PSA 2-1-2009

Yes they beat carolina in the playoffs. I hold no harsh feelings. Had our boys played to the best of their abilities, perhaps I would have a Panthers logo in this posting instead. But i dont.
However, Just so you know...

Kurt Warner is the man.

And his wife FINALLY got rid of that hair and quit looking like that ma'am from Webster.

GO CARDINALS!

My Cereal Obsession

I have kind of this "issue". I have had said issue for YEARS and am wondering if maybe I am just crazy.
It is about cereal...and milk...and the perfect blend of the two in my bowl.

i have to have my perfect ratio or cereal to milk in my bowl, otherwise I cannot eat it.If there is too little milk then I have to add more. But if we are out of milk then I throw the whole bowl of cereal away. Same goes for too much milk. I have to add more cereal. But if there is no more, again I discard the whole bowl. I have done this for years and I dont know why.


I remember in college,way back when in 1994, I lived in the dorm and ate at "the Junction" (Junk for short) and for lunch one day I wasnt interested in what they were serving, so I got a bowl of cereal. It was frosted flakes, and it was the last of them. I had my glass of milk and I poured about 3/4 of the milk into my bowl, creating the perfect balance of cereal to milk.

My friend Curtis, thinking he was being funny, picked up my glass of unused milk and dumped the rest of it into my cereal bowl.

I couldnt eat it. He had ruined it for me. he thought I was an absolute Loony Toon for being that way, but I seriously couldnt eat it.

I had to go back and eat inferior lunch of apple jacks, sitting myself and my milk far away from curtis, lest he taint my food again. to this day when I am pouring my cereal or milk i always think of curtis and my ruined bowl of frosted flakes, and I make sure to get it just right so i am not wasting anything.



am I wierd or is that a touch OCD??

Do I have to go??

thanks to everyone for the encouraging comments on my last post.
Because of you I got out of my nice, warm, comfy bed this morning to go run.
I didnt want to. really, i DID NOT want to.
But I remembered all the ncie things everyone said it is inspired me to get my butt in gear and head out.
so here i am post exercise, feeling much better.

THANK YOU!!

woo hoo

so I stepped on the scale this morning for the first time in a week.
since starting my running program 3 weeks ago I have dropped 9 pounds.(this is the start of week 4)

I can mostly see it in my face and butt(the first two places I lose it)
I have had several people at school ask me if i have been losing weight and what I was doing.
My teacher has asked how I have lost so much so quickly. (like I said I lose it in my face first, so it gives the illusion of more)

So Here is my secret: I run for 30 minutes 3 times a week. I have been on the couch to 5k program, MON-WED-FRI. Basically i have been alternating running a certain amount of time with walking and each week i run just a little bit longer and walk a lettle less.
(If I decide to do more I go out and exercise the other 2 days and swim or walk the treadmill.)

I tweaked my diet just a little bit.
Basically i cut out all carbonated beverages, cut back on my sweets intake by 50% and eat slower and eat smaller portions. Oh and I take whole food concentrate vitamins.(horse pills that look and taste like grass, but are chock full of every single vitamin and mineral your body could ever need or want)
Thats it.
Pretty easy.

I feel really good about it and i am doing it the old fashioned way. Exercise, smarter eating habits, and no diet pills.

size 12 here I come!!

Moo cards for school

I LOVE MOO!!! I want to order a set of their mini cards for when I go to the advanced floor.

That way I can upload a bunch of different designs for an assortment. Thats what I LOVE about the Moo cards. You can have up to 100 different designs for your cards, and the cost is the same as if you did one design.

It is just so hard to find cute cosmetology related cards that dont include clip art scissors or clip art long swirling hair or cartoony blowdryers etc.

so these were just a few floral ones I did(I really love flowers). I want something pretty, and the fact that they are adorably small make it even better. I figure I can hand them out to the new people who sit in my chair and hopefully they will pull out their card and request me when they re-book. That way I get more technical hours in, I get more crossed off on my checklist and more tips than anyone else.

(Obviously I blocked out the contact info on it for all you cyber stalkers out there!!)

I really like them and am hoping to have them ordered in the next few weeks before I start the floor (6 weeks!!)

Oreo DSRL

Ok so one of my favorite things on Television was the Oreo Double Stuff racing League.

