I'm the one who magically opens...

I'm the one who magically opens Tobi's special feeder that he's wearing a key for (as in, I accompany him to the room and show it to him and it opens when he approaches)... But Shaun gets all the credit. 😂

They love to groom him for some reason.

I haven't posted my Booger Bear in a bit.

I haven't posted my Booger Bear in a bit. Did y'all miss him?

His DNA test arrived today, so we're going to swab him tonight and send it off tomorrow.  I'm excited to see what it says.

The shelter had him as a Red Heeler mix.

My thought was Red Heeler/English Bulldog mix, but the more I look at him wonder if he's just a special Heeler. 😂❤️

Anyone have any guesses?

Kira made these pecan bars.

Kira made these pecan bars. She made everything from scratch. They're similar to pecan pie, but I actually like them more. It's more crust, less goopy filling, and a slight bit less sweet. So good!

I hope she keeps trying new things. I love being her Guinea Pig. ❤️

Bear had another seizure last night.

Bear had another seizure last night. There's nothing that we can think of that would have stressed him yesterday, so it was unexpected.

The vet said he might have one now and then, but that if they start to cluster or last longer he'll need more medication. I don't think this one was close enough to his last to be considered clustering, but we're still going to report it.

His vet was closed today and is probably closed tomorrow, too. But he was fine this morning and it's not an emergency. I just wish the poor booger didn't have them so frequently. I feel so terrible for him every time it happens. ☹️

I'm about to be off work for a few days.

I'm about to be off work for a few days.

First order of business:  Do. Shaun's. Nails.

I swear if he breaks another nail and then looks at me like it's my fault he removed his gel prematurely, I'mma fight him. 😂😂😂

I'm feeling really reserved and less energetic and outgoing.

I'm feeling really reserved and less energetic and outgoing. I 100% think I'm in my feelings over Oreo.

I've never had a yearly anniversary "down" after losing a pet, and y'all know that I have loved and lost many. I guess in a lot of ways it was easier losing the ones I had longer than Oreo because I knew that they had some sort of quality of life while they were with me.

Oreo didn't. He had so little good time.

No matter how much money or time or love or well wishes were sent his way, nothing could have saved him.

It feels bad. It feels like injustice. It's a reminder of how careless people can be with innocent lives.

I have so much love for everyone who wanted better for him, who donated and helped with his care, who cared about him. That's the silver lining, I guess.

But it still really hurts, and I'm definitely not over him.

I'm stuck - both physically and mentally.

I'm stuck - both physically and mentally. I have a sleeping cat on my lap and Facebook keeps showing me videos from furniture flippers and they are super satisfying to watch. I hate it when my brain doesn't want to stop what it's doing and let me be responsible. 😅😂

Last night, me and Shaun had a date at Namaste.

Last night, me and Shaun had a date at Namaste. I tried a few new foods:  Lentil Crackers, Vegetable Samosa, and some kind of Yogurt/Mango drink. I also had Chicken Vindaloo spiced to the max. It was all so delicious.

I woke up this morning with my stomach rumbling. I don't normally have issues with spice, so I'm thinking I went too hard on new foods last night. But 10/10, I'd eat them all again. 😂

Today, I spent some time watering my plants. I snuggled Cub for a nap. I had tasty food today with Shaun, Shadow, Kira, my friend Caitlin, and her husband Joe. It was nice to have everyone together.

Shaun got a lamp for me to do my nails. I'm usually on the dark side of the room, so it's nice to have a light. I just finished filling in/rebalancing my structure gel while using it, and it's really nice to be able to see. He also got me some plant hangers for the greenhouse. The kids got me tasty snacks.

It was a really nice day. I've been getting messages all day, but I haven't had a chance to respond yet. I'm about to chill and check my notifications.

I hope you all have had a lovely weekend. I know I sure did. ❤️

💔💔💔

💔💔💔

We cleaned under the couch today...

We cleaned under the couch today and I found so much treasure!

Look at all these whiskers. And that tooth! It looks too big to be from a cat and the dogs aren't missing any of theirs. I wonder if it's from my dearly departed Booka or Faith...

I haven't done nail art in a very long time...

