The Pulse: Pressure-Washing Burns, Patio Pavers, & Pokemon Cards
Looking back at this past week, it definitely didn’t feel quite as long as the previous one, but man, was it freaking hot! I kicked off my normal weekly routine with clients, along with a special Dolly Parton tribute ride on the bike Monday evening. Tuesday was a marathon day starting with my first client at 6:30 AM, but I managed to sprinkle in my leg day, therapy, and a study session between clients. After wrapping up my evening client hours, I headed straight out to M's 7:30 PM baseball game. Wednesday was a bit lighter—I got to see clients, catch a team practice, and squeeze in an extra practice ride for an upcoming session.
Thursday was a big personal milestone: I had my very first mammogram! I felt like it went really well and was far less awkward or uncomfortable than I had anticipated. Because I have dense breast tissue, they also performed an automated ultrasound scan. The radiologist read the scans on-site, and within 30 minutes, I was done with both procedures and walking out the door with a completely clear card and total peace of mind.
The Patio Paver Project (A Rough Go in the Heat!)
The biggest physical project of my week was tackling the patio, which turned out to be a massive job in the heat. A week or two ago, Luka did an awesome job pulling all the weeds out from between the pavers. Starting Tuesday, I spent about two hours every single day prepping and finishing the rest.
I had to take a spackling spatula and dig out all the old, degraded polymeric sand and leftover weeds from between the cracks, clear out all the spaces, blow off the surface, brush in fresh polymeric sand, blow it off again, and wet it to lock it in. I had to do that entire process twice—once for the upper patio tier and once for the lower section. Thankfully, when baseball games and practices got canceled later in the week due to the heat, I used that extra afternoon time to push through and finally wrap it up on Friday. It was grueling work in that temperature, but having the patio looking fresh and completely restored feels so good!
Low-Key Weekend Fun & Boating Trips
With heat cancellations clearing our schedule, we shifted gears into a low-key Friday featuring playdates and hanging out at the house for our usual pizza and movie night. Sprinkle in a sleepover for L and it was quite the way to end the week - only slightly past my bedtime....
On Saturday, we went out on the boat with my parents for a full day on the water. Later on, we went UGO and Pokémon card shopping before heading back home for a second movie night to cool off after all that sun.
Paze credits sponsored our dinner at Wendy's and we ate our fill - for only $3.84. I did have to complete two, $10 transactions and stacked some offers for cheaper/free food. Bonus: Boo coupon books are back so that means the 2 books we purchased slate us for 10 free junior Frosties!
High-Protein Sunday Meal Prep
Even with Labor Day tomorrow, Sunday was spent getting our meals locked in for the week ahead. I experimented with a few new high-protein recipes:
Southwestern Chicken Salad: Canned chicken seasoned with elote spices, black beans, corn, coconut rice, and diced jalapeños.
High-Protein Mac & Cheese: High-protein, high-fiber pasta tossed in a homemade white bean cheese sauce with green peas.
Roasted Sausage & Veggie Bowl: Roasted vegetables topped with sliced chicken apple sausage, a creamy maple-Greek yogurt dressing, and dried cherries.
Mashed Potatoes: Prepped a big batch of mashed potatoes to clear out our pantry stock and have an easy side ready for weeknight dinners.
Looking Ahead to the Week & Practical Household Wins
Tomorrow is Labor Day, so we're keeping meals quick and easy around client schedules. Here is the menu lineup for the rest of the week:
Wednesday: Black bean burgers (perfect for rescheduled game nights).
Thursday: Crockpot chicken quesadillas with guac and salsa.
Friday: Solo night! The boys are spending the weekend with their dad, giving me dedicated time to knock out household chores and cleaning lists.
Speaking of practical wins, I tried out a pressure washing hack this morning! I’ve seen people use pressure washers to get red clay out of baseball uniforms, and it works amazingly well on white athletic shoes too. Word of caution: Be careful with which nozzle attachment you use so you don't strip logos off your shoes—or rip skin off your hands! I got a little too close, but lesson learned. Didn't quite think to grab some pre/post shots but significantly easier and less time consuming than scrubbing them clean.
The boys had a super productive morning tackling chores to earn extra money for Pokémon cards, and they spent most of the afternoon organizing their collections. It was a win-win for all of use - my house got a bit cleaner while I tackled other items and they were excited to earn an extra trip and have cash to purchase more cards. We wrapped up the day by changing bed sheets, running loads of laundry, and resetting the house so it’s clean and ready for the week. Time to whip up some shakes for dessert, cuddle up, and listen to a podcast!
No Monday ride this week but I am preparing for next week's Stranger Things 80s ride!
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