Check-in #6

Happy Saturday, everyone! Wait. Wednesday. It’s only Wednesday. Don’t let me confuse you. Because you likely have to go to work tomorrow. Not literally “go” obviously. As of course, we are not “going to work” these days. We are rolling out of bed into whatever space we call our “office”.

Thankfully, we are having a pooch that needs a walk every morning. Or at least we keep telling him he does. If it were for him, the “awake part” of the day would start and end in the pool. And of course it would include indoor breaks. A boy’s gotta eat.

At least he makes sure, I am in the couch-office on time. Not right now though, as I am on PTO. Hence the confusion. Every day has been feeling like it’s Saturday. I am glad, I decided to disregard the weather outlook. So far that was a smart decision. The weather has been super hot and even partly sunny. No rain yet. But it’s going to happen tomorrow, I guess.

As you can imagine, the days have been filled with playtime in the garden and pool. There was one happy puppy. Well, Monday there were two of them. Kodiak aka Coco, the chocolate lab from next door, came over for a quick visit. But honestly, Sam is really an only child. He does not like to share his parents or his pool. Can’t blame him.

Today Sam enjoyed his garden even more, as he was in Daycare yesterday. The big day had come. We went to the hair salon. Spoiler alert: It was quite disappointing. But from the beginning.

I have waited for this moment for a little over 2 months, as I went to see my hairstylist the last time in February and am usually going every 6 weeks. Because, you know, grey hair. So my first big rookie mistake – built up expectations! It had been so long, the outcome had to be the best feeling EVER. And that it was not. The reason is rookie mistake #2.

The salon called on Monday letting me know, that my hairstylist was out due to a family emergency and would not be back before end of the month. But they had another awesome hairstylist available. My gut feeling screamed “no, no, no, no”. But remember, it had been 2 months longer than it should have. I could not wait until July. No freaking way.

So I went. And yes, the whole process and visiting a hair salon in our “now normal” is super weird. It’s also uncomfortable. They need some time for color and cut and I had to wear a mask the entire time.

It already felt off, that the hair stylist did do the color for my roots and the lengths at the same time. Usually you would do the roots, let them take on the color for a while, pull the color through and let it sit for a little longer. That way you do have a balanced color. I have a much lighter top and a much darker rest. She also did not get the cut right either. It’s OK, nothing I can do about the cut and it will grow out eventually. Still arguing with myself if I should go back because of the messed up color.

No, there is not going to be an “after” picture. It’s not as bad as it feels, due to the expectations I built up. I basically set myself up for failure right there.

What was your most epic hair salon fail? Let me know, maybe it makes me feel better! Well, I guess “It’s quarantine” is the new “It’s five o’clock somewhere” and I could just have wine, no matter what time it is. Now normal.

I was wondering, what to best compare these weird times to. Anyone else remember how weird the time between Christmas and New Year’s feels at least when you are a kid? No gifts to expect anymore, far too much food and nothing much to do until New Years Eve. Does that not sound familiar to you?

I wish New Years Eve would come. Soon!

So Henning and I have been exploring our “now normal”. And even though I have to admit, that our “socially-distanced” life is not so remarkably different from our previous life, seeing something different was nice for a change.

Yesterday was the hair salon. Today we drove to Naples to visit the Miromar outlet malls. It’s a dog friendly outlet mall. I packed our lunch. Home made bagels and chips for Henning and I and chopped cucumber and sweet potatoes with salmon kibble for Sam. Yes, Monsieur has an elevated taste. Also it’s over 90 degrees F here in SoFlo so got to keep the pooch hydrated.

Side fact, we are going through approx. 20 cucumbers per week. Sam likes English cucumber as do I. So we are sharing some cucumber sticks with our dinners almost every night. It’s a great source of hydration. Especially for a pooch that does not like to drink as much, as he should in this heat.

But I digress. Back to the outlet mall shopping experience in our now normal. It’s weird. Fine, but super weird. And if you are not doing well with a mask (like me) it’s also a tad uncomfortable.

