Tuesday Randomocity: OCD Dog, Golfing, and Gifting

This post is brought to you by Tuesday randomocity, as inspired by Suzanne.

1. We've had a month to review our benefits, so, of course, we waited until the last minute to do so.  I got a super romantic text from my husband yesterday morning that said "benefits after work" as if we were planning a hot, sexy date.  Unfortunately, we instead just sat at the dining room table running numbers, looking up retirement accounts, and quizzing each other on the state of our respective health savings accounts.  If you want to know what it's like to be an adult, come check out our household in mid-October. (We actually both get the "single" plan for health and dental because it's cheaper than if we did a "family" plan. Couples without children really get screwed, but I guess that's the way of it. We're forever subsidizing children, which is as it should be, I suppose.)

2. Normally when I take Hannah the Dog for a walk in the afternoon, it's an easy process. The dog and cat hang out in the mudroom all morning together because there's lots of sun there and it's easy to forget we even have pets, but between 1-3pm, the dog will come and put her head on my knee and that's my cue that we have got to leave for a walk. Because the cat is typically still in the mudroom somewhere, the dog puts her snout in the cat's belly (which, as you can imagine, Zelda adores), we put on the dog's harness and my shoes, and we're off.

Yesterday, this sort of happened. Mid-afternoon, the dog put her head on my knee.  I wandered out to the mudroom, got the dog dressed, but then Hannah started wandering around the house, somewhat agitatedly.  You see, Zelda the Cat was NOT in the mudroom and Hannah had to complete the ritual belly nuzzling.  I called Hannah to my side and we searched the house until we found Zelda in the rocking chair.  Zelda's belly was properly slobbered on, Hannah was no longer freaking out, and we went on our walk.

How neurotic must I be that we now have created an absolutely OCD dog?  What have I done to her? She can't even enjoy a walk without completing all the necessary steps beforehand.  (I will not tell you about our bedtime routine, but it is similarly filled with steps that MUST BE DONE or bed will not happen.)

3. My husband has, in the course of the last five months, become a stereotypical middle-aged man. He recently bought a robe. It's made of sweatshirt material and it's flannel lined and it's super warm and I'm not going to lie, I'm super envious of the thing, but it's as if he's turned into Paul Sinha from Taskmaster. Decidedly nerdy. (After I sent him the text about how we were going to be really romantic after work yesterday doing the benefits crap, he sent me a text that he would wear his robe for the full effect.)

If you haven't watched Taskmaster, this means nothing to you. Paul Sinha is hilarious, the show is hilarious, and you should go watch it right now.

Dr. BB has also taken up golfing.  Yes. Two or three times a week, he puts on real pants and a collared shirt and goes to do a round of golf or he goes to a driving range to "hit a bucket of balls," which sounds filthy, but I'm pretty sure is not. I don't know how this happened.  He has always had a bag of hand-me-down clubs from his dad and he would golf for family events, but suddenly he was buying new putters (?), foam golf balls, and a golf towel. I didn't even know a golf towel was a thing. I guess, as far as mid-life crises goes, this is an acceptable one, but where did it even come from? 

4. I have decided that I would like to be mostly done with holiday shopping by the end of October. I'm worried about supply chain issues and shipping delays and so, without further ado, let me tell you about gift giving.

A. Things I've recently added to my Amazon wishlist to make my own life easier. All of these are things that would really make my life easier, but that I will never spend my own money on.

Shampoo brush that is both economical and I have been convinced will rid me of oily hair.

A two-sided jigsaw puzzle. Imagine the hours of frustrating fun this could bring.

 New mittens for the dogwalking. Look, I got a very  nice pair of gloves last Christmas and promptly lost one of the gloves within two weeks, so I'm not sure I'm responsible enough for this gift, but I do really think it could make walking the dog more bearable.

Harney and Sons pumpkin spice tea because not being allowed caffeine sucks and I want a PSL just like everyone else, but must deny myself. I've heard this is a pretty good substitute.

This wobble cushion that apparently helps you do better at sitting at your desk - it improves posture and balance.  

New can opener. I've struggled with our can opener since I broke my thumb and it hasn't healed right. Wirecutter says this is the best one, so that's what's on my list. 

Cookie scoop. Does it even need to be said why I want this?

Folding travel yoga mat. I've decided that I'm going to leave my house in 2022 and I'd like to have a convenient way of doing yoga on the road.

Infinity earrings. On my wedding night, I somehow lost my favorite pair of earrings ever. I have been searching for a replacement pair ever since. More than a decade later, people. 

Rechargeable hand warmer. Look, I'm not going to lie to you. I already have one. I've had this second one on my list for more than one year, but I'd like a second one so that I can have one for each hand.  It gets cold walking the dog, yo.

Towel warmer because our downstairs bathroom is not insulated and it's super cold in there in the winter. There is NO WAY I'd pay this price, but I do think it would increase my quality of life greatly if someone else wanted to buy it for me.

The 99% Invisible City book because I am a Roman Mars fan.

B. Things I'm considering for other folks on my list. I try to avoid food and drink since those types of gifts are not appreciated in our house (so FRAUGHT when Dr. BB's co-workers give us homemade granola, you know what I mean?). Without a bottle of wine or homemade treats as an option, things get tough with gift giving sometimes.  Here are my preliminary thoughts.

Bombas socks.  I have traditionally been a fan of SmartWool and Darn Tough, but for boring reasons, I think I'm going to get lots of people Bombas socks this year.  I love socks and I don't care if these are stereotypical lame gifts.

Ceramic dog ring dish. I just think it's cute.

Hand cream set because who here isn't washing their hands a million times a day?

Washi tape set for my crafty friends. I don't actually know what one does with washi tape, but it seems really popular, doesn't it? 

Fineliner pens. I love school supplies, so I'm always up for a set of great pens. 

Colored mechanical pencils. They come in colors!  

Thermopop digital thermometer for the home cooks in your life. 

Heated apparel. This base layer would be nice for dog walks, winter outdoor sporting events, and cool evenings when you're holding book club outside.  Man, maybe this should be on MY list.

Nice journal for the writerly types in your life. This one comes in a lot of colors and types of paper, so it's pretty customizable. 

Neck and back massager. Now that I'm getting older, this is exactly the kind of thing I want.

Double oven glove. Do you ever watch the Great British Bake-Off and lust after their oven gloves? No more. You can have your own. Throw in some kitchen towels and you're all set. 

Customizable self-care kit.  A lot of these self-care kits are all about long, luxurious baths, but I think that presupposes a lot about the habits of your loved ones. I like that this kit can be customized for the receiver.