One era is coming to an end, even though I still have some pumpkin spice things lying around. A new era began last Friday when I had the Pilgrim sub from GetGo. Though pumpkin is still a Thanksgiving staple, I am officially on the Turkey Sandwich and Fall Treats mini-tour. As I learn to be thankful in November, I am indulging in some other savory feature sandwiches as well. Two weeks ago, we had a nice turkey dinner which I felt was a precursor to Thanksgiving.

Since I had two days off, I figured I would do another lunch date for myself. Today took me to Mad Mex in Monroeville, where I ordered the Gobblerito. Shocker. This is the third time I ordered the restaurant’s feature seasonal offering. My first stab at the iconic sandwich came in 2022, just a week before Thanksgiving, when I ate there with Aunt Sue and Ben. A chilly wind and snow flurries dotted the landscape outside that day but inside we were warm. Service today was quick as I knew what I wanted. The food was good as was my drink (I ordered a Cranberry Margarita to go with my lunch). The menu has a lot of other great options, but we know what I was there for. Grade: A+. Just a heads up, the Gobblerito was my winner last year out of the three sandwiches I tried.

Next week, I’ll stay local and make a trip to Primanti Bros. to try their Primanturkey Sandwich. Wherever we eat at in Hershey, maybe they’ll have a seasonal option as well. If I have time, I hope to try Eat’n Park’s turkey dinner or their turkey sandwich before Thanksgiving Day.

I follow a YouTuber who does holiday videos where he goes to stores like Five Below, Gabes, Kohls, and others. This is the same guy who used to film at closing Kmarts and Sears department stores. After lunch, I visited a few of these stores to check out what kind of Christmas items they had. I started with Five Below because I thought that they had an Art the Clown ornament there (they didn’t but they had Michael Myers and Chucky). They also had some cool T-shirts with movie quotes on them. Tinsel candy canes and trees were very colorful and would add a lot to someone’s outdoor display.

After Five Below, I went to Michael’s where I saw lit up trees and little Christmas villages. I have pictures that I’ll post to this blog from there as well. They’re getting ready to celebrate the season (and it’s only November 8). I gave myself a 25 minute time limit at each store before I made my way to the next one. The final stop was Gabe’s. While I didn’t find the same stuff that WallieB did on his video, the holiday home decor was really nice to look at, plus it took me back to my WIS days when I counted those stores on Sunday mornings. Fortunately, we didn’t have a lot of work during the busy holiday season so our slow period would be starting soon. Quite the opposite of what Giant Eagle is like for me during Thanksgiving and Christmas.

I topped off the experience with a trip to Barnes and Noble next to Monroeville Mall. I found a few interesting books, including one on Kaufmann’s and a picture book on Kamala Harris from her journey to the White House as Vice President. I’m trying to find ways to stay positive after the election didn’t go the way I wanted it to. This week ended a lot better than it began. Only two more weeks until Hershey and three more until vacation.

Blogs return Monday and then it’s go time for the holidays and the countdown to 700 blog posts.

Yesterday afternoon, I woke up discouraged and with a heavy heart. I felt sad for my friends and family who are now feeling vulnerable because of the results of the election. It’s the same way my church friends felt in 2012 and 2020 when the republican nominee lost. My mother told me that “It will all be OK.” As hard as it is to accept, I’m taking those words to heart.

I reached out to a few of my friends from my old job who were deeply affected by the election results. I promised to keep in touch with them and they told me to never stop being who I am and to be safe. I posted a selfie while I was having dinner at Chick-Fil-A (Westmoreland Mall location) before my meeting. I also posted it in my stories and it got some good views. I was spread some joy on this very sad day for our country (depending on how you look at it). I’m pretty neutral as I have friends on both sides, but I still feel deeply affected. My parents are disappointed in the results, but they’re resigned to what has happened and accepting defeat.

