For REAL Wash Day

Hey everyone,

life has finally settled down enough that I had a full fledged mostly normal wash day.  After running around and getting my passport application done (check one more thing off the bucket list) as well as letting mom do normal mom running around, I came home and added my Strong Roots Red Pimento Oil to my scalp and the Organix conditioning masque to my length.  Time kept ticking and my lazy overwhelmed me.  I washed everything out this morning and was impressed that with a few less products my hair still felt really good and maintained some slickness longer than normal--my hair can dry out quickly.  It is MUCH more humid here than where we just moved from so I am having to get used to that and based on the amount of hair that shed this morning I think I have two weeks tops to get a relaxer on this hair or embrace going natural and chop it all off.  I'll give you a moment to stop laughing cause we all know that's not happening.

I opted for a flexi set since I've already used a heat pass for this stretch and still kinda don't know where my flat iron is because it's in a box in the room of no return--or where all the boxes are and I can't quite get to my boxes because of all of mom's boxes that are in the way.  I did find a few more products and used our shiny new washer and dryer.  It's amazing how quickly new appliances work.  Anyhoo, I probably only used about 12 flexirods and most of those are in the back of my hair because the length is the most different back there.  I feel like the routine is more stable now so I'm doing a better job of moisturizing when it feels dry and taking my vitamins when I remember--it's not back to being a habit yet which I know is bad.  My hair will have about 20 hours to get good and dry before I leave for work in the morning so I'm happy about that.  If it's not dry then I know the humidity will continue to be an issue and have to work around it.  No classes tomorrow but a few meetings and office hours for students.  I will be grading papers and looking over assignments for the week since none of that happened this weekend lol.

How is everyone doing?  Where should I go first with my first official passport?  I was on my mother's as a child because we were military and I was 2 ish so I wasn't old enough (at that time many moons ago) to have one of my own.

P.S. I made my first pseudo button.  If you ever get bored and want to see my bucket list click on the overly festive bucket and it will take you to my bucketlist.org page.

Long Overdue Update

Hey everyone,

not sure when I posted last but it's not when I wanted to for sure.  There's lot to get to so if you don't have a lot of time then you may want to head on to something else and come back later lol.  Well the last two weeks has been jammed pack.  After moving in, finally getting our stuff and unpacking slowly but surely I had things on my agenda almost immediately.  Lots of trainings and planning meetings and then last week was prepping three brand new courses, not completely alone I have gotten a lot of help from the current staff as well as the new staff, and getting things set up, tweaking calendars and trying to plan things out to fill 16 weeks of teaching instead of five.  I mostly finished that on Friday and had minor things to tweak yesterday and today and while it doesn't feel perfect I am ready for the semester.

Life Could Be a Dream, Provided One Doesn't Get Kicked in Their Sleep

Not sure if anyone was looking for me or not but I apologize for not posting in the last week.  We were packing and tossing and packing and tossing things until the movers arrived.  Then what I predicted would happen--that is we would have way more ish than quoted (thanks Mom) did happen and mom nearly canceled the move like we would be able to find cheaper ones to move across country before I needed to start work.  They loaded and we passed out that evening.  We woke up on Saturday and cleaned everything within an inch of it's life, loaded my car for the driver--wasn't driving 12 hours with mom after the last few days--and donated more stuff to neighbors and strangers.  We flew out that afternoon after getting a ride from one of my former coworkers and honestly flight went great, rental car was fine, staff was good and one night at sketchy hotel aside before moving into much better digs and I was feeling good about life.  That is until we WENT to the house that mom decided she wanted and didn't make it in the door five feet before she threw LITERALLY the mother of all tantrums--no pun there it was just fucking epic.  Because of the supposed delivery date from the movers (I saw supposedly because yeah it hasn't happened yet but I didn't know that on Sunday) we had exactly 48-72 hours to get out of the contract with house from hell, find another one and someone willing to let us move in early.  Well let me say that God is good because we found a nicer house that was MUCH cheaper, nicely renovated and bigger so mom's stuff should all fit and what doesn't she has allegedly decided to sell.  It doesn't have a full driveway or a garage but considering what we are saving on the house that did have a garage and not much else I am willing to find builders and finance a garage.  Plus what I can tell from all sites regarding building a garage we would get a significant chunk of that back upon selling the house.  It doesn't seem to have central ac but the fan from the heating unit made this place kinda nippy the other day so we'll see how that works later.  Neighbors all seem friendly as well and it's far enough from my job that it feels like I have to drive (it's like 7 to 10 minutes lol) but seriously walking distance from a church, hairdresser, school, two grocery stores, a big box store and a nail shop--among other things.  Let me just say we saw a lot of houses in two days and was sad by one that was so freaking cute on the outside it was ridiculous only to go inside and wonder if munchkins had lived there and how they could possibly have seen the tiny area next to the kitchen as a bedroom--it was barely big enough to turn around in.

