Four Days

That is how long it has been since I washed my hair. I have so much dry shampoo and hair spray in my hair that my hair is nearly standing up by it's self. And my scalp itches like a sonofabitch. I have been falling back on cheats, rather than washing my hair and I am desperate to shampoo. I'll do it, when I shower, in a few minutes. *scratchscratchscratch*

I have the Imitrex buzz. I don't like it but I hope it heads off this migraine. I ignored my aura, yesterday and had a migraine hit me like a freight train in the supermarket. Good times.

Say, have you guys tried this stuff, yet? It's kinda yummeh. I like it on a toasted whole grain sandwich thin. Nom, nom, nom.

I wish that I could get more flavours, locally. Stupid Prescott. If we get the good stuff, we get so little of it or such a limited selection that it is pathetic.

Have I mentioned that I hate living in Small Town America? Well, I do. I am an urban girl. I have traffic noise and smog in my blood and living in the clean mountain air in a large town that thinks it is still a small town is sucking the life out of me.

I must continue to be sucked, tho. (Oh. That came out so many kinds of wrong.) Leaving a place in which my husband has a steady job would be the height of idiocy and we aren't stupid.

Well, not most of the time, anyway. ;) 

I have to pee.

Sunday. Eclipse Day

I am going to try to get eclipse pics, tonight. The best viewing time for my area is supposed to start around 5:25. Since it is going to start then, I should be able to see the whole thing from my front balcony before the sun sets behind the hill and won't need to drive out somewhere. *fingers crossed* William hates to have to go out somewhere to see something and was resisting my plans to drive out Iron Spring Road to find a spot that had a clear line of sight all the way to the horizon with no hills in the way. I still think that I should go out there but...

I have lost my fight, when it comes to his stubborn assholeness. I am over trying. It is amazing how the human being has the capacity to just shut down and not feel, after a while, isn't it?

I am going to go get in the shower, get ready and go do a little shopping. I have a 30% award for CVS that has to be used today and a few other things to do. And if I don't get out of this house, I am going to go starkers.

Yesterday was a pretty goo day... I came in just under 1900 calories for the day. Not stellar but I am pleased with myself for maintaining some manner of control and not blowing it out. I am not going to punish myself for not being perfect. I am going to praise myself for doing better. Interesting concept, that.

New Hair

Shit. I am going to have to start putting a black oval where my face belongs. I look like a tired old basset hound, anymore. :P

 I toned it, this morning and it is much more even. I am liking it. I still need to gently but firmly tweak the lift and tone a bit... I want to abolish more of the dark gold and red tones, but I don't want to push my hair too hard, too fast. It came through everything in great condition (strand tests rule, never do colour without one! :D) and, from a test I did, this morning on my previously tested strand, can take a good bit more and still be fine. My hair always did hold up amazingly well to peroxide. Anyway, yeah. I am happy with my hair and have to smile, every time I look in my mirror. I finally feel like me, again. :D

It was another beautiful day, here today. Seventy, sunny and a dreamy, warm little breeze. A beautiful harbinger of Spring.

Food is good, today. I think I need to take some extra potassium, tho. I had monster leg cramps, last night in my thighs. Both. Jerked me out of a sound sleep and I was in agony. I couldn't move, just try to breathe through the horrible and try to survive them. I hate leg cramps. And I dread and fear them and I get them pretty often. Yuk. My thigh muscles are crampy, this evening, too. I dread going to bed. 

I'm going to get that potassium and I think I'll see if there is a banana floating around here, too.

It Isn't Nasty

In fact, that protein powder is pretty good. Colour me surprised! The last time I tried to use powdered protein it was like trying to drink ground, dried up cow bones and hides, or something. And that was the "tasty" stuff. Gag!

This stuff:

I got the vanilla. I thought that it would work nicely with fruit in my smoothies and it does. So far, I can drink it, just fine. I am going to give it a few days to see if I settle in nicely with it before I call this a complete success. But, so far, so good. :) If the vanilla continues to be good, I'll branch into chocolate, too. :D

I chose this particular brand because it has 24 grams of protein per serving. I could wish for it to be a little lower in calories, but at 145 calories per serving, it isn't out of line. I'll have to look around and see if, perhaps I can find some that qualify and still taste good. If protein powder is yukky, it doesn't matter how much protein it has or how low the calories, I won't ingest it. No how, no way.

I like that my morning and lunch smoothies with this powder kept me full for hours and hours. It's nice not to have the rumbly in the tumbly all the time.

