Week 26

Hello, happy Tuesday, and welcome to July!  Yikes--there is a lot happening in July every single week so I'm not sure I'm ready for all of it, but I will try to take one day at a time.

Until then, see how we ended our last full week in June:

Day 174- Monday, 6/23/25

Since we had a lot of left overs the past few days it was time to change things up a bit. I made tortellini and John make bacon wrapped shrimp for dinner paired with a nice cool salad and some cheesy bread.  It was a great way to kick of the week.

Day 174- Tuesday, 6/24/25

After doing some remote computer work today I had an afternoon annual eye exam to get my prescription updated and pick out some new frames.  They should be here next week and can't wait because I lost my current pair and am trying to survive with just readers now. I need my progressive lens back!  Later at dog training we worked on a "down stay" in the cool grass.  They had to stay for at least 2 minutes and actually all did pretty well.  They look so relaxed here.

Day 176- Wednesday, 6/25/25

Wed at work we only had one lonely sample to run today but that's ok because then there is more time to catch up on other things like fixing and boxing the slides we made last week.  Back at home we started watching season 3 of The Bear which just dropped.

Day 177- Thursday, 6/26/25

Today after work I checked out another dog boarding place that is a similar to Wag in what they offer but on a smaller scale which is more Bailey's style and at a Vet Clinic which adds an extra layer care if needed. Plus it's 1/2 the price.  I liked what I saw and the staff was great so we booked the dates for her to stay here during our Maui trip in August.  For dinner tonight it was too hot to turn on the oven but there was a nice breeze outside so John gilled some burgers for us.  Thank goodness our backyard is shaded in afternoon and evenings 

 

Day 178- Friday, 6/27/25

TGIF!  It was a super hot one today hitting triple digits and when Bailey is hot this is how she likes to lay or "splay" on the cool floors.  I also got some new flipflops delivered today that will be perfect for summer and on the beaches in Maui. 🌴

Day 179- Saturday, 6/28/25

Today I ventured out to Nugget Market so I could stock up on groceries for the week as well as 4th of July potential menu items.  Later I had some bills to pay while in the office and Rusty came to visit me.  I know he really wants me to join him on the couch but I need to get some work done first and then we can chill together.

Day 180- Sunday, 6/29/25

Today was a chore day in the morning while it was still cool out and then later it was all about pet time. Bailey and I went for a walk in the shaded park and played some ball inside under the ceiling fan while Rusty found a cool spot in a closet where he could hang with Justin.  Justin calls this Rusty's parking spot and it fits him perfectly.

That's pretty much wraps up June. Check back next week to see how we kick off July and have a happy and safe 4th!

Week 25

Welcome back and happy Tuesday! I'm getting caught up and back on track.  What a start to our summer and now we're looking at 4th of July right around the corner.  Every week in July is already booked with stuff too.  It's a lot but also a lot of good and fun things to come.

Until then here are the pictures from last week:

Day 167- Monday, 6/16/25

 I didn't have time to make it to the store over the weekend so after work today I tried to kick off the week with a shopping trip to stock up on items for meal plan options that will get us through the rest of the days.  Ideally I like avoid multiple trips to the store throughout the work week.

Day 168- Tuesday, 6/17/25

Today we are at a different type of store after work.  The Ace Hardware store in Woodland welcomed our dog training class back.  The dogs love it here and it really is a great way to help teach them to behave even with detractions.  Bailey loves the garden area and the of course the pet aisles.  Her least favorite part is the automatic door but she's getting the hang of it.

Day 169- Wednesday, 6/18/25

Wednesday at work one of my international grad students stopped by to give me a thank you gift for helping him complete his MPVM (Master of Preventative Veterinary Medicine) program.  It's a beautiful hand painted plate from his home country of Costa Rica.  That was very nice and thoughtful of him.  Then later I got to demo a new toy for the lab that has the potential to make our slide production process more efficient while helping improve ergonomics by reducing strain from repetitive motions while pipetting. 

Day 170- Thursday, 6/19/25

I was off today for the Juneteenth holiday and thankfully Rusty was adamant about helping me relax.  I also had the time to book an upcoming vacation to Maui for end of August.  We'll be staying in the Wailea area but will of course venture out to explore other parts of the island.  We've been to Oahu and Kauai but not Maui before.  Super excited!  This will be our first real vacation trip in 3 years.

  

Day 171- Friday, 6/20/25

Having yesterday off was a nice break but made for a long work day today.  We had to mass produce more slides, and because the weekend is up next, something we would normally do in 2 days had to get done all today.  First step was spinning down our antigen and now the rest is history with over 800 slides made using our new toy which took some getting used to but did help a lot once we got the hang of it.  After all that it was nice to get outside to see and feel the gorgeous day.  On my walk to the car I was able to capture a few good shots of these beautiful wild sunflowers that are now seen all over the valley--they're a sure sign of summer around here.

