Yesterday, there was so much I wanted to do but one little thing happened that set off a domino effect. Thus, throwing off the rest of my day. So what can I do to ensure this sort of thing doesn’t happen again. But, it probably will again anyway.

Since I have Toastmasters tomorrow night, I’ll be sure to put my electronics in the other room so they can charge. I usually plug in my watch and phone around 7pm on nights when I work. Just one of my many routines. That means I won’t be distracted by social media when I should be settling down or sleeping. But the truth is, I’m always distracted because I want attention.

In the Bible, it says in the Gospel of Matthew not to worry. That includes what you eat and what you wear. Concern over these things, as well as speculation over what might be said about my style are just a few of the things that can hamper my sleep pattern. Don’t forget wasting time on Instagram and Facebook since their algorithms are total garbage, always suggesting things for me that I might like even though I don’t. Regardless, I get sucked in anyway. Let me not worry about my routine, either. I wanted to swim yesterday because it was warm, and possibly go for a walk after dinner. Neither of those things happened and I was beside myself.

All it takes is for one little thing to create a domino effect to throw off the entire operation. Well, not tonight because it’s a Toastmasters night in Greensburg.

I think I’ll scratch my original eating plans for tonight. Initially, I was going to go to Tastyland but I might change things up due to the weather. I was thinking Chinese but we’re having that for dinner which means I’ll have some to take to work tonight. Something we all need to have in place is a backup place just in case things don’t work out. Knowing what I know now, I’d have gone to Tastyland Friday or Saturday when I was home by myself. Plus, I could have parlayed that into a walk at Hempfield Park.

If you expected a restaurant review tonight, you probably won’t get one. But I do plan to get out this summer and eat at a few places, giving my feedback.

Today’s blog is being brought to you by the letter P, and the words pride month and podcast.

Pride month has begun and, I am feeling a lot better about things now than I did at this time last year. Even if May felt lackluster to me, I am feeling confident heading into June. Vacation is coming in a few weeks, club officer training is on the horizon (it’s the weekend my vacation starts). I’m excited to keep writing (though I’m dying to share more fashion, fitness, and food content) and get to 600 posts as well as get into my podcasts. I’ll highlight some. more podcasts as I get into this blog.

My niece got me a pen for Pride Month with colors that represent the LGBTQ. She and my mother knew I would like it and I’m happy to see that they get it. To know what it means to me shows that they understand and my mom isn’t 100% against it.

Tonight on the Pod Meets World podcast, the golden trio of Will, Rider, and Danielle interviewed iconic musician Lisa Loeb. Her #1 hit “Stay” turns 30 years old this summer. It was a great interview and brought up in the conversation was Lilith Fair, which a compilation of female artists who performed in concert during the late 1990s. At one time, I wanted to go to one of the concerts (I think in ’97 or ’98). I’ll be sticking with this podcast and I want to thank Brian Baumgartner for having Danielle Fishel on his podcast as that’s how I found out about it.

Over the weekend, one of my friend who is involved with Toastmasters (she is with BNY Mellon) told me about a Pride Month podcast and she asked me permission if she could tell my story. I did so and was grateful to give her the opportunity. At last year’s Summer TLI, Cassie and I met and I told her about my journey. At the time, I was ready to give up because of all the nasty shit being said about Dylan Mulvaney. My journey isn’t like Dylan’s, but I still felt like I was being attacked. Her and Dana (whom I known for years in Toastmasters) spoke some kind words to me and made me feel good about my journey. Just as I was ready to quit, they told me to be true to myself and not change for anybody. Cassie and I complimented each others’ bags as well and Dana admired me for challenging the status quo. The good words are there, I just need to be patient in waiting to hear them. It’s easy to give up, but we need to fight and not let the haters win.

It took a while but I’ve finally become a fan of Pentatonix. I think my cousins will be proud. For the past few nights at work, I’ve been playing their music and it’s gotten me through the night. I don’t know what I was missing and, some of the songs they cover are better coming from them than the original artists. I didn’t think anybody could do “Take On Me” better than A-Ha but Pentatonix pulled it off.

I’ve had success with listening to podcasts in the past, having heard a few from actors on The Office. The Office Deep Dive (later Off the Beat) and Office Ladies are both great if you’re into the show and listening to the hosts analyze the episodes. I follow Pod Meets World on Instagram and for a long time didn’t listen to the podcasts, until a week ago. Now I can’t get enough and I want more.

There are a few other rewatch podcasts I’m interested in that are tied to 90s shows, plus I want to look for one that covers Pittsburgh and another that covers food. I think I’ll make time the next few weekends to preview these podcasts. Most likely, I’ll find the PMW episodes where they interview the hosts and learn more about them and their podcast.

My plans were dashed to go swimming today because of the rain and later I could have went for a walk but I was too tired. But alas, tomorrow is another day plus it’s a Toastmasters night.

