I have to thank my friends and family for needing me. There has been so much stuff needing my attention that I haven't been able to dwell on the stress of what is soon to come. And helping out people makes me feel useful again, something I haven't felt in awhile.
Just call me Saint Kristin of Killeen. Jere says the "of Killeen" part is because most of my good works are performed down there in Texas. Patron saint of moms hanging on by their last nerve. I suppose that is one reason why God has not blessed me with kids. It means I'm flexible to help others. You've got to love when you learn God's will in backwards ways. And all the hugs and kisses I get from everyone else's kids make me feel pretty darn special!
I'm also bursting with happiness for some of my friends. Sara and Rickey just became new parents to the most gorgeous baby girl I think I've ever seen. And my friend Kelli has pretty much kicked butt at planning the "princess wedding" she truly deserves. Not to mention I'm already well on the way of having her bridal shower planned, which is so exciting! I love planning parties!
Not to jinx everything, but I've found a house for us to rent in Florida that I'm completely in love with. And word has gotten around that I will have plenty of room and a pool, because everyone insists they're coming to visit. I can't wait! I love having company, and will love entertaining anyone who decides to drop in.
There isn't too much going on this coming week, thank goodness. I have to get to Florida by the end of the week. You know, I never thought there was a time I would have the ability to pick up and just hop on a plane and leave, but I've done it twice in the past few weeks, and am about to do it again. It's not that I ever thought about having the money or time. It's about the lack of planning. I'm usually so OCD about flying and traveling and vacations. But I'm so happy I've loosened up enough to just GO!
This is a totally random blog. Small list of things I've thought about today:
1. How do I own 3 pair of glasses which all seem to go missing at the same time?
2. Is it really ok to go out in my Hannah Montana jammies at 10:00 at night simply because I'm craving chicken nuggets?
3. I really want a new tattoo.
4. What is this need for soda I've developed lately? Not a want. A NEED.
5. Cats probably shouldn't eat chicken nuggets, right?
6. Now that Jere is getting closer to coming home, I'm panicking. Because I have a million freaking things to do, and moving is starting to feel real.
Today's lesson (which has nothing to do with anything I've written, really): Life can be rather strange and ironic. Go with it. You never know where the crazy will take you.
Saturday, February 7, 2009
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Are you afraid of the...?
As some of you know, my mom and sister came down for Christmas. We took a day trip to DC, and Karalyn wanted to go off on her own, but we had to drop her at the metro station because she insisted we not leave her alone. I asked her why, and her response made me almost crash the car I was laughing so hard. “Because I’m afraid of hobos.” More specifically, she was afraid they were going to attack her and steal all her change. Hobophobia. I’d think this was weirder, but they based an entire South Park episode about the fear of the homeless. But, of course, her phobia gave me a great idea for a blog.
A phobia is a persistent, irrational fear of a specific object, activity, or situation that leads to a compelling desire to avoid it. And I think we all have at least one. My grandmother is terrified of snakes. And not just snakes themselves, but even pictures of them. And a friend of mine is afraid of falling and scraping her front teeth. As for me, I have a really strange fear of jellyfish, which is the reason Jere has to always snorkel without me. I’m also terrified of popsicle sticks going near my mouth and people touching my nose.
But what about fears that are just completely off the wall? Well, thanks to our friends at Wikipedia, I was able to locate fears that will make even your strangest phobia seem almost rational!
Nomophobia – fear of being out of mobile phone contact
Anglophobia – fear of the English or English culture
Spectrophobia – fear of mirrors and one’s own reflections
Trichophobia – fear caused of loose hairs on clothing or elsewhere
Phonophobia – fear of swallowing
Anthrophobia – fear of flowers
Decidophobia – fear of making decisions
Anuptaphobia – fear of remaining single
Chionophobia – for my friends in Michigan, fear of snow
Xanthophobia – fear of the color yellow
Geniophobia – fear of chins, not to be confused with Genuphobia – fear of knees
Helminthophobia – fear of being infested with worms
Now, my friends, it’s your turn. I’ve confessed mine. Now you confess yours! What is the strangest thing you fear? What is your weird phobia? Let’s get a real conversation going here!
A phobia is a persistent, irrational fear of a specific object, activity, or situation that leads to a compelling desire to avoid it. And I think we all have at least one. My grandmother is terrified of snakes. And not just snakes themselves, but even pictures of them. And a friend of mine is afraid of falling and scraping her front teeth. As for me, I have a really strange fear of jellyfish, which is the reason Jere has to always snorkel without me. I’m also terrified of popsicle sticks going near my mouth and people touching my nose.
But what about fears that are just completely off the wall? Well, thanks to our friends at Wikipedia, I was able to locate fears that will make even your strangest phobia seem almost rational!
Nomophobia – fear of being out of mobile phone contact
Anglophobia – fear of the English or English culture
Spectrophobia – fear of mirrors and one’s own reflections
Trichophobia – fear caused of loose hairs on clothing or elsewhere
Phonophobia – fear of swallowing
Anthrophobia – fear of flowers
Decidophobia – fear of making decisions
Anuptaphobia – fear of remaining single
Chionophobia – for my friends in Michigan, fear of snow
Xanthophobia – fear of the color yellow
Geniophobia – fear of chins, not to be confused with Genuphobia – fear of knees
Helminthophobia – fear of being infested with worms
Now, my friends, it’s your turn. I’ve confessed mine. Now you confess yours! What is the strangest thing you fear? What is your weird phobia? Let’s get a real conversation going here!
