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Leftovers 🍽️

Tofu, broccoli, kimchi, and rice combined in a skillet
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Been a busy (for me), grey weekend:

Wine and paint night for J—’s birthday on Friday, back-to-back wedding receptions on Saturday and Sunday, punctuated by this morning’s staff meeting at the hospital (which was interrupted a few times by multiple flash flood alerts going off in synchrony).

In trying to be more present for the friends we were celebrating, I didn’t take a lot of pictures. I also missed a location checkin last night, which annoys me, not gonna lie. But my focus is on getting back to the habits I’ve been working to build during these early weeks of 2024. Today offers a good chance to catch up on my first book of the year, for one. And I hope to fit in some treadmill time as well.

Animated picture of rain and wind rocking tree branches, seen through a dim upstairs window with broken blinds
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Tot lot time with J— and her bugaboos. Baby boy was intent on tidying up before we left.

C— waiting in her stroller while J— sweeps the side yard with a broom his size
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Hah, okay. I’m the one who lugged this unexpectedly bulky package through the doorway, but puppy still wants reassurance that it won’t come to life and smoosh us. 🐾

Kristine and Stevie on the floor in front of an unboxed electric scooter
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Lunch 🍽️

Oven baked tofu, roasted broccoli, slightly wilted spinach in soy sauce and sesame oil
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Knocked out an early treadmill session since I was awake (thanks, night shift) and also because we’re expecting a delivery that needs to be signed for anywhere from 11am to 3pm. 😒 Hoping the garage sweat does something nice for my unfortunate skin. 🧟‍♀️👟

Post treadmill selfie
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A nice walk to Halo-Halo Cafe with K— 👟

K— (left) and Kristine (right) in front of a tree with red orange leavesElectric pallet jack with JOSE written on the frontSamsung Health screenshot showing 8,171 steps

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I’m glad P— and I were able to catch up today. She’s the one who suggested we check out Home Coffee. It’s a minimalist, open space that gets plenty of natural light. (Now that she drives down from OC fairly often, P— will probably be guiding me around my own city soon, haha.) ☕

Iced and hot Tahitian vanilla lattes on a well-lit table at Home Coffee
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On our way home from a successful puppy play date 🐾

Crescent moon from the freeway, at dusk
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Reading: The Vulnerables by Sigrid Nunez 📚

By day I may have been so forgetful that I couldn't recall what I'd had for breakfast, but in the dark hours of the night I was a memory genius. I could recall every regrettable moment of my life. Every mistake I'd ever made, every humiliation, every failure, every sin, every harm I'd ever caused another person, deliberately or by accident, every bad or stupid thing I'd ever said or done. Veering dangerously close to self-pity here: not good.
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Okay, okay.

I'm Not My Bestie's Bestie: Papi, should I just stop trying?