Especially Mannings vs Williams.

It started with this:

And ended with this:

well done Oreo...not as if I didnt already consume and enjoy DS Oreos.

I dont know if they are able to top themselves. who can be funnier than Peyton manning??

I just dont know.

Digging for buried treasure??

the other day I caught Peter with his finger up his nose, rooting around.

I stopped and just looked at him and watched him as he was just going to town.

I thought "If this kid digs any higher he will poke his brain!"

 So I finally had to say something.

ME: Peter do you need to blow your nose

PETER: (Pulls finger out of nose, brandishing the worlds largest boogie) No, I got it.

(inhales deeply)Whew...I can breathe again!

ME: I'll bet you can!  that is one giant booger. 

PETER: Yeah, thats what I was digging around for up there.

Why are little boys so gross??

I guess I should be thankful he asked for a tissue to wrap it up and throw it away. Finn would have just eaten it.

5'10 blonde, part two with pictures

Here are the photos as promised of my latest creation. I have been so good the past few years about not wrecking my hair. Then I wrote a post about using my powers for good to help other hair wreckers. But once a hair wrecker, always a hair wrecker. When around chemicals our fingers twitch and we actually think it would be a good idea. It is like an alcoholic around alcohol. They KNOW it isnt a good idea, but in their mind they are thinking "What will one hurt??"
I am that way around scissors, hair color or bleach of any kind.
Now as I said, this was a spur of the moment, no game plan, just do it because I am in the mood idea. I had left over bleach from my color lab and decided instead of pouring it down the sink I would find a better home for it...on my head. I hand painted some heavy chunky streaks on my head in random places that would peek out strategically on the underside and then some on top that were meant for dramatics. And yes, I did this all by myself.
so without further ado...ignore the pasty white woman, you are just here for the hair...the results of my rash and impetuous behaviour.

The good news is Charles said he liked it. Although I feel like I can not shock him any more with my hair-antics, so I dont know if he is being sincere or if he is trying to spare my feelings, as he has done countless times before.(He knows on which side his bread is buttered)

Am I still on the wagon?? Or did I fall off the wagon with that? You be the judge...and be brutally honest.

Attack of the 5'10" blonde

I had some left over bleach(oops, I mean "lightener) after my color lab this afternoon at school. I didnt want to waste it.
so I did what any great hairwrecker would do... I put it on my own head.
Did it work? Did it wreck? Am I officially fallen off the wagon or have I proven that I can make rash decision with my hair and now have them work since I have the proper edu-ma-cation about it??

Pictures tomorrow...

again with the insomnia?

this BS isnt funny anymore.
This is the THIRD night in a row that I have been unable to sleep.
Yes it is 245 am. I have been up since 1.
tossing, turning, looking at th clock, y arm falling asleep, the other arm falling asleep,
I have to pee, I get a crick in my neck, I am thirsty etc etc etc.

I have a test at school today I cannot miss, it is the huge final for the
color curriculum.
i think someone has a voodoo hit out on me.

thats as political as I get

No more politics, I promise.

I generally dont.

I was just a little disapoointed and wanted to vent my frustration.

thanks for listening.

a prayer?

"Lord, in the memory of all the saints who from their labors rest, and in the joy of a new beginning, we ask you to help us work for that day when black will not be asked to get in back, when brown can stick around ... when yellow will be mellow ... when the red man can get ahead, man; and when white will embrace what is right. That all those who do justice and love mercy say Amen."

These were the final words of the Inaugural Benediction, given by Rev. Joseph Lowery.

Up until this moment the prayer had been really inspiring.. Talk of unifying and strength and helping the leaders with their duties to make this nation great. Helping America heal from the lows that we are experiencing. Talk of oneness and unity and strength and charity and faith. A blessing on The President and his family, a blessing that we can heal as a country. It was actually quite good.

Then he dropped that turkey at the end... Chuckling through it. The crowd chuckling...DURING A PRAYER.

I take prayer very seriously. Prayer is communication between us and God.  Maybe I need to lighten up, but I do not think that prayer should be silly. Or racist.

Maybe he was joking, trying to lighten the mood. But prayer should be a solemn and sincere act of desire and faith...not a nightclub comedy act.

Tell me to lighten up, thats fine. You have your opinion, but to me prayer is a sacred thing.

