Showing posts with label quarterly goals. Show all posts
Showing posts with label quarterly goals. Show all posts

Tuesday, October 06, 2026

2026 Goals, Q3 Update

It's the most fabulous time of the quarter in which I update you on how well or how poorly my 2026 quarterly goals are going. And I do mean poorly. I am STRUGGLING over here. 


******************
At least one trip with Dr. BB and Hannah 
You know what? I don't think this is going to happen.
 
At least two trips with friends 
August: I went to Indy with TJC to see Garth!



At least two trips to Michigan to visit my high school friends 
Ooops. I don't even have a plan. I should have a plan. 

Go to a fitness class I've never gone to before
July: I went to a Pilates class as part of my town's Book Fair. 

Make homemade ice cream
July: I made some vanilla ice cream and took it to my book club. 

Become a regular reader of at least five new blogs in 2026
July: I added one blog, but deleted a blog off my blogroll that seems to be inactive. 
August: No progress. 
September: No progress. I'm sort of hoping NaBloPoMo will introduce me to new blogs in November. 

Leave an average of five blog comments on other blogs every day 
July: 20/30 days - I am not so good at this. 
August - 15/31 days - Egads.
September - 15/30 days 

Send at least five postcards every month
July: I sent five cards to graduating seniors on my caseload, a high school graduation card to a friend's daughter, three birthday cards, one just because card, a bill, and one package. No postcards, but I felt good about my mail this month. 
August: I sent two giveaway packages, tiny books to five bloggers, a thank you note, a birthday card, a sympathy card, and some stickers to a friend. This feels like the spirit of the goal. 
September: My records indicate I literally sent not a single piece of mail in September. Zero. This might be an all-time low. (In October I've already sent a card, so I'm already doing better this month.)

Track how many people come to yoga at the student union during lunchtime
July: We met seven times - twice it was just me, four times there were two people, and once there were three people. 
August: We met pretty irregularly (there are issues with the room) - 4, 3, 3, 1, 2. 
September: Also a pretty irregular schedule, but things are more normal in October. 2, 2, 4, 5, 4. 

Use a new journal to track goals, plan out the year, and take time to notice things I'm grateful for 
July: Yes! It's fun to do a line of gratitude daily.
August: It really is fun. 
September: Still keeping on, even though sometimes it's hard. I could use the planning ahead more often, but I'm trying. 

Take a good photo every week and print them out once a quarter and add these photos to the journal. 
July: Done. I had so many photos to choose from!
August: Yes!
September: I have them ordered and just need to pick them up. 

Take photo of five places at least once a month 
July: Whoops. I did 3/5. LOL. I'll have to get back to it in August. 
August: 4/5 - Not too shabby. Ha. 
September: 5/5 - I ended strongly. 

September! I got them all!


Pay myself and charity first 
Honestly, who did January NGS think she was?

Reread 
July: I relistened to Dungeon Crawler Carl. 
August: Nope. 
September: I listened to Assassin's Apprentice. Still so good!

Do a buddy read
August: Sarah and I read Cleanup on Aisle Five!

Gratitude practice
July: Every day!
August: Still doing it!
September: Yes!

Be consistent in working out (at least 80% of days of 30 days of intentional movement) 
July: 24/31 (77.4%) days of 30 minutes or more
August: 20/31 (64.5%) days of 30 minutes or more
September: 20/30 (66.7%) days of 30 minutes or more

Spend 750 hours outside
July: 56 hours, 29 minutes
August: 38 hours, 25 minutes
September: 45 hours, 16 minutes

Get on the same page as my husband about home repairs, investments, and a will 
July: LOL. 
August: We talked about a will. For about thirty seconds. 
September: I...am a bad adult. 

Do two more iterations of CBBC on my blog 
Nothing in this quarter, but will run one starting in October. 

Date night with Dr. BB every month 
July: We went to a Fourth of July parade. We went to a fundraiser at our local community center and to book trivia. 
August: I do not know that we did this. 
September: Why are we so bad at this? 


*******************
Just July goals:
Repot two of my office plants - I immediately forgot about this goal as soon as I typed it. 
Text at least one person a day (other than my husband) - I 100% did this! I loved this goal. I texted people who I normally wouldn't just because I was thinking about them. 
Clean out the photo gallery on my phone (rollover goal) - I've done nothing! It's worse now than ever. 
Finish journal project through 2021 (rollover goal) - Done. 
Take a photo a day and post it on the old bloggo - I mean, mixed results. Most days anyway. 

Just August goals:
Repot two of my office plants (rollover goal): Obviously not. 
Finish journal project through the first six months of 2022: I did this! I'm actually all the way through November, so I only have one more month of the entire year to go. 
Clean out the photo gallery on my phone (rollover goal): I have only added to the problem. 
Make plans to see my high school friends in Michigan before the end of the year: These plans are not made. 

Just September goals:
Repot two of my office plants (rollover goal): Those poor plants are still neglected.
Finish 2022 and 2023 of journal project: I DID IT!
Clean out the photo gallery on my phone (rollover goal): Um. I did go through some of my photo gallery on my phone while I was on endless planes. I'm down to about 1600 photos, which is down from close to 4000. So that's something, although it's still too unwieldy. 
Make plans to see my high school friends in Michigan before the end of the year: I did not do this. 

*******************

Who else is limping to the end of the year with their goals? 

Friday, October 02, 2026

September 2026 Accountability Buddy

It was another rough month for me over here, but I will be accountable. There was Labor Day and a conference in Philly and...80% just didn't happen. 

