Happy New Year

Goodbye 2020, Hello 2021?

This year has been a whirlwind of emotions for myself and I’m pretty sure the same for a lot of people. This year was filled uncertainty, fear, loss but also with love and determination to get through it. It was tough and filled with many ups and downs. From the happy times of graduating Navy Corpsman school, getting a new EMT job, being able to visit Chris a few times, being overly excited about becoming an Auntie to my friends having babies, finally finishing up my Associates in Fire Technology all while still being able to celebrate holidays with family and keeping our health including Rex. Some of the heartbreaking times of this year for me was losing my beloved Monkee after 15 years, seeing the world become sick and dying. It has been a year of stress, no doubt. I have grown and and I will continue to grow in 2021. Another year to love and learn.

Some goals for next year:

• Keep positive even in trying times.
• Continue to learn
• Be accepted into Nursing school
• Keep getting healthier
• Work more and be more dedicated to my blog
• Get back into streaming video games
• Still continue to keep myself and my family’s health a priority
• Go hiking and adventuring more

Today on New Years Eve, I will be sitting back doing a movie marathon with Chris and the family all while ringing in the new year quietly and safely with dinner and champagne. What are some of your goals or resolutions for the New Year? Happy New Year’s everyone! May you stay safe and positive. See you in 2021!

💚 Kat

“I hope you realize that every day is a fresh start for you. That every sunrise is a new chapter in your life waiting to be written.”

– Juansen Dizon

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Happy Thanksgiving 2020

“We must find time to stop and thank the people who make a difference in our lives.”

– John F. Kennedy

Happy Thanksgiving everyone. I hope you were able to enjoy a day filled with laughter, love and delicious food. I know 2020 has been a rough year for us all but I am thankful for my family, loved ones and friends. Stay safe everyone, the New Year is just around the corner. 💚

September 21st 2020

Hi everyone! I hope you’re hanging in there during the United States sixth month mark for the pandemic. I know it is a strain on our mental health and physical health. Stay strong, and try to stay positive. You’ve got this!

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I also wanted to apologize for my lack of blogging the last couple of weeks. I have started a full time job again and doing two classes for college. Trying to balance school, work and free time is proving to be somewhat hard. Once I get a handle on a good schedule, I will be posting more. Thank you for your continued support!

In light of today’s date, here’s a fun song:

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“If you can stay positive in a negative situation, you win.”

—Unknown

August 24th 2020

Today I started my last semester before I earn my associates degree. I started this small journey many years ago, before the military. I have two classes to complete then I will be on my way towards a Bachelors degree. I am more than excited to finish up these classes. It is a little strange because they are both online, but there are pros and cons to this. I think the pros would be, not having to drive to campus and pay for parking. The cons would definitely be, not having that student/teacher interaction and help with material. I know this is a learning curve for professors, students and the families. Don’t lose hope, just stay focused and positive!

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The roots of education are bitter, but the fruit is sweet.

– Aristotle

3 Movies In 3 Days

Alright everyone, I have 3 more movies to watch, in 3 days!

This Pandemic is still going on and many of us may still be finding ourselves with a lot of free time on our hands. These 3 movies can keep you entertained, and are fairly long so it will definitely help pass the time. These movies I’m talking about are: The Da Vinci Code, Angels and Demons and Inferno. I found this trilogy to be quite captivating. The movies are inspired by the book series by Dan Brown. Tom Hanks portrays the main character in all of these movies, which is nice because the same actor is kept playing the role. Ben Foster, Ewan McGregor and Paul Bettany also play roles in these movies. I watched part of The Da Vinci Code when I was younger, but didn’t quite understand it. Then again, I maybe got 20 minutes into it and switched it off. It wasn’t exactly the type of movie I was interested around that age. Now that I’m older and have a different outlook on movies, appreciation of history and good musical composition. I decided that I might actually enjoy it. So we, my boyfriend and I decided to watch these on our movie night.

