Hello happy blog readers! Life has been… eventful, to say the least. Last week was a whirlwind of work, apple crisps, and unexpected wildlife encounters. Before I dive into the chaos, let me catch you up on some recent happenings.
First and foremost, I’m thrilled to announce that I’m officially walker-free when it comes to showering! Yes, you read that right. I can now navigate the slippery slopes of my shower without the fear of a dramatic (and potentially hilarious) fall. It’s the little victories, people!
Speaking of falls, it reminded me of a story I’ve been meaning to share about my first encounter with the Dutch – and a rather unfortunate incident involving my right ankle.
Picture this: Sint Maarten, the first stop on a Disney cruise. I was practically vibrating with excitement, eager to explore the Caribbean. I hopped off the ship bright and early, ready to conquer the cobblestone streets of a charming shopping park. Of course, my inherent clumsiness had other plans.
I stepped out of a shop, completely forgetting about the curb, and BAM! Down I went, twisting my ankle in the process. The shopkeeper was an absolute angel. She helped me up, got me ice, and generally fussed over me like a concerned mother hen. Everyone I encountered on Sint Maarten was so kind and helpful, and I immediately warmed up to the Dutch side of the island.
Of course, my husband found me hopping back to the ship, and insisted on dragging me to the onboard medical center. Turns out, it was a severe sprain. So, my dream Caribbean vacation turned into a week of hobbling around with my dad’s emergency gout cane and racking up a spa bill that could rival a small mortgage. No beverage package + spa visits = financial doom!
Fast forward to Friday. Work was a whirlwind, my living room transformed into a makeshift call center, Dave and Jared were having a conversation in the room, and Samantha was baking apple crisps in my oven like it was no big deal. It was pure, unadulterated chaos.
Samantha made a swift exit, leaving me to manage everything. A couple of hours later, sweet freedom arrived in the form of the weekend!
Later that evening, Samantha came back over and we were having a nice visit when Jenn called, so I put her speakerphone and included her in the conversation. The three of us had a nice chat, and I left the two of them talking while I ran inside to use the facilities. Albus darted into the bedroom behind me, narrowly missing the closing barndoor. And when he sat down in front of me, looking back at me over his shoulder, for the very first time, I saw a touch of Finnegan in him. As sweet as Albus is, they have completely different personalities and temperaments, so this reminder of my sweet boy was very welcome.
I went inside, did some doom scrolling, and then went to bed, only to be awakened at 11:45pm by a frantic Dave. “There are two snakes in the basement.” was what I woke to. Not sure how I became the go to gal for snake wrangling, but I had no advice for this situation, so I did not get up. Dave returned a short while later to tell me that he’d captured one of them and put it in a container outside to deal with in the morning. The second had vanished while capturing the first, sooo…there’s a loose snake somewhere in the house. But wait, it’s worse than that. The way Dave found the snakes in the first place was by hearing them thumping their way up the stairs, so he went down to investigate. So not only do I have two reptilian intruders, but they are stairs climbers. Perfect.
So, that’s where I’m at, folks. Two reptilian intruders, one of whom is currently MIA and potentially plotting its ascent to the upper floors. Wish me luck! I’m going to need it.