It's 7 Quick Takes Friday! How was your week?
Our old washer and dryer had a good run, they really did. They came with the house when we bought it 15 years ago, and who knows how old they were then. Phillip has repaired them about a dozen times in the last decade, but they were officially dead as of a few weeks ago so we went on Facebook Marketplace to find a new (to us) washer and dryer.
About 40% of the time I go running and the other 60% I do a strength workout, and I just have to give a shout-out to my favorite fitness YouTuber. Her name is Kaleigh Cohen, and not only has she given me amazing definition in my shoulders, I also really enjoy watching her because she seems like such a positive, down-to-earth person.
My 21-year-old has never seen Ferris Bueller's Day Off so we watched it after she got home from work.
Read More »
—1—
Right now the old ones are in the garage; they're so similar to the new ones that Phillip plans to harvest all the working parts to use for repairs down the road.
The washer tries to walk across the room during the spin cycle, but both machines work so they're a huge improvement over our old setup. |
At first I didn't think the washer shifting around during the spin cycle was a big deal, but that was before the hose got knocked out of place by the movement and leaked water into the basement. I guess we've got to fix that.
—2—
Other than cleaning up the water mess in the basement (thankfully, nothing got wet except some wood in Phillip's shop,) I've been having the most lovely decompression week of all time.
Most of my family is visiting grandparents out of state so there have been several times when the big kids go to work and it's just me home alone. I wouldn't like that if it was my 24/7 reality, but since it's such a rare treat I really savor it. And by savor it, I mean twirling around like Maria in The Sound of Music singing "All by myself, I wanna be all by myself!" (I know those aren't the real words, but it's how I feel.)
It's also nice because with just me and a few college kids, one dinner leaves enough leftovers for us all to have lunch the next day, and the house stays so clean, and there's just way less to worry about. For the most part, I'm free to hyperfixate on my projects and do the bare minimum around here.
—3—
My latest project is staining the deck. I've spent 12 hours on it over the last several days and I just have a few things left to do that will take me less than an hour. My family knows I was "working on it" but I'm excited to surprise them by finishing it before they they get home tomorrow.
Now that we have a nice deck, and we've replaced the non-functioning sliding doors leading to the deck, our next step is getting outdoor furniture. I've been going back and forth on this for a while, but I stayed up way too late last night researching outdoor seating online and I think I'm starting to converge on what will work for us and the space we have.
Too bad I didn't buy something earlier in the week: I could have ordered it, received it, assembled it, and set it up on the newly-finished deck by the time they came home, and it would've been like an episode of Trading Spaces they didn't even know they'd be on.
—4—
The sun has been super-red here for the last few days. I know it's because of poor air quality from wildfire smoke, which is bad for my lungs but it's SO PRETTY.
Not a doctored image, it looked exactly like this (including the dirty car windshield it was taken through.) |
—5—
I've also been working out a lot in all my newfound free time. When you first start working out, the initial motivation is usually to look better, and then you keep doing it because it makes you feel better, and now I'm finding myself motivated by the fact that the more fit and strong I get at age 43, the longer I can keep my body from wearing out as I get older.
About 40% of the time I go running and the other 60% I do a strength workout, and I just have to give a shout-out to my favorite fitness YouTuber. Her name is Kaleigh Cohen, and not only has she given me amazing definition in my shoulders, I also really enjoy watching her because she seems like such a positive, down-to-earth person.
Some people can do those horrible HIIT videos where the only sound is music and a timer, which makes me want to roll over and die of boredom 7 minutes in. I need entertainment, people. Anyway, if you find yourself in a similar boat please check out Kaleigh. Your shoulders will thank you for it.
—6—
I went swimming at a nearby lake with the most crystal clear water. Even when I swam out past where I could touch, I could still see the bottom. No seaweed, either!
I don't usually go to that particular lake because there's no designated swimming area and no lifeguard, and it makes me too nervous to bring small people to paddle around in the open water when I'm responsible for their lives. But since the younger kids are out of town, my two college daughters and I went and had a perfect day.
Unfortunately I don't have any pictures, because (1) I wanted to be fully present and enjoy the moment, and (2) I didn't want my phone to get stolen while I was in the water. But it was beautiful.
—7—
It's interesting: for the first 20 years of your life, you root for Ferris because he's the hero! He's so cool! Twist and shout!
For the second 20 years of your life, you empathize with Cameron because he's the only sensible one in the group. Does anyone else even have a brain?
For the third 20 years of your life, you sympathize with Principal Rooney. That narcissistic little con artist definitely needs to be taken down a peg.