retail therapy tames the savage...

I had twenty dollars in a gift card burning a hole in my pocket, but have been saving for something I "need."  I have everything I need.  I've been a good girl and not splurging on non-necessity stuff lately.  Yesterday that all came down in shambles.

I had a reaallllly bad Monday.  I won't go into detail, mainly cause it was work related.  It was bad.  I was bi$%#^.  I decided I needed to be good to myself, so I went to Target with my giftcard in hand.

It's amazing how much money you can spend on frivolous stuff when you allow yourself to do it.  It started out innocently enough, with some new eyeshadow... I wandered around for a half an hour trying to find $16 more stuff to use the giftcard on...then I started on the crafty stuff (a photo trimmer I've been wanting for MONTHS and an exacto knife)... then fun stationary (funky square paper with bright colored stripes down the sides)... Valentine's socks... a bar of Ghiradelli (because good chocolate, like love, makes everything better...)... a copy of the new mag "Everyday" (with Rachael Ray!  Oh thank heavens for the "garbage bowl"...)... organizer trays for my drawer at work (cause I'm sick of digging for my tape!)... no-budge headbands for working out...

I spent $40.  Total.  I spent $20 of my money, $20 gift card.

The beast is now appeased with lots of things to keep her happy in the next few months of gray days.  Now excuse me while I go work in my fun socks for the rest of the day.

bad day

Gar.  I'm going to go swallow a pint of chocolate ice cream and do some retail therapy.  YEs, it was THAT bad of a monday.

Friday - ARGGGGG

Even though it is not officially... I declare today to be Talk Like A Pirate Day!

 

ARGGGG.

 

Just because it's Friday and I am tired and increasingly stressed out and sick.

 

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This morning I really realized the days are getting longer.  I left at my newly/usual time for work (~8 AM) to be here by ~8:30 AM.  The sun was rising.  Realize that over the past few weeks, it has not been doing that.  So I am VERY happy.  Part of my happiness is due to the fact that I am dragging my butt out of bed earlier, so I see more sun and get more done during the day.  I have always been one of those people who need sunlight.  I am realizing this more and more since my lab lacks natural light.  I've noticed when I'm here longer, I feel yucky just because of the lack of light.  Not necessarily because of the 12 hour day, but who knows what contributes to that feeling.

 

In particular, I am glad for more light because I am sick of winter and colds and my lymph nodes being sore all day long, all week long.  My body is constantly bombarded with microbial challenges (I work in a microbiology lab...duh this would be an issue).  I'm not sick, but I'm sick of my neck hurting because I'm not sick.  Owie.

 

I am also glad for longer days because people are happier in the spring.  Everything is a little "lighter" - strangers smile at you more when you go into a coffee shop for a cafe au lait.  Errands become more fun and less chore just because the sun is out and you are outside and have full locomotion of your limbs.

 

[le sigh]

 

I'm moving to France, where even when it's yucky, people take life less seriously and despite weird leaders, they have okay work/life balance systems.

 

my obsession

I have been to the gym M-F last week, did yoga on Saturday, danced around the house on Monday, and hit the gym yesterday.  So far so good on week 2.

 

Realized as I was all excited about hitting the cardio machines...my freebie little headset (that allows me to listen to the TV at the gym while I am on the cardio machine) is broken.  Poo.

 

Observed for a half an hour that given something lost, very few people seem concerned.  I found someone else's headset left on the ground by my machine.  I was on the machine for about 35 minutes, and NO ONE who walked by had stopped to check that it was mine and not lost.  I finally turned it in to the desk after I was done.

 

The new RPAC is always busy.  I was there at 9 PM last night and it was still hopping.  Usually, that is around when it seemed to die down in the old Larkins.

 

I need a nap.  It's only 9 AM and I need a nap.  I need to start working out in the morning to get my energy up.  Maybe I'll get some stuff started at work and skip over the gym at lunch.  :::yawn:::  Past that, I have nothing to write about.

gym rat

I've been to the gym on Friday, Monday, and Tuesday so far this week. I also count Saturday's grocery shopping as exercise. :-) Not bad so far. I just have to keep with it.
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I have a friend going into the hospital next week. I'm not sure what to get to take into her - flowers seem cliche. I was thinking something to entertain her would be good, but am stuck for ideas. Trashy gossip magazines? Coloring book and crayons? Crosswords or wordfinds? A copy of the NY Times perhaps?