I haven't done nail art in a very long time, and I wouldn't really count this as art, either. I just put on my structure gel for strength as usual, then plopped down the water slide decals I made.

I made these for the work event I attended. I didn't really know what to expect, but I had a great time. I met so many of my coworkers and it was so crazy to finally see everyone in 3D. I interact with so many people on Slack, many of who I felt super connected to, and meeting in person just took that to the next level. I definitely came away from the event feeling energized about work and more secure in my work relationships. I also met a ton of cool people that I didn't know already.

I can't go without saying that it was amazing seeing my friends from GCU. It was hard being in Cincinnati for those 5 months away from my family, but we had a wonderful cohort and mentorship and we learned so much and grew together. It was such a great feeling seeing those familiar faces.

Anyway, I didn't want to let the week end without shouting out my wonderful work place for planning, executing, and treating us to this get-together. I love working remotely, being here with the family and the pets, but I do think I needed this. I'm looking forward to the next one already! 💙

I woke up feeling rough.

I woke up feeling rough. I have a tension headache from nightmares and it's trying hard to be a migraine. I've taken meds and now I'm having a drink (Vanilla Coconut Dr. Pepper).

It's Friday. Hopefully, I can just get through the work day.

Bear just woke up howling.

Bear just woke up howling. We've never heard him howl before.

I checked on him and he seems ok. I hope he wasn't having nightmares.

Poor buddy. He's resting peacefully again, so maybe it was just a one-off, weird thing.

Bear do what Bear do. 🤷🏻

Look at this sleeping Toebean.

Look at this sleeping Toebean. I want to eat him up! So precious. ❤️

They were doing the most today.

They were doing the most today.

I guess it's perpetual spring in my greenhouse.

Why...

Why is everyone's weather app going crazy? 😂

Here are a few of my favorite photos...

Here are a few of my favorite photos from the Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix. I took over 100, so I tried really hard to put up a reasonable amount. 😂

The last photo is one of my favorites. I didn't want to go through and have to pick my top 10 again to put it more visible, so just go look at it. 😂❤️

I made it home safe and sound about 2 hours ago.

I made it home safe and sound about 2 hours ago. It's nice to be back.

Bear was already in bed so I haven't been able to kiss that lip yet (he doesn't do well when his routine is disturbed), so I'll get my kisses from him tomorrow.

Cubba was so happy to see me that he ran outside and got in the car. 😂❤️

I'm heading up to be bossed around by my cat. He's probably gonna be awful since he'll be excited to see me. 😂😂😂 Hopefully, I'll be able to get some good sleep despite him.

I'll post more about the trip this week. Gotta rest up and get ready for work first, though.

❤️❤️❤️

Regarding the post before last...

Regarding the post before last where I mentioned being locked out of my hotel room...

I just woke up and not being able to say "locked out" in Spanish was on my mind. I just realized that by doing Duolingo for barely over 50 days I actually could have communicated my needs to her. "Cerrado" and pointing to the door, "No llaves" for no keys, and "Estudiar español" would probably let her know I'm trying. I could've even said "roja" and pointed to my crotch to let her know I was on my period if I wanted to. 😂

That's crazy. I never thought I'd be speaking Spanish, and I know that is some broken-ass, baby Spanish, but I need to internalize the fact that I CAN communicate to some degree now. I'm honestly pretty mind blown.

Too bad I was in panic mode when I saw her and not thinking clearly. What a missed opportunity to connect with her better.

I went to the Desert Botanical Garden here today...

I went to the Desert Botanical Garden here today and took over a hundred photos. 😅 I had so much fun hanging out with coworkers/friends that I don't get to see often.

We had our company party tonight and it's still going. GlideFast works hard and plays hard. I'm cold and driving home tomorrow, so I'm back at la Casita in my comfy clothes and snuggled in. It's bittersweet to be getting ready to leave, but I do miss my home and my family.

This is just from the party tonight. I'll go through my garden pics once I'm home.

Trip highlights (aside from this 5-star resort and meeting so many wonderful people):

• Prickly Pear Lemonade
• Banana Caramel Empanadas
• Warm water from the bidet (our bidet attachment at home only has cold water hooked up)

Someone was watching TV in my hotel room.

