There’s no place like pseudo home

It was necessary. To say it was a matter of life or death isn’t too much of an exaggeration. Death was creeping slowly to my door. Would you believe it almost got me!?

Monday in all my whoa is me-ness, G-man says ‘why don’t you fly out tomorrow for a couple weeks?’ Tuesday became Thursday since I had a prior engagement Wednesday and the plan became official.

Hawaii. I am. IN!!
Hello, gorgeous beauty. How I have missed you.


But most of all, I’ve missed this man, the deep down dark, kind of missing.
seriously having to get creative here with “pictures” of him. *sigh*


My plans for this trip:
Refer to picture above.

He’ll be working his normal work schedule, so I’ll be around all day long, but we’ll get to be a ‘normal couple’ for a short while and that I’ll relish in. Oh how you normal couples have it so good.

I know some of you were pretty quick to guess my destination, yesterday. There’s no putting anything past you guys. ; ) I know it wasn’t that hard, where else would I get all super giddy and excited over??

I sure hope every single one of you have a wonderful weekend. I’m thinking I will…even if he already had plans to go to a football game with a buddy. It’s all good…because, I’ll be there after to hear how it went as he tells me..in person and not over the phone. *happy sigh*

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Knock Knock

Who’s there?

…..I said, WHO’S THEEERRRE??

*silence*
------------------------------------------

I’m not here. I went…somewhere. And as you read this, I’m actually on my way there. I can’t say where just yet, but the next time you hear from me, I’ll be there. {insert mysterious eyebrow raise}

To say it was a spur of the moment trip is an understatement. I had to rearrange numerous things on my schedule…yes, I actually had things on my schedule, and it kinda sucks that I had to move them..and/or not do them, since they were kinda important, but this was far more important, ya know what I mean?!

Any way with that, I’m jet setting to my destination.

Feel free to take a guess. The guessing game is always fun to play!

Do not be deceived by the flag…I’m staying in the good ol’ USofA

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Sink me, the lady’s a poet

There once was a mixer named, mine,
Who always wanted to shine.

It did its job every time I asked
and always rose to the task.

It followed me everywhere I’d go,
Even across the shore.

In Hawaii it sits untouched,
and I miss it oh so much.

I know, I can’t believe I wrote a poem at that caliber either. My talent is THAT good. It also took a good 30 minutes to create..I take my poem making very seriously.

It’s true however, my hand mixer is in Hawaii. When I was going back and forth and spending most of my days there last year, I took it with me to use. Well, it’s been months since I’ve been back and I’ve needed it many many times.

Insert my sweet neighbor.

Months ago, when I did laughter and lattes and made all that stuff, I needed a mixer, so I asked my neighbor if I could borrow hers. She happily gave it over and said she never uses it anymore so use it as much as I’d like.

Days later, I went to return it but she insisted I hold onto it since it would see more use from me, so I did. Fast forward 5 months when I get an email.

Its my neighbor asking if she could borrow the mixer (her mixer) to bake a cake. I email her back saying, Its YOUR mixer, of course you can have it back! And I apologize for keeping it for so long.

She quickly responds with, she just wanted to borrow it and promises to give it back to me as soon as she’s done.

Done…borrowing her mixer..that I’ve kept for 5 months.

Hilarious!

This was last Friday. Sunday rolls around and while in the middle of bible study, someone knocks on the door and who is it? My sweet neighbor with the mixer in one hand and this beautiful cake in the other. This cake….aaall for me!!
I was already diving into it so we could devour it and thought after to take a picture. I was one track minded!!


I am now back in possession of her mixer.

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The impact of sports

If I say, ‘young kids playing sports’ what would your response be?

All for it? Too cute? Start ‘em young!? or No way. Too boring. Why bother??

It seems like kids younger and younger are playing sports and some contact sports no less and I’ve been thinking a lot about it and not just lately. Naturally, I don’t have kids, so I can’t say when the time comes that I do, how my opinion will be then, but I don’t think it’ll be far off from what it is now.

I’m not for it. Kids as young as 5 are playing t-ball, football and soccer and I know it’s real cute seeing them out there in their uniforms but all I think about are the injuries.
via

Does that make me lame?

Do the parents honestly think about what kind of ailments their kids will have at their age? Playing sports, even tackle football at such a young age and considering what playing hard sports all year round for 12 years (not counting college) will do to their bodies?

