Niblets

1. I am feeling kind of left out of the whole polar vortex thing. We've had lots of days in the 50s this month. We also had a lot of fog, but not a lot of rain. I don't really miss sub-freezing conditions and nor'easters, but I'm feeling kind of wimpy for not experiencing any terrible winter weather like the rest of the country. We did have a very cold spell before Christmas which froze some of my herbs in my herb garden, but that's not much to write home about. I think I might have more to say this summer when the entire West coast is engulfed in flames from wildfires.

2. This week I got a biopsy to make sure I don't have some cancerous cells growing in my uterus. That was fun. Although I'm not overly worried about receiving the results, it makes me realize that I am not (yet) immortal. I'm also getting very close to middle-aged. And that makes me kind of depressed.

3. I got the prettiest bunch of flowers today at Trader Joe's. For $3.99 I got a burst of color and some instant happiness. Throwing in a pack of dark chocolate peanut butter cups for $1.00 and I was in a very good mood. Those little cups are soooooooooooooo good. No hyperbole.

4. I'm supposed to be working right now. I have 4 more articles due this month. If you notice the date, this month is over tomorrow. I never procrastinated in school, but I sure do now. I blame it all on having to take care of a family. Never fear! I work well under pressure. Maybe I should stop blogging and get to work?

5. My favorite form of self-inflicted torture right now is scouring Redfin and Zillow for homes for sale. We won't know if Kyle gets tenure for at least 13 months, but I want to know what we can buy and what prices are doing. Our goal is to save as much as we can this year so we have a hefty down payment if and when we want to move. Of course I keep finding great houses that we can't buy yet. Silly me.

6. I've made this salted caramel sauce a few times now. Very good. Be careful with the salt you choose. Some don't incorporate as well into the caramel. And if you don't want to use the sauce, just put it in the refrigerator and eat it with a spoon. Not that I've tried that.