The Cardinal Sin

Yes, I did it.  I'm not proud, and the thing is, I know better.  There are just certain things you just don't do.  Certain codes you don't break.  You don't date your friends old boyfriends.  As you get older, you don't ditch your friends for a guy.  You don't date your boss.  You don't flirt with your kid's teachers or coaches. Don't get your meat where you buy your bread.  

The Cardinal Rule:  You don't mix your salons.  You go to a different salon for hair, waxing, nails, massage, facials, little injectibles, etc.  You can't mix them.  You can't have your facial where you get your hair cut.  What happens if you have to break up with one of them?  That makes for the awkward hello when you see them again.  You know that they talk about you when you leave.  Compare your stories.  Who needs that kind of stress?

I never want to be known as the salon whore.  I don't want to know the name of every hairdresser because I've gone to everyone in the salon.  I like long-term relationships.  I do.  I don't want to date around.  I've never had a problem before staying faithful.  In Arizona, I had the same stylist for years.  The same nail person.  The same doctors, dentists, etc.  Since I've been Living in Sin (City), I can't stay faithful.  I've had 3 gynecologists, and looking for number 4.  I've had my hair cut by a million people, some of them licensed, and have only found one that I loved.  His cut was $175.  I only went a couple of times, Robert.  Even I just can't justify it.  I've had so many nail people I can't even count.  My previous nail lady actually asked to use my address so her kids to go to school in my school district.  It is our "extra" house and no one lives there.  I told her I didn't think it would be a good idea, and unbeknownst to me, she decided not to take no for an answer.  I didn't realize what had happened until an officer from the Clark County School District left a note on the door that they were verifying an address.  I called and said little Johnny did not live there.  No, not for the past two years that he's been using the address.  I assume he found another school and is not learning in a cardboard box under the underpass.  So, some I've had to break up with some because they were crappy, and some I've had to break up with because they had a touch of The Crazy.

I have a nail person that I've been going to for about a year.  I like her.  She's pleasant, she knows what I like, and she doesn't cancel on me.  She just found out she was having a baby.  I bought her a present.  We are all good.  Right across from her station is a very nice lady who cuts hair, and is good friends with the nail lady.  I've seen her clients come and go for over a year now.  The cuts are good.  The color is good.  So, I tried her out on the kids.  It all went fine, so I signed up.  I KNEW I WAS BREAKING THE RULE.  Truth is, I have a touch of The Lazy so it was a convenience thing for me.  So, she cuts my hair.  All was good.  Robert actually noticed I had it cut and liked it.  So, I have her color it.  It was ok.  I'm actually new to coloring, so it always takes me some time to get used to it all.  I went in Friday for a cut.  I said to the woman, "I just barely want it trimmed.  I want the scissors to wave by the hair and cut off the stragglers.  Less than 1/8 of an inch, please."  SHE CUT BANGS.  It was at least 2 inches across the bottom and 5-6 for the bangs.  I screamed at her that I have not had bangs since the infamous Dorothy Hamill haircut when I was 9, and they were as terrible then as they are now.  I can't even put it in a ponytail, which is crucial to my training.  Oh, and the chunky layers you put in might have looked good on a little chickie who is 19, but looks like a desperate attempt at youth on a 41 year old.  Oh, and also, you don't want to thin this hair because now you are able to read a book through it.

Now I'm in a salon dilemma.  I don't have to address it right away because my hair is so damn short that I wont need another cut for months but it's looming.  Weighing quite heavily on my mind.  Feeling pretty good about myself with my oompa loompa face which is still not cleared up, and my lovely new do, especially since I have a job interview today.  Doesn't it sound fun to go to an interview with someone you've never met and have to preface the fact that I usually can open my eyes more than 3 mm, or those huge purple bags under my eyes is only because my cheeks are so swollen, and when I smile, I look like a bulldog because of the extra swollen wrinkles?

Internet, I need your advice.  Anyone have any good salon break-up strategies? 

Spring Ball

Enzo has decided to play Spring Football this year.  If anyone would like to sign up for carpool, he is an excellent driver and a decent tight end.  We are hoping his neck injury won't be a factor in the playoffs.

Protein Smoothie Challenge

How many of you are brave enough to take the Purple Power Smoothie Challenge?  I have been making this smoothie for the past week or so and we all love it.  Of course, some of the smaller people in the house don't know what's in it.  They know what's in mine and just assume I take it out of theirs.  Isn't child logic interesting?  This recipe came from Cuisine at Home Magazine, February 2009.

