March reflections

I am a participant in the Amazon Affiliate program and other affiliate programs. This post may contain affiliate links which earn me a few dollars to help maintain the cost of running this blog. See my disclosure page for more info.

Reflections

As my pink hair faded, I started playing with color-depositing shampoo, and this Punky purple shampoo just happened to be sitting in my shower…rainbow hair is coming friends.

Over the next several months, I’ll be tweaking this newsletter to include things you’re asking about, improve flow, and make it something that you want to open every month. Links in the reflections will be to relevant blog posts. Links in media consumption will be to affiliate links to the products I’m referencing (making a purchase through these links may earn me a small commission that helps pay for my website, newsletter, and other professional services I use).

I decided to troll a trend circling one of my favorite Facebook groups and measure my height in board games (23)…in the snow. I managed to horrify several hundred people before I admitted that the bottom game was, in fact, still in shrink-wrap.

This month marks the anniversary of our pandemic social isolation experiment. It’s most certainly been a journey, and I hope that, like me, it’s been a mixed bag for you with lots of joy and positives to take away. We went into full quarantine lockdown on March 15 last year, and this year, I’ll be prepping for a lumbar microdiscectomy on March 16 (which is basically a fancy way of saying I’m having back surgery. I like to be fancy, you know.)

Reading about my surgery, you might be worried (I’m looking at you, Mom), but I am more excited than anything else. Of course, I did have a crazy anxiety dream about it last night that involved a weird science art wing in the hospital, not having completed any of my pre-op requirements, sitting in a parking lot eating steak in the car while wearing a hospital gown, and waiting for them to call me into surgery. Listen, I don’t know how my subconscious comes up with this shit, I just go with the dream flow.

March is also the big month for The Disneybound Challenge, a style challenge with themed days for Disneybounding. This will be my fourth year playing dress-up on Instagram should you want to follow that journey. My current plan is to attempt all loungy, pajama bounds, but my best-laid plans never come to fruition, so we’ll see what happens over the next 31 days.

I completed my second Princess 5K (and my third Disney 5K) last month in the cold and snowy sidewalks of downtown Wheaton. My normal walking path was still covered in snow, and I didn’t trust all of my neighbors to have fully salted the sidewalks. It took my two days (I did half on Friday night and the other half on Saturday afternoon), but I did it. Just because I’m having back surgery, doesn’t mean I’m not trying to stay as active as I can before — and after, as soon as I am able.

Now for the monthly pupdate…

Nia has been learning to zoom on our new floors since November and is finally starting to accept that she’s never getting her carpeted floors back. She uses the couch and the stairs (the only remaining carpet) as “base” to run and play, but the days of puppy parkour are merely a memory. She enjoys playing with her toys, begging for table scraps, and barking at neighbors who shovel snow (but it’s been 81 days since the police were last called on her, so we’re making progress).

Nia loves her cousin time on e-learning days. These two munchkins brighten all of our Thursdays to learn and play with Auntie Chrissy and Nia.

What I’m writing

My New Year’s resolution to unsubscribe to things that no longer bring me joy

Comparing my experience of two inauguration days

Reflection on A Promised Land

Hijinx and adventure on Paczki Day

I’ve just finished rewriting the lyrics to a song in relation to a Covid vaccine, and I’m hoping to have that out soon.

I’m also working on two novels (the first is women’s fiction and the second is a reworked fairytale that will hopefully be the first in a series).

What I’m watching

A Discovery of Witches (AMC+) – OMG I love this show so much

His Dark Materials (HBO) – super engaging darkly fun adventure fantasy

The Stand (CBS All Access) – If you haven’t watched it yet, don’t waste your time.

Wandavision (Disney+) – This MCU fangirl is obsessed

Counterpart (Prime Video) – super interesting spy-fi (I don’t know if that’s a real term, but it should be for this sci-fi spy drama)

Bridgerton (Netflix) – I didn’t want to love it…but it was delicious and I adored it

What I’m reading

Midnight Sun – Stephanie Meyer 10/10 for this Twihard (die-hard Twilight fan)

A Promised Land – Barack Obama 8/10 tough read, but worth the work

A Princess in Theory – Alyssa Cole 7/10 delicious romance (and the first of a series!)

Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? – Mindy Kaling 8/10 I think she and I are best friends now, even though she hates it when I behave like a child

Ready Player Two Ernest Cline Book Cover

Ready Player 2 – Ernest Cline 7/10 quick, fun, nerdy read that made me want to binge-watch John Hughes films

What I’m playing

Animal Crossing (A LOT of animal crossing)

New York Times Crossword Puzzles (Brian and I just started this new hobby)

Gloomhaven Jaws of the Lion (Brian and I started this campaign game, but haven’t loved it so far).

Catan (After months of Candy Land, Astro Trash, and Sorry, I’ve finally upgraded my niece and nephew to their first Eurogame. I think they liked it!)

Quirky Chrissy

A dreamer and a klutz, Chrissy is the sole proprietor of this blog. Her lifelong aspirations include owning a cheese shop, writing several books, and being played by someone famous in the movie version of her life.