Today’s blog is in remembrance of my grandmother, who passed away five years ago today after a short battle with pancreatic cancer. I got the call from my mother as I returned home from a weekend trip to Hersheypark with my cousins. Grandma’s spirits remained high despite her cancer diagnosis, as she still had her Easter dinner with all of us present. All was good the week before Mother’s Day. She suffered a bad fall at home and was taken to Excela Westmoreland before being transferred to St. Anne’s Home a week later. She spent two weeks in hospice care before her passing.

Some of my best memories of my grandmother included spending holidays with her. Gramma Gaffron may have had her endless Gaffron Christmases, but Grandma and Grandpap always gave us a good Christmas as well. Grandma always put together a nice spread during the holidays.

We had roast beef from C&S, sausage, candied dills 🥒 and black olives as well as potato salad. There was always a cheese ball and chicken crackers and even pizelles.

Grandma always liked the Norman Lear shows, especially All in the Family and the Jeffersons, as well as Maude and Good Times. I used to always joke that her house was a CBS house as the TV was usually on channel 2 (KDKA). Gramma Gaffron had Jeopardy, Grandma had Family Feud (going all the way back to the original days when Richard Dawson hosted).

When I was little and my mom worked evenings at Waldenbooks, I spent a lot of evenings at Grandma and Grandpap’s. Sometimes we’d go out to eat at McDonald’s, Burger King, or Long John Silvers. Afterwards, they took me to Hills and I got a toy. Sometimes we went to Ames or Murphy’s Mart. Grandma always loved going to the old Greengate Mall and her and my Great Grandmother always had lunch in the cafeteria at G.C. Murphy’s. After her mall trips, she sometimes bought a Chick-Fil-A sandwich for me.

I remember having Thanksgiving at their house once or twice. Once was the year between going to Florida and the start of having it at Aunt Sue’s. We had lunch with Gram and then went there for dinner. It was a nice turnout and I remember us gathering in the living room to watch the Cowboys on FOX. It was rare to have Thanksgiving there which made it a treat. It was the first time in a few years they weren’t spending it in Florida, either.

We had a luncheon at Denunzio’s following her funeral. Like the many times we ate at the Olive Garden for Great Grandma’s birthday, it felt special and a nice way to remember Grandma. I wasn’t sure what the future would hold for me or where I would be living. Eventually Katie and I switched living spaces and she’d live there for a few years before moving into her own house.

Don’t get me wrong. May is a great month and the weather has gotten warmer as we get closer to summer. But I for one am happy to see this May come to an end. As I alluded to in a previous blog, the last few Mays have brought with it sickness as well as depression and discouragement. I was happy to get a few great days to kick off the month, enjoy my first Spring Conference in five years, and see that Benny has come home from Children’s. He graduates high school tonight, so congratulations to him and my aunt. It’s been a tough road for both of them. We’ll celebrate him on June 23.

With the usual depression and discouragement that May has brought, mixed in with tornadoes and the usual joy, it’s been a whirlwind month. More to come in my recap next week. For now, let’s look ahead to June and what it brings to the table. Like me, it’ll have a lot to offer.

Coming to the blog in June will be my restaurant reviews, which usually draw a lot of interest. Next Wednesday before my meeting, I’ll make a stop at Tastyland on PA 66 as they just had their grand reopening. I’ll find my inspiration through social media, mostly keeping it local but I will make a few stops around Pittsburgh during my upcoming vacation at the end of the month. Maybe I can make up for that failed coffee tour that I wanted to take last Fall at some point as well.

Early this week marks five years since my Grandma (Gurksnis) passed away, so I’ll be writing a tribute blog. I spent a lot of my kid years at my grandparents’ just like Annabelle does at our house. I lived with my Grandma for several years after Annabelle was born and then my sister and I switched addresses. Thus, I moved back home that Fall.

June means more time for the pool, for podcasts (I’m loving Pod Meets World), and for passing on the presidency in my home Toastmasters club. I’ll be celebrating my birthday as well as a milestone for the blog when I publish my 600th post sometime around the middle of the month. Another milestone will come about a week after when I hit 800 days on Duolingo. So far I’ve only missed three days but the “streak freeze” comes in handy. I’ll devote my time to learning French on the app for the entire month of June.

At the end of the month, I’ll take my first of two vacations from work. It’s so nice to have paid time off and good benefits, in addition to the commute. I have plenty of day trips planned, including one of my Cranberry High Noon visits which I will parlay into a trip up to Slippery Rock University. It’s been 20 years since I’ve been there and I know I’ve made many visits but it’s always nice to see the old alma mater. I feel better about myself now than I did for many years after graduating from there. I also plan to shop at Tanger and even Market District (Robinson or South Hills) and do some serious shopping. I also hope to visit a few friends in Johnstown and attend the Greensburg Night Market. A great time to celebrate food and fashion.