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
Looking for some advice
I've reached the point where I'm curled up in bed with a huge mug of tea, a pan of brownies, and a fork. Don't get me wrong, the tea has no cream or sugar, and the brownies are whole wheat and organic. But I've landed here because I've finally lost grip of my little world, and I desperately need to recover.
Let's rewind and take a peek at what got me here. What do you already know? You know Jere is going to be stationed in Tampa. You know I'm going with him. You might know that I was trying to get things squared away with applying to college, finding us a place to live, hunting down a new car, and pulling together the random things like a new vet for Ginger and a new piano instructor.
Everything hinged on the way our orders read, and it all changed with an email and a phone call. I am no longer authorized to live with my husband, but they'll be happy to pay for me to live in Virginia while he goes to Tampa. This is something that's hard to explain to those outside of the military, but they treat their Reservists as second class citizens (note: my husband did not voluntarily leave active duty, but was forced into the Reserve as part of the military cutbacks under the Clinton administration). For all the Army talk about fostering good marriages, they could care less. Instead of making Jere's tour in Tampa a 3 year accompanied tour, they changed it to a 1 year unaccompanied tour with two 1 year extensions. That's 3 years of living apart. Yeah. Let that sink in.
I've had quite enough of this. But my husband loves the Army, and I love my husband. So we ran over the different options, and of course, I would still be moving to Tampa. It would just be more complicated to arrange. On top of it all, since the orders no longer said I had to be in Florida, my move is now considered voluntary and I can't attend a Florida college as a resident. Thankfully, we've gotten some help and good answers from the MacDill housing office, and it shouldn't be a problem for us to go back to our original plans. It's taken care of, but it's just, UGH, complicated.
So we've got that sort of solved, as well as we can without having the final orders in hand. I've started looking at houses to rent, and Jere strongly objects to the beautiful pink house I picked out right next to the Tampa Bay inlet. I know he'll give in once he sees the kitchen. The car thing has, very thankfully, been put in incredibly capable hands. College is out of the question for at least the next year and a half.
I decided last night that I need to get away. I don't particularly care where I go. I want to get on a plane and get the hell out of here before the shit really hits the fan. Because once the orders are printed, I have to start getting ready to move. Packing. Touring rental houses. Nightmare.
So I figured I would go see some snow, maybe ski. And found a great ski package and airfare. I even got the go ahead from Jere. But I couldn't book it. I thought maybe I could go somewhere else and have more fun. And what if it was too cold and I sat in the lodge the whole time? What if I broke yet another bone? What if I got snowed in? And would I have fun there alone? My paranoia set in, and I started the frantic search for somewhere else to go.
I've looked at cruises (where I have to pay for two people even if it's just me), all inclusive resorts in the Bahamas and Curacao (where I have to pay for one and a half people), air and hotel packages to Seattle, Vegas, Niagara Falls, London, Arizona, Boston, and various other places. All are within my self-dictated price range. Now I have too many choices and too much to figure out.
Here's what I'm asking from all of you! What do you think? What places have you been that made you feel relaxed? Where should I go???? Skiing, beach, city? Acceptable answers do not include the phrase "to come see me!!!" I love you all, I miss you all, but I am NOT good company right now. Michigan friends, remember I will be there in June. And possibly before that.
Let me dispel the things I know will be said about me.
"Didn't you just get back from 22 days in Europe?"
-Yes. Yes I did. Then I had Christmas with Jere's family and my mom and sister (I seriously had a fantastic Christmas with everyone), and then had a miserable New Years Eve. And then all the rest of this happened. So the afterglow is WAY gone.
"Aren't you going to Paris in April?"
-Why yes. I am taking my grandma to Paris. I can't keep up with her even when I'm at a run, so I'm not going so far as to call that a relaxing trip, though I'm very much looking forward to taking her. And by the time that trip comes, I'll already be living in Tampa and I'll be prepping for Jere to come home. I'll need the distraction then.
"How can you say your life is stressful when you don't work or have kids?"
-This one bugs me. Let me explain. Do you remember summer break when you were a kid? You didn't really miss school, but it was sometimes very hard to get around the boredom. I spend nearly everyday at home, waiting for my husband to get online so I can feel connected to him from 6000 miles away. I don't get to work. We've moved four times in two years, I haven't been able to finish school or get a job. Not that I particularly want a job, but the only jobs available to me without even a two-year degree are pretty limited. Not to mention if I work, I push Jere into a higher tax bracket, and the income I would make would barely account for what we would lose. And I really do miss working sometimes. Rachel makes me miss it. *grin*
The other thing I have to say is this. Everyone has their thing. And most people get to go to work or school, come home tired and stressed at the end of the day, and find their spouse or their child there waiting for them. Everytime I leave, I come back to an empty apartment. The time I spend away from here gives me a chance to forget about that. I don't have my husband waiting for me when I come home, or children to kiss goodnight.
What I have is travel. It's my passion. It's what kills the loneliness. Everything from the plane ride to the crazy foreign food makes me appreciate not only the wonders of the world, but allows me to love what I come back to. Even if when I get home, all I have to kiss goodnight is the cat. But she's one of the things I miss the most when I'm gone!
Besides, if I don't travel now, when am I going to do it? After I have kids to pay for? When my husband and I are too old to appreciate it? I know I'm going to have to slow down after Jerry is home, and you have no idea how much I'm looking forward to resuming my normal life. Looking forward to reality. Because these deployments aren't reality, so I reserve the right to live in my own little world for the duration.
One last question I'm always asked:
"Don't you feel guilty spending all your husband's hard earned money while he's gone?"