We are looking a little bit, as if we are robbing the stores instead of shopping there. But who would bring such cute and memorable puppy with them on a robbery? Or pose for a picture for that matter… And yes, there you can get a glimpse of an “after” picture.

I needed a new phone case. If I could handle it, I’d prefer my phone without a case, as the iPhone really looks nice. But a few broken or scratched (car key + purse + no case) phones have taught me, I really can’t. Handle it, I mean. And my last folio case was falling apart. Henning found THE cutest case ever. Glad he does not listen to anyone telling him they don’t have it in the size we are looking for. Cause they were wrong and he found it anyways.

Word of advice. Taste is subjective. You think this is super ugly or childish? You are absolutely entitled to that opinion. Just remember, you do not have to start commenting on my blog posts with that opinion. Of course you can! Free speech. It’s the first amendment. The second one allows you to own a gun. But hey, I don’t think it’s that ugly, right?

Last week I did a bunch of these new and really hard “virtual escape rooms”. Very tricky ones, too. Not sure, why my co-workers were there too and kept sharing meeting minutes afterwards.

I still have a couple of days, before I am back in to Business. Did I mention it’s hot in Florida? Well, you know it’s hot, if you look at this thermometer. This my friends, is not the outside temperature. This is the temperature of our pool. You could add bubble bath and enjoy. Definitely too hot to provide a refreshment.

Meanwhile, things are getting more serious in the 2020 election. A lot of switching the TV channel necessary lately, as I have to avoid watching the Clown in Chief’s TV commercials as they make me want to throw up. I still believe he is likely going to be re-elected and with everything he has done lately, that is a very, very sickening idea.

A latest poll by CNN showed Joe Biden is leading by 14 points. Now again, this is not a political blog and I am not against the GOP in general. However I am sharing my personal opinion (#marketplaceofopinions). And I find it VERY disturbing, that the Trump campaign sent a letter to CNN, demanding that they would apologize for the poll and the results. Pardon me? There is a poll that you do not like and hence it is rigged? Wow. New low. And likely an outlook at the reaction to a potential loss of the election. Jimmy Kimmel might be right when he says, we need to get ready for the situation, that he could refuse to leave the White House.

But for now, he is looking forward to start doing campaign events. I can’t wait either and I think we will see him wear no mask but shake everyone’s hand. No worries, he’ll be fine. He is taking hydroxychloroquine.

For everyone that is still surprised, that the beaches are full of Covidiots without masks, basically lying on top of each other. Look at the Leader of the Free World or watch Tiger King and then you’ll be like “oh!”.

Our vacation days have been nice so far. I read a book in two days (it only had a little over 300 pages), swam a lot, jogged around the pool a lot and yes, finally got something that at least pretends to be a new hair cut. We just finished our after dinner espresso. This is how Sam looks at you, when he thinks he should not have to wait for this treat while Mommy is devouring a Hershey’s milk chocolate almond kiss and drinking her espresso while it’s hot.

We also watched season one and two of “You” on Netflix. What a crazy TV show. But it’s good. If you are into weirdo serial killers, this show is definitely for you. I have to ask my boss for more recommendations. This one was definitely a good one.

Now finishing our second episode of “Bosch” on Amazon prime and then back to the pillow fight for space in the bed. Don’t forget – it’s not Saturday, I repeat it is NOT Saturday. Don’t blame me if you are late for work, tomorrow. But hey, at least your commute should not be too crazy!

I will check-in again at the end of this vacation week. If you miss me, check out some of my other blog posts either here https://mykindofsuccess.net/category/personallife/ or here https://mykindofsuccess.net/category/worklife/.

One last word. All lives can only matter, when black lives matter. The hashtag “all lives matter” might be the right message but it’s the wrong timing to use it right now. Let’s follow Gandhi and be the change, we want to see in the world. One day at a time and step by step.

Keep your distance, wear your mask (as uncomfortable as it is), stay healthy and take care!

Hugs,
Nannette