our trip to Tampa.
Let’s talk about that trip! Yesterday our pet sitter (a friend of my daughter’s) came over to get the key, and go over the care of all the critters. This is a big job! In addition to the two cats, we have two guinea pigs, and- look away, rodent-haters- three rats, and a mouse. The mouse is new.
The house has become a pit of despair- I just haven’t had time to clean, the Christmas things are half- put away, and the animal cages were getting, ahem, fragrant (I put off cleaning them because I want to do it right before we go.) I felt the need to apologize to our pet sitter, and she said “Oh, it doesn’t bother me! I used to work in a barn.”
Ahem. I’m glad she’s not bothered by the state of our house, but I really don’t think I want to compare our house- even favorably- to a barn.
Tonight I had a private massage client scheduled, which meant a two-hour commitment (I go to her house) but she canceled, HALLELUJAH. I can use that unexpected time to clean up- and I might just achieve my lifelong goal- still unrealized- of leaving for a vacation with a perfectly clean house.
Back to the trip! We’ll be in Tampa for several days. My daughter will be rehearsing and then playing a concert on Saturday night; my husband will be attending music education seminars and clinics; my son will be doing his own thing. I have a fun blogger meetup planned (ooooh! who could it be…?) and we’ll also be seeing some friends on Saturday afternoon. Other than that, I plan to have a nice chunk of downtime to do my own thing. I want to read my book, and also work on a list of 2025 goals.
Everyone has been posting their “25 for 25” lists, or goals for the New Year, and I’m having FOMO. I want to make my own list, but I just can’t seem to focus on it. Saying I need to “get more sleep” or “strength train more consistently” isn’t going to cut it. I need to be more specific, otherwise nothing is going to change. I also want to have a list of fun things, or mini-adventures for the year. My own “25 for 25” list will be coming soon!
Did you make a list of goals (or fun things) for the new year?
10 Responses
Haha, Jenny, I hope you manage to get your house to at least a semi-clean state! 😅
I recently saw a blogger share a fun “threes” list for 2025: 3 places she wants to visit, 3 things she wants to do, 3 things she wants to buy, and 3 people she wants to see. I thought it was a brilliant idea – and easier to do than a list of 25!
Enjoy Tampa, and safe travels!
Aw yiss Tampa trip!!! Good times ahead!
I have a list of goals in my head, but like you I haven’t had the head space to think things through. I think that everything hinges on leaving my job – if I don’t do that I’m stuck with the same old same old.
Growing up, we had hamsters as pets so I’m used to rodents and think they’re cute, but I’m curious how you make it work with having rodents in the same house as cats!
I hope you enjoy your Tampa trip, and a blogger meetup sounds fun!
I didn’t think I’d say such a thing… but your mouse is so cute!
I hope all of you have the best time in Tampa, and I can’t wait to hear about your blogger meetup.
(Tangent: Jenny, When your client cancels at the last minute, they still owe you for the session, right? I mean, You’d already scheduled that time for them.)
“I used to work in a barn” is NOT what you want to hear! Hopefully you achieved your life long dream, Jenny!
I hope you have the best trip (is it Stephany you’re meeting with?). Oh wait! I feel like there are some other bloggers going south – could it be Lisa and Birchy? God now I’m having FOMO. WHY NOT ME????
If it makes you feel better I don’t have a 25 for 25 list either. But then, I never really do. In fact, the entire idea fills me with dread. What 25 things could I do? I DON’T KNOW JENNY I DON’T KNOW!
I have had a lot of coffee and it’s only 4:52! This might explain this unhinged comment.
Because of a certain four-legged creature in our house who is sick, it’s all we can do to keep up with the smells of the pets right now. And the dog wash place is only open until 7 right now instead of 9, so it has been impossible to get the dog in for a bath and she smells like a stinky dog and I am with you in solidarity with a house that I would be slightly embarrassed for people to see and smell. *sigh* I love my girls, but they are stressful and smelly!
Oooh a blogger meet up!! How fun. Love the present and actually? A SS after xmas seems perfect for you since you love to extend the season. We came home to a messy house and tons of trash and laundry after our trip. NOT IDEAL, but it was also not preventable in the moment. **sigh**
I am hung up on how you have three rodents and two cats? (And also, do guinea pigs count as rodents?) The cats don’t try to eat their rodent roommates?
The trip sounds action packed! Glad you will get time with friends!
The mouse is so cute. There’s a sentence I never thought I’d type. As soon as I read, I used to work in a barn, I thought – OH NO, DID SHE JUST COMPARE YUR HOUSE TO A BARN? Hooray for the extra time to get the time to clean the house before you leave.
Once, and I do mean ONCE – I refused to get into the car to go on our long trip to Yellowstone until the house was in perfect order. I’d decided that doing this, like my mother ALWAYS did, was a true sign of being an adult, and if I couldn’t I was a silly, childish failure. The kids were young. Curly was 2.5 years old, so the floors needed to be washed, etc. Well, let me tell you – when we returned from Yellowstone, the kids walked in and they were like, WOW? WHAT HAPPENED? It was that unexpected. So funny. We also had our kitchen table refinished while we were gone, so that ‘new’ looking table stood out. I rarely have accomplished that level of clean house before I leave state, but I still try.
I do not make a list of goals to meet and things to accomplish, and I don’t feel bad about it. I make lists on the daily and I focusing on the day to day seems like enough for me. I guess I have a few things I’d like to focus on this year, but nothing I feel like I need to write down or publish. I don’t think the added pressure would benefit me at all.
Aww, look at that mouse (says a person who is irrationally terrified of mice). I have actually thought of you this Christmas season as so many of our Christmas books have mice as main character. Last night in particular I thought about you when I read The Gingerbread Mouse because she moved into a gingerbread house in a people house when her home in the woods gets destroyed by a falling tree. Then Santa bring her a doll house to live in. Will loves the book. We also love if you give a mouse a cookie books so my view on mice is softening, is what I’m saying!
You know I already posted my 25 in 25 list. I put it up early as I need some positive vibes. I just made my bingo card using a printable from Gretchen Ruben’s website. I’m anxious to cross something off.
Have fun in Tampa! Sounds like a great little getaway for all of you! Hug S for me!!