No matter your religion, creed, faith etc Prayer is an essential part of communicating with God.

and to throw in that last racist verse just really closed it in a negative light for me.

Did I take it wrong?? Perhaps.

But a first impression, once made, can never be taken back.  

And maybe he didnt mean to be racist., but then again maybe he did.

  Of course the media will gloss over it, barely making mention of it, or treating it as a huge joke and "oh wasnt it funny!!"

Had it been at McCains inauguration those old whores on The View would have had a field day with it...for the next 4 years.

This historic moment, the first African-american president, Hope won...marred by one final verse of a prayer. He just had to throw it in, couldnt contain himself. 

In my opinion, Obama needs to be careful who he decides to surround himself with,.

My parents always told me "You are judged by those you chose to surround yourself with".

Amen.

 

Armageddon??

Fear and pandemonium have descended the Queen City.

It is as if Armageddon has commenced right here in Charlotte.

Schools are closed, business have shut down.

Highays and By Ways are consumed with accidents. Crumpled vehicles littering the pavement every few feet.

News Anchors are warning people "Dont go out if you dont have to!! It's madness out there!! Madness, I tell you!!!"

Bread, Milk, Water and Batteries are gone from the grocery shelves.

It is complete and utter chaos. I expect Obamas first order of business will be to declare Marshall Law around here.

I have first hand Pictures of this horrendous act of Mother Nature that has caused such destruction and mass hysteria.

Looking at these greusome photos, you can see why the city has descended into such depravity and mayhem.

WE...HAVE...BEEN ...STRUCK...BY....SNOW!!!!(Snow?? Really?? Do they even get that around here?)

Kids have abandoned their bikes and outdoor toys and playgrounds for the safety of the indoors.


Dogs are becoming wild animals, forced to roam the streets looking for food in this tumult! Look at this fearsome Creature known as "The Jake". He is practically rabid!

Trees are snapping under the weight of such an obscene amount of snow.

run! Hide! Protect yourself!! The WHOLE 1/2 INCH OF SNOW WILL EAT YOU ALIVE!!!!

345 am. whaaaa???

yep, the time stamp is correct.
345 AM.

I have a serious case of insomnia...and it suuuuuccccckkkkkssss.
I dont have time for this nonsense(wait, it is 3am, i DO have all the time in the world...that is until my alarm goes off at 615)

No I dont feel stressed or depressed.
Yes I have been exercising and eating healthy(except for that big mac I had for lunch yesterday. (I know I know dont even say it)
No my sleeping patterns have not changed or been interrupted in any way shape or form.

I just...cant...sleep.

blech.

Laws of the Universe

I received this as an email from Lindsey the other day.
I was reading through and making a mental checklist of each Law that has pertained to me in my life.
nearly all. especially Browns Law about the shoe. Since I am a size 12 and nothing seems to fit, it seemed especially fitting.(har har) My comments are in red.

LAWS
Law of Mechanical Repair: After your hands become coated with grease, your nose will begin to itch or you'll have to pee.

Law of the Workshop: Any tool, when dropped, will roll to the least accessible corner.

Law of Probability: The probability of being watched is directly proportional to the stupidity of your act. (triple check on that one!)

Law of the Telephone: If you dial a wrong number, you never get a busy signal.

Law of the Alibi: If you tell the boss you were late for work because you had a flat tire, the very next morning you will have a flat tire.

Variation Law: If you change traffic lanes, the one you were in will start to move faster than the one you are in now. (Also works at the grocery store)

Law of the Bath: When the body is fully immersed in water, the telephone rings.(Even if the phone has not rung all day. The second you are in that tub...boom)

Law of the Result: When you try to prove to someone that a machine won't work, it will. (this one rears its ugly head nearly twice a week in my life)

Law of Biomechanics: The severity of the itch is inversely proportional to the reach.

Law of the Theatre: At any event, the people whose seats are furthest from the aisle arrive last.

Law of Coffee: As soon as you sit down to a cup of hot coffee, your boss will ask you to do something which will last until the coffee is cold.

Murphy's Law of Lockers: If there are only two people in a locker room, they will have adjacent lockers.

Law of Rugs/Carpets: The chances of an open-faced jelly sandwich landing face down on a floor covering are directly correlated to the newness and cost of the carpet/rug.

