Thankful, Busy Times

Happy late Thanksgiving everyone!  I want to pause for a moment and list a few things that I am so grateful for (as I did not have a chance to do this last week).  Don't worry, I'll keep it brief.


1. For BF, who is a constant riot and whom I love with all my heart.
2. For my crazy parents and sister who love and support me and are always making me laugh (even when they aren't trying).
3.  My job; for obvious reasons (like a paycheck) but also because I work with some truly awesome people that inspire me to work harder and become a better person.
4.  My Country, because I have the freedom to be who I want to be and live how I want to live without oppression.




I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday!


Now on to the business.  Last week was crazy, mostly because I work for a retail company so things are always crazy around the holidays.  We have so many great things going on, but it takes people working hard to pull it all off so that is what I was doing last week, with some minor kinks in the chain.  The weather at the beginning of the week sort of put things a little behind, but I caught back up quickly. 


Thursday we went to BF's family's house for our first half of our Thanksgiving celebration.  We had a lovely late lunch with BF's parents, sister and grandparents (who were a laugh and a half) with all of my favorite Thanksgiving meal items.  After we sufficiently stuffed ourselved we headed to my parents' house to have an early dinner.  I was pretty comatose from the food so after a quick rest we played Seinfeld Monopoly with my parents for a couple hours and then headed home, car loaded with leftovers from both meals. 


We've been eating Thanksgiving leftovers all weekend and I think I've had my fill of turkey.   

It was hard to adjust to going back to work this week after a nice long weekend, but I'm sort of happy to be back.  There's only so much you can do at home, and when I sit in my house without anything to do I start buying stuff for my house... which isn't what I want to do right now since I need to be saving for a car. 

Also, at various times this past week, we've been decorating the place for the holidays.  I put some little holiday trinket things out a few days before Thanksgiving and hung our stockings, and then the day after Thanksgiving we put the tree up and decorated our little hearts out. Now the house is very festive and cozy, but we need to get rid of the old TV that is sitting in the living room floor (want a tv?).  The only store we ventured to on Black Friday was Best Buy to see if we could score a new Samsung LCD flat screen tv and a Wii for my mom's Christmas present.  They had a cool package deal going on where you get the TV AND the Wii for $399 (FAR less than you would pay for both) so we figured we would jump on it and came home the proud owners of a new tv.  It doesn't detract much from the Christmas decorations. 

I LOVE this time of year and am so happy that BF and I can share it and create new traditions and fun memories!

Decisions, Decisions... Also, SNOW DAY!

I went to bed late last night knowing that I would get to sleep in because it snowed.  Whenever it snows here in the Portland metro-area people freak out and everything shuts down... because our city (and our drivers) aren't equipped to handle that sort of thing.  I don't know why.  It happens every year.  I digress...





Anyhow, I awoke this morning and turned on the news and peered outside and sure enough the snow was still there and the roads were icy so I decided to work from home for a bit.  I checked my email and what did I find?  THIS!!!



The Mini Countryman



 Why is this so awesome?...



Because it's a Mini; but also because I've been planning on buying a new car within the next 8 months or so and my dreams of owning a Mini were growing dim.  But now it's back because this awesome little Countryman is all-wheel drive. 

Before I found this little gem I was looking into buying one of these:



The Nissan Juke



It's a Nissan Juke.  I hate the name, I think it's totally lame, but the car itself is pretty awesome. 

Both the Nissan and the Mini are crossover vehicles with all-wheel drive and plenty of room.  I don't necessarily whave to have these things, but BF has a small car and we need to have a vehicle that has all-wheel drive to get us up the mountain and through the snowy roads... and the space for our camping and adventure needs in the summer.

I will be spending the rest of my day comparing and staying warm.

Weezer, How I Love Thee... Again.

It hasn't been super publicized, but Weezer came out with a couple new albums recently.  Before I left on my work travels I picked them both up as I figured if they sucked it would be mildly entertaining and if they were good then I scored some good new music.


Well guess what. 


Weezer, you have won me back.  After your tragic "Raditude" release (I'm not saying it was complete garbage, but I can only listen to 2 songs on that album) I was a little hesitant to even give you another chance but I'm sure glad I did. 

