On Breaking Up With the Scale

For a really long time I had a really unhealthy relationship with the scale.  I still do, and for that reason, I had to give it up. 

Collector of Memories

I'm so excited! And I just can't hide it!  I got a new blog design and I think I like it.  I remember when blogs had multi colored unicorn dust popping off every page, but now the trend seems to be black and white minimalist.  There seems to be a pervasive fear of color now, but I like it.  All the better to showcase words and photos, because let's face it.  That's the main reason I'm still here. The bonus is the connections I've made with other bloggers over the years.

Taking Down Larry Nassar

I hate that I have to write about this, but I can't write extensively about all the gymnasts who won gold medals at the last Olympic Games and not write about how some of those very same athletes that won gold joined forces to take down a child molester.  I don't like to see a sport that has brought me so much joy as a gymnast and a fan, do so much wrong, but the reality is that USA Gymnastics and Michigan State University failed miserably to protect it's athletes. Last week Larry Nassar former USA Gymnastics, Michigan State University, and Twistars Gymnastics team doctor was convicted of sexually abuse disguised as medical treatment of young girls over a time period spanning twenty plus years.

My Shoulder is What?

I sleep with a teddy bear.  I know it sounds weird, and I know I'm way too old for stuffed animals, but you see my shoulder is frozen.  And when I say frozen, I actually do mean frozen.  Sleeping on my stomach is not comfortable, and sleeping on my right side is not possible. I know better than to even try.  I can sleep on my left side okay as long I stuff a pillow under my armpit for support, but I spend most nights sleeping on my back.  That's how the giant teddy bear found it's way from the basket in the spare room to my bed.  I can't rest my hand on my belly when I lay down.  It's really  bizarre how it just sort of hangs there hovering above my stomach like a limp rag.  Teddy gives me another option besides leaving it stiffly at my side.  I wrap my arms around him, and generally contort him into whatever shape I need to get comfortable.

Life By the Numbers: That Kind of Year

2017 IN NUMBERS

0 arm workouts.

1 time eating Panera Bread, and it was so good.  I had to fly all the way to Dover to do this.  Not like they aren't all over the place where I live or anything.

1 pair designer jeans purchased.  I got lucky and found Seven jeans for $50 on a mess of a clearance rack at Macy's.

2 times eating cheese spaetzle in Germany.  I love it so.

3 flights to Las Vegas.

Why We Didn't Use AirBnB

When we went to Europe we had five hotels to book, which added up to 17 nights of hotels in the space of about a month.  Once I narrowed down my search on Trip Advisor, I was definitely stressing about how much money all of these hotels were costing us.  I felt I owed it to myself to check out AirBnB and Home Away, just to see what my options were so I created accounts and started looking.  However, I found that the search was even more exhausting over there than on Trip Advisor and that it probably wasn't going to work out because A.  I probably wouldn't be saving all that much money in the end and B.  I just wasn't comfortable taking a chance on some of the places. 

Hotel #3 NOSTOS APARTMENTS in Santorini.  This adorable kitchen.

I considered going the non hotel route but it didn't work out and this is why.

Some of the rentals have pretty rigid cancellation policies, and I only feel comfortable booking when I can cancel.  I don't even mind paying up front as long as I can get my money back if I  need to. Even the cheaper no cancellation allowed price doesn't lure me because I can't stop the what if anxiety.  How many big vacations have I had to cancel?  Zero! But still.  You never know.