****************
Tuesday, September 1
45-minute body blast class at the community center after work - It was like a million degrees and 95% humidity. I did not ration my water correctly. LOL

Wednesday, September 2
9 minutes of a 15 minute stretch class - I had to start late because a meeting ran over. 
45-minute yoga class at the community center after work

Thursday, September 3
30-minute yoga video at the student union during lunchtime 

Friday, September 4 - Monday, September 7
Labor Day - There was a lot of activity, but no formal workouts

Tuesday, September 8
30-minute no repeat full body supersets - When you don't lift for a week, your body is stupid. I AM INVINCIBLE. (I may not be able to lift my arms tomorrow.)

Wednesday, September 9
15-minute stretch class at lunchtime*
20-minute no repeat strength and conditioning workout

Thursday, September 10
60-minute Zumba class after work - SO MUCH FUN. I pay the price because my leg will hurt tomorrow, but YOLO. 

Friday, September 11
15-minute stretch class at lunchtime

Saturday, September 12
30-minute new moon yoga - Look, sometimes your balance and flexibility are terrible, especially when you haven't done yoga in more than a week. 

Sunday, September 13
30 minute total body and abs 

Monday, September 14
30-minute yoga video at the student union during lunchtime 

Tuesday, September 15
45-minute Body Blast class at the community center after work

Wednesday, September 16
15-minute stretch class at lunchtime
10-minute Japanese walking - possibly the most boring video on the internet
20-minute functional full body and core workout - I used 7.5 pounds for everything except deadbugs when I switched to 5 pounds. 

Thursday, September 17
30-minute yoga video at the student union during lunchtime

Friday, September 18
30-minute balance exercises - I really like this video for this purpose. I don't have time to workout tonight after work, so this was what I could do unobtrusively in my office at lunchtime. 

Saturday, September 19 - Sunday, September 20
Days off

Monday, September 21
37-minute morning yoga flow
Hotel room yoga.

Tuesday, September 22
30-minute bedtime yoga - It really did feel good after sitting in a conference all day and then walking and walking. 

Wednesday, September 23
Day off

Thursday, September 24
30-minute yoga video at the student union during lunchtime 

Friday, September 25
15-minute stretch class at lunchtime

Saturday, September 26
Day off

Sunday, September 27
45-minute yardwork - pulling, dragging, wanting to cry

Monday, September 28
30-minute yoga video at the student union during lunchtime 

Tuesday, September 29
30-minute bodyweight bootcamp - Sheesh. It had been quite some time. 

Wednesday, September 30

****************
Totals: 20/30 (66.7%) days of 30 minutes or more
Yoga: 11 days
Strength/cardio: 9 days
Short stretch classes at lunchtime: 4.5
****************
*Our local healthcare organization does free stretch classes virtually three times a week. Sign up here! It's free. It's fun. We regularly talk about candy and what's for lunch. It's a delightful break in the middle of the day. You do not have to have your camera on. She has the classes out there for the rest of the year, so you'd only have to register ONCE. 

****************
How are your fitness goals going as we head into the final quarter of the year? 

Thursday, October 01, 2026

September 2026 Books Read

It's not a huge list this month, but I'm reading a couple of doorstops (one physical book and one audiobook that's more than 32 hours long), so my reading came to an abrupt halt at the end of the month, but I am still reading, just not finishing. Not yet.

****************



9/4: Lady Tremaine by Rachel Hochhauser (library, 2026) - Interesting retelling of the Cinderella tale from the stepmother's perspective, but it didn't completely work for me. 3/5 stars

9/7: Habits of the Sea by Shea Ernshaw (library, 2026) - Just two people on an island by themselves. 3.5/5 stars

9/11: We Were Forbidden by Jacqueline Harpman (library, 2026) - Sometimes you just need to sink into some depressing literary short stories. 4/5 stars

9/11: Sea of Charms (Spellshop #3) by Sarah Beth Durst (library 2026) - And sometimes you want some cozy fantasy. 4/5 stars

9/12: Assassin's Apprentice (Farseer Trilogy #1: Realm of the Elderlings #1) by Robin Hobb (audiobook narrated by Paul Boehmer, library)  - Look, it's brilliant. 5/5 stars

9/21: London Falling by Patrick Radden Keefe (audiobook narrated by the author) - I can't with this story of an entitled teen from an entitled family pretending to be a Russian oligarch. I can't. 2/5 stars

9/22: The Light Between Oceans by M.L. Stedman (library, 2012) - A couple steals a baby and there's quite the aftermath. 3.5/5 stars

9/24: The Dungeon Anarchist's Cookbook (Dungeon Crawler Carl Book 3) by Matt Dinniman (library ebook, 2021) - It's fine. This series is fine. I'm mostly reading it because the local bookstore has events centered around these books. This one has a dungeon level with trains. Hats play a major plot point, so that kept me entertained. 3.5/5 stars

Total: 8 books
Average star rating: 3.6/5 stars

****************

DNF: 

Whistler by Ann Patchett - Look, Patchett does not work for me. What a snoozefest this was. There was some sort of accident in the past and instead of telling us about it upfront, Patchett wants to dole it out in little bits and pieces. I just...don't have time for this. DNF at 20%. (Also, 4.35 on Goodreads! I feel like I'm missing the literary fiction gene.)

****************

Okay, I'm sorry about Whistler, friends. Tell me about a DNF you did for a book everyone loved. 

Monday, September 07, 2026

August 2026 Accountability Buddy

Saturday, August 1
Day off

Sunday, August 2
30-minute yoga for tired legs

Monday, August 3
30-minute conditioning yoga video at the student union during lunch - YOU GUYS. My arms and abs may never recover from this workout. 

Tuesday, August 4
35-minute full body - Sometimes you actually have to lift a weight. 