How did I celebrate The Day After? I watched Annabelle play her guitar which had just come in the mail. The girl is musically talented, also playing saxophone in the school band and singing in the school choir. I’m excited to see what her plans are for the guitar. Maybe she’ll rock it like some of our favorite country music icons.

The weather yesterday really told the story about how most of us felt after the election. To most others, it was Morning in America (taking that from Reagan after his landslide victory in 1984). I know that it can’t always be 80 degrees and that any rain that we get this year is welcome. It could have been 30 degrees with six inches of snow, so there’s worse things in the world. I had a day of little sleep because of anxiety, and most of Wednesday was lamenting in the election loss. However, my mood began to shift on Thursday as I began to take mom’s advice to heart.

I went to my Toastmasters meeting last night. We had a small turnout but the atmosphere was nice. We had a guest in attendance as well and she even participated in Table Topics. Our club president spoke about headaches and the different ones that we can experience, as well as the remedies to getting rid of them. Our table topics focused on change and the questions as well as the answers to them couldn’t have been more diverse. We talked about the upcoming TLI/Club Officer Training and we ended with me planning our next meeting on November 20.

Finally, I’m in the midst of my two days off, fun times await this month, and I’m not letting the results of the election dim my light and squash my joy. On the agenda for tomorrow, I’ll be continuing my Turkey Sandwich tour at Mad Mex and having a Gobblerito. I’ll be looking at Christmas merchandise as well as Michaels and a few other stores. Plus, I’ll think about making a trip to the bookstore and look at some books that are catching my eye.

Monday, the Holiday Baking Championship made its triumphant return to Food Network. From what I saw in the first episode that I watched tonight, it’s going to be a great season. Watching it is also giving some ideas about what to by in my upcoming holiday haul.

It was a great way to forget about all of the Election coverage. Tonight’s episode focused on holiday bark, as well as cheese balls. For our Christmas Eve gathering, we always have a cheese ball with some chicken crackers. That’s been a tradition since we would go to my Grandmother’s on Christmas Day. On a future Market District run, I will be sure to buy one. I think I’m also going to try to make peppermint bark or buy some on my holiday haul, whenever that may be.

All of the treats made by the bakers were good. OK, some left a little bit to be desired like the trifle and the matcha. But all of these bakers have talent and are completing for that grand prize and no matter what it will be a fun eight weeks coming up. There’s always a theme for the show and this week’s was something to make for a holiday open house. Just like the recently finished Halloween Baking Championship, there are three judges the bakers need to impress, as well as the host, Jesse Palmer.

Holiday Baking Championship airs Monday at 8 pm on Food Network.

Hearing about cheese balls tonight has me wanting to visit an Italian market and look for things for a charcuterie board. I had success with this at Friendsgiving last year and also at our family reunion as well as on Christmas Eve. Here’s how ours looked last year for Xmas Eve and mine from Friendsgiving (sorry no pic). I got that one at Giant Eagle.

I got home from work this morning and felt terrified. I felt scared for women, for the LGBTQ, for disabled people, and for our country. But we’ll be OK. Four years ago those who felt devastated are elated, and those who felt elated are devastated. It all evens out. Instead of watching the news and reading the feeds on social media, do something good for your world and be the change that you want to see in it.

I talked with a couple of those terrified friends of mine and promised to keep in touch with them and move away from social media. She told me “We’re in this together”.

I’m going to look forward to my two days off, the Trans Siberian Orchestra concert in Hershey and quality time with my cousins, Christmas music, and my upcoming vacation.

Today is an important day that will decide the future of our country. This election season has been a crazy one just like every other I’ve dealt with since I was old enough to vote in 2000. I voted (early this morning) and I hope you did as well, whether it was in person today or by mail. I’m not writing to tell you who is better in my opinion but that I hoped you let your voice be heard today.

My polling place was already packed when it opened at 7 am. I was standing in line at 6:50 and was #20. My sister was #50 when she voted at 7:30 am. Usually during a primary or odd year election the line isn’t so long and I’m second or third. A lot is riding on this year’s race, and don’t let the ads tell you that. Do your research, people.

