June had some really major personal milestones: I got a clean bill of health, in that my thyroid was well managed and I’d managed to reverse my insulin resistance in 18 months with small diet and exercise changes. I also had my first “significant” Pilates injury that required taking a class off and an examination by a physical therapist. I’d somehow strained my rhomboid muscle in my left shoulder as well as all my neck muscles, a result of that area really opening up and getting more movement. The physiotherapist said it was a shame that I didn’t get physio after my breast reduction in ’07 as it would have been easier to reverse my lordosis at at 28 than at 46, but he felt confident I could still accomplish it and gave me some exercises to do daily.

He put me at such ease that I felt comfortable talking about my knees and how I felt that I’d reached a point where I was in better shape than what my knees could handle. Rather than the usual “Just lose weight,” non-help I would have gotten in Canada, he said “Focus on your quads,” and gave me simple exercises to do. I followed his regimen and within a couple of weeks, I had real improvement and could squat and kneel better and for longer periods of time. My Pilates instructors were in awe! As was I the first time I squatted at the grocery store to examine items on the bottom shelf for a minute, then simply got up and continued my shopping as if I hadn’t spent all my life struggling with getting up from a squat..

The changes have been so slow and incremental that I was in shocked when I came out of an Adidas store after buying this outfit in their size large, realising that belly notwithstanding, the real me was about to burst forth, the me that has always been active and fit despite not meeting societal aesthetic standards of fitness. I’ve had such a mindset shift the longer I’ve been treated in Mexico and that my worth hasn’t been determined by a meaningless number on a scale or the BMI algorithm that is literally killing people.

Notice the HAIR!!!!

I’ve put in a lot of work on myself these past few years, and this was a summer of being strong. I not only started doing knee push-ups but almost immediately excelled at them, able to easily knock out 100, before finally completing the first full body push-up of my life. Pull-ups are next!

A clean bill of health meant I could return to eating “normally,” whatever that means in this new reality of intuitive eating, having discovered that my body was giving me clues for years that it was about to crash. I’d just spent 18 months free from diet culture, was down two clothing sizes, and knew that I had the tools to keep trending in the right direction. And best of all, I finally had a kitchen I was happy to cook in!

I got a baking set specially designed for large countertop ovens and baptised it with delicious banana bread:

I’d promised myself a tray of Costco croissants as soon as I could eat starch with abandon again, and they did not disappoint! I froze most of these and enjoyed them over several months.

I had my first burrata, amazing!

Last summer, my mother showed me how to make fridge pickles. After reconfirming the “recipe,” I got to work. I find it weird how Mexicans haven’t figured out sweet pickles yet. These have been life-changing. I also like them with jicama!

On that same Costco trip, I bought a huge amount of cherries, so huge I ended up buying a cherry pitter.

I froze a large portion of them. Months later, I made them into cherry no churn ice cream.

I think the most significant decision I made in June was that it was time to get a second fridge to use as a pantry. As it turned out my dream fridge dropped like 60% at Liverpool on a flash sale (with nine equal no-interest payments to boot), so my old side-by-side went into the dining room to be used as a pantry. I can’t tell you how much I overthought this purchase, but it really was the missing piece to the kitchen I expected it to be.

The top part is like a standard French door fridge, but instead of having a freezer drawer, you have two compartments with pull-out bins, with one of the bins having the option to be a fridge or freezer. I have a ton of freezer space, so I only took one compartment as the kitchen freezer. The other compartment is kept at a warmer temperature than the top part and holds spices and onions. I love this fridge, and having it paired with the side-by-side and a deep freeze is a dream. My food stores are properly organised and accessible now, just like going grocery shopping.

My favourite detail is this “snack” bin in which my favourite yogurts fit perfectly. It’s the little things. 😉

This photo of Alma isn’t the best, but it’s so funny. She loves playing with my chanclas!

Dodge doesn’t cuddle with me much, but when she does, I’m not allowed to go anywhere!

Bonus Dodger pic. I used to have the modem on this shelf by my desk. It took weeks of not understanding where Dodger was hiding to get locked in the room overnight to finally find her! In my defense, she would usually sleep with her black rump towards me and be invisible!