Now I have to get my chicken ass out there and buy a battery for my scale. Time to see just how much damage I have done. I am thinking that I am not going to be super happy with what I see. But it is time to face the music. And the scale. Head on. To know is power. And then I can exercise that power and make a change. :)

It's chilly in here, right now. I can't wait for the oven to warm this house up. I have chicken in there for dinner. Yum. There is also a big, fresh salad and I am going to make some rice to round it all out. Nom, nom, nom.

Great. I need to blow my frakking nose, again. Allergies suck ass.

For the Record...

I absolutely hate the way my blog looks, right now. I did this in about two minutes late, last night and it will stay like this until I find the right background and make a new header. Tasks I enjoy but I can get so picky and snotty about it that it can be a little wearying. So, ugly blog it is, for now. lol

My favourite brekkie these days is a smoothie. I have one almost every morning, now. On occasion, maybe once every couple of weeks or so, I will do oatmeal or an egg white scramble thing but I really look forward to my frosty, fruity slurp, every morning. This morning it was vanilla peach. :D

 

 The recipe is super easy. I dump one cup of UVAB (Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Breeze almond milk) one container of Yoplait Light fat free vanilla yoghurt (yeah, yeah, I know... But I like it. Deal with it. lol) and 140 grams of frozen peach slices into my blender jar, pulse and puree until all smooth and lovely. I usually dump it in a big, plastic tumbler but since I knew that I was going to take a photograph of it I poured it into this pretty glass. Yepper. I be a food stylist. :P This is 200 calories. That number varies slightly with different frozen fruits and yoghurts I choose. 

Other combos I like, (the almond milk is always the same, right down to brand) Very Cherry Yoghurt with peaches. Or with peaches and pineapple. Vanilla and peach and pineapple. Vanilla with strawberries or with strawberries and pineapple. Or cherry yoghurt with strawberries, pineapple and peaches. Sounds crazy, but sooo delish. I know that Greek yoghurt, preferably unsweetened would be a better choice and is, in fact delightfully yummy, I just like the Yoplait. And it is more affordable so, that is what I use. 

I am seriously considering adding protein powder to my smoothies to make them even more nutritious and filling and make the satisfaction last longer. However, my past experiences with protein powders weren't so good. I am talking one good gulp and I am running for the nearest receptacle to rid myself of it. Yeah. I am just weird about some thing. But protein powder is good for us. And especially good for those of us working on the weight loss thing. So, my question to all of you who use protein powder is: Which one would be best for me? In your opinion? 

I would like protein powder that tastes good, doesn't gag me. I would like vanilla, to work with my fruity smoothies and maybe chocolate for frosty smoothies made with ice, rather than fruit. Is there any protein powder with no flavour? I am thinking that a veggie source might be a better choice for me? My previous awful experiences were with animal based powders. I am a meat eater but... Yeah. Were you able to try before you bought? Any advice and suggestions are welcome. 

My head hurts, this morning. Blech. I need to get to my day. I have some housework, a little laundry and I have a ton of polishes to get to swatching. My untrieds are legion and I am determined to mot buy much polsih until I get through them. Or at least quite a few of them. 

Not So Smooth-ee

Brekkie today was a smoothie. Or it was supposed to be smooth. I made a smoothie with almond milk, some cherry vanilla Yoplait Light, a few frozen strawberries and some chunks of frozen pineapple. Yummy. Then I had the bright idea to add pomegranate seeds. They added nice flavour. And lots and lots of crunchy bits.

*sigh* Drinking that smoothie was interesting. Especially spitting out all of those seeds and chunks of seeds. Lesson learned. No pomegranate seeds in smoothies. Maybe I will get some pomegranate juice and freeze cubes and toss them in, instead.

 A big tumbler full of fruity goodness. Would have been better without the crunch. lol

Laundry day, today. Load number two is in the washer. I have sweaters and delicates tumbling gently in a low dryer. So much fun. I still need to run my vacuum and put my blender away. I was going to scrub my bathroom, today but I changed my mind and I'll do it, tomorrow.

I had a pretty good eating day, yesterday and the day before. Plan to do even better, today. I'd also like to get out for a walk. Now that the nasty swelling from my recent fall is finally going down on my frakking knee, I think I can handle it.

I can't think of anything else to say, right now so I am going to motor. I'll talk to you, later. (If anyone is still reading this drek. ;) lol)

Okay, Because I Know That Draz (My Fellow Purse Ho) is Curious...

