Way to go, Boys

This is awesome.

The dog days are over

Happiness hit her like a train on a track
Coming towards her stuck still no turning back
She hid around corners and she hid under beds
She killed it with kisses and from it she fled
With every bubble she sank with her drink
And washed it away down the kitchen sink

The dog days are over
The dog days are done
The horses are coming
So you better run

Run fast for your mother, run fast for your father
Run for your children, for your sisters and brothers
Leave all your loving, your loving behind
You cant carry it with you if you want to survive

And i never wanted anything from you
Except everything you had and what was left after that too, oh
Happiness hit her like a bullet in the head
Struck from a great height by someone who should know better than that

The dog days are over
The dog days are done
Can you hear the horses?
'Cause here they come

Run fast for your mother, run fast for your father
Run for your children, for your sisters and brothers
Leave all your loving, your loving behind
You cant carry it with you if you want to survive

Me-oh-mi-oh!

Me oh my! I cannot believe I am sitting here in the apt alone listening to the Adult Alternative TV music station! Tea in the old Deeg mug. All I need is my purple lights and I'd feel like I was back in my tiny cave in NYC. Not sure how my living room now feels like that - maybe it's just me that feels like that. (Man, I miss that place). (And I believe with Halloween approaching I could actually find some of those purple lights. Two sets. Bedroom and office).

But I am happy and healthy and all around excited! I just had a little sample sale in my living room. Girls in the building had me bring stuff home for the big fooseball game this weekend. It's quite the shindig down at the beat up stadium south of downtown. OMG, we might even have tickets this year. And, funny thing, I know just where to get a super cute dress for the occasion...

The weather is super Fall-ish in the mornings and apparently cooling again, the store - aka my dream job - is doing amazing, I received a request for an interview in-store next week with a local pub!!!! and I have a wonderful and relaxing massage scheduled for Monday morning. I'm heading to the swanky hotel down the way for a 1/2 off aromatherapy massage. I am stoked. I need a serious, serious relaxation day. I'm going to try and top it off with girls dinner the next night. Done and done.

So needless to say, the uplifting mood is much appreciated and overdue. It's been a long month without any medication and my hormones are happy to be balanced again.

Off to catch up my Rachel Zoe! And drink my floral tea and sit back in my scrubs chilling in my alone time with the dog. *sigh* So nice.

Ugh

I am a yo-yo, a roller coaster, whatever symbolizes up and down. Constantly. All day. I want to beat my own head with a rock. I am one month with no birth control due to my chronic illness and no health insurance company feeling the need to cover me and I am going crazy. Literally. I feel nuts!

I have a condition called PCOS (add it to the list) which means I overproduce testosterone for a female and I get rage. Actually, clinically proven rage. Like a man. But as a female you just don't know what to do because you honestly create enough emotions on your own! So I am PMSing, dealing with some massive back pain from God-knows-what and pissy. Super pissy. I mean, today just blows.

But I'm a total yo-yo about it. On my way in I was smiling and enjoying the radio, thinking about how positive my morning was. Then the idiots on the road began to get to me and I was road raged by the time I got here. Then as I calm down and get into my fashion element I have a great interaction with a customer. Then Boo calls and flips out about sales numbers. Hello! It's 11:30am. Do you think I'm going to have reached goal yet? PS - after yesterday we're up for the month!!

Mood down.

Then I enjoy my lunch and see an awesome football video online and get all happy again, until emails come in that make no sense to me and I just can't even find motivation for my to-do list.

I would suggest just leaving me alone today. Honestly? Probably a best bet...

Don't feed the bears

I mean, enough with today. You know those days where you just can't shake the bad mood, no matter what good happens?

I will preface with PMS. Yes, it is here. Yes, it makes me pissy, sensitive, moody and bloated, which also makes me pissy, sensitive and moody. I tried on four things this morning. Pants that should not be tight were tight. It's not a great start to the day.

Changing clothes lead to me being late. Also because I decided one of my mood lifters would be a gourmet caprese salad for lunch today. And I definitely enjoyed eating it at work! And I made a pot of my new farmer's market coffee, which was also fantastic and helped a wee bit, but took extra time this morning.

