Left work with a migraine

Sometimes a Sick Day Is Just a Sick Day 🤢💤

Well, here it is Wednesday evening, and I hate to admit it, but today was not my day.

I went to work this morning, pulled up all my programs at my cubicle, and honestly thought, Nope. Not doing it.

I had a migraine. I was nauseated. I felt absolutely miserable, and I literally could not function.

Now, when you work in a call center, they definitely frown on you not being there for your scheduled shift. I know that. So even though I was already sitting at my desk, I finally called the attendance line, gave them my information, and told them I wasn’t going to be able to work.

Then I called Sherry.

I could tell by the tone of her voice that she wasn’t exactly thrilled. And honestly, I understand. But there wasn’t anything I could do about it. I wasn’t going to be any good to anybody sitting there feeling like I was going to be sick at any moment.

So… I went home.

And let me tell you, getting home wasn’t exactly a smooth ride either.

I was dry heaving as I walked out to my vehicle. Once I got in, I remember thinking that I might have to pull over a couple of times on the way home. It’s about a 30-minute drive from work to the house, and those 30 minutes felt like a whole lot longer.

Thankfully, I made it home.

I walked through the door and told Mr. C, “I’m going to lay down. Can you get me a Sprite?”  

And that’s exactly what I did.

I took my anti-nausea medicine and crawled into bed. From about 7:40 that morning until a little after 9:30, I was completely out.

And apparently, I wasn’t answering my phone either.

Mr. C had gone over to Brody’s for a while. He texted me a couple of times, but I never answered because I was sound asleep. Eventually, he called to make sure I was okay since I wasn’t responding.

I told him to stay there as long as he wanted. There wasn’t anything he could do for me at home anyway.

He eventually came back sometime around three, although honestly, I wasn’t paying much attention to the clock. I finally got myself up, we had something to eat, and I settled onto the couch for the rest of the evening.

I even managed to take a shower.

And you know how when you’re sick for a while, sometimes you just feel… sick? There’s a certain smell you can smell on yourself, and I could smell it.

I finally said, “I’ve got to take a shower.”

So I did.

Mr. C kept telling me, “You’re not going to be able to sleep tonight.”

I told him that considering how bad I had felt all day, I was pretty sure sleep wasn’t going to be my biggest problem!

Looking back, I know I’ve been sick off and on for about the last year and a half. I’ve tried blaming some of it on my medications. I’ve wondered if it’s just stress or life catching up with me. And honestly, I don’t really know.

Maybe some of it is simply getting older.

I don’t have the answer.

What I do know is that today, my body said, “Nope. We’re done.”

And as frustrating as that is, I had to listen.

I hate that I missed work. I hate that I missed the opportunity to make my sales yesterday and keep working toward my goals. I hate feeling like I’m letting people down when I have to call in.

But sometimes you just can’t push through.

Today was one of those days.

A sick day isn’t fun. There is nothing glamorous about migraines, nausea, dry heaving, sleeping half the day away, and forcing yourself into the shower because you don’t even feel like yourself anymore.

But sometimes the best thing you can do is stop, go home, crawl into bed, and let your body rest.

Tomorrow is another day.

And hopefully, a much better one. ❤️

Movie Night to see Practical Magic 2!

✨ A Little Practical Magic on a Tuesday Night

This week is going by fairly fast, and I’m not complaining one bit! Before I know it, it’ll be Friday again, and you all know how I feel about Fridays. 😂

Yesterday was a little different from my normal workweek routine because I had plans with my friend Nancy. We had decided we were going to go see Practical Magic 2, and I was really looking forward to it. I hadn’t watched any trailers and honestly didn’t know exactly what to expect. Sometimes I think that’s the best way to see a movie—you don’t have somebody else’s opinion sitting in your head before the opening credits even roll.

