Monday, January 23, 2006
Hate
Wallpaper. And manufacturers of wallpaper. And sellers of wallpaper. And people who think it is a good idea to put wallpaper on walls.
I was all excited today, because I got to start the Great Project: painting my mom's new office for her. I love to paint.
Turns out I do not love to take down wallpaper. And it is only a little bit a wallpaper comparatively speaking. It is a border. I am thanking my lucky stars that it was not the entire room. But it took me hours to not quite finish taking down the border on one wall. The smallest wall.
Do you think my mom would notice if I just painted over the border and called it a day? Well, yeah, I guess she would since she reads this blog. Nevermind.
Thursday, January 19, 2006
My Shiny New Hair!
In which the new hair does nothing except just lay there. Thanks a lot.
In which I demonstrate how awkward it is to do a self-portrait. And also, more laying-flat by the hair. Thanks a lot. Again.
Seriously though, I love it. It does actually have body. And it does the coveted wispy-wavey-fly away (but in a completely cute way) thing in the back.
And today? I washed it. I blowed it dry while shaping it with my FINGERS. Then I put in some hairspray. That's it!
FREEDOM!
Dog Clothes R Cute
Yo, this is Zoe in the 'hood. Wassup?
Isn't she the cutest? And no, that is not an actual cheeseburger on the floor. That is one of her squeaky toys. Although I would not be surprised to find a whole cheeseburger on my kitchen floor.
Nevermind
I was trying out TypePad, but I decided to stop. I do like some of the features of TypePad, but I want to become a more established blogger before I start paying for my space. So, I am back here for good!
Aqualung!!!!!
Okay, so occasionally I would hear this song. It was beautiful to me. But I could never figure out who sang it. And it was driving me crazy.
So I am at the salon today, and they play the music video with the song. And this song was on. And it got to the end of the song and it said: performed by Aqualung. By this time I was jumping up and down, squealing, about to pee my pants! I love it when this happens!
I can't stand unrequited love, especially with songs. So when I find that song (which currently holds the spot of 'Love of my Life') I can barely stand it. I get so happy. And floaty. It really is falling in love for me. And after I have played the song (literally) a million times and I am ready to move on, I do, without regret. But then when the song comes up on my iPod, I remember where we first met. And when we were first introduced. And all the happy floaty feelings come rushing back. Sometimes I even fall in love again.
And in case this was the song that you have been waiting to fall in love with, but just haven't been able to figure out how to get to it, here is it's information.
Artist:Aqualung Song: Brighter Than Sunshine
Prayer Answered
Thank you so much for your prayers! God is amazing!
I got a phone call from Gabbi today letting me know that everything is fine with Leona!
The vet was worried that there was something caught in Leona's stomach or intestines, and it was preventing her from eating and drinking. Leona had not eaten a full meal in 5 days, and she was drinking very little.
The vet ran a series of x-rays on Leona after giving her barium. If there had been something in her, the vet would have needed to do surgery to remove it, which would have sky-rocketed the cost on an already expensive bill.
But as it stands right now, Leona is fine! Gabbi is picking her up today! And Gabbi will be able to make payments on the bill as opposed to paying it all at once, which she can't do. So thank you for praying. And thank God for answered prayers.
Please Pray
My friend Gabbi has a very sick kitty. Her name is Leona, and she is beautiful as all cats are. I love Leona very much, and she is a constant joy for Gabbi.
Today I took Gabbi and Leona to the vet. I watched as Gabbi's face broke down and she was sobbing by the end of the visit. She is very worried about how she is going to pay for what the vet is going to do to help Leona, and she is very worried about Leona.
We all know that the Lord provides what we need when we need it. It is just very hard to see that when you are right in the middle of a situation like that. So please pray for peace for Gabbi. Please pray for the well-being of Leona, and the hands of the people that will be working towards making her better. Please also pray for me, so that I can be the kind of friend that Gabbi needs right now.
Thanks guys! Love you all!
Lip Review '06
I already told you about my search for the perfect lipstick. Now I am going to take you on a little tour of products that I have used during my search. Just to let you know: this is an abbreviated tour because I could not find all of the crap that I have used.
