It’s Sunday or check-in #14 day. Because the concept of months does not really seem to exist anymore. It’s been March for half a year by now and the year is still more than halfway through. So why not divide the week days into “check-in days” and “other days”? Right, why not.
Well no matter what you call today. It was a sunny one here in Florida. Mostly sunny, at least. We had a 20% chance of rain forecast for the majority of the day. And here in our neck of the wood this means, there will be rain. You just won’t know exactly when and how much.
We had 2-3 showers out of nowhere. That also went nowhere. They started and then they stopped. In a matter of minutes. Nothing that would stop the little monster from playing or swimming. Or both.

In case you ever wanted to be live with Sam for one of his world famous “dive jumps”. Courtesy of Henning, the family photographer.
Well today was a pretty nice day. Warm but not too hot and no thunderstorms. The night before, we did not get much sleep as there seemed to be one thunderstorm after another from the moment we went to bed until the time we had to get up. We got up much later than usual, as our morning walk was off limits. When the thunderstorm transitioned into rain only, we did the only right thing.
We went in the pool.
Yes, since we have this (not really) little pooch, we are crazy like this. We also managed to close our exercise rings and achieve our move goals. This pup keeps us going and that keeps us fit and mostly healthy.
I accidentally watched the news on TV today and realized, that Broward County, the County we live in, is under another curfew. Lucky us, that we are not out and about after 11 pm anyways. Miami Dade is under a curfew as well, but it starts at 10 pm and for some beach area restaurants, the curfew starts at 8 pm. Glad that Florida is so consistent. Why would I say that? Well, the State is consistently inconsistent in ALL Covid-19 related measures. That counts, right?
Despite the increased danger when being out in public among other people (aka Covidiots), Henning and I went out for dinner last week. We are always very careful. We went to The Cheesecake Factory as Henning was craving one of his most favorite dishes in the world. And cheesecake.

This is delicious minus the spring onions. But holy guacamole, they are not shy with the garlic. I think they marinate the chicken in garlic to then cook it in a garlic sauce. I had the Skinnylicious Shrimp Tacos.
Henning and I are always sharing, when it comes to cheesecake. I get to select the cheesecake, that Henning gets to eat. Fair share. I do of course also get a bite to try. And that is perfectly enough for me, as I do think their cheesecake is far to sweet. Yes. I said it and I stand by my opinion, what’ya gonna do about that?
Sammy stayed home by himself. He probably enjoyed being by himself for once. Does not happen too often these days. Because, you know, pandemic and all. Last time I posted about these masks and made fun of the women wearing them.

And I stand by my post. If as a woman you get these to show off your lipstick, it’s hilarious. BUT today I saw a report that makes me think, these masks are actually an awesome idea if used in the right situation. For people that are with hearing impaired or deaf people. Especially if those depend on lip reading. I really did not think about that. So the producers of these masks might be doing something good, even if it is without intention.
Is working from home, or WFH / W@H, the fancier way of calling it, getting to you? Are your eyes more tired or are you feeling, since you are on camera that much, you should have your own make-up artist? I found some good ideas for you. Check them out!
I personally like #2 as my eyes do indeed get a little bit tired especially when I am staying on my laptop beyond my working hours to write my blog. And #6 is a great idea, since I really can’t afford my own make-up artist. It’s all about the right light, isn’t it? #5 is a great idea for those of you, that do not drink enough water. Plus it will also make you move more. At least once per hour is my guess.
They forgot one important thing, though. A work companion. Preferably a cute one. It’s a must and would definitely be #1 on my list! What’s your #1?

