happy Memorial Day!

I know I'm happy it is a holiday and my office is therefore closed. :) And it proves my theory that I'd be better off with just ONE weekday off a month, because I completed a shitload (don't you love how gross that word is? ha) of errands done this morning.

I needed to use a CVS coupon before tomorrow, so I bought a bunch of random stuff there. Buy 2, get one free stockings; two for the price of one lipgloss and eye makeup remover; a new nail file; Sally Hansen airbrush legs (my AirStocking can sounds ominously low, I'm curious to see if the less expensive version is equally good); and nail polish remover. I'm planning to give myself a manicure later and I have a pedicure appointment on Wednesday, hence all the nail accountrements.

Then I ventured to my favorite coffee drive-thru and they were offering a two for one drink special. Holy cow! Now I have a spare for later plus the one I drank immediately fueled me up for the gym, which was surprisingly uncrowded and pleasant today. I had a 5K run on the elliptical and not a blessed soul encroached on the machines next to me (i.e., my personal space) so I felt even more exercise endorphins than usual because my buffer remained intact. :) I also did a kick ass weight circuit due to the absence of scary people on a machine I rarely get a chance to use.

I capped off the morning with a jaunt to a new health food store. I've been anxiously awaiting the opening because it is much closer to my house than the health food store I normally visit AND it has a juice bar! It was a blast to check it out, and their prices are quite competitive so I purchased a few things. I also stopped at the regular grocery and carried away 3 bottles of wine on sale (thinking ahead and trying to stock up for the housewarming party, even though I'll probably end up drinking it all before then at the rate the luck with furniture shopping is going, visited several stores and still nothing :-( boo hoo). The bagboy and cashier seemed impressed that I could carry all my groceries in one bag. Um, it is called being in shape? LoL. I know I look petite but I'm not a weakling!

So I didn't leave anyplace emptyhanded this morning and I was home before noon.

slacking!

I was so rebellious - I didn't go into work this weekend. I decided I needed extra "me" time and thought to myself "screw it, it isn't like I get paid by the hour anyways...and forget about overtime..." I never believed that movie Office Space had any basis in reality until I started working in a corporate environment. It was getting to the point last week where I wanted to just smack people for breathing so I feel like I deserve ONE weekend to myself. God knows there are colleagues who don't even do their job during a regular day much less devote any off-the-clock time to it.

Today I saw Monster-in-Law, it wasn't Oscar-worthy but it is a cute way to spend ninety minutes if you love J.Lo or Jane Fonda. I have to admit I've always been a J.Lo fan, circa her Versace palm frond dress. Ever since her Flashdance-remake music video, I've discovered a new level of admiration for her. Girl takes care of herself, that ass didn't go from FlyGirl size to the way it looked in that video on its own. She looked good in the movie, too. I love seeing "regular" women like her and Jennifer Aniston whip themselves into shape, it just inspires me (though Jennifer A a little less because she bought into that Zone diet bullshit).

Speaking of diet, my pumpkin and I signed up for this really cool thing. You go to this kitchen and make a month's worth of ~healthy~ food that you take home and reheat. I'm really looking forward to it. The person we bought our house from left us a delicious meal from the place in our freezer, now we'll get to make more for ourselves. Not to mention what a huge time and stress saver it will be. I hate grocery shopping on the weekends or evenings which is generally when the store is super-crowded, and I feel slightly guilty being on the receiving end of all the cooking, so it will be a nice thing to do together. We're going to the beach next weekend to beat the Memorial Day crowd, so our session will be the weekend after next. I can't wait for either! :)

on a roll

Damn, I've been a downright posting ho lately but I can't help myself. Blame it on a caffiene rush. Or mania. Whatever.

I should totally be attending to my piles o' laundry right now but I am so thrilled at the prospect of NOTHING REALLY HANGING OVER MY HEAD that I don't even know what to do with myself.

Ok, that is a lie, I'll need to do some work this weekend, but nothing too heinous. On the homefront my belongings are pretty much unpacked, all that remains to be unpacked are items that require storage in new furniture I have yet to purchase. I don't want to buy just for the sake of completing my space, I want to take my time carefully selecting the perfect things. I also need a few accent pieces to spice up various rooms. And knowing my taste/aesthetic, the chosen decor may require time to save money, too!

As far as leisurely pursuits, I have the following to look forward to:
-yoga seminar
-housewarming fiesta
-baby fete for a favored colleague
-drinks with friends just around the corner
-a stash of (pleasurable!) reading materials to dig into
-upcoming haircut, debating whether I should go for a dramatic change or stick with same ol' same ol'
-upcoming haircolor, very eager for this, I ~adore~ "my" colorist and it always makes me feel so summery to update my color this time of year
-booking a massage appointment, wavering between going with a new practitioner or sticking with the tried and true, I'm sort of a 'cheater' and occasionally branch out to make sure nobody else is better
-mani/pedi (already know I am going to pick an obnoxiously tropical fruity shade!)
-wearing newly cleaned clothes that have been out of the rotation for awhile
-a visit from my parents (who never arrive empty handed, bless their hearts for knowing how much my materialistic self loves a good gift) :)
-attending a cooking class
-shopping next week

Feliz fin de semana (as the super sweet cleaning lady in my building told me on the elevator today) :) Yes, I'm a geek and practice my Spanish with anyone who is willing to conversate with me. LoL.

so fresh and so clean

I have elaborate grooming rituals.
Some might call it a sickness.
I consider it necessary maintainence.