I started running track at the age of 10, started playing club basketball at the age of 12 and played volleyball at the age of 13. I continued to play all 3 sports all 4 years of high school and played volleyball in college for a year then in a city league. Even though I started at an older age, I can attest to what all those years of sports has done to this 30 year old body.

I can only lift 5lbs with my right arm and it takes 10-15 minutes to warm up my shoulder, before I can throw a ball overhand. My knees are so shot from all the impact and injuries. After severely hyperextending my right knee in track (at 16), I can’t bend it fully, not to mention spraining my ankles so many times, cracking and bruising my tailbone from so many charges that its crooked and causes a lot of problems. And of course hitting my head, jamming fingers, breaking my foot and on and on and on.

I’m saying all this because if I knew that I would have what feels like an 80 year olds body as early as 23, I would never had played so many sports and only chosen 1 each year. (it would have been volleyball..in case anyone’s still with me)

G-man and I talk about this all the time. He agrees with me on limiting it to 1 and can rattle off his own list of problems that constant sports has done to his body. If you could see us getting off the couch..or even the ground (oi, the ground!) you’d find it comical with how slow we are.

I see these young kids and all I can think about is why are they playing? Is it for the parents? We’ve seen how many “passionate” parents get into down right fights over calls and disagreements with other parents’ since the kid did their kid ‘wrong’. Is it because the kid at age 5 said, ‘mom, dad…I’m still learning to tie my shoes, but I really want to play tackle football.’??

I get learning fundamentals and coordination and a skill. I get that! I just wonder if they get the aches, pains and future arthritis and surgeries they may need because of it.

I’m sure there are varying opinions on this topic and I would love to hear what they are. I do have other reasons to keep them from playing but my main reason is the impact it has on their bodies.

How much do you disagree (or agree) with me or think I’m off base?

If you have kids, do you have them play sports? And when did they start?
Do you plan on having your kids play sports and how young would you start them?
Did you play sports year round and do you have aches and pains as well?

I really want to know.

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I’m thankful for 27

Good day everyone! Can we all realize that August is fast coming to an end and I’m not sure that it didn’t just start?! Craziness. School is starting back up this week for some and all I hear is madness going on with everyone getting back to their normal scheduled. And by everyone, I mean those with kiddies and you teachers out there.

There’s absolutely zero madness going on around me. How about you? Is madness abounding??

So this week, I’m making up for my lack of thanks from last and found tons. Crazy when I actually focus on it throughout the week and make it a point to remember.

I’m thankful for

- calling the billing department for a doctor’s bill to inquire about 2 bills and having her, without even asking, take 20% off the largest bill. Apparently they do that, just cause and if you don’t call, you won’t get it. (note to self, always call before paying from here on out!)

- dear sweet Katie who told me through twitter that sometimes hospitals will write off your entire bill if you call and explain ‘your situation’ and sometimes they’ll do it without you even explaining! (note to self, always always call to ‘explain my situation’ to reduce ridiculous medical bills)

- driving safely to everywhere I needed to go, and the generosity of my friend letting me stay at her place for the night.

- getting a good report from the doc and his stopping me from working out (that I planned on doing this week). Instead he’s ordered me to physical therapy for 6 weeks and strict “only walking” exercise.

- being able to walk. I started today around the track..and I admit, I walked up the bleachers too. (can’t help it) but the Dr. wants me in high heels. Yep, you heard correctly! He wants me to wear heels again (crazy, I know…it’s been 10 years) so if you happen to be following me on pinterest, you’ll notice my ‘per doctors orders’ board. hehe

- my sweet friend that you’ve seen with the adorable pregnant belly, had her beautiful baby girl.

- you all for your sweet words last week. Thank you!

- impromptu wine with my neighbor on her balcony, this weekend. It was a great evening chatting and staring at the stars.

- having the energy to scrub down my entire apartment the day after my migraine. And I mean a thorough scrub down. It’s so nice being in a super clean home and I still have no idea where it came from.

- I told you I had a lot this week! I hope you all were able to find things to be thankful for too and had yourselves a great weekend. Oh and by the way, here’s my ‘new hair’ read: darker.

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It’s Friday, you’re welcome

Since I surprised you with it being Monday, I figured I’d announce it was Friday to make up for it.