Sunset by Pilates one night in June:

I rewatched a favourite movie on a night when I needed a laugh. “Junior” will never not be funny!

Worked slowed down in May, so I took the time to fill the freezer and enjoy some downtime.

Summer was in full swing. I had ChatGPT draw my evenings on the porch with the dogs:

It’s hilarious (and impressive) the details that ChatGPT picks up on in requests, like it’s the apocalypse so I’m probably looking a bit hungry. It didn’t do too badly with the dogs either, even if at first glance they seem more similar than in real life. But that’s clearly taller, leaner Lily on the left.

May is when Alma discovered her bliss, lying by me on her back to get a belly rub. When she raises her paws up alongside her head, you know she’s not going anywhere!

Dodger prefers to spend time with me in my office. Alma has taught her to speak, so she’s much more vocal now!

In May, the universe rewarded me with my DREAM cooking set. Remember, I cook on gas. There is nothing better than enameled cast iron for that. I’ve been searching for affordable pieces for years, and to suddenly be presented with my entire wish list from a brand I trust, in a colour I love, and at less than the price of a single piece of Le Creuset felt like winning the lottery!

In a bit of Benedict Cumberbatch withdrawal, at the end of the month I headed out to the cinema to see “The Phoenician Scheme.” It was one of those movies I would have passed on if I wasn’t such a fan of one of the leads, even if I knew he only had a bit part, but which would have been such a loss not to see. Highly recommend it!

I went to The Harbor, a mostly empty mall in the north of the city. Mérida has way too many luxury malls, and I don’t understand why we have this one right next to Galerías.

I had lunch at Los Jumiles first, a real gem tucked away downstairs by the fountain. There, I had a truly gourmet meal, starting with a local beer:

There were some totopos with salsas. I had to ask for picante and got at least one refill. Habanero just doesn’t hurt anymore. Weird!

The tuna tostadas with salsa macha were apparently hot, but not to my new palate. I found them mostly oily, but that’s salsa matcha for you. It’s very rare that I don’t have tuna tostadas as a starter if they are on the menu.

The complimentary totopos came with crumbly cheese that got eeeverywhere. This is my second bowl of habanero sauce, and I hadn’t even gotten my main yet.

I chose beef tongue as my main! I broke the ice on lengua when I had them in tacos, so I decided to see what an upscale restaurant could do with it. The slices of meat were thin, tender, and well seasoned. Delicious! I appreciated the blue corn tortillas to soak up the sauce.

I’d spotted a gelato place in the mall, so I declined dessert and finished my meal with a perfectly pulled espresso:

All of this for just under $700, plus a tip. I really need to get back there!

March melded into April this year with a barrage of pages.

I still took the time to vote in the Canadian federal election:

Obligatory cat pic:

Unusual lizard:

So many people tried to gaslight me into thinking this is just a normal Yucatecan iguana, which it is not — the head is different.

Somehow managed to complete another bag kit between work, Pilates, and cooking:

This one is similar to the “Picotin.” I LOVE this bag and it’s my most commonly used one for a quick errand. It replaced a similar-sized grey bag in vinyl.

April is when I started with a new client whose jobs hit me in the face with an epiphany.

I think most people want a life that matters, a job that makes an impact, even those who say they don’t.  Well, I wanted that, and I found it. I got into the transcript field as it seemed something easy to get started in, never expecting it to transition into a meaningful career that I could look back on as my Life’s Work.

I work on a lot of frivolous cases. I mean, how many times can someone sue a grocery store for slipping on a grape?! But I also work on watershed-type cases that will have a ripple effect into the future. No one will know I worked on these cases, my name will be lost to time, but some of the transcripts I helped create will be referred to a hundred years from now and help a judge make a decision.

I wish I could feel more comfortable talking about the specific cases I work on, especially when they’re a matter of public record, but I can’t. Just know that they are huge, sometimes so huge Netflix needed two seasons to even scratch at the surface of the story of a recent case, and sometimes so important that they are rewriting the law on the subject. And sometimes, for a bit of fun, I have all the juicy details in a big name celebrity custody battle or family feud.

