Luxury List

Someone asked me this week: "If you could have two luxuries, what would they be?"

Now, I'm not one for excesses.

I don't particularly want a luxury car, a Mcmansion or so many clothes that I turn a room into a closet.

You know what would be the ultimate?

Having someone drive me where ever I go.
Having someone clean my house every week.

My clients tell me consistently tell me that the ultimate luxury for them would be having someone do their hair every day and as soon as they win the lottery, they'll call me.

Hmmm.

Only if the job comes with a chauffer and a cleaning lady.

So far this morning, I've been to work out at the gym, somehow ate breakfast, dressed myself and my girl, (I'm wearing a hat today if that's any clue as to how that went...) got her to school and went to the library for a fresh stack of books all before 9:30 am.

In the process of all that, I left my coffee in the microwave and gave my last dollars to hubby so I couldn't even go buy a cuppa before work.

Pity me.

Cause after my flurry of activity, all I want to do, on this chilly day, is curl up in a corner with a cup of creamy, hot coffee and peruse these:

Workin' 9-5 or so...

Woo--wee, it was chillery when I got off work this evening!

I tell you once I went to work, I didn't see the light of day until the last client left. It was one color after the other. And these weren't simple little retouches (well, one was, but she always takes me awhile.), noooo. These girls walked in to their appointed color appointment time and informed me they wanted to overhaul their color! "I don't have time for this!" I thought. "Let's get started!" I said.

Everyone's hair turned out beautiful...even the overhaul who has been uncertain about going blonder and finally went for it today. It just took awhile to get all that color and those highlights in there. Which made me run late for the next client who's hair I was doing for the first time. When I finished her, I had another waiting in the wings AND the guy waiting to get his hair cut.


Ah, just roll with it baby.

And I did.
And I knew I was done when the people stopped coming.

An Unusual Wedding

The college I attended (many moons ago) had a deaf school as well. The deaf had their own classes, but attended chapel with hearing students and we dined and lived together also. Since I'd never been around the deaf community before, I had a crash course in sign language. I found the deaf to be fun, funny and patient when trying to communicate with a hearing person.

I've not had much interaction with the deaf since leaving college. That's why I've been so glad to gain a sometime client who is deaf. Laurie lives up north and her mom lives (and is from) this smallish town in which I live. When Laurie comes to visit, she has me do her hair and I've been able to brush up on my very rusty sign language. Fortunately, Laurie is a whiz at reading lips.

Well, today was Laurie's wedding day.

The salon was full of fluttering hands as Laurie and her bridesmaids chattered. At one point the radio became louder and I asked someone to turn it down. I wanted to add--"so they can hear themselves talk", but I wasn't sure it was funny to anyone but me.

I (along with my family) had also been invited to the wedding. It was my girl's first wedding. She, of course, enjoyed seeing the girls in their pretty dresses. Especially the bride, who looked like a princess. My girl looked like a princess in her own right with her pretty pink dress. There was also a bit of a stir when the "ringbearer" walked in. It was Laurie's service dog, a shitzu named Tally. I had never been to a deaf wedding, so it was fascinating to watch the three interpreters take turns interpreting for the bride and groom. As the pastor spoke, the interpreter interpreted for the bride who then signed her vows and then the interpreter spoke what she signed for the audience's benefit. It was quite an orchestration.

I wanted to go to the reception, but my shoes were already hurting my feet. Add that to having a five year old in tow, and---well, just use your imagination.

A Week's Worth of Action in Two Days

What an adventure filled week!

Monday I went to a neighboring town (if a town that's an hour away can be considered neighboring) to take a cutting and coloring class from instructors from Paul Mitchell. I didn't learn anything radically new, but it was a good class overall. I found it interesting to watch them use one foil for several hilites. That was their contribution to saving the planet.

In other news, I went shopping afterwards and found a pair of pants for $9.99--in a size smaller than I've been wearing! The length has to be altered, but I think I still came out ahead in the price. Besides, if for no other reason, I had to buy them as a trophy!

Our girl went to the dentist for the first time yesterday. After reading a couple of books on the subject she was ready and rarin' to go! She enjoyed it and was such a big girl...until they started spraying and sucking. She didn't like that too much. In hindsight, I think if they had shown her how those items worked before hand, instead of trying to convince her of their coolness while they were being used, she would have been more accepting. Overall, she was proud of herself for going to the dentist and spent the rest of the day going up to people and opening her mouth wide and pointing to her teeth. (You then were supposed to know that she had been to the dentist and tell her how pretty her teeth looked.)