Someone was watching TV in my hotel room. The remote wasn't under the TV where it's been since I checked in. I haven't turned the TV on since I've been here.

When I got back from activities today, the TV was on, the remote was on the nightstand, and some doors and lighting were different than how I left them.

I checked any possible hiding spaces in the room and it's empty. My belongings are undisturbed.

I'm gonna be honest - I do not care. If someone was doing their job with the TV on or just resting, either way, it's fine.

The people who work here have been exceptionally friendly and have helped my directionally-challenged, lost ass so many times over the last few days. I even locked myself out of my room earlier today with no phone, leggings on (not really how I want to be seen at a work event), and having just started suddenly bleeding out because yay random periods that come with HRT. The last thing I wanted to do was walk the journey up to the main hotel in period-stained leggings to ask for help. Thankfully, one of the ladies who clean here found someone who could let me back in, despite the fact that I couldn't say "locked out" to her in Spanish.

I hope it was she who watched her show or took a rest.

I'm not gonna bore y'all with a photo overload, but...

I'm not gonna bore y'all with a photo overload, but I'm in Scottsdale, AZ for a work retreat. The hotel is super elegant and has a botanical garden that I'm definitely planning to visit tomorrow. It's beautiful here; but of course I'm biased because I love desert life.

This hotel is bougie af. There's a real bidet in my bathroom, it has valet parking, and people who will shuttle you anywhere here at the resort.

I drove here because I love being alone and I love driving and OBVIOUSLY I love looking at the saguaros. It always makes my day when they start appearing. We don't have them in New Mexico. They need a very specific environment to thrive.

It's been a whirlwind couple of days with travel and getting settled in. Today we had tons of enrichment meetings. I'm super proud that 2 of our cohort have made it to higher positions despite having only been with the company for two-ish years.

The best part has been meeting my coworkers face-to-face. I knew a few from going to GCU together, but I've interacted with so many more on other projects and through Slack. Seeing these people in 3D has been so crazy. It's like "OMG - I know you!" every time I turn around. There are so many amazing people here. Everyone is so smart and friendly and supportive. It's wonderful.

I'm in my room getting some rest. Last night was a late night of catching up with some GCU peers, having pizza, and getting lost (this place is literally huge. 😂) My room is also not in the main hotel, but at a Casita and valet shuttled me to it after I gave up on wandering in the dark. 😂 Paired with an early start this morning and being on the move all day, I'm exhausted. Time to rest up for tomorrow!

I busted out a heated blanket for the winter.

I busted out a heated blanket for the winter. The cats like it a lot!

Look at Harley Longlegs. He cracks me up stretching out like that. 😂 It makes his arms look too long and fake. 😂😂😂

Bear went to the vet today.

Bear went to the vet today. He was SASSY for his examination. He's usually very passive. The doctor said that he must be feeling good. 😂

We're not upping his seizure meds yet. For the most part they are well-controlled. It seems like he only has them when something disturbs his routine, like Shaun being away or me doing something weird like going to bed early. He was fine the last time I left town because he had Shaun, so I'm hoping he'll be ok while I'm at my work thing later this week/weekend.

Pics of the boy guarding the door while simultaneously watching the window. I don't know what he thought was gonna happen, but he was ready. 😂

Kira made these Cookie Butter cupcakes...

Kira made these Cookie Butter cupcakes with Biscoff cookies and they are SO GOOD. They don't even need icing be tasty, but of course I like them with a little sweet on top.

I think this is my favorite dessert from her so far!

I'm having a migraine day.

I'm having a migraine day. I am so grateful they they don't happen as often these days, but I hate that nightmares seem to be my most recent trigger. Almost every migraine I've had in the past year has been after a night of nightmares. 🙁

New babies heading to the greenhouse.

New babies heading to the greenhouse. Gosh, they're beautiful! ❤️

The weather has been in the 20-35°F range...

The weather has been in the 20-35°F range and snowy for the last few days (and I haven't gone outside). I have a heater in the greenhouse, but I was still worried that the weather would hurt my plants somehow. The snow is melting so I took a break and went out to check on everyone.

I guess everyone is happy. Their colors are beautiful and they're still blooming.

I honestly thought they'd go to sleep and I'd have to slow down on watering them to keep them from rotting, but that doesn't look like it's the case - at least not yet. That's wild!

