What I'm Loving Wednesday

Well, 2022 hasn't been that great so far, but I want to try and focus on positive things, so I decided to try and get back into my habit of blogging more than once a year. I'm falling back on my old favorite, What I'm Loving Wednesday.

I'm loving...

That I've stayed on track with my workouts so far this year. Yes, I know, we are only three weeks in, but still, it's a start. I know I've mentioned it on here before, but I LOVE the app FitOn. It's free, and you get so many workout videos by different trainers (that way you don't get bored doing the same workouts over and over). You can select what type of videos you want: the area you want to target (abs, legs, arms) how long you want the video to be, the trainer you want, etc. I HIGHLY recommend them. All of the trainers are great, but my favorite is Kenta. He's amazing and he's so encouraging. 

I'm loving...

This Etsy shop: Crafty Crutch Stuff. I discovered them last year when I was on Etsy searching for Atlanta Braves stuff. I found a Braves gnome they had made and decided I needed it. I loved the quality so much I reached out to the owners to special order a Rangers gnome (which they made and sent to me in less than two weeks). The owners are super nice. I recently purchased some of their kitchen towels and another gnome. In one of my purchases, they threw in a free bar of their homemade soap, which smelled AMAZING. I highly recommend this shop. If you know me, you know I'm all about supporting small businesses. If you want a gnome with a specific sports team or design, you can reach out and ask for it. If you order anything from them, let them know that Rachel sent you! :)

I'm loving...

Mr. Ballen's YouTube Channel. My neighbor introduced me to Mr. Ballen last year and I binged watched all of his videos in like a week. If you are a fan of the strange, dark, and mysterious delivered in storytelling format, Mr. Ballen is for you! Here is a sample of his videos. And yes, he really is a former Navy Seal (the second video will explain that).

 
      

I dressed up as Mr. Ballen for Halloween at work last year. Lol.

I'm loving...

The Jurassic World Exhibit-I went last week and had a lot of fun. The last day for the Dallas exhibit was this past Monday, but if you ever see it near you, I recommend going. It is something that is enjoyable for people of all ages.

I'm loving...

That I'm finally working on all the scrapbooks that I've been talking about completing for the last 100 years (okay, maybe not that long). I've had stuff in a box for twenty years from middle school and high school and am excited to get it cleared out and in an album. 2022 is the year of organization for me!

8th grade Pep Squad Officer Rachel

What are YOU loving today?

XOXO!

What I'm Loving Thursday

I'm loving...

That I'm trying to improve on my 5K time. After participating in my first 5K last year, I've decided to actually train for my next one. Last time I did it "cold turkey". I downloaded an app called Couch to 5K and I really enjoy it. 

I'm loving...

That I got to see my BFF Mandy last weekend while I was in Austin. We are going on 30 years of friendship this year!

I'm loving...

That two non-beer drinkers made a 45 minutes drive to a beer brewery just to support one of our favorite actors. Mandy and I love the show Supernatural and one of the stars (Jensen Ackles) just opened a brewery last week. We decided to show his business some support and went out there on Saturday. It's an awesome place (even if you are a non-drinker)- it's in Dripping Springs (just outside of Austin) and it is beautiful out there. They have a lot of seating (inside and outside) and there is a food truck available. They have a gated playground for kids and have a lot of areas for people to bring their dogs (on a leash, of course). We went out there on Saturday afternoon, and I really didn't expect Jensen to be there, but after sitting down for a few minutes, he walked by us. We didn't say anything the first time he walked by, but the second time he walked by, I stopped him and told him how much we enjoyed the atmosphere and that the place looked great. He stopped and chatted with us and expressed his appreciation that we were there checking it out. And he agreed to take a photo (Mandy's daughter was super excited to meet "Dean"). This was much cheaper than the time Mandy and I paid to get a photo with him at a Supernatural convention. Lol.

They also serve non-alcoholic drinks

I'm loving...

That I got to hang out with old friends this past weekend. My friend Thomas turned 40 and I went to his birthday party (I've known him since college). Another college friend Kris was there, it was great catching up with them and reminiscing on old memories. I also got to meet up with my friend Justin while I was in town, we went to high school together and hadn't seen each other in 20 plus years. 

I'm loving...

