All of this news about the economy is frightening. Everything seems to be going all to hell in a handbasket. There are gas shortages everywhere. Rumors are spreading that the next bank to go down in flames is Wachovia....??? Its so scary. Everytime I sit here and watch the news, I find myself getting tense, like really stressed out. My husband keeps telling me that we are going to be fine. We've taken steps to weather some economic upheaval, and we will be ok. I keep finding myself doing some online research as to ways to prepare. Financial tips....anything that would make me feel more secure. I stumbled onto one website expecting sound investment advice and what I got was a check list of things like:
1. Stock up on at least a year of non-perishable food items.
2. Learn to garden, so you can feed your family without shopping.
And that scared the Holy Bejeezus out of me. Whether or not we are secure enough to make it through a recession/depression does absolutely NOTHING for the rest of the world going down the crapper. It doesn't protect us from people going insane and shooting each other for a gallon of gas. And gardening....is NOT my thing. I love the idea of it. I don't even have a problem getting a little down and dirty planting it. But once it gets hot and humid outside....that stuff is going to rot on the vine before I sweat out there picking it. Plus the fact that there are probably insects and snakes and other unwelcomed visitors prowling all around outside in the summertime.
And that stocking up on a year's supply of food???? Where the heck am I supposed to put that?
In my bomb shelter conveniently located in my imagination? Christ.
Actually, the bottom line is this: its out of my control so there is no point in wasting time worrying myself sick about it. I just have to keep reminding myself of that fact. We've done the best we could to be reasonably protected, and the rest is in the hands of the powers that be. What I really need to do (besides reading up on gardening and bomb shelter building) is to take a break from the news. Go on a negativity-fast. And I will......after the debate tonight. I really do want to hear/see what happens with that. My instincts tell me it will all be a bunch of blabbering political spin. But I can't seem to tear myself away.
Thursday, September 25, 2008
I feel a sense of victory...
I recently wrote a post about t-shirts, and how picky I am about fit, fabric...etc. Well, I finally found exactly what I was looking for. Eddie Bauer's v-neck t-shirts are perfect. Or as nearly perfect as it gets. The fabric is nice and not flimsy. The fit is even better. Long enough for even me, and it has a slightly feminine fit. I hate those boxy, chunky t-shirts that make women look like linebackers. I ordered 2 kinds: one has slightly shorter sleeves, which I actually like. I will have to see which one wears/launders best before I form a firm decision on which one I will go with next. Because I can already tell I WILL order more. There were tons of colors available. I don't know about the rest of you, but I wear a LOT of t-shirts. My work place is casual, so I wear them there. I wear t-shirts to the gym (I tried a couple of those quick-dry athletic shirts, but I swear, they just feel hotter and clingier than regular cotton, so not worth the extra $$ in my opinion). I wear them by themselves, under button-down shirts for layering...obviously I need a decent stock of them in different colors.
Finally, I found the motherlode of t-shirts that I have been searching for. Its kind of like finding the Holy Grail or something. Seriously, I am extremely pleased.
ETA: A word about Target and their t-shirts. They offer a lot of styles and colors. The fabric feels "ok" at first. But both the Cherokee and the Mossimo brands tend to unravel at the hem or occasionally at the seams, sometimes after only a couple of washings. And they do this weird thing that I have never seen before in any other brand. They shrink in length but stretch out in width. Its so strange. After I wash these shirts a few times, I end up with this short, wide little shirt that looks like a rag. I decided not to waste any more of my money on their stuff, no matter how pretty and tempting the colors are. I've sent enough Target t-shirts to Goodwill to clothe a small third world country. If people there don't care that their shirts are suitable only for overweight midgets, that is.
Finally, I found the motherlode of t-shirts that I have been searching for. Its kind of like finding the Holy Grail or something. Seriously, I am extremely pleased.
ETA: A word about Target and their t-shirts. They offer a lot of styles and colors. The fabric feels "ok" at first. But both the Cherokee and the Mossimo brands tend to unravel at the hem or occasionally at the seams, sometimes after only a couple of washings. And they do this weird thing that I have never seen before in any other brand. They shrink in length but stretch out in width. Its so strange. After I wash these shirts a few times, I end up with this short, wide little shirt that looks like a rag. I decided not to waste any more of my money on their stuff, no matter how pretty and tempting the colors are. I've sent enough Target t-shirts to Goodwill to clothe a small third world country. If people there don't care that their shirts are suitable only for overweight midgets, that is.
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Blogger is having issues.....AGAIN
My blogger is having issues again. Seriously, I ought to find a new blog site. Or start using Mozilla Firefox as my browser on a full time basis. Right now, I can post via Firefox, and not with Explorer. Still I continue to use explorer as my main browser because evidently I am a creature of habit. Maybe I will learn my lesson at some point.....