I have been by my office, gotten my id, parking pass, met with the folks who helped hire me, talked to a lot of people and have a very busy week next week but I am very excited about this opportunity.  I will be more excited when the furniture is here and the security system is installed so mom can quit jumping every time it sounds like something is brushing against the house and she can quit waking me up at every single solitary noise she hears.  Last night was the worst.  I got kicked in my lower leg cause she swore she saw something on the ground crawling.  She can't describe it and didn't want to look for it but fell back asleep within minutes of injuring me.

In other news my hair and I are fighting.  Not sure if it's getting adjusted to the temperature or water differences here or what but I feel like a puff ball.  It's super soft but is not holding in any moisture at all right now.  Trying to take care of my hair without all of my products is a pain too.  Hoping desperately that the movers come tomorrow so we can have beds and some privacy even though I'm pretty sure we'll be sleeping in the front until we get the house secured more than it is right now.  Just wanted to give a shout to say I'm okay.  Still a bit tired but okay.

How's things for all of you?

Pre Move Update

Hey everyone,

looks like everything is finally on track for us to relocate now.  Movers will be here Friday morning.  As soon as I can confirm the car transport then we will fly out on Saturday.  Stay in a hotel until either late Sunday or Monday morning.  Do some running around to process my information so I can get paid.  Set up the cable--hopefully get the car delivered that day, finish negotiating some things that have come up from the home inspection provided that hasn't been done already.  Nothing major but things of concern for me.  And then a few days later start work.

I've had my last wash day in this house.  Or at least my last planned wash day.  I have closed up the big pump bottles and figured out I need to replace my conditioner.  I always run through that so much faster than my shampoo.  I did a flexi set and need to figure out how to get it to dry faster.  It's taking forever even when I let it mostly dry completely before adding my leave ins and detangling.  Unfortunately since I was being a lazy bum I did lose a lot of hair this wash day (which was actually Monday after an overnight prepoo).  I'm going to donate some more hair products to my hair dresser who is coming to look at a set of china momma is finally parting with before the move.  Even though nothing major has left the house it's feeling somewhat emptier with the things we have donated, given to the neighbor for their help, sold at the garage sale or flat out trashed.  I still haven't worn my giveaway prize but when I'm up and moving it's packing time and I don't want to break it.

And I just saw something on FB that makes me know I did the right thing a few months back when I finally broke things off instead of letting them drag on and on.  He seems to be happy and things aren't complicated for him any longer.  I'm feeling a little lonely but not for that relationship or even the promise of what might have been.  Things move on because they have to.  I've talked to a few friends and my brother and really it's time for this chapter of my life to close.  And that's a good thing honestly.  I'm looking forward to developing a new routine, learning a new city and just engaging life in a different way.  What's up with you guys?

See ya maybe before the move but probably not until after we get situated at least at the hotel.

