Wednesday, February 5, 2025

CHANGE OF PLANS

CLICK HERE: To listen to Rhondi read this post on her podcast platform

As I mentioned in my Month of Mondays post in January, my upcoming milestone birthday trip was set, and my travel buddy hubby’s was still in the planning stages. Well, he’d decided he wanted to go to the world famous Red Rocks Amphitheater, just outside Denver Colorado. (If you're not familiar with it, l suggest you look it up.)

Tickets were purchased, hotels and an AirBnb were booked, for us to enjoy a concert and a weeklong road trip through the state. Well, as Canadians know, last Saturday night, all hell broke loose. This three-word disaster is best known to the world as President Donald Trump!

By Monday morning our dollar was worth a whopping .49986 cents to the US dollar, and a conversation over lunch had my husband and I decided to sell our tickets, cancel our lodging for refund, and scrap his bucket list trip.

Top - Proof of Purchase - screenshots
Bottom - ZBB Budweiser Stage 
TAKEN: July 14th, 2023

Then, out of the blue, we discovered the Zac Brown Band was coming back to Ontario. I immediately got on the alerts list and registered to become a member of Zamily - a member of the the Zac Brown Family; to have a two day jump on the sale of the tickets.

When my husband called to remind me that tickets when on sale at 10am this morning, I immediately confirmed my intent. “I’m going for the front row, Baby!!”

Well, you can see by the photo, I was successful of snagging two front row tickets. Which makes me think it is a little bit of karma playing in our favour.

I have only ever been lucky enough to see one other amazing artist at this venue and snag the front row.

It was Sheryl Crow. 

The tickets I had to sell that we were going to see perform at Red Rocks.

Though we had to restart planning for his 'Canadian' bucket list birthday trip, I can't help but think  about the ticket thing.....

Kind of a full circle moment, wouldn’t you say?

Sunday, February 2, 2025

STYLE OF WHITE

 

For the last 2-1/2 years I have rarely allowed
my photo to be taken. That has ended.
TAKEN: FEBRUARY 1st, 2024

CLICK HERE: To listen to Rhondi read this post on her new podcast platform

My travel buddy hubby and I headed ten miles south with the pups yesterday, simply to get me out of the house. I’d worked thirteen of the last fourteen days and needed a serious dose of the bright chilly sunshine mother nature was serving up.

Once in the car, I started to take some fun pics with the pups to show how they were 'helping me' ride shotgun. You can see the outline of Katie next to my right shoulder, though she was cropped out of the selfie I am sharing. A selfie highlighting (no pun intended) my current style of white.

Not looking to open the “you’re lucky to have hair” dialogue again, as I was seen as a whiner when I posted about my broken-hearted smile after Edwina Scissorhands had done the deed. I simply wanted to share where I landed and say that this journey wasn’t an easy one.

It’s hard to believe that it has taken me thirty months to get the point where I no longer add toner to my hair or use root touch up. No matter what one does, when growing a colour out of your hair, there is no easy short cut.

I have tried a few times to get where I am today, but the line of demarcation has always had me folding like a lawn chair and add a rinse to buffer reality. Though still blonde in hue, the white has most certainly shown up to the party in a big way; and I am okay with it.

The truth is, last week, I opened a box of that miracle box of goo, that miraculously blends away gray for about twenty washes. As I finished my personal prep to start my anti-aging façade, I looked in the mirror and put everything back into the box and back into my bathroom cabinet.

As I prepare to turn sixty in about sixty days, it is time to embrace a couple of realities that are surrounding me. 

One, you’re only as old as you feel. And two, just in case I decided waffle on my decision, I have still have that opened box of goo to remind me that I promised myself not to hide anymore.

The third is critically the most important of anything I have written here today.

When I flipped that box over, I was elated by three amazing words…

MADE IN MEXICO!

Suck on that Donald Trump, you crazy, 'manifest destiny' chasing, kook!! 

Wednesday, January 22, 2025

FROZEN FRISBEE FUN

Getting the doggo's some exercise
...during a Polar Vortex
TAKEN: JANUARY 22nd, 2025

CLICK HERE: To listen to Rhondi read you this post (via her new podcast platform)

This morning, I was on my socials, and a photographer friend of mine posted a pic of a photo shoot his was doing. His caption read, "it sure is a chilly shoot this morning! Brrrr!!"

His buddy comment immediately and pointed out that he had spelt chilly wrong. Then corrected it by saying that this week it should be spelt “F’n cold!”

I literally laughed out loud and instantly liked the comment.

Running a doggie daycare, which touts a strict schedule of daily activities, does not bode well during a Polar Vortex. Suffice it to say, the show must go on.

As you can see by the photo I am sharing, Katie and Miya were making the best of it this morning.

I don’t think I have ever shared here, that we have an older home. Though well built in the 1980’s, we are at the mercy of electric baseboard heat. So, all of the oversized windows have insulated windows coverings to help mitigate the winter expenses.

On a day like today where the mercury is stuck at -25C, I keep the curtains closed. When our 9:30am break rolled around, I knew it was too cold for my pups. So a quick zip to do their business and I got them back into the house at once.

 By lunch, my app read it was a whopping -22C outside. With the girls very antsy, I decided to try some of our regular activities to burn off some of their energy. First try, I threw the frisbee three times and got them back into the house to warm their paws.

Half hour later, I gabbed my camera to show just how obsessed these two are with retrieving.

Miya, whose rubber frisbee matches her fur coat, was all in. Katie, seen bringing up the rear in my photo, just carries her favourite pig after she retrieves. She chases Miya, bouncing and slamming her pig into her, producing a very loud series of ‘oinks’.

This week is the first time I wished I would have trained them to wear those stupid looking booties I see dogs wearing. Only booties, no coats.

If they will swim in ice water at the cottage in the fall, the last thing I need to spend money on is a wardrobe. 

The purchase of toys at WalMart and Pet Value? ABSOLUTELY.

Fashion - NEVER!

Heck, they have a fur coat... Just how many do they need?!?

Tuesday, January 7, 2025

MY MONTH OF MONDAYS


Well, after a two-week holiday hiatus, I went back to work on the 6th of January. Also referred to by yours truly as my month of Mondays; cue in the Boomtown Rats to offer some musical perspective.

Officially in my fourth year with my employer, I must admit, I have a great gig. I primarily work from home, have a synergistic relationship with my boss, and truly enjoy what I do for a living.

The only way it could be any better is if when sipping my morning coffee, I was looking out at beach sand rather than snow. As I sit and sip my morning caffeinated concoction, I am excited to write that I am really looking forward to what this new year has to offer.

My travel buddy hubby and I booked a bucket list trip to celebrate my milestone birthday in April (his is in July and still in the planning stages). I don’t know about you but there is something really special about looking forward to a new bucket list destination and ultimately another passport stamp.

This one in particular, was a decade long decision for me, as this was the only sun soaked destination I recall my mother ever mentioning that she always wanted to go. So, I’m going.

Flight is just under six hours in length and takes off out of YYZ in 89 days. It’s a Sunday departure, so only thirty-three more Mondays until we leave.

...With twenty-four of those accounting for every single day left in the month of January!

#yagottalaughaboutit