But anyway, I had my Dr.'s appointment yesterday. I have been cleared to go back to work this coming Monday. I have mixed feelings about that. I am feeling a whole lot better, and I do think I will be up to it by then. But a part of me has enjoyed having some time off....another part of me has been bored to tears. So there you go. I am not happy when I have to work, nor am I happy when I have time off. HAHAHA. Go figure. I have always been upfront about the fact that I have an extremely conflicted personality. My poor husband has to deal with this on a daily basis, too.
Pity him.
But anyway, I had my Dr.'s appointment yesterday. I have been cleared to go back to work this coming Monday. I have mixed feelings about that. I am feeling a whole lot better, and I do think I will be up to it by then. But a part of me has enjoyed having some time off....another part of me has been bored to tears. So there you go. I am not happy when I have to work, nor am I happy when I have time off. HAHAHA. Go figure. I have always been upfront about the fact that I have an extremely conflicted personality. My poor husband has to deal with this on a daily basis, too.
Pity him.
Friday, September 19, 2008
What NOT to Wear.....
Its no secret that one of my favorite shows on television is TLC's "What NOT to Wear", with fashion gurus Stacey London, and Clinton Kelly. It is probably second ONLY to "House, MD" which holds the number one spot of my all-time favorite shows. Let's face it, I would kill (well not literally, but almost) to go shopping with Stacey and Clinton. Week after week they take the frumpiest, sloppiest people you have ever seen and make them look fabulous. They spout words of wisdom such as "Noone over a size 2 should EVER wear horizontal stripes", or "a tapered leg pant only emphasizes the width of the hips" and make you wonder how you ever lived your life without knowing these things.
This week's episode, during the final reveal at the end, the woman was wearing the EXACT same dress that I wore to my son's rehearsal dinner this past May. Its a sleeveless dress in brown silk with white polka dots. Maybe I have pictures of it somewhere....but anyway, I was so excited because it means that I picked out something worthy of the fashion Gods. It has their seal of approval. And that.....makes me deliriously happy. Of course, I wore brown strappy sandals with my dress. The woman on the show had some really adorable hot pink heels on with hers. I would have never thought to pair the dress with such a wild color, but it looked fabulous. Mine was boring by comparison. And this is why I would love to shop with Stacey and Clinton. And why I suddenly feel compelled to shop for hot pink heels.....clearly I NEED a pair of those.
And just for the record, I would also kill to go shopping with Hugh Laurie from House, MD. He might not be able to deliver those precious nuggets of style advice. But those blue eyes of his would make up for his lack of fashion savvy.
This week's episode, during the final reveal at the end, the woman was wearing the EXACT same dress that I wore to my son's rehearsal dinner this past May. Its a sleeveless dress in brown silk with white polka dots. Maybe I have pictures of it somewhere....but anyway, I was so excited because it means that I picked out something worthy of the fashion Gods. It has their seal of approval. And that.....makes me deliriously happy. Of course, I wore brown strappy sandals with my dress. The woman on the show had some really adorable hot pink heels on with hers. I would have never thought to pair the dress with such a wild color, but it looked fabulous. Mine was boring by comparison. And this is why I would love to shop with Stacey and Clinton. And why I suddenly feel compelled to shop for hot pink heels.....clearly I NEED a pair of those.
And just for the record, I would also kill to go shopping with Hugh Laurie from House, MD. He might not be able to deliver those precious nuggets of style advice. But those blue eyes of his would make up for his lack of fashion savvy.
I'm just too COOL!
I think these muscle relaxants I have been taking are causing me to have some really strange dreams. For instance, last night I dreamed I was out and about at some big mall. I stopped at this jewelry shop and made the impulsive decision to do something really crazy and edgy. Apparently (in my dream) it was all the rage to get your hairline pierced. You know, like all around the edges of your forehead. So I was going to get MY hairline pierced twice. One above each eyebrow. I had picked out these really hip looking silver twisted hoops to hang down over each eye. But whatever. I had it done and it was fairly painful. I couldn't wait to get home to see how cool I looked.
But when I inspected my impulse piercing in the mirror at home, I was horrified to see that the girl had mistakenly used these cheap plastic SANTA CLAUS studs on me. How cool is that? Like NOT!!! I was so upset. I tried to take them out, but every time I touched the Santa's I would start bleeding profusely. It didn't hurt really, but it bled like a stuck pig. I decided to go back to the shop and demand to have these studs changed out for the hoops I had paid for....and thats when it got weird. All of this strange stuff started happening to prevent me from getting back to the mall. Traffic jams, getting lost...etc. I woke up before I ever got it taken care of.