The Da Vinci Code

This film was produced back in 2006 with Tom Hanks cast as the main character. It dives straight into secret societies and their hidden past dating back to the birth of Christianity. The main character Robert Langdon is basically thrown into all these whirlwind events. The movie is a race with Langdon to uncover the truth about what happened and why. Over a span of about 2 hours and 30 minutes, its on the longer end, but well worth it. The musical composition is also amazing and makes you feel more in the movie. If you want to hear some of the musical pieces on Spotify, click below:

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Angels and Demons

This second Fim , we find ourselves right back at it with Robert Langdon. This time he’s called upon because the Illuminati have surfaced and there are puzzles only he can figure out. Langdon eventually finds himself searching through Vatican City to find the clues to stop the massive destruction of the city.

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Inferno

This is the last movie of the trilogy. Inferno starts off again with Robert Langdon suffering from retrograde amnesia, he’s told from trauma to the head. He is needed to decrypt hidden messages and stop a deadly virus from being unleashed on the world. Watching the first two movies comes, it to no surprise as to why they want Langdon in the first place. More secrets, more puzzles to solve all while running from multipe government agencies. Who can he trust? This movie also has a wonderful composition. Just listen for yourself down below.

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I would have never come across these unless Chris suggested the, because he wanted to watch them. These movies had long been out of the spotlight and overshadowed by the more recent comic book films. We decided to just watch one movie each night, so we could unwind and look forward to something to do the next day. I thoroughly enjoyed these movies and the music that emphasized them . They were extremely entertaining and fun to watch. Grab some snacks, kick back and get comfy. I hope you enjoy the movies as much as I did. 💚

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“Nothing is more creative… nor destructive… than a brilliant mind with a purpose.”

― Dan Brown, Inferno

More movies to watch while still quarantined click below:

My Top 5 Movies on Quarantine

Hiking in a Pandemic

Being able to enjoy the outdoors almost feels forgotten. With the impact of COVID-19, we should make sure we do our part in keeping ourselves and others safe. In California, it has been an up and down battle on getting things under control. Sunday, my family and I decided that it was possible for us to get back into hiking and do our weekly walks. Of course we took precautions and followed the suggested guidelines. We had our hand sanitizers, keeping six feet apart and wearing our masks.

The Trail

We decided to go to a less strenuous trail and hopefully wasn’t too crowded. We took Rex this time, so we only managed to make it about 2 miles.There’s a variety of starting points for a nice walk. It can start from Fernandez Park in Pinole and end all the way at Pinole Shores. Or you can start at Fernandez Park and find yourself in Hercules next to Leila by the Bay Restaurant. I have only done this hike once before when it first opened up and it was beautiful. Now, almost two years later, it still is a beautiful trail and kind of maintained in this Pandemic. The trail we decided to take had the starting point of Bayfront Park. Since the tide was out, we could walk out into the bay quite a ways. It’s can be very slick, so be careful. After we walked out into the bay, we made our way over the bridge which gives you a beautiful overlook of both the bay and Mount Tamalpais. We hit our 1 mile mark on my Fitbit and turned around. We couldn’t go much further because Rex was with us and it was hot! By the time we got back to the truck it was a little over 2 miles. The trail wasn’t very crowded at all. When we did see and pass people, we all had our masks on and practiced the 6 feet social distancing rule. It was nice to be outdoors again, and even nicer that people were polite and courteous of the situation.

The new bridge on the Bay Trail.

Some Things to Bring

• Good walking or hiking shoes.
• Water. Always a good idea to hydrate.
• Sunblock to protect your skin.
• If you bring your dog, they are required to be on a leash.
• A walking stick if you would like.
• Masks
• Hand Sanitizer.

Additional Info

Parking is free and doesn’t get too crowded. Because of COVID-19 the trail upkeep is a little less. Be careful of wild animals, snakes and spiders. The area is relatively safe, but make sure to lock your vehicle and keep valuables out of sight. Bring a snack and water with you. Most of all, stay safe, have fun and enjoy the outdoors. 💚

East Bay Parks Trail

Bay Front Trail Directions

San Francisco Bay Trail

“Hiking and happiness go hand in hand or foot in boot.”

– Diane Spicer

May 7th 2020

“I’ve always thought people would find a lot more pleasure in their routines if they burst into song at significant moments.”

– John Barrowman

March 16th 2020

“Getting ready for a global pandemic is every bit as important as nuclear deterrence and avoiding a climate catastrophe.”

-Bill Gates