Makes 1 smoothie

1/2 banana

1/2 cup frozen blueberries

1/2 cup acai-blueberry juice

1/4 cup soft silken tofu

1/4 cup soy milk

1 tsp lemon juice

Process in blender until smooth.  Done.

Per 1 1/2 cups: 219 cal; 3 g total fat (0 sat fat); 0 mg chol; 43g carbs; 46mg sodium; 4g fiber; 7g protein

I never could find the acai-blueberry juice so I bought one that also included pomegranate.  Also, Tofu has no taste.  I REPEAT, TOFU HAS NO TASTE.  It is like a flavor sponge so it will absorb whatever you put with it.  If you put it with blueberries, it will taste like blueberries.  If you put it with strawberries, it will taste like strawberries.  If you put it with snozberries, it will taste like snozberries.  This calls for the silken tofu, which is different than the chunky kind you see in Chinese food.  Oh, just try it.  Let me know if you do it and what you think.

Swimming, Biking, Running, and Leukemia

I've been warning you this was coming...

My sister, Sandi, died in 2002 of Acute Myelogenous Leukemia.  She was 39 years old. It was absolutely horrible.  She was in terrible pain in her back, and went all over Springfield, MO, begging doctors for help for months.  At one point, they even suggested putting her in the psych ward for evaluation because there was nothing physically wrong with her.  Her ex-husband was on the local Red Cross board with a neurosurgeon who agreed to see her.  He did a full blood panel, which no one else had done, and a body scan.  After 4 fruitless months of trying to figure out what was wrong, she was diagnosed on Memorial Day.  To say that the medical treatment she received was a clusterfuck would be an understatement.  Her primary Oncologist would come in and talk to her and tell her the things he learned the night before on the Internet and possible courses of action for her treatment.  NEVER ONCE did they say, you should get your affairs in order.  She went through all the hells of chemo and all the treatment plans.  She had the resources to go to other hospitals in the country, but they never told her how bad it was.  I don't think it ever really crossed her mind that she might die. 

She started developing fluid around her heart and I decided to come in for the weekend from Phoenix since she wasn't doing well and it was the weekend before school started.  When I arrived, she said, "Wow, I must be really sick if they called you to come."  I asked what she was on because she was kind of loopy, and they said she was on no meds.  She was scheduled for surgery the next morning at 6:00 am.  I arrived about 5:30 and she was unconscious.  She would mumble words, calling out for her kids by name, but never waking up.  No one came to get her for her surgery.  Her husband, my sister, and my mom showed up a little while later but still no one came.  We asked the nurse who said she would send in the doctor as soon as she arrived.  Sandi's regular doctor was off for a few days, and this woman was on call.  She finally came in the room and told us that Sandi wouldn't make it through the weekend.  We were completely shocked.  We called for her kids to come, and when they arrived, she did open her eyes and say their names.  We are thankful for that, at least.  The doctors were actually right on this one, she didn't make it through the weekend.

She was gone August 10th.  She left behind two boys who were 14 and 15 who were at a time in their life when they needed their Mom.  They still do.

I have decided to complete a triathlon in Las Vegas on April 19th in her honor and at the same time, raise funds for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.  I am working with an organization called Team in Training who will train me while I raise money for them.  I've always wanted to do this, but now I feel I need to do this if I can prevent one more family from going through the pain.  Maybe one more kid can have his Mom around when he needs her.

I'm asking for your help with a donation.  I know it is a terrible economy and the Christmas credit cards bills are rolling in, but if you can help at all, it is really a worthwhile cause.  To donate, you can click on My fundraising web page and you can donate online.

I will also be sending out an email for those of you in my email list so please don't get offended if you see this twice. 

I will be letting you know how my training is going, which seems to be at a standstill right now until I get rid of the Oompa Lumpa rash on my face, but I will get back to it as soon as I can. 

Thanks for this.  I will now return you to your regularly scheduled blog reading.

