Parents Please

I just worked a very long gig and there were very long lines for everything including balloons. Most people took it in stride and handled things well, but there were more than a few parents who set out to teach their kids the wrong way to handle things. Cutting in line is not nice. The people who wait 20 min don't like it if you go around them. Getting snotty with the balloon lady when she won't take your kid next because you are "in a hurry" or "too tired to wait in such a long line." is not endearing. It's also not very motivating for me. Want me to consider letting you cut? Pull out a hundred dollar bill. I will CONSIDER IT. No guarantees because I don't want to deal with 40 mad customers. For 2 hundred you're pretty much guaranteed to be next. LOL

otherwise get in line and act like a grown up.

Jack

Aren't they all sorts of adorable???

Before picture

I am getting a hair cut next Tuesday.

This is the before picture.

Curves Shoes from Avon

I tried these tennis shoes. I've heard wonderful things about mbt shoes, but while Dan is unemployed I am not spending over 200 on tennis shoes. Same basic concept but a bit cheaper so I thought I would try them.

I love them. I have a high arch so I need to add an insole but other than that they are great. I could feel the workout all the way up my leg when I wore them to the gym this morning. I didn't feel tired exactly, but I could feel different muscles working more. Especially in my ass - which is a good thing. LOL

I wiggle a lot so I like the rocking motion. I go back and forth anyway and this makes it easier and more fun.

The sole did make it a bit harder to go up and down stairs, but I'm sure I will adjust to that.

Bleah!!!!

I didn't eat meat for a long time because I thought it was a large part of my health issues. It wasn't. Wheat was. So I've been trying various things.

McDonald's. Had one. Never ever having a second one. That stuff is RANCID. Why do people eat it??? How do they stay in business?????

Hardee's. Tiny bit better. Never having another one of those either. Same with Sonic and Taco Bell. I'm not even going to try Burger King.

Now I'm pretty much back to not eating meat. I like steak and I like chicken. I don't like a lot of dairy anymore either. I like chocolate milk, cottage cheese and yogurt, but some cheeses that I used to like taste icky now.

Some days I feel like I am rediscovering food all over again. It's weird, but kinda cool.

I am a foolish foolish woman

I own sunscreen and hats. Just forgot them. Worked an outside gig without them and now I am paying the price. I even sunburned my scalp. bleah. At least I remembered sunscreen the second day so it didn't get worse.

I have brown hair

I have been dying my hair red since I was 18. The other day I dyed it brown. It's still a shade or two lighter than my natural (before gray) hair color, but it's closer than I have been in years.

I kinda like it.

One more post

Since I stopped eating wheat I started losing weight. Since the depression lifted I've started exercising. It feels good.

so far I have lost somewhere around 30lbs. I don't own a scale, but that's my estimate. I know I have lost 2 dress sizes in my stomach and maybe 4 in my legs. After 4 c-sections it's going to take awhile for my tummy to shrink.

I go to the gym several days a week and get together with Stephanie on Tuesday. Our exercise sessions are as much about having fun as they are getting in shape. It's nice to work out with someone who won't laugh at how uncordinated I am.

Last week we tried hula hooping. It seems like good exercise. I got most of my workout from bending over to pick the thing up again. LOL I'm not shaped right for that yet. You need an actual waist I think.

There's a certain joy I'm finding in trying and failing. I don't mind the failing and the trying is fun. It's nice to be able to share that with someone.

doing the right thing

I have posted before about my son being an addict. He's not using the hard stuff yet, but I can see the road he's headed down and it scares the hell out of me. I watched my brother suffer through decades of drug use before he managed to turn his life around.

My husband is an enabler. He makes it easy for our son to be an addict. That's not good. He loves him and doesn't mean to hurt him, but sometimes help hurts if you know what I mean.

I sent my son to live with my brother in Arkansas last weekend. My brother is not going to let his nephew get away with crap and he won't buy the lies. My brother knows the score and has been there, done that. It's also a chance for my son to actually finish high school and get away from the stuff that makes it easy for him to use. That's what his friends do and with a reputation as a stoner it was hard to make friends who didn't use.

It was a hard choice and it broke my heart to leave him there. Things are not perfect yet - things are never perfect - but I know it was the right choice. He started school yesterday and when I spoke to him the said he loved me for the first time in 2 years. He also called his sister and told her the same thing.

there are drugs in Arkansas, lots of them. Drugs are everywhere from small towns to big cities to the upscale suburbs. My kid has to make the choice to use or not use. I just wanted to give him a chance to start over and make new choices.

Depression

I was depressed. That is to say I was suffering from long term chemically induced depression. I didn't know it. I mean I sort of knew it, but didn't know to call it depression. I just knew that inside I didn't feel like me. Depression is hard to explain if you've never felt it. If you haven't felt it then I hope you never do 'cause it kinda sucks.

Wheat seems to have been the cause of my depression. I looked around and found several articles on the subject. Depression is not an uncommon side effect of a wheat intolerance. I know that as the allergen left my system it was like someone turned a light on in my brain. The fog lifted and it was like "wow!". I have energy and focus and clarity. I don't have to fake anything just to get by.

Not faking it is a big thing for me. I'm a balloon artist. I have to be happy and energetic. I had to fake that and faking it is exhausting.

Several other changes in my life in the week since I last posted. those get their own posts.

prepare to be jealous

I have a little blue balloon dog pendant. Genea made it for me. She does cool work, check her out at genea.etsy.com

Shoes

I went to the mall. Found lots and lots of cool shoes, but don't want to spend $70 to buy them. well, except one pair that's clear and will show off my cute socks. It's also not $70.

Went to Wal-mart. Found a pair of BORING shoes that were comfortable and only $9.

Fixed them.

Now they are not boring.

Computer is almost up to speed

It broke (some 16 year old who is in trouble got a virus at a porn site)
Teddy fixed it. He also made me a live usb for web browsing so that the virus thing is less of an issue.

While reinstalling drivers for the bluetooth it broke again.

Teddy fixed it again.

While I was working out of town 16 year old broke it again.

Teddy fixed it again.

Having a compugeek around the house is very very handy.

other son is NOT touching this computer again.

Jack is here

I am on my way to a big job in Sedalia this weekend, but I had to take time to make an announcement.

Jack was born last night!!!

For those who have no idea what I mean Jack is a great dane puppy. He is a blood relation to both Zelda and Fergie. There were 4 in the litter (2 girls, 2 boys) and I told Terry I wanted the black boy. I've been planning to name him Jack since I decided to get him - way before he was born.

I'm Back!

Unscheduled vacation. My computer decided to quit on me and it took me a couple of days to get it up and running again.

:-)

Maybe an actual post tomorrow!