Law of Location: No matter where you go, there you are.

Law of Logical Argument: Anything is possible if you don't know what you are talking about.(I have daily conversations with people who live by this law)

Brown's Law: If the shoe fits, it's ugly. (YES YES YES!)

Oliver's Law: A closed mouth gathers no feet.

Wilson's Law: As soon as you find a product that you really like, they will stop making it.

I would like to add my own. THE LAW OF THE "FART". Your shoe or chair makes a tooting noise you will not ever be able to replicate said tooting sound to prove you did not pass gas in public.

irrational fears and scary hair dreams

In 6 weeks I start the advanced clinic for school.

I get to go on the floor and actually deal with people.

Real...Live...People.

Not that it scares me. I have been cutting and coloring hair for years.

But my biggest fear is that I might (gulp) mess someone up.

And not because ofsomething I did wrong These irrational fears are never my fault. It is always the customers fault. When people want their hair done they are in a "now" moment and will lie through their teeth to get what they want. I have seen it at school, I hear about it all day long. Trust me, you have a lady hellbent on highlights she will leave with highlights come hell or highwater.

My greatest fear is that I will have someone sit in my seat who swears to me up and down they have a lye relaxer. They know it in their heart of hearts. So I give them a Lye relaxer touch up.

Turns out they had a thio relaxer instead, and I just put a lye based relaxer onto their head, effectively creating Nair and burning all their hair off, rendering them as bald as Gordon on Sesame Street. They will  promise me they have had no metallic dyes put on their hair(like the Just for men etc), only the store bought Ultress or Clairol.

So I go ahead and color them them and it turns out they are mistaken. They have been using a metallic dye and their hair turns neon green, unfixable, and no amount of red based color can fix it, I am forced to shave their head.

Or they tell me they want to cut all their hair off, like the newest Katie Holmes Pixie cut , so I oblige and then when I am done they burst into tears and say "I didnt know it would be so short!"

sigh.

Of course I have scenarios that are my fault as well:

Ripping off eyebrows with wax that has overheated, leaving bleach on too long and causing their hair to burn and break, burning someone with a pressing comb, Nails that fall off after just one day... I just have these irrational thoughts that plague me and invade my sleep.  I know I am good at what I do. I am just worried that once I get to the floor my mind will go completely blank and I will forget all of my studying, training and hard work. That first person will sit in my chair and I will clam up tighter than a lid on a jar of pickles, too terrified to move.

It is so different when it is your family and friends you service. When it is a complete stranger, your career is on the line.

I havent always been like this. At first I couldnt WAIT to get to the floor. We flew through the first curriculum, then the second, third, fourth etc. Now we are starting our last curriculum and then we are off to the races. There is no going back. 

so I must prepare myself for the inevitable... Dealing with the public and creating good hair.

Oh well, I hear that night terrors are good for burning off calories.

hilarious japanese game show

Yes the clip is kind of long, but this is one of the funniest game shows I have ever seen. It is something like "The Silent Library"
I dont know where the Japanese come up with these ideas.
The poor kid who gets like 4 in a row kills me. I almost feel bad for him...then I realize he signed up to do it. No one is holding him hostange in the library making him do it.

The Premise: a group of contestants go to a library. There they deal cards and whoever gets the specially marked card has to endure some form of torture, depending on the sign on their flip chart. BUT they cant make noise...because they are in a library. SHHHHHH.

I think the reason I love this so much is because when I was growing up my friend Lindsey and I would sit together at church and make fun of everyone around us. We would start laughing so hard, but we were in church, so we couldnt make noise or laugh. So seeing people who cannot laugh or make noise when they really need to is just super funny to me.

I originally found this on Listoftheday, and it was too funny to keep to myself.

HELP! Music wanted

I am feeling really happy about my exercise program. I started running last monday,(the 5th).
and in the past 9 days have really increased my stamina for the level I am running at.
PLUS I have lost 5 1/2 pounds.
The sleeves on my shirts are a little looser (which is where I lose weight first), I dont have to lay down on the bed with a set of pliers to get my pants on and I have had a lot more energy.
I wake up, get my running clothes on, eat a little breakfast, take my vitamins, drink some water , get the boys to school and head to the YMCA. (yes I know some people say dont eat before you work out. If I did that I would throw up)

A few months ago a friend made a playlist for her husband to work out to, to keep him pumped up and going. So I have compiled a small music list to run to. I can ALWAYS use suggestions too!!


