My Asian Friends

I went to that nail salon today. You know, the one that I complained about and poked fun of recently. I decided that I would go back again. For a couple of reasons. One, its a better location. Two, they DO do a good job. Three, I want more to blog about.

The woman greeted me as I walked in, "Hello Shari!". She remembers my name because she looked at it on the sign in sheet as my nails were drying the last time. Smart cookie. I don't know her name though. Mr. Party Nails takes care of my nails today. I must say that they look fabulous.

Yes, ABBA was on the tv again.

I asked Mr. Party Nails if it was nail polish remover in the small bowl of liquid that I was to put my fingers in. Yes it was. He was talkative and polite. Told me that this winter was too harsh and each winter is killing him slowly. He also said he was very tired and hadn't slept well in the past four nights. I felt a connection.

When I went to wash my hands before getting them polished, I glanced behind the counter that is opposite of the stations that you sit at. There was a display on the floor of Buddha lit up. There was a bowl in front of Buddha. There was TWINKIES sitting in the bowl, as if they were being offered to Buddha. I was thinking, now THAT is something to blog about. At that point I was wishing that I had my camera on me and that I was brave enough that even if I did have it, that I would take a picture. Now THAT would be perfect.

Now I want to eat a Twinkie.

Miss March

Me, Alec & Rachel just finished watching "Adventures in Babysitting" on tv. I've seen it a half dozen times. They have never seen it before. A while into the movie, 'bad guys' are chasing after Chris (aka "the babysitter") and the three kids. They are after the girly magazine that one of the teen guys swiped from the bad guys in an earlier scene. There is a woman who looks exactly like Chris plastered seductively on a billboard and also as the centerfold of the dirty magazine. Every guy that sees Chris through the movie thinks she is 'that woman'.

During a scene in which Chris and the kids enter a college party house, two guys see her and say, "Look! It's Miss March!"

Alec is trying to put it together and says, "They think that she is a teacher."

I say nothing.

Baptism

Baptism: To wash, dip or immerse in water. Baptism demonstrates death to self and sin and an emergence as a new creation to live in Christ's kingdom. Acts 2:36-41; Romans 6:1-14; 1 Corinthians 12:13; Ephesians 4:4-6.

Last Wednesday, while driving home from church I asked Matt and Rachel the question that I had been wanting to ask both of them recently. Should have been done sooner and preferably at home with more time for discussion, but I finally remembered. Water baptism was taking place Sunday evening and the youth pastor would be baptizing some of the youth. Were they wanting to get baptized yet? (Josh choose to be baptized on his own about a year ago). Right away they both said, "NO! I don't want to have to get up on stage and say anything!"..."besides", Matt adds, "it doesn't say that you HAVE to be baptized to go to Heaven."

I try to explain to them that Pastor would accomodate them and make it short and simple. John interjected, "don't push them."

So, end of story. So I thought.

When we got home from our Sunday afternoon outing, the phone rang. It was Matt calling from church. He had stayed for human video practice. He said that he wanted me to bring a pair of shorts, a plain shirt and towel. He was getting baptized!

Last night around 6pm or so, Matthew Jacob was baptized. I was so proud of him. And he answered the questions just fine.

Before we left the church Rachel told us that she would be baptized at the next baptism.

Sunday Afternoon

So John had a great idea on the way home from church this afternoon. "Do you wanna take the dogs to the state land and go for a walk?"

Looking at the sun shining outside I immediately responded, "YES".

It was either that or go home and have a typical Sunday afternoon routine: eat and take a nap.

Plus, John and I have come to the conclusion that we really have neglected the dogs and they would so benefit from going with us. Alec was the only child going home with us from church and he was excited about the idea as well.

So, after finishing lunch we loaded up the dogs in the back of the truck and away we went. What a great day for it! It was so peaceful. Alec had a good time and was excited when he found his walking stick. The dogs were so happy to have the freedom. They would run around up ahead of us, looking back to check on our own progress every few minutes. More than likely, they were checking to make sure we weren't "ditching them".

When we got home, as we were pulling into our driveway, we spotted a beautiful bluebird flying from a tree. Spring is almost here!

Love

How do you love?

If we could only let these words speak to our hearts and really really really get it:

Love is PATIENT,
Love is KIND and is NOT JEALOUS;
Love does NOT BRAG and is NOT ARROGANT,
does NOT ACT UNBECOMINGLY;
it does NOT seek its own, is NOT PROVOKED,
does NOT take into account a WRONG SUFFERED,
does NOT rejoice in unrighteousness,
but REJOICES with the truth;

bears all things,
believes all things,
hopes all things,
endures all things.