Also, some of these products perform color function. Other products are simply used to keep my lips healthy! Ready?
This is gonna be fun, with all the clicking and such! Yay!
ChapStick
First on my list has to be dedicated to good old ChapStick. ChapStick has been in my life for a very long time. I tend to buy it in bulk, because if I get close to using up a tube I hyperventilate unless I know I have one on standby. I also have favorite flavors (?): strawberry and cherry. I will probably always use ChapStick. Who doesn't?
Grade: A+. It has never let me down.
Burt's Bees Beeswax Lip Balm
I had actually been very curious about Burt's Bees, but had never actually purchased any. I received a tube of this for Christmas. The giver of said tube raved about it. But I find that it is just a little too gunky for me. It does give you a nice cooling effect when you put it on, but once it has been on for a while it gums up. I hate that!
Grade: C. (Don't worry, there are some F's coming.)
Neutrogena MoistureShine Tinted Lip Balm
The color that I tried is Clean 20. S'alright, but I'm not really feeling it. I was hoping for more of a ChapStick consistency with color. In fact, that is the criterion of the perfect lip product. *sigh* I noticed that this particular product is really slick. After a while it dried a bit, but then I noticed that my lips were pilling. Yes, that's right, pilling. You know how some of your sweaters get the little balls on them after you wash them? Those are called pills. Same thing happens to your lips with the wrong product. Sad but true.
Grade: B-. Props for putting color in a ChapStick-like tube. Boos for pilling.
Clinique
This is actually a two-fer. I tried Clinique Gel Blush in Black Honey for color. I was told that it was actually a stain that could be used on lips. I was all about stain, because then I could just put on my ChapStick all day, but have a layer of color underneath. But because I am me, I decided to buy some Clinique Glosswear for Lips Sheer Shimmers to go along with the stain. I got Shimmer White. (Why buy one product when you could buy two? Or eight?)
Grade: D for the Clinique Gel Blush. It dried my lips out so much that they rivaled the desert. D for the Clinique Glosswear. It was gummy! It also gave me trout mouth. Ick ick ick.
I just realized that this is going to be the longest post ever, unless I break it into parts. So for this part, I will only go through the items that I carry in my purse. Yes, all of the items mentioned above currently reside in my purse. All of the items I mention below currently reside in my purse. I am psycho. You should have realized that by now. If you have not, I firmly recommend that you realize it soon and move on.
Bath & Body Works lip balm
Okay, that's hilarious. I tried to find this product on their website, but they don't seem to list it. Apparently they are not too proud of it. I got the vanilla sugar flavor. And that is about all it is: flavor. Not a very substantial lip balm at all. Perfect for little kiddos, except for the whole "contact Poison Control if they eat it" warning on the label.
Grade: F. Plus, when I bought it the salesgirl was a real snot. So really, F-.
LipFusion
This is a plumping product. Just so you know, I am not convinced that you can plump your lips without getting colagen injections. But, what is fun about lip plumpers is that your lips go completely numb. Which convinces you that this stuff must be doing something. I have LipFusion in the clear kind, and I also bought the set of colored minis. It is hard to go wrong with any of the colors because they go on so lightly. They also last for quite a while, so you don't have to re-apply that much. The drawback to these babies is lip dry-ness. Very very dry! I was told to use shea butter on my lips at night to help restore the moisture.
Grade: B. Love the color and longevity, hate the dry-ness.
Dior Addict Lip Fluid
Not to be confused with Dior Addict Plastic Gloss or Ultra Gloss! I tried those others on too, but they were super sticky/gummy. The Lip Fluid is wonderful! I got it in Soft Nature (455), which is not my favorite color, but it is good enough. The texture is just right, it stays on for a long time, and I don't have to worry about lip-funkiness. No pilling, drying, balling. NOTHING! I love it!
Grade: A+. Almost perfect!
And that concludes the first part of Lip Review '06. I now have a headache. Partly because it took me forever to get this post up. Also partly from thinking about how much money I have invested (wasted) on lip crap. And if I ever have the courage to post the 2nd part, I have a feeling my headache will be upgraded to a migraine. Oh boy.