1. Ballroom Blitz- The Sweet
2. ESPN Jock Jams
3. Temperature-Sean Paul
4. Little Bird- Annie Lennox
5. Rock STar- N.E.R.D
6. Aint no other man-Christina Aguilera
7. Barbie Girl- Aqua
8. Take a Chance on Me-ABBA
9. Voulez Vous-ABBA
10. Love Shack-B-52's
11. Movin' Right along- The Muppets
12. I believe in a thing called Love- The Darkness
13. Cecilia- Simon and Garfunkle
14. Numa Numa- Ozone
15. Tootsie Roll- 69 Boys
16. Mercy- Duffy
17. Pump It- Black Eyed Peas
18. Lets Get Retarded- Black Eyed Peas
19. Save a Horse, Ride a Cowboy- Big and Rich
20. Blister in the Sun- Violent Femmes
21. Groove s in the Heart- Dee Light
22.Whoomp There it is- Tag Team
24. Before He Cheats- Carrie Underwood
25. I Think I Love You- David Cassidy
26. You Spin Me Right Round- Dead or Alive
27.We will rock you-queen
28. Dont Stop me now-Queen
29. We're not Gonna Take IT- Twisted Sister
30. All the Things She said- Tatu
31- Bring me Edelweiss- Edelweiss
32. Switch- Will Smith
33. Separate Ways- Journey
34. Disturbia- Rhianna
35. so what- Pink
36- Pump up the jam- Technotronic
37- My sharona- The Knack
38- Heart of Glass- Blondie
39- Pink Cadillac- Aretha Franklin
40- Jump for your love- The pointer sisters
41. Neutron Dance- Pointer Sisters
42- Eye of the Tiger- Survivor
43. Stayin Alive- Bee Gees
44. Elle a fait un bebe toute seule- JJ Goldman
45. Ill Make a Man out of you- Mulan Soundtrack
46. Rock Me Amadeus- Falco
47- Thank God Im Country Boy- John Denver

I put this bad boy on shuffle and I lose track of time. It is awesome. Music really keeps me going, so I really can use all the suggestions I can get.In the comments, please add a great song to work out to, a pump it up song, or something that will keep my butt in gear!! Even if you think I have never heard it before, please write it down for me!!

THANKS!!

Local Hair Show

On February 23rd I am competing in the local Empire hair show in Womens trend cut and color.

It is just for our school and If I win I will be able to compete in that category for our school at the National hair show.

I picked This cut as my inspiration:

So I brought home my mannequin tonight to practice.  I have the cut down, but had no product to put in the hair to make it piecy as shown in the picture...plus I only have a small set of lowlights in, and not the highlights as shown.  I only had my scissors and razor and hair dryer at my disposal. No product, or iron or flat iron. Plus I am not a skilled photographer, so you cant really see the whole effect.  the cut ius the same, obviously the styling isnt quite there, due to lack to gel, pomade, wax etc.

You can see the side view here, the shorter crop on the sides and back, and then the longer bang.

This is the front view.I made it a little longer so I could keep practicing and eventually cut it shorter and shorter  each time until it was the right length, and I had the cut down in 45 minutes.

I will post more pictures after I take it back to school and work some proper product into it and get my marcel iron to give some of the pieces a little more Oomph

couch potato hits the track

So one of my goals this year is to run a half marathon in December... I started training about a week ago.

I am starting slowly with the couch to 5k running program. Then a 10 k, then 10 miles then 13 miles.

Basically you run for a minute, walk for 90 seconds. Gradually increasing as the weeks go by the time you run and decreasing the time you walk. Pretty easy right?

Remember that episode of the Cosby Show where Cliff had a physical and they put him on the treadmill and he was giving fake High 5's and walking backwards and doing the gangsta walk?? Then it fast forwarded to faster and faster and he was hanging on for dear life and his lip was jiggling and his jowles were sucking in and out? Yeah that was me.

The first few minutes I though pfft, this is a piece of cake. I can do this. To quote Luwanda(in living color) "I got you...I got you"

fast forward to 10 minutes..I thought I was going to DIE. Literally fall to the ground and have an infarction right then and there.