Death to False Metal was quietly released earlier this year without much notice by anyone really.  I LOVE this one.  Ripe with catchy beats and humorus lyrics that evoke bands of the nineties I feel like this album was a fun tribute to some token groups that are no longer making music... or have evolved far off from where they started.  As always, there are a couple of off the wall tunes that I skip over, but the album as a whole is pretty enjoyable.

Hurley, recorded in part at the Hurley offices in Costa Mesa, CA but named after the Lost character, is as enjoyable, but not as fun in my opinion.  There are a couple of heavier songs that aren't outright sad, but aren't the normal style of melancholy nerd-rock I'm used to.  Still, it's a big step up from the aforementioned 2009 flop that is now on my cd rotation (yes, I still actually use my cds... odd isn't it?).

At any rate, I'm glad Weezer is back (somwhat) and this is enough to tide me over for a bit.



A Whole Bowl of Random

There are eleventy million things I could write about today and not a one of them makes a good post singularly... so I've decided to put them all in one post.


First off, here are some pictures from my Utah work trip.  It snowed on us, which made the mountains in the background very lovely... when we could see them through the fog and clouds.  But it cleared up a bit one of the days so it wasn't all bad.

Before the snow... view from the hotel



Beautiful snow after the weather cleared up.




Me pointing out the iced-on snow that I would have to clear before going to work.

Anyhow, so that was Utah.


I've been back for a few days now and I'm just starting to feel normal again.  All of my laundry is done and my house is mostly clean and we have groceries.  I started new workouts this week and I'm hoping it doesn't get too rainy and cold so I can still run outside... I'm dreading that indoor treadmill season so much.


I'm freaking out right now because Thanksgiving is NEXT WEEK.  That really snuck up on me. I'm fighting myself about Christmas decorations because I LOVE CHRISTMAS SO MUCH that I want to put them all up now... and that would be a little socially unacceptable since it's not even Thanksgiving yet.  I really think it's the best time of the year because of the decorations and the baked goods and the warm drinks, etc. 


When I got home last week, BF and I looked through my boxes of holiday decorations to see what we needed.  We headed out and got some white twinkly lights to wrap our porch with and also got new stocking to hang.  They are a plush velvet with a bedazzled H on mine and an R on his.  I also found the cutest little owl ornament.  I guess our new tradition each year will be for both of us to find a new ornament for the tree.


Speaking of the tree... we will probably have 2 this year.  I have a fake pre-lit one that I ADORE- because it's a pretty dang good one that doesn't look fake, and also because I have the death-allergies and so live plants tend to give me a hard time.  BF's family tradition is to go cut one down (which my family did when we were younger as well).  I respect that, so we are putting my tree up and then we are going to go cut down a little one (think under 4 feet) and have a live one as well.  "It's not christmas until you are cold, wet and miserable."  I have no idea where we will put either tree, but we'll figure it out.  We may be moving the dining room table into the extra bedroom for a while. 

We also bought our holiday cards to send out this year so I'm in the tedious process of updating my address book.  FUN.

Now we just need to start collecting Christmas lists from the family and start the holiday shopping. 

Updates on the Oil Cleansing Method and my "No Poo" Hair Routine

So it's been a couple months since I switched from using face soap and shampoo/conditioner daily and in the while I've been doing it my body has adjusted and thusly I've adjusted what I'm using. 



Hair Cleansing:

While my actual baking soda and water cleansing solution has not changed, I've changed how frequently I need to do this.  I only do it every other day, and if I feel gross in between I rinse my hair in the shower with water.  I've also been using a light hair oil every few days on my ends because I blow dry and it keeps my hair shiny and I notice less split ends.  Right now I'm using Morrocan Hair Oil or a little Jojoba oil, but you can use any variety you are comfortable with.

I still rinse with my same vinegar/water/essential oils solution and I switch up what essential oils I add for fragrance every couple of weeks.  I'm very partial to the cinnamon and clove mixture since it smells spicy like Fall, however I like lavender and lemon together as well. 


Facial Cleansing, or Oil Cleansing Method:

At first I concocted a castor oil/olive oil/ tea tree oil combination for my face and it worked quite nicely for a few weeks.  I noticed that my skin was starting to get a tad dry after a few weeks and on a whim I used some of my straight Jojoba oil for my face... not adding any other oil at all.  I used it exactly the same way as the previous oil mixture; I just used a dime sized spot in my palm and massaged it over my face and then rested a hot damp washcloth on my face for a minute or so.  It worked really well and my skin doesn't get the dry patches any more.