-No. Not a bit. I generally don't dignify this question with an answer, so that's all I'm going to say. Except that I don't spend it all.
So back to my original point. What do you all think? Where should I go so that I don't stare at the wall and eat this whole pan of brownies? All happy, positive input is greatly appreciated!
Let's rewind and take a peek at what got me here. What do you already know? You know Jere is going to be stationed in Tampa. You know I'm going with him. You might know that I was trying to get things squared away with applying to college, finding us a place to live, hunting down a new car, and pulling together the random things like a new vet for Ginger and a new piano instructor.
Everything hinged on the way our orders read, and it all changed with an email and a phone call. I am no longer authorized to live with my husband, but they'll be happy to pay for me to live in Virginia while he goes to Tampa. This is something that's hard to explain to those outside of the military, but they treat their Reservists as second class citizens (note: my husband did not voluntarily leave active duty, but was forced into the Reserve as part of the military cutbacks under the Clinton administration). For all the Army talk about fostering good marriages, they could care less. Instead of making Jere's tour in Tampa a 3 year accompanied tour, they changed it to a 1 year unaccompanied tour with two 1 year extensions. That's 3 years of living apart. Yeah. Let that sink in.
I've had quite enough of this. But my husband loves the Army, and I love my husband. So we ran over the different options, and of course, I would still be moving to Tampa. It would just be more complicated to arrange. On top of it all, since the orders no longer said I had to be in Florida, my move is now considered voluntary and I can't attend a Florida college as a resident. Thankfully, we've gotten some help and good answers from the MacDill housing office, and it shouldn't be a problem for us to go back to our original plans. It's taken care of, but it's just, UGH, complicated.
So we've got that sort of solved, as well as we can without having the final orders in hand. I've started looking at houses to rent, and Jere strongly objects to the beautiful pink house I picked out right next to the Tampa Bay inlet. I know he'll give in once he sees the kitchen. The car thing has, very thankfully, been put in incredibly capable hands. College is out of the question for at least the next year and a half.
I decided last night that I need to get away. I don't particularly care where I go. I want to get on a plane and get the hell out of here before the shit really hits the fan. Because once the orders are printed, I have to start getting ready to move. Packing. Touring rental houses. Nightmare.
So I figured I would go see some snow, maybe ski. And found a great ski package and airfare. I even got the go ahead from Jere. But I couldn't book it. I thought maybe I could go somewhere else and have more fun. And what if it was too cold and I sat in the lodge the whole time? What if I broke yet another bone? What if I got snowed in? And would I have fun there alone? My paranoia set in, and I started the frantic search for somewhere else to go.
I've looked at cruises (where I have to pay for two people even if it's just me), all inclusive resorts in the Bahamas and Curacao (where I have to pay for one and a half people), air and hotel packages to Seattle, Vegas, Niagara Falls, London, Arizona, Boston, and various other places. All are within my self-dictated price range. Now I have too many choices and too much to figure out.
Here's what I'm asking from all of you! What do you think? What places have you been that made you feel relaxed? Where should I go???? Skiing, beach, city? Acceptable answers do not include the phrase "to come see me!!!" I love you all, I miss you all, but I am NOT good company right now. Michigan friends, remember I will be there in June. And possibly before that.
Let me dispel the things I know will be said about me.
"Didn't you just get back from 22 days in Europe?"
-Yes. Yes I did. Then I had Christmas with Jere's family and my mom and sister (I seriously had a fantastic Christmas with everyone), and then had a miserable New Years Eve. And then all the rest of this happened. So the afterglow is WAY gone.
"Aren't you going to Paris in April?"
-Why yes. I am taking my grandma to Paris. I can't keep up with her even when I'm at a run, so I'm not going so far as to call that a relaxing trip, though I'm very much looking forward to taking her. And by the time that trip comes, I'll already be living in Tampa and I'll be prepping for Jere to come home. I'll need the distraction then.
"How can you say your life is stressful when you don't work or have kids?"
-This one bugs me. Let me explain. Do you remember summer break when you were a kid? You didn't really miss school, but it was sometimes very hard to get around the boredom. I spend nearly everyday at home, waiting for my husband to get online so I can feel connected to him from 6000 miles away. I don't get to work. We've moved four times in two years, I haven't been able to finish school or get a job. Not that I particularly want a job, but the only jobs available to me without even a two-year degree are pretty limited. Not to mention if I work, I push Jere into a higher tax bracket, and the income I would make would barely account for what we would lose. And I really do miss working sometimes. Rachel makes me miss it. *grin*
The other thing I have to say is this. Everyone has their thing. And most people get to go to work or school, come home tired and stressed at the end of the day, and find their spouse or their child there waiting for them. Everytime I leave, I come back to an empty apartment. The time I spend away from here gives me a chance to forget about that. I don't have my husband waiting for me when I come home, or children to kiss goodnight.
What I have is travel. It's my passion. It's what kills the loneliness. Everything from the plane ride to the crazy foreign food makes me appreciate not only the wonders of the world, but allows me to love what I come back to. Even if when I get home, all I have to kiss goodnight is the cat. But she's one of the things I miss the most when I'm gone!
Besides, if I don't travel now, when am I going to do it? After I have kids to pay for? When my husband and I are too old to appreciate it? I know I'm going to have to slow down after Jerry is home, and you have no idea how much I'm looking forward to resuming my normal life. Looking forward to reality. Because these deployments aren't reality, so I reserve the right to live in my own little world for the duration.
One last question I'm always asked:
"Don't you feel guilty spending all your husband's hard earned money while he's gone?"