But as the days progress and I run more and more I am finding my stamina has increased. I can run farther in my alloted time than the day before.

so yay me.

Today I ran a minute walked 90 seconds. I got farther and I wasnt killing myself. I think by next week I will be able to run for 90 seconds and walk 90 seconds. Gradually I will run longer and longer, eventually not needing a break. I can feel it. I am putting the vibes out into the universe.

So Half marathon...I got you...I got you.

So THATS what they are made of

Last night Finn and Peter were downstairs watching me and charles play Tetris on the wii.(charles having thoroughly trounced me 95% of time. I am not a good tetris player. I dont look ahead at the pieces that are coming and get frustrated when it lands or sticks to something I CLEARLY told it NOT to land on and then try and scramble to make it work. CHarles pounces and takes advantage and is a MEAN BOY!. But whatever, I digress. He knows.)

They had already had their allotted playtime on it, and needed to find something else to do.

However I would like to point out that at the begining of every game they clearly stated Go mom! Kick dad's butt".  just a little brag(im the favorite)

Peter was laying down playing with his transformers. Finn dumped out his box of Lincoln Logs and was building a dilapidated shack barn? stable? general store??? ...something with a donkey and a roof and a leaning tower of logs.

He looks over to Peter and they have the following conversation:(imagine Finn doing his script in a sing songey kind of way)

FINN: Hey Peter, wanna play Lincoln Logs with me?

PETER: No, now leave me alone.

FINN: It will be fun!

PETER: I said no! Now leave me alone...AGAIN

FINN: You'll Like it!

PETER: Finny, I dont want to play Lincoln Logs I want to play with my Transformers so go away

FINN: are you sure?

PETER: Yes

FINN: They're made out of real Lincoln!

PETER: Oh, Okay.

The fact that the logs were made from "real Lincoln"  was the  point that made peter change his mind.

Way to sell it Finn.

a few minutes later the transformers were visiting this Real Lincoln structure and asked if they could Pet Finns Donkey.  Finn said "Sure, he doesnt bite... except on Thursdays"

That kid. Where he comes up with half this stuff, I will never know.

UNC vs Boston College Basketball

Last Sunday(4th) , we had the fantastic opportunity to go up to UNC for the mens basketball game vs Boston college. 

We were with a special program called Carolina Dreams, which is for kids who have spent time at UNC Childrens hospital.  

Before the game we got to eat pizza with the UNC womens 

basketball team.

Then we got to go to the arena and go out on the court and wave 

to 20,000 people like we were royalty. we were waiting to go out, our current NC Governor, Mike Easley, walked by.

THEN a few minutes later our newly elected Governor, Bev Perdue, 

walked past. She smiled and waved at us and said hello. 

So that was kind of exciting, even though I didnt vote for her.

We sat and watched the game,appropriately cheering UNC and booing BC, clapping to the music, and when the board said "jump around...jump jump jump around" we did as we were told. Finn especially loved all the lights and music and excitement. 

The boys got to pose with the UNC cheerleaders.  

It was a fun night. We left at halftime to get home, as it is a long drive and the boys had to start school the next day. We missed the second half of a really great game, and were disappointed to discover our team had lost to BC by 4 points. 

But all in all we had a great time and are hoping to go to some more basketball games up there.

It made me really miss college and really miss when I was that age and went to the basketball games at USU and the school spirit and the joy and fun of being young. I hope my kids will always remember these little things we do and realize they are pretty lucky to be able to go and do things that not many others get to do.

GO UNC!!

My twin is skinny

so now that i have finished hair cutting and have moved onto color, I decided it was time

to update "the look". after all, no one wants their hair cut by a woman with a two toned afro.

So my teacher asked if anyone wanted to be used as a demo for color. I jumped up out of my chair, moving faster than I have moved in the past 6 years. I brandished my scissors and threatened an "I will cut you" to anyone who tried to move in on my turf. everyone agreed that I was the best candidate for corrective color. As Snake from the Simpsons would say "Haw Haw".

We neutralized the red in my hair from the pool and the sun, and colored it a level 5 to my natural mocha color.

Of course there was still alot of red, as my hair does tend to pull red tones, but it is all an even tone and color.It is a nice dark cinnamon color. I am really happy with how it turned out.