Of course I wash my face and brush my teeth at least twice a day. I exfoliate and moisturize at least once a day (usually in or subsequent to my daily shower). If I'm headed outdoors, I apply sunscreen and antioxidant cream to fight free radicals. Hopefully when I'm 50 I will look half my age. I started wearing sunscreen in my teens, and I think it paid off (good genes don't hurt either). Even now people constantly assume I am much younger than I am (which isn't really THAT old but still).

Several days a week are devoted to fitness. I complete both cardio and weight training at the gym. I attend yoga classes and practice Pilates. Occasionally I in-line skate miles at a stretch. I try to be as active as possible. For the most part, I ingest a balanced diet. To me all of the above counts as grooming because it can make or break your physical appearance. I used to be gung-ho about various vitamins/supplements but I've slacked off in that department a bit because I didn't notice a huge difference in how I looked or felt when I was taking them, and the kinds I was taking weren't exactly cheap.

About once a month, I get a manicure and pedicure. In the meantime, I'll shape and polish my nails myself. I also get my eyebrows threaded once a month and sugarwax other areas in need of depiliation.

I get my hair trimmed no more than eight weeks between appointments. Coloring appointments are spaced further apart, perhaps three times annually. For very special events peppered throught the year, I will enlist the help of my stylist.

i'm so going to hell

If you've been keeping up, you know I'm enjoying my newly acquired homeowner status. I was out exploring the new neighborhood a couple weeks ago and spied a sign for a new women's only gym, coming soon! The prospect of working out without being stared at excited me, it is within walking distance to my house, and their website looked sort of promising, so I decided to go to the open house last Saturday. Plus it advertised a bonanza of "door prize" gift certificates that I would actually use (massage, car detailing, free membership, ~good~ local restaurants, etc.) - sounds fantastic, right? WRONG. I was sorely disappointed.

I stroll up and am alarmed to see MEN. Um, I thought this was a women's only gym? And no, I'm not a closeted lesbian eagerly anticipating to ogle a female lovefest. The women's only gym I worked at in college didn't even have male JANITORS, much less male trainers or "membership consultants." And the only table set up to enter a drawing was for Mary Kay. WTF?! Where were the other giveaways and chair massages? Not to sound snobby but I haven't used Mary Kay cosmetics since like, middle school. At the check-in area, you could also enter a drawing for a free ninety day membership. Again, wtf? (an even bigger wtf? later when I found out their minimum contract is 12 months) I should have taken my cue and turned tail and ran home. But no, as they say, curiosity killed the cat. I forged ahead.

The indoor area was not even finished! The bathrooms had no lighting and wires were hanging out of the wall. People were painting, drilling, sanding, etc. It was only 3500 square feet and part of this was occupied by tanning (yes, the 90's are back) beds. There was a pitiful little circle of weight machines in the middle of the room, and our "tour guide" (a man, btw - I guess women's only has a secret meaning that includes individuals with a penis) said a TV would prompt you to move to the next machine and no workout lasted longer than 32 minutes! I interrupted his spiel and asked "do we have to do a predetermined workout?" and he looked a little nervous and laughed "of course not, you can do your own" I countered "wouldn't that disrupt the 'flow' if I skipped around on the machines?" He didn't have an answer. I said "oh, so it is kind of like a Curves" and he was quick to insist it is NOTHING like Curves, except for the "women's only" part. There were only FOUR, yes four, cardio machines. But two tanning beds. Because apparently we don't get enough sun in Florida already, and people go to the gym to tan, not workout.

It gets worse. He led us (me and an older, larger lady) back to this shed looking thing. He beamed with pride "this is our FAR sauna, just sitting in it burns 600 calories." I nearly vomited. I could just picture being trapped in there with lazy asses who would probably bring a snack since, hey, it burns calories. Then he leaned forward and tried to reel us in. "For 39.95 a month you get a membership, kiddie corner childcare, and a personal trainer." He inquired whether we had any questions and I said "well, what if you don't have kids?" The big lady sneered "well, I guess you won't use kiddie corner" He looked flabbergasted and didn't answer me, so I elaborated. "The gym I go to now (which incidentally is 10x larger, better equipped, and costs LESS per month - this went unsaid but I am sharing for context) only charges members who actually USE and NEED the childcare a separate childcare fee, do you have a price point for people who will never utilize that service?" He said "well, it is included for every type of membership" At this point, I was tiring of his semantics. So I smiled charmingly and sweetly uttered "I don't think I am your target market." And pointedly stared at Miss Foaming at the mouth imagining her calories sweating off in the sauna while her rugrats play in the corner and she dutifully completes the exercises her "personal trainer" instructs her to, all in 32 minutes. Then I said "thank you, I've heard ALL I need to hear to make a decision" and I waltzed to the exit. :)