-No. Not a bit. I generally don't dignify this question with an answer, so that's all I'm going to say. Except that I don't spend it all.
So back to my original point. What do you all think? Where should I go so that I don't stare at the wall and eat this whole pan of brownies? All happy, positive input is greatly appreciated!
Saturday, January 3, 2009
In a weird place today...
I can't understand why I feel so GOOD today! I'm not complaining, I promise. It's just that I usually don't experience this kind of happiness at home, especially when I have nothing coming down the chute. As I said to Jere earlier, "There's nothing more comforting and maddening than realizing you have nowhere to go."
When I woke up, I wanted Spaghetti-o's. And I very guiltily made them. I don't understand why it made me feel guilty, but canned pasta doesn't really scream "breakfast food" to me. Maybe I would have felt more normal eating Cheerios. But I was pleased that the guilt disappeared after the first spoonful.
Somewhere during breakfast, I decided it was time to really start scrapbooking again. The problem has been space, as in not enough of it. I have a corner of my bedroom and a small desk dedicated to my crafts, but it's usually piled high and there just isn't enough room to spread out and work. So finally, I came up with a solution. Now all the scrapbook supplies are on the dining room table, as all the major holidays are over and I won't have to use the table again until it's been moved to Tampa. I even stuck the leaf in it so I would have even more space. I very happily started scrapping Ireland (avoiding the 400 pictures from my 2007 trip to Turkey).
In the middle of all this, I had a great conversation with someone who really gives my brain a workout. To be honest, my head actually hurts when I talk to him, but it feels wonderful, like the kind of pain you get when you begin a long run. My cousin and I have always challenged each other this way (though I'm still convinced he got all the smart genes), whether it's about politics (we didn't vote the same way this election), religion (actually, even if we don't mesh on that one, it's alright because we seem to have the same questions), even thermodynamics (if he doesn't remember sparking my fascination with Fermi, his brain's probably too full of other really smart things). Today's discussion was spurred on by something totally random, but I get the impression both of us will be picking up a couple new books to further expand our minds.
Jere and I met online in the early afternoon and chatted for awhile during my lunch. I watched Laws of Attraction (getting in that whole Irish vibe), puttered around a bit, and made it to tea time. And this was the most, for lack of a more appropriate word, ORGASMIC part of my day. I have tea between 3 and 4 every afternoon, because snacking is good for you. It's the exact time my blood sugar starts to drop, so not only do I allow myself tea and a snack; I allow myself something sinfully sweet, usually a small cookie or a chocolate.
I've had this box of chocolates from Poland just waiting for the holidays to end. A small, hand-picked assortment of truffles from E. Wedel. I'd eaten a coffee flavored one and wasn't overwhelmed. So today I put a champagne truffle on my tea plate. One tiny bite and I was gone. Better than the best Godiva could ever come up with, better than the first cup of Starbucks on a Sunday morning, and even better than long, slow sex on Saturday night. I can't come up with the appropriate adjective to describe it. All I knew was that I wanted more, and dove headlong into the box, trying a honey truffle, an after eight truffle, a raspberry truffle, a coconut truffle.....my teeth ached from the perfect sweetness. There are now only two left in the box, but I am perfectly sated and sitting here, blissfully typing in the afterglow.
Tonight's plans revolve around exercising and playing dress-up. I am twenty pounds lighter, and need to finally go through my clothes to get rid of what is now too big to get away with wearing. In the process, I hope to make room for some of my older clothes and all the new size 8's. Tomorrow is Sunday. Nothing will get done.
Today's lesson: Sometimes, there are good kinds of pain. Pain when you work your muscles, pain when you're thinking really hard, pain when things are much too sweet. Remember, pain lets us know we're still alive.
When I woke up, I wanted Spaghetti-o's. And I very guiltily made them. I don't understand why it made me feel guilty, but canned pasta doesn't really scream "breakfast food" to me. Maybe I would have felt more normal eating Cheerios. But I was pleased that the guilt disappeared after the first spoonful.
Somewhere during breakfast, I decided it was time to really start scrapbooking again. The problem has been space, as in not enough of it. I have a corner of my bedroom and a small desk dedicated to my crafts, but it's usually piled high and there just isn't enough room to spread out and work. So finally, I came up with a solution. Now all the scrapbook supplies are on the dining room table, as all the major holidays are over and I won't have to use the table again until it's been moved to Tampa. I even stuck the leaf in it so I would have even more space. I very happily started scrapping Ireland (avoiding the 400 pictures from my 2007 trip to Turkey).
In the middle of all this, I had a great conversation with someone who really gives my brain a workout. To be honest, my head actually hurts when I talk to him, but it feels wonderful, like the kind of pain you get when you begin a long run. My cousin and I have always challenged each other this way (though I'm still convinced he got all the smart genes), whether it's about politics (we didn't vote the same way this election), religion (actually, even if we don't mesh on that one, it's alright because we seem to have the same questions), even thermodynamics (if he doesn't remember sparking my fascination with Fermi, his brain's probably too full of other really smart things). Today's discussion was spurred on by something totally random, but I get the impression both of us will be picking up a couple new books to further expand our minds.
Jere and I met online in the early afternoon and chatted for awhile during my lunch. I watched Laws of Attraction (getting in that whole Irish vibe), puttered around a bit, and made it to tea time. And this was the most, for lack of a more appropriate word, ORGASMIC part of my day. I have tea between 3 and 4 every afternoon, because snacking is good for you. It's the exact time my blood sugar starts to drop, so not only do I allow myself tea and a snack; I allow myself something sinfully sweet, usually a small cookie or a chocolate.
