I can’t believe how fast this year is rolling. Work has been crazy busy and I haven’t found much time to write lately…personally or here at the blog. So, buckle up, it’s going to be a whirlwind update.
First, Cathy. She’s doing well. She has had one shot a month for three months. Next month they’ll take a new scan of her lungs and see what’s what. To date, she’s had zero side effects and is back to her daily treadmill routine, so I think that’s a good thing. We’ll see if the tumor has shrunk at all, or remained the same. As long as there is no growth, we’re doing the right thing…I’ll update again after the scan.
As for personal updates — whew — starting back in May, my work team and I held our annual legal offsite — this time we took over Charleston, SC. That’s pretty amazing since my boss doesn’t love humidity. We ventured in May to avoid the worst of it and we wound up having a great time.
The group photo is just that – the group – but the 3 amigos on the right? That’s me with Crystal and Tomas. My work besties…I’ve been with Crystal for over 13 years now and Tomas for the last near five. We went to Karaoke that night – and yes, I did take the stage.
House project continue — in June, I finished Frank’s office. He asked for Board & Batten on his back wall and the moodiest of the blues that we’ve introduced in the house. I’m now obsessed with the color. I think the project turned out great.
I love quick hits that give a lot of reward for the effort.
I also decided to do something “new”. I have been a long-time photographer – I bought the lens I’ve coveted for about 10 years (finally) and took it out for a spin at a nature preserve in a nearby town one morning at sunrise and captured this tranquil picture of trees and a path that leads (eventually) to the water. I decided to turn it B&W and hang it on the wall in our foyer. In all the years, other than pics of the kids, I’ve never displayed my own art.
Continuing through the house, time to repaint the family room. That took a hot minute with all the travel. In the end, it got the mid-tone blue and new curtains. I also picked up a giant olive tree that I am totally obsessed with, and we decided to reupholster the couch. At first we sought to purchase the same couch in a different fabric from the same store we bought it originally. Problem is, post-covid, the price of couches is that of a small condo. Literally double + what we paid originally. And I thought our original purchase was pricey! Anyway, after shopping around and getting over the sheer horror of the price tags, we found an amazing local shop — they came and picked up the couch, brought all the fabric samples (literally hundreds (if not more) to choose from), and five weeks later, I had a literal new couch! It’s amazing! The old couch was a slipcover-style dark charcoal gray – the new fabric is a fitted, creamy linen, and I couldn’t be happier! And it fell just a little more than what I paid originally, so it’s a win-win.
July brought my annual girlfriend getaway with Becky. This year we headed to Breckenridge, Colorado – Becky’s never been out west and it was quite the adventure bringing her there. She could not get over how stunningly beautiful the Rocky Mountains are, and her favorite thing overall – the Aspen trees. She was so drawn to them she found an art piece for her house that captured them in a unique way.
We took it easy the first two days — then we hit the ground running; boating, a short hike, an oxygen bar (twice!!), and horseback riding. We had a lovely spa day in the middle and took advantage of the grotto for relaxation. I didn’t have to work too much so it was a great week all around.
While we were away, Frank held down the home fort and supervised the install of our closet organizer in our mud room. We have a shoe problem – well, had a shoe problem. Not anymore. Now we have a shoe organizer. And it’s amazing the problems this install has solved for us!! Classy Closets for the win!
The weekend after our trip, Melanie and I decided to venture to see a large sunflower field. A man who had lost his wife planted this field in the middle of a neighborhood in honor of her. He leaves it open and encourages people to “pick 3 – 2 for you – and one for someone else”. It’s such a sweet sentiment. It was also nearly 100 degrees and full-on humid that day, but anytime with Mel is time well spent.
And finally, August has arrived. Crazy. Frank and I spent this past weekend exploring a new hip eatery (well, new to us) called Sixty Vines. It’s in Charlotte, near midtown. Had a young vibe inside, lots of energy and celebrations going on around us. They have a good sized menu, great libations, and the company was pretty great, too. Managed to snap shots of the interior and totally forgot to snap any of us! Ugh — I need to get better at that.
That catches us up to current. More business trips in my future, and a new promotion that I’ll talk more about once it’s official. First I need to find my replacement — if you know of any talented legal operations folks, please let me know! I’m in hiring mode…
That’s a wrap…
Shrinking Shay 