The one thing that is still making me laugh though is that I felt compelled to run my hand across my forehead to check for stray plastic Santa studs before I got out of bed this morning....LOL!
Nothing screams COOL like plastic Santas stuck to your head....apparently.
But when I inspected my impulse piercing in the mirror at home, I was horrified to see that the girl had mistakenly used these cheap plastic SANTA CLAUS studs on me. How cool is that? Like NOT!!! I was so upset. I tried to take them out, but every time I touched the Santa's I would start bleeding profusely. It didn't hurt really, but it bled like a stuck pig. I decided to go back to the shop and demand to have these studs changed out for the hoops I had paid for....and thats when it got weird. All of this strange stuff started happening to prevent me from getting back to the mall. Traffic jams, getting lost...etc. I woke up before I ever got it taken care of.
The one thing that is still making me laugh though is that I felt compelled to run my hand across my forehead to check for stray plastic Santa studs before I got out of bed this morning....LOL!
Nothing screams COOL like plastic Santas stuck to your head....apparently.
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Happy Birthday to ME!!!!
Today is my birthday. So far its been pretty good. I got good news from the Doctor yesterday. He is 85% sure that my back injury is just muscle trauma. I have to be careful and take it easy for the next week or so. If for some reason its not better by then, I will go for a MRI to be absolutely certain. But things are already a little better, so I feel reasonably sure I don't have a hairline fracture like they thought. That is excellent because I am already bored out of my mind, and I miss going to the gym. I especially miss my yoga classes, so....the sooner I can get back into action the better. I even kind of, sort of miss work. Weird, I know. Its probably not work that I am missing so much as my friends there at the office. They have all called and kept a check on me, but its not the same as our face to face ribbing/teasing/fun.
Also, the other insurance company has come up with a settlement for the vehicle (the medical stuff is pending, of course). And they have agreed to pay us almost the exact amount of the car that my husband just bought for me. I am ending up with a better, newer car for less than $200. I am very grateful for that. I am still not able to drive yet, but I did get to ride in the new car yesterday when we went to the doctor...haha. Oh, and one other kind of funny accident-related thingie: My mailbox was stuffed with 13 or 14 advertisements from attorneys today. 1 ad was from a chiropractor. I am keeping that one. I think I will discuss the possibility of a chiropractor with my Doc next Tuesday and see what he says. I have never been to one, but a few people I know swear by them. My back might need some serious realignment, so...? I will see.
When I woke up this morning and went into the kitchen for coffee, I was scared half to death by this HUGE plastic frog sitting on the counter. It was a birthday treat from hubby. He is the size of a small cat and has a motion sensor that causes him to croak (loudly) whenever anything passes in front of him. It startled me to the point I almost tripped and fell (wouldn't be a good thing right now)...but after I recovered from my shock I fell in love with him instantly. You know how I love my wacky toys. There is also a large mint chocolate truffle cake in the fridge and a really pretty wrapped gift on the mantel, but I am under strict orders not to cut the cake or open the gift yet. Its tempting though. I wanted cake for breakfast. But I am trying to be good......
Anyway, I think Stephen and Hannia are coming over for dinner tonight. We are going to figure out what we all want and then get it as take out. I am not quite up to dressing up and sitting for a long time in public. Every little bit my back will ache to the point that I have to go lie down for a little while. That seems to ease it a bit, but it makes it hard for me to stay in any one place for very long. Dinner here at home will just be more comfortable for me. No idea what we will order yet. I have a feeling they will make me pick and I don't like making decisions like that. Maybe we can all make a group decision. Its not like I am picky about food or anything....haha.
One other thing: the FedEx guy dropped off a package for me this morning. Its the cutest framed frog print from Dad and Barb. Barb says they found it in San Juan. I love it. Its turning out to be a really froggy kind of birthday and thats just fine with me. I just need to figure out the perfect place to hang it so that I can see it every day. Thanks Dad and Barb. It suits me to a T.
Also, the other insurance company has come up with a settlement for the vehicle (the medical stuff is pending, of course). And they have agreed to pay us almost the exact amount of the car that my husband just bought for me. I am ending up with a better, newer car for less than $200. I am very grateful for that. I am still not able to drive yet, but I did get to ride in the new car yesterday when we went to the doctor...haha. Oh, and one other kind of funny accident-related thingie: My mailbox was stuffed with 13 or 14 advertisements from attorneys today. 1 ad was from a chiropractor. I am keeping that one. I think I will discuss the possibility of a chiropractor with my Doc next Tuesday and see what he says. I have never been to one, but a few people I know swear by them. My back might need some serious realignment, so...? I will see.