Since April, I’ve worked on three death penalty cases out of Florida, and I am set to work on several more. This kind of work isn’t for everyone. I did a lot of law enforcement transcription before transitioning to editing court reporter transcripts. I’m desensitised to a lot now. Like a seasoned homicide detective, I can look over gory exhibit photos while eating lunch. I do get worn down by a day’s testimony of what was done to a child, but do not really lose sleep over it thanks to an ability to compartmentalise my thoughts. I have the kind of brain that has the empathy needed to work these cases, but not so much empathy that it breaks me down.  The world needs people like me who care deeply, who can work these cases and not be destroyed by the darkness of the world in their fight for a semblance of justice for the most vulnerable.

This quote from the latest Cormoran Strike novel really hit home the other night:

Yes, there is so much to do. And I won’t apologise for how important my Work is to me.

It’s the end of September and I’m finally catching up on my recaps.

February 2025 really was balanced between my homebody self and my explorer genes being activated, as the month ended with a trip but started with serious nesting.

First off, obligatory cat pics.

I really do want to do a bit of a tour of the downstairs to show my home now compared to the empty house I rented, but vignettes will have to suffice for now.

A used furniture dealer helped me find the perfect piece for my dining room to store all my cleaning supplies and tools without it screaming “This is a utility closet!” In one side, I mounted my Dyson vacuum cleaner charger and discovered cleaning BLISS! It’s the little things, amirite?

I’ve always wanted a dresser like this for this spot, so when I saw this inexpensive version in pine, I jumped on it! I mounted my fish from Puerto Morelos above it.

The fish really complements the flamingo in my stairwell.

(my iPhone HATES this paint and refuses to make it look like its lovely self. I swear my house is not that garish!)

After finding a different piece for my office, my fireflies moved to my bedroom, which is where they clearly belong:

I was a super happy Izzi internet customer for years, but started to have issues with my service and decided to move to TotalPlay so I could have faster upload speeds.

Since I had new wiring being run, I decided to make a decision I’d regretted not taking when Izzi ran cable and switched my living room around! This closed up the room, making a cosy living room area with the couch a reasonable distance from the TV and gave me a proper separate entrance.

I can’t believe I don’t have a good before picture of the old layout. The TV stand was on the left where the wardrobe is now, and the couch was where the TV is, leaving a vast sea of open floor in the middle. The acoustics of the room are so much better now.

I found this wardrobe, which I was surprised had the same footprint as the TV stand that used to be there, to use as an entrance closet. All the drawers and cubbies are stuffed with purses, while the rain coat, boots, and sweaters hang in the tall portion. This really finished off the house.

The last thing I wanted was a proper filing cabinet for my office as I’d outgrown the two boxes I’d come here with (we’re still SO FAR from a paperless world!). I was surprised not to find many used ones online, so did a shoutout on my neighbourhood group. A fellow quickly responded that I could have this ugly thing for just $500 to cover the gas and time to bring it to me. It fits perfectly in my office closet.

I still wasn’t done and got these two cabinets for the “bonus” room. One has crafting supplies, the other tools and home maintenance things.

The rest of February was detailed in previous posts. 🙂

March was just work. Holy smokes. There is no in-between in my field. I’m either overbooked or not booked. I did a ton of cooking, including a super decent attempt at poutine after finding the right potatoes on the same day I came into possession of fresh Oaxaca cheese (which squeaks just like cheese curds).

Really, the only exciting thing about March is that I agreed to take a friend’s dogs for the summer while he travelled!

Here’s Lily:

And here’s Roscoe:

They’re super sweet and I’ve loved having them here.

Who would have thought that the drive from Puerto Morelos to my hotel in Cancún would be the easiest part of a day’s drive that started in Akumal?

Booking.com outdid itself with my Cancún stay. In fact, I’ve found my “spot” in Cancún where I can escape Mérida for working breaks, and I already have one planned for June! I stayed at Sina Suites, which offers the perfect combo of apartment and luxury hotel at a two-star price. Located in a residential neighbourhood on the lagoon, the hotel is very quiet, but just a quick walk from a bus stop to take you to the action of the hotel zone or centro. I had a one-bedroom apartment for my three nights, with a private balcony overlooking the lagoon, the basic kitchenette allowing me to enjoy breakfast at my pace, but the pool zone offering poolside drink service and food from a decent restaurant if I wanted to be pampered.