I've been busy cutting and coloring. Thank God, because I can't count and my bank account reflected that this week. There's nothing worse than thinking you have money and acting accordingly and waking up the morning after depositing money in your account and finding you have none! I told my hubby last night that I'm so glad God still takes care of me even when I make stupid mistakes.

Usually Thursday is the end of my week, but I'll be "doing" a wedding this weekend and then will attend it later in the afternoon. Then I have to figure out what to take to church for potluck Sunday, then a class on Sunday evening.... the weekend will be as busy as the week!

Pure Pleasure

This weekend has been one pleasure after another:


Sharing several meals and quality time with friends who came into town for a big game.


One of said friends is a massage therapist and asked to barter some highlights and a haircut for a 1 1/2 hour massage. (That meant 2 massages in two days after visiting my masseuse for my regular appointment. Poor me.)

Homemade beignets.

Coffee, conversation and haircolor.

Driving down the road stealing glances in the rear view mirror just to look at my daughter.

An unexpected day at home, just me and my girl.

Putting a sky blue bookshelf on an orange wall and filling it with books I love.

Discovering the big new bookstore has opened.

Drinking coffee and looking at books while my daughter plays with the train at the bookstore.

Having a friend come up (at the bookstore) and volunteer to watch my girl while I wander through the stacks.

Discovering a couple of my favourite magazines at the bookstore.

Receiving 3 bags of various magazines from a friend.

Having some sweet moments with my husband. (Especially a pleasure after a day that seemed filled with some not so pleasurable ones.)

A new fall tablecloth.

Two new (to me) dining chairs that are comfortable and (wow!) coordinate with the tablecloth.

Listening to my daughter read.

Drawing up a pattern for a purse since I can't find what I want anywhere else. I can't even find a pattern for what I want. So I'll do it myself. (Just call me Henny Penny.)

Playing "hiding and seeking" with my girl.

Cool weather that makes me say "Brrr. It's chilly out here!"

Hot tea.

Hot chocolate.

Being grateful and thankful for spots of pleasure in an everyday life.

Thinking Before I Eat

I gotta say this food diary thing is good. It makes me so much more thoughtful about what I'm eating.

I'm thinking about eating some peanut butter with chocolate chips next...
so I won't eat the leftover birthday cake.


Seriously. I'm doing well.

I have learned that when I want something sweet, I give in to it but just a couple of bites. That keeps me from binging. Remember when you were growing up and your parents said something was off limits? What did you want more than anything? Whatever was off limits! Same principle with a food vice. Don't make it off limits. You'll binge on it. However, if you are DISCIPLINED and take 2 Oreos (or insert your vice of choice) instead of the whole sleeve, you won't feel deprived, but you will still be in control. You won't feel deprived because you know that you can have 2 Oreos again tomorrow.

It's all about balance, people. Balance and discipline.

My Food Diary :: Online Calorie Counter w/ Diet Journal & Exercise Log

My Food Diary :: Online Calorie Counter w/ Diet Journal & Exercise Log

I decided to join My Food Diary.

It's a handy little resource to help track exercise and food. It tells you every day if you are getting too much salt or enough exercise, among other things. You can track your water input also. You type in your food in the search engine and different brands that meet that description come up. I've had to manually enter some food. Apparently they don't have a manual setting for my homemade trail mix. But it's not hard.

I've set a weight goal for myself and it tells me everyday, based on the food and exercise choices I made that day, how long before I will reach my goal.

Cool.

Love lists and reports.

You can join forums and get encouragement from others. (Or give it!)

Give it a go!

Getting My Priorities Straight

I am in panic cleaning mode.

Friends are coming from out of town next weekend, which means all out war on clutter, dust and grime. Basically tackling things I should stay on top of anyway, but need an "emergency" to take care of.

I decided to tackle the pantry first.

Did I mention they aren't even staying with me?

I plan to have them over for a few meals and just to generally "hang out", so the house needs to generally look decent and in order.

So I started cleaning and organizing the pantry. Never mind that the bathroom, (which could actually be used) or the huge hutch, (that you can't see for all the papers covering it) need immediate attention. And the windows should have been cleaned when I had that short case of spring fever a few months ago.

Nope.

But the pantry (which resides behind a decorative curtain) will be organized, ready for possible nosiness.

Isn't it always the first place on your list of things to gawk at when visiting a friend's house?

Cleaning it brought to light some interesting discoveries. For instance, I discovered where about half of my washcloths had disappeared---they were on the top shelf, tossed as if someone didn't quite know what else to do with them. Methinks perhaps my DH helped with putting away the laundry. I have also accumulated no less than 4(!) boxes of cornstarch and 3 boxes of dry milk. I see lots of gravy in my future.

