I know. I know. Totally cheesy title, but I’m in the fever. Planning my yearly trip to NYC…only this time the focus is around continuing education for my career, not continuing feeding of my soul. I usually spend a week in the center of the universe on a theatre trip sponsored by my university. It’s an amazing trip. If you’ve never been, or just want to go again, I highly recommend you doing it this way. It’s an expensive week, but it’s SOOOOO worth it.

I’m heartsick that I can’t go this year. The timing just isn’t right. Family obligations and such. But that’s ok. I’ll be there later in the year. I’ll be taking a color class at the Loreal Professional SoHo Academy…on Mercer St. . . where I walked bloody blisters on my feet trying to locate the space last May That would be me applying band aids to my heels on a very creative stoop…step…front of a place.

SO…I digress.

I’m probably going to have at least 2 to 3 girls with me from my salon. First timer’s to the city. What I want from all of you are your must see’s. I was a shitty shitty tour guide with little to no tact or patience the last time I did this. Thank GOD for Kizz and Reno. But I don’t want to make the same mistakes this time.

My plan is to get there on a Saturday, do class Sunday and Monday. Tuesday is actually September 11th. Everybody think what they want, “don’t fly on that day” “don’t stay in the City that day” whatever. I actually want to be in the City that day. If for nothing else but to say to my friends…I’m sorry your home got hurt. Here’s my respect and love.

THEN, do more seeing on wed and have the girls fly out then or on Thurs. I would like to stay on a few more days, get some GOOD time in with MY girls and come home the weekend.

It may prove to be too long gone from work, though September is the crappiest month of the year…will just have to see how that pans out.

SO..your assignment, should you choose to take it, is send me a list of Must See’s. I’d like to plan a little (ok. a lot.) and think some things through before it gets here. Plenty of time you say? HA I say. It’s an ever changing city. Up and coming everythings there. and you now as well as I do how fast time goes….I was humming a Guns and Roses song the other day like it was 1989….

huzzah to you all.

This one’s for my own self.
Slurp.

Watched a little Creek this morning…Kizz this one is for you!

Why is it, when we need words the most, they fail us?
Why is it, when we need to be our most fierce, all we do is cry?
Why is it, when we need to send strength cross country, all we send is ARRGGGGGGHHHH?

I know we handle and process differently. But for once, I’d like to be able to have the magic words. The magic solution. To be able to say, “Ok. Here’s what you do…” and POOF magic.

Obviously I know that’s not the case. Many times there are no words, least of all magic ones. And I know that sometimes just being a sounding board is what is needed. I got it. Sometimes, though, I think my rush to judgement, or rush to emotion come off as condecending or holier-than-thou…and it’s not meant to be.

There have been many times this year that I feel I’ve done that. Not purposly, but have come across that way. Maybe it’s because I’m away from the situation at hand and can see it at a different angle. Maybe it’s because I am removed and not RIGHT THERE. Most of the time, I think it’s because I really have no idea. Truly.

I think back to when my divorce was fresh. I was touring, based in Indiana at the time. Removed from all that was known. All that was “safe”. Wishing against wishes to be in a backyard with little league and cupcakes. My tour partner and I talked and talked and talked. I remember re-hashing many bits and pieces. And at the end of that year, I felt ok. Ok enough to go back home and actually file the papers and get it over with. Who knew that peace could be found within the walls of a Red Roof Inn in Anderson, Indiana?

Different process. Different puzzle.

I don’t know what has me pondering this…it’s been on my mind for about a month now and today I just thought I’d purge.

It’s only my second 10 Things list and Damn Gina!!, it’s hard to come up with a topic! I’m going to pause and get a steaming hot cup of coffee to kick start the creative brain….be right back.

Ok. Mmmmmmmm coffee. Totally love the stuff. Maybe that’s a starting point. 10 Things I love. Not necessarily in the order of importance.

