Once and for all, and all for what?

My next door neighbour is currently going to esthetics school. A few weeks ago, while sitting around the bonfire (god, I love the country) we started talking manicures. I confided that I'd only ever had two (fie, for shame!) in my life, that both consisted of acrylic overlay to strengthen my natural nail, and that both had a life of about 48 hours before they began to lift off my natural nail. She scoffed at the poor workmanship of my previous Estheticians and offered to do my next manicure for $40 dollars, about half the price I'd pay in a salon.

Saturday, we finally got around to making it happen. Here's the breakdown.

The first hour was spent in preparation. There are powders and liquids, bonding agents and nail jewels, five different files - not to mention the pot that apparently needs to be smoked before the laying of product can begin... hey, I did say that I'm in the country now, and she did say that she liked to have a plan. Cannabis is said to aid in the production of creative juices.

Anyway, that first hour passed without incident. It took all of ten minutes to prep the nails of both hands so they were ready for acrylic. The next two hours was spent applying, shaping, filing acrylic to my left hand with a brief flurry of "Shit, you made me bleed!" **A short, two hour break followed so that Wolf and I could honour a dinner date at the local pub, then we were back at it.** It took another two hours to re-prep and complete the overlay on my right hand.

As I said, that was Saturday. Today, at least five of the overlays are pulling up. I say at least because much of my pinky nail is covered in a Superman Band-aid, protection for my raw and bleeding cuticle.

Summary:
I spent five hours with a pot smoking student (whom, I discovered, is only 2 months into her 8 month esthetics course,