goodbye, january.

spent the day scavenger hunting, laughing, and sharing tears with my beautiful mom. who turned 50 today. or, rather, yesterday (because it's now past 1 am) a very full day. my baby sister is here, in town, until tomorrow.... and my fiance looked especially handsome tonight.

a very good day.


below, a picture of me with three lovely women who have inspired me in this past month... more than they will ever know. it's been quite a ride, these past 31 days of january. so worth it. every single minute! let's keep going.

eggs, lint, etc.

hello, reader. i know it's been a few day's since i've blogged.

first order of business, the cheapest stick of deoderant in walmart today... was $4, and i think that's about $3.75 too much. in my opinion, the government should be supplying us all with free hygeine products. seriously. i shouldn't have to pay so much for toothpaste, floss, deoderant, shampoo, soap, all that. if it's free to stink, most american's are going to choose to stink (as they already do) and the rest of us who spend $4 dollars to not stink, have to be around the stinky people and smell them.

it's a conspiracy.

secondly! another conspiracy! lint rollers. now i feel really strongly about lint rollers. i use lint rollers, we all do. but i read a magazine article a few months back that claimed that lint rollers actually leave a film of sticky-ness on our clothes- which attracts more lint- which in turn causes us to buy more lint rollers.

and i completely believe it. seriously. lint roll your shirt right now. then go check it out in the mirror in a few hours. it's covered in fuzz and hair, isn't it? ...i know.

thirdly. i want to get on a soap box about eggs. why do people hate on eggs? why do all the menus in restuarants give you the option to just get "egg whites" ? who wants just the white part of an egg, that's the weird part. and eggs are so versatile, you can cook them so many different ways. i love eggs. i wish people would leave eggs alone.

oh, fourth thing on the list... (i'm making this up as i go) is a really quick movie review of the movie 'red'.. the one with all of the really old actors in it. anything that's titled 'red' as an abbreviation of 'retired extremely dangerous' should never be watched to begin with.

... 'red' is like a cheezit cracker, with cheese spread on top, and a block of cheddar cheese on top of that, sprinkled with grated cheese to finish it off.

cheesy mc-cheeserson.

well, that's all for now. i hope i made you smile. i do enjoy your smile! (:
have a lovely day.

thanks, aveda.

it's been almost an entire month since i walked out of my job as an educator at the aveda institute. i'm still proud of myself, and i still have no regret over my decision. quitting that job has given me a fresh appreciation for certain parts of my life. and so, this is my thank you letter/list for aveda, as a whole. to my co-workers, students, and the experience i had there.

1. thank you, aveda, for forcing me out my shell. i learned that i am stronger than i ever knew, and that i'm not weak, and that i don't have to be afraid to speak up.

2. thank you, former co-workers, for teaching me all of the wrong ways to handle situations, coach students, lead by example, take initiative, teach classes, and communicate. from most of you, i learned that if i just did the opposite of everything you did- i would do it right.

3. thank you, aveda, for giving me a wake up call to how blessed i am. for reminding me, daily, how much i need & love my family. for making me appreciate their comfort and their friendship, because i never found that while working for you.

4. thanks, former "esthiology team", for rejecting me and keeping me outside of your inner circles, your gossip groups, and your cliques. i will never be able to truly express how grateful i am that i didn't fit in with you.

5. thank you, aveda, for the harsh critism... the negative feedback... the rude comments... the hours i would spend crying... the days, weeks, months, i wished i could quit... it was actually, in some ways, all worth it- because now i know what i'm not missing out on.

6. thank you, to the former students who ever wrote anything negative about me in surveys, or ever complained to anyone "above me" about my teaching methods, or ever treated me unkindly, or ever talked about me behind my back. thank you, because of you- i left a job that i poured my life into (like i poured my life into you) and you taught me how to pick myself up and dust off. you taught me that i don't have to stoop low and treat other people horribly to feel better about myself. you are the opposite of everything i want to be.