One silver lining from all of this is that the commercials come to an end after today, and we can all agree that’s a good thing. This is the first election I felt confident about who I was going to vote for. I’ve changed a lot in the last four years and know more about what’s at stake now than I did in the past.

This election has me more on edge than 2020 did. I’d sometime joke to myself, will life be worth living after the results are in? I may have to walk away if I’m in a crowd so I don’t break down. That’s what I should have done in 2012 when back then, I was surrounded by those who were anti- Obama. It’s hard for me to do that because I want to please everyone and I fear they’ll see the defeat in my eyes and try to tell me what for.

Case in point: As the results come in, just turn off the TV, don’t look at social media, and hope for the best. That’s all I’m going to say. Tomorrow or no matter when the results are final, I’m still going to continue being me and will not change for anyone.

I was today years old when I learned that National Sandwich Day was yesterday. What is National Sandwich Day? National Sandwich Day is a delicious celebration of one of the most beloved and versatile culinary creations—the sandwich. Whether you prefer the Grilled Cheese Sandwich, a classic BLT, or a Buffalo Chicken Wrap, yesterday would have been the perfect day to indulge in this iconic culinary creation.

Here’s a few ways to celebrate National Sandwich Day:

• Create Your Perfect Sandwich: Experiment with different ingredients, spreads, and bread to craft your ideal sandwich combination.
• Visit a Local Sandwich Shop: Explore your local area for sandwich shops and delis that offer unique and delicious sandwich options. There are plenty in Greensburg and the surrounding area.
• Host a Sandwich Party: Invite friends and family to a sandwich-making party where everyone can build their custom creations. Sounds like a good idea.
• Try International Sandwiches: Venture beyond familiar flavors and sample sandwiches from different cultures and cuisines. A great place to go for this would either be the Strip District or Squirrel Hill. I follow some Pittsburgh food influencers who would definitely do something like this.
• Share Your Favorites: Share your sandwich creations or recommendations on social media using #NationalSandwichDay. Tag those in your stories who you think should see this too.

My Turkey Sandwich Tour has kicked off with the start of the new month. Friday, I stopped at Getgo for lunch and ordered the Pilgrim for lunch. No stranger to Getgo’s seasonal sub, I came away pleased. The mini tour continues up to Thanksgiving. Maybe in my travels to or from Hershey, I will order another holiday themed sandwich. Coming up next on the Turkey Sandwich and Fall Treats mini-tour are Mad Mex for the Gobblerito, and Primanti’s for their Turkey Sandwich. I’m hoping to get to Eat’n Park for a Turkey Sandwich or Turkey Dinner before the big day too.

Finally, today is National Candy Day. It’s fun to discover these holidays that I never knew about until just recently (er, today). I’ll be going to Hershey in a few weeks for the Trans Siberian Orchestra concert. Hopefully, I will find some Hershey’s kisses along the way to aid in my own Christmas haul this season. While I’m off the first week in December, I hope to visit a little candy store in Indiana. As I do my Christmas shopping that week, I look to score some Christmas coffee from Starbucks and even some chocolate where I can find it. Market District or mall kiosk, perhaps?

We are now a weekend into November 2024. We have a presidential election coming up on Tuesday that will determine the future of our country. But the real debate in today’s blog is not about who the better candidate is.

It’s about whether November 1 is too early to decorate for Christmas.

I’ve been seeing the pictures and the stories and reels on Instagram and Facebook. Social media influencers going from Halloween on October 31 to Christmas on November 1. I’m out there thinking, is there something that we’re forgetting? Like eating turkey and stuffing and remembering what we’re thankful for?

Now, I love Christmas like most others because of the joy it brings out in us during the season. Not everybody loves the holiday season, whatever they might want to call it and that’s OK. As I’ve gotten older, there’s things I want that money can’t buy (I might get it Tuesday lol). I always feel tempted to play Christmas music a little bit early but try to restrain myself. But I feel it’s a little early to begin celebrating. Here’s my answer to the question, when is the right time to start thinking about Christmas.