Add that we had terrible sales this weekend and it's the first full weekend I've been away from the store - Sucks. If you want something done right... So I've now resigned myself to the fact that I will always be in the store. And how is it that when I'm not here a Saturday sees less than $300 and on a Monday (our typically slowest day of the week) I've doubled that. Seriously? Seriously. I just can't.

I'm working on pitching all of our events, not to mention creating and planning all of the events, and my business partner/boyfriend/pain in the neck lectures me that we need to find ways to drive more traffic into the store. What in the hizzity hell do you think I'm doing by throwing a million parties? It certainly isn't for me, because I'm here over 12 hours on party days; I'm on my feet all day, talking up every single person and still running around managing the store and the actual event details. (bad mood increasing).

But then you get a totally unexpected surprise in your inbox - One of those that you read twice through and then go back to and read again an hour later. It just makes you sit back and take a deep breathe. I actually felt my body let out a deep breathe I've been emotionally holding for years and didn't even realize it. It made me really peaceful. (mood better).

So I sit in limbo, leaning much closer to bad mood. I want to put on sweats and sit at home on the couch eating my whole wheat Pringles or cheddar bunnies. Don't talk to me, just hand me a bottle of wine and the remote and I'll talk to you tomorrow. Or maybe even the end of the week when my clothes fit again.

Perfect Sunday!

This has been the best, cleaned-laundry done-grocery shopping-Target hunting-sheets changed-gourmet dinner-wine-football sort of Sunday! Ugh, I'm in heaven.

The day began with Brunch at a local fav. Then I spent the next two hours traipsing through Target (two different ones) finding the perfect Halloween costume for Misty. OMG, she is the cutest flower ever! Such a perfect costume for her. She's a brat. Well, she's always a brat, but she's a costume brat. She won't wear anything on her head and if it isn't fitted around her back she sits and refuses to walk. So a neck costume is the best and the $4.99 price tag is awesome! And then continued to find a great black and white, snap front flannel. Sometimes you can't beat a good fashion deal from Tar-geh.

The real treat; however, was the farmer's market and cooking. I made an antipasto snack a couple hours before dinner. Fresh spinach, washed and tossed in an olive oil spray, salt, pepper and drip of balsamic vinegar, Mozzarella balls tossed in basil, rosemary and olive oil spray, whole wheat saltines, sliced red bell pepper and salami. Yummers!

Meanwhile, I marinated chicken in lemon rind, rosemary, thyme, salt, pepper and olive oil. I threw it on the grill a couple hours later; browned pancetta in a skillet with some frozen peas, then tossed with mint, salt and pepper and put whole wheat boucle in the oven. Made a fresh lemon juice, parsley, olive oil sauce for the chicken. SERIOUSLY! So freaking yummy. Topped with my Cupcake Merlot (less than $10) and this night cannot, CANNOT get any better.

Go team!

Stretchoga

This is what I do every morning. I begin my day with my new thing - Stretchoga. I seriously get so intense when I sleep that I cannot touch my toes with my legs straightened in a sitting position first thing in the morning. It's actually my neck that hurts all the way down to my hips that it won't bend over.

So every morning I do my elementary school stretches. Remember those? Sit with my legs out, reach for me toes. Hands in the air, reach again. Cross one leg over and look the opposite way to stretch my back. Other side. Sit butterfly and attempt to bend at the hips. Spread my legs and reach to each side. I can't bend over here. Just spreading my legs into a V hurts enough. Am I old? Um, when did that happen? Then I stretch my neck - the most painful part of my routine. I am a stress head!

Since my work schedule takes up my every evening, I have committed myself to Stetchoga every morning. I may market it. Watch out. Don't take it.

And I did buy some 10 class, $10 thing today, but I have to take the 6:15am class bc, again, my evenings are full with work. Who thinks I can get up in the 5am hour, get to a yoga studio and be ready for a 6:15am class? This is definitely yet to be seen.

I'm going to try and touch my toes again.