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The new rec center was CROWDED yesterday. So crowded that every single locker was full - i had to scrounge around for one near the swimming pool. You would think with all the empty walls and space that they would have installed more lockers.

lay about

I realized this weekend, that I have WAY too many projects. I need to stop starting new things before I have finished my existing list (which is quite long). Mostly it is craft projects/home improvement stuff -i.e. making clothes, pillows, etc. Maybe if I focus on one thing at a time for longer than 5 minutes I'd get something done.

strange luck

So I'm having a bad week, you could say. But it's been getting better.

But yesterday evening was good. I went to my favorite store to spend some Christmas cash - $50 to be exact. Problem is, the jeans I needed were $40. Each. BUT - there was a SALE so they were 2 for $59. Great! AND I had a coupon, but you have to spend $75 to get $25 off - which meant I had to spend at least $16 more. Okay...ring up this tank top for $19.50. What? It's marked down to $9.99 you say? Oh. Well, I can't use a clearance item to cover the 6.01 difference can I... can I? You'll make an exception!? Sweet! Then here are these pajama pants (with martini glasses and vodka bottles) that were originally $30, marked down to $9.99, with an additional 30% off they come to $6.99. So I rocked the deals and got all that stuff for $50. And... the pants... duhn duhn duhn DUNH... are one size smaller than I was wearing. In fact, I could squeeze into a 16, but then I looked like two walking sausages and that's just not cool. But one size smaller is still awesome. So awesome in fact, that it has inspired me on to further weightloss goals... another 10 pounds by the 13th of Feburary I say! And so I embark on more stringent adherance to my Phase 2 south beach diet and start up an exercise plan this evening. Won't bore you with details, but know I will periodically celebrate any small victories.

SUH.

This is FREAKIN' AWESOME.

Wednesday quickie

It's Wednesday, so almost to the weekend. I have no desire to do any of the things at home I should do before the weekend. Just wanna go home and sleep, because all my weekends the past few months have been running,running, running.

Lots of people seem to be having lots of troubles lately. This is a general prayer request - just pray with me for all those people I am praying for this week.

life in neutral

Today I feel like my life is on hold.

This isn't a new feeling. I've felt like I'm in a holding pattern since I started graduate school. I guess I feel like I'm in neutral, because I'm still rolling, but not necessarily of my own design. Life events, and results of experiments, keep happening, not as a direct result of my effort, but because they happen.

I'm waiting. I hate waiting for things to happen to me. It's frustrating to the control freak in me.

hacky, happy new year

I am sick.  Oh what a wonderful way to start a fresh year.  Not totally icky throwing up sick, just the beginnings of a rather nasty cold/ear infection.  Lots of drainage and phlegminess.  I am so throaty sexy Lauren Bacall right now.  ;-)  But at work, that doesn't matter - I'm just trying not to contaminate my cells with my grossness.  And now, before I head back to the bench...new year's resolutions (i.e. what I did wrong last year that I vow to do right this year).

1.  Publish.  Twice.  Or at least publish once and submit once.

2.  Not be whiny when sick.  Have found this rather annoys the persons taking care of me.

3.  Sit up straight more.

4.  Not obsess about things I cannot control.  Instead, I will tackle those things I can control as soon as possible, so as to take mind off of the former.

5.  Do NOT let other people's negative/inconsiderate/non-compassionate/generally-annoying-and-or-rude behavior get to me.  I realized part of this is that I wish I was myself less that way (whatever the annoying person's "way" happens to be...).  Instead, I will focus on how I can model the behavior I would like them to have - this will accomplish the resolution and make it more about ME, since I can only change ME not other people.

6.  Take more healthy risks.

7.  Turn up the music and dance more often.

8.  Do more random acts of kindness.

9.  Start every day with a smile in the mirror and a prayer of thanks that I get to see another day full of opportunity.

10.  End every day with a smile in the mirror and a prayer of thanks that I got through the day full of opportunity.