Then I had my teacher go through and cut to her hearts content. I showed her a picture of what I would like. She cut off about 8 inches and stacked it. Then she went through with her thinning shears and thinned, and thinned and thinned and thinned and thinned some more(I have a lot of hair).

So it is SHORT and stacked in the back and gets longer in the front. The longest piece curls arounhd my ear on the one side and the other side is even longer and kind of goes down to my chin. Sort of an Asymmetrical effect.

I LOVE it. It takes me like 5 minutes to flat iron and I am on my way. It dries so fast and it is shiny and smooth and awesome. Tomorrow we start on highlighting and lowlighting, so I will be adding some streaks to the mix.Maybe a few copper chunks in the front to jazz it up a bit.

but here is a visual of my hair.

Finn told me "mom, your hair kind of looks like Courtneys moms...except you're fat and she's skinny. I bet she doesnt eat junk food."

Thanks, Finn.

Wii, I love you, BUT...

I wish I could lift my right arm farther than a 45 degree angle.

stupid Boom Blox. Why did you have to be so addicting??

I had WHAT back there?

today my goal was to clean out the food cupboards and pantry. We had a bag of organic oatmeal that wasnt tightened all the way and some sort of larvae got into it and started reproducing. Over the past few weeks I had been seeing the worms and moths everywhere. I pulled them off the ceiling several times, and thought I had it under control. Then they started appearing again everywhere. EVERYWHERE. I couldnt figure it out. So I decided to fight fire with fire. Take away their food source...ANY food source.

So the goal was to clean out the food pantry, throw away all baggies of bread crumbs, rice, grains, oatmeal etc. Get rid of the problem once and for all.

So as I was cleaning out the pantry I was pulling out botulised cans of food, stuck way back in the recesses, expiration dates almost 4 or 5 years past, old half used boxes of spaghetti, noodles and more. I even pulled out a box of Lipton soup mix that I am positive I have had since 2002.

Jello I didnt realize I had, cake mixes, pudding and a whole slew of Papmered Chef and Tupperware spice packets.

Then I lifted up the rubberized shelf liner mats..I found where they had been coming from. There were HUNDREDS of little worms and moth casings and stuff. They had been feeding like kings and queens up there under those little mats. Since they were under the mats I hadnt seen them. So I pulled up the mats, cleaned, bleached and dried. I feel better and am positive that those worms will not dare to show their faces around MY cupboards again.

And as a side note, there was a spider up in the corner, the likes of which I had never seen before. A beautiful little brown and tan bulbous spider with a zig zaggy pattern. I am sure she had been eating heartily on a daily basis.

Steatoda Triangulosa...also known as the common cobweb spider. She sure was pretty, but I got the heebie jeebies just looking at her move. I made Charles take her out and find her a nice new home.

crud, just looking at the picture makes me all tingly and antsy. I keep feeling something crawling over me, and I know it is all mental.

2009- my resolutions

UGH. I HATE resolutions.
hate hate hate them.
But every December 31st as the ball drops onto a new year my mind starts working.
"what can I improve on in my life?" "how can I be happier?" "what can I do to cultivate a more spiritual side?" "how can I set a good example to those around me?" "how much weight can I lose if I eat nothing but oatmeal and salad?" You know, the basics.
But every year i look at my list and it is about 476 items long. I know that I will get way to frustrated and give up if I have too many to work on. so I went through and slashed out most of them, and really focused on the BIG 10. These are the 10 things I will work on for the year.


1. Curb my potty mouth. Unfortunately I picked up a very bad habit from my mother and have struggled with it my entire life. I REALLY need to watch what I say, as my kids have started repeating some of my better epithets. I dont think my parents really believe that Charles is the one teaching them those words. Spencer W Kimball, 12th prophet of the LDS church stated "Profanity is the effort of a weak mind to express itself forcibly". Ouch.

2. Couch to 5k. One of my goals this year is to get healthier and more fit. My friend rebecca told me about this exercise program she has started called Couch to 5k. Basically in 9 weeks you train to run a 5k. It iss 3 days a week, for about 30 minutes a day. You start really slow and work your way up to 5k. It is just up my alley. You can find the program HERE. Then my next goal is 10k. Eventually by the end of the year I want to train for a 1/2 marathon. Shanda and Michelle and Alison did that this year and they look just so fantastic and healthy and beautiful. I totally hate them.(in a jealous fat girl way)And Jolin did the full marathon and is my hero. So by the end of the year I will be a fit and healthy active runner. It all starts with that first step. (plus it will help me be in bathing suit shape by our Cruise in September) I will look better, feel better and it will help me with my drooping energy levels and certainly my sleep patterns as well. I will have more energy for school as well.