WARNING: AVEDA GREEN SCIENCE FIRMING FACE CREAM IS MAKING MY LIFE MISERABLE

In an attempt to get off the greatest/most expensive face cream in the entire universe, I have been playing around with cheaper options.  I go from Creme de la Mer which is over $200 for the jar which lasts about 2 months to Oil of Olay which is about $17 for the same amount of time.  Thanks to the lady at Wal-Mart who checked me out the other day, I now know that their brand, Equate, was the same exact formula for $8.  I didn't tell her I was coming down off a product high and felt like I was scraping the bottom of the barrel with Oil of Olay and wasn't going down any deeper to Equate.  You may tell me that it is just as good, but I'm taking baby steps here.  Work with me.  My husband decides he's going to help because he doesn't like to see me suffer, and while he is getting his hair cut, picks up the Aveda Green Science Firming Face Cream.  OMG.  I now have hives all over my face and neck.  Little blistering bumps that make you feel like you are either going to cry from the pain, or tear apart your face from the itching.  As a bonus, it also sparked a cold sore as well.  I would take a picture, but I'm way too vain to have it out there.  Now, I've used Aveda hair products for 20 years, and use the body soap everyday as well so I'm used to their products.  You know, "The Art and Science of Pure Flowers and Plant Essences."  Or hives.  Whichever.

I went to the doc in a box today and have a prescription for steroids.  He didn't think it would scar.  Great.  I can't exercise for 2-3 days and have to continue to take Benadryl, which makes me sleepy as soon as I pull the box off the shelf.  I break open the blister pack and I better be standing 3 feet at most away from a sleeping surface because I am out. 

Just a friendly consumer warning from someone who is tied to the house.  Do not use the Aveda skin care cream. 

New Year, New Goals (or same ones as always)

So the calendar flipped into 2009 and here we are.  I feel like I should be doing something. The beginning of the year is like having a restart button, or a do over, if you will.  I've never been good at holding myself to a "New Year's Resolution" so I don't do one.  Oh, and don't you hate it when people ask you what your resolutions are for the year?  I mean, it's usually really personal and something you don't like about yourself.  You never hear someone saying, "I've decided that this year I'm going to eat like a pig and gain 20 pounds, spend all my money and be homeless." One of my favorite journalists, Jack Germond, a salty old liberal who used to write for the Baltimore Sun,  had the same New Year's Resolution every year which I now have adopted. "I'm going to drink less, smoke less, and suffer fools gladly."  My mantra going into 2009.  I don't smoke but I also don't suffer fools gladly either.  I am training for a new triathlon.  I'm doing it with a group so hopefully that will help with the training.  They aren't there everyday to make you do something.  Notice I'm not at the pool right now which is where I should be.  More on that tomorrow, or the next day, or whenever I get around to it.

As you know, I'm addicted to the Martha Stewart radio channel on Sirius 112 or XM 157, and they started a 35 day health challenge on the Whole Living channel if you're interested.  I signed up but not really all that interested.  As you know, it is Wednesday and it really started on Monday so I can't join mid-week.  It also has a no meat first week policy and I love meat, and a no alcohol policy and I love alcohol.  I'm not quite sure this is the program for me, but I feel pressured to have a resolution. 

According to the Internet, the most popular resolutions are :

• Lose Weight (year long battle)
• Manage Debt (Manage to keep the debt below head level)
• Save Money (See below - first things first)
• Get a Better Job (or just a job at this point would be good)
• Get Fit (Like 6 pack abs or just able to button my pants?)
• Eat Right (Less cupcakes, more tofu)
• Drink Less Alcohol (Hmmmm, no?)
• Quit Smoking (Check)
• Reduce Stress Overall (Really not that stressed right now)
• Reduce Stress at Work (I have NO stress at work)
• Take A Trip (That doesn't mean Missouri for Christmas)
• Volunteer to Help Others (Yeah, Yeah)

Did you pick yours?  Go ahead, take one and make it your own.  Then we can all feel like losers together when we've blown it off by President's Day.

Happy New Year

2008 New Year's Eve was officially the most boring New Year's Eve for me on record.  Not that there is anything wrong with that, but it felt really forced.  I made way too much food and found myself at 9:30 on the couch by myself watching Clueless for the 20th time.  Robert was hiding out somewhere in the house and Nick was in his room watching "his" TV.  We had watched a movie together earlier, but I think we started too early in the evening and then the time dragged by.  We finally made it up to midnight to toast the new year, but it just seems kind of silly when all you want to do is go to bed.  I was asleep by 12:15.  Of course, Taylor was the only one with plans and was at a lock-in at her dance studio.  She didn't sleep all night so we are looking forward to a full day of cranky!!  I might suddenly remember a very important thing I have to do out of the house.  It is nice not to have anything at all to do for a change.  Unless you count all these Christmas decorations that are still up.  They've been here so long that I can't even see them anymore.  Good thing because if they were still up, I would need to take them down today but since I can't see them, I really have nothing to do today at all.  Happy New Year!