Lately.

Long absences mean lots to say.

Someone instigated an unintentional flip flop trade at yoga on Tuesday when they wore my black Old Navy flip flips home from the gym and I had to wear their more worn black Old Navy flip flops to the store where I tried not to think about the warts and fungi the shoe swapper definitely doesn't have.

Two weeks ago spring started.  A week ago summer started. The trees officially have leaves. Yesterday I even saw blossoms on some. Everyone always says the summers here are really nice. I get it now. It's amazing here. Then again, anything is nice compared to the winters here.

Karl and I went for a walk last night. Prairie bugs are a real thing. Karl looks like he has the pox.

We walked down to the cemetery near where we're living. My grandpa, grandma, and uncle are buried there. They're buried in the one place they don't landscape in the cemetery. My grandpa's grave marker was so overgrown we couldn't see it and my grandma's and uncles were hardly visible. Karl and I did a little impromptu gardening and weeding. Next time we go back we're bringing a trowel. I never thought I'd bring a shovel to a graveyard.

Last weekend we went to one of the family farms. It was the first genuinely warm weekend of the year. And by warm I mean hot. And by hot I mean I was so happy, and I don't even like super hot. My mom's cousin has a boat and he took us out on the river. We saw two dead cows. It was life changing. FYI, drowned cows look kind of like seals. But they don't have seals in Saskatchewan.

I almost hit a squirrel driving to work the other day. Animals here are just as insane as the drivers. I have seen more headless road kill since we moved here than ever before in my life. I stopped so the squirrel could move. My mom would have been so disappointed in me.

You know how some people are sponsored by companies? I think Old Navy is sponsored by me. Almost all of my clothes come from their website. And I'm only a little ashamed to admit it. They have free shipping on orders over $50 and free in-store returns. And they show up at my door in about a week. That means I don't actually have to brave Old Navy and its teenage clientele to buy tank tops, shirts, pants, dress, scarves, gym clothes... Plus, their website usually has better prices than the store. Just saying.

My Camelbak water bottle is ruining my life. I like that it's a sippy straw but I don't like that after three months it's decided to start leaking all the time. Always. Even when it's upright, sometimes. It's defying gravity. This is the third bottle I've gone through because I've returned two others for the same reason. There's no MEC here, though, so I'm just going to suck it up. But I need you to tell me about your sippy straw water bottle that doesn't leak so I can buy one just like it.

I am so in love with coffee these days. It's making my life better. Still decaf, but always comforting. I made ice coffee this week and am in the process of making my first batch of cold brew coffee as we speak.

Larissa gave me the genius idea last year to make coffee ice cubes for my ice coffee. It was life changing. Add to that my recent discovery of unsweetened chocolate almond milk (nutritionally it's almost identical to the non-chocolate variety) and you have the most amazing cup of unsweetened chocolate almond milk with coffee ice cubes. I know, I'm a genius.

We visited Larissa and her men folk two weeks ago. It was almost like being back in Victoria again except there's more of them now. I hope they have five more children and then forget one of them at our house. Or more, I'm not picky.

I'm trying this thing where I don't eat junk throughout the week. I love junk, but this is working really well for me. Emotionally and mentally if not physically. I'm eating more fruit, less Teddy Grahams, and appreciating my weekend junk so much more. And I'm not even going overboard. Don't worry, I don't sit in the middle of the living room floor with ice cream, chips, and chocolate bars. Yet.

I found myself eating naked popcorn the other day. I was planning on oiling and salting it , but got to eating it before I did any of that and realized it was making me just as happy without the toppings. It was like a whole new world of being boring just opened right up in front of me.

If I could enjoy naked popcorn I had the thought that chocolate and cinnamon popcorn might also be a nice combo. It's like I can't get enough of cocoa lately. I want it everywhere all the time. Have you even tried cocoa powder in your coffee with a little bit of unsweetened almond milk? It's like a dark chocolate coffee. Because I guess that's what it is.

But popcorn. I mixed up some cocoa powder, cinnamon, a teeny bit of salt, and some stevia per the genius Angi's recommendation. It wasn't bad. I did burn the popcorn and I think I went a little overboard with the cocoa and cinnamon, but it was still good. I don't think  my white shirt will ever forgive me, though.

Audrey Assad's new EP is some good listening. Also, The Elms CD The Chess Hotel has been on repeat in the car for a couple weeks. Two very different artists.

We get house possession in two weeks and are fully moving in three. I could say I haven't started packing yet but that would be a lie. I started packing for this in February when we were still in Victoria, I've just been taking a long break.

My latest thing is hiding in my car at lunch time. I say it's just because it's so nice outside and there's nowhere near the office to sit because it's the industrial part of town, but that's not the only reason. If I don't hide I don't always get a full lunch break, and I need my sanity break in the middle of the day. Plus, fresh air.

We gave blood today. One of my co-workers joined us. We were like the dream team of awesome, saving lives left, right, and centre. When the lady unplugged me she told me to stay hydrated, take it easy, and that I'm a princess today because I saved a life. She was so right.

I went to Goodwill when we were in Edmonton, Value Village a couple weeks ago, and The Salvation Army today. I got some awesome baskets at Goodwill, a scarf that was exactly what I was looking for at Value Village, and a basket, some real Tupperware, and an awesome work-appropriate summer dress at The Salvation Army. In case you're wondering, less than $20 was spent between all those places. If I wasn't so low on blood volume I'd be jumping up and down and squealing right now. Again. The best part is, Karl is always impressed by my scores. That's how I know I've done well.

I knit myself a sweater a couple months ago and got so far as finishing everything but the collar when I tried it on and found out it was the most shapeless, unflattering, midriff baring thing ever. So I ripped it out, downsized my needles, added another two inches to the length than what the pattern called for (for a grand total of 4"), and knit on hope and a prayer. I dragged my feet on finishing it because I knew the crushing disappoint would be too much to bear when it didn't fit again. And then I tried it on last night after finishing the sleeves and, while it's got a couple character enhancing qualities, it FITS and it fits well. And there was much fist pumping and rejoicing.

I also got my second Regina haircut yesterday. It was in someone's house and was a much better experience than last time. She only cut me with the scissors once. I'll definitely be going back.

And that's where I'm at these days.

If you're reading this today, how about little love in the comments? I've been feeling a little isolated out here pretty much ever since we moved, and it would be nice to be given a little head nod and hello. We can all use a little more friendliness and social interaction in our lives.