Friday, January 13, 2006
I Guess It's Okay To Blog This...
Last night I was over at my friend G's house. And I threw up.
Of course, I knew right then that I was pregnant. The mood swings, the other times that I have been nauseous, the tiredness. It all made sense in the scariest way possible.
So G and I get in the car to go purchase a pregnancy test.
I select my test and we head up to the front counter. Why is this such an embarassing purchase? I'm married. Why is the check-out girl looking at me that way. I'm married. Why is my face going all red and hot? I'm married.
"I'm married." Yes, I actually said it out loud. To the check-out girl.
She was flustered. Naturally. She said something about how she wasn't looking at me but at the computer.
Yeah, I ran out of the store.
And no, I am not pregnant. I think I just have a bug.
Thursday, January 12, 2006
Crate & Barrel
My mom and I were in Crate & Barrel last night. Just taking a peek around, and also they have a door that delivered us out into the parking lot. So why not?
Okay, that store makes me nervous. It seems like they pick the most awkward spaces that people want to get into, and then surround the space in glass items. My mom was trying to get a 'bigger picture' view of a dining room table and backed into a shelf full of wine glasses.
The most notable part of our 10 minutes at Crate & Barrel involves these
glasses. The Crate & Barrelers arranged them on a free standing display in the middle of a high traffic zone. To make matters worse, the glasses were packed pretty tight onto the display. But there was no lip on the shelf to keep them from rolling off. And they are highly rollable. I just barely touched one with the tip of my finger and it went all over the place. I had to leave the display right then before I suffered from heart failure. Because when you looked at the
glasses, did you happen to notice the price? Yep, $5.95. A PIECE!
So anyway, when mom and I were elsewhere in the store, we hear this loud crash and then glass shattering. Although I did not run and check, as was my first inclination, I am positive that it was those stupid glasses that bit it. And some poor guy with a red face who had to hand his credit card over.
So so so so so so glad it wasn't me. Can you imagine me trying to explain that to hubby?
Monday, January 09, 2006
Of Tortillas, Counseling, & Such
So hubby and I got into another fight yesterday. Once again it was stupid and inconsequential. He said that he was going to make Mexican food for dinner, and he had already gone to the store to pick up the essential ingredients. He told me he had purchased corn tortillas.
"I hate corn tortillas. I only like the flour kind."
"Oh, well you just haven't had the right ones!"
"Gee, maybe you're right. I hate corn cake and creamed corn, and most kinds of corn tortillas. I bet I just haven't found the right corn tortilla for me."
Sheesh. Give me a break. Like I don't know myself at ALL! I hate this bull-headed side that some guys get. Like when I was in the dating field (yes, it is like war) and I would meet the guy with the personality that stunk. But he decided that he was my Romeo, and I just hadn't realized yet that I was his Juliet. Like somehow my problem with his personality would magically melt away the more time that I spent with him. (Yes, dad, I do hear your favorite saying about guys in the back of my head. Feel free to enlighten my readers in the comments section.)
Also, hubby ran awry with the whole career counseling thing. He basically said that he thought it was a bunch of hooey. So I told him to SHUT UP, I didn't need to hear that from him. This is something that I think could help point me in a direction, or at least UN-point me in certain directions. And that all he had to do was be supportive, and luckily for him that does not require any words.
I was happy to see the back of him this morning. Now watch him get in some horrific accident, and then he reads my blog from heaven, and then for the rest of my life I am ashamed that those were my last words about him while he was still living.
So to try to make up for that: I am just a little twicky about today's upcoming appointment with the career counselor. I am very excited, but also very nervous. Because I just know that she is going to announce that I am best suited for working at McDonald's. And I really really don't want to hear that. Trust me, if I feel the session start to head that way, I will have no problem telling her to SHUT UP, I don't need to hear that from you.
Friday, January 06, 2006
You know what I like about my mom?
Just about everything. But here's what I like best right now.
My mom read my posts about career/life panic attacks.