I like to fully get into the Christmas spirit a week before Thanksgiving. A little bit of overlap doesn’t hurt. The color on the trees by then is past its peak and you go from looking at the foliage to the lights on the Christmas trees. The color is there but it’s serving a different purpose. As for Christmas music, Mariah has already been defrosted but I’m tempted to hold her and other overplayed songs of the season at bay for a few more weeks. If one of the Pittsburgh stations have holiday songs playing next week (WSHH or WWSW), then I’m tempted to give it a listen.

Light up nights at the malls and in Pittsburgh are coming up soon. Westmoreland Mall is either this Friday or next. Pittsburgh is always the week before Thanksgiving. As much as I would love to go to either, it’s a little too crowded for me.

As for when to decorate for Christmas, we usually take Black Friday to get the decorations out of the attic and take the weekend to put up the Christmas tree and the ornaments and get the lights up outside. My dad has the lights timed perfectly and it’s only a matter of time before our house looks like one of the most festive on the block. I’ll talk about some of the house tours we take as well as Overly’s in a future blog post. Coming up soon, I’ll have another Ligonier trip planned soon. I’m sure by then, the tree will be up in the gazebo and the best little Hallmark Christmas town will be getting ready for the holidays.

In conclusion, there’s nothing wrong with having a little bit of fun. Being in the spirit of Christmas on 11/1 is OK, but don’t do it because everyone else is doing it.

2021 brought with it many life changes for me, the most since 2006. For starters, a new decade of my life began. I had health issues which led to changes in my eating habits. My employer of many years had merged with its competitor bringing with it massive changes including an eventual breakup of our office.

I worked for WIS from the end of 2008 through most of 2021. My nearly 13 year tenure at WIS was bookended by two bad years at the beginning and two bad years at the end. While the reason for the last two years may be obvious, the first two years (2009 and 2010) were riddled with growing pains. I still wasn’t over my college days and the pain from those days. Going back to school still loomed large for me. I felt unwanted by the power counters on my team when I was put on a dedicated crew and I often got into scrapes with them. The boiling point came in the Fall of 2010 when I got under my co-worker’s skin over office drama. The last two years were tied to the events from the pandemic. Also, my health issues that landed me in the hospital led to a wake-up call down the road. Changes in my office that weren’t in my favor would have an impact on my future with WIS.

The beginning of the end for my employment is debatable as to when it started. You might think it started:

In the Spring of 2020 when the pandemic began.

The day I found out my assignment.

When we started losing key people from our office, or

When I had my health scare.

One day at a Target late in the Spring of 2021, I began to hear rumblings of the merger between WIS and RGIS. I turned 40 that Summer and speculated for most of it over my future with the company. That Fall, early in October as a matter of fact, is when I got my assignment. While it wasn’t what I wanted, I was going to make an effort to embrace the change that was coming.

The final month that we were 3609 was bittersweet. For me, my journey had just started to take off. It would have to be put on hold as I got established at my new job. Just as it was coming to fruition, I took one step forward and two steps back. For the first half of 2022, I dealt with loneliness, isolation, depression, and doubt as the support system I had around me disappeared. Though through it all, I’m still doing me, I’m still here and, I’m not changing to please anyone.

In our last days as an office, there was fear, sadness, and the reality that we weren’t going to be together anymore and that was hard.

During the last week, we all said our goodbyes. I got to work with the girl who sparked my interest in Coach as she didn’t have much going on in the office that week. She was my innocent crush for the last two years that I was there. I wish I’d have given her a hug after that quick and easy Dollar General we did. That last day at Rite Aid in Lawrenceville, I shared some things with the girls about my journey. They told me they’d always be there for me if I needed anything. I was glad the universe worked in my favor that last morning we were 3609.

