Weekending!

Is it really already about to be July?! As a teenager I never stopped to think about how fast or slow a year passed by, but now in my late 20's it seems to be a reoccurring thing. Does this mean I'm all grown up? ...jk, I'm good. I had cookie dough for breakfast at least twice this past week :]

In total "us" fashion, Granny had to have an impromptu oral surgery a couple days ago. I mean, it'd be too easy if everything just ran smoothly for me, ya know?! So last minute, I arranged for a neighbor to help with Pops' physical therapy appointments and I took G-nasty (that's her nickname from when I was a teenager, lol I'm sure she loves it!) to a surgery she was convinced she was not going to have. I felt so bad, to say the least. But everything turned out well, the surgeon even came out to let me know that he and his staff feel honored to have met our family. I know I say all the time how great G&P are, but it's so nice to hear it come from others as well. My grandmother is one of the toughest people I know. She has yet to complain of pain, discomfort, or even try to take it easy here at home. She still spends most of her day checking on Pops, doing all the dishes, and waking me up to ask me what time I'm waking up. Some things never change!

So, with Pops still recovering from the brain bleed and Granny only a couple days post-op, we're going to be taking it easy this weekend. You know, taking a break from our usual dare-devil activities and doing more channel surfing versus popping wheelies in grocery store wheelchairs. #retirementisthuglife. I'd be lying if I said I knew the day and date each time I'm asked. Some days we have our shit together and other days we stay in our pajamas and eat breakfast at 4pm. It's completely normal, right?! Right!

We had lunch at Atlanta Bread Co. on Friday and I made it to the pool just in time for one of the random Georgia thunderstorms. Our Saturday has been full of lounging around and napping when the rain makes the cable cut out (note to self: we have to get rid of the dish service. Too many trees and storms make it too unreliable). Sunday, I'll spend downtown braving the Ikea crowd and I really hope to find and see this Pray for ATL street art. We're having a 4th of July party here at our house next week, and luckily Georgia is lifting the law on illegal fireworks (because it's too easy to drive 2 hours to S. Carolina or Tennessee and just pick them up there). We will have a fun display camped out on the driveway with family, friends, chairs and blankets like we used to with my dad as a kid :]

                                     Day to day might be a little tough, but overall life is good :D

Currently, June

• Jumping on board  with The Bachelorette. For the first and last time. Mainly just for this weekly recap I found in blogland. She's hilarious. #nailedit (Does anyone else wish Clint and JJ would get a spin off show about their obvious bromance? Also, I find Kaitlynn super annoying and overly emotional)
• Sweating  my ass off because G&P's A/C stopped blowing cool air four days ago. 87 degrees upstairs + 70% humidity outside = some miserable days around here. Reliable company finally comes today, F I N A L L Y!
• That means, we're eating  cookie dough ice cream like it's our job :)
• Googling  'how long mosquito bites last' (for real) because I spent 20 minutes outside and managed to get a solid 11 bites on my legs and 1 on my shoulder. I learned only the females do the biting. Bitches.
• Wearing  my thoughts: Life is short, wear sequins (& it's on sale!)
• SO ready  for Orange Is The New Black, Season 3. If you can't reach me June 12, it's because I'm binge watching all the episodes I can squeeze in.
• ...praying  Netflix is prepared for the high volume of couch bums Friday night, lol! No but really... I hope they have a game plan!
• Loving  my first purchase from Candelles. Besides the candles smelling ahhmazing, their packaging is so clean + pretty! I placed my second order last night. Follow up post on the scents coming soon!  Fact: sign up for their newsletter and get a coupon code in your email for your first purchase!
• Hearing  Eric Church's "Like A Wrecking Ball" for the first time on the CMT Awards and remembering how much I love his relaxing music.  Plus, I'm just glad to associate a wrecking ball with anyone but Miley Cyrus *gag.
• Missing  Pepper, still. Once you have a dog, you never go back :]

Home Sweet Home.

I've probably failed lately at keeping all of my different social media outlets fully up to date on Pops' status (Bonus points to those of you that stalk follow me on all of them! You for sure already know this news!) But I finally was able to take him home from the hospital earlier this week. <insert every emoji ever made representing HAPPY here!> 

The decision was somewhat against professional advice, but as his professional favorite granddaughter I believe our final step in healing is to get back into a normal routine at home. ...that & I'm pretty sure authorities would have been part of the big picture had we kept telling him "not yet" when he'd ask if it was time to leave. Can you go to jail for busting out of inpatient rehab? Would there be better food there? I guess we'll never know...I said I appreciate their medical opinion but where do I need to sign!? And just like that, we were watching Judge Judy at 4pm, at home! 

Now bring on the flood of insurance statements and bills. #healthcareinamerica

To Do...

Since this is just the first of millions a bunch of future posts involving examples of my 'love for listing', I better explain the method to my madness. My dream world runs off of lists (Yep, you read that right! Hi, I'm Jenn and I'm addicted to breaking things down, lol!). Not so much the boring-but-necessary ones: like grocery shopping or weekly To Do lists. Those are pretty much mundane reminders that adulthood is real and happening whether you want it to or not :).

I've learned I'm most productive + proactive by combining my organized Type A side (like working best by listing things out) with my creative right-brained side (like loving to doodle, design and create). The end result is a fun, pretty-looking GOAL. For me, it's the process of checking things off and feeling a sense of accomplishment. Is it the end of the world if everything isn't finished? No. But creating a physical reminder clears my mind, helps me sleep easier knowing my ideas are written down - not floating around my brain, and motivates me to get shit done.

On any given day, I've got multiple ongoing lists/goals. Some are for long term purposes (like my 27 at 27 list of things to do over this year) or the above Summer 2015 bucket list (that I'll try to knock out by the end of August). Most of them are short term (like the colorful post-it display of stuff to do around G&P's house) and often I'll turn one single idea/thought into a list by breaking down what needs to be done or steps to accomplishing it (like posting a blog post every day for a week).

 

 

 

It just works for me. Sometimes it gets tossed once all is said and done and sometimes I tape it into my planner as a memory of what I was doing that week/day. Occasionally, (like my plan is with my Summer 2015 list) I'll use it in a mini book / scrapbook of the subject. Not only is everything organized, but it becomes a little memory of my day-to-day life. 

Now that I've revolutionized your thoughts on making a list (right?!) I hope you all continue to stick around for my crazy, because you can't say I didn't warn you of what's to come ;).  Bottom line, I like to have fun doing boring stuff. And if that means having the cutest shopping list at Target each week, just call me #winning!

 

PS. in publicizing my summer bucket list my hope is that I'm held to checking things off of it! I like summer, but I happen to love winter, so without some goals I'd probably settle and just enjoy the A/C. Plus, Pepper has black hair and he hates the heat ;)

 

xoxx.