Wednesday, August 5
30-minute cardio with Fitness Blender - This was old skool for me. 

Thursday, August 6
30-minute continuous yoga flow - Oof. Tough one. 

Friday, August 7
15-minute stretch class at lunchtime*
30-minute posterior chain dumbbell workout

Saturday, August 8
40-minute yin yoga
I have been slowly chipping away at this ten best balance exercises to help with my bad leg and I finished it today. I'm going to keep trying to do one or two of these exercises a day. 

Sunday, August 9
Day off

Monday, August 10
30-minute yoga video in the student union during lunchtime

Tuesday, August 11
10-minute upper body workout
10-minute lower body workout
10-minute standing abs

Wednesday, August 12
45-minute yoga class at the community center after work

Thursday, August 13
30-minute yoga video in the student union during lunchtime
60-minute Zumba class after work

Friday, August 14
15-minute stretch class at lunchtime

Saturday, August 15
Day off

Sunday, August 16

Monday, August 17
10-minute standing abs

Tuesday, August 18
Day off

Wednesday, August 19
45-minute yoga class at the student union after work

Thursday, August 20
10-minute quads and calves - I mean, maybe my form IS bad. This is mostly glutes in my world. Whoops. 
10-minute standing arms

Ooof.

Friday, August 21 - Monday, August 24
Days off

Tuesday, August 25
15-minute stretch class at lunchtime
30-minute no repeat full body & abs

Wednesday, August 26
15-minute stretch class at lunchtime
45-minute yoga class at the community center after work

Thursday, August 27
30-minute yoga video in the student union during lunchtime

Friday, August 28
15-minute stretch class at lunchtime

Saturday, August 29

Sunday, August 30
40-minute yoga flow

Monday, August 31
15-minute stretch class at lunchtime

****************
Total: 20/31 (64.5%) of days 30 minutes or more
Cardio/strength: 10 days
Yoga: 12 days
Short stretch classes at lunchtime: 6 days

****************

I am losing steam. Ha. It feels like my 80% goal for the year is slowly slipping away. Oh, well. Onward.

****************

There's a lot in here if you are me and you know what to look for. I went away for the weekend and while I considered it "time off," you would probably not if you considered how many miles we walked and how much I jumped at the concert. It's also just that the days are getting shorter and, as many of you know, I suffer from SAD and I am struggling these days. But I shall persevere and try to get through this.

****************

Do you find your motivation for working out slipping this time of year? Or do you find more time once the kids go back to school? 

Thursday, September 03, 2026

What I Read: August 2026

Listen, the reading was happening this month and it was good, but not great.


August 1: Dungeon Crawler Carl (DCC #1) by Matt Dinniman (audiobook narrated by Jeff Hays, 2020) - I relistened to this one because the local bookstore does DCC events regularly and I felt like I had forgotten half of the book. Still 4/5 stars for me. 

August 7: Tress of the Emerald Sea by Brandon Sanderson (library ebook, 2023) - Book club pick for the month. Meh. 3/5 stars

August 8: Cleanup on Aisle Five: Essential Work, Poverty Wages, and the View from Behind the Supermarket Register by Ann Larson (book I own, 2026)  - Should be required reading, especially for anyone who has avoided working retail jobs. 4/5 stars

August 13: The Warm Hands of Ghosts by Katherine Arden (library audiobook narrated by Michael Crouch, January LaVoy, author note read by the author, 2024) - Super interesting, although what I really wanted was a book about the Halifax explosion rather than WWI. 4/5 stars

August 15: Homebound by Portia Elan (library, 2026) - Strong start, but the ending left me wanting something more. 3/5 stars

August 16: Carl's Doomsday Scenario (Dungeon Crawler Carl #2) by Matt Dinniman (owned ebook, 2021) - Carl, Donut, and Mongo continue their marauding ways through the dungeon. It's fun. This floor had a circus theme if that entices anyone to read it. 4/5 stars

August 18: Strange Pictures by Uketsu (library, 2022, translated from the Japanese by Jim Rion) - Multi-part mystery you might be able to solve by looking carefully at the pictures! Very clever and fun. Here's a quote that might strike some of you as hysterical.

He felt...nostalgic, rather than nervous. Once, there had been so many blogs like this.
Ah, blogs. The concept now almost seemed quaint. (page 14)

We're all quaint! 4/5 stars

August 24: A Resistance of Witches by Morgan Ryan (library ebook, 2025) - What a delightful debut! 4/5 stars

August 30: Birding with Benefits by Sarah T. Dubb (library, 2024) - Fine. Just fine. 3/5 stars

August 31: Between Two Fires by Christopher Buehlman (library audiobook narrated by Steve West, 2012) - I don't know, friends. Genre mashup that I don't think I'm smart enough for. 2.5/5 stars

Total:10 books
Average star rating: 3.55/5 stars

********************
Did you read a 5/5 in August? What was it? I need something REALLY GOOD. (For all you recommending Whistler, I have to admit I'm 10% in to the audiobook and considering DNFing it. Does it get better? It has to get better, right?)

Thursday, August 06, 2026

What I Spent: July 2026

As a reminder, my husband pays the "big bills" like mortgage, phone, car, and electricity. I pay for groceries and the pets and that somehow evens things out. We recently switched so that he pays for Costco trips. Here's how things shook out last month.


Cars ($36.36, 1.4%) - I bought gas once.

Donation ($40, 1.6%) - I won an item at a silent auction at a fundraiser. *shrug*

Clothing ($45.90, 1.8%) - Look, I bought a shirt at the Grown Up Book Fair. I COULDN'T RESIST.