I've had this box of chocolates from Poland just waiting for the holidays to end. A small, hand-picked assortment of truffles from E. Wedel. I'd eaten a coffee flavored one and wasn't overwhelmed. So today I put a champagne truffle on my tea plate. One tiny bite and I was gone. Better than the best Godiva could ever come up with, better than the first cup of Starbucks on a Sunday morning, and even better than long, slow sex on Saturday night. I can't come up with the appropriate adjective to describe it. All I knew was that I wanted more, and dove headlong into the box, trying a honey truffle, an after eight truffle, a raspberry truffle, a coconut truffle.....my teeth ached from the perfect sweetness. There are now only two left in the box, but I am perfectly sated and sitting here, blissfully typing in the afterglow.
Tonight's plans revolve around exercising and playing dress-up. I am twenty pounds lighter, and need to finally go through my clothes to get rid of what is now too big to get away with wearing. In the process, I hope to make room for some of my older clothes and all the new size 8's. Tomorrow is Sunday. Nothing will get done.
Today's lesson: Sometimes, there are good kinds of pain. Pain when you work your muscles, pain when you're thinking really hard, pain when things are much too sweet. Remember, pain lets us know we're still alive.
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Happy freaking New Year.
This is one of the few holidays that truly brings out the worst in me. In fact, the only holiday that makes me more bitter is Mother's Day.
It just seems that every year, there is such a build up to this one day. All the important things have to be finished by New Year's, and so much emphasis is put on new beginnings and New Year's resolutions. Not to mention that whole "kiss at midnight" thing. Talk about pressure.
Three years ago, I was sitting in the Atlanta airport, where I had voluntarily given up my seat on an overbooked flight. It was the split second choice that changed my life, because it was the night I met my husband. So you'd think this would be a happy anniversary for me, but it's not. Today I can feel every last one of the 6,000 miles between us, and it breaks my heart.
It is a shame that my year has to end like this, spent eating leftovers and drinking my weight in champagne. Because I've had a darn good year. Sure, I still haven't finished college, and, despite my friends quite often being on their second or third child, I have lost half my hair to the fertility battle and am still childless. But I've been to several new countries, lost 20 pounds, started piano lessons, and learned the wonders of a Brazilian bikini wax. Not a bad haul for new experiences.
On top of it all, I had a fantastic Christmas. I got to visit Jere's family and really enjoyed it, then picked up my mom and sister and had a week with them all to myself. Of course, I wish Jere had been here to share it, but that's the way this life goes.
So, in glorious New Year's tradition, here is my list of resolutions.
I will.....
-lose 30 pounds. And just so I don't waste food, I now have three hours to eat the contents of my junk food drawer.
-finish learning the 6 Clementi sonatinas. And if the 31st comes next year and I still haven't done it, I will burn the book.
-make new friends, and let go of some of the old ones who piss me off.
-eat one baby carrot a day.
-start doing manly pushups instead of the girly ones.
-stop using the word "fuck" outside of the privacy of my own home.
-remember to send out everyone's birthday card.
-have more sex, because I sure have missed it this past year. I can hear my husband rejoicing.
-drink at least two full glasses of water a day.
-take myself on a date once a week. I need to stop neglecting me.
-remember to take my meds everyday.
-make my bed each morning.
-load the dishwasher each night.
-get pregnant. If I don't give myself the option of failure, it has to happen, right?
What about all of you? What are your resolutions? And what are your plans to help you stick with them? Anyone have some advice on how I can actually accomplish some of these?
Today's lesson: We only have so many years in our life. Unfortunately, it takes our birthday or a New Year to make us realize it and pledge to live better. Waste not, want not.
It just seems that every year, there is such a build up to this one day. All the important things have to be finished by New Year's, and so much emphasis is put on new beginnings and New Year's resolutions. Not to mention that whole "kiss at midnight" thing. Talk about pressure.
Three years ago, I was sitting in the Atlanta airport, where I had voluntarily given up my seat on an overbooked flight. It was the split second choice that changed my life, because it was the night I met my husband. So you'd think this would be a happy anniversary for me, but it's not. Today I can feel every last one of the 6,000 miles between us, and it breaks my heart.
It is a shame that my year has to end like this, spent eating leftovers and drinking my weight in champagne. Because I've had a darn good year. Sure, I still haven't finished college, and, despite my friends quite often being on their second or third child, I have lost half my hair to the fertility battle and am still childless. But I've been to several new countries, lost 20 pounds, started piano lessons, and learned the wonders of a Brazilian bikini wax. Not a bad haul for new experiences.
On top of it all, I had a fantastic Christmas. I got to visit Jere's family and really enjoyed it, then picked up my mom and sister and had a week with them all to myself. Of course, I wish Jere had been here to share it, but that's the way this life goes.
So, in glorious New Year's tradition, here is my list of resolutions.
I will.....
-lose 30 pounds. And just so I don't waste food, I now have three hours to eat the contents of my junk food drawer.
-finish learning the 6 Clementi sonatinas. And if the 31st comes next year and I still haven't done it, I will burn the book.
-make new friends, and let go of some of the old ones who piss me off.
-eat one baby carrot a day.
-start doing manly pushups instead of the girly ones.
-stop using the word "fuck" outside of the privacy of my own home.
-remember to send out everyone's birthday card.
-have more sex, because I sure have missed it this past year. I can hear my husband rejoicing.
-drink at least two full glasses of water a day.
-take myself on a date once a week. I need to stop neglecting me.
-remember to take my meds everyday.
-make my bed each morning.