7. thank you, aveda, for hiring people that are two-faced and angry at the world. they showed me how much joy there can be in simply living life without them around.

8. thank you, aveda, for giving me nearly impossible goals. i met those goals. i pushed myself. i changed. i grew. i gave it my all. i'm proud of myself.

9. thank you, to all of the beautiful students who ever had a supporting or encouraging word for me. you know who you are. and i remember each one of you as if you were a part of me. you were the reason i kept going, and you were the reason i had the courage to leave. i am so fortunate to have been a part of your journeys, and to know each one of you on a personal level. i know, because i have known such lovely souls as yours, that life can't really get much better than this. you have touched my heart, and made me who i am.

10. thank you, aveda, because of you- i met some amazing people. these amazing people were my students. i may have been the "teacher", but they were the ones teaching me every day.

they were the ones teaching me.

lists.

i have nothing exciting to report. i wish i could write something really interesting... but i really don't have much. so, for your reading pleasure, i would like to share a few lists with you. i love making lists. there's nothing like making a list to make you feel instantly organized. in my opinion, you can make a list about anything and it's automatically more fun.

here's a warm up list.
"books currently on the couch in my living room"
1. the abs diet
2. cashless
3. the holy bible
4. the coming economic armageddon
5. h & r block at home
6. the trillion-dollar conspiracy
(please note: none of these books belong to me.)

okay that list wasn't much fun. let's try another one.

"things aaron is doing on the opposite side of the living room"
1. the falling-asleep look
2. scratching head
3. sitting indian-style
4. moving shoes to side of couch
5. rubbing left eye
6. touching eye lashes on left eye
7. (im laughing) aaron: "what's so funny there, katie sue?"


"things that would have made this day better"
1. bethany
2. flowers
3. starbucks
4. a tan
5. and a beach
6. chicken nuggets

alright, last one.

"things that already made my day"
1. another elephant beanie baby
2. brownies
3. steven tyler on american idol
4. my kindle
5. rain
6. steven tyler (again) on american idol

i'm sorry.

i'm sorry but today is not a big day of compassion for me. i'm short on patience. i blame jillian michaels, because she's killing me with her cardio and strength training, and my whole body is sore, and i wonder if it's worth it, and this makes me grumpy.

but that's against the point.

we looked at another wedding venue today because we are moving the wedding date. the only reasons that weddings are stressful is because there are hundreds and hundreds of tiny little details. the venue doesnt even matter. you picked a location, great. prepare to make 78,453 decisions on a daily basis. it's insane. i don't know what colors i like, which flowers i want, i don't know where to put the chairs, or how to arrange the food, or which appetizers i want to serve. i don't have these answers.

anyway. like i said. i'm short on patience today.

not much.

free time has given me a chance to explore my creative side a little more. i'm discovering all kinds of things to do with myself, like reading blogs on cooking healthy meals.. searching through pictures of beautiful art & places.. wandering around bookstores and looking at interior design books that remind me of my baby sister. it has probably been one of the most enlightening, liberating weeks of my life. i am at peace.

i don't have much to say today. i am blogging mostly for aaron, my one devoted reader. here are some pictures, a few of the hundreds i've started collecting on my computer.

cuticles.

i have this thing about cuticles.

i hate them.

what are those things on the nail clippers that push them back? what is that little tool called? everyone should have one of those. everyone should push their cuticles back.

i'm always picking at my cuticles. they bug me. and if you're a member of my family, or if your name is aaron (har-de-har) i will forever be pushing your cuticles back. get them out of my sight. i know this is a little weird thing about me. but you have to admit, cuticles are ugly.

it's now been almost a week of me being completely un-employed and free. the major downside is that i can't spend any money. but, ya know, that's probably the only downside.

my bedroom is a mess, nothing is in order. the carpet is covered in clothes. there are books, movies, jewelry, and scarves everywhere. i've been wearing pj's almost 24/7. i've caught up on my reading, i'm involved in my families lives and my fiance's life more. i have all this spare time but i'm never bored. i have time for myself and that hasn't happened in years.