Happy Father’s Day June 16 and Happy TLI Saturday June 22. Dinner series on June 20 at the Olive Garden.

Tonight is the monthly Greensburg Night Market. This event runs the fourth Thursday of every month and today being the 23rd means it’s time to shop downtown and support your local everything.

I’m no stranger to the event, having been here multiple times in 2020 and 2021, when supporting small businesses was imperative due to the circumstances we were dealing with. Since I last attended in 2021, this market has grown substantially. I walked down and was amazed at how this little market has become so big in so little time.

I took my time checking out some of the stands and getting food as well. So many choices, but I picked the first one that came to mind and that was The Pickled Chef. I spent more time eating than actually buying stuff. I’ll be back next month for the Greensburg Night Market as the week before Mr. Clougherty and I will be going out for dinner for my birthday. By then, I should have my research done and maybe not be as overwhelmed by the crowds. It’s really cool to see how big this market has become, though.

A few things that you need to know when attending the event are that there is metered parking all around the city. Good luck getting through downtown after 3:30pm on the day of the night market as various streets will be closed off. If you have pets, it’s best to just leave them at home (unless it’s a service dog). If you want to play it safe, there is a shuttle that picks up at Nicely Elementary School and drops you off in the heart of the action at the corner of Pitt and Penn (Pittsburgh Street and Pennsylvania Avenue). Always check out the website for more on the event and what vendors will be there and any other questions you may have that can be answered.

I don’t know what it is about May, but around this time of the year I always feel a little bit down. Since I attended my first conference in five years, I can’t call this a post conference-curse. It’s like I get sick, or I feel depressed around this time because I feel like I get no love or support in my journey. Miraculously, I didn’t get COVID during that time.

Two years ago, I fell into a deep depression because I missed my old co-workers and I felt no one approved of what I was doing. I regretted walking away from my church. The reason I don’t attend is mainly because of my work schedule and I want to go back but I’m not sure. Aunt Sue asked me why I wanted to give up my gender nonconformity and the answer was because I felt I was getting no support.

Last year, it was a host of problems starting with Benny and his health problems. We didn’t know when he was ever going to get out of the hospital and what would come after he got home on Memorial Day Weekend. Then, it was all the negative press over the Bud Light controversy and TikTok influencer Dylan Mulvaney. A certain talking head that used to work on a network who now has a podcast had some really nasty shit to say about the whole controversy and Dylan herself. Consuming all that information really hit me hard and I was actually this close to getting rid of everything and starting over. I went back though and it was on the Saturday we had our club officer training. I felt good wearing my leopard print scarf and carrying my Coach purse. Both Dana and Cassie gave me some excellent feedback on my outfit and told me not to change for anyone. It was then that I knew that I was meant to be on this journey.

It’s still not an easy road and I’m still second-guessing myself, but I’m still going strong.

This year, I don’t know what has me feeling down. At the conference, I had encouragement from a lady who won an award and who has a son who’s LGBTQ. I told her my story and she gave me great encouragement. I still don’t know what I really identify as, but Dana hit the nail on the head when he said, “You’re just stylish.”

After hearing that from the Toastmaster whisperer and District Historian, the best advice I can give myself is to just “shut up and go with it”.

Last night marked my first dip into the swimming pool for the upcoming Sunmer season. Judging by the weather, I could have made it a go today as well but opted to go to the gym and do some cardio. Unlike the previous summers we’ve had this pool, I plan to make a go of it in 2024. This is just the start of me bettering myself in my fitness journey.

We got this pool in the summer of 2015, so this marks our tenth summer having it. In fact, I believe it was the day after my birthday when we opened the pool. We had one before and it lasted for nearly two decades. My first memory of that swimming pool was jumping in on a warm summer morning in 1989. My parents were both working during the day and my Gramma came up to watch me that day. That was the first of many swims in the upcoming 90s and the subsequent decade to follow.

The best memory I had of our old pool was all the picnics we had during the summer. My cousins were all around my age and so it was fun having someone to swim with. Some of my cousins were a bit rough in the pool and that made me a little crazy. Alas, my childhood growing up was a little too emotional at times. It was a great time to be a kid in the greatest decade of the 20th century.

My parents took great care of the pool and we never had to replace anything on it. A few years in, my dad put in a deck and that stayed until we took the pool down following the summer of 2008. The 90s had many memorable commercials. One of them was for Nestea brand iced tea and their slogan was “worth taking a dive into”. That’s exactly what I did, falling backwards off the ladder into the pool.

We got our second pool in the summer of 2015 and we only put it in because my parents knew that Annabelle would enjoy it. She was two at the time and school was a few years away. Due to my busy schedule and always being too tired from work (back in the WIS days more so than Giant Eagle), I haven’t used it much. Annabelle gets in every day when she’s at the house and the weather is nice. With my focus switching to getting out more, I will make more time this summer than I have before.