Friday Randomness
The Return of Fabulous Fridays
Let’s start with the excellent news that Fabulous Fridays are back! Technically, they never went away. In past years, either the CEO or HR sent an email telling us that the perk of a 4 day work week was continuing. When we heard NOTHING this year, our boss decided to err on the side of caution, and told us to work 5 8-hour days instead of 4 10s. So we worked last Friday, and we noticed that gosh, most people were not around, so our boss checked with HR, and it looks like it’s a manager discretion type thing, so YAY! Back to having Fridays off! Working on Friday last week wasn’t so bad, but that 2 day weekend! ACK! I don’t know how people do it. And btw, there are things I love about my company, but their communication with employees is often lacking.
Hormones are Fun
I was thinking about hormones and the changes they wreak upon us yesterday, and I remembered a song I like, Hormones, by Tracy Thorn. I have written about this song before, when her album Love and Its Opposite came out, but that was 2010. Hormones is her ode to being in peri-menopause while her daughter is going through puberty, and what an especially fun and special confluence that is. I love Tracy Thorn, her voice is so lush, and her lyrics speak to me.
Taco Breath
My current exercise schedule is 5 days of weights with Caroline Girven via YouTube, 7 days of Yoga with Adriene via YouTube, and 6-7 days of morning walks. Wednesday was legs with CG, and a longer/tougher Yoga as well, so I was happy when yesterday was rest day for CG (aka, no weights), and Yoga was a simple breath practice. She called it Sitali Pranayama, or ‘Taco Breath’, and said it is very handy when you’re feeling pissy or hangry or something. Really, it’s a way to slow your roll and similar to counting to 10. Handy trick to have in traffic or dealing with toddlers (or teens, or your own hormonal self even).
My BFF is the BFE (Best Friend Ever)
OK, this is a cluttered picture and our lawn sign dominates, but look at the little citrus tree my BFF sent me! It’s a Mandarin tree, so in a couple of years I should get little oranges that I can share with our neighbors. I don’t remember what variety of Mandarin it is, but I’m looking forward to seeing it grow. It’s supposed to be able to stay in the pot, no need to put it in the ground, which is good because our ground is shit for growing things. (It’s clay, and in the back yard we border huge eucalyptus trees that leach the ground of water and nutrients.)
Abundance
Speaking of lemons (were we?), our neighbor has a lemon tree and gave us a bunch of beautiful Meyer lemons. Then Ted’s brother gave us a bunch of lemons from his tree. Suddenly, we have an abundance of lemons. (This picture has some limes, which I buy for Maya’s gin and tonic, and also for tacos, and some oranges, which another neighbor gave us.) I could make lemonade, but it’s not really lemonade weather. Instead, I will juice them, and freeze the juice in ice trays, so I have measured portions whenever I need them. I mostly use lemon juice for our favorite balsamic salad dressing.
Saying Goodbye
Tomorrow we are going to the funeral for my Great Aunt Flo, who died in October at the age of 100. I am thinking this will be the last time that I see some of my family, and I’m relieved at the idea. Others I would be happy to see, but will we make the effort? Likely not, the only time we see each other has historically been around seeing my Grandma and my Great-Aunt. Others I will definitely see, we are both family and friends, which brings me joy. This picture is, from L-R, Baby Florence, mom Lillian, toddler Virginia (my Grandma), and dad Percy. Aunt Flo was born in 1924, so I’m guessing this picture was taken in 1925. I’m bringing a big box of Sees candy to the luncheon, as that was her favorite. There will be no soft centers in sight, she was strictly a Nuts and Chews gal.
I hope you’re having a fabulous Friday, and that you have a long weekend ahead in commemoration of Martin Luther King day.
16 Comments
Sarah
yay to fab fridays!
I love that family picture, and the no soft centers made me smile. I hope this weekend is lovely and her memory is a blessing.
J
Thank you Sarah! Fab Fridays are the best!
nance
Those baby shoes! My grandmother had so many just like them in bronze at her house. Theo is walking now in just bare feet or socks with rubberized gripper dots on the soles.
I am jealous–but not in an Ugly Way–of your citrus tree and citrus gifts. All of our trees are naked and snowy and look miserable. I’d be making lemonade anyway with the Meyers. They’re gorgeous.
Hooray for your Fridays Off again! Here’s to your Aunt Flo, who lived long and eschewed soft centres, sinking her teeth into Life and getting all the flavour she could out of it.
J
Thank you Nance! Yeah, both Grandma and Aunt Flo loved the Nuts and Chews, even when their teeth were not great with it, they didn’t care. And I know, the SHOES! So sweet. And little Theo is toddling around being adorable!
Maya
That family photo is so beautiful, especially the expression of the babies. I will be thinking of that baby’s expression as you say goodbye… Take tender care of yourself this weekend, J!
J
Thank you Maya! That expression was one we often saw on Aunt Flo’s face! And my Grandma’s face is definitely an expression we saw a lot too.
AC
We lived in an oil refinery town. It was quite a deal when they offered their workers Happy Fridays. That was in the 70s if you can beleive it. It wasn’t every week, but I can’t remember the rotation. Your deal made me think of it, but I don’t think they had to increase other hours to get that perk.
Your exercise regime is quite impressive. You are quite dedicated. Good for you.
J
I love the Happy Friday perk! We’ve had the 4 day work week for 2 1/2 years now, and at first it was a 32 hour work week, but eventually they changed it to 40.
Ally Bean
Lemons!!! You know that makes me happy. I’m glad Happy Friday is back. Seems like a sensible plan to me. I know you were fond of your Great Aunt Flo, I bet her service with be wonderfully meaningful. Happy MLK Day!
J
Thanks Ally! I’m looking forward to seeing some of my family, resigned to the rest. LOL.
Margaret
That’s a great picture! I know what you mean about family. There are many on my late husband’s side that I’ve written off. That’s so many lemons! I wouldn’t know what to do with them since I’m not a fan of lemon desserts. I do like lemonade and Arnold Palmers but as you said, it’s not the weather for them. Yay for Fab Fridays!
J
I’m happy to say that the family member I dislike the most will not be there. YAY! Perhaps she is afraid to face the rest of us, after all of her bad deeds.
Alexandra
I’m a little envious of the lemons and thinking about somewhere warm and sunny as it is, once again, snowing here in Quebec City. *sigh* it is winter after all … and how wonderful to have old photos of favoured family members. I have a lovely one of my gran and her mother that I treasure.
J
I love this picture too! And yes, this is a LOT of lemons. Thankfully we have a juicer, so I will be freezing lemon juice later this weekend.
Nicole MacPherson
I’m sorry about your aunt.
Your memes made me laugh so much today, thanks for that. And yay for your Fridays off!
Why is it taco breath? I’m sure this is NOT it, but I just imagined someone with bad breath.
J
LOL, I was imagining someone whose breath smelled like tacos too! It’s taco breath because you roll your tongue up like a taco shell. (If you can, I cannot roll my tongue.)