Feeling Better and Back To Work

Thank goodness. COVID sucks. I'm sticking with my "wear blue and wear pearls" plan and quite like it - I think my next few shopping trips will include perusing thrift shops for blue tops. I have quite a few navy sweaters, but my blue blouse collection could use some plumping up (not literally). 

Today is the first day of our two-day staff conference (ahem, free coffee and lunch), and I've been tasked with contacting the references for our new hires. I'm done with that for now, so I suppose now I should get busy with the yearly trainings I have to complete online. Laaaaaaaaame. I already know not to embezzle money or pinch people's butts... at least, not at work. 

I ate lunch with B and friends, and quite enjoyed it. Love you, B. 

Blue and Pearls

Just after midnight, I tested negative for COVID a second time. Hubby's was also negative. It's not that we want to have COVID, but the negative test result always makes us wonder - did we conduct the test correctly? Did we shove the thing far enough up our noses? At least with a positive result, we would know one way or the other. 

New developments within our country's political climate have me inspired to adopt a dress code for work: each shift I'll be wearing something blue, and a string of pearls, to show support for Madame Vice President K@mala H@rris. Today I'm wearing the long navy dress I thrifted at the thrift store in Keizer, Oregon, and the pearls I wore when I was Mel's matron of honor. And a mask, of course. 

June's last day was Thursday, August 1, during my vacation. When I arrived at work this morning, I found a gift from them: a package of Plus Plus blocks. So far they've been fun for fidgeting but I haven't had time to create anything cool yet. I texted June to thank them, and they said they're enjoying their first day at the new job. Everyone here is happy for June, but sorry to lose them. 

I'm very much looking forward to our next overnight trip, and making plans to organize all of my new scrap collections and get my Singer and quilting equipment ready to come with me. I've never taken a machine on a trip, so this should be interesting. I keep collecting fabric (thanks, Universe!) and squirreling it away in different parts of the house, so it's time to stop buying it and start sorting it. FUN. 

LATER: Hubby and B have tested positive for COVID. That's it for me, then. 

Sick (?) Day

The last day of my summer vacation was spent in bed, playing Sims and a new game Mel invented where we make up rhyming celebrity names that are butt or poop related (yes, we're 10 years old), like Spurt Russell, Splats Domino, and Betty Shite. Blame Hubby for originating the whole thing by uttering the name "Shat Benatar" the other day, which was and continues to be one of the screamingly-est funny things I've heard in a while (again, 10 years old). 

Also, I took a COVID test, which was negative. I'm glad about that, but the fact that R and Hannah tested positive last night, combined with me feeling a little gross, has me concerned. 

Hubby bought stuff for mini pizzas and fed me dinner. What a good hubby.

I chatted with Mom today. We were supposed to go to Little Cousin K's baby shower this morning, but I'm not taking a possible COVID infection to a baby shower. Sounds like it all went well - Mom filled me in on all the details. 

Will we be working tomorrow? That's the question. 

Leaving Olympia

After an okay night's sleep, I awoke early and cross stitched for a while. Hubby, B and I enjoyed a nice large breakfast at the hotel, then packed and left. We spent some time on Evergreen campus, which B had never seen before, and then visited R and Hannah at R's apartment for a few minutes before heading southwest - the plan was to end up at the beach, but you know how it goes with plans, quite often.

Long story short: Summer road construction took its toll. We spent quite a bit of time parked on Highway 101 along with 500ish of our best travel buds. I mean, it could have been a lot worse. B had to use the restroom the entire time, so that part wasn't fun, but what a gorgeous spot and time of year to be stuck on the highway. 

Eventually we made it to Raymond, Washington, home of C & C Classic Diner - I had half of a turkey sandwich (real roasted turkey, not the sliced stuff) and some boss onion rings that I shared with B. Hubby and B also enjoyed their lunches. Yay, another local gem located! I wasn't feeling great, though, so I popped an allergy pill and figured that would do the trick. 

After lunch, we drove to Astoria, enjoying the beautiful scenery all along the way, Hubby threatening to jump out of the car with his camera at almost every corner. 

In Astoria, we visited a couple of B's favorite haunts, and ended at a quilt shop where I bought five bobbins for the Singer at 25 cents a pop (couldn't pass that up). While we were there, BAD NEWS: R and Hannah tested positive for COVID. My continued sneezing and added coughing, despite the allergy pill, led me down a dark road that could only be brightened by the offer of a bag of scraps (thanks, B). 

Avoiding the terrible traffic on I-5 that we experienced on Wednesday evening, we drove home through Rainier, St. Helens, and Scappoose, Oregon. When we arrived at home, Hubby and I quickly unpacked and flopped into our bed. 

R's Birthday 2024

It's her third birthday spent at college. By now we have a routine down (or we should).

I'm still on vacation, so after running to JoAnn Fabrics, I was able to spend the day at home packing, doing laundry, and messing about and sewing in the sewing nook. By "messing about" I mean moving the old Smith secretary desk into the furnace closet, and creating a teensy office. How much fun will that be! We also moved the old computer and its desk to the wall by the bathroom, and as always, unearthed even more crap that we have to decide what to do with. Slowly but surely, we're getting organized and decluttered. 

For R's birthday, I sewed a throw pillow with a pillow form and some "antique map" fabric she spied in one of my last fabric hauls. She liked the colors. It turned out really cute. I also sewed on the rainbow patch that I had previously ironed onto Hannah's birthday throw pillow - it came off, but NO MORE. I also found a cute plant and pot at our favorite hardware store, to go with her original 2022 plant. 

Around 4:30, I picked up Hubby at the MAX station and then we collected B up at the college, and we were off to Olympia. 

Once there, we stopped at C0stco and Fred Shmeyer for cake and cake-related stuff, and gift cards. We dropped it all off at our hotel, then met R, Hannah, and Kate at the 0live Garden. We enjoyed our dinner, and R blew out a candle on a piece of cake that the server brought. Then we went back to the hotel, where R's "real" cake and gifts were waiting, and had fun celebrating her. The girls left, Hubby and B tried out the hot tub, and I lazed in bed. 

It was a great day. Happy Birthday, Lady Legs!

I could dig this vacation stuff

I spent a nice day at home, working in the basement, clearing out clutter and filling up my Neen@w's dresser drawers, with her old sweaters and some cards and pictures I found in the furnace closet. Little C followed me around everywhere. I loved it.