Archives for 2015

Thursday Ten: Thoughts Are A-Brewing edition

1. I’ve had a lot of post ideas in my head again – and yet I have not been able to put the proverbial pen to paper (fingers to keyboard) to get them out. I’m not just talking about “Was the dress gold and white or black and blue?” but actual real things that have been in my head lately – things related to work and life and the balance of the two and being a part of a larger conversation that seems to be taking place around me. It’s hard, sometimes, to write those things because I’m torn between the need to share my thoughts and be authentic and the need to not express anything that could be misconstrued and have real consequences. It is a fear when writing anything related to work and i try always to be very measured in how I express anything even remotely related.

2. It is possible to like your job and the people you work for and have bad days sometimes. That’s why I try to be very careful about venting on those difficult days – because one of those days when you’ve had conference calls out the wazoo and frustration could be misinterpreted. (Note: I do NOT love conference calls and you can’t make me.)

3. A trip to Chicago this weekend was a welcome breath of fresh (and glacially cold) air. Sometimes you just need a change of scenery though the toughest thing about going out of town was coming home. My girls were with their dad and coming home after work on Monday – to an empty house – after spending a weekend amongst friends was very tough. BUT CHICAGO! I love Chicago. Also, I managed to rack up my Fitbit steps in record time on Saturday afternoon, so there’s that.
270 | 365 - March 1, 2015

4. Now that it’s March (whoohoo!!), I’m even more eager for winter to get on its merry little way and mosey on out of here. I know better than to think that it’ll be spring any time soon – and even with temperatures in the 40s forecasted for next week, i know that this can’t possible be OVER yet. (I wish it were over.)

5. House of Cards season three. As much as I want to just binge and watch it start to finish, Chris and I stalled on episode three – mainly due to a combination of lack of time and travel exhaustion that made me fall asleep midway through episode three. Perhaps this weekend I’ll get caught up.

6. That sheepish moment when you have to text your hair stylist to let her know that you had someone else cut your hair and you really really hate it and that you’re sorry and NEVER AGAIN will you stray to someone else’s scissors. Sigh. I should have known better than to trust my curly layers to anyone else.

7.I miss really long walks in the sunshine. Really long walks without frostbite or snow. Without a coat and gloves and a hat. Spring. I need spring.

8. The thing about winter is that it is sucking the life out of me and making me older and wrinklier and more tired.

9. I really miss my kids when they’re not here. While it does allow for me to do things like to go to Chicago for the weekend, the thing is – I’m really used to having my daughters around me. And I like it. Even if they don’t like to clean. When they’re not here, there’s definitely a piece of me missing

10. I got a charley horse type thing in my foot last night. Darn near thirty minutes of not being able to unclench my foot. What a feeling. A not – good feeling.

Thursday Ten: I can’t paint my nails without making a mess edition

1. It’s been a bizarre week for me – work has been busy and life has been busy and my brain has been busy and the week started with celebrating National Margarita Day and here we are rolling into Thursday and I’m just relieved that there’s another Friday in sight – and that February is almost over because really, February is never any good.

175 | 365

2. I painted my nails Tuesday night. By Wednesday, I had chipped most of the polish off two nails. And then when I tried again, I smudged my top coat – and this is why i love gel manicures even though I know THEY ARE SO BAD FOR YOU. I have two sheets of Jamberrys I could use also – but I didn’t feel like cutsey chevron nails – I wanted some sass (Incognito in Sausalito is my color du jour. Until I eff it up again.)

3. The Princess’s gymnastics schedule means that she’s 100% wiped out when she gets home from the gym and oh boy I am not a fan of over-homework-tears at 9 p.m. Last night’s ordeal involved glue that wouldn’t glue and pipe cleaners that wouldn’t stick.

4. You want my opinions about vaccines, don’t you?

5. The problem with thumbs is that you use them for so much stuff that that’s where the nail polish gets most messed up. Darn thumbs.

6. I’ve been slogging through a miserable book and now a really sad book and I just want to finish these and get on to something good. Gut wrenching sobs in this sad book I’mr easing now, and I still just wish the damn things was over so I could move on to something, possibly with less death.

7. Today is my Friday. I have immense guilt over taking a day off. I’m entitled to days off. I am entitled to several and yet, guilt. I may have workaholic tendencies. It’s funny – because at the end of the work day – I’m ready to get home and have the next half of my day begin – but vacation days, days off – those are tough for me.