-load the dishwasher each night.
-get pregnant. If I don't give myself the option of failure, it has to happen, right?
What about all of you? What are your resolutions? And what are your plans to help you stick with them? Anyone have some advice on how I can actually accomplish some of these?
Today's lesson: We only have so many years in our life. Unfortunately, it takes our birthday or a New Year to make us realize it and pledge to live better. Waste not, want not.
A toast to you all! Egészségedre! Prost! Na zdrowie! And Happy New Year.
Sunday, December 21, 2008
Kristin's Favorite Things
Hello my loyal readers. While I was holed up in what is quite possibly the world's ugliest city (Warsaw, Poland), I had a quite interesting idea pop into my head. Unfortunately, I was 4500 miles away from my computer, so this is coming quite late for Christmas, but I'm going for it anyhow. Here is my random inspiration, transcribed from those lovely little note papers they give you in your hotel room.
Every year, the almighty Oprah does her favorite things special. In the past, she's given away DVDs, Philosophy products, expensive handbags, electronics, diamond watches, and the obligatory holiday junk food (twice the woman has given key lime pie), all to surprised and weeping audience members. It is always her most watched show of the year, and, minus whatever she decided to do in 2006, it's a lavish event that even I don't mind watching. A woman not only putting her popularity to use by giving out gifts most people could never afford, but singlehandedly turning little companies into big ones by the sheer force of putting her stamp of approval on them. It's Oprah throwing around her money and power, the one day of the year she unabashedly flaunts who she is and doesn't apologize.
So this year, I was disappointed to hear that Oprah did her holiday special without giving anything away to her audience. There were no gifts of expensive lotions and cashmere scarves, no J-Lo perfume or horrendously costly but delicious supplies of key lime pie. No. Oprah "could not in good conscience give away lavish gifts in such a time of economic struggle" (quoting Wikipedia, not Oprah). One of the richest women in the US decided to give the commoners a list of low-cost or free gift ideas. Included in her list of favorite things this year were:
Every year, the almighty Oprah does her favorite things special. In the past, she's given away DVDs, Philosophy products, expensive handbags, electronics, diamond watches, and the obligatory holiday junk food (twice the woman has given key lime pie), all to surprised and weeping audience members. It is always her most watched show of the year, and, minus whatever she decided to do in 2006, it's a lavish event that even I don't mind watching. A woman not only putting her popularity to use by giving out gifts most people could never afford, but singlehandedly turning little companies into big ones by the sheer force of putting her stamp of approval on them. It's Oprah throwing around her money and power, the one day of the year she unabashedly flaunts who she is and doesn't apologize.
So this year, I was disappointed to hear that Oprah did her holiday special without giving anything away to her audience. There were no gifts of expensive lotions and cashmere scarves, no J-Lo perfume or horrendously costly but delicious supplies of key lime pie. No. Oprah "could not in good conscience give away lavish gifts in such a time of economic struggle" (quoting Wikipedia, not Oprah). One of the richest women in the US decided to give the commoners a list of low-cost or free gift ideas. Included in her list of favorite things this year were:
- Gratitude boxes, filled with notes of gratitude from various people
- "Oprah's Holiday Hits" compilation album (given away for free on the show Web site)
- Treasure boxes filled with mementos
- Hot chocolate cones
- Regifts (a.k.a. "swap parties"), exchanging unwanted used items of your own for others' used items you would be more likely to use
- Gift baskets that include fruits and vegetables from your own garden
- Time with a loved one
First off, you cannot put "time with a loved one" under the tree. Try explaining that one to your kids when they hear their school friends talking about all the wonderful things they got for Christmas/Hanukkah/Kwanzaa (I'm going with the broad term "holiday" from here on out). No, we don't need to give our kids or families lavish gifts to prove we love them. But this is the holiday season. Buying stuff for other people we wouldn't consider buying ourselves is tradition, and evil or overly commercial as it sometimes may be, most of us still do it. I do not advocate putting yourself in debt over it, but there are better ways to go about gift giving than some of the things the oh so wonderful Oprah suggested this year.
Second point: How is it that a woman who owns seven homes, has called Hermes "racist" for not admitting her after store hours to let her shop, has built a school for poor African girls that contained a beauty salon and yoga studio can in her right mind try to tell us how we should handle our finances in any way? I know she grew up poor. She won't let us forget it. But Oprah has been a millionaire since the age of 32 (she is now 54). I wouldn't go so far as to say she is "in touch" with the struggles of the middle class. And trust me, it's pretty depressing to hear about the financial crisis day in and day out. Now we've got to hear how Oprah would handle it if she were us? Come on, woman! Haven't you heard about people using television as a form of escapism??
Third, and last, point: I live in the South, and Miss Winfrey was born in Mississippi. Maybe regifting is a good idea when you get 20 of the same Burberry scarf from one of your Hollywood friends, but that doesn't fly here. Giving a gift is an art, an act that shows you cared enough about someone to put some thought into what they might enjoy. Good manners dictate you don't regift. And if you do, it's to some far away relative who will never, ever know. Public regifting. For shame.
This brings me to my list. It is a mix of the hideously expensive and the unbelievably cheap; a potpourri of the crazy ideas that have popped into my head. And while I cannot give you all the gifts I am suggesting (I am not a multi-millionaire), I will at least have the respect to give you tangible presents to wrap and put under the tree. So here goes!
-The Body Shop Vitamin E Lip Care Stick: I have not come across a better chapstick in my life. It tastes good, and it really works. I bought mine in an airport when they were having a buy two, get one free sale, and have one stashed in each of my purses. Feeling generous? They have a complete Vitamin E line.
