The weather is finally starting to cool down. Nights have been chilly enough that I’ve turned off the swamp cooler, and the house stays comfortable without it. Today’s high is 78 with clear, sunny skies—warm in the sun but with that first touch of autumn in the air. It feels like the season is slowly shifting.
I have my Stanley water bottle—a pinkish-purple one I really like—sitting on my desk, though I still need to fill it so I have water handy while I work. It’s not one of those Stanley cups, which is fine by me. I’ve never been into that hype; I prefer bottles anyway. Still, I do own a Stanley. Sigh. I try not to give in to trends too much.
My desk could use a quick tidy. There’s not much on it, but a few things need to be cleared off, and my monitor and keyboard could use a good wipe down. I’ll probably take care of that later today. I also want to print some pictures for my journal and set up my planner for the week. It feels like there are so many little tasks piling up—like putting away the clothes still sitting on the bed. Honestly, I’m feeling a bit overwhelmed.
I also need to call my uncle back. He rang last night while Tommy was at hockey, but I let it go to voicemail. My other uncle—my cousins’ dad—just passed away. It’s sad. I don’t really know him, and they live in the Philippines, so I wasn’t around them, but I feel for my cousins. Losing a parent is hard.
I finally called my uncle back this morning after missing his call last night. Making phone calls always stirs up a little anxiety for me, so I had to work myself up to pressing the button. He didn’t pick up, so I left it at that for now. At least I tried, and sometimes that’s the hardest part—just making the call.
My uncle called me back, and I swear I’m the most awkward person on the phone—especially when I have to lead the conversation. We talked a little about my mom. He mentioned how he can never get a hold of her, which made me laugh because I can barely reach her myself (though I’ll admit I don’t call that often). Still, even when you do try, most of the time you just end up talking to her answering machine.
Today, I feel restless, as if I can’t focus on coding. I just want to get up and do things around the house. I’ve been eyeing the closet in the bedroom, thinking it’s time for a declutter. The plastic drawers in there are flimsy and falling apart—I’d love to get rid of them and find a better storage solution.
This past weekend was pretty low-key. Tommy had a doctor’s appointment on Friday for his allergies and got antibiotics. Saturday, we stayed home, then later went to the store for ingredients to make chili and Irish stew. We paired the chili with cornbread and the stew with Irish soda bread. The soda bread was gone by yesterday; if we’d had more time, we would have baked another loaf. I think I’ll have some stew for lunch today.
On Sunday, we took Lexi to see Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle. It was nearly three hours long, so Tommy and I killed time by wandering around the gaming store, Home Depot, and Costco. Even then, we still ended up sitting in the car scrolling on our phones. Lexi loved the movie, though. Afterwards, we went home for dinner. Chris was there, so we gave him a ride back to the dorm when we headed out to Tommy’s hockey game. I kept asking if he felt well enough to play, with his allergies acting up, but he said he was fine. And he was—he played with a lot of energy and did really well.
The kids finished their chores. Karissa took care of Kel’s laundry since Kel needs pajamas for tonight. Alexis cleaned out both fridges—she’s very conscious about expiration dates, which is probably why Kel picked her for that task. Alex cut the grass in the yard and along the driveway. I checked everyone’s work, and it all looked good. I haven’t checked the driveway yet, but I’m sure it’s fine.
I’m finishing up coding, then I’ll put away the clothes on the bed. After that, I want to tidy my desk and wipe down my monitor and keyboard. Since Tommy’s getting home late tonight, I figured we’d fend for ourselves for dinner. I might spend some time reading later. For now, I’m going to make myself some tea and tackle the clothes.
