Monday: Delayed by Traffic, Saved by Dunkin

 

Happy Monday friends! Is it just me, or did the weekend fly by like a vivid dream from a deep afternoon nap? My 10:30 meeting was canceled, which gave me a chance to ease into the day with some early morning catch-up on emails and ancillaries. Once I finish the iced coffee pictured above, I’ll be diving into budgeting tasks and evaluations for the rest of the day.

Duncan was obtained this morning after I realized traffic wasn’t budging. A stalled vehicle on top of the Buckman had 17 completely backed up, so I pulled off, grabbed a coffee (which paired beautifully with the protein shake I’d just downed), and waited it out. Coffee and podcasts are actually a pretty incredible way to start a Monday. 

I ran 16 miles yesterday at a near-marathon pace, so today was all about strength training and tomorrow will be a much-needed recovery day—looking forward to it!

Also pictured: my nail color of the week. I don’t even love it, but there’s something about the boldness of a classic 99-cent red polish that makes me feel inexplicably powerful. CEO energy, perhaps? I don't even like red....doesn't match my energy. I'm more of a corral color which Matt likes on me too. 

On the reading front, I’ve been swept away by another page-turner from HD. I kicked off this morning  with Does it Hurt?, and while Hunting Adeline was darkly addictive, Does it Hurt? seems to offer a different twist. Concerning Hunting Adeline, once you move past the tension in the first half, things unravel into a slightly chaotic mix of steamy scenes and unpredictable violence. I love a good tale of karma and justice—but I’ll admit I was hoping the ending would pack a bit more punch.

Normally I don’t reach for smut-heavy reads, but I can’t resist a plot with murder, mystery, and psychological twists. I loved dipping back into the world of Adeline and Zade and will wait to start Phantom, the prequel. I need something immersive to help me drown out the noise of office waiting games and midweek distractions.

If you’re into more reflective musings, I’ve been channeling my deeper thoughts over on the “Thoughts and Things” page—poetic, cryptic, and heavily influenced by my current reads.

Just four more days until the weekend...