Laundromat

Earlier today we spent some time at the local laundromat washing two duvet inserts because our washing machine is a wuss that can't handle them. While there, Julie looked at one of her Tech class's lessons on Powerpoint, I took some pictures (when people weren't walking through, because I'm shy like that--they have seen crazier things but I don't go out of my way to bring attention to myself in public places) and then read some in my book.

These are the pictures from today...and a very long story that you might want to spare yourself from--about the story of my skin and how it obviously is related to Satan.

This is the haircut and the face that is hopefully getting better from the new meds I'm on. Monday we went to the dermatologist (We: I don't go anywhere alone that involves examinations and rooms that have evil hidden needles lurking about, wimpy or not I don't care). It's not a secret that I struggle with awful skin and have for a long time...seeing as it's written all over my face---pun intended. But it might be unknown about how much it bothers me and how it's the number one thing I'm self conscious about and don't find enjoyable being discussed over tea and crumpets. I almost never feel non-self conscious about it or stop wondering if someone is just looking at me...or LOOKING at me and thinking awful thoughts.

It's funny really because it's almost as though people over the years haven't given it much thought...I say this because I've had (apparently shitty friends) over the years who have ACTUALLY gotten snippy about not wanting to go clothes shopping or this or that because I was the SKINNY one and they were not and were struggling and self conscious about their weight. I never EVER said anything mean to them or flaunted my so-called skinniness in their faces, but simply bought clothes! I never yelled back at them and told them that while yes they did have a weight problem, I had a face problem that I hated just as much as they hated their problem and I had to carry it around in front of me every single day and look at it just as much and probably be stared at more because of. It was ironic that their skin was flawless and I felt ugly and they assumed that because I was skinny that I was perfectly happy with every aspect of myself and that I ABSOLUTELY could not relate to them. Ignorant assholes I guess, or self involved delusionals perhaps. Anyway, I turned 30 and decided I better give the dermatologist another chance because while I was hoping things would get better, they got worse...why I was being an optimist during that time I don't know. Hormones must have done some different things because my skin started doing things it hadn't before...instead of just bumps it turned into dry, REALLY DRY--bumpy, red, patchy places. Retribution was in order. Dermatologist appointment went well and now we are in "try this and see mode." Hmm...SORRY that is a long story I could have made very short...Hate skin, always have, always been bad...now have pills and cream to try and take care of it...and I'm once again trying for hope and optimism. :)

Woman's Best Friend

Lennye has a very sweet post about her new grand-dog which immediately got me thinking about the precious stories in a new book I'm reading called Woman's Best Friend: women writers on the dogs in their lives. I LOVE it so far! Every short story I've read in it has brought tears to my house, some happy and some sad. The book is not full of cutesy little stories about how everything is sunshine and roses when loving and caring for a dog...it's "real" stories about how though you have to clean up a lot of messes at times, mop up muddy footprints right after mopping, etc...they have this way of showing you how to love even when they might be a scraggly little dog that you never even really wanted to love in the first place. They somehow sneak into your hearts. My three babies all have their own little snuggly places in my heart and all have their different ways of getting on my nerves and their ways of doing something that makes me melt. I've recently branched out in my blog lurking to find blogs that I'm surprised I didn't look for sooner which include people who love their dogs like children, people who blog mainly about their pets. I've left numerous comments on the "crafty" people's blogs and the "designer" people's blogs because I like looking at their pictures and their pretty things they make and the pretty houses they live in (some with the kind of furniture that obviously barely has people sitting on it, much less DOGS), but I don't really fit into those categories. It's like trying to be in a group in high school that you just don't seem to fit in and no matter how much you like what they have going on, it's just not going to work and you just need to get your butt back over to "your" group's table. Sometimes in life people try too hard to see the differences of your lifestyles, and not how you are similar. You go from having many things in common to all of a sudden not. As I've gotten older, it happens more and more with the circle of friends getting smaller and smaller because of this reason or that reason. It's an occurrence that saddens me. But in the blog world, that's not something you really have to put up with because you can just CLICK and be someplace else! A lot of people won't even visit your blog after you've commented and after a couple of times of that, I might look at your blog, but am not going to bother with giving you compliments or acknowledge you exist anymore...because if you can't reciprocate, the only child in me kicks in after a little while and tries to go find some love and acceptance somewhere else. :) The one thing I've noticed about some of the dog people blogs is that some of them write their blogs as though their dogs are talking in a constant, not completely English, cutesy baby voice and that's just not something I can get into even if the stories are cute. And Lennye thinks MY dogs are spoiled! So...to make this long story which I did not intend to become long, short...I'm trying to say that I'm trying to find my niche, the place to be while the crafters are making things and talking to crafters, the designers are designing and the mommies are mommying...I'm searching for those bloggy buddies that have dog children but don't write in baby talk (talking to your pets in a cutesy voice is one thing, writing in baby talk is another--for me anyway), who maybe even have some of the same things in common like loving home improvement projects, and just might enjoy a random photo of a cupcake or paint peeling off a wall every now and then too! :)
Casey did this to himself at bedtime when I was going around giving nightly kisses...I know, I know...but it was adorable and I had to get some pictures. Poor Nikki doesn't resemble a schnauzer, hair cut for her coming up too!