3.Graduate School on my target date. I have noticed at school there are a lot of advanced students who should have graduated weeks and weeks ago, but are still there because they dont take it seriously enough to have their attendance where it needs to be. They are taking up space in the school that should be reserved for the newer students. My targeted graduation date is September 12th. My goal is to graduate on that date. If I miss a day I will come in on Saturday to make it up. I am not messing around. I am getting it DONE. I dont want to be one of those "space takers" who just come when they feel like it. Their attendance is just enough to not get kicked out.

4. Cultivate a more spiritual side. I need to do a better job of reading scriptures and praying with my kids and teaching them about the bible and about Jesus Christ. I need to do a better job about going to church and to all my meetings, not just when something is expected of me. I need to read the sunday school lesson ahead of time and be prepared to participate in the lessons. I need to magnify ALL of my callings, not just the ones I like. i need to do a better job of being a good member of the church and a good example to those around me.

5. COOK AT HOME! I like to cook. But when I am in school and come home and nothing has been taken out of the freezer, I am more apt to just order a pizza or go to subway instead of finding something to eat. I need to do a better job of meal planning and prioritizing. I need to make sure that Charles knows what needs to be out of the fridge or freezer, in case i forget. I want my kids to grow up with an appreciation for healthy, home cooked meals...instead of cheeseburgers and pizza.(Peter I am not worried about. he is a fruit and veggie nut. But Finn on the other hand has become accustomed to the fatty fast food industry)

6. Simplify my home. I have too much junk. My goal this year is to flylady my way to a clean, organized, clutter free home. I keep my house clean, but I have so much junk and knick knacks and kid clutter and STUFF. My goal is to keep my house "company ready" at all times. On her site, flylady asks "Are you tired of CHAOS?"(Cant have anyone over syndrome). Yes. Yes flylady I am tired of CHAOS.

7. BUDGETING. With the economy the way it is, I resolve to do a better job of budgeting. No more impulse purchases. No more "extras" I dont really need. I am putting myself on a cash budget and once it is gone, it is gone. I will work harder at getting the bills paid on time every month. I will be much more respectful of my money and work harder at being more financially organized.

8. Cutting out junk and pop. Everything in moderation. I know this. This year I resolve to cut out 90% of the junk food and crap I eat. I resolve to drink non-carbonated beverages only and to drink the proper amount of water my body needs. My body will thank me, and I will be happier in the long run. No more sugar slumps. No more caffeine cravings. No more dependence on sugar and pop to give me energy. Occasional sweets are fine, but not all day every day. I am also including vitamins in this. I am REALLY going to work harder to take my vitamins every day.

9. Patience. I REALLY need to work on my patience. Unfortunately i have a quick, fiery temper. I fly off the handle way too quickly. My anger is not a long-smoldering one. It is a flash fire that flares out of control very quickly. It is like gasoline to a flame. My goal this year is to find a way and techniques to keep my anger under control and to find ways to be more patient with others, especially my family.

10. Personal beauty. No I dont mean the things like showering and brushing my teeth. I already do those things. And I am not talking about vanity and always looking in a mirror. I mean always making sure my hair and make-up look their best. Always making sure my legs are shaved and eyebrows are waxed. Making sure I exemplify my chosen profession the best I can. I want to make sure my clothes are pressed and wrinkle free, and that I always look my best. even if it is jeans and a T shirt. Even if I am just running to Walmart or to the Post Office. I want to present a good and positive image no matter what I am doing, no matter where I am going. The better I look, the better I will feel about myself and the easier most of my other goals will be. The better I look, the better i will feel and the harder I will try to make myself a better person all around. The better I look, there better i will feel and the easier for me to help others around me feel the same way.


So those are my BIG 10 goals this 2009. It will nto be a cake walk. In fact I expect to really have to work hard to make sure I am changing my life for the better. No one said it would be easy, but it will be worth it.

HAPPY 2009 and may you keep all your resolutions!