My plan in Cancún was to hang out with my bestie and go out for meals, plus to enjoy my hotel. I had thought to do a day getaway to Isla Mujeres, but just never got the oomph to get up and go. But I have an idea of a few things I’ll want to do on future trips to Cancún.

I ended up at two fancy restaurants during my time in Cancún. The first was Harry’s Grill, a steakhouse, definitely not my first choice since beef isn’t my favourite. I had a great pork chop, though, and split a crab claw appetizer with my friend’s husband, since she doesn’t like seafood.

The next night, we went to Fred’s, a seafood spot. My friend wasn’t happy with her meal there, but her husband and I went all out, sharing a huge platter of grilled fish, octopus, crab, lobster, and shrimp. Everything was so good, the best seafood I’ve had on this side of Mexico!

The last night, I took them for tacos at a local-recommended Taquería Los Chachalacos, which was excellent even being in the heart of the tourist zone.

Now, some random pictures of my Cancún stay.

View of the lagoon from my terrace.

I loved having breakfast at this table every morning. Those chairs were so cosy.

Enjoying the poolside area at Sina.

Excellent enchiladas from the Sina restaurant. I complimented them on the fried onions, a detail they remembered when making my burger the next day! The burger and fries was also good. There are a few restaurants close-ish to the hotel, but having one on site with good options was so convenient.

The Caribbean Sea was a stunning shade of turquoise the afternoon I spent at my friends’ resort.

Much as I enjoyed my pool and sea side time, I’m really not much of a vacationing type of gal. I’d generally rather go out and do activities. Two more days and I would have made it to Isla Mujeres. Thank you to my stylist for my purple toes — she gave me a free pedicure spa as a Christmas present (!), and I saved it ahead of vacation.

My ridiculous but delicious cardamon-based cocktail at Fred’s.

It was so hard to drink out of that thing!

Sunset over the lagoon at Fred’s

Amazing super buttery chocolate cake at Fred’s.

One the best parts of the Cancún hotel zone is the bus service! There’s so many buses, with some routes running 24 hours a day, and all for $12 pesos! From where I was at Sina, it was faster to walk to a bus stop and get on a bus than to wait for a taxi to pick me up. It would have been close to $160 to Uber or taxi each way between Sina and my friends’ resort, so the convenient and generally comfortable buses were extra appreciated. This was the buzzer to get off the bus I took home from Fred’s, LOL!

One of my clients stayed on the lagoon a couple of years ago and warned me that her first morning, she saw a giant crocodile! These signs were all over both shores of the lagoon.

My only complaint at Sina is that being an older complex, it was very humid, so everything I brought smelled terrible by the end of my stay, a common traveller complaint for hotels in this price range along the Mayan Riviera. I’ll be better prepared for my next trip to mitigate that inconvenience.

Saturday morning, I met my friends for a fabulous buffet brunch at their hotel and then pointed the car home at noon. I’d be regaining an hour, so my ETA was about 3:30. The drive home was almost eerie as once I got on the Mérida-Cancún cuota, I had it all to myself until the first tollbooth! Getting through that was slooow, but otherwise, the drive was surprisingly efficient.

I only got fuel twice on this trip, in Cancún before leaving and then in Mérida before returning the car, for a total of about $1,200. I only paid tolls one way, for a total of about $650. So tolls would have equalled gas if I’d taken the cuota both ways, something that has been true since my earliest days of road tripping in Mérida.

I kept the car until Sunday afternoon so I could get groceries first. I was a little sad to let the car go, but like my truck it is really too big for my carport and was tricky to bring in and out. The return process was smooth and I got my full deposit back. I’d rent from Alamo again.

My little vacation was just the reset I needed to start early Monday morning on a real-time trial and a bunch of other jobs that has accumulated in my absence. It was good to be missed!

And speaking of being missed, my girls were definitely happy to have me back. Alma had had a little misadventure and spent a few days at the vet’s, so she seemed especially glad to have her mom back. Dodger ignored me the first evening back, but then insisted on sleeping with me Sunday and Monday nights. I’m glad they were so well cared for in my absence.