I just made my first multi-lingual joke...

I just made my first multi-lingual joke and I didn't feel that Shaun appreciated it enough, so:

I'm going to bed early. It's cold and I'm tired and I'm even done with Duolingo for the night.

... I'm done with my habla-gations.

(Because I'm learning Spanish on Duolingo. GET IT!?)

Well, even if no one else thinks it's funny, I do and I'm proud of it. 😂😂😂

De nada y buenas noches. ❤️

We got about 6 inches of snow last night.

We got about 6 inches of snow last night. Temps are still low. We're snowed in for a day or two. We still have electricity (our lines are buried, so it rarely goes out) and internet. We have food. We're good. Just gonna stay in and cozy with the pets.

Bear is loving the weather. I work from home, so I'm good. Shaun likes cold and snow, so he's happy.

The worst thing is that we've had to reschedule Bear's vet appointment that was for today. Thankfully, it's not an emergency. He hasn't had another seizure yet, but we'll still get him in ASAP.

I stayed up to finish doing my nails, then...

I stayed up to finish doing my nails, then Toebean descended on my lap the moment it was empty. He's been painfully kneading my tummy for the last 10 minutes or so, purring the whole while. I think he's asleep now. I'm trapped.

Also, look at Ash sleeping with her face covered.

They are all being so precious and cuddly tonight.

Wal-Mart just sent me two shirts in the wrong color...

Wal-Mart just sent me two shirts in the wrong color rather than the one shirt I ordered in the correct color. 🤦🏻

To be fair, neither color selection would look nice on me. I just wanted a shirt with a collar that I could pull up over my nose in case of cold nose or dog farts. 😂

Maybe I should just take the W?

A couple of weeks ago...

A couple of weeks ago I went to the dentist because the gum behind my very back tooth was hurting. There was a small lump and it was painful and the gum was swollen and pulling away from the tooth.

The dentist blasted something out of the space where the back of my back tooth touched the gum (probably a popcorn kernel). It slowly started to feel better; not completely, but better. However, the lump persisted.

Today the lump felt sharp. I made Shaun look in my mouth, and he saw something. He tweezed this out of my gum. It's hard and sharp. I'm pretty sure it's a tooth fragment that was left behind when I had my bottom wisdom teeth removed... 20-ish years ago. 😳

No wonder my gum was upset. That's a lot going on at once!

I have a follow-up at my dentist after work today. I could've let him tweeze my fragment out, except that I couldn't. There was no way I was gonna be able to leave that alone. 😂

... How?

... How?

This is insanity.

He's literally a criminal, not to mention just straight up not a good person; that doesn't even touch on his bad financial/business decisions over the years.

Shit's got me all the way fucked up.

Why are they still blooming!?

Why are they still blooming!? Isn't it time for them to go to sleep?

I thought for sure that getting dark early and the cooler temps would send them to sleep.

I've only had indoor succulents, so I'm new to this part. I hope they're ok! ❤️

Facebook is advertising these 2 things to me...

Facebook is advertising these 2 things to me and honestly, they nailed it. Boots are on sale for $55. Jacket is not, but I am nothing if not patient.

I just never leave the house anymore, so like... why buy more clothes? 😂😂😂 I really want to, though!

We got some flurries yesterday, but...

We got some flurries yesterday, but it looks like the mountain got a bit more snow.

It's 47°F, dry, sunny, and clear. It's one of these "I'd rather be outside" kind of days. The cool air is wonderful and all you gotta do is catch a sunbeam to be warm. It's gorgeous. 🌞

I am getting sleepy, but look at herrr.

I am getting sleepy, but look at herrr. She's crashed out - whiskers and paws twitching and everything. I'm trapped. 😂❤️

Booger Bear just had a seizure...

Booger Bear just had a seizure. Shaun said it seemed more intense than before and that he came out of his crate limping. 🙁

It's been over 30 minutes and he's still wandering and wide-eyed. I went to bed early, but me and the kids all came downstairs to check on him. He seems to be looking for something/someone and we don't know what or who.

I guess it's time to up his meds again.

Poor buddy. I hate this for him.

These two. ❤️❤️❤️

These two. ❤️❤️❤️