Monthly Personal Challenge Link-Up: May Results

I initially planned to have this written and scheduled to post before I left for Philadelphia early Monday morning, but I ran out of time. I'm obviously late to the link-up (though I guess that's not so unusual for me), but I still wanted to participate ... It's the last one of its kind, after all!

I'm really bummed that this is the last one. While it was difficult to come up with (and stick with!) goals at times, these monthly personal challenges pushed me to stay motivated. Writing out my goals and posting them here has really helped ... I mean, who wants to come back to their blog month after month and say, "I didn't accomplish any of my goals"? I definitely didn't accomplish all of my goals all the time, but because they were out there, I at least kept them in mind throughout the month and made some positive changes along the way.

Because of that, I'm going to continue posting monthly goals on this blog. Of course I have my New Year's resolutions for yearly goals, but I think it's nice to select a few major things to work on each month as well. And, really, my monthly goals often align with my yearly goals anyway. The monthly goals just help me chip away at some of those resolutions with more focus.

I'll come back tomorrow to post my goals for June. I would try to come up with something today, but I'm quickly typing this up before I have to start getting ready to attend a friend's wedding. (I'm also not sure if I want to continue this tradition of themed goals, so I need a little more time to think about it.)

Anyway, I'll stop my rambling and post the stuff you came here to see: my May results.

I know I've posted this picture before, but it goes well with May's theme so I decided to post it again.

May's theme was all about reading. My goals for the month were as follows:

1.  Read and comment on blogs more often.

2.  Read at least 3 books during the month.

3.  Get a library card.

I kept my goals very simple since I knew I had some fun stuff lined up for the month (which obviously meant less time for reading). I'm pleased to say that I did very well and ended the monthly personal challenge link-up on a high note!

1.  I'll give myself a pass on this one. I didn't comment as often as I wanted to, but I'm almost completely caught up on the blogs I follow on Bloglovin. I also stopped following a few blogs, which cut down on the massive amounts of unread posts in my feed. My problem is that if I'm following you, I take the time to read every single post you make. I'm glad that I do that (I mean, it would make me feel great to know that at least one person out there cares enough to read all of my posts!), but things can really pile up if I'm losing interest in a particular blog. I solved that problem, but I really do need to focus on commenting more often.

2.  I finished 6 books during the month of May, so I definitely hit this goal! I did start one of those at the very end of April, but the rest were read from beginning to end in May. This makes me excited because I now have a lot of reviews to share for the Show Us Your Books! link-up! (And I'm getting back on track to hit my 50 book goal this year!)

3.  Eric and I both got library cards (he surprisingly didn't have one anymore either), so that's a definite pass as well. I really think the library card has already helped me get through more books than I normally would. I know I can renew them if necessary, but I think having a specific due date has made me devote more time to reading.

I've really enjoyed this link-up, so thanks to Stephanie, Steph, and Ashley for hosting it! And, as I said earlier, I'll be back tomorrow with some goals for June.

Tasty Tuesday: Simple Cilantro Salsa

As my friends and I planned our Florida trip, one of our top priorities was eating and drinking as much delicious shit as possible. See Exhibit A:

This is what happens when 3 drunk girls decide to bust into a coconut cake from Publix.

Since we were staying at my friend's house, we were able to save some money by making a lot of our own cocktails and snacks in her kitchen. One of those snacks was the delicious and simple salsa I'm sharing today.

I don't know why I'd never attempted making my own salsa until now ... It's really one of the easiest snacks you can possibly throw together. I watched my friend Ashley make this salsa while we were together in Florida and decided to try to make it myself after I got home. 

I don't think this picture accurately shows the amount of cilantro I used, but you can at least get an idea.

I didn't measure anything when I made this (neither did she), but you really don't need to. You're basically just roughly chopping a few veggies and throwing everything into a food processor or blender. It probably won't turn out exactly the same every time, but it will be delicious regardless. (If you're wondering, mine tasted slightly different from the salsa she made but the flavors were so similar that it was barely noticeable.)

This will make a lot, so it's great for parties (or for people who, like Eric and me, are slightly addicted to salsa). It keeps well in the fridge, but if you don't think you'll eat it all within a week or so, I'd suggest using about half as much of everything. 

