Can anyone else see the light at the end of the quarantine tunnel? It’s bright and familiar. But also seems just out of reach from total normalcy. Either way, we’ve made it through another month! Shots for everyone.
I want to highlight the highs (Rose) and lows (Thorns) from the month. Like any true Real Housewives fan, you’ll know this is an important part of reflecting over a past season. The ladies are asked what their Rose & Thorn were at the end of the season finale. So, I’ve sat in glam for hours and compiled a list of my Rose & Thorns for the month.
Rose:
Things are starting to pick back up. My day job is working at an airport. The Terminal Building was a ghost town in March and April. May has seen a significant increase in passenger traffic. Most passengers have been understanding of the new CDC guidelines and thankful we are providing affordable means of travel. Thankfully, construction projects have provided an escape from the daily debates of mask vs. non-mask wearers and the latest conspiracy theories on how the virus is transmitted.
Thorn:
As I mentioned in my previous post – DIY Cactus Planter, I killed my sourdough starter. I was looking forward to baking homemade bread or at lease reaping the rewards of my experiment. Alas, it was not meant to be. Aaron was in town for an extended weekend and the starter withered and died in the darkness. I’m not blaming him for the death of my starter; I just like hanging out with him more than precisely measuring equal parts flour and water. I did shed a tear as I was pouring it down the drain; not because of sadness, but the smell of dead fermented flour and water will make your nose hairs curl up and your dogs will run into the room thinking wet dog food has been served for dinner. Mmm.
Rose:
After two months of not being able to see each other, Aaron was able to visit me in Tampa. Like most guys, his hair had grown out of control. Leading us to priority number one: get a hair cut; followed by priority number two: change the oil in his car; and lastly priority number three: date night with yours truly. Lucky for us, Armature Works reopened with outdoor seating where we found a freshly sanitized table to enjoy our empanadas from Empamamas and a crisp glass of wine. Afterward, we strolled down the Riverwalk until it started to get late and turned in for the evening. Easy, casual, date night. It almost felt like pre-rona times, except for the public restrooms are closed and yellow caution tape draped over all the park benches.
Thorn:
I’ve been working very hard at becoming a better roller skater. I’ve watched YouTube videos, taken notes from the pros, and practiced in vacant parking lots. My legs are no longer shaky giraffe legs when starting my initial roll and the distance I can travel without blistering my toes has recently topped out at 11 miles. All this being said, I fell. Hard. Scraping my knee and my skates. I also just removed the tags from the pair of exercise leggings I was wearing and I ripped a hole at the knee and hip. Now they are sitting in shame waiting to be repaired. My pride was hurt, but it hasn’t stopped me from trying to learn new things. As I am almost certain it will happen again.
Rose:
The grocery store has been everyone’s favorite hangout for the past two months, myself included. While shopping for my friend’s birthday dinner, I ventured down the ice cream aisle where I discovered the Publix’s newest seasonal flavor (and my new obsession) Pina Colada. I was also excited to see it comes in a quart size rather than the typical half gallon. The quart size is large enough to share but small enough to keep you from gaining your quarantine fifteen. Publix Premium ice cream has never disappointed and this flavor has all the elements to make you feel like you’re on a tropical getaway. So, if you like Pina Colada (and getting caught in the rain) I highly recommend bringing island oasis to your freezer. The only thing missing is a little rum, but a quick stop to Publix Liquors can remedy that problem.
Thorn:
Pets bring immense joy to our lives. It is also a great loss when they pass away. Last week my mom’s cat Kiki was attacked by a neighborhood dog and didn’t survive the injuries. I have worked through the sadness by focusing on the joy she brought to our family’s life. She loved surveilling the neighborhood from the front porch. And demanded belly rubs before you could enter the house. Her stealthy sneak attacks would lead to us chasing her around the house until she would flip over in submission. Kiki was a throwaway kitten found on the side of the road and she turned out to be a truly unique member of our family. We will miss her but continue to remember the smiles and laughter she brought to everyone.
Nice post….
You have a beautiful website Karissa😊
Aww thank you!