Walkin' On Broken Glass

I heard this song on the way to work this morning. And I don't guess I've ever paid attention, but, why is the song so uptempo and happy feeling when she's singing about walking on glass? Broken glass? I don't know. Maybe that's the point. I haven't listened to all of the words, maybe she explains some kind of conondrum in between the choruses (chori?)?
Well, I'm feeling happy like the tempo of the song. Even though I was really tired this morning...from what, I'm not sure. Last night I arrived home from the YMCA to my boyfriend making dinner (oh so healthy - fish sticks and mac & cheese, but whatever, we eat fairly well, the guy should get some fish sticks and mac & cheese every once in a while, don't you think?). Also waiting for me were several stalks in my little pre-container garden!!! I wasn't feeling especially positive about it, considering that they weren't getting much sun, and I was afraid they were too cold. So how excited was I when I saw those? Four healthy looking stalks and some more peeking through the compost (someone read her gardening book. score!). One of cucumber and several of tomatoes. Now I'm really, super excited, but a little unsure of what to do now? Do I leave the plastic wrap on there for the full six weeks? Won't it stunt their growth? Hmmm...sounds like I need to do some Googling, no?
I also kicked Mariokart's a* last night and opened up a new board. How pumped am I? I know Tony is so jealous because he's been beating me at games all weekend, and I'm sure he wanted to be the first one to open a mystery board. I must say I have a slightly victorious glow from this achievement. I think a Wii night with my work ladies will be in order sometime soon.

*I'm trying to cuss less, in honor of my revered grandpa.

Bush Check

Does that sound dirty to you? It's 'cause you're dirty. No really...this is what my bff from high school calls that stimulus package tax rebate that we'll be getting in the next month or so. She's not being ironical either...and I find it to be incredibly funny.
I've been surfing etsy, and I think I've found a few items that I might want to spend my Bush Check on. Besides a wax, that is...
1) What the Heck Pillows - from littlelegwarmers.
2) Mathilde or Corinne - among others from Unconventionalida (or the eyes, or the albino twins, or ophelia...oh so many). I pretty much like everything listed here...so I don't know how I'll decide...probably by price. As you can see from her displays, they look even better grouped together, so I don't see how I can buy just one.
3) Yellow Aviary Purse from theseawithin...and there are so many on here as well! I think this girl might be after theorangebicycle's own heart when it comes to fabric...
Bush that check, girls! Buy handmade.

And The Beat Goes On

Hmmm...after a glorious weekend, I find myself back at work. Yes, it's Tuesday, and yet I'm still finding it slightly stunning to the senses that my weekend is already over.
It was a pretty good one. They let us off at three on Friday, so after an extended lunch I arrived back at work to discover that I only had to work one more hour (nice!). Then I went home and vegged out with the boyfriend and ate some Mexican food. Cinco de Mayo has a great vegetarian plate. It's funny, 'cause the word "vegetarian" conjures up all these images of health and fitness, and then you get this plate of bubbling cheese, refried beans, flour tortillas and mexican rice. It's not so healthy after all, but hot damn, is it tasty. Then we re-watched The Departed, which we bought a long time ago, but was m.i.a. for a while. If you haven't seen it, you really should. Especially if you're a lady who may or may not have had a crush on Leonardo DiCaprio at some point in your life. He's got this raging vulnerability and sexiness throughout the film that I really hadn't experienced in some time. Oh yeah, and a lot of people die. So be prepared for that too.
Saturday we got up early and headed over to the Herb Society Plant Sale at the fairgrounds. We scored some lime basil (good for salads and fish, they tell me), oregano, thyme and a sweet potato plant. Still undecided as to whether the sweet potato plant actually grows potatos. But that was kind of the point. Then I took Tony for his first Chicago-style dog at Hot Diggity Dogs. I think he enjoyed it. We went out downtown for a friend's birthday that night, but managed to drink minimally enough to avoid a hangover in the morning. Nice.
Sunday was really domestic. We were kind of bickery on Saturday, which I always find upsetting even when I can't help myself for getting annoyed with the way his nose whistles sometimes when he breathes ("Could you stop breathing.?."), but we totally made up for it on Sunday, which makes me happy. Love was all around. So we went grocery shopping and I got some tomato and cucumber seeds to try to grow my own container garden. I'm a little worried that I have started too late, but we'll see how it goes. I currently have 90 seeds sitting in a little greenhouse container in front of my sliding glass door. I've never done it before. I'm hoping for good things.
Oh yeah, and I worked out both days of the weekend. High fives for me. Woo.
Sunday night we watched The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters. If you haven't seen it, or heard of it, you should really check it out. It's got the awkwardness of The Office combined with an underdog story of Rocky proportions, except that it's all real! Enjoy.

