These memes are spot on.
Year: 2021
Puzzle Girls
Grannie and Katie started a puzzle while we were out—they had over half done when we got home and I can’t just let a puzzle sit so it immediately sucked me in! We were almost late to Anna and David’s because we lost track of time! So we took a break then finished it in about five minutes once we got home.
Our shower is fully dismantled now.
No better time to have an unusable shower than when we have houseguests! Tom tore all this apart but we’re still waiting for the contractor to see just how bad it really is.
I tried to get some new birch artwork.
The story of my life.
I’ve been casually looking at birch prints, saying if I ever found one I loved (and it was in budget) I’d get it. So when I saw this artist on Facebook and fell in love with the style, I searched and he had birch options! So I found one I absolutely loved and after much thought, went ahead and got it.
Aaaaaand…it looks totally different and I don’t like it. I mean it’s similar and obviously the “same” but it doesn’t have the same feel at all.
The birch trees don’t look enough like real birch trees. (The ones along the right side don’t look like birch trees at all.) The limbs on the left set of trees look like half circles instead of branches. The path is too defined. There’s too much orange and red. The style is similar but not what I wanted.
Now, caveat, these are copies of originals. As in painters copy the style of the original. But I thought it would be a much better copy.
They do have a return policy so I started that process. Their customer service is pretty good and they gave me some options:
Thank you very much for your purchase. I’m sorry that you do not like the painting. We want you to be satisfied with our services. We have the following options for you
1 – you can return with prepaid return label . After the return, we issue a full refund. Please request the return label if you wish one
2 – we can provide a replacement of the same piece/s in form of prints on canvas. This way the image of the master original will be reproduced by a machine in its original size. This option does not require return
3- Free exchange for a different painting altogether or exchange for the same painting that you will like better
For all options we will be sending images for approval prior to shipping . Only after you approve the new piece, we will proceed with the shipping.
I was debating 2 or 3 and ended up going with 3 to try again…and that piece was just as bad. I don’t think they looked at my feedback at all—they just grabbed another off the shelf and sent the pic. Nope. I’ve asked for a return label.
Just out of curiosity, I asked what Facebook thought and everyone agreed it was pretty much a shitshow. So I’m disappointed.
The first batch of Papa’s cookies!
It’s been this kind of day.
Bella is becoming a bit friendlier as she gets older.
This is her new cuddle spot—as soon as Tom lays down, she moves here.
The joys of home ownership.
Apparently the main bedroom shower grout has been leaking for a loooong time. Likely before we even moved in. And it’s not covered by the home warranty since it wasn’t a plumbing issue.
Yay for home ownership, right?
A friend’s dad is a contractor so he came over to check it out. He doesn’t think it’s too bad but we have to pull off the tiles to look behind to make sure.
It’s time to smoke the briskets!
Anna had three briskets in her freezer and we’re both on Project Freezer Cleanout…
Vaccine #1 complete!
When you get called in for a standby COVID vaccination, you drop what you’re doing and go.
I can’t get enough of this face.
The VR rollercoaster kicked my butt.
I really wanted to try the VR rollercoaster and kind of laughed at Katie when she was trying it and saying she felt weird. We were watching it on the TV and it looked neat but nothing crazy.
Well.
Haha.
It was insane—totally different than watching it on the TV for sure. It really felt like you were on the rollercoaster. You could look over the side and see all the way down. You felt like you needed to turn your head as you went around curves. And then after that first drop it got nuts.
Logically I knew that I was standing in my living room. Logically I knew I was in no danger. But it really felt like I was falling and I was trying desperately to catch my balance.
I didn’t know they were recording me…but it shows how crazy I was feeling. I was not faking anything. And when I was done I was exhausted.
Grannie’s first VR!
The kids showed Grannie Beat Saber and then I showed her that an old fogie (me) could even do it so she tried. She didn’t do too badly.
Rest in peace, Charlie.
Seventeen years is a long time for a cat, but it was still too soon. I hated to make the call but she told us it was time.
We are all devastated of course, and the kids are really taking it hard—especially Katie since Charlie has been her best buddy since Day 1.
It’s hard to pick from all the thousands of pictures I have, so here’s just a few of the more recent ones.
Rest in peace, Charlie.
We really surprised the kids tonight!
Papa and Grannie have had both of their shots so had been planning to come visit as soon as their waiting period was over. They were originally supposed to be here today but then they said Wednesday…but then ended up able to make it today but we didn’t tell the kids.
We kept our plans to take them to a movie with our friends (we rented the whole theater!) and then planned to have them arrive while we were out—plus park in the garage so their car wouldn’t give it away.
We walked in and they were hiding in the dark on the stairs and Katie hit the floor when they said hi. I wish I had been recording it but that would have looked really odd…
Everyone was happy and getting and giving hugs and it was wonderful…
Do. Not. Want. It was 55° a few days ago.
A winning combo?!
I have trouble falling asleep and I usually wake up a few times throughout the night…so I take melatonin every night. If I happen to have a headache I take Tylenol PM.
I just woke up after sleeping like a rock. It was amazing.
Then I realized I took Tylenol PM plus melatonin last night. Whoops.
Tom’s view vs. my view.
Enjoying the Yukon for the first burn of the season… Before it gets too chilly tonight and then snows later this week.
Poor bacon.
This is how my day is going. And guess what? It happened on the second batch, too.
The many faces of mask removal.
Spa morning with my boy!
One of the side benefits of working from home?
Random selfies during the day!
A full look with three LipSense colors!
I love it when you find THE perfect gift!!
My mom friends have been doing ninja porch drop offs with random gifts every so often (it’s hilarious what some will do to try and avoid the Ring)!! And I’ve been wanting to return the favors but just couldn’t come up with the right thing. Then I hit on these tumblers. It took awhile to decide on the perfect saying but once I found this one I knew that was it! (Piper Lou has great stuff and great deals, BTW.)
Needless to say we’re all looking forward to using them together again this summer!
It’s also time for gymnastics again!
Katie has been begging to go back to gymnastics class so when they finally opened, we had to go in to get her evaluated (since it’s been two years since she finished her class). She picked up most of it pretty quickly.
You learn something new every day!
Today I learned that some of my socks have definitive letters on them for (L)eft and (R)ight. Huh.
Owen’s first in-person day of 6th grade!
We had not planned to send the kids back to school but due to unforeseen circumstances, we changed our minds.
This is definitely not what we had anticipated for his first day of middle school but we’re rolling with it!
And waiting at the bus stop! Normally his stop would be in front of our house but with remote learning plus hybrid and whatnot, everything is abnormal.
The kids are swimming again!
The kids were super excited to get back to the pool! They haven’t been in lessons in over a year, but they both got right back into it like pros.
I think she wants new water.
Along for the ride!
We all decided to go out Pokemoning and I felt guilty about leaving Maggie so I bundled her up in a blanket and brought her with us. She loved it. She just curled up on my lap the whole time.