Eating out ($51, 2%) - I bought coffee FIVE times, went to lunch once, and got an appetizer at a happy hour once. Also, there was food at trivia at the book fair. #noregrets

Entertainment ($59, 2.3%) - This is my Spotify subscription, a book I bought, some craft supplies I bought to make friendship bracelets with my nieces when we were on vacation, and giant dice. 

Fitness ($70.60, 2.8%) - Fitness classes. 

Savings ($300, 11.9%) - Sometimes you think you'll do better at savings and YOU NEVER DO. 

Bills ($306.91, 12.2%) - Water/sewer and insurance for the house and cars.

Pets ($325.20, 12.9%) - This is food for both of them and some steroids for the cat. Don't worry, though, if you thought "that seems low for NGS's girls" because I had to pick up Hannah from boarding where she was for six days which means I've already spent more than this in August. 

Personal care ($356.92, 14.2%) - I got a hair cut, a pedicure, and had to buy things like toothbrush heads and sunscreen, which is stupidly expensive. I also got manicures for me and my husband and a pedicure for my niece when we were on vacation. YOLO, you know? 

Gifts ($396.29, 15.7%) - This was crazy even for me, but blame the book fair, me buying more than $180 worth of stamps to avoid a price hike, birthday, and graduation gifts. When I write it out, it actually seems more than reasonable. 

Groceries ($533.70, 21.2%) - People in this house continue to eat EVERY SINGLE DAY.

****************

Did you buy new clothing last month? Have to buy something boring like toothbrush heads that upset you by being stupid expensive? 

Wednesday, August 05, 2026

July 2026 Accountability Buddy

Quick reminder that today is the last day to fill out the form to win a fun Book Fair prize package!

**********************

Wednesday, July 1
15-minute stretch class at lunchtime*
45-minute yoga class at the community center after work

Tuesday, July 2
35-minute yoga video at the student union at lunchtime
15-minute legs - Bodyweight, but it's good. My legs are on fire. 
5-minute calf workout - OMG. So good.
10-minute standing abs - I used 10 pounds here. 

Friday, July 3
35-minute yin yoga for hips, legs, and low back

Saturday, July 4
Day off - I meant to do a workout, but I took a nap instead. Oops.

Sunday, July 5
30-minute functional full body (unilateral) - Unilateral work is very hard for me. I need to do it more. 
15-minute gentle yoga stretch

Monday, July 6
5-minute calf workout in my office as a morning break
30-minute yoga video at the student union at lunchtime
45-minute boot camp fitness class at a local park after work

Tuesday, July 7
5-minute daily stretch - My husband is on a "sitting is worse than smoking" kick, so I'm trying to incorporate five minutes of movement every two hours when I'm work when that's possible. July is slow at my job, so I'm trying to do it here. Try five minutes of something at 10ish, something at lunchtime, and something at 2ish. Will this experiment last? Hm. This was my morning break. 
30-minute slow flow yoga

Wednesday, July 8
45-minute yoga class at the community center after work

Thursday, July 9
30-minute yoga video in the student union at lunchtime
10-minute dumbbell upper body workout - A Caroline Girvan video I can actually recommend.
10-minute standing lower body
10-minute standing abs

Friday, July 10
15-minute stretch class at lunchtime

Saturday, July 11
30-minute full body trisets

Sunday, July 12
30-minute Japanese interval walking workout
15-minute gentle yoga - I'd say this video is intermediate. There's half camel and frog and those can be challenging poses.

Monday, July 13
30-minute yoga video in the student union at lunchtime

Tuesday, July 14
20-minute no repeat full body
10-minute standing abs

Wednesday, July 15
15-minute stretch class at lunchtime
30-minute bodyweight cardio workout

Thursday, July 16
30-minute yoga video in the student union at lunchtime

Friday, July 17
15-minute stretch class at lunchtime

Saturday, July 18
40-minute Bookish Pilates class outside at the community center - Who thought it was a good idea to have a fitness class outside in July? I guess I did? Bookish Pilates means that the instructor chose a playlist of songs that was all from movies and television shows that were based on books. A bit tangential, but there you. 
Source. The Langholf. July 20, 2026. What. A. Weekend. Facebook post. (I hope I did this citation correctly. If I didn't, I hope the Langholf won't sue me.)


Sunday, July 19
45-minute slow yoga flow - This is a bit more advanced with a full gate pose and full moon, so FYI on that. I liked it a lot!

Monday, July 20
30-minute yoga video at the student union during lunchtime

Tuesday, July 21
30-minute no jumping HIIT with weights - I am a sweaty, sweaty mess.

My set-up at home. I want everyone to note the candle on the table EVEN THOUGH IT'S A GAZILLION DEGREES. 

Wednesday, July 22
45-minute yoga class at the community center after work

Thursday, July 23
30-minute yoga video at the student union during lunchtime

Friday, July 24
15-minute stretch class at lunchtime

Saturday July 25
20-minute bicycle ride with my husband - It's the first time he's been out on a ride in a while, so we kept it short - ten minutes out and ten minutes back. He's still having issues with his arm (rhabdo is unkind) 
10-minute standing abs

Sunday, July 26
30-minute total body - Good workout. I'm super sweaty and out of breath. 

Monday, July 27
Day off - Sometimes days just don't go the way you want them to.

Tuesday, July 28
10-minute no jumping cardio - Sheesh. Tough. 
10-minute standing arms with dumbbells 
10-minute standing abs

Wednesday, July 29
45-minute yoga class at the community center after work

Thursday, July 30
Nothing formal, but I was at a waterpark with my nieces and nephews and I did quite a bit of climbing stairs and going down slides.