Then she entered the scene as my knight in shining armour, brandishing her 'freak not' sword. (Uh, and for those of you who think that is clever and want to use the 3 words "'freak not' sword" all together like that? You can't. My mom owns the patent on that bad boy.)
She even had magic words. "Career Counseling." (Those two words are public domain, have at it!)
And although my head is still a spinning aching hating me jumble of nonsense, she definitely dissipated a lot of the fog.
You rock mom! (And I know you can totally visualize yourself with your right hand on your hip and your 'freak not' sword poised in the other.) Thank you!
Tah-Dah!
To make it incredibly easy for everyone! Anyone can now post comments to my blog! This will be especially helpful when you read my next entry. Because now you don't have to blow up my phone and most likely wake me up to tell me what to do with my life! Yay! Happiness for all!
Help Me!
Yep. Posting again. Today. In the morning. Since I won't be able to sleep for at least another hour.
*sigh*
This sucks. But seriously. I need some help. I have had a couple of weigh-ins on this already, but I NEED YOU. To weigh in.
As you know, I am the luckiest 26 year old on the planet. I officially have no job, and no real need to get another one. Well, except for the continued harmony of my marriage. Harmony schmarmony. Right? Heh heh. No.
As many of you know, I have ADD (the disorder, not the math thing) when it comes to making big decisions in my life. I had hoped that by quitting my cozy secure comfortable job I would be forced into making my life into something. And now, 4 (5?) months have gone by, and nada. I have had some really great ideas for what to do with the rest of my life, but have yet to carry any of them out.
I am the type of person that comes up with the bestest idea ever and am 100% committed to it. For about 5 days. And those 5 days are intense. I come up with a reasoned explanation for why I suddenly want to be a counselor/author/vet tech/bartender. I woot woot about my newest decision, certain it is the best decision for me EVER! By the end of the 5 days, my idea has its own cheer, dance, and marching band. That is how crazy I get about it. (I don't really want to be a bartender, I just sometimes think that is all I will be left with when I reach the end of my rainbow of career ideas.)
But when the 5 days are over, watch out. I am plagued with fear, indecision, and a general sense of helplessness. Why can't I focus? Why don't I know what I want to do with the rest of my life? Why do I have these huge crazy high expectations of myself? Now I know, I am not accomplishing much in my current state. That is because I am paralyzed with the fear of making the wrong decision. This is also a very dangerous state to be in when you are one of the world's best procrastinators.
So I have all of these icky icky feelings spinning about in my head. And I feel like I am losing ground? myself? opportunity? the more that time passes.
BUT I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO!
GGGGGGGGAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!
Okay, so even if you don't post a comment, please call me. Tell me something. I am not asking you to solve my problems. But sometimes someone else's perspective helps put you in perspective. You know? And I will try to write what you say down on a piece of paper. Whether I choose to reference said paper later on will depend on what you have to say. Hah! But don't let that keep you from talking to me about this.
Just Get It Over With Already
Yeah. My body totally wants to get sick, but for some stupid reason my immune system is fighting it like crazy. Result: I feel like complete crap anyway, without the benefits of being able to say that I am completely sick.
This sucks on many levels. I am acting like a sick person. My body is acting like it is sick. It doesn't feel good at all.
I am constantly too hot and too cold at the same time. I feel like I am going to toss the cookies at any moment. This has already sent me to the toilet for false alarms more times than I want to count. My sinuses are all full, therefore giving me the headache from hell and the drippy nose. Only problem is, I can still breathe and smell things, which means I get hungry, which sends me on a whole new trip to the toilet at the thought of the food that I really really want. Also, the whole sleep thing? Yeah, can't sleep at night. But somehow am able to wake up with hubby at oh'dark hundred hours. Exhausted.
Immune System, please just get sick. Stop fighting. Allow me to lay on the couch without guilt and take cat-naps all day and go to bed at 9:00p.m. Please give me a solid reason to be whiny and grouchy.
Thursday, January 05, 2006
My Actual Reading List, Part Deux
Okay Dad, this post is for you. I read your comment about starting on
The Lovely Bones next.
Here are some books that I think you should consume before
The Lovely Bones.