Another thing to note: since I made a lot, I used my blender instead of my food processor (which is much smaller). Eric said he would prefer I use the food processor next time because he likes a chunkier salsa and the blender basically pulverized everything into a really smooth mixture. I may just have to play around with my blender settings, but that's something to consider if you have a strong preference when it comes to your salsa texture.

The delicious finished product!

Simple Cilantro Salsa

A recipe from my friend Ashley.

Ingredient List:

• 1 medium white onion
• 3-4 cloves garlic (You'll want to use fresh garlic for this salsa, not the jarred, pre-minced kind.)
• 1 serrano pepper
• 1 jalapeño pepper
• 1 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
• Fresh cilantro (I probably used a cup or more, but my husband and I both love cilantro. If you're not a huge fan, you could definitely use less. I think it's important to use at least a little in order to give the salsa plenty of flavor, but I don't think it's necessary to use as much as I did.)
• 1 lime

Instructions:

1.  Roughly chop the white onion, garlic, and peppers on a cutting board. If you want less heat, remove some or all of the seeds from the peppers during this step. You can also use the flat part of your knife to mash the garlic into a paste if you like. Ashley did this, but I didn't. I thought the salsa tasted great both ways, so it's just an option.

2.  Add the chopped veggies to a blender or food processor. 

3.  Add the fresh cilantro and pour in the can of tomatoes.

4.  Squeeze in the lime juice and blend. (Again, consider how chunky/smooth you want your salsa to be. Like I said earlier, I probably need to play around with the settings on my blender or just use my food processor next time to get a chunkier texture.)

And that's it. It's really good and really addictive ... Eric and I ate this batch in about 3 days.

An Update: New Year's Resolutions 2015

How can it possibly be June already? I know everyone says things like this in their posts, but seriously ... Where did the time go?

When I was a little girl, people used to say, "Time seems to go by much faster as you get older." At the time I didn't believe them. I mean, an hour is an hour, right?

Well, yes ... An hour is still 60 minutes. But they were right in saying that time seems to fly by with every passing year.

At the very end of 2014, I posted a list of my New Year's Resolutions for 2015. I initially wanted to post updates every 3 or 4 months, but, as you can probably guess from my earlier statements, time got away from me.

So I decided I'd kick the month of June off with an update of my progress. Since we're now halfway through the year, it seemed like as good a time as any to share my successes and failures thus far. I hope that by seeing what I need to work on, I'll be inspired to push myself a little harder. I knew when I made my list of resolutions that I probably wouldn't stick with all of them, but I think I've let a few too many things slide this year ... And I know I can do better.

Health/Fitness Goals and Updates:

1.  Continue going to yoga classes at least 2-3 times per week. 
For the most part, I've been doing this. I do feel like I need to make yoga more of a priority these days, though. I'm finding it much too easy to skip a class if I've had a really busy week or if I'm just not feeling it ... And that's probably when I need yoga the most.

2.  Work out at least 3-4 times per week.
I started off strong, but I've steadily been slipping. (And I wonder why I'm not getting more toned or losing weight!) On average, I'm going to the gym twice a week and it's always for yoga. I really need to start doing cardio again and possibly going back to BodyPump class. I feel much better/healthier when I'm working out more consistently.

3.  Lose weight.
Again, I started off strong but have steadily been slipping. I lost about 7 lbs or so (nothing major, but enough to notice that my clothes were less snug and I felt more confident), and I've since put on at least that much (or more ... I can't bring myself to get on the scale right now). I just need to get back into a regular schedule with my workouts and eat a little better. Obviously I won't be doing that this week since I'm spending the majority of my time in a hotel conference room in Philadelphia, but once I get back home  I need to start focusing on this again.

4.  Continue utilizing MyFitnessPal to track my exercise and caloric intake each day.
I haven't been consistent with this at all. I think I'd be more successful with my other health and fitness goals if I kept up with this. Sure, it's disheartening to see just how many calories are in some of my favorite meals, but it does at least make me consider what and how much I'm consuming.

Reading/Creative Writing Goals and Updates:

1.  Read 50 books.
I'm still slightly behind schedule, but I've been tearing through books at record speed lately so I should (hopefully!) be able to finally meet this goal this year.