Friday, July 31
Again, nothing formal, but we were at this crazy waterpark and there was a lot of swimming and climbing and balancing and what a fun place. If I were a stronger swimmer, it would have been even more fun. 

Totals: 24/31 (77.4%) days of 30 minutes or more
Yoga: 14 days
Strength/cardio: 13 days
Short stretch classes at lunchtime: 5 days

**********************
Our local healthcare organization does free stretch classes virtually three times a week. Sign up here! It's free. It's fun. We regularly talk about candy and what's for lunch. It's a delightful break in the middle of the day. You do not have to have your camera on. She has the classes out there for the rest of the year, so you'd only have to register ONCE. 

**********************
Have you ever been to a Pilates class? Do you enjoy a waterpark? 

Tuesday, August 04, 2026

What I Read: July 2026

I didn't have a ton of time for reading this month, but what time I did have I spent with some very good books. 


7/1: The Unseen World by Liz Moore (library, 2016) - Very good. I recommend this one, especially if you want a good cry. 4.5/5 stars 

7/6: The Spellshop (Spellshop #1) by Sarah Beth Durst (library ebook, 2024) - Nice cozy fantasy. 4.5/5 stars

7/11: Kittentits by Holly Wilson (university library, 2024) - What a ride. I don't know if I liked it exactly, but it was not boring. 3.5/5 stars

7/12: Raised by Ghosts by Brianna Loewinsohn (library, 2025) - Graphic novel about a girl growing up with divorced parents in the '90s. Quiet, but powerful. If you know a teen/tween girl going through it, this might be a good addition to their library. 4/5 stars

7/16: The Enchanted Greenhouse (Spellshop #2) by Sarah Beth Durst (library ebook, 2025) - Lovely cozy fantasy. TINY DRAGONS. 4.5/5 stars

7/18: The Phone Book: The Curious History of the Book That Everyone Uses But No One Reads by Ammon Shea (university library, 2010) - Look, sometimes you want to read a book about a book no one still owns. 4/5 stars

7/23: Ella Minnow Pea: A Progressively Lipogramatic Epistolary Fable by Mark Dunn (library, 2001) - Scarily prophetic. 5/5 stars

7/25: Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin (library, 2009) - Sometimes you read a Newbery Honors book and remember that Newbery likes preachy books. For heaven's sake. There was a dragon, though, so that's a thing a did like. 3/5 stars

Total: 8 books
Average star rating: 4.13/5 stars

******************

Picture book I read:

Bog Myrtle by Sid Sharp - A children's book about sustainability, environmentalism, labor rights, and just being a nice person? Sign me up. What a fun ride. A guest on the Sarah's Bookshelves podcast recommended this book and I am glad she did! (Yes, I'm aware that I called the Grace Lin book preachy, but this one somehow I liked a lot. I'm full of contradictions.)

Did Not Finish:

Shadow Speaker by Nnedi Okorafor (The Desert Magician's Duology #1) -  I listened to 80 minutes of this before I gave up. Not quick enough world building for me. DNF at 13%.

The Wolf Den by Elodie Harper (Wolf Den Trilogy #1) - I do not need to read about women being abused and sexually mistreated. Some books are not for some readers.  (DNF at 5.1%)

Ornithologist's Field Guide to Love (Love's Academic #1) by India Holton - My audiobook game is lame. DNF at 12%. 

******************

I desperately need a good audiobook. What recommendations do you have for me? 

Tuesday, July 07, 2026

2026 Goals Update, Quarter 2

It's the most fabulous time of the quarter in which I update you on how well or how well or poorly my 2026 quarterly goals are going. 

******************

At least one trip with Dr. BB and Hannah
   No progress made.

At least two trips with friends
    April: Yes! I went to Chicago with Bestest Friend.



At least two trips to Michigan to visit my high school friends
  No progress made.

Make homemade ice cream
     No progress made. I am making a note in my July and August goals to prioritize this. It's summer!

Do one creative thing a week
    April: Not really. I went to a museum and filled out a page in my journal by coloring it every day to track CBWC participation, but I didn't really do much. 
    May: Just a journal page. Why did I put this on my goal list again?
    June: Egads. I filled out a page in my journal by coloring it daily to track if I lifted ten minutes every day. This goal is not going well so far this year. 

Become a regular reader of at least five new blogs in 2026
    April: No progress
    May: No progress
    June: I added a blog to my reader, so that's 20%.

Leave an average of five blog comments on other blogs every day
    April: 19/30 - Egads.
    May: 19/31 - At least I'm consistent?
    June: 20/30 - Well, sorry friends. Some days I truly don't have the time.

Send at least five postcards every month
    April: The sum total of mail I sent in April was three birthday cards. That's all! 
    May: Five birthday cards, a happy new job card, the mystery book package, and three pieces of bureaucracy for the month. Not a single postcard. 
    June: Three birthday cards, a Father's Day card, and a bill. That's it for the whole month. Should I just send every blog reader a postcard in July to get this average up?

Track how many people come to yoga this semester
    April: We met seven times in April (5, 4, 4, 3, 2, 2, 1)
    May: We met four times in May and there were 2 people there each time.
    June: No meetings in June because my work is nuts in June. We'll pick back up in July.

Use a new journal to track goals, plan out the year, and take time to notice things I'm grateful for
    April: Yes, I do like this journal format a lot. 
    May: Yes, it's great. 
    June: I've been slacking on planning every week, but still tracking goals and doing a grateful list every day.

Take a good photo every week and print them out once a quarter 
    April: I ordered photos on May 1. It's so fun to look back at the photos I choose. 
    May: Photos ordered on June 6 and placed in my journal on the 7th. 
    June: YES!! I really am loving this part of the goal. So many photos are just on phones these days, but these one see the light of day.

