Week 39

Hello and welcome back! Here we are at another Tuesday. Things are a bit slow around here these days but soon to pick up as we head into a new month with new projects in the works. Our air quality has been hit or miss. There are still older fires burning and depending on the wind we can have beautiful days or hazy ugly days plus this past weekend some new fires north and south of us have started that make matters worse. That clean air was great while it lasted.  If you have it where you are don't take it for granted. Take a deep breath and enjoy the freshness. We're hoping and praying to be there some day soon again.

Here are last week's pictures:

Day 265- Monday 9/21/20

Thank goodness he likes to pump gas because I'm not a fan--perks of having a student driver.

Day 266- Tuesday, 9/22/20

I guess Rusty is the gatekeeper today.  I'm not sure what the password is but I'm pretty sure a small treat will help grant my entry.

Day 267- Wednesday, 9/23/20

Happy Birthday to Tyler!  He's 22 today and we had a nice family party with pizza, cake, and presents.  What a treat to actually have him home on his birthday this year--four years without while he was away at college was too long.

Day 268- Thursday, 9/24/20

This was our best air day all week and it was gorgeous out!  I haven't really seen the sky so blue and any wispy clouds like this for a couple months now.  It was also a perfect day for an evening out with the work girls.  Thankfully there were many places with outdoor seating for us to choose from.  It was a good time for all and what a treat to actually be able to go out.

Day 269- Friday, 9/25/20

Today was a busy and bustling day at work in the lab but worth getting it done early so I could get home and start my weekend.  TIGF and cheers to us! Our movie for the night was The Secret with a wonderful reminder to keep thinking positive and not to let the negative stuff weigh you down.  Thanks also for the drinks babe--they help improve one's perspective too 😄

Day 270- Saturday, 9/26/20

This is finally happening.  Time to renovate our upstairs bathrooms.  We ventured out today looking for ideas and ended up selecting the tile for our master bath.  So many decisions to make but at least it's fun stuff and not decisions about home improvements we can't actually see or enjoy.

Day 271- Sunday, 9/27/20

Finally Tyler gets to shelve all these books and take his test today!  His MCAT was reschedule multiple times due to COVID but at least that gave him extra study time so he is overly prepared and has got this!  His test started at 2pm and won't be done until after 9pm.  It's a grueling 7hr test and while he powers through that we get to enjoy grilled burgers and dogs for dinner tonight all the while missing and thinking of him of course!  In other news we pray for more fire victims as the Glass fire burns near and around the Napa valley area  (photo credit Kent Porter, The Press Democrat).  It's been such a horrible fire year and sadly I'm sure we're not done yet.  Hopefully this will at least help bring much needed management changes so we can all stay safe during future fire seasons.

Wait!  One more:

September's Family Photo

Taken on a beautiful fall evening in the backyard over the weekend.  Can't wait until Justin can join us again.

OK!  All done!  Hope to see you back next week.

Week 38

Welcome back and happy Tuesday!  We're finally able to breathe decent air, see blue sky, feel bright sun, and open windows without getting ash everywhere.  It definitely helps lift everyone's spirits but as you'll see it took us most the week to get there. 

Here's what last week looked like:

Day 258- Monday, 9/14/20

Mondays are always though days to pull dinner together but thankfully today we had grilled chicken leftover from the weekend that made baking these chimichangas quick and easy for a win.

Day 259- Tuesday, 9/15/20

I'm working on destressing and getting myself back in shape--more toned and more flexible.  Yoga seems to be the best option lately and easier on the joints than other types of workouts.  Outside we are still struggling with unhealthy air which means we stay cooped up in the house more than we'd like.  That orange sky and partially blocked sun is getting old. 

Day 260- Wednesday, 9/16/20

Brandon helped me run errands after work and school so he can practice driving more.  He usually hates to run errands so it's actually kind of nice having him want that now plus we have the best conversations while he's driving so it's good quality time.  The sky was a bit better for a couple hours today including while we were out, but then as the sun started to set we lost the clear light and picked up that orange tint again which is something we've grown to dislike.

Day 261- Thursday, 9/17/20

Here we go!  This is the best day we've had in well over a month.  Everything looks and smells so fresh and bright.  The sun even feels better on the skin.  Game changer for sure!

Day 262- Friday, 9/18/20

Swap out  those skater shoes for work boots son.  It's time for another shift.  On the days he works I'm just getting home before he's getting ready to leave so we really only see him on his days off.  In other news we are saddened at the loss of Ruth Bader Ginsburg.  She was a force to be reckoned with and no doubt paved the way for all women and who they've become today.  If you haven't seen the movie about her life, On the Basis of Sex, I highly recommend it.  RIP Notorious RBG.  Photo credit Reuters.

Day 263- Saturday, 9/19/20

I finished my beautiful Greece 1000 piece puzzle today!!  When I got it I thought I'd never finish it before we'd be done with the pandemic. Maybe I should start another?  Nope!  I'd rather travel and see this place in person so hopefully that will happen someday soon.  Oh and look how happy the cat is to have our house windows open again.  He's soaking in all the sights and smells and feels that's been missing for far too long. 

Day 264- Sunday, 9/20/10

It's laundry day and when I was upstairs collecting clothes in Brandon's room I spied this pile on the floor that is just so him right now- a sign of the times for sure.  Then there are the pets who just can't get enough of the dirty laundry piles.  They both gravitate here every week and put themselves right in the thick of it.