2.  Write creatively at least once a week.
I've completely let this one slide. I've barely written anything (besides blog posts, of course) since the beginning of the year. I want to work on making this a priority, but I also know that I can't force myself to write creatively if I'm not inspired to do so. Hopefully I can find some inspiration soon ... I miss creative writing.

Financial Goals and Updates:

1.  Continue putting money in savings every month.
I'm happy to say I've still been doing this!

2.  Become (mostly) debt free.
I've paid off one card and am pretty close to paying off another, so I'd say I'm on the right track. Unfortunately, we've had a few unexpected expenses lately and I spent quite a bit on plane tickets in April so I haven't been able to throw as much money onto my cards as I initially anticipated. I'm still actively working toward this goal, though, so hopefully I can at least get my 2 remaining cards with balances paid off by the end of the year.

3.  Use Swagbucks more often.
I was doing really well with this until last month. I think it will probably be pretty inconsistent over the next few months since I don't use it much when I'm away from home (and I'll be traveling probably about once a month from now through the end of the year), but I've been hitting my daily goals when I can.

Food Goals and Updates:

1.  Create at least 3 original recipes.
I've only posted one so far, but I have a couple more to share eventually. I'm glad I was able to stick with this goal, especially since coming up with my own recipes isn't something that comes easily.

2.  Bake a little more often.
I had a feeling this would be one of the goals I didn't stick with, and I was right. I haven't baked anything this year (unless you count brownies from a box ... And I don't). I might feel inspired to try making something once fall and winter approach, but I really don't have any desire to bake during the hot summer months.

3.  Try at least 12 new (to us) restaurants.
I've shared our experiences so far here, here, and here. I'm obviously behind on this goal, but I haven't completely abandoned it. (And, if you're wondering, I've tried a few new restaurants with friends, but I didn't document them here. This goal is more about Eric and I trying new places together since we both love food so much.)

Blogging Goals and Updates:

1.  Work on a blog schedule and really try to stick with it.
This was actually one of my most important blogging goals, and I have yet to sit down and come up with a schedule for my blog. I've been trying to post at least 3 times each week, but I often post less (or, on occasion, not at all). I doubt I'll ever force myself to do this (at least not this year), but I do need to be more consistent with my posts.

2.  Participate in more link-ups.
I've been participating in both a monthly personal challenge link-up and the Show Us Your Books! link-up since the beginning of the year. I need to start getting involved in some other link-ups, though (especially since the monthly personal challenge link-up is coming to an end). I genuinely enjoy participating and seeing what others have shared, so this has been a pretty easy goal for me to meet.

3.  Comment more often.
I've probably been most inconsistent with this goal. It's unfortunate because I read so many interesting, funny, insightful blog posts and then forget to comment on them. I need to make this a priority ... Not only would I be telling other bloggers that I really appreciate what they have to say, but I'd also be getting my own name out there a little more. It's a really great way to build a community (and one of the easiest ways to do it!), and that's something I'd love to achieve.

4.  Invest in Divulge and Indulge.
I moved from Wordpress.com to Blogger and purchased a premade blogger template from Lisa's Menagerie. I haven't gotten into sponsoring any blogs (yet), and I think I'll eventually go the more custom route with my blog design, but I'm not ready for that just yet. I haven't invested a ton of money into my blog and I really don't want to, but I'm happy with what I've done so far.

5.  Make a new "About Me" page.
Moving to Blogger and updating the look of my blog gave me the push I needed to create a new "About Me" page. I'm pretty happy with the result.

6.  Work on my social media presence.
I made an Instagram account, but my posting is sporadic and I haven't bothered to build up a following (or to follow anyone else, for that matter). I'm still figuring it out (I only recently started using hashtags!), but I think I like it. I'll probably try to focus on it a little more in the upcoming months. I also made a Goodreads account (though I really only share what I'm reading and my overall rating for each book). Again, I haven't started following anyone there. (Seriously, what's wrong with me?) I still haven't done anything with my blog Pinterest account. I guess I need to spend more time on this goal.

I know this is a long update, but it's more for me than anyone else. I needed to get all of this out so I could take a step back and assess where I'm at and what I need to work on. Apparently I need to work on a lot of things, so here's to a more productive 6 months!

Playlist: May 2015

If you've been reading this blog for any length of time, you probably already know how much I love music and making playlists.

