Now What?

W e enjoyed a truly lazy Saturday. I slept until 8:30 a.m. which is rare. Ozan sauntered downstairs at 11 a.m.  The kids enjoyed a morning of video games. I decided grocery shopping will happen tomorrow, so I made my list for the week.  I am keeping a mental checklist of all the renovation work happening over the next few weeks. The painters will continue painting next week and putting up the wall colors (so exciting!).  Have you seen my color palette? I wanted soft neutrals throughout the house, but after many trials and errors spending too much time and money on sample paint pints, I had to call the experts. I needed to end my endless struggle of finding the perfect gray and deciphering undertones of blue, purple or green. I hired a paint consultant and it was the best $125 I've ever spent. This woman got my vibe and reassured me that staying neutral and repeating some of the same colors in other rooms was OK. For example, I am using the same gray in both the kitche...

Anyone else glad that March is almost over? Today is Friday and marks the end of the second full week of working from home. TGIF takes on a very different meaning when you are socially isolated. I am craving weekend plans. And by plans, I mean going out to a Mexican restaurant for margaritas with friends. Now my plans may include a quick trip to Market Basket clad in gloves. .  I got a call this morning from Casey, the rep at Ferguson's plumbing. He called really early and included me on an impromptu conference call with the UPS rep. What a golden opportunity to actually talk to a human at UPS. I practically froze with my cell phone against my ear trying to both understand the UPS woman's heavy Spanish accent while praying my call would not drop. Needless to say, the news was not great. They apologized for taking so long to handle my claim (well beyond the 8-10 day window) and assured me that I would hear back soon. I was then added to the claim communication, whereby I would...

That's code for Move minus 29 days and counting. I am going to take each day in stride and try to accomplish one small thing each day as we march to the Move. Today, I called Ferguson's to get an update on an open claim with UPS. We ordered 2 sets of Grohe faucets for our master bath back in February and never received them. UPS claimed the package was delivered to our house and handed to a woman. Since I was at work that day, and none of the construction guys were at the house, we are not quite sure about this mysterious woman.. The claim has been going on for 2 weeks. I've been dealing with Casey at Ferguson's, and at least he's been responsive, even though he reported that there have been no updates.  I just want my money back. I also mailed in my commuter pass for April to get reimbursed. I wonder how much of a windfall C-19 will bring? Today was a long day. Work was busy and I'm finding it draining to be on calls all day long. Top Chef All Stars LA is on ...

We made it to 2018! I actually told my mom on Christmas day that I'm thankful our family is together for another Christmas (and that we're all alive!). Maybe it's the Italian in me, or I'm just getting older. Now, about this new year. I don't do resolutions because they don't work. However, I do reflect on the past year and make a few "adjustments" going into the new year (for starters, writing a blog post!). I do feel rejuvenated and ready to make some changes in my life -- small but hopefully meaningful. Change has to take you out of your comfort zone for it to have impact. So, I'll share a few of my 2018 pledges to betterment and will check back in February to monitor progress. 1. Get Ready for Bed Earlier I decided to start my nighttime ritual of brushing teeth and washing up when my kids are getting ready for bed (rather than at 11 p.m. and half asleep), with the intent of kicking a few bad habits. Brushing my teeth earlier will preven...

Musings of ways to make time pass when visiting in-laws in foreign country (in my case, Turkey in middle of summer) when you would rather be somewhere else, like Italy. If you get me, you will get it. 1. When the heat is up, turn the AC ON (dial it up to # 26) 2. Bring your laptop (endless options and huge time killer) 3. Your smartphone is your friend (load up your kindle app with easy summer reads, text friends begging for mercy and positive thoughts) 4. Sleep in (waste the entire morning in bed, makes the day go by faster) 5. Escape to the bedroom during the day-- which has AC. (take afternoon nap while everyone else minds your kids (and husband) 6. Late afternoon trip to the sea (good to kill those agonizing late afternoon hours before dinner like 4pm-7pm Turkish time) 7. Fold clothes (when the clothes have reached premium stiffness from hanging out in the Aegean heat, fold em up and put away) 8. Periodically check the weather, like hourly (especially when there...

I am a New Englander, born and raised in Providence, Rhode Island. I've lived in the Boston area for more than half my life now and I detest New England winters. I hate the cold. I find it annoying to bundle up with many layers to walk outside, making it "bearable." I loathe the unpredictable winter weather. Wintery mixes, sub-zero wind chills, and the random 60-degree teaser all make for an enjoyable (insert sarcasm) three months. I have Raynaud's syndrome, a circulation disorder that makes my extremities numb. Though I don't have seasonal affective disorder, the early morning and late afternoon darkness feel like evil bookends compressing the day. Over myriad winters, I've endured by making myself socially active despite the cold. After all, misery loves company, right? I've trained for four Boston Marathons in horrendous winter weather, including blizzards where my eyelashes carried chunks of ice during long runs. I survived the ...

Truth: Monday's suck. I honestly, and quite naively, thought I had today (Monday) by the balls. Last night (Sunday) I put on my A game. I made the kids' lunches (which included fruit, just saying), prepped my coffee pot, filled a bowl with quick oats for the morning and took out my Pilates clothes for the 6 a.m. class. I checked the forecast one last time. Early morning snow to rain by the morning commute. No snow pants needed for school this Monday! At 10:30 p.m. I nestled my weary body into the cool flannel sheets and launched into dream land. Around 3:30 a.m. I heard a loud, thunderous roar and thought it must be a rain storm. Then I heard the dreaded scrapping sound of tow trucks along my street and thought the unthinkable. Snow. I got up and peered through my dusty venetian shades and saw the offending powder form a billowy blanket over my lawn. As a New Englander, I should be immune to snow and wintry mixes. Hell, I trained for four Boston marathons in far worse condition...