so, in conclusion- as far as quitting a job goes, i would highly recommend it.

jillian michaels.

what is it about jillian michaels?

somehow, she is a magnetic force. i want to be jillian michaels. she looks at you through the tv screen and says, "do you want to look like me?" the answer is.. not really, but i want to be as motivated as you. you're compelling, jillian. you are a genius. who wouldn't want to buy your dvd's, weights, bands, mats, and the clothing line that i'm sure you're working on?

yesterday, i completed 5 straight days of working out for 30-45 minutes. i woke up this morning and i can't really move my legs. aaron says this is a good sign.

it makes walking pretty uncomfortable.

i have lost 0 weight. but i feel good. i think the biggest part of this is quitting my job and being a lot less stressed out. i've been drinking much more water. my skin looks much better as of late. but other than that, i'm just feeling really.... really........... really sore.

jillian is kicking my butt.

starbucks.

i am blogging from starbucks. i'm seated across a small table from my father. behind me is a man in a blue shirt, with glasses. i can see him in the reflection of my lap top screen. (sorry for being a little creepy)

the whole 'starbucks experience' can be a little embarrassing. first of all, when you place an order- they don't ask for your name. right? so you order, let's say... a tall no-whip mocha. and this is how you are identified. this is how we know where you are. we make your beverage and then we shout across the store, "TALL NO-WHIP MOCHA!"

...which is fine, for those of us ordering tall no-whip mochas.

but, alas, you have the manly men ordering grande non-fat cinnamon soy lattes. and everyone stops to stare at him as he stands up to retrieve his dainty girl beverage from the counter top.

pretty ego-shattering stuff.

starbucks is like the schoolyard for adults. like when you were six and maybe you were the scrawny one with glasses (like me) and the big kids would pick on you and throw things at you. starbucks is like that, except this time.. you're grown up, you look normal, you're not scrawny, and nobody cares about your glasses.

but when you stand up to collect your freakishly feminine coffee from that starbucks barista. we are making fun of you, in our minds. and oh yes, we would throw things if we could.

you're 52, you probably work at a bank, you have a couple grandkids on the way, and you just ordered a non-fat cinnamon soy latte.

you should be ashamed of yourself.

getting real.

today i quit my job.

i did the completely irresponsible, foolish thing to do- and i just quit. walked out. done.

before you think i'm crazy, let me explain that this job i once had was... well, the strongest source of stress, frustration, fear, exhaustion, that anyone could ask for. imagine working somewhere and dedicating over 70 hours a week to it, for little or no appreciation. the money no longer affected me, all i wanted was a pat on the back.

not happening.

then it hit me. all of the lessons this job has aimed to teach me- i've already learned. it's time to move on. bigger and better things are waiting.

i quit my job.

on the drive home i cried... a little and then a lot, and then i felt peace, and then i laughed to myself. (a little bit like a crazy person.) i quit my job. i'm free.

ya know how everyone says that quitting your job can be pretty liberating? ...they're right. and eleanor roosevelt said, "every day, do something that scares you." and i did, and it was worth it.

on health.

i've been researching some tid-bits on living healthier and such. i do, of course, have a wedding fast approaching, and i would like to be in shape and feel good for this.. one of the biggest events of my life.

turns out there are around six billion websites on eating well, diets, doing things like riding bikes and lifting weights, detoxes, smoothies, veggie recipes... i'll stop.

in conclusion: i don't see how anyone can have an excuse for not taking care of their bodies. a gym, a personal trainer, videos, equipment, none of that is really all that neccessary. if you have a computer and internet access, you have everything you need at your fingertips.

all ya need is a little oomph.

p.s. off subject, my dad found a snapshot of me as a kid today. its me, him, and my sister misty. at a petting zoo. i look about 3 or 4 years old. and my dad, in the picture, is trying to convince me to pet a goat. and i look like im going to pass out. ...those were the days.