Love never fails;


**I have a customer who wants the last 5 sentences put onto her and her recently deceased husband's monument, and when I looked it up for clarity this morning, the words jumped out at me in the preceeding sentences. We fail so miserably. Thank you Jesus for rescuing us.**

Coffee

I was asked, "when Starbucks opens, will you choose them over Tim Horton's?"

I have to say probably not.

#1 reason - Starbucks is MORE EXPENSIVE!

#2 reason - I'd probably choose Starbuck's cappuccino's over regular coffee and they are LOADED with calories and fat.

#3 reason - I HATE the set up of where they put Starbucks. I can see the traffic snarl/confusion/road rage already.

#4 reason - I'm a diehard Tim Horton's fan.

I'm drinking one right now :)

take a chance on me

First I heard and seen them on tv at the nail salon.

Then I heard them again on a commercial a few days ago.

This morning, this song was being played during one of the segments on Fox News.

Thought I'd share.

Its really good stuff.

Happy One Year Anniversary! Bye Bye Bye

Don't miss it and just the thought of re-living it gets my blood boiling.
Just ain't right.
Enough said.

This is Where I Want To Be RIGHT NOW

Finally

Two whoppin' pounds lighter this morning. Finally. I stopped getting on the scale a few days ago because I was getting extremely frustrated. Same weight everyday for two weeks is enough to make you go crazy when you are living on chicken, cottage cheese and pretzels!

But today was a new day. Decided to get on "just to see" .....and seen a number that was actually different. Two pounds difference. In my favor. Wa-hoo!

It's enough to inspire me to keep on truckin'.

Party Nails

*hands shown are not my own*

As I discussed in a recent blog, I lost one of my acrylic nails. So yesterday, after taking Alec to the doctor I decided to get it taken care of. Can't stand the unfinished feeling of a broken nail. Anyhow, after the doctor's visit, lunch at Subway and a little summer clothes shopping at Target, I went to a nail place in town to get the "job done". I usually go to a nail salon south of my house, but didn't want to make the trip all the way down there after being in Flint. I had been to this particular location on a regular basis a think of anywhere else in town to go.

Now, there was a downside. And by visiting there yesterday, it reminded me why I stopped going.

The place is STINKIN FILTHY! Ga-ross! Doesn't look like they've vacuumed under their stuff in decades. Finger nail clippings, acrylic dust and the fake fingernail tips they use are all under their tables. The tables themselves, which is where you sit and have your nails done at are disgusting. Nothing is ever wiped away. Crumbs from everything imaginable are laying all over. When I first sit down, the dude (the husband I believe of this husband-wife asian team) instructs me (not with actual language) by placing my fingertips into this small bowl of liquid that looks to be nail polish remover with debris sitting at the bottom of it. Used over and over for how long? Who in the heck knows. Ga-ross! He then proceeds with taking my polish off and speaking in his native language to the woman. At this point, I am hoping to get my nails done and get the heck outta there with no one remembering that I had been there before. Because that would mean questions.

After he finishes removing my nail polish, he moves back over to the french manicure table and finishes up the woman's nails that he was working on before me. Then the "wife" comes over to work on my nails. She is quiet and makes a little small talk while doing her work. She tells me that she REMEMBERS me, remembered my hometown location (but not my name) and "recognized my nails"! Dang it! She tells me that whomever is doing my nails (she asks where, of course) is not doing a good job and that I need to have her do my nails. She goes on to say that her customers are always happy with her work. Just what I didn't want to have happen.

Oh! All this while on the televion, via an old video tape, is ABBA singing "Dancing Queen" and all their beloved songs in concert! Special backstage and behind the scenes footage is also shown. I'm thinking, "of course". Halarious.

When time to go wash my hands, as I go to the sink in the back I glance around laughing inside. The pedicure area looks not so clean, but has a bucket with a bottle of bleach in it, for show I am assuming.

While she polishes my nails, she is still going on about her work versus other nail salons and such. Her husband is telling a new woman that he is working on, "oooooohhhh, we are giving you party nails....ha ha...." in a creepy sorta way. It comes back to me. I remember him doing my nails and saying "bingo nails....hahahahaha...we give you bingo nails...." What in the world are "bingo nails?"

My nails DID turn out nice for the most part. But I doubt I'll visit this little establishment again. But maybe the health department should.