Unfortunately, sometimes I have trouble coming up with a great theme for those playlists. I had a few ideas this month, but none of them really seemed right ... Nothing really fit in with any of my other posts or experiences in May.

So instead of coming up with an awesome playlist that perfectly describes the month of May for me, I've decided to revert to my old standby theme: "shit I like." It's not really a theme, but it is a way for me to share some of my current favorite songs with anyone who checks out my blog.

I'll try to be a little more creative next month, I promise! But for now, please enjoy a few of the songs I can't get enough of right now. (Please note that since my playlist last month only featured songs by The Decemberists, I refrained from adding any here ... I thought that might be overkill. I've been listening to them a lot lately, though, and today is particularly exciting because I'm seeing them live tonight!)




































Oh, and one last (unrelated) thing before I share the actual playlist. I'm going out of town yet again next week. I'll be attending a conference in Philadelphia for work, and I'm planning to travel as light as possible ... So that means no laptop for a week (which, for me, also means I won't be keeping up with my blog). I'm a little more organized this time around so a few scheduled posts will pop up while I'm away, but don't be offended if it takes me a little longer than usual to respond to comments.

Trying to Live in the Moment in the Age of Blogging and Social Media

Even though I was only in Florida for a few short days, I decided to take a weeklong break from blogging. Sure, I could have scheduled some posts before I left, but I just didn't have the time or energy to do that ... So I didn't.

While I was away, I took very few pictures. My days and nights were mostly spent lounging around with my friends, talking, laughing, eating, and drinking. It wasn't the most exciting or eventful trip, but it was relaxing and fun ... And that's exactly what I was hoping for.

The thing about blogging is that sometimes it's difficult to just live in the moment. I'm always looking around for something I can photograph to make my posts more beautiful or thinking of the ways in which I can write about my thoughts and experiences.

I think this extends to most people today, though ... Not just bloggers. Just think about every time you log on to Facebook, Instagram, or any other social media outlet. Whether the person blogs or not, you're guaranteed a variety of pictures and/or blurbs detailing everything from vacations and parties to births and graduations to new haircuts and random meals. There's almost no need to interact with anyone anymore since everything you'd ever need to know about them is plastered all over the internet.

I'm not saying I'm any better. I obviously write in this blog, sharing personal thoughts and stories and pictures from my life. I never know if anyone will care about what I have to say (or if anyone will even stumble across my blog at all). Sometimes I feel self conscious about the things I share or the images I post. Once in a while (like now) I feel like I should have spent a little more time taking pictures so that I could have some visuals when I write about something I've done recently. (Because obviously if there are no pictures, it didn't happen ... Or that's what some people like to say, anyway.)

But here's the thing ... I wanted to be present while I was in Florida. I wanted to live in the moment, enjoy the time I had with my friends. I didn't want to waste my time focused on getting the perfect shot or thinking about how I could describe my time away in my blog. 

I have to admit that I did post a couple of pictures on Instagram while I was away ... I guess I just couldn't stay away completely. But, for the most part, I put away my phone and my laptop and just enjoyed myself.

And I'm so glad I did.

Tasty Tuesday: Creamy Cajun Chicken Pasta

I follow quite a few food bloggers, so I see tons of amazing recipes on a regular basis. Sometimes, though, I come across something that makes me think, "I have to try this immediately!"

That's exactly what happened when I saw this recipe for Cajun chicken pasta ... I made it within a week or so after it popped up on my Bloglovin feed.

I honestly don't know why I waited so long to post it here. I think I just had a bunch of other pasta recipes I wanted to share and, since I didn't want my Tasty Tuesday posts to become focused solely on pasta, I had to make sure I was writing about other types of meals as well. (Though, let's be honest, I love pasta and could easily post a million pasta dishes on this blog.)

Creamy and flavorful with a bit of a kick, this delicious meal is sure to impress!

I expected this recipe to turn out well (I mean, how can you go wrong with pasta, chicken, fresh vegetables, and a creamy sauce?), but I didn't know it would be this good. It's simple enough for a casual weeknight dinner, but delicious enough to impress guests. So if you're looking for a new pasta dish to try, I highly recommend giving this one a shot.

Creamy Cajun Chicken Pasta

Adapted ever so slightly from a recipe on Cooking Classy.