Tiny Snippets

***Leaving in thirty minutes for Conyers to meet with Erik the very nice financial advisor/friend of Mr. and Mrs. Brown who is about to be the nice, new financial advisor of Monkey and Bean...finally setting up some Roths (should have done it 1000 years ago...but better late than never...better a little money put back than none as well.) Gonna meet at the Starbucks, YEAH!

***Got my hair all chopped off...felt like a celebrity today at work, all the kids were going nutso and I even had adults walk in and say, "I heard about your hair...had to come see!" Many fingers were run through this hair of mine today, but I don't mind. :) Not ready to post a picture at the moment, not enough time. See below for the picture I took in to have it modeled after, PRETTY SHORT huh?! I like it though and was told it suits me and that it takes 10 years off of me...so HEY, that's a good thing! I would say it must look enough like the picture to be recognized because someone said to me that it "looks like Ellen hair." Well excellent, that is what I was going for. My sides are shorter than hers and I'm not as keen on that, but it will grow quickly, I like how the top turned out a lot though. (did I just type "keen?") ok.

30

Here are some pictures from Saturday when Mom, Aunt Peggy, and Julie showered me with birthday goodness. Thank you to everyone who made the day special and the transition from being a hip young person into a hip old person easier! ;) Ha! Now that I am thirty, (eek----feels weirder writing it than saying it) it feels easier moving into than when I turned twenty-nine. I figure turning thirty is better than the alternative of NOT turning thirty. All of my older friends are cool people to talk with and people I love very much, so I have high hopes that getting older is something that will be fun and educational at the same time. What I'm wishing for--for my thirties (yikes---it really is icky still to say that) is that I will worry less about what other people think and will be better at speaking my mind regardless of who I might piss off...also I wish for myself that I will not carry around with me the worry and burden of caring more for the people that don't seem to have the ability to care as much back...and will instead focus more of that positive energy on the ones who do care as much back. If I don't get the hang of that in my thirties (going to refrain this time) then I sure as hell hope I figure it out sometime in my forties. :)

This is what I decided to do with my new Rachel Ray cookware set from Mom and Dad...I'll probably cook with it too someday soon! :) I love it because it is orange...nothing to do with R.R.

Mom is on the left and Aunt Peggy on the right...see why everyone always told me I was Aunt Peggy's child?! Now that I'm older I look more like Mom, but still favor Aunt Peg a lot!

Me with Juliebean...these are three people that I would feel like a large part of myself was lost if they were gone...these three people are the most important people in my life. They are my heart.