These are books that I remember, even though I read them long ago. You might call them life-altering books, like
My Sister's Keeper. Or if not life-altering, at least good enough to give you a good cry.
1.
She's Come Undone, Wally Lamb. This book, as I remember it is okay, but probably coming up on the second read list for me. I read it a long time ago, but I recall that it is very compelling.
2.
I Know This Much is True, Wally Lamb. Freakin' go out and get this book right now. By far one of my favorite books ever.
3.
White Oleander, Janet Fitch. If you liked the movie, you will love this book. Gripping, gritty, raw, wonderful. I am generally dismayed by the lackadaisacal attitude that most people have about reading. One of the highest praises that I can give to this book is: I was actually sitting on a plane and a girl was walking down the aisle and stopped when she saw the cover of this book. She actually told me that this was an amazing book. I recall that I got several other comments from complete strangers about this book while I was reading it. I have been on many many plane rides, and I always have a book. ALWAYS! And that had never happened to me before, nor has it happened since. GO READ THIS BOOK!
Cause,
The Lovely Bones is good, but these books are great.
Nuff said.
My Actual Reading List
Okay, I know that this blog is titled "Read Like You Mean It," and I do, I really do. I just don't write down what I've read like I mean it.
What I mean is, brace yourselves...my reading list is out of date. I have reasons (excuses) for this. For example, my Template Goddess was gone for a LONG period of time (which she duly explained when she got back). But while she was gone, how could I justify making changes to my template? What if I deep fried the whole thing? And the one person in the entire world who would completely understand and fix it wasn't there to do it? Come on people! What do you want? Hari-kari?
Back to my semi-logical point. My reading list is out of date. Yes, my books of booky past are still safely ensconced in the booky past. But the present and future books are whacked. Hah! Like The Sopranos!
The Bible is still there. That will be in the currently reading section most likely for the rest of my life. Right now I am also reading
The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis. I have been going along thinking that I have read all 5 of
The Chronicles of Narnia until recently. When I discovered that there are 7. And that I really only read
The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe. Sigh. No need to comment on exactly how pitiful that is.
I started to read
A Million Little Pieces. Couldn't take it. Ugh! It is so gritty and raw and depressing, which are things that I can handle. What I can't handle is that the stuff that he is writing about really happened to him! I think I got to something like page 65, dog-eared my spot and handed it over to my mom.
I finished
The Dogs of Babel and
The Lovely Bones. The Dogs of Babel has some good writing, and the backstory is interesting, but the overall premise is stupid.
The Lovely Bones is gritty, raw, and depressing, but not true. It is also well written, and I ended up enjoying it more than I thought I would.
As for future books, I have too many to enumerate here. My mom gave me a whole stack on Christmas Eve which I should finish about the same time next year. Hah! Only kidding mom, you can let that breath out that you were holding and unclench your fists.
And someday I will update my sidebar. That is one of my New Year's resolutions. (I know, you can totally tell I am making them up as I go along.)
Monday, January 02, 2006
For Those Of You Worried About My...
Motivation.
Never fear. I just willingly took a shower and changed into clean jammies.
Also, my New Year's resolution is to get motivated. I have ordered books from Amazon to help me to this effect.
Sanity.
Hmm. Tough one. Keep worrying.
Hygiene.
(See Motivation)
Weight.
Mind your own business.
Hair.
It's coming around to loving me again.
Purses.
Silly you, you never have to worry about that with me!
Shoes.
Yes, this category has been sadly neglected. It has been replaced by The Purses. In fact, I was contemplating buying shoes from Wal-Mart the other day. Wal-Mart!!!
Collection of Animals.
Later this week we are going to pit the dog against the biggest cat and see who wins. If all goes well, we will only have 3 animals left. A much more manageable number.
Clothes.
I have an increasingly large variety of jammies to choose from. I love jammies. Oh, and I also have what I call 'Company' clothes, which I put on when I go to other people's houses.
If there are things on this list that I did not cover, or if I didn't cover a certain topic to your satisfaction, please e-mail me at plankiest@idontcare.com.
Thank you.
