Nov
22
Chris on Thanksgiving
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“The paper weighs as much as the turkey.”
Nov
21
Just FYI
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The battery on the iPhone rocks!
Nov
20
Yesterday when I was lying on a table having my feet and back and scalp rubbed, I started thinking about all the spa experiences that I’ve had. Some were great, others, well, not so much.
My first real spa experience was at Disney World (cuz where else?). We had planned a whirlwind trip to fill out a contract with the DVC offices. Or that was our excuse anyway. Alexis was ten months old. I think we made it to the parks one day out of the 4 that we were there. But one of those afternoons was scheduled for me. Chris splurged and bought me a spa package lasting from late morning until early evening. I was a bit nervous about it because I was still nursing Alexis at the time, and I didn’t know if she – or my boobs – could make it for 5 whole hours.
Overall, it was a great experience. There was a massage (not a new treat), a reflexology massage, and a facial. Probably something else as well, but I can’t remember. I don’t really remember the massage, but the foot rub… OMG. This was pure heaven. I actually fell asleep.
I hated the facial. It was the longest, most boring torture I had ever endured, but then again, maybe my boobs were bursting and I really wanted to get back to my family. 90 minutes is WAY too long for a facial. I didn’t realize this for several years and avoided all facials until last September when I won one on a cruise (Yes, a Disney cruise – don’t you know me yet?). Grudgingly I scheduled my appointment. The experience itself was actually quite pleasant. I didn’t feel like my face had been rubbed off this time, but my “free” facial ended up costing me about $200 in products. Products I felt like I had to buy because the spa technician told me I was getting wrinkles around my eyes. Now, I’m generally mistaken for much younger than I really am, so this was a huge blow to my ego. I guess she really knew how to sell a product (or 5).
On that same cruise Chris and I had scheduled a couples cabana beach massage on Disney’s private island. It might just be me, but I really don’t get the point of a couples massage. However, I went along with it for his sake. Besides, how bad could a massage be? BAD. Really, really bad. Chris got the cute tiny girl who could probably put dents in steel I-beams with her fingers, and I got the wimpy new girl who had a cold. I actually caught her wiping her nose with one hand while she massaged with the other one. I think I left feeling worse than when I got there because I was so stressed about the potential boogers on me.
By far, my best spa experiences have been at the Woodhouse Spa in Austin (blasphemy! It’s not Disney owned). I’ve been there several times alone, once a quarter my two best friends and I go for pedicures, and a few times I’ve dragged my mom (like yesterday). The whole environment is so soothing. And the robes have got to be the softest things I’ve ever touched.
Yesterday’s treatments were good. I started with that 45 minutes foot rub I mentioned, then moved on to Swedish massage. Mom and I both agreed that the only really odd experience was the scalp massage. It starts with something similar to Chinese water torture, only here they use oil, and they rub your hands and feet while it’s dripping on you. Unfortunately, the hand and foot rub does not counteract the drip, drip, dripping on the forehead. I must say I was very relieved when that was over.
Perhaps in the coming year, I’ll have the guts (and the money) to try a new spa in Austin. There are a couple of destination spas in town, but they’re so expensive I have a hard time justifying it. In the meantime, I think I’ll stick with Reflexology and Egyptian pedicures.
Nov
19
I don’t know what it is, but every time I get sick, it’s on a weekend when Chris is in SA doing his guard drill. This weekend was no different. He infects me with his disgusting hacking wet cough and heads off to defend the country. So, I’m at home, first with just a little tickle in the back of my throat. I figure it’s due to the molds being so eff-ing high, so I continued to go about my day. By nightfall, I’m was feeling really crappy, and figured I’ve infected everyone I’ve come in contact with. After Alexis passes out from such a busy day, I stayed up for a bit and watched TV/knitted (damn sweater is FINALLY on track).
About 11 pm, I check the medicine cabinet for some leftover cough syrup. Score!! Hydromet from LAST Christmas when I had the Cough. Never mind that it’s been expired for nearly a year. I down a couple teaspoons and head off to bed. About a half hour later, I’m hanging on to the bowl of the toilet gasping for air as I knelt there and offered up my tortilla soup to the porcelain gods. Back to bed. Of course, now I’m coughing again, and I’m pretty sure all the drugs I just took are somewhere on their way to a lake with 3-eyed fish. At least they won’t be coughing, pregnant fish with RLS. Lucky them.
Sunday wasn’t much better. I coughed and coughed and coughed, but at least I had the foresight not to take anymore year old, EXPIRED codiene products. Whenever I’m sick, Alexis gets to do and eat pretty much whatever she wants because as I lay dieing in bed, she bugs me incessantly. Mommy, can I have… Mommy, can I play… YES, SURE, DO WHATEVER. Go play with knives, swim in the pool unsupervised, drink some bleach but just LET ME SLEEP!
By 2 o’clock, I’ve had a couple of broken hours of sleep and I feel like the worst mommy of the year. I called my mom in tears and she offered to come get Alexis. So after a quick temper tantrum about “I’m going to miss you sooo much mommy”, Alex agrees to go play at grandma’s if she can play “trash can”. (This is apparently when my mother stuffs her into a sleeping bag and carries her around like a bag of trash – She never played games like that with US… She would just tickle us until we gasped with our last choking breath “I love you sweet, beautiful mommy.” And yes, I do that to Alexis, too.)
When Chris brought her home later that evening, I was, at least in a better mood, if not sicker than before. My sweet (beautiful) Chris makes me dinner and tea and tucks me into bed by 7:45.
So here I am on Monday morning, when I am SUPPOSED to be having two glorious days to myself while Chris is at work, and Alexis is at school. Hell, I even have appointments at the spa. Will I enjoy them? I’ll probably be hacking up nasty snot balls during the whole thing. I really pity the masseuses who are stuck with me today. I suspect I’ll infect them as well. But what do I care? I get to have a 45 minute foot rub.
Nov
15
For Susan – who is living vicariously through other people’s knitting
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A picture!!! I finished the ripple blanket about a week ago. It’s so soft and snuggly. Both Chris and Alexis are trying to claim it as their own. Alexis is dragging it up and down the stairs and getting even more golden retriever fur on it. (I’m sure there is a good amount *IN* it)
I’m really pleased with how it turned out. Alex helped me pick the colors, and I really really like them. And in order to keep them sort of random, she also would pick the next color as I got near the end of a row. Though, to be fair, Chris helped with that after she went to bed.
I think I figured out that this sucker is made from FOUR (yes FOUR) pounds of yarn. It’s heavy. Anyway, at least that sucker is out of my system.
Last night I finally got the bottom ribbing and a few rows of stockingette stitch done on my sweater. Only like 14 inches to go until I get to the fun part. Sigh… at least I can do it anywhere and mostly without looking. I’d better get more movies from netflix.
But man, I’ve got an issue, cuz the sweater is the second project in a row that I’ve done with “cheap” yarn from Michael’s. I’m SO not a synthetic fiber kind of girl. I’m actually a fiber snob. I want hand dyed stuff for fabric, embroidery floss, and yarn. I need to drag myself to the new yarn store. Especially since the sewing room has SO much more room in it to hold yarn and stuff.
Really, I swear I’ll take pictures of the room someday. When it’s perfect. Bwa-ha-ha-ha.
And go over to yarnbar and checkout Susan’s super cool knitted robot. (And about a million other cool projects she and Gina come up with)