1) Coffee. I remember my first cup. It was at a voice lesson and when my teacher offered it to me, I felt so grown up and adult-like. I think I was in the 9th grade. I accepted and choked the vile, hot stuff down. I’ve gone through the cream phase, the cream and sugar phase, the flavored coffee phase, the flavored cream phase, the splenda or sweet and low phase, and I have to say…I’m a purist. Hot. Steaming. Straight Up. I could literally drink it all day long, but am finding the older I get the more the caffene affects my sleep.

2) I love the sound a basketball makes as it swooshes through the net. The Big Twelve Tournament is here this week. The t.v. and radio are all basketball right now. My friends in high school played. I dated a boy who played, my sophomore year. He could dunk, disproving the theory that white boys can’t jump. He could, and did. Lobster however, was king of the nasty joke and the three point shot. I miss him. He’s somewhere in Kansas with 3 or 4 kids living the life. Hopefully at the 20 year reunion he’ll show himself…and maybe shoot a basket or two. Swoosh.

3) I love a new year. I love the look of a calendar that has nothing on it. No boundaries, no expectations, no obligations. Just freedom. It’s so hopeful. This is the year that I will really…fill in the blank…I love a do over and January is the perfect do over.

4) I love the feeling of a pantry that is stocked. A fridge and freezer that is bursting forth with freshness and goodies. I am not a child of the depression. Nor was I deprived of food growing up. I have no family of my own. But having a kitchen full of food…makes me feel safe and sound.

5) I love clean sheet day. I wish I could say it was every single Sunday, but it’s not. I’m not that organized. Sometimes it’s every other week, but more often than not it’s a weekly event…

6)I love the feeling of a good pedicure, especially when you have an ingrown big toenail and they fix it for you. I could have kissed the little Asian woman smack on the mouth for giving me such relief yesterday!

7)I love fresh hair. Be it a new haircut, or fresh color. It can be the same style, same thing you’ve done for a year but when it’s new it just feels sooooo good.

8)I love sitting on a porch. I love the evenings on a porch, watching the birds, or watching the cats watch the birds. Enjoying a chiminea fire, or grilling steaks. If I’m surrounded by good friends, it doesn’t get any better than that.

9)I love TiGi eyeliner. It’s the softest, smoothest stuff I’ve ever used. And it stays on!

10)I love Bearnaise sauce. I cooked steak and grilled veggies last night with Bearnaise. I could just eat that sauce by itself, sop it up with some bread. But…moderation, right? So I moderated.

That wasn’t as difficult as I thought it’d be! I’m off to work today, starting my short week. I’m going to Arkansas for the Wonderboy’s 5th birthday. Leaving after work Friday night. I hope you’re week is going well,and that you have ten things that you can IMMEDIATELY think of that you love.

I’d like to talk a little bit about Kizz’s recent post. I’ve actually read several articles about this recently. About women and money and their lack of initiative, or responsibility, or follow through. Another talked about this very thing, about if we shared our thoughts and ideas and support, we’d all be much better at money handling.

I am in constant struggle with the idea of responsible money.

There was a time in my life, I charged up credit cards without care. I let the bills pile up without a shrug. I let the student loan payments default for what seemed like eons without the slightest nod, or call, or smoke signal. I would sleep and wake everyday with this amazing load of guilt and weight and horror on my shoulders.

I have to say, those days are gone. I pay my bills. I’m not saying I’m never late, sometimes life happens, sometimes work is light and paychecks are lighter, sometimes I just forget. But nine times out of ten, it’s in the mail. Or paid online. Or taken to the store and paid there. Done. Finito.

I’ve paid down several cards, and have taken a noted interest in my credit lately. I want to buy a house. Soon. I’ve gotten rid of extracurricular cards and credit accounts. I’ve paid off more than one debt. I’m closing in on the major loan payment for school. I think I’m actually getting money back on my taxes this year.

But I have no savings.

I want to. I feel the need and urge to have something. I believe I even put it on my NY Resolution list. Time to get control over this. Too long gone, with it controlling me. That is stupid and ridiculous.