That I got to stay with my "summer mom" while I was in Austin. During the summer of 1998 I lived with this wonderful lady and her family. She has been calling me her "summer daughter" for 20 years now. :)

I'm loving...

That I got to visit the church I grew up in, I hadn't been by in about 13 years. This church will always be very dear to me. Sadly there aren't many members left from my time there, but there was one lady who remembered me. She kept saying "I can't believe you are little Rachel." :) I attended that church from age 5 to age 18.

Ms. Pat

I'm loving...

That I got to hear author Mike Cox speak on his book Legends & Lore of the Texas Capitol. Mandy and I went to hear him speak on Sunday (last thing I did before I left Austin). I can't wait to read the book- I'm a history nerd (especially Texas history) so I look forward to it.

I'm loving...

The cold weather. HA. Just kidding. Going to work when temperatures are in the single digits is not for me. I live in Texas for a reason (well, many reasons, but not having to deal with freezing temperatures in a main one). Lol.

I'm loving...

That I got to have lunch with my amazing friend Devin. You should just be jealous (even if you don't know him). :)

I'm loving...

That I got to attend a farewell dinner for my (now former) manager. When I interviewed at my place of employment ten years ago, she was the second person I interviewed with and she has been nothing but 1000% supportive of my career from the beginning. She retired last week and is going to sail the Caribbean with her husband. I'm going to miss my daily chats with her (and the never-ending supply of chocolate candy in her office). Lol.

What are YOU loving today??

XOXO!

What I'm Loving Wednesday!

I'm loving...

That I was able to attend Dallas Fan Days last weekend. I wasn't going to go until they added Bruce Boxleitner to the guest list. When I was six, I would watch Scarecrow and Mrs. King with my sister Mary, so I HAD to meet him. He was so nice. I even got a hug. And yes, I even bought Scarecrow and Mrs. King off of Amazon Prime instant streaming so I could reminisce. :) I also met Ruth Connell from the show Supernatural. Her character Rowena is so horrible but she's really super sweet in person. She's also very soft spoken (her character is very loud). 

Ran into my friend Matt while I was there!

Mandy and I met at my first Comic Con back in 2014- we were so excited that we got to see each other again!

I'm loving...

That I don't have to have shoulder surgery (at least the orthopedic doctor doesn't believe I will have to have it). Last month I started having a pain in my shoulder and when it didn't go away after a few days, my primary doctor recommended that I see an orthopedic surgeon. Two office visits and one $500 MRI later, it was discovered that I have subacromial bursitis. I got two cortisone shots in my shoulder and have been doing at-home physical therapy to see if that fixes the issue. So far the pain has gotten better, so I'm hoping it's a good sign. I have one ugly looking bruise from the shots though (see photo below. If bruises gross you out, keep scrolling). 

Before my MRI. I couldn't wear any clothing with metal on it, so I wore this

This is 10 days after receiving my shots. I assume this is normal?

I'm loving...

That some friends and I got to go to the Lone Survivor Foundation celebrity softball game a few weeks ago. It was a lot of fun and we got to meet several celebrities, including former NFL player Jermichael Finley, former MLB pitcher Roger Clemens, and country super star Toby Keith. Matthew McConaughey was also there, but he didn't come over to take photos or sign autographs (so we tooks pics from afar).

Fun times with friends!

More celebrities who have had the honor of meeting me

I'm loving...

That some of my siblings and I were able to work on our folks house a few weekends ago. Their house is over 100 years old and was in need of some work, including painting the front door and window panes. Guess which youngest, tall sibling got to stand on the ramp railings and paint the window panes? And this is all WITH a shoulder injury. You can't say that I'm not a trooper. Lol.

My sister Martha added this decal to their front door windows, which makes it look so much better!

Window before

Windows after

I'm loving...

That I got to see my BFF Brandy last Saturday. We sadly don't see each other too often (despite living only an hour apart). We spent the morning and early afternoon in downtown historic Grapevine. We just walked around and shopped, it was fun to just hang out together.

I'm loving...

That my church's Trunk or Treat is this Sunday evening. I was nominated again by my class to work on the decorations for our trunk. I chose a Dr. Seuss theme and have been busy the last two weeks trying to finish it all up. Here are some of my craft creations.

I'm loving...

That I got my James Avery Whataburger charm a few weeks ago. It was only available for a limited time and I think I ordered it within the first hour. Lol. 