While some theme parks are still re-opening, others are re-closing. The new cycle (vicious even) of life? Meanwhile I think Six Flags should be working on a new ride. The “Coronacoaster” based on the ups and downs of the pandemic. One day you are loving living in your little bubble, going on long walks (nope, not at 90+ degrees), baking banana bread and crafting. The next day you are crying, drinking martinis for breakfast, eating ice cream for dinner & missing people you don’t even like.
Today I read a Forbes news feed on Facebook saying, that for the first time hospitalizations in the US are on the decline. And ironically my first thought was “uh oh, are people now dying right away and not even making it into the hospital anymore?”. Yeah my “faith” in this country is on the lowest of low levels. And that is so frustrating to me. Because despite everything, I love this country and I used to love the people that are so different from us Germans in so many good ways. Are you good guys still out there? I know some are. Can you please take back over, please?!
As I shared before, my career has never gone better then it is now. However, and I shared that as well, with the current situation, that might not lead me anywhere. Unless I am really smart about this. And here is the deal – I am good at motivating myself. But I am far, far better with a coach. I would not have thought that to be the case, before I started working with a coach. That program unfortunately ended (it was company sponsored).
I thought about it and discussed it with Henning and then decided, I would try and continue to work with her in her private practice. Tomorrow is my first session and I already know, after that my creativity will flow even more and I won’t be missing check-in’s or posts because I can’t muster the motivation to get to it. In case you are looking for a great coach – I highly recommend her. You can find her on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tiffkeenan/
So when fun & playtime, time and talking with Henning and others of the things on my list are not getting me out of the funk, a session with her will help. What’s the funk? Check-out what it is for me, here: https://mykindofsuccess.net/beat-the-funk/
Even though, these two usually are doing the trick.

They are just too cute! And we are having so much fun together. That definitely helps. With everything going on, I am lucky to have them. And of course that Kanye West decided to run for President. Because that’s what this country desperately needs. Instead of a crazy TV Show Host (celebrity apprentice) a maybe even crazier Rapper.
Not sure if it is because of the current situation, but it looks like some companies found their “conscious”. One of them in a very weird way. Check this out and let me know, how weird you find this on a scale from 1-10. For me this is a 20. At least.
Burger King is changing the diet of their livestock in order to reduce methane production, which they apparently agree to have an impact on climate change. And so they went ahead and produced commercials about farting and burping cows. OK….
And Amazon also decided to reduce their carbon footprint. Why now? I am not so sure. What I am sure of is, that companies are still trying to find their now normal and that Covid-19 is not playing a major role in TV commercials anymore. I honestly think, every single company that is using actors in their TV commercials, should shoot them again with people wearing a mask. If this whole “mask wearing thing” does not transition from being a political issue to being our new normal, we do not stand a chance against this virus.
The country is not having the right leadership to be the role model and setting examples. So everyone that gets Media attention should please send the right message by publicly wearing a mask. I don’t care if you let Gucci, Prada, BOSS or any other fashion brand design your mask. Just wear it publicly and be excited about it.
Control what you can control. You can’t expedite the development of a vaccine. You can’t make people keep their distance from you or others. But you honestly also can’t keep to yourself forever and not interact with other humans. A mask is the one thing you can control. It might be an inconvenience but it is definitely far less inconvenient then having to “wear” a ventilator.
It’s OK, to not be OK with this. Right now, it’s what we got to do. If you haven’t read it yet, check-out my post about not being OK. Maybe some of my strategies can help you, too. https://mykindofsuccess.net/ok-to-not-be-ok/
If you like dogs, but can’t get one in your living (or other) situation, there might be ways. If you are not under a total lock down, get in touch with your local animal shelter. They are usually grateful for people that come visit and play with the dogs or walk them for them. That way you could combine two things that really helped me through this time – moving your body and the benefit of being around a dog.
And there are many. They are cute. And they are so, so sweet when they sleep. They can definitely calm nerves.

Give it a try, if you can. And let me know, how it went, when you did. I will check in again next week.
Keep your distance, wear your mask, stay healthy and take care!
Hugs,
Nannette
My wife and I are approved to adopt with a local organization in NYC so we are crossing our fingers to adopt a dog soon 🙂
What you said about wearing a mask is very true. We can do our part to combat the virus and make it a safe world for others. It’s the least we can do to help society in light of what’s happening.
I am also looking forward to hearing about your continued coaching sessions. That is something I am considering in the future as I seek to expand my career and become a more well rounded professional.