8. I just spent two minutes reading an article about how a beef shortage is impacting prices at Chipotle. (Chicken tacos 4 lyfe)

9. I am so tired of the cold weather. Bone chilling cold temperatures have gotten me down. Granted the commute has been easy, once I get past the fact that I’m getting into a really cold car. Two pair of socks is the norm – as is two scarves. Boots on most days, even if there’s no snow, because they’re warmer than regular shoes. So tired of being cold. Eff off February.

10. I bought three different long sleeve white tees this weekend and I don’t know that I realized i was doing it. I mean, I knew I needed white tees, but I guess I didn’t realize I bought three. Guess I’ll be all set for awhile?

Thursday Ten: I Can’t Feel My Toes edition

1. I know that I’ve said that I would far rather have the brutal cold than the snow – but OH MY GOSH IT IS SO COLD AND FRANKLY IT’S JUST GETTING RUDE. Negative wind chills equal negative Sarah.
259 | 365 - February 18, 2015


2. I’ve been watching a lot of Celebrity Apprentice on OnDemand lately (NO, I haven’t gotten around to canceling my cable yet) and I have to say: a) being a Project Manager is some tough stuff (I know because THAT IS WHAT I DO) and b) it’s interesting how little some celebrities know about business. Also, to go even a step further – it is mind boggling how poorly some people treat other people. I see that in the “real world” and not just on the show, but holy hell people: just be nice. (Also? I’m rooting for Leeza Gibbons. Man, this lady knows her stuff. And she’s likable.)

3. Okay. I’m going to use another number for this: How is Geraldo still even remotely relevant? And Ian Ziering? What the hell is he even about? Okay. I’m done.

4. The Princess is currently making a mega movie list – flicks on Netflix to watch with her friends. What a list. I think it’d be a fun trip down memory lane to watch half these movies. I mean Clueless? Yes please.

5. Yesterday was National Drink Wine Day. Sunday is National Margarita Day. It’s like someone was planning this stuff and realized that February needed a little bit of help to make it suck less.

6. And boy does it suck. I cannot believe we’re over halfway through the month – which is good – but the cold weather coupled with some snow and yuck and February is never really my favorite anyway.

7. I didn’t read 50 Shades of Gray. And I won’t go see the movie. Know what else? I’m not going to write a blog post devoted to why I won’t read the book or see the movie because frankly, go see it or don’t, read it or don’t. My opinions on the matter don’t count for anyone but me. And frankly, I don’t have enough to say about it on my own – so it wouldn’t even be worth clicking through to read what I would have to say about it. But I find it obnoxious that people who aren’t seeing the movie or reading the book are more than happy to springboard from them for the almighty page view. I think that’s almost just as bad.

8. My next door neighbor snow-blowed (snow-blowered?) my driveway yesterday. I’ve always heard people talk about their nice neighbors who do stuff like that but that’s NEVER happened to me. Until yesterday! How lovely to come home to a clean drive? It truly made my day! There really ARE people who do nice things like that!

9. What do you even wear when the windchill is so far below zero? I mean, you can’t really get warm anyway – so do you even really try? Brrr. (I tried to wear a pair of cuddle duds under my jeans on Sunday – I was warm but holy moley wearing two pairs of pants was excruciating. Uncooperative Waistbands is my fake band name)

10. At this time next year, I better be on a vacation. I can’t do another February in Michigan.

 

Thursday Ten: I Think the Cheetos are Gone edition

1. The Princess brought Cheetos home after she spend the night at a friend’s house last weekend and I’ve managed to steer clear of the delightful artificially cheesy goodness, and now that I REALLY REALLY WANT THEM… I think they’re gone.

2. The thing about agency type work is that for every day you feel like a genius at the top of your game, there are two where you feel like the biggest idiot who ever walked the planet (no? Just me?). I’m approaching my one year anniversary at this job and while I definitely feel like I’ve found my sea legs, there are days when I go home feeling deflated. Yesterday was one – there’s a lot to do and I want to keep working to get things done, but I need to shift gears and be mom too. While I can often manage to resist turning on my work laptop once I’m home for the day, I’m usually handwriting copy that needs to get done. I think better with pen and paper and I can still feel like I’m accomplishing a bit more before the day ends. Perhaps next week will be less chaotic.

