The Daily Drive
I used to love to run errands. I would hop in my car, scoot off to Target or the mall, and browse and shop and buy. Now, I only head out when I'm ready for some white-knuckle driving.
My New England natives, pray tell, what is the philosophy behind the "drive really fast to the white line and scare the crap out of drivers" technique? I'm sure you've seen it. You're cruising along, singing off-key to something on the radio (my guilty pleasure: Kelly Clarkson. It's just so damn catchy!), when off to your side some jack-hole in a clunker comes cruising at warp speed sure to T-bone you! My life flashes, I slam on the brakes just as they do, and try to remember which line comes next in "Since U Been Gone."
I'm picking up on the idea that everyone is in a hurry around here. I get it. Really. But do you realize by flying up, forcing me to slam on the brakes, you're actually hurting you? You're making your drive longer. Because now, you have to wait for me to regain the speed I was once traveling at?
So, if you slow me down, dear drivers, it takes and extra 5 seconds for you to pull out after me. How many times a day do you do this? 20? 24? Let's say 24 for easy math.
That's an extra 2 minutes a day.
14 minutes a week.
60 minutes a month.
720 minutes a year.
Now, Mr. I'm In Such A Hurry, what could you do with an extra 12 hours a year of free time?
Growing Up
Remember when you were little, and adults talked about things like interest rates, furniture purchases and other boring such matters? I swore I would never be one of those people...and here I am, raving about my new table!!!
It's been a three month struggle to bring this bad boy home. I first fell in love with it Opening Day at Stoughton IKEA. Since then, all I could do was fantasize about what I'd do with this amazing piece. The projects I'd get done! The organization!!! In my mind, this table would solve all the problems in my life.
The table soon became the problem in my life. We bought it. We strapped it onto the top of the Protie...and when we opened the box it was scratched!!! So, back to IKEA, where the table was out of stock! More waiting.
But this week, it all came together! The table made it home in one piece! We're still 2 chairs short, but that's an easy fix! And now, I type to you on my new piece of furniture.
And did I mention it's everything I hoped? There's room for my sewing machine, knitting projects, tutoring paperwork, laptop, coffee cup and tons of room to spare! I have a nice little workspace all set up and I can't wait to get started!!!
Time to create!
My latest creation!
I've graduated from the basic scarf!! Look!! I'm making hats now!
This project caused a bit of heartache, since I had to rip it twice. Both mistakes I blame on air travel. But, after a week of on-again off-again work, the hat is done!
Mad props to the Monday Night Knitters for the tips on how to create my hat! It's super soft, and very easy to make!
Off to go knit more....
Looking for a Laugh?
May I direct your attention to the following website:
http://www.4q.cc/chuck/I can't get enough of Chuck!!!
Enjoy!
Rave Review
Ladies (and pretty Gents),
Looking for a way to keep your chapped lips soft while adding a hint of color? May I suggest Bigelow Apothecaries Mentha Lip Tint? It's amazing!
It comes in these cute little tubes, and you can pick them up at Bath and Body. (Or the new Bigelow Apothecary in Copley for you city-dwellers.) The best part? The minty taste! It's lip-licking good! And reports are they actually make your lips look fuller without collagen, but the jury's still out on if that really happens. Oh, and it will balance your checkbook and do your laundry for 3 weeks. I even think this stuff could solve the world's problems. I'm still waiting..
At last check, it was on sale at Bath and Body...get them while the sale is hot! I may need to pick up another soon, it's just so good!
I feel pretty...oh, so pretty...
Endless Summer Ends
Screw San Francisco; I left my heart in San Diego! If there's a heaven on Earth, I've got to think the SoCal coast is where it's at!
The beaches...perfect! The people...so friendly and nice. The food...fresh and delish! If you can't be happy there, you can't be happy anywhere!
Oh, and have I mentioned I'm lovin' La Jolla? The place is amazing!! Did you know seals just swim up and sleep on the beach there? You can sit on the same beach with them, and they don't care! I got about 50 feet away on the sand..and from a view point about 15 feet. Seals rock! Makes me want to learn to snorkel..
Back to my California Dreamin...
Oh, and if you're playing at home, we stopped for In N Out 4 times.
Daily Dose of Vitamin D
For three days now, I've been getting more than the daily recommended amount of the good stuff...could San Diego BE any more perfect?!!?!?!? The sun! The beach!! The food!! The surfers!! Amazing...
Alli's happy belly count: 2 trips to Sweet Tomatoes, 2 visits to In and Out, 1 dinner at the Spaghetti Factory. Still to go, real mexican and conveyor belt sushi (if we can find it). We're getting close!
Quick trip highlights:
*Day 1: Trolley tour of SD, including Coronado. Nick succeeds in getting me clobbered by a wave and I spend the second half of the day wet and whining. But man, it was worth it! Stumbled upon an amazing outdoor market and bought the cutest shirt ever!!
*Day 2: Added to my Starbucks mug collection and found a pigeon that refused to leave a bookstore. Made a trip to Laguna Beach to pretend I live in an MTV reality show and meet up with an old friend. Cruising up and down the PCH, feeling such pity for those poor souls stuck driving Porsches. Man, how do they cope?
*Day 3: San Diego Zoo. If you visit any zoo ever, this is it!! Pandas! Koalas! Camels! Lions and Tigers and Bears! Best moment of the day: little boy turns to Grandma outside the hippos and says " he's even fatter than YOU!" Nick and I run off laughing so hard we're in tears.
Vacations this good should never end...
California Dreamin'
In 48 hours, I'll be saying good-bye to drab New England winter, and hello to that warm California sun! And the trip cannot come soon enough!
Winter in New England is hard. It's one of the hardest things I've ever done. It's a lot of work to shovel snow. It's hard to shiver. It's a pain to plan your travel plans around the weather. It hurts! It hurts my ears and my hands and my emotional well-being.
One former NE transplant once told me the only way to survive the winter is to get out, or you'll lose your sanity. I'm starting to feel close.
So for the next day and a half, I can only dream of San Diego.. The plans? Visit friends and family. Eat the Westie food I've been craving for a year. Sit on the beach and build a sand castle. Swim. Tan. Knit. Relax. Read. Breathe.
California, here I come!
Raindrops keep falling on my bed...
I like rain. I like being inside when it's raining. I like how rain cleans all the crap off the world. I like when rain keeps the snow away.
I am not supposed to like rain in my bedroom.
Last night, I shuffled to bed after a very long day, and my socks landed right in a puddle in my bedroom. Naturally, I looked accusingly at the usual suspects..but Taylor and Charlotte continued their Marcel Marceau impressions they've perfected during the past five and a half years.
There's a leak! There's a leak in my window! Right by my side of the bed!! And, may I confess? I sort of like it... I know, it's bad. It's doing damage. It's not good for a house to leak. But, it's like having that peaceful rainpour sounds being piped in, just for me.
Alas, I'm taking the proper steps to fix the problem. And with hope, in a few days, my leak will be gone.
But it's been good while it lasts.
