We went out to dinner with Colleen and her family. It was nice to see them – we figured out that the last time we saw each other was Easter. Even though we don’t see each other often, I’m grateful we do make the effort to get together. It’s nice to have family.
Category: September 2026
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September 16
I was so grateful to Billy for cooking dinner tonight. Robin had cavities filled this afternoon. It cost $242 and she still needs two more done. She has seven more in development. They offered a treatment that can reverse them, but it’s $100 per site and it’s not covered by insurance. This just isn’t acceptable anymore. I’m tired of life without consequences. So… from now on, we charge her 30 minutes of phone time for every cavity. I sincerely hope this helps it sink in. I’m exhausted from the strain of not knowing what to do all the time. Every decision feels so hard.
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September 15
Christina came home early from school with a stomach ache, so she also skipped dance this evening. I always appreciate a break, especially these days. I’m mentally drained. I think I’m having a harder time adjusting to high school than Robin.
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September 14
We went to parent night at Robin’s school tonight. It was nice getting to have a glimpse into her day. Some of the things she’s been saying about her classes make more sense now. We shamed her into doing an extra credit assignment for history where she had to identify the seven continents and the major oceans. I never met a person more averse to the idea of extra credit. How is she related to us? Her business class sounds cool, although I don’t think she likes it very much. She will be WordPress certified by the end of the school year. I don’t think she cares. Still adjusting to public school life!
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September 13
This patio is going to destroy me. I was positive I’d be sitting out by the fire pit tonight, sipping a bourbon. But it took me about four hours longer than expected to pour and activate the polymeric sand, only to find that 25% of the joints I filled were empty by the time I was done. Apparently this broom is not an ideal tool for this job. I have a secret: This broom is not an ideal tool for ANY job. I plan to throw it into an active volcano the first chance I get. I have torn up both thumbs trying to sweep with it. But… next weekend has to be the end. I only have 25% of the joints to refill, the edging to backfill, and the furniture to move. I bought my “you finally finished this insane project” gift for myself and it arrived, but now I have to wait another week to use them. What are they? You’ll see.
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September 12
We have been infested with tiny flying insects that only exist to annoy the crap out of every living soul around them. There was some horrific situation in the kids’ bathroom garbage can a couple weeks ago, and I feel certain that was the origin. I made the mistake of opening the lid and unleashed hundreds of them, plus the worst thing I have ever smelled in my life. It smelled like rancid vomit that had been sitting in a trash can for a month and a half. And then I made the next mistake and looked under their bathroom sink, and I won’t describe what I saw there except that apparently this is where you throw human waste when something is living in your garbage can. Anyway. Now we have little flying bugs everywhere and I hate them. I had to throw away my beautiful flowers because the bugs loved them more than I did. We will prevail. I hope.
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September 11
I just did not want to face life today. I am so exhausted and generally defeated, so I never got dressed today and I spent parts of the day lying on the couch, trying to summon the energy to do the next thing. I did manage to cook dinner, even though it wasn’t what I’d planned, so not a total loss. Billy had a football game and got caught in a thunderstorm, so who knows when he’ll get home. I just know that I’ll be in bed.
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September 10
We went to the Seaside volleyball game tonight. Robin had really wanted to volunteer and help out her teacher with the game, but couldn’t work up the nerve to ask, and we ended up leaving early. It was an emotional night. No one felt like cooking, so we ordered takeout from One Night Taco Stand. It was pretty good. Nice to have something different. I’m exhausted, as usual.
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September 9
I had a lovely run this morning. The sunrise was so pretty, then there were some light sprinkles, and then I turned the corner and saw this. I felt like I could have run for another hour. I haven’t had a run like this in a while. It was just the way I want to start a day. The rest of the day was decent. I got caught up at work, which is such a relief. Robin was talkative at dinner tonight, which was nice. There is a kid in her science class who has a crush on her and it sounds kind of adorable. She seems to have adjusted really well to high school, which is great to see. I’m very proud of her.
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September 8
I’m starting to get caught up at work and things are starting to feel right again. Billy reached out to the vet to find out more about how it works for euthanasia and that made me cry. Jackson has seemed better since that bad night a few days ago, but I know our time is limited. I was tickled by this strawberry flower that found its way into our strawberries this week. It made me smile.
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September 7
It’s not really a dress-up-the-table holiday, but I can’t resist a lovely looking table when we have company. Rosina and Dion came for Labor Day. Pinot barked at Dion for a solid hour before finally deciding he liked getting petted by him. This is why we don’t have guests. It was a nice afternoon, though. Dion tried to recreate my beloved Intuition I-10 IPA. He called it I-4, which I think is apt. It’s a very good beer. Not quite I-10, but pretty good nonetheless. I so love that he put so much effort into recreating it. And he gave me a whole case of it! We played a round of Wyrmspan, which was pretty fun. Not a bad afternoon.
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September 6
The patio is almost completely finished. I finished putting down the last pavers this morning. All I have left is edging and sealing, which I should be able to do in a day. I am so unbelievably exhausted, though. Tamping the extra gravel was hard on my body. I managed to get Robin to an escape room with her friend from school. We managed to escape! We needed 13 hints, which feels like a lot, but our helper said it really wasn’t much. He had to give us the answer for one of the puzzles. We just couldn’t figure it out. We had a lot of fun. Then out to dinner and back to bed! The exhaustion is palpable. I can’t seem to get on top of it.
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September 5
While I was getting ready to work on the patio, I happened to spot the old pot where my mom’s peace lily had been. After I tried to salvage what was left of the plant, I stashed it in a corner under a chair. Apparently that’s exactly what it needed, because I found a very healthy-looking peace lily hiding in the corner. What a surprise! I think it needs to live on the patio when it’s finished. Which should be soon!
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September 4
I am so exhausted. Work is so stressful and there is so much to do at home. I managed to cook dinner tonight before crashing on the couch. That’s about all I can handle.
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September 3
Robin wanted to go to the JV football game at school. I have been so frazzled lately that I had a very hard time getting organized enough to make it happen, but we did. The game was ugly. The other team gained more yards through our penalties than they did through plays. We left at halftime and they were only down by a touchdown, but apparently it got uglier after we left. Even though it’s hard making things happen in the middle of a tornado, sometimes it’s fun anyway.
Year in Photos 