3. I found the cheetos.

4. How many times a year do I decide that I need to get healthier again and dig out the Nike Training Club app? Oh? Several. Alrighty then. (Yeah, I went from cheetos to “healthy” – why do you ask?)

5. After a week of sickness, it’s nice to see Pumpkin back to her normal self this week. Appetite is back to normal and bickering with her sister levels are normal too. So thrilled.

6. I’m currently reading a memoir written by a former drug addict and I’m wondering just how he supposedly remembers all of these events in such fine tuned detail when he was supposedly tweaked out of his mind on crack. Perhaps I should just consider it fiction-ish.

7. I can tell when I’m feeling really burned out when I want to comment truthfully on everyone’s Facebook status.

8. Yay! West Michigan in getting a Trader Joe’s! (In, like 2016). I want to get excited but the fact that it’s going to be darn near a whole year before it happens makes enthusiasm kind of tough.

9. I miss taking real pictures. Spring, please come.

10. Last weekend I filed my taxes, cleaned my house, and apparently turned into an old lady. What happened to having fun on the weekends?

Thursday Ten: No More Vomit edition

1. Monday morning, Pumpkin woke me up at 4 a.m. – she didn’t feel well, and she promptly ran to my bathroom and got sick. She very nearly made it all the way to the toilet before throwing up. With the snowy road conditions I was able to stay home with her and then on Tuesday she seemed fine. Yesterday, it wasn’t until right before I left for work that she told me she’d thrown up at 4 a.m. again. She just didn’t wake me up. “I wanted you to get your sleep, mom.” Sweet, indeed, especially since vomit grosses me out, but OH THE GUILT of knowing my girl was awake and sick and didn’t tell me.

2. As my kids get older I wonder sometimes what to share, what to omit. Is vomit an overshare? I don’t know. I’m figuring it’s safe. It’s winter. Most of her fourth grade class is sick. Everybody vomits.

3. Sunday throughout the day to Monday morning, we got hammered, snow wise. Couldn’t make it to work Monday morning because even without the sick child, there was no way I could get out of my driveway without a lot of shoveling. A LOT of shoveling. It took me several trips outside, probably a combined total of at least two hours of slinging snow. Days later, my arms, my shoulders, my back – all of those torso muscles ACHE.
155 | 365

4. Anyway, it should just go without saying that I am OH SO OVER WINTER. And you can give me -10 degree weather if it means that it won’t be freaking snowing. I especially hate winter driving and have found that the thought of driving in it just stresses me out so tremendously. A few weeks ago, someone was aggressively tailgating me through a particularly bad stretch of snowy roads. And recently – there was an accident in that same spot. WHY? Because IT IS NOTORIOUSLY SLUSHY AND ICY AND ROTTEN. People drive like idiots when the weather is like this – and it’s hard enough to just keep myself safe without worrying about what some other moron is going to do by driving like an asshole.

5. As I type this, my dog has excessive gas and I’m thoroughly grossed out. (Hey why not? We’ve already talked about barf, so, you know… gas was the obvious next step.)

6. When you have two appointments in one week it’s easy to get knocked off kilter which is what happened to last week’s post. I started to write it. I got stressed out. I didn’t finish writing. There’s probably a post in there, but anyway, here I am. I am stressed and I am also trying to be better at just staying in this moment where I am rather than let myself get ten steps ahead. I’m a worrier, so, you being in the moment isn’t my forte, but, I’m trying.

7. Consistently hitting 10,000 steps a day with my FitBit is a small pleasure but it makes me insanely happy. I can’t wait until the weather warms up and I can get more of those steps outside rather than jogging in place in front of my television.

8. With my addiction to Serial (which I’m done with until Season 2 comes out), I’ve become a bit of a podcast junkie. Do you have any faves? Love that “Dear Sugar” is a podcast now, hate that it’s not nearly as frequent as I would like.

9. Lack of planning on your part does not constitute an emergency on mine. I’ve been hearing that phrase since I was a kid probably and I still find that most people just can’t really own up to that – taking responsibility for the timing of things. Sometimes stuff happens and it isn’t a lack of planning, it’s a curveball. But MAN when it’s a lack of planning on someone else’s part that manages to turn MY life topsy turvy? Pffft. It makes for the crankiest of Sarahs.