We parted ways that morning. There were tears, no doubt. It finally hit me that these people I called family weren’t going to be in my life anymore (or so I thought). We officially became office 371 on October 30. The next day was Halloween and I worked my first assignment under the RGIS name using their machines. It was a Shop’n Save in Penn Hills on Frankstown Road. We started at 5 and were done by 11:30. First day at RGIS in the books.

Well, it was the end of an era for sure and the beginning of a new one. Would I be happy in this new regime? Only time would tell.

It’s Halloween today. Tomorrow is November 1. Pretty soon, you’ll be hearing Christmas music in all the stores (including Mariah). Christmas candy will be everywhere in all the stores (Giant Eagle included). You want to get excited for the holidays but realize that there’s still plenty of Fall to go around. By next weekend, I’ll begin to filter in some Christmas music. It’ll be sporadic up until the week before Thanksgiving and by then, it will be more widespread. Excitement aside, here’s a look at what to expect in November, which begins Friday.

The Pumpkin Spice and Fall Treats meets its end early next week. It’s been a good run with lots of great-tasting Fall Coffee as well as some awesome treats. I’ll make one more Cutie’s stop early next week before they debut their Holiday menu next Saturday. So plenty of once or twice a week visits to Cutie’s are in my future once again. I might still make some pumpkin treats at home in November. After all, pumpkin pie is a staple of Thanksgiving.

I need to learn not to stretch myself too thin. I did well keeping the tour local (mostly Cutie’s and a trip to Steep Mountain and White Rabbit) but I tried so hard to keep up with all the influencers on social media. Seeing this, one might label the tour a failure and not a success. I didn’t and I’m OK with how it turned out. In conclusion, it’s my journey not theirs, and as long as I look at it like that, I’ll be fine. There will be an occasional trip to a Starbucks kiosk when I go Christmas shopping, and maybe I’ll hit up a good coffee shop in my travels. But that should be a surprise trip for me, not an expectation I’m trying to fulfill.

The end of the Pumpkin Spice tour means it’s time for the Turkey Sandwich mini-tour to begin. This is a good way for me to avoid the Christmas rush and enjoy the next holiday. I’m eyeing a Pilgrim tomorrow and then next week either the Gobblerito or a Primanturkey sandwich (I’m thinking next Friday for lunch). Also I’m thinking about going to Eat’n Park for a Turkey Dinner or sandwich closer to Thanksgiving.

Everything is set for my trip to Hershey in three weeks. We have our hotel booked and our itinerary set. The fun begins Friday night with a trip to Hersheypark to see the Christmas lights. Saturday is the Trans Siberian Orchestra concert. We’ll throw in a meal at some point and you might see a review on this blog. That’s something I haven’t done in a while. It’ll be a fun weekend and it’ll be nice to get away. Then, it’s a busy week at work, Thanksgiving, getting the decorations out of the attic, and the beginning of my vacation. Nice way to end November.

Even though this mild Fall has been a gift for us with one of the warmest and driest Octobers, I am hoping for a little bit of snow soon. Nothing disruptive, but maybe a few snowflakes when we make our way to Hershey. A little snow on the mountain when traveling to Somerset would be nice to look at as well. Again, nothing disruptive and something picturesque.

I’m aiming at setting records and achieving milestones this month as I look to publish a whopping number of blogs. 27 posts for the month will be one of my busiest months for content. This weekend, I’ll set a record for most blog published in a year. The blog will turn five a week before Thanksgiving. That same day I’ll have another milestone in my Duolingo streak. If I stay true to my goal, I will have published 700 blogs by Black Friday. Crazy when you think I had 500 at the end of last November. OK, that’s enough numbers for one blog.

If I play my cards right, a goal that seemed unattainable at the beginning of October might be reached just before Christmas.

Finally, and most importantly in November, get out and VOTE this Tuesday. Let your voice be heard. The future of this country depends on it. The good thing is, at least after this week, no more political ads on TV or YouTube.