Kizz said she is sometimes judgemental about people and money, directly in response to how they look at her life and spending habits. I think this is universal. I don’t think it’s a man/woman thing. I just think it’s a human thing. We judge. We don’t judge.

I am amazed that I have lived to be the age that I am without a plan, a savings account. But…before the tsk tsk tsk-ing comes along, before the judge flings the gavel down…it’s not too late. Tomorrow is another day.

I think there are more of us out there with weirdness about money than there isn’t. And I think we could all learn amazing amounts about dealing with it if it were a topic open for free discussion. But it’s not. We’re all weird about it for some reason…Maybe we’re completely anal and to the penny because we hid the Dillard’s bill from our Dad (check) or maybe we just listened to one too many fights about money and how we never had any and how could we ever spend that much money on FUCKING CLOTHES (check) or maybe we’re just scared of numbers because our 4th grade teacher Mr. Webster made actual fun of us in front of the whole class for not understanding the times tables. (checkcheckfuckingcheck) Whatever the reason, money is a hot topic. Hot enough for Rosie et.al. to have touched on it last week. Hot enough for Kizz to talk about it this week. Hot enough.

I don’t have an actual plan per se, but I know where I’ve been. I’m not there anymore. I can see what I want. And that’s a good start for me.

Have you seen that website? Seen those quiz boxes in the corner of the screen? Well I was surfing my WW site for recipes last night and decided, “what the hell” I’ll take it. I never do that, for all the spam I’ll get telling me I suck and can not suck if only I buy this…whatever.
Here are my findings:

Calendar Age 36.3
Difference +4.2
My RealAge 40.5

Ok. That isn’t as bad as it could be, and some factors weren’t available. I have no idea what my blood pressure is. I have no clue as to what my good and bad cholesterol is. I didn’t get up and get my vitamins to see the percentage of what I’m taking.

I need to exercise more. See this post

I need to cut that list waaaaaay out.

So I’m going to ponder this awhile. I’m really a 40 year old walking around. Some days I feel it, and then some days…right back to that senior year, but smarter! HA! Maybe I’ll go thru the next month or so, and retake it. I’m heading to weigh in, and will be motivated to move my body…we’ll see.

What’s you’re age?

Nothing much to post tonight…Slept the day away on the couch and it felt GOOD. Last night’s sleepover turned into a huge drunkfest for at least two of the girls, both whom we didn’t let drive home. One was fine with that, the other laid out on the kitchen floor and threw a fit, then went and sat in her car and bawled for 30 minutes while her sister drove to get her.

I understand the need to twist off. Believe me people, I get it. I feel it rising up inside me and gurgling over. It is a need that takes over and at some point must be obeyed. So you know what you do? YOU OBEY IT!!! That way, on the few chances you have sans significant other and sans children and sans obligations, you can do so without losing your freking mind.

I stayed happy and laughing all night long, fell asleep on the couch and had myself a great night. I had plans to come home and work this house into shape, so far at almost 7pm, only the kitchen is done. Halfway. Just wanted to sleep. So I did. Guilt free, which is a huge hurdle for me.

Need to get on the phone and play catch up with my boy Carus in Vegas, with Chee home from Aspen and with Gertrude home from a romping grape weekend…but for now am going to start dinner. Spaghetti tonight. Weigh in tomorrow. Then cats to the vet, OH and last night, I chipped a veneer on my front tooth, so that needs to get taken care of. flop. It’s going to be damned near 70 tomorrow, so am grilling and will utilize the day.

Have a great evening people. Curl up, enjoy the last moments of the weekend and get fired up for another week. We Spring Forward next weekend. Bring on those summer nights. Maybe we will be able to share one or two this year!

55% Dixie. Barely in Dixie.
I’m BARELY Dixie. The hell did that happen? Huh. Ok, so that’s actually ok with me. I blame it on being hugely continental and the many people I’ve been around that are also hugely continental.
what are you?

kind of fancy for a load of bull, right?

But it’s MY FRIDAY people! I’m off to a slumber party tonight. Salon girls are getting together, and yes, I’m already forming the posts in my head.

Huzzahh to you all.