That's it!  See you next week.

Week 37

Welcome back and happy Tuesday!  Last week with even more fires igniting here in California and then in Oregon and Washington it has been and is still pretty crazy with the smoke and hazardous conditions up and down our western coast.  We're all hoping this can end soon and that there will be no more.  Maybe it will at least spark a change in how our forests are managed and get some laws reversed that are preventing that change from happening. We can't continue to do this year after year.  It's been a month now and I'm looking forward to the day when I can open our windows, take a walk, and see the sun shine bright as I breathe in fresh air--hopefully soon. 

Here are last week's pictures:

Day 251- Monday, 9/7/20

Happy Labor Day!  We spent it inside because the air is not safe out there.  Good thing we got some pool time in and yard work done Saturday.  John did at least prepare a grilled surf and turf feast for us complete with fresh made potato salad and the we had brownie sundaes for dessert so we made the most of it.

Day 252- Tuesday, 9/8/20

I'm usually working remote on Tuesdays but because yesterday was a holiday I had to come into feed my cultures today and run some serology tests for a project that can't wait.

Day 253- Wednesday, 9/9/20

This was the day where the sky was really orange for pretty much everyone on the west coast.  I was on campus again and it was very eerie out.  The pictures from Oregon and San Francisco were insane- seemed very apocalyptic.  What a crazy day!  Later I was happy that our Booster's meeting was virtual and I could just sit through it and sip my wine to help me unwind.

Day 254- Thursday, 9/10/20

This is the first day in about 2 months that I have worn my hair down.  I finally got a haircut over the weekend and touched up the color so now it has more movement and shape.  I missed the first round of openings and regret having to wait for the second opening which just happened.  The sky is still a mess but not as orange this evening.  The purplish hue somehow is more calming even though I know it's still unhealthy.  We have to wear the N95 masks if were out in it too long.

Day 255- Friday, 9/11/20

TGIF!  Time for some popcorn and a movie.  We streamed the Liam Neeson Tuscany one with his real life son.  It was actually a great feel-good movie with beautiful scenery--perfect way to escape the weeks events.  And then there was the cat who likes the popcorn and was relentless with the begging.  LOL!

Day 256- Saturday, 9/12/20

Gotta love the slow weekend morning starts.  As I was making a warm drink I noticed the interesting shadows on the counter with the soft light.  It's been a lot darker here these days with the sun blocked by the smoke.  In the afternoon Tyler enjoyed playing some video games to relax and unwind.  He's getting used to working 12 hr night shifts usually 3 pm to 3 am but didn't get home this morning until 5:30 am.  I'm pretty sure he just woke up about an hour ago at 2 pm.  He doesn't seem to mind though and is liking his job so far.

Day 257- Sunday, 9/13/20

John's a happy boy because football is starting again and the 49ers played today.  Sadly they did not win but at least they played.  The game was almost called off because of the air quality.  Yes, it's still bad and probably will be for a couple more weeks. 😟  Bella and I hung out in another room to watch something else beside sports.  She's a great companion and always by one of our sides.

That's it!  See you next week.

Week 36

Welcome back and happy Tuesday. Unfortunately we are back to the smoke and heat here which makes it hard to do anything except be stuck inside which gets real old real quick. Hoping things are better for all real soon and praying for those in the direct path of those fires.

Here are last week's pictures:

Day 244- Monday 8/31/20

Gotta love good leftovers on a Monday that make dinner super easy.  These are Korean beef street tacos that are perfect for a quick cool summer meal.  It's actually nice out today with mild temps and clear skies so after dinner I enjoyed a little time out back poolside before the sun set.

Day 245- Tuesday, 9/1/20

It's a new month and Tyler just started his new job.  He's headed out on day 2 of training complete with his new uniform and badge.

Day 246- Wednesday, 9/2/20

I'm done with everything but the blue pieces and there are still a lot of those that all look the same so it might be a few more weeks.  LOL!  Hoping to finish before the end of the month.

Day 247- Thursday, 9/3/20

Got a new book in the mail today so yeah that puzzle may take even longer than I thought. I heard about this one on the news last week and wanted to see what all the fuss is about.  

Day 248- Friday, 9/4/20

TGIF!  Bella was wanting to play out back this afternoon so I let her do that and then did a small photo shoot with her.  We didn't stay out long though because we're starting another heat wave so it's HOT and will be for the next few days.  At least a refreshing cocktail can help cool us down and unwind to relax for the weekend.

Day 249- Saturday, 9/5/20

Ugh!  The Heat--106 today and 111 expected next 2 days.  Our bananas always turn way too fast in warm weather but we can use them to make banana bread so we did. Rusty is also not a fan of this weather.  The boys however know how to beat it and enjoyed cooling off after dinner in the pool.

Day 250- Sunday, 9/6/20

Sadly more fires in California started burning this weekend and we are dealing with smokey skies plus extreme heat so there really wasn't much going on today.  It was unhealthy to be outside so I finished up this project I started awhile back.  I already had the recreation picture of Tyler and Brandon with Bella and just got Justin's before he headed back to school so today I put them side by side with the same picture take about 10 years ago with her.  It's cool to see how they've all grow and changed in that time.  Seems like yesterday when we first brought Bella home.  I'll have these printed and give a copy to each of the kids.

That's it.  See you next week hopefully with clearer skies and cooler temps.