Sunday Post/Sunday Salon - November 2, 2025: Living the Dream

Yes, I am one of the people ready to start the Christmas music on November 1. Even though I'm currently wearing my Freddy Krueger PJs (congrats to Robert Englund, the famous actor who played Freddy Krueger in A Nightmare on Elm Street, on his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, awarded on Halloween). I've resisted so far and will follow the lead of the radio station in Detroit who switches to Christmas music only in their programming once Mariah Carey completes her thaw.

If you're visiting from the midwest U.S., hope you've remembered to switch your clocks back an hour for Daylight Saving Time (fall back, spring forward). We lose an hour now, to gain the glorious hour back in the spring. It's only really cool in November if you're at the bar, and a cool bartender puts off closing at that last minute by an hour, since the switch is 2am, when bars would be closing where I've always been in Michigan.

I'm back for my semi-regular check in and visiting the other delightful bloggers who spend their Sunday with Deb (it's her birthday!) at Readerbuzz for Sunday Salon and Kimberly at Caffeinated Reviewer for Sunday Post.

What I'm reading this week:

Luckily my next two print books were just picked up by me from the post office on Friday, because I'm still finishing up The Ones We Burn (and really enjoying it) by Rebecca Mix. Please read it for yourself. I bought it back when it came out, but set it aside after social media controversy. I re-read some of the reviews just now, and I am really, sincerely, not picking up on their accusations of a racist/anti-semitic storyline. At all. On my kindle, I'm on to One Killer Night by Trilina Pucci. Unfortunately, while I am really loving the characters, the smut is a lil heavy for my tastes. But it is well written, IMHO.

Three Good Things:

1. I started planning a girls' weekend with my bestie from Jersey for the spring. We're gonna stay in the college-town where my daughter lives, to see the spring theatre show she's in (9 to 5), and then just chill and do best friend things. Hoping the winter is mild enough, or done enough by then, for me to truly enjoy.
   
   
   
2. I started my Sanderson Sisters' LEGO house!! I gave up on doing it in my home office, since by sitting at my regular LEGO table, I can see the tv set to play the movie at the same time.
3. This weekend is feeling nice and long. I left early on Friday to be ready for our son and all of his friends to use our house as their base for trick or treating. So that already felt like a work day and another day. Then yesterday, I headed out first thing for a bunch of groceries we needed and a dinner plan (steak and baked potatoes), then chilled and did a bag of my LEGO build, then our son had some Hot Cash to spend at Hot Topic, so we hit the mall, then had our delicious dinner and hubs and I watched Suicide Squad (on the recommendation of a co-worker who said to watch this, then Peacemaker). And now I still have a weekend day left - with biscuit and gravy breakfast, and Home Chef chili for dinner while our son has a birthday party at a friend's.

Three Good Things:

1. Things are okay. Weird thing to count as 'good,' but my anxiety constantly tells me how BAD things are. Honestly? Personally? Life is tolerable, and my kids seem to be pretty happy. We're all reasonably healthy. It isn't a bad life.
2. I've got more time off this week - wheee!!! On Thursday, I'm using two hours of company paid time that each person on our team got for a record production month in August. To be used, must have manager approval and be on a Tues - Thurs. I'm purposely using it Thursday afternoon since I have Friday off to present at our middle school's career fair. It's for the sixth graders this year, and focusing on ELA (English) skills. I do get 8 hours/year of paid volunteer hours, but I've already used those, so this is the last of my flex time hours (8 hours/quarter) and four hours of PTO. It works. I'm friends with the women running it - the English teacher who is also the theatre director, and the librarian, who I've been in a book club with since pre-COVID. Also, Friday off - woo-hoo!!
3. I was able to find two of something that my kids wanted for advent calendars. Which doesn't even touch how excited I am for the advent calendar plan I have for the whole family. So, yeah, sorry for the vague-booking. Will post when I don't risk having the kids find out. Not even a month! We're kicking off the family advent calendar when daughter is home for Thanksgiving, as hubs and the kids would LOVE to go on a ski trip during the week leading up to Christmas. So, trying  to have it done a bit early since I may be home alone that last week. Which gives me plenty of wrapping time, so, win?

Three Goals for this week/month/whatever:

1. Get caught up on book reviews! I have one for BooksIThinkYouShouldRead (A Cold Trail), and need  to write about March of Crime for my blog.
2. More Yelp! reviews!
3. I do want to do some version of a holiday wish list. I thought I used to start on November 1, but that ship has sailed. Maybe Nov 15 - 30? We'll see.