Hello Monday - The Storm that Wasn't

 I've got nothing "cute" to start this post off with except this (the doggie is cute, not me). . .

I think this was Saturday morning??  He's never curled up between my legs like that. . .love cuddling with him though :). Usually this is his look - stretched out like this sofa is "his". . .I had Tom take this picture for this post - ha!

Also, this second picture is taken with my new phone that was given to me by my family this weekend, pre-birtthday!!  I love it - between the phone and the new update, I spent quite a bit of time yesterday and today playing with and learning new things about my phone and the updates.  

Linking up with Holly and Sarah for Hello Monday - guessing some of you have way more exciting weather reports to share. . .

Had a busy day at work Friday - went out for a leadership in-person roundtable with our Loan Ops group that was supposed to start at 9 a.m.. . I ended up staying around for another meeting with one of my training group co-workers, which led to anther impromptu meeting with someone who came in because she heard we were there. . .then stayed another hour to talk some things out - it was 6.5 hours before I left the building!  I wasn't expecting that, but sometimes that in-person time is just what we need to get set up for the next week :). I got a compliment on my necklace that day so took a picture to send to my friend who gifted it to me at Christmas - it has all my kids' initials within it.

Saturday morning, pre-predicted storm, our pickleball group was determined to play our usual 7-9 a.m. block - I took a picture to show Tom that we were all there!!!

Turns out, all events stayed full all weekend - no problem.  The owner had put out e-mails and texts all week and early into the weekend that as long as people wanted to play, he would stay open - I know all of the members appreciated that!!

When I got home from PB we wanted to get the dogs out "in case it's freezing rain later" and they had a good time at the park but I didn't.  It was SO COLD. I really think they could have done another lap but not us. . .we were really cold.

We came home, probably made something to eat, then I settled in to read - this book was due at the library and I wanted to finish it!

Also, the kids and Tom gifted me with my phone during this time - by the time I wanted a picture together before we left, he was irritated because moving the data wasn't "easy" and "we had to go" - my side of it was "we have all weekend".  We balance each other (I think) ;)

We headed downtown to finally get to see MJ the Musical - we bought tickets in August and I was excited!!  

Downtown was DEAD and everything was closed - this was about 1:15 on Saturday afternoon.

Here's my picture :). Also sent it to a couple friends at work who were wondering on Friday if the weather was going to hold out for this show.  This was a 2 p.m. matinee that wasn't full (although sold out) and they had an 8 p.m. show too.  I don't know how these tours do it - so.much.work and talent!!

Our first seats were terrible (we'd never been there and tickets were slim picking) but the usher told us we could move when I left to go to the bathroom since there were so many seats empty - this was much better at intermission.

A really incredible show.  Many people have told me they've seen it on Broadway - I would absolutely go see this again!!
We got out of the theatre about 4:45 not having any idea what we were going to walk out into. . .Nothing.

This is Market Square - never, ever this empty.  Oh, but it was COLD.  We walked over to where we wanted to eat and they were closed.  Sigh.  So we googled a few things and found a pizza place with gluten free pizza so we did that.

I had meatballs and he ordered a GF pizza.

It was us and another couple in there. . .although it seemed they had a few carryout orders - just a tough night for these businesses.  The city was so pretty lit up in the overcast night as we walked back to our car.

Woke up Sunday morning and still. . .nothing. . .

Hate it for all the kids who were looking forward to some of the predicted inches. . .personally was not at all disappointed.  Church was changed to just one service, so we went at 11 o'clock and received videos from my sister and the snow they had gotten and paths they had had to clear for their dogs and my mom's dog:

And I sent her a picture of our backyard flooding:

And my brother's weather appeared to be beautiful according to my app:

What a weird weather weekend! 

My pickleball partner for the ladder Sunday didn't feel well and there were LOTS of people on the waitlist so I didn't end up playing - instead we took the dogs out for another walk - it was almost balmy - and then went to Costco for a few things and picked up a pizza for dinner.  It was DEAD at Costco too - the guy at the door said that Wednesday they averaged 700 people an hour coming in the store.  That is crazy, right???  All for a storm that didn't happen (for us).  

I did finish The Diamond Eye by Kate Quinn - another winner!!

We caught most of both football games - we come home from our planned Bourbon Trail weekend Super Bowl Sunday - looks like it's the Patriots and the Seahawks.  No preference there.

Saturday morning I made mention of someone's pink pickleball shoes - he was wearing all black so maybe that's why the shoes stood out?  Anyway, he said he got them for the tournament coming up and was trying to break them in.  He said, "I've never had pink shoes before but I thought of Ashley (one of our pickleball players fighting a horrendous cancer diagnosis that she only got at the end of October) and figured I'd buy them and think of her when I'm wearing them."  WHAT A GREAT IDEA!!!

I ordered my pink pickleball shoes yesterday:

I'm so glad to have a way to honor this friend and her battle while on the courts, as we pray for her strength, courage, and comfort, her husband and sons' support and well-being, and her medical team's discernment in treatment, with a faith that the Lord will use this to bring glory to HIM. This is her wish and I stand by this Sister in Christ and belief in His ability to heal her body.

One last thing. . .I don't ever watch the news and don't read much besides local stuff and even this week and weekend avoided that because of the panic and anxiety the news of the weather seemed to have on people. . .well, my pickleball GroupMe groups seem to be all I need :). They kept everyone up-to-date on "real" weather conditions and the owner of our club was adamant that if the roads were safe to drive on he would keep the courts open - "my" kind of people :). Anyway, this popped up in one of my threads - yep, totally "relatable" I think!

Although Tom's office closed all their offices in AL and TN today, weather doesn't really effect whether I go to work or not - ha!  Will be looking forward to hearing how it is in other parts of the country through your blogs, friends!  

Happy New Week,

Jenni