Eeeek

Hum...so my credit card has been spiraling out of control. I realized a few months ago that since I've been paying rent (for the past year) and a car payment (for the past three years) - my income to debt ratio is not developing in a positive direction. My payments, no matter how large, to my credit card balance, never seem to make a dent. I need to seek out some extra income. I need to figure out some ways to market my skills (these include reading, writing and arithmetic, baking a mean batch of chocolate chip cookies, keeping my plants alive, and walking my dog, among other things).
After reading this book a year or two ago, I was thinking about selling my used panties on-line (anonymously, of course), but after doing a little research, I realized it was a much dirtier endeavor than I had anticipated.
To exacerbate the problem, my wonderful (no, really, they are) credit union keeps raising my credit limit every time that the balance gets a little too close to it.
I really need to reign myself in. It's just frustrating because it's not like I'm going on shopping sprees. It's either groceries, car troubles, or random things like a dinner here - okay, the bar isn't necessary. Anyway, I think I need to take some kind of class on how to live within my means. But I'm not living a champagne life on a beer budget. I'm floundering through a beer life on a beer budget. This is getting ridiculous. It's also a little too personal to be blogging about, but sometimes you just have to say wtf.

Nervosa

Hmmm...so I'm getting my hair cut this evening. I'm a pretty non-commital type woman when it comes to such things. I've gotten my hair cut about...five times in the last three years, and two of them were Valentine's Day presents. I can't seem to find a person that I like enough to stick with, and it's always so pricey. I've rooted out a rather inexpensive lady, and I have high hopes. She comes recommended by a friend who always has really great hair, and I'm hoping for some magic.
I'm just in one of those slumps where I don't like anything about my appearance. I've been working out and trying to eat more healthfully, but I'm not seeing much progress. Last year's bathing suit season was the schlumpiest I've been, and I don't want to feel that way about it again this year.
So anyway, I'm hoping to get a new haircut that I really like (or at least don't hate), and maybe it will give me good motivation for skipping the dessert. You know, like, "No, Nichole, you don't need those donuts, they won't help your body match your awesome hair."
I've got in mind (& picture) the cut that I want (it's actually the same picture that I've taken to every stylist - so we'll see what this woman's interpretation is), but I'm not sure what to do with the color. I dyed it dark just before Christmas after years of highlights and being pretty much blonde. I like it well enough in real life, and it's actually pretty close to my natural color now, but I don't like it in pictures. It often has a reddish, brassy tint, and I think that it makes my reddish face look more red. So, I don't know. We'll see. If I like it I might post a picture. If I don't, then this wedding I have to go to tomorrow is going to be unpleasant.

A lot of things

A lot of things make me wish I had a rockin' body and big ol' flashy titties, but nothing so much as this, of late. Talk about an inferiority complex.

April Showers

Boy, am I ready for the summer. The heat. The tank tops. The tan. Bring it on, like a Kirsten Dunst movie. I'm there.
I think I'm moving beyond my weird brain funk of last week. Lots of whirly thoughts, but I got a few short convos in with my bff, and they helped me clear my head a little and relax.
I had a pretty good weekend. Vegged out with the boy toy on Friday after an afternoon at the Country Music Hall of Fame. I have to say that I am growing to appreciate the feeling of waking up on Saturday morning without nausea, headache, or regret. But then I woke up with those on Sunday anyway, and I thought to myself, "Why don't we ever learn?" So anyway, probably bad timing, but I think I'm going to limit my alcohol intake for a while. Although Saturday night was fun. Circle of Death really lived up to its name.
Tony's birthday was on Sunday, and I got him this watch that he really wanted, and he was really a very gracious gift-receiver. You can't argue with someone who coddles and polishes and flashes for the next three days the present you got him for his birthday. I was happy that he liked it so much.
So this Thursday is our five-year anniversary. Five years we've been together. We've been through some shit. We've been through some starry nights and happiness too. Can't help but wonder what's in store for the next five years?

A Wild Hair

Do you know what I find to be absolute torture? When you find those two wild hairs that grow on your face (I actually have three. One on my chin. It's bristley like pig hair. And two crazy black witch hairs that grow on my cheek/jawline), and you can't get to any tweezers because you're at work and they're one of the few things that you don't carry in your giant, carry-all of a bag. And why is it that you can sit there all day at work fooling with it, when you have no tweezers, but when you go home, and don't sit on your butt and actually do things, you forget about them, even though your remedy is only inches away. Grr...only to find yourself at work, the following day, in the same desperate situation as yesterday. Will it ever end?
Oh, the plight of the lady.