10. SuperBowl. Commercials. Extreme suckage. While the Nationwide commercial wasn’t a trigger for me, I’m wondering who on earth thought that was the time or place for that message, and the rest of the messages were mostly just so so. I guess when the pattern is to leak everything before hand, who actually wants to PAY THOSE RATES and advertise during the game. psh. But at least we get a football break for awhile. And hopefully a Katy Perry break also.

 

Thursday Ten: Ice and Cold and It’s Winter Edition

BLEH.

1. I think we all know that this is the time of year that I struggle with the most. I hate cold weather. I hate winter driving. I hate paying my energy bill. I hate that I can’t work out outside.I hate that my car is nearly white now from salt remnants. Yesterday it was -13 degrees when I woke up – and that’s without taking the wind chill into account (actually, the wind chill was also -13, so I guess it could have been worse? What am I even saying anymore?).

2. One of the things I did to just after Christmas is to buy a Nest Learning Thermostat – I had a programmable thermostat before but I’m hopeful that I can further cut energy expenses by better programming my schedule and the ability to set the thermostat as “Away” when I’m not at home. In just a few short weeks, I have noticed that my January 2015 bill reflects less energy usage than my 2014 bill, but there are other variables that could factor in — so I’ll be looking forward to next month’s bill (WHAT DID I JUST SAY?) just to see. Am I nerd’ing out about my energy bill? Only a little. So far.

218 | 365 - January 8, 2015

3. I have been grateful that with the rough roads last week, that I was able to carpool with my mom. Last winter’s car accident has made me even more cautious and I find that driving on icy roads just stresses me the hell out. A storm brought in truly brutal weather last Friday – which resulted in a nearly 200-car pile up near Kalamazoo. Fortunately, I was at home, working at my dining table (and NOWHERE NEAR THE HIGHWAY!), but oy. Stupid winter. Though this week has brought in some very very cold temperatures, I have to admit, I’ll take the bitter cold over the snow and ice. At least my commute is a smooth one and I have coffee to warm me.

4. Chris and I finally finished listening to Serial over the weekend and… well, gosh. I’m not sure WHAT I think. I have gone back and forth and around and around and well, I won’t spoil any of it here – but if you have listened to the series, leave me a comment letting me know what you think. Did Adnan kill Hae? Do you think Jay lied? And what do you think Serial has up its sleeve for Season Two? I admit, I am SO hooked.

5. I got my hair cut last week – had several inches cut off and I have hair cut remorse. I wanted a change. I wanted a noticeable difference. And. I got it and now I want my hair back.

216 | 365 - January 6, 2015

6. My dog has been seriously smelly the past few days and as much as I don’t want to dedicate any of this post to heinous dog farts, it’s pretty bad and he deserves some public blog shaming for whatever he did that is making him smell this way.

7. Pumpkin won her class spelling bee and then went on to compete in the school bee and was out in the first round. It’s a really interesting and terrifying thing, as a parent, to watch your kids do these kinds of things – because on one hand, I didn’t care if she won or not because I was so dang proud already, but on the other hand, I knew that no matter when she was out of the game, that it would be tough for her. And yeah, it really as. She held it together fairly well, but I could see that she was discombobulated. She said later, “I knew that it was good just that I got in but my eyes were still trying to cry even if I knew inside that it was okay.” As much as any sort of “failure” is no fun – I have to say that she handled it was grace – acknowledging that it was tough and that it was no fun, but that she ultimately is okay. Sigh. Learning experiences. Whee?

8. Still watching Gilmore Girls with The Princess every evening – and it remains one of my favorite rituals. Still hate Jess. Rory has just finished her first year of college. Lorelai just opened the inn. I’m glad that there were so many seasons so that our binge still has a while longer to go.

9. And we’ll go from the Gilmore Girls to Parenthood in its last season and still making me cry and what on earth happened to Lauren Graham’s face? (Oh. I just googled. She’s 48. I guess I’m just not used to seeing people age on television. I’m sorry that I made fun of her face.)

10. The thing about the environmentally friendly lightbulbs (besides their horrifyingly unflattering yellow glow) is that they’re all dying at the same time. I NEED REPLACEMENT LIGHTBULBS, STAT.