Cupcakes and Puzzles

I bought two Sprinkles cupcakes today, which are the first in a while. I ate the coconut one already, and it was delicious. I am saving the coffee cupcake for tomorrow. Earlier this week I visited Golden Spoon for a mini frozen yogurt cup ~ a treat after my Covid vax at CVS (hurrah for vaccines!). Initially, I was thrilled that they'd opened a Golden Spoon near me, but after I ate my tasty little cup of salted caramel with M&Ms, I realized that I like Tutti Frutti froyo better. Golden Spoon doesn't have tangy options like strawberry and mango, which you can get at Tutti Frutti, and they're so refreshing, especially combined with vanilla. I realize that I prefer a contrast in desserts, such as lemon bars, key lime pie, hot cinnamon candy, etc. It's all good, of course, but I am just saying my ideal is now a blend of flavors.

My friend gave me a 1000 piece jigsaw puzzle ~ it's the famous Birth of Venus but with cats. I wasn't sure I should start it because I used to get so crazy obsessed, but I opened it Monday night and put together the edges. I've worked on it every night since and made decent progress. It helps that I have to cover it when I'm not at the table in order to protect it from Inky, so that keeps me from wandering back and doing it nonstop. I really do love puzzles and may get more ~ my Amazon cart now has several "for later." I'm not sure if I need to buy a special tray, since covering it with a towel weighed down by a few books is enough to keep it safe. So far, anyway. 

The "save for later" option has really helped with my OCD (which in turn is good news for my budget). It's a satisfying limbo between buying all the things I decide I need and forcing myself to try to forget about them (a hopeless task as that just makes me think about them more!). I say to myself, OK self, go and stuff your cart full of every kind of puzzle, but do not buy any right now. You can buy them later. As time goes by, I think, hmm, maybe I don't really want this one and that one, so eventually I end up with just a few. Or none! There are times I totally lose interest in something before I hit buy... not often, but it has happened.

I read Murder by Cheesecake this week. It's a Golden Girls cozy mystery written by Rachel Ekstrom Courage. It was fun, and since I don't normally read fan fiction, I thought I'd give it a whirl. I was not a super huge fan of the show, but I saw a few eps, so I was able to "hear" the characters' voices as I read the novel. If I hadn't been able to, I don't think I would have enjoyed it as much because it was very silly. The four women had equal roles (maybe a little more for Rose and Dorothy), and there was lots of quick and witty banter. I assume more of these books are coming out because this one says it's "Golden Girls #1" (released April 2025), but I think one is enough for me. I gave it three stars on Goodreads.

My migraines did not get that bad this week, and I am grateful for that. I did take sumatriptan a couple times, but it worked, and I never ended up at the horrible, throw-up stage. I was careful during the worst of the heat to stay indoors and hydrate more than usual. I also got decent sleep every night. My neck hurts from doing the puzzle though, and I need to be more careful with how I sit/ stand at the table. I plan to have a very chill weekend, with minimal exertion except for a few chores and a few hours of study for the upcoming notary exam. Sunday I may go play board games for a little while.

Laters.