Take photo of five places at least once a month
    April: Two of the places I take photos of are flooded, so I did what I could. 
    May: I did it!
    June: Done.
I sort of hate doing this goal, but I think I'll like the results. This is January - June of the water tower. January - March on top and April - June on the bottom.



Pay myself and charity first
    April: No progress
    May: I did add to savings, but didn't do any charitable giving. I'll make it a priority in June. 
    June: Nothing new, just regular savings. But my husband and I had a talk about splitting things differently, so maybe in the next quarter.

Reread
    April: I reread two books this month!
    May: I reread Love Lettering. 
    June: Not a single reread.

Do a buddy read 
    April: Sarah and I read Kin!

Gratitude practice
    April: Since I have been consistently using my new journal, this has been incorporated into my evening routine and I love it. 
    May: Yes! Still using my journal for this.
    June: I love doing this every night.
 
Be consistent in working out (at least 80% of days of 30 minutes of intentional movement)
    April: 24/30 (80%) days - Nailed it.
    May: 25/31 (80%) days - Yes!
    June: 26/30 (86.7%) days - Now we're doing it.

Spend 750 hours outside
    April: 45 hours, 33 min
    May: 48 hours, 37 minutes
    June: 46 hours, 8 minutes
I wanted to make this goal work, but it just isn't going to. If I want to do other things, including working out and cooking, this time goal is just not going to be met. I'm going to keep tracking for the rest of 2026, but if I can't get to sixty hours in JUNE - peak OUTDOOR TIME IN WISCONSIN - I can't make this goal work in my life.

Get on the same page as my husband about home repairs, investments, and a will
    April: New fact to me: my husband is horrified by our yard. Guess what moved up in our list of priorities? 
    May: We did something about the beds around our house and fenceline. Now we have do deal with a water softener and the crumbling retaining yard in our backyard. These are not things I necessarily had in mind at the beginning of the year. 
    June: Water softener installed. The retaining wall is still a discussion. We've gotten two quotes, but really need to talk with our neighbors so no one is surprised by it.

Do two more iterations of CBBC on my blog
    I have no intention of doing this until fall.

Date night with Dr. BB every month
    April: We went to see a friend's band play one evening. 
    May: Literally nothing. *sigh*
    June: We went to Frostie Freeze? Does that count? (I'm counting it.)



*******************
Just April goals:
Complete journal project through 2020: I only did it though February.
Figure out taxes: We figured it out. It wasn't pretty and it felt gross to write such a big check to the federal government in 2026, but it's done.
Participate in CBWC: Done!
Organize one tote from my mom's house: Look, I know the totes have been there since October or something. I KNOW. I just...don't want to deal with it. 
Clean out the photos in my phone gallery: You would be horrified. I'm horrified. And yet there still remains 4165 images in there. 

Just May goals (every single one is a rollover goal):
Complete journal project through 2020: Done. 
Organize one tote from my mom's house: I think you all know this didn't get done. 
Clean out the photos in my phone gallery: I got it down to just over 3000, but there's still a lot to do.

Just June goals:
Complete journal project through 2021: I did through June, so this will have to be a rollover goal to finish in July. 
Organize one tote from my mom's house: I did it! I cleaned out one tote and now that (empty) tote is in the basement. The second (and last tote) is harder because it's photographs, so that's a larger organizational project. Maybe over the winter?
Clean out the photos in my phone gallery: I didn't do this at all. Rollover goal to July.
Lift weights for ten minutes every day: 26/30 days. Not too shabby.
Message my accountability buddy every day: 25/30 days. I'll take it. 
No candy: There is so much candy at my job in June and the first year I worked here, I was on a sugar high all the time because I kept helping myself to candy. So no candy. I had ice cream three times and a cake ball someone made, but that was about it as far as desserts. I immediately ate a chocolate Lindt ball on July 1, though, so I don't think I've learned any real restraint.


*******************
I don't think any of this is terrible. It is sort of fun to look at it every month/quarter. 

*******************

Do you think you could get 750 hours outdoors in a year? When's the last time you sent a postcard to someone? 

Friday, July 03, 2026

What I Spent: June 2026

As a reminder, my husband pays the "big bills" like mortgage, phone, car, and electricity. I pay for groceries and the pets and that somehow evens things out. Only, to be honest, this doesn't actually work out evenly. We had a discussion recently about how I make a lot less than he does and he has agreed that he's going to take over the Costco runs. We'll see if this works out.


Groceries ($893.73, 42.8%) - Look, we keep eating. 

Pets ($374.17, 17.9%) - Once again I am asking who thought it was a good idea to get a dog? (Me, it was me. I'm my own problem.) Litter, food for the dog AND cat, flea and tick prevention for the dog, litter for the cat. The list never ends.

Savings ($300, 14.4%) - Boo.

Bills ($168.37, 8.1%) - Insurance. It went up by eight dollars AND DON'T THINK I DIDN'T NOTICE, insurance company.

Cars ($142, 6.8%) - I gassed up once and paid for registration for the new car.

Clothing ($131.71, 6.3%) - I bought some stuff for work. 

Personal care ($27.20, 1.3%) - Some face lotion. 

Eating out ($24.17, 1.2%) - Okay, this is where I splurged this month (outside of HAVING PETS). I got coffee A LOT. June was rough at work and some mornings I just need a pick me up. 

Entertainment ($13.70, <1%) - Spotify subscription. 

Gifts ($12.63, <1%) - A couple of greeting cards.

Why am I broke all the time? Well, I think we just need to look at those first two categories. *sigh*

****************

What's something fun you spent money on last month?