Today has been hectic but good

So this morning I woke up nervous because we were still waiting to hear back on the offer we made on the house.  After our counter to their counter, they accepted early this morning and I was ready to do a dance of joy and run some errands and then sort through again what needs to be moved and what doesn't.  I called the movers to push things back because we can't move into the new house until the end of the month and then I got a panicked call back from them that yeah that wouldn't work.  I alerted mom and we went into packing overdrive for the few things that were left and was ready to get back to that when the phone started ringing again.  It twas the movers again and at that point turns out they would prefer if we moved as well cause they already have three moves in the area this weekend.  So with a little cushion to spare I'm taking a break and telling you the other good news.  Between the offer acceptance (yeah) and momentary stress from movers (boo but then yeah) I got a knock at the door.  It was the FedEx guy who never stays long enough to make sure you are home, just leaves things and takes off.  Problem was I wasn't expecting anything from FedEx and I didn't see a box when I peeped through the keyhole.  Well that would be because the box was TINY and it was from Origami Owl.  I was a little confused at first because everything was in separate bags and let me just say my fingers are not super delicate.  Anyhoo after I figured out how to open the locket and assemble everything I took some photos.  Then I decided to flip the family plate around because my motley crew was completely blocking it out on the front.  Without further adieu here are the photos and thanks to Lauren and Lauren again for the giveaway and the cuteness that ensued.

Today had been such a good day

I haven't talked about George Zimmerman or Trayvon Martin on this blog at all I think.  I've mentioned elsewhere that I think what he did, Mr Zimmerman that is, was beyond the pale and could have been easily avoided.  However, given what was known of the crime, and no matter what the jury said tonight a crime was committed, I was pretty sure that he would have to face the music for what he did.  I was wrong in one sense.  There will be no jail term, no long days spent wishing he had made a different decision in a tiny cell amongst the other murderers and felons.  And I can't comment to how he feels about what he's done but what his family has shared on their own about the case makes me doubtful remorse of any kind will be publicly forthcoming.  That thought alone has kept me somewhat paralyzed for the last few hours.  Not just because of what happened to Trayvon, the grief the must be feeling as there will be no punishment for their son's death, or yet another shattering of the trust I place in the justice system.

Revisiting Bucket Lists

Okay ladies (and the few gents that stop by) a few weeks ago I posted a guest blog about bucket lists.  I may or may not have mentioned that I was creating one of my own but eh it doesn't matter cause here we go with my own list.  Because I'm horrible about creating inspiration boards and lose them in random things until I'm packing to move (yes this has happened recently) I decided to see if there was a way to do this online and let me check things off from time to time.  Turns out yes there is.  There's a site called bucketlist.org that lets you create your own list, borrow things from other lists on the site, add photos, and revisit them to edit and tell the world when you have completed them.  Yeah for my lazy factor but also yeah because randomly if people add things to their own list from yours it reminds you that your list is there lol.  So here's my LIST and feel free to add your own, tell me about your updates, and share on your own sites.

Toodles!

Hey People

Sorry I've been in the wind lately.  I'm trying to finish packing, move money out of savings and into my primary account for the movers and oh yeah find a place to live.  Things were so much easier when I moved her cause it was just me with the possibility of my mother moving in.  Eight years later I happened to stumble upon the last moving contract I signed--for less than 1600 pounds of stuff.  They are projecting this move to be around 6400 pounds.  Guess how much of that is mine now?  Still around 1600 pounds.  Probably less than that because for once I'm letting go of things especially if I don't use them or they are so old there's no point in keeping them.  Clothes, books, letters, old bills and taxes (I tended to hold on to those under the premise that I would eventually shred them and didn't want anyone stealing my identity).  One more round of purging and I will just have a few clothes, books and collectibles to pack.

I've missed updating you on two wash days but nothing major happened.  I think the Great Detangler is working wonders but I'll give it a few more weeks.  I guess I have to pack up the hair stuff too but I may ship that just to make sure it doesn't explode in the back of the truck.  I'm almost done with the Origami Owl necklace creation process and I will share it with you when I get it.  I'm having a family piece created that I'm excited about.

I'm finding lots of other random things too and those are making me smile.  I pushed the movers back to see if the nice realtor mother found can close the deal on the house otherwise back to apartment living we go.  That will be a straight pain in the ass but I'm tired and need to get moved.  I'll update more when I get a chance.  What's going on in your world ladies and gents?