Ingredient List:

• 1 box short pasta (I used Garofalo organic casarecce from Costco)
• 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 2 tbsp olive oil, divided
• 2 tbsp butter
• 1 clove garlic (or, if you're lazy like me, the equivalent of jarred, pre-minced garlic)
• 3 tbsp flour
• 1 1/2 cups milk (I used 1%)
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded
• 1 medium red bell pepper, sliced into thin strips
• 1 medium yellow bell pepper, sliced into thin strips
• 1 medium red onion, sliced into thin strips
• Cajun seasoning (I didn't use an actual Cajun seasoning blend, but you'll want to use approximately 6-8 tsp if you're using a store bought blend. You can obviously use this if you want to make things easier, or you can make your own by whisking together 2 1/2 tsp paprika, 2 tsp sea salt, 2 tsp garlic powder, 1 1/4 tsp oregano, 1 1/4 tsp thyme, 1 tsp onion powder, 1 tsp black pepper, and at least 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper. If you want more heat, add 1 tsp or more. I used 1 tsp cayenne pepper and the sauce had a nice kick but wasn't overly spicy.)

Instructions:

1.  Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.

2.  Heat a grill over medium high heat.

3.  Rub the chicken on both sides with 1 tbsp olive oil and approximately 2 tsp of the Cajun seasoning. Grill the chicken until it has cooked through and no pink remains. 

4.  Once the chicken is cooked, remove it from the grill and place it on a cutting board. Allow the chicken to rest for about 5 minutes, then slice it into thin strips.

5.  While the chicken is on the grill, add the pasta to the boiling water. Cook according to package directions and drain. (Be sure to reserve 1/3 cup of the pasta water before draining!)

6.  In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Once the butter has melted, stir in the garlic and flour and cook for 1 minute, whisking constantly. While whisking, slowly pour in the milk. Continue whisking vigorously in order to smooth any lumps in the sauce.

7.  Add 3 tsp of the Cajun seasoning to the sauce, stirring well to combine. Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring constantly, then reduce the heat to low. Stir in the Parmesan cheese and heavy cream, cooking until the cheese has melted into the sauce. Once the cheese has melted, remove the sauce from heat and set it aside.

8.  Heat the remaining 1 tbsp olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Once the pan is hot, add the red and yellow peppers, red onion, and remaining Cajun seasoning. Cook until the vegetables have just softened (this should only take a few minutes).

9.  Toss the drained pasta with the pepper and onions, then pour the sauce over the mixture, stirring to coat evenly. If the sauce is too thick for your liking, add the reserved pasta water 1 tbsp at a time until the sauce reaches the desired consistency. (I prefer thick, creamy sauces on my pasta, so I actually didn't use any of the reserved pasta water when I made this. It's definitely a personal preference, though, so I'd suggest saving some of the pasta water just in case the sauce is too thick for your tastes.)

I will say that although the leftovers weren't terrible by any means, they weren't amazing. The sauce separated a bit upon reheating, and the flavors weren't as rich. If you want to avoid having so-so leftovers, I'd suggest cutting this recipe in half. 

From the Bookshelf: Recently Read - May 2015 Edition

I didn't read as much as I'd hoped over the last month, but I'm here to share what I did manage to get through for the Show Us Your Books! link-up.




















Innocents by Cathy Coote - 248 pages

Completed on 04/25/2015 - Read more reviews on Goodreads

This is essentially a book about sex. It almost felt as though I was reading someone's diary ... A diary filled with each and every graphic detail of their sexual encounters. But don't be fooled ... This was actually a pretty well written book. (Especially considering that Cathy Coote was only 19 when she wrote it!)

Innocents is an interesting take on the forbidden student-teacher relationship trope told from a 16-year-old girl's point of view. The majority of the novel is a letter she's writing to her lover, a confession in which she admits that she was never as innocent as she allowed him to believe. As she details their time together, she reveals all the ways in which she manipulated a man more than twice her age to do everything she wanted ... Until she eventually pushed too far.

One of the things I really liked about this book was Coote's ability to write about sex in such a realistic way. Sex isn't always pretty and it isn't always amazing (particularly when you're young and just figuring it all out) ... But, because most people want to read/watch a fantasy, it's usually presented as such in novels and film. I appreciated the fact that she wasn't afraid to discuss even the ugliest moments in this fictional relationship.