I've Seen Better Days

It's Monday.
So far I'm not having the greatest of days.
Getting crabbier by the minute.
I can even feel my skin heating up.
That is not a good sign.
Alec's stomach hurts.
Again.
Like the fourth time in a month?
Is he pooping?
I don't know.
Is he taking his medicine?
Yeah, I give it to him a couple of times a week.
Is it working?
I don't know.
While getting ready for work, where I'm supposed to be right now, he bursts into tears and tells me that his stomach hurts really bad.
I'm like, are you kidding me!
I've got too much to do today.
John took my tires off yesterday and rotated them while also taking the brake pads and rotors off.
(think: driving John's big white Dodge for the day - not what I'd like to do)
I'm supposed to drop them off on my way to work.
I should be at work right now!
So I try to get Alec and myself moving earlier this morning.
I continue getting ready and he continues as well, getting in the shower and slowly getting dressed.
But not without telling me every 10 minutes that his stomach hurts real bad.
I say, "GO POOP!"
He tries.
I'm desperate at this point.
I call Jim and say, "You can fire me if you want to...."
He says, "No! What's the problem?"
I explain my morning and he says (gotta love my boss), "Don't worry, take care of your family"
I tell him I'll be in late this morning.
Alec and I head to the corner pharmacy and get some "stuff" that hopefully gives him relief.
Its supposed to work within 15 minutes to an hour.
We come back home and he yells from upstairs, "Mom, it stinks in your room! Oliver was in the garbage that you have laying in there!"
Oh crap! I forgot to lock the dogs up before I went to the store.
Those stupid %!*@%! dogs get into garbage every minute they have a chance to.
Oliver came downstairs.
I go up to inspect.
GROSS!
I forgot that I took a small bag of garbage to my room to collect bathroom garbage a couple of days ago.
It wasn't full and I was busy doing other things and left it up there.
Then I forgot that it had actual kitchen garbage in it and walked past it several times the past few days thinking, I need to finish filling that and take it out.
I didn't.
Oliver had found a ziploc bag of GREASE, chewed it open and had eaten almost all of it.
There was a lot in that bag , I remember from my now recovered memory.
I want to shoot him.
I hope he runs off.
I have him outside and have no intention of letting him in - at all - today.
Did I mention that this greasy mess in on my carpet?
And it stinks?
I'm about the throw up as I clean it.
After that is done, its back to caring for Alec.
Get the job done and now we wait.
Oh! Did I mention that one of my nails broke off as we headed to the store?
Yeah. Now I'm missing 1/2 of my thumb nail.
Nice.

I hate Mondays and I hate Oliver.
And I know that I'm pre-menstrual to boot.

Cheetos

Note to self: DO NOT buy Cheetos Puffs anymore. You cannot resist them. Oh, and don't make brownies either...ever again.

Obituaries

Most people know that even before I started working at the monument place, I have always read the obituaries. Most people probably don't read them. At least most people that I know. The newspaper prints them for a reason and if you don't read them, then you won't know if someone you know or knew long ago passed away. I've informed family members for years that someone they've lost touch with has died. Former young loves, co-workers, neighbors and even family members that we've lost touch with (my dad's side).

Its very heartbreaking to read them sometimes. A baby, young child or teenager that should have had their whole lives ahead of them. Their lives abruptly cut short. I recently read that a young woman died while giving childbirth. So tragic. Even sadder when nothing is mentioned about Jesus. That is very tragic. I look for that. Reading someone's obituary can tell you a lot about that person's life.

I read the obituaries today when I came home from church (not right when I came home but as I was reading the local paper). A name stuck out to me but I didn't know why. I kept looking at it and then remembered. She was a 58 year old woman who had come into my work to order monuments for her parents last summer. I believe her mother had recently died of cancer and that her father had passed away several years prior. She herself was battling cancer. She wore a scarf over her hairless head. We never discussed beliefs but she was adamant that she wanted a certain carving on her mother's monument (she got separate ones for her divorced parents). It was of stairs leading to heaven with "when we all get to heaven" lettered on it.

I wonder if Rita's daughter will come in and now order a monument for her mother and what she'll have put on it. I also wonder if Rita, who had just recently been through the whole process of picking out a monument, at some point let her daughter know what she wanted on her own.

In her obituary it mentioned that she was a receptionist at a doctor's office, enjoyed camping, crocheting, crafts and reading. It also mentioned that she loved her grandchildren.