And when they ask for the bathroom, I'll tell them...

"Go look in the pantry."

Well, Do You Have a Better Idea?

With the Hobby Lobby opening being the most exciting thing to happen in the last 10 years in this town; well, you can see life in a small town moves at a very slow pace.

Also, the fact that I (and the whole town, really) are so excited over some major name stores moving into town makes me concerned over what we value. ("Consumerism--Buy into it!") I've been looking at my own finances recently and am working more intently on paying off debt and not incurring any new debt. I hate the fact that although I make enough money, I never have any because I/we don't manage it as wisely as we could.

Our pastor spoke last week about the economic bailout. Dangerous stuff for the pulpit, some may think, but he hit the nail on the head when he made it personal. The reason we are in the mess we are, is because of Pride and Greed. "I want that and, doggone it, I work hard and I deserve it!"

Have you ever thought about what you really NEED? When it boils down to it, we need food, water and clothing and shelter. And it doesn't have to be food from a restaurant, Evian water, designer duds, or a 3,000 sq. ft. house in the 'burbs. We've skewed our view.

We have lost our common sense.

As of 10-7-2008, the national debt is $10224252192942.42 The US Census Bureau states that there are approximately 305,369,385 Americans which means your share of the national debt is approximately 33,481.54!

How do we get out of this mess?

Well, personally, I'm going to begin paying cash for my purchases. I'm going to pay off my debt starting with credit cards first. I'll start with the one that has the highest interest rate and after it's paid off, I'll snowball my payments to the next one in line. I will not take my loan company's offer of an extra 2,000.00 and lower monthly payments. (That doesn't even make sense.)

I'll give us a spending allowance that is for "whatever" purchases. That way I can go to Hobby Lobby but not go nuts when I'm there.

I'm going to concentrate on making more art and I'll stop waffling when someone asks me if they can buy one of my pieces. (That should be a no-brainer, but sometimes it's hard to let go of something that is a part of you.)

It's a start.

Just Put One Foot in Front of the Other...

I ran with the sun this morning.

Although, "I plodded as the sun rose" was more like it. (That just doesn't have the same panache though, does it?)

As I ran,
I heard birds calling out their "good mornings",
inhaled the sweet fragrance of an unknown flower,
dodged cars as they rushed to their places of obligation,
reminisced as buses wove in and out of streets,
watched businesses open and employees clock in,
saw trucks delivering their goods to stores--

Watching my city awaken.
,

And as I plodded, I pondered...

how do people do this for 10 and 20 miles at the time?!

I've Found Heaven on Earth

I am sitting here enjoying the most delicious mug of cocoa I've ever made. Piping hot. Extra marshmallows.

And today? Today all of my dreams came true.

Well. Any dreams that had to do with a certain craft store opening in my neighborhood. I drug my girl through that place for two whole hours. She didn't start asking if we were done until we were 2/3 of the way through! Bless her.

Holy Moly. That place is a crafter's nirvana.

Rockets, trains, knitting, kid's crafts, home decor, fabric(!), paint, canvas, beads, scrapbooking, candle making, and about 4 aisles of Christmas stuff! You name it, they've got it. They even have experiment kits and models for science projects. (I did the ear model when I was in school. The pieces are smaller and more life size now. Boo.)

I still haven't been for a run since Monday and finally found time to put some laundry on to wash. Maybe I can run after work tomorrow... gotta run off that marshmallow laden cocoa!

Awww Man!!!

Well, that just hacks me off.

I have enough trouble with motivation to exercise anyway and this morning, after my success of running 2 miles on Monday, I was ready to do it (or attempt it) again this morning. In the dark. Around my neighborhood.

This is huge for me.

After awakening and deciding not to go to Body Pump because I'm having some issues with one of my shoulders, I vowed to run instead. "I HAVE to exercise this morning", I said.

Then I couldn't find a sports bra.
Anywhere.

I thought of digging one out of the dirty clothes (I really wanted to run) but...no. Can't do it.

ARRRRGGGGHHH!

I Can Stop Anytime I Want To...But I Don't Want To

Something dangerous has moved into my neighborhood.

And I am powerless against it.

It will take everything I have...
and I will gladly give it.

Oh what will I do?

I want to stop, but alas, the damage has been done.

I'm hopelessly addicted.

So, from now on, I think I'll just cut out the middle-man and have my clients make their checks payable to....

Hobby Lobby...addiction fund.