I enjoyed the book, but I didn't love it. I think I wanted more from it than it actually delivered. I didn't like that the main characters were never named (though I think that's just a personal preference). I hated that he always called her "darling" and "baby" and, quite literally, babied her to the point of squick. Yes, she was underage, but she was 16 ... At times he treated her as though she were 10 (or younger). I'm sure it was intentional, an effort to point out how inappropriate their relationship was and the fact that he was a pedophile (despite his insistence that he just loved her, regardless of her age), but it was just really weird.

Additionally, some of the events in the novel were just completely unbelievable. Despite her care to write about sex and the girl's twisted manipulations of her lover in a very realistic way, Coote forced me to roll my eyes when it came to other aspects of their relationship. Without giving too much away, the main characters quickly find themselves living together with the male main character willing to give up his teaching career (and his home) for this young girl he barely knows.

And the ending? I really wanted it to end differently, and was disappointed with the way things actually played out.

I know I'm making this book sound terrible, and it really wasn't. Due to the subject matter, I'd say it's definitely not for everyone, but it kept my interest.



May We Be Forgiven by A.M. Homes - 480 pages

Completed on 05/10/2015 - Read more reviews on Goodreads

This book.  Where to begin?

The first 20 or so pages were amazing, and I was immediately drawn into the novel. The main character, Harold, begins having an affair with his brother's wife. When George (the brother) finds out, he attacks her by bashing her head in with a lamp ... All while Harold lies next to her in bed.

This is the major catalyst for everything else that unfolds. In May We Be Forgiven, Harold tries to make sense of his brother's violent actions, deals with his own crumbling marriage, learns how to care for his niece and nephew, and struggles to create a better version of himself. Sounds good, right?

Well, for the most part it was. This is the second novel I've read by Homes (the other being the incredibly brilliant and disturbing The End of Alice, which I may reread at some point soon), and I really enjoy her writing. Though this book is much different from The End of Alice, it's clear she knows how to craft an interesting story. I really appreciated her use of dark humor in this novel, and some of Harold's thoughts and views on certain aspects of American life had me nodding along.

This wasn't a perfect novel, however. I wanted to like this book more than I did (mostly because I held A.M. Homes to a very high standard after reading The End of Alice), but I think sometimes I set myself up for disappointment when I have very high expectations of an author or book. (Obviously I do ... I mean, I basically said the same thing about Innocents in my review above.)

One of my biggest issues with this book was the fact that almost everything was completely over-the-top. I can suspend my disbelief while reading, but sometimes I just thought she took it too far and made it seem ridiculous. She also managed to stuff almost anything you can think of into the story and spent more time on some of these things than was probably necessary while neglecting some other, more interesting subplots. If you're wondering what I mean by "almost anything," here are a few examples of things that were included in this novel: a considerable amount of information on Richard Nixon, a detailed account of a trip to South Africa, an attempted carjacking, a bar mitzvah, a missing local girl, an inappropriate student/teacher relationship, random sexual encounters with people found online, a swingers club ... Need I go on?

Another thing that bothered me was the reliance on stereotypes for some of her characters. Some things even made me think, "Is this supposed to be racist? I can't even tell where she's trying to go with this." Maybe I'm overly sensitive, but it just really bothered me. And, judging from some of the other reviews on Goodreads (which I skimmed after finishing the book), I'm not the only one who felt this way.

Despite its flaws, May We Be Forgiven was a fairly enjoyable read. While certain parts really didn't add much to the story, there were flashes of brilliance throughout the novel ... And that was enough to keep me reading.

Next month I should (hopefully!) have more than just a couple of books to review. I think this month's personal challenge will help push me to focus more on reading, which is definitely a good thing since I'm behind on my 50 book goal for the year.

I was going to try to finish another book before posting this (I'm almost done!), but I really wanted to join the link-up before the end of this week. I'm headed to Florida on Saturday morning, and I know blogging isn't going to be my main focus once I arrive.

I'm not even sure if any posts will go up while I'm gone. I was planning to get at least one post written and scheduled, but I haven't gotten around to it ... So there's a good chance I'll just blow off blogging for a week and then pick things back up the following week. We'll see, though. I still have a little time before I leave.