When I woke up this morning and went into the kitchen for coffee, I was scared half to death by this HUGE plastic frog sitting on the counter. It was a birthday treat from hubby. He is the size of a small cat and has a motion sensor that causes him to croak (loudly) whenever anything passes in front of him. It startled me to the point I almost tripped and fell (wouldn't be a good thing right now)...but after I recovered from my shock I fell in love with him instantly. You know how I love my wacky toys. There is also a large mint chocolate truffle cake in the fridge and a really pretty wrapped gift on the mantel, but I am under strict orders not to cut the cake or open the gift yet. Its tempting though. I wanted cake for breakfast. But I am trying to be good......
Anyway, I think Stephen and Hannia are coming over for dinner tonight. We are going to figure out what we all want and then get it as take out. I am not quite up to dressing up and sitting for a long time in public. Every little bit my back will ache to the point that I have to go lie down for a little while. That seems to ease it a bit, but it makes it hard for me to stay in any one place for very long. Dinner here at home will just be more comfortable for me. No idea what we will order yet. I have a feeling they will make me pick and I don't like making decisions like that. Maybe we can all make a group decision. Its not like I am picky about food or anything....haha.
One other thing: the FedEx guy dropped off a package for me this morning. Its the cutest framed frog print from Dad and Barb. Barb says they found it in San Juan. I love it. Its turning out to be a really froggy kind of birthday and thats just fine with me. I just need to figure out the perfect place to hang it so that I can see it every day. Thanks Dad and Barb. It suits me to a T.
Monday, September 15, 2008
Other accident related stuff....
For some reason, I am more sore today than I was yesterday. Weird. I feel like I ought to be doing something...anything. I am not the lie around doing nothing type. Hopefully things will be back to normal soon. I have an appointment with my regular Doc on Wednesday. Just to follow up on that vague ER diagnosis of my back. My lower back hurts. A lot. Something is not quite right, and its not the same as the muscle pain that I had there back in May. Its different, but hard to describe.
But anyway, I wanted to say something about the accident that really floored me. The impact pushed my car over so that I was blocking 2 lanes of traffic at one of the major intersections here in town. Everybody at that stop light saw the accident. They saw me sitting there with my car smashed up, and bawling my eyes out. I was crying hysterically. It scared the hell out of me. But as soon as the light turned green for the people that I was blocking, they all started squeezing around me on both sides, barely inching past my car to zoom off on whatever errands they were off to do. Not 1 single person...not even 1, stopped to see if I needed help or if I was ok, or anything. It was surprising to me. I was definitely inconveniencing them by blocking their lane....to hell with whether or not I was injured. It was cold and insensitive. There wasn't a whole heck of a lot anybody could do, but still.....just having somebody there to talk to me or calm me down or something would have been nice. The guy who hit me didn't even talk to me. He stood on the other side of the street. Oh well, the cops and ambulance were there pretty quickly so it wasn't like I had to sit there for a really long time. And all of those guys were extremely nice and helpful. So at least there's that.
My husband has already bought another car for me. We are fairly certain that the insurance company will declare mine as totalled. He is off to finalize all of that right now. He took this day off to contact the insurance companies, the car stuff...etc. He had to go find my car that was towed, because I still had stuff in it (like my favorite raincoat). I'm so glad I have him, because I am really not up to dealing with all of this right now. Well, actually I am glad I have him for a million reasons, not just to deal with the accident aftermath...haha.
But anyway, I wanted to say something about the accident that really floored me. The impact pushed my car over so that I was blocking 2 lanes of traffic at one of the major intersections here in town. Everybody at that stop light saw the accident. They saw me sitting there with my car smashed up, and bawling my eyes out. I was crying hysterically. It scared the hell out of me. But as soon as the light turned green for the people that I was blocking, they all started squeezing around me on both sides, barely inching past my car to zoom off on whatever errands they were off to do. Not 1 single person...not even 1, stopped to see if I needed help or if I was ok, or anything. It was surprising to me. I was definitely inconveniencing them by blocking their lane....to hell with whether or not I was injured. It was cold and insensitive. There wasn't a whole heck of a lot anybody could do, but still.....just having somebody there to talk to me or calm me down or something would have been nice. The guy who hit me didn't even talk to me. He stood on the other side of the street. Oh well, the cops and ambulance were there pretty quickly so it wasn't like I had to sit there for a really long time. And all of those guys were extremely nice and helpful. So at least there's that.
My husband has already bought another car for me. We are fairly certain that the insurance company will declare mine as totalled. He is off to finalize all of that right now. He took this day off to contact the insurance companies, the car stuff...etc. He had to go find my car that was towed, because I still had stuff in it (like my favorite raincoat). I'm so glad I have him, because I am really not up to dealing with all of this right now. Well, actually I am glad I have him for a million reasons, not just to deal with the accident aftermath...haha.
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