After work, I headed over to my nail place, Uptown Nails with John, only to discover that I had completely forgotten he is closed on Tuesdays. Of course, I pull up, don’t see the OPEN sign, and immediately think, “Oh, yes… that’s right.” 😂

Since I was already out and had something else I needed to do, I called Michelle. I had ordered a fundraiser item from Angel and was going to give her the money, but they were at Walmart clothes shopping. I didn’t really want to go wandering through Walmart just to hand over some money, so I decided I’d catch up with them another time.

And then my stomach reminded me that I hadn’t eaten.

So I stopped at Arby’s and got a ham slider, a small Coke and a small fry. Nothing fancy—just enough to keep me from sitting in a movie theater starving to death. Because let’s be honest, going to the movies hungry is a rookie mistake. 😂

Instead of sitting in the parking lot with the car running, I found a nice shaded spot over by Ross department store, turned the car off, rolled down the windows and sat there eating my little Arby’s meal. Now, it was 103 degrees outside, but there was actually a nice breeze blowing through the car. For a few minutes, I just sat there and enjoyed it.

Sometimes it’s the simplest little moments that are surprisingly relaxing.

I made my way over to Nancy’s around 5:00. She had been gone most of the day because she had a breast biopsy, and when I got there she was busy fluttering around trying to catch up on everything she hadn’t been able to do while she was gone. We visited for a little bit, then headed out for our movie night.

We got to the Palace Twin Theater in Duncan around 6:15.

Now here’s where our luck—or lack thereof—comes in.

The theater was giving free admission to the first 40 people through the doors.

Guess who was numbers 41 and 42?

Yep.

Of course we were. 😂😂

I mean, seriously. We were two people too late! But honestly, the admission was still less than $5 each, so I wasn’t going to complain. That’s a pretty inexpensive night out these days.

Then we hit the concession stand, because apparently a ham slider at 5:00 wasn’t enough to keep me away from movie theater popcorn.

I got a small popcorn and a large drink, and the whole thing was right around $11. Again, I thought that was pretty reasonable. I remember when you could get movie snacks for practically nothing, but these days I’ll take an $11 popcorn-and-drink combo and call it a win. 😂

And then the movie started.

🎬 So, What Did I Think of

Practical Magic 2

?

I actually really enjoyed it!

The original Practical Magic came out in 1998 and eventually developed a pretty devoted following, even though it wasn’t initially the big hit that it became over the years. The sequel brings Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman back as sisters Sally and Gillian Owens, along with some familiar faces, while bringing the younger generation of the Owens family into the story. 

The new movie picks up nearly three decades after the original and continues the story of the Owens family and their complicated magical legacy. This time, Sally’s daughters become much more involved, and the family curse once again becomes a big part of the story. 

But honestly, I wasn’t sitting there analyzing the storyline or wondering whether it was going to win an Oscar.

I was there to have fun.

And I did.

Sandra Bullock has always been one of my favorites, so seeing her back as Sally was a big part of the fun for me. And Nicole Kidman? I really enjoy watching what she has been doing these days, too. Seeing the two of them together again brought back that familiar sisterly chemistry that made the original so memorable.

And if you’re a fan of the first movie, there are plenty of little nostalgic touches that make this feel like a return to that world rather than just a completely unrelated movie with the same name. 

I won’t give away the movie because I know some of you may want to see it yourselves.

But I will say this:

I thought it was good.

And sometimes that’s all I need from a movie.

Give me a fun story, actors I enjoy, a little nostalgia, some magic, a few laughs and a friend sitting beside me, and I’m happy.

☕ A Little Midweek Fun

Nancy and I don’t get to do things together nearly as often as I’d like. Life gets busy. Work gets in the way. Family gets in the way. Appointments, errands, chores, and all those other things that seem to fill up our calendars happen.

That’s one thing I’m realizing more and more as I get older.

I want to make more time for my friends.

Not just say, “We need to get together sometime.”

Actually get together.

Go to a movie.

Grab dinner.

Take a little road trip.

Sit somewhere and drink coffee.

Laugh about absolutely nothing.

Those are the moments I want more of.