I'm loving...

That I'm finally trying to cook more at home. Part of my 40 by 40 challenge is to learn one new recipe a month. I guess as long as I learn 12 new recipes by May, that will work. I've decided to catch up on the past months, so I've learned two so far this month (so we will count that as June and July). It's my challenge- I make the rules. :)

Teriyaki stir fry

 I didn't get an after photo of my food, so I took a photo of the seasonings (I took a before photo but I decided y'all probably didn't want to see raw chicken). I tried a new baked chicken recipe. It called for a garlic seasoning but I decided to try four different seasonings out instead: Lawry's Seasoned Salt, lemon and pepper (I forgot to take a photo of the lemon), Sesame ginger teriyaki sauce (THIS STUFF IS AMAZING), and Roasted Peach Whiskey sauce. I didn't like this one as much, I don't think I liked the roasted peach flavor, but it was still okay.

I'm loving...

That I was able to attend the State Fair of Texas before it closed last weekend. I went last Thursday and had a blast meeting up with friends. And I caused WWIII on social media by putting ketchup on my corny dog. Lol. Haters gonna hate.

What are YOU loving today??

XOXO!!

What I'm Loving!

I'm loving...

That I can still find little things to make me happy. There is too much hate and sadness in the world right now. You can't log onto social media without it being the main thing you see. I know there are HORRIBLE things going on, and it makes me sad (and yes, angry), but instead of letting it fill me with anger and hatred, I choose to focus on things that are positive and that bring me joy. I'm not trying to ignore what's going on, just because I don't go on a rant on social media doesn't mean that I approve of it or that it doesn't make me mad. But constantly posting angry rants isn't going to help anything. I'm not saying that I can change the heart of the world by being positive and uplifting, but I'm not going to let the negative world change my heart. Okay, so with that being said, here are the things I'm loving this week....

I'm loving...

That I was able to meet everyone's favorite principal, Mr. Belding! Saved by the Bell was one of my favorite shows as a kid and such a big part of my childhood. Dennis Haskins is one of the nicest people I have ever met. And he said he doesn't mind being called Mr. Belding (I honestly couldn't bring myself to call him anything else). He was at the Roughriders game on Saturday signing autographs and taking pictures. It was so nice to have met him! 

He even did some SnapChat photos!

The group photo my friends and I took (and tweeted to him) was a little dark, so he was nice enough to edit it and tweet it back to us!

My friend Andrew couldn't make the game, but wanted an autograph, so he tweeted Mr. Belding that I was supposed to get an autograph for him. When I introduced myself, Mr. Belding asked, "Are you Rachel from Twitter? You need to get an autograph for Andrew." So, here is Mr. B signing something for Andrew. :)

I'm loving...

That my friends and I FINALLY had our Girls Night Out last Saturday. We had been planning it since May. We went to the RoughRider game (wearing our Bayside Tigers shirts for our photo with Mr. Belding). We also stayed for the post game 90s themed concert. It was a lot of fun, I love these ladies!! 

I'm loving...

My coworkers. Over the last few months, it has been crazy around my office, and there are still changes and challenges going on. It does help when you have some awesome coworkers to keep you sane on those challenging days!

We were told not to take a selfie during the solar eclipse because the reflection off the phone would hurt our eyes, so we closed them. Lol 

Speaking of loving coworkers....

I'm loving...

That one of my awesome coworkers bought a bunch of special glasses so we could look at the solar eclipse on Monday. I kept meaning to get a pair and then by the time I remembered, I couldn't find any, so I figured I just wasn't gonna see it. She bought a bunch to share so we took turns using them. I'm glad it was something I got to see. In 2024 Texas is supposed to experience a full solar eclipse, I'll be sure to get eclipse glasses for that one!

Photo taken through the eclipse glasses

I'm loving...

Baseball games with friends. Friends, baseball, and hugs always make for a good time! Yes, I'm a hugger. Thankfully (most) of my friends are too. And the ones who aren't humor me and hug me anyway. Lol.

I'm loving...

An unexpected Chick Fil-A milkshake. Those always make me happy. :)

What are YOU loving today? I would love to hear about it. Even if you think it's minor, hey, if it makes you happy, then that is awesome!

XOXO!