Bad news. After driving 8 1/2 hours Wednesday and 3 hours yesterday coupled with sleeping on a deflating air mattress all night, not eating almost all day with hardly no water; not to mention having every hair follicle pulled, yanked, twisted and jerked for 3 hours straight, I got a really bad migraine last night.

The whole, make you want to throw up kind. (yeah, the awesome kind) so I wasn’t able to take a picture of my new hair. Which I admit, beyond the color being darker, it doesn’t look too much different. Just happier to have a lot of weight gone.

Promise I’ll take a picture over the weekend all done to show ‘the look’. Which by the way…I did not get bangs. Thank you for all of your votes! My stylist and I talked about it and though he always talks about giving me bangs, he said I ‘rock the no bang look’. – well ok, I’m sold.

Wishing you all a fabulous weekend.

Oh and I’ll leave you with some wisdom:

When you go to boil water on the stove and realize you have to throw up and do your business in the back, only to lay on the bedroom floor hoping the pain goes away for say, 20-30 minutes… it helps if you don’t leave the boiling water on the stove. It’ll completely boil away leaving you with a ‘cooking’ pot on a high heat burner, leaving your apt with ‘cooked pot’ smell.

Tuck that one away in your back pocket.
via sundayinbed

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I’d be happy to drive hours to see you

I went on a road trip. One of those whirlwind road trips.

I drove 3 1/2 hours for a 5 minute doctor’s visit only to then jump back in the car and drive 3 1/2 hours along the CA coast (which, I’ll never complain driving the coastline) to a friend’s house so that I can see my hair stylist in that area to get my hair finally cut and colored! I got to stay the night and jump back into my car to drive 2 1/2 hours home.

I’m exhausted.

Am I a weirdo that my closest hairstylist is 2 1/2 hours away? And that I’ll drive there just to get my haircut? It helps having friends there that let me stay the night to break it up, but I’ve done it all in one day before.

I’ve mentioned in the past that I’ve moved a lot. And everywhere I moved, I found a new stylist. Well, since I’ve lived here I haven’t bothered to look for one since..well for many reasons and still go to my guy 2 1/2 hours away or when I’m in HI, to my girl there, who (don’t tell my guy…) does a better job than him. ssssshh

Let me ask you a question. How do you find a new stylist? What’s your method to find one you’ll trust??

Whenever I move to a new area, I look at women in the malls or wherever I am and if I really like their cut or color I’ll go up and ask who does their hair. When I moved to San Luis Obispo years ago, I did just that. Her hair was so cute, so I went to the guy. My first guy cutting my hair. To say I was nervous was an understatement.

Let me give everyone a lesson when going to a new stylist for the 1st time. Never ever ever change the style of your hair. Only get a trim so if they do horrible, it shouldn’t make a big difference.

Clue #1 that it was going to be bad cut: I said I wanted a change and everything was coming out uneven and chunky.
Clue #2 that it was going to be a bad cut: He begins to cut me bangs (because I wanted that “change”) while I’m facing the mirror and he’s sitting next to me on the side.

Are you picturing that? He’s sitting sideways next to me cutting my bangs while I face away from him.

I was screaming inside. Needless to say, it was the worst haircut I’ve ever had in my life. I even documented it, as I do with every new cut. I go home and take a picture (but I can’t find it anywhere!) So after being forced to walk around for a week with the haircut I found a great one who fixed it as best as she could. That I have a picture of!


But unfortunately, this girl turned sour after a year, butchered my hair and I had to find another. Ever encounter that? Best stylist ever, recommended several friends to her, but out of the blue, turns horrible and gives us the worst haircuts!!

I found another, but something happened and ended up w/my current guy. Boy was I nervous going to another guy, especially when I found out he was the boyfriend of the 3rd stylist!! I felt like I betrayed her, but he did such a better job.

Any way that brings me to now, fresh cut and color! I can’t wait to show it to you all. I can’t tell you how long I’ve been wanting to color my hair. Its been 1 1/2 years since I’ve colored it. – guess I just told you.

But I’ve been wondering if I want bangs again. My stylist wants to cut them really bad, but I’m just not sold on having to deal with them again, especially since I can’t run in 2 weeks later for a bang trim since I’m not close. So, I need your opinion. Which do you prefer??
Bangs??


Or, no bangs??

aaaand, go!

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