Jerks

The neighborhood coffee chain up by the store has deceived me. I walked in the first couple times, seeing adults and business suits - leading me to believe the people inside were professional and classy. I believed the the 'burbs had turned this trendy spot into something almost cozy and friendly.

I was wrong. I was so wrong. I have now developed road rage in the parking lot of said coffee shop multiple days in a row. The over-priveleged, self-indulged and mind you selfish, adults of this 'burb are just as horrible as the 20-something brats living off mommy and daddy by my apartment. In fact, they're worse because they have a good 20 years on the recent grads and younger brats near me. And yes, you're botox doesn't fool me, it's a full 20 years.

Who wants to open an actual neighborhood coffee shop up right next to my store? I'll give you business every day and tell everyone about you! As long as primped, tucked, nipped and rude Mothers, setting the example for how their children behave, don't start frequenting your space.

A Couple of Odes

Ode to my Morning Coffee

Your scent energizes me.
Whether in bed or just out of the shower, running out the door or from the neighborhood coffee spot -
I need to smell you in the mornings.
Loaded with half and half, no sugar please.
The grandest of sizes, perfectly warmed and not too hot.
I take that first sip and feel the tension leave my shoulders.
I envision lazy afternoons with an iced version of you.
Or cold rainy days, in pjs, sipping you on the couch.
My head hurts when we don't meet. So please don't leave me.
Oh dear morning coffee -
I offer a thank you for all that you bring me each and every day.


Ode to my Clogs

I seriously love you.
You make every outfit automatically look worthy of a celebrity
A celebrity that has been wearing you for months,
Even though I just bought you on sale at Target

Ignore all those thoughts I had about you when I first saw you
I may have said you looked stupid and I would never embrace this trend
I laugh at those that wear silly styles just because someone famous puts it on
I've had a change of heart

I can't wait to wear you with wide leg pants and warm sweaters
Or skinny jeans and tunics
You make my legs look killer in my shorts today
I hope you last all season since you were definitely not expensive

But thanks for smiles and confidence
I feel like my old fashionable self when I slide my toes into you
And those 3 1/2" heels give my calves a great workout
So....thanks.

Now I lay me down to sleep

And shut my eyes, fall over asleep right here at the cashwrap. It's seriously about to happen. Small business that we are, we're open on a holiday while every single other business is closed. I've seen humans and even had a decent sale; however, I am about to flat out fall over tired. I was in bed by midnight, but my first day football game of the season has wiped me.

I am not conditioned for the day drink, the break, the night out. I seriously need to just sit back, sleep and recoup before our GRAND OPENING THIS WEEK!! Yuppers, it's that time. And if you're reading this, you should be here. Friday. Be here.

See you then! For now, I'm taking a nap.

Birthdays and Cake!

What a faboosh 24 hours. Seriously. My yesterday morning was a mix of reading in bed, cuddling with the dog, watching terrible reality shows about pageant girls (I mean, awful) and coffee. I ran a couple errands, bought myself a couple things and headed out to a girly night. My first in a while!

Hot Jen was celebrating her 29th, so I took her to a fashion party with catering, champagne and socialites. I bought her cake with 0 calories. You only need a match and it'll smell like you baked for days. And a cute, cute bottle of Bitch Bubbly. Don't know what it tastes like, but it looked so girly! It doesn't get any better! Except that the deals at our fashion night were amazing and we both walked away with more than we should have spent, but spending way less than everything was worth. And then we trekked it to our favorite reverse happy hour spot for drinks, apps and dessert. What a fantastic night!

And now I'm sitting in the store after what is about to be out most successful day since we opened (6 weeks ago tomorrow), with a glass of hot green tea, pretending it's chilly out and football is about to start. The football part is actually true, but it's a balmy 92 outside. So I'm sitting inside in the A/C with my tea and enjoying my fantasy. That and Boo is handling dinner tonight. It's probably pizza, but at least there'll be candles. And I have tomorrow AND Sunday off. I love my life!

Here's to perseverance and dealing with the crap life deals you, waiting it out until you can reap the rewards.

Oh and a side note, the old place I used to manage, the one that screwed me over and tossed me on the curb - closing. Karma. I'm just saying. Karma.