Yes, I did get my new purse, yesterday. It was still there, on the rack at Ross when I went in to buy it. I looked around the store and carried it around for a little while, to be sure that I really liked the purse before I took it up and paid for it. I decided I did. :D

It is a Bebe Fashionista Mini Bowler. The outside is fabric and faux leather. The fabric is quilted in a pretty floral pattern. The liner is a soft, silky smooth synthetic satin. The hardware is all gold tone. Do you know how hard it is to find a pretty handbag with gold tone hardware? Especially at an affordable price point? It is not easy. Everything is silver. I know that silver is "the metal colour" but I am a gold girl. All of my jewellery is gold and I wanted a bag with gold, as well. I finally found one. :D I also like the shorter handles. They are perfect for hand carrying my bag or putting it over my arm at my elbow.

You know what else I like about this purse? It isn't practical, made of sturdy materials or made to wear for years. It is cute and frivolous and I bought it simply because I wanted it. I didn't need it. I already had a beautiful handbag. I just wanted something different and new.

If you like this bag and want to try to track one down, I found mine at Ross and it was $29.99.

BYOC: A Day Late and a Dollar Short

Hey kids! Howz your holiday weekend shaping up? Mine? Okay, I guess. William is off for four days. He is underfoot until he goes back to work on Tuesday. Lord grant me patience. lol

I have been doing much better with the food, lately. I am also drinking plenty. Of water. I need it! It is hotter than the hinges of Hades around here. And it is a little humid today making it even worse. Blech! I don't mind the heat as much as I do humidity.

So, what else? I am doing laundry. Four loads. Good times. Did a little running around, yesterday. I am still mentally obsessing over a purse I saw in Ross. It was so pretty. And only thirty dollars. I am dying for a new purse. I really, really want to go get that one. If it isn't gone, already. In fact, I am going to head up there, later and see if it is still there. I have most of the asking price in cash, William has agreed to contribute the rest. So, new purse coming up. If it isn't gone.

I just want something new. Horrid and selfish, when the budget is so tight. When we have to buy a new battery for the other car. And I am already beginning to feel really bad and guilty about it.

I don't know.

Okay, so on to BYOC, I suppose.

1.  Let's stick with the pictures/exercise and shoe topic and post a picture of (or describe) your work out shoes.



BRB. I need to go grab my camera and fire off a shot of my shoes. 


Okay. I'm back. Here you go:

Yes. I have huge ass feet. :p

New Balance 580 running shoes.  Love these. They are sooo comfy and light and have a wonderful spring.

2.  Again with the summer/hot theme of the week....what does your current swimsuit look like?

You hear that noise? That is everyfuckingbody on the face of the planet laughing like a pack of hyenas at the very notion of me in a swimsuit.

3.  Do you lay out, fake bake, sunless spray tan or use tanning lotion?

I get a little sun when I go walking and I get a little golden. If I want to amp up the glow, I use sunless tanning lotion. My current fave is Jergen's Natural Glow in Medium/Tan. It gives really nice colour, is moisturizing and it doesn't smell as fonky as a lot of sunless tanners I have used. There is still that "tanner smell" but not nearly as bad as some. My batwings don't look nearly as obnoxious when they are nice and tanned. 

4.  Describe your week in blogland and in real life.

Already covered real life, above. In blogland, I am still being a neglectful ass of this blog. Not because I want to. I just don't feel as if I have anything substantive to say. I try to post, freak out and run. *sigh* I am such a weirdo. 

So, there you have it kiddies. BYOC. And what I am up to. Not a hell of a lot of anything, really. lol 

It is Fourth of July Weekend. I am really looking forward to the fireworks on Monday night. It is fun to sit out on our front deckony and relax, watch all the crazy ass traffic and ooooh! and aaaah! over the fireworks. 

Okay, I should run along. I need to get dressed. 

For Autumn Leaves

Here is a photo of one of Patrick's paintings. He did this one in oils all in shades of blue with a little white. Needless to say, I love this painting. He did this when he was eleven. He did a few, I have a couple others, his grandparents have one as does his Aunt and Uncle. He hasn't painted since he was twelve. He did it for a while, loved it. Got over it and left it behind.

You can clickety click to enlarge it, if you are so inclined. I'll take pics of and post his other three paintings I have, in coming days.

Testing, Testing... 1... 2... 3...

So, I installed a Blogger app to my smartphone and this is my test post to see if it actually works.
It seems easy, so far. We'll see how pictures and the like go, in the future.
I do know one thing... Posting from this phone will not be a regular thing. My touch keyboard has very small keys. It is a pain in my ass and typos abound! Gah!!!
But it is nice to be able to post from my phone if I need to.