Thursday, July 02, 2026

June 2026 Accountability Buddy

June is my absolute craziest month at work. Because of this, I made a goal to try to do some sort of strength training for ten minutes a day, so I would at least prioritize this one thing. I also tried to really hit that 80% mark for 30 minutes or more, but sometimes that 30 minutes was ten minutes here and ten minutes there. I am not going to win for endurance this month, but I did what I could. 

Monday, June 1
10-minute upper body dumbbell workout

Tuesday, June 2
30-minute full body dumbbell workout - I stuck with ten pound weights with this. It was challenging, but felt good. There's not a lot of rest, so my heart rate really went up. 

Wednesday, June 3
45-minute yoga class at the community center after work
10-minute legs with dumbbells - I really worked up a sweat with this!

Thursday, June 4
20-minute total body dumbbell workout
12-minute dumbbell deadbug workout with Caroline Girvan - Every single time I do a core workout on the  mat, it hurts my quads way more than my core. I'm pretty sure that indicates a weakness in my back and/or form, but if you're ever curious why I do standing ab workouts, it's because this one doesn't really work for me.

Friday, June 5
10-minute standing arm workout - This is an interesting video with some moves I don't normally see. I used 7.5 pounds and it was HARD.
10-minute yoga for lower back

Saturday, June 6
10-minute standing abs with dumbbells
35-minute deep fascia release yoga

Sunday, June 7
30-minute Pilates dumbbell workout
10-minute gentle yoga

Monday, June 8
10-minute standing "abs" workout - Look, all respect to Caroline Girvan, but this was a hip flexor/balance workout. Thumbs down for false advertising. 
30-minute yoga to reduce stress

Tuesday, June 9
20-minute chair yoga at work during lunch
30-minute fully body dumbbell circuit - Three circuits. Usually I don't like circuits, but this one went by fast. I did five pounds on lats, but otherwise was at 10 or 12.5, which was pretty heavy for me. 

Wednesday, June 10
45-minute yoga class at the community center after work


Thursday, June 11
15-minute full body workout
10-minute standing abs - I used ten pounds here. 
15-minute upper body dumbbell workout
10-minute yoga full body stretch for stiff bodies

Friday, June 12
15-minute legs workout (bodyweight, but my legs are on fire!)
30-minute yoga for low back and hamstrings

Saturday, June 13
30-minute full body AMRAP workout - I am so sweaty.
20-minute morning yoga flow

Sunday, June 14
15-minute leg/glute/thigh workout - Bodyweight, but I got warm!
30-minute yoga for flexibility - Maybe not the best option for right after legs! Lots of one-legged balancing here. 

Monday, June 15
15-minute stretch class at lunchtime*
15-minute standing abs
15-minute full body dumbbell workout 

Tuesday, June 16
10-minute leg workout - I used fifteen pound dumbbells. My legs are really shaking!
15-minute gentle yoga for flexibility and relaxation

Wednesday, June 17
15-minute stretch class at lunchtime
45-minute yoga class at the community center after work
10-minute standing abs

Thursday, June 18
30-minute no repeat strength training - I really liked this format.
10-minute post-workout stretch

Friday, June 19
15-minute stretch class at lunchtime
15-minute chair yoga at work - A rare day in June when my calendar was not back to back to back, so I took some time for myself. 

Saturday, June 20
33-minute walking workout
10-minute standing abs

Sunday, June 21
30-minute full body dumbbell workout - I did standing abs for the last two ab exercises. 7.5-15 pounds.
25-minute yin yoga

Monday, June 22
10-minute quads and calves - I am sweaty and out of breath. Good video. 
30-minute deep stretch yoga

Tuesday, June 23
10-minute standing abs
10-minute yoga after work

Wednesday, June 24
15-minute stretch class at lunchtime
45-minute yoga class at the community center after work

Thursday, June 25
20-minute no repeat full body dumbbell supersets
15-minute post workout stretch - Look, the music is terrible. Pretty distracting for me. 

Friday, June 26
15-minute stretch class at lunchtime

Saturday, June 27
We did a couple of hours of yardwork. The less we say about this, the better.

Sunday, June 28
30-minute total body with dumbbells
30-minute somatic stretch - Look, I laughed at loud at the thought of doing the "thigh stretch" and "plough" and things got silly with "ear massage," but I was a good little soldier with this and do feel a lot better about *waves hands around* the world and my body after doing this.

Every attendee at the outdoor class. 

Monday, June 29
15-minute stretch class at lunchtime
45-minute boot camp class after work at a local park - Ha ha ha. It was like 90 degrees. There was a breeze, though, which made this doable. I feel like I should get bonus points for this, though. 

Tuesday, June 30
15-minute standing abs with dumbbells
15-minute cardio - You want to make cardio boring and tedious? Do this video. 

*****************
*Our local healthcare organization does free stretch classes virtually three times a week. Sign up here! It's free. It's fun. We regularly talk about candy and what's for lunch. It's a delightful break in the middle of the day. You do not have to have your camera on. She has the classes out there for the rest of the year, so you'd only have to register ONCE. 

*****************

Total: 26/30 (86.7%) days doing thirty minutes or more
Cardio/strength: 14 days
Yoga: 12 days 
Short stretch classes at lunchtime: 6 days

*****************

I managed ten minutes of strength-based activity on 26/30 days, too, so that's not too bad. I will not be repeating that, though, because I hesitate to tell you how often I was doing that right before bed, which isn't exactly the most relaxing thing in the world.