I dropped Nancy back off after the movie and made it home around 9:30. Now, you’d think I would have walked through the door and immediately gone to bed since I knew my alarm was going off at 4:30 a.m.

But nope.

Apparently, my brain didn’t get that memo.

I stayed up until about 10:15 before finally going to bed.

And let me just tell you…

My rear is dragging a little bit this morning. 😂

But you know what?

I don’t go out very often during the workweek. Most evenings I’m home, and that’s perfectly okay with me. But every once in a while, a Tuesday night movie with a good friend is worth being a little tired the next morning.

Especially when you almost got FREE admission.

Almost. 😂

So here’s to a little midweek adventure, inexpensive movie snacks, missing free admission by exactly two people, and making time for the people who make life more fun.

Sometimes you just need a little Practical Magic in your Tuesday night. ✨🎬

And maybe a large movie-theater drink.

Because hydration is important, right? 😉

#MidweekAdventures #FriendshipAndFun #PracticalMagic2 #MovieNight #LifeAfter50

Home With Mr.C Today

 I Actually Stayed Home All Day! 😂

Well, folks… I think I may have actually done it.

I stayed home ALL DAY on Sunday! 😂

I know, I know. I said something very similar about Saturday, and we all know how that turned out. But Sunday was different. I was determined. I told myself that I was going to stay home, hang out with Mr. C, and just enjoy a nice, quiet day around the house.

I don’t think Mr. C really believed I could do it.

But guess what?

I showed him! 😂

Mr. C was up at 4:00 in the morning. I knew he was up, but I decided there was absolutely no reason for me to get out of bed that early. Nope. Not today!

It was my weekend, and I didn’t have anywhere to be, so I stayed right there until about 6:30 a.m. And honestly, it felt pretty good knowing I didn’t have to jump out of bed and get moving.

Lemon Cake to Start the Day

Once I finally got up, I decided to get my lemon cake started.

I had planned ahead and had all my cake ingredients ready to go. I wanted to bake it early in the morning so I wouldn’t be turning the oven on in the middle of the day and heating up the entire house. That seemed like a pretty smart plan to me!

I got everything mixed up and ready for the oven.

There was just one little problem.

I thought I had confectioner’s sugar to make the glaze.

I did not. 🤦‍♀️

So, after a little pantry investigation, I found a can of vanilla icing. I figured I could warm it up in the microwave once the cake came out and drizzle it over the top.

And that’s exactly what I did.

I used my Bundt cake pan, and let me tell you… that lemon cake turned out SO moist! It was really, really good.

In fact, I almost wish I had left the icing off completely because the cake itself was that good. Sometimes simple really is better!

🍋 My Easy Lemon Pudding Cake

If you’re looking for an easy, moist lemon cake, this one is definitely worth trying. The lemon pudding mix helps make the cake extra soft and gives it plenty of lemon flavor.

Ingredients:

• 1 box lemon cake mix
• 1 small box instant lemon pudding mix
• 4 large eggs
• ¾ cup vegetable oil
• ¾ cup water 
• 1 teaspoon lemon extract
• 1 cup powdered sugar for the glaze
  Or, if you’re like me and discover you don’t have powdered sugar, vanilla icing works too! 😂

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 350°F.
2. Grease and flour a Bundt cake pan really well.
3. In a large bowl, combine the lemon cake mix and lemon pudding mix.
4. Add the eggs, vegetable oil, water, and lemon extract.
5. Beat everything together until smooth and well combined.
6. Pour the batter into your prepared Bundt pan.
7. Bake for approximately 45–50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
8. Let the cake cool in the pan for about 10–15 minutes before carefully turning it out onto a plate.
9. For a simple glaze, mix powdered sugar with a little lemon juice until you reach your desired consistency and drizzle it over the cooled cake.
10. Or… warm up some vanilla icing in the microwave for a few seconds and drizzle that over the top like I did!

And trust me, don’t be afraid to taste a piece without the icing. You might decide you like it better that way!