I have the 4 ounce bottle and I've hardly used any of it.



For pimples I use a cotton swap and dab a very tiny bit of tea tree oil on the spot to help clear it up. 

When my skin feels oily or clogged (which isn't very often) I've been using a clay mask on my t-zone from MyChelle Dermaceuticals.  You can get it at New Seasons or whole foods but it is a bit spendy.


Deoderant:

I was using the last of my regular deoderant every few days until it was gone... which seemed to take forever.  Now I mostly just use my Tom's of Maine clear roll-on deoderant in the mornings after my shower.  When I know I'm going to be getting really sweaty and gross (like playing soccer or running) I will do a quick dusting of baking soda and cornstarch and that works really well also.

I've also noticed that now that I'm not using conventional deoderant with harsh chemicals in it that I need to use deoderant less and less.  BF hasn't noticed or complained of any BO smells (and neither has anyone else) so I think I'm doing ok. 



There are so many great reasons to make the switch from conventional shampoos, soaps and deoderants.  I love that I spend very little on hygiene items now... my only real expense these days for hygiene is my Tom's toothpaste and floss, but even then it's very little.  I've also noticed that my body responds very positively to what I am putting on it now... no cyclical symptoms and buying.

Home, Sweet Home

I'm done traveling for a while!

YAY!

So after being gone almost every week for the past 6 weeks I am finally done with all of my travels for work... at least for a couple months.  We will finally get the house decorated and done.  I will get to exercise and run on a regular basis and not try to squeeze it in at the pathetic hotel fitness centers.  I get to spend time with BF. 

This weekend is going to be quiet and uneventful and that is what I need right now.  I have pictures of my travels but I haven't sorted through anything and I'm not planning on doing that this weekend... unless I get bored.

I do, however, have my first co-ed indoor soccer game on Saturday night at 11pm.  You did, in fact, read that correctly.  We are scheduled to plat at 11pm.  Who schedules this stuff anyway?

But it will be fun.

Well, I'm off to do my loads and loads of laundry that I have neglected.

Why I Don't Miss Working In An Office While I Travel... OR Why I Hate People

So this is my first full week in the office between all of the travels I've been doing.  I leave on Saturday to travel again, but for now I'm in my lovely little office. 

While I've been out and about I've forgotten some irritating things that happen in offices as I was pining away to be back in my little cube neighborhood.

Yesterday I was too busy catching up on voicemails and emails to get any real work done so today I was prepared to buckle down and get some things going before I have to leave again, and you know what I found?  I found that officemates are passive-aggressive, selfish, rude and strange sometimes. 

I'm referring to the following:

1. I went to throw something in the trash under my desk and then heard the crumpled plastic hit the floor.  Why?  Because my trash can was GONE.  Where did it go?  I looked and looked and I have NO IDEA.  So I had to walk to the other end of the building to a supply closet and get a new freakin' trash can.  I asked the people around me and of course I got the, "I have no idea, I didn't touch it," response from everyone.  But the thing is, why would anyone take my trash can?   Everyone has their own! Custodial services doesn't touch the trashes in our offices... we are responsible for emptying our own- they just take care of the common area trash receptacles.  It was mostly just frustrating. 

2.  Pens and highlighters were missing from my desk caddy.  Are you that lazy that you cannot walk the 2 feet to your office and grab your own writing utensils?  Mostly I'm mad because I don't use the pens from our office supply cabinet because I'm a little picky about pens so I bring in my own kind (the RSVP ones from Pentel). 

3.  My tissues are gone.  I have allergies and use A TON of tissues.  Yesterday I wasn't so bad, but today I have the sniffles and reached for a tissue just to find that the whole box was gone. 


Who are these people stealing my pens/highlighters/trash can/tissues?  There is a supply cabinet 10 feet down the hallway with most of these things in them (except trash cans) so why take mine?  Go get your own BRAND NEW one from there! 

I'm going to start labeling and licking my desk stuff so when they steal them I will see my label and can then say, "Hey!  I licked that!  Go ahead and keep it if you want."  Kind of gross, but most likely effective.