Day 172- Saturday, 6/21/25

This week we also got a work trip booked for end of July.  I get to present a poster for one of my grad students who has been advised not to travel out of the country (sad sign of the times), but I'm more than happy to help because this will be a fun conference to attend with a lot of our colleagues going and in an amazing cooler place to be instead of stuck here in the hot valley.  In other news, Bailey is hoping I have some leftover chicken from my lunch to share with her, but sorry pup, this bowl is empty.

Day 173- Sunday, 6/22/25

Today we were at Lafayette Reservoir for a picnic with our bay area friends.  It was a nice cooler day and we had a good spot with lots of shade right by the water.  This place is hopping on the weekends.  There is a nice paved 3 mile loop trail around the lake that a lot of people take advantage of.  It was great to see so many people of all ages out walking with their dogs, kids and friends.  We on the other hand mostly ate and drank--LOL!

That's it for now and hope to see you back next week.

Week 24

Hello!  Busy, busy times so running late with the latest post.

Here are the last week's pictures:

Day 160- Monday, 6/9/25

 It's the dawn of a new week and as I pulled into my parking spot at work the rising sun shining through the leaves caught my eye.  Later, back at home, I found Rusty napping in the office on top of the back couch cushions.  He usually naps upstairs on Justin's bed, but it's hot out this week so napping downstairs is cooler for him.

Day 161- Tuesday, 6/10/25

Today was a really long work day. I'm usually working remote Tuesdays but there is just too many things going on in person that I need to be there for and now I usually have to stay later in the day as well. At least our shipment of Babesia blood went out on time and I will get a break from that project for a few weeks anyway.  Since today was so much and so long already we had to skip puppy class in the evening but over the weekend Bailey did receive another BARK Box (someone missed the cancel date) so I opened that for her to make up for not being able to see her friends. 

Day 162- Wednesday, 6/11/25

Wednesday at work I'm back on the microscope, moving from one project to the next, and bulking up to produce antigen slides.

Day 163- Thursday, 6/12/25

Ice-cream cones are perfect for hot summer nights.  We're enjoying them while wrapping up the second season of Andor on Disney+.  Bailey quietly napping nearby being a good girl and not begging for our treats.

Day 164- Friday, 6/13/25

TGIF!  This was a long and brutal week so I'm glad it's over.  Thankfully there was a good cool breeze so I was able to Take Bailey on a nice long walk where we came across this plant in a new pretty bloom.  Justin also shared these cute pictures of Rusty with me.

Day 165- Saturday, 6/14/25

We're making the most of Father's Day weekend by taking John out to a movie today and having homemade pizza for dinner tonight.  It was great that Tyler and Lupe could join us for the movie and will be back tomorrow for a Father's Day brunch.

Day 166- Sunday, 6/15/25

Happy Father's Day!  We are so grateful for John and all he does as a dad. The boys made pancakes and sausage for a special brunch and then one had to head to work and the other was headed off to his in-laws to join their Father's Day celebration. Later, when Justin returned from work, we ended the day with a special cake for dessert.  I hope everyone else also had a great family day or weekend.

That's all and see you in a few days as we head into the the final weeks of June.

Week 23

Welcome back! Summer just started and I already feel like it's slipping away. Hopefully moving forward I can enjoy more of it.

Until then here are last week's pictures:

Day 153- Monday, 6/2/25 

After a little bit of work this morning, three of us were able to escape the lab and attend our lab assistant's wedding.  Congratulations to her and her groom! It was wonderful to experience a wedding cermony from a different culture and learn all about their traditions and rituals.

Day 154- Tuesday, 6/3/25

Tonight we had a fun and cool dog training class all done inside a large Ace Hardware store.  Our trainer got permission from the owner and staff.  They were very accommodating and super excited to have us there.  It was a great place for learning to behave around a lot of distractions and encounters with new people.  Bailey can't wait to go back.

Day 155- Wednesday, 6/4/25

After work today I had a consult with a surgeon about the ultrasound results for my hernia.  I do have one but it's too small to do anything about just yet so we'll play the waiting game and just keep an eye on it for now.  Back at home I noticed that this plant which had died over the winter and came back nicely during spring now has flowers on it again!  This is a great thing to see and hopefully a sign of more great things to come.

Day 156- Thursday, 6/5/25

Look at our pool at night!  John found this neat, solar-powered, floating projection-light that makes a fun pattern on the water after dark.  How cool is that!

 Day 157- Friday, 6/6/25

TGIF!  It's been a full week but at least there were some different and fun things going on in between my crazy and demanding work projects.  Cheers to the weekend!  We settled down after dinner with a nice cocktail and a good movie that just dropped for streaming on Prime.

Day 158- Saturday, 6/7/25

Time to go out with some friends.  We hit up a local winery first and then went to Old Sacramento on the river for some surf and turf at Joe's Crab Shack.  We'll see this same group again in a couple weeks for a different outing near where they live.

Day 159- Sunday, 6/8/25

The day or rest!  We needed it today for sure.  I had laundry going but otherwise it was a chill day hanging with the pets.

That's all for now and hopefully we'll see you back next week.