-Gifts from Blarney Woolen Mills: I visited this store in Ireland earlier this year, and didn't actually buy anything woolen. But I signed up for their email list at the checkout, and found that not only do that have great products, they quite often have clearance sales and free shipping specials. Warning for the holidays: you need to order well in advance if you want something to arrive in time. They sometimes ship free, but they ship parcel post from County Cork. Shop about six weeks early. That's how long it took when I ordered.
-Give a vacation: Alright, in no way am I going to suggest you spring for a hotel and airfare for your loved ones to some exotic location. But is there someone in your family who has a dream destination that they'd love to see in their lifetime? Foster that dream! Here is a mini-list of ideas to help your loved one keep dreaming!
1. Lonely Planet Phrasebooks: I have three of these, and can't live without them. They contain basic (and sometimes off the wall) words and phrases, menu guides, and handy tips on navigating a country and its language.
2. Rick Steves Guidebooks and DVDs: Ok, so the man's a bit stuck in the 80's and does PBS specials. But he knows his stuff, and if you're strapped for cash, you can always buy the previous year's edition used on Amazon. The information changes very little, but he only covers European destinations.
3. Books that aren't guidebooks: There are travel books out there that aren't necessarily a list of what to see and do. Fabulous writers like Frances Mayes, Peter Mayle, and Bill Bryson cover their own experiences, and inspire the imagination (happy to give recommendations on this one).
4. Luggage: JCPenney has great sales every Christmas on luggage sets, as does Walmart. Remember to buy something durable and in a dark color, but don't spend a ton of money. The airlines will beat the heck out of them.
-Polish Chocolate: I don't care what anyone says about German chocolate. The best I've ever had was at E. Wedel in Warsaw.
-Paired wine and cheese: Giving a bottle of wine is common around the holidays, but have you ever thought about what goes well with it? Nurse someone's inner wine snob and give the perfect cheese to go with their bottle.
-Nikon Coolpix Digital Camera: Coming from someone with a camera that cost more than her computer, it was a stretch for me to buy something I could fit in my pocket. My husband actually recommended this one to me, and Walmart has it on sale for $90. It's small, pretty good on battery power, and uncomplicated. A good gift for someone as a first digital camera or even someone who has a tendency to beat the hell out of them. And it took nice pictures in cloudy Prague.
-Anthony Bourdain's books: He's such a snarky bastard. I tucked into The Nasty Bits in a cafe, and ended up sitting happily for hours.
-Tea: It's a spin on the classic mug and hot chocolate. Pick up a pretty box of tea, put it in a basket with a fancy tea cup and some little cookies, and it's a cute little gift set.
-Timex Digital Grip Clip: Jere bought me this when I couldn't decide on what style of watch I wanted. I clip it on my belt loop or my purse. It's a Godsend.
-Movie night in a box: My aunt did this for me one year, and I haven't forgotten it! She sent me and my first husband a box with a Blockbuster gift card, microwave popcorn, and movie sized candy. I believe there might have been a Pizza Hut gift card in there, too. And you know what? We really made the effort to use it as our date night, so it there you go. That's how you can put "time with loved ones" under the tree. There are so many different ways you could do this gift, whether it's with a DVD or rental gift cards or even a prepaid subscription to Netflix.
-Champagne and flutes: I'm a sucker for stemware, and am constantly surprised at the beautiful and affordable things I find. You can get a couple of cheap Target champagne flutes and a $10 bottle of bubbly and make a gorgeous gift. Or if you really want to knock someone's socks off, give them these, and opt for them to be gift wrapped. The blue box is always striking.
Thus ends this year's list of Kristin's Favorite Things. I promise next year to stay home long enough to get this out earlier so it might actually be useful. Happy Holidays, everyone!
Saturday, December 20, 2008
Not yet, but I promise it's coming
I got back from Europe late Thursday, and I have a ton of photos and stories. But I don't have the energy to go through it all right now. After I got off the plane, my body decided to give out. I picked up some bug in Prague or on the plane, so now I'm achy and my throat is so sore. So give me some time, and I'll get it all organized, I promise.
In the meantime, today was busy, because sometimes you don't have the option of staying home sick. I had a hair appointment at 9 this morning, and left early to get a latte at Starbucks. I should have skipped it. There was a new girl working there, and it took 25 minutes to get my damn coffee. Now, I'm a nice person. Ok. Fine. Maybe I'm not, but I'm still a lady, so I stood there patiently. I'm going to admit it wasn't entirely the girl's fault. I got stuck in line behind this woman who couldn't make up her mind and took forever to order, so I was getting short on time anyhow.
I've worked in food service. And since I've been there and done the job, I feel qualified to get upset when someone isn't doing their job. And today, this girl's boss threw her into the fire at my expense. After about 15 minutes of standing at the pick-up counter, I grabbed my appointment card out of my wallet and dialed the salon, and told them I would be late. Loudly. It wasn't a problem on their end, and I did end up running only a couple of minutes behind, but part of me did it so the employees would realize that when they run behind, it doesn't effect just them.
