Kara Turns 16, Return to the Office & Mardi Gras Parade

Kara turned 16 on Wednesday. Her big celebration was the cruise, so her actual day was pretty anticlimactic. She thought about skipping school, but didn't want to miss lacrosse practice. I made cake pops that she took to school and shared with her friends. It was also the night of Jack's first pre-season track meet. So, Thomas went to that and I took Kara to her chosen dinner--Taco Bell. Luke made her a bracelet, Anna gave her a camo hoodie, and we gave her a $25 Starbucks gift card. She likes to make her own cake, but I think that may not happen this year. Obviously, I offered to make (or buy) one for her, but at first she planned to make it over the weekend, now she is saying she doesn't really want one. We shall see. So, like I started with--it was kind of an odd birthday. It is hard to believe she is 16. I can still see her in my mind as a cuddly 3-year-old, full of personality.

Other happenings have been a bit crazy. Thomas and I are back in the office. On our second day, there was a small electrical fire. They sent us home to telework for the afternoon, but had us come in the next day even though there was no internet. The internet came on late that afternoon, but was out again the next morning. The return to office feels very rushed. I know some people think that teleworkers don't actually work. I have many personal opinions on the matter, but I will keep it short and just say that I firmly believe diligent workers are going to be diligent, whether they are working from home or an office. And, lazy workers are going to be lazy, no matter where you put them. Anyway, it's been a big change. 

There have been mass firings of federal workers. I am not sure why we've become the enemy.  I have been up since 3am trying to figure out what Thomas and I will do if we lose our jobs. We have both spent our entire adult lives working for the Navy, which doesn't translate well into the civilian world. I feel like we will have to start over completely, which is terrifying when I thought we'd be retiring in 10-15 years. I do not like what is happening in the world and that along with the fear of extreme personal upheaval has created a level of stress that I've never experienced. I wish I could say this was my first or last sleepless night, but there have already been many and I imagine that there are still plenty in front of me.

Okay, moving on. As mentioned--Jack had his first track meet. He did the mile in 5:22 and the 1K in 3:08. He was happy with those times and has set some lofty goals for himself going forward. The lacrosse season has started. Kara is really enjoying playing. In last night's game, both of the regular goalies were out, so she played the position for the first half and had about about a 50% save rate. Their team won 23-3 and Kara got the game ball!

It's a great time of year to sit outside and watch a game.

On February 3rd we got to toss beads from a float during Universal's Mardi Gras parade. They let passholders reserve a date and the signups were released at noon in January. I got the link around 1205 and had a significant wait in the virtual queue. By the time I got in, there were two days left to chose from, both weekdays in early February. When we first did this a few years ago, they had lots of spots for passholders and you could sign up for two nights. But now they sell the opportunity to be on a float as part of a dinner package, so the free passholder spots are very limited. I was happy that we were able to snag one and was excited when the night arrived.

It was actually the day our passes expired and we had to renew in person (we changed our passes slightly). So, we raced to the parks after work, renewed our passes and checked in for the floats. Then, we grabbed a quick dinner. It was very rushed, but totally worth it. Unfortunately, Jack and Kara didn't want to miss their after school practices, so it was just the 4 of us. We missed, them but those of us who went had a great time.

Even on a Monday night, the parade draws a crowd.