Check that out...Aunt Peg and Mom bowling on the Nintendo Wii...they loved it and mom thought since she used to be a trophy winner in an actual bowling league AND had more practice on the Nintendo Wii than Aunt Peggy...that she would kick her tail...well guess who won?! Aunt Peggy beat us all down with a 164 and this is the woman who has recovered from breast cancer, a mastectomy, bone spurs, etc...She's somebody to be proud of for sure! She definitely was kicking ass and taking names on Saturday---there was NO letting the birthday girl win! ;)

Today

I turned

More thoughts and comments to follow...

Random things about me...

No pixie chasing today or adventures of Big Toe, so I thought I'd do this nifty little 7 random things about me too. But I don't care for odd numbers really, so I'm making mine 10. :)

1. I used to want everyone to think of me as nice, but as I've gotten older that has seemed like an impossible/exhausting feat so I've moved on to wanting people to think I'm funny instead. (Thus doing things like popping out of trunks)

2. I wear socks around the house all day long and only own about two pairs of solid colored socks, the rest are funkafied.

3. My nickname used to be "Sunflower" and now it's "Monkey." Monkeys are not my favorite animals, but I act like one--so that's how I got the name.

4. I love color, a lot! I don't watch black and white films/movies because they make my eyes hurt, but I do love black and white photography very much.

5. My photos and music on my computer are very valuable to me. I can't go without my music and I love all types. Really though, the 80's and 90's top everything.

6. I think loving and caring for people is sometimes painful because I expect a lot out of people not in terms of how much they give of material things, but how much they give of themselves. You show me that you care and are kind-hearted and I'll be your friend for life. Feeling needed and wanted mean a lot to me.

7. I think the internet is fascinating and amazing, but has made people lazy in the ways that things should be done...an email or whatever can't compare to snail mail or a phone call in terms of greetings, condolences, warms wishes, etc...

8. I can practically quote the words to "Beaches" and "You've Got Mail" as I watch them, two movies I have seen more than any others.

9. I think the most beautiful moments in life are the ones where you are doing something with people you care about and you take a moment and think to yourself that right at that moment, everything is the way it should be.

10. Besides music, the only things I collect right now are t-shirts...and they are sorted by color in my closet. :)

Monkey Bite: Grilled Cheese

I liked how this picture of my grilled cheese sandwich turned out...so I will be lame and blog about a sandwich...just for a minute I promise! Julie likes her cheese CRAZY thick on her sandwich and I have to have mine really thin...or else I will gag. I can't stand a lot of mushy food in my mouth at one time. Things like cheese, bananas, basically anything without crunch has to be eaten in small bites. I love my grilled cheese very thin and MUST dip it in tomato soup. There, that's all I'm gonna say about that! :) Oh...and that orange bowl rocks!

Another Something You Might Not Know About Me

We're gonna start calling these "monkey bites" because that's the coolest thing I could come up with for the moment--to call the little tidbits of info about myself.
I LOVE white shirts...all kinds of white shirts--white polos from Old Navy and Gap, button down white dress shirts, white t-shirts. I think everyone looks hotter in a button down white shirt and I like how they look when they are brand new. If money and waste were not issues, I would always have a NEW white shirt to wear. Expect more white shirt wearing hotties in the future. Here's a little Wentworth Miller to make your Thursday a little more worthwhile.

Red and Pink...

our Lady Baltimore Hibiscus. Work went well today aside from the 8:15-12:00 meeting. Meetings are what you make them though, and I believe that since my buddy Coach Crawford and I made ourselves laugh to the point of tears, the meeting was successful! HA! My women's one-a-day vitamin has worked nicely two days in a row...apparently mom was right, when you are about to turn 30, a vitamin can do you some good! UGH and BLAH! (to almost being 30 that is)! They say it's some of the best years of your life...if I'm more energetic (after vitamins of course) and have a new car/pool, I will most definitely agree to that statement and not miss my 20's one bit.......maybe.

Another Old Photo...

This is an old one from probably 6 or 7 years ago on a trip to Jekyll Island. I couldn't believe how the squirrels would come up so close to get food...so here I am giving a Dorito to a squirrel. They really should watch their diet! Even more unbelievable is the hair color...this is when I got tired of high-lighting it and dyed it to match my roots as closely as I could. Interesting.