Does it ever occur to people in the food service industry to actually serve their customers? I know the customer isn't always right, but shouldn't they at least be considered important until they've proven themself idiotic? Maybe Starbucks should have two lines, like they're putting in at airport security. If you go through the TSA checkpoint at certain airports, they have different lanes for families, casual travelers, and professional travelers. Maybe at Starbucks they should have different lines as well. One for people who don't actually drink coffee and need to think about every aspect of their order, one for people who casually visit Starbucks and know what they basically want, and one for professional coffee drinkers. I can picture that line full of rushed businessmen and overbooked ladies who lunch, screaming out their insane but practiced coffee orders: tall decaf americano 3/4 full, grande half-caf non-fat cap extra hot extra foam, venti whole milk no whip sugar free triple shot caramel macchiato. Yeah, that last crazy one is mine. We are the people who know who we are and what we want. To quote Tom Hanks from You've Got Mail: "The whole purpose of places like Starbucks is for people with no decision-making ability whatsoever to make six decisions just to buy one cup of coffee. Short, tall, light, dark, caf, decaf, low-fat, non-fat, etc. So people who don't know what the hell they're doing or who on earth they are can, for only $2.95, get not just a cup of coffee but an absolutely defining sense of self: Tall. Decaf. Cappuccino."
And my last word on this subject. Yes, there are some irate customers. I am quite often one of them (though I tend to silently seethe instead of making a scene). But when a person counts on someone to deliver a service in a timely manner, and instead ends up waiting, it's hard to stay patient. Because who looks bad in the end? It's the customer, who is now late to wherever they were going. And if you're anything like me, tardiness is the unwritten 8th deadly sin.
The rest of my day was unbelievely pleasant, despite the fact that swallowing takes some effort with this sore throat. Everyone was in a jolly mood at my salon, and my stylist covered up my bald spots by cutting in some layers. I don't know if I've mentioned it, but my fertility meds have caused me to lose hair by the handfuls, and there's not much I can do about it. I guess you can't have it all, huh? Then I headed to the grocery store to start preparing for post-Christmas dinner. It was nice and there wasn't a crowd. And it's been a low-key afternoon. I needed that.
Tomorrow is Sunday, my favorite day. I'm ready for my sick day now.
Today's lesson: No matter how mad I get at Starbucks, I'll go back. They sell me those lovely "legal addictive stimulants" that my day just can't begin without. So it doesn't make a damn bit of difference if I bitch. They will always win in the end.
Preview of tomorrow's blog: Kristin's favorite things ala Oprah style
In the meantime, today was busy, because sometimes you don't have the option of staying home sick. I had a hair appointment at 9 this morning, and left early to get a latte at Starbucks. I should have skipped it. There was a new girl working there, and it took 25 minutes to get my damn coffee. Now, I'm a nice person. Ok. Fine. Maybe I'm not, but I'm still a lady, so I stood there patiently. I'm going to admit it wasn't entirely the girl's fault. I got stuck in line behind this woman who couldn't make up her mind and took forever to order, so I was getting short on time anyhow.
I've worked in food service. And since I've been there and done the job, I feel qualified to get upset when someone isn't doing their job. And today, this girl's boss threw her into the fire at my expense. After about 15 minutes of standing at the pick-up counter, I grabbed my appointment card out of my wallet and dialed the salon, and told them I would be late. Loudly. It wasn't a problem on their end, and I did end up running only a couple of minutes behind, but part of me did it so the employees would realize that when they run behind, it doesn't effect just them.
Does it ever occur to people in the food service industry to actually serve their customers? I know the customer isn't always right, but shouldn't they at least be considered important until they've proven themself idiotic? Maybe Starbucks should have two lines, like they're putting in at airport security. If you go through the TSA checkpoint at certain airports, they have different lanes for families, casual travelers, and professional travelers. Maybe at Starbucks they should have different lines as well. One for people who don't actually drink coffee and need to think about every aspect of their order, one for people who casually visit Starbucks and know what they basically want, and one for professional coffee drinkers. I can picture that line full of rushed businessmen and overbooked ladies who lunch, screaming out their insane but practiced coffee orders: tall decaf americano 3/4 full, grande half-caf non-fat cap extra hot extra foam, venti whole milk no whip sugar free triple shot caramel macchiato. Yeah, that last crazy one is mine. We are the people who know who we are and what we want. To quote Tom Hanks from You've Got Mail: "The whole purpose of places like Starbucks is for people with no decision-making ability whatsoever to make six decisions just to buy one cup of coffee. Short, tall, light, dark, caf, decaf, low-fat, non-fat, etc. So people who don't know what the hell they're doing or who on earth they are can, for only $2.95, get not just a cup of coffee but an absolutely defining sense of self: Tall. Decaf. Cappuccino."
And my last word on this subject. Yes, there are some irate customers. I am quite often one of them (though I tend to silently seethe instead of making a scene). But when a person counts on someone to deliver a service in a timely manner, and instead ends up waiting, it's hard to stay patient. Because who looks bad in the end? It's the customer, who is now late to wherever they were going. And if you're anything like me, tardiness is the unwritten 8th deadly sin.
The rest of my day was unbelievely pleasant, despite the fact that swallowing takes some effort with this sore throat. Everyone was in a jolly mood at my salon, and my stylist covered up my bald spots by cutting in some layers. I don't know if I've mentioned it, but my fertility meds have caused me to lose hair by the handfuls, and there's not much I can do about it. I guess you can't have it all, huh? Then I headed to the grocery store to start preparing for post-Christmas dinner. It was nice and there wasn't a crowd. And it's been a low-key afternoon. I needed that.
Tomorrow is Sunday, my favorite day. I'm ready for my sick day now.
Today's lesson: No matter how mad I get at Starbucks, I'll go back. They sell me those lovely "legal addictive stimulants" that my day just can't begin without. So it doesn't make a damn bit of difference if I bitch. They will always win in the end.
Preview of tomorrow's blog: Kristin's favorite things ala Oprah style
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