*****************

Wednesday, July 01, 2026

What I Read: June 2026

6/1: The Orchid Thief by Susan Orlean (library ebook, 1998) - What a snoozefest. 2/5 stars

6/2: Dog Show: Poems by Billy Collins (library, 2026) - Perfection. No notes. 5/5 stars

6/7: The Wonder State by Sara Flannery Murphy (library, 2023) - I sped through this book in a day. Lovely. 4/5 stars

6/10: Alex & Me: How a Scientist and a Parrot Uncovered a Hidden World of Animal Intelligence - and Formed a Deep Bond in the Process by Irene M. Pepperberg (library, 2008) - Super interesting look at the life of an animal biologist. I think this would be an interesting book for some of our STEM students to read because there's a lot about trying to get funding for work with animals. 4/5 stars

6/13: Into the Blue by Emma Brodie (library, 2026) - Sometimes you just need a romance novel. 3.5/5 stars

6/14: Sweep of the Heart (Innkeeper Chronicles #5) by Ilona Andrews (library ebook, 2022) - This series is so good. There were a lot of characters to keep track of in this book, but the author kept us paying attention to the main plot. I really am enjoying this series. 4/5 stars

6/19: How to Solve Your Own Murder by Kristen Perrin (library, 2024) - The middle third of this book was such a bore. And the main character was an idiot. And I do not think I understood the ending. The premise was actually pretty good, but the execution was not. 2.5/5 stars

6/20: Picking Up: On the Streets and Behind the Trucks with the Sanitation Workers of New York City by Robin Nagle (university library, 2013) - I love shit like this. The more niche an anthologist embeds themself, the more I love it. 5/5 stars

6/24: In a Dark, Dark Wood by Ruth Ware (library ebook, 2015) - Look, thrillers are not for me. I was annoyed that so many pagers were the main character just going through possible scenarios. I KNOW THE SCENARIOS. I want action to happen. Also, I sort of knew what was going on from the beginning - like the bad person was clear? Ugh. Not my jam. I know this about myself, but I still can't help but want to read thrillers like the other cool kids. 2.5/5 stars

6/27: Of Monsters and Mainframes by Barbara Truelove (library, 2025) - In 2026, I am not a fan of anthropomorphizing AI. This book was batshit insane (werewolves, aliens, vampires, mummies!), but I just felt sort of dirty reading it. 3/5 stars

Total: 10 books (although Dog Show is a very short poetry collection, so do with that what you will)
Average star rating: 3.45/5 stars

*******************

Did not finish:

The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese - I listened to 2.5 hours of this book before giving it up as a bad job. It's 31 hours long, so I was at about 8% when I gave up. Maybe I need to read it with my eyes.

The Comfort of Crows by Margaret Renkl - This was far too cozy for me. Maybe a winter read? DNF at 15%. 

The Summer of Broken Rules by K.L. Walther - I am not a lady who can read instalove YA romance. There. I said it. I dropped this book like a hot potato as soon as another book became available on my Libby app for me to borrow. DNF at 36%.

*******************

I read three non-fiction books this month and a poetry collection. Who am I? What sort of middle-aged person have I become?

Have you read any of these books? Which one would you like to read?

Monday, June 08, 2026

What I Spent: May 2026

As a reminder, my husband pays the "big bills" like mortgage, phone, car, and electricity. I pay for groceries and the pets and that somehow evens things out. But this month the secret is that my husband took the dog to the vet, so that $600 bill went to him instead of me. That felt sneaky and I asked him if he wanted me to pay him back, but he said it was fine. I put money into savings since I didn't have that bill.


Savings ($500, 17.5%) - I mean, look at me go. 

Groceries ($463.57, 16.3%) - Friends, my husband ALSO paid for the Costco trip this month. I am a lucky duck that groceries came in this low. 

Pets ($401.31, 14.1%) - This would have been four digits if not for Dr. BB paying for H's vet appointment. This is food for the girls and a lot of medicine for both of them (Apoquel for H's allergies, probiotic and joint supplement for Zelda Belda). 

Clothing ($366.15, 12.8%) - I am getting my summasummasummatime groove on. I bought some new lightweight tops that are appropriate for work and some new sandals. 

Also, this is the maybe the best purchase I made all month. I bought some sweatbands. I have a permanent anklet that I got with my niece last October. It is not a smooth situation and it has torn up multiple sheets, so I was wearing socks to bed to make sure we didn't have to buy more sheets. Well, I was telling my niece about it/complaining about how I hate wearing socks to bed and she suggested that I buy a sweatband to wear instead. AND IT WORKS. TWEEN GIRLS KNOW THE ANSWERS TO EVERYTHING. 

Gifts ($341.27, 12%) - Birthdays! So many greeting cards! #noregrets

Bills ($285, 10%) - Home/car insurance and water/sewer. 

Personal care ($172.40, 6%) - Haircut, pedicure, makeup. I have said it before and I'll say it again, it takes a lot of work to be an average looking woman.

Cars ($160.81, 5.6%) - Gas twice and new tags for the VW's plates. 

Fitness ($63.30, 2.2%) - Yoga classes through the summer. My regular Tuesday night fitness class doesn't run during the summer, so I sub in yoga on Wednesday nights. 

Eating out ($45, 1.4%) - I had dinner out twice and coffee once. Woot!

Entertainment ($34.31, 1.2%) - Spotify subscription, parking when I was on an adventure in Madison, and I bought an ebook. 

Health ($24.24, <1%) - I'm over here buying masks like it's 2021. We have two friends who are actively being treated for cancer and another who is being treated for a different health condition with chemotherapy. I buy and wear a lot of KN-95s so I can keep them safe. I see A LOT of people in my work and don't want to bring all the bugs I interact with back to my friends. 

*****************

What's a great purchase you made in May? Is it as great as sweatbands that mean you can stop wearing socks to bed?