🍳 Breakfast at Home

After getting the cake taken care of, Mr. C and I made breakfast.

We had scrambled eggs with biscuits and gravy, and it was so good. There’s just something about a good breakfast at home on a Sunday morning that feels comforting and cozy.

After breakfast, I decided it was time to tackle something else that had been waiting for me.

🖨️ Breaking In the New Printer

My new HP printer!

This printer is one of those tank-style printers where you actually fill the ink instead of constantly replacing little ink cartridges. I’ve never owned one like this before, so I was pretty excited to see how it worked.

I followed the instructions the best I could, and I will admit it took me a little while to get everything set up and going.

But once I got it working…

I went a little printer crazy. 😂

I probably printed off 60 random sheets!

Okay, maybe not quite 60, but it sure felt like it. 😂

Some of what I printed was important paperwork that I needed to organize and put into a binder, so I got that taken care of. I also printed off a couple of pictures, and that’s when I really noticed the difference.

This printer is NICE.

I can already tell that spending a little extra money for a good printer was worth it. The quality is noticeably better than some of the printers I’ve purchased in the past.

Sometimes you really do get what you pay for!

💻 A Little Blogging Time

Once I got my little printer project finished, I spent some time working on my blog.

I’ve been saving blog post ideas and drafts, so I went through and added some of those to my blog. I’m trying to get myself into the habit of publishing around six to eight blog posts a month, so I wanted to get things organized and updated.

And while I was in my productive little mood, I also managed to write a pen pal letter to Joanie.

That means I’m only one pen pal letter behind now, which feels like a pretty big accomplishment to me!

🍲 Sunday Lunch: Chicken Fiesta Soup

By this point, it was time for lunch, so we put together a quick chicken fiesta soup.

I had bought some shredded cooked chicken the day before, so this was an easy meal to throw together. I didn’t even bother with the crock pot because everything just needed to heat up.

We put it on the stove, let everything warm together, and had ourselves a nice Sunday lunch.

🌶️ Easy Chicken Fiesta Soup

This is one of those recipes that is perfect for a lazy Sunday because you can throw everything into a pot, heat it up and you’re done!

Ingredients:

• 3 cups cooked, shredded chicken
• 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 can corn, drained
• 1 can diced tomatoes with green chilies
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 1 packet taco seasoning
• ½ cup salsa, optional
• 1 cup shredded Mexican-blend cheese, optional

Directions:

1. Add the chicken, black beans, corn, diced tomatoes with green chilies,  and chicken broth to a large pot.
2. Stir in the taco seasoning.
3. Add salsa if you want a little extra kick.
4. Stir everything together and bring it to a gentle simmer.
5. Let it cook for about 20–25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until everything is heated through and the flavors have had time to come together.
6. Ladle into bowls and top with shredded cheese if desired.

You could also add tortilla strips, avocado, sour cream, cilantro or jalapeños on top.

And the best part?

No crock pot required! 😂

🏡 A Successful Day at Home

And after lunch?

We pretty much just hung out.

We watched TV, relaxed, worked on a few things around the house, and enjoyed being home.

No running around.

No getting in the car.

No “where are we going today?”

Just a nice, easy Sunday at home with my husband.

And you know what?

I actually enjoyed it! 😂

Don’t get me wrong. Anyone who knows me knows that I like to get out and go. I love a good adventure, a road trip, a grandchild outing, or just finding somewhere we’ve never been before.

But every now and then, staying home is exactly what you need.

So I think I can officially say that my Sunday at home was a success!

I baked a lemon cake, made breakfast, broke in my new printer, organized paperwork, worked on my blog, wrote a pen pal letter, made chicken fiesta soup, watched TV, and spent the day with Mr. C.

Not too bad for a day when I wasn’t supposed to do anything!

Maybe I really can stay home once in a while.

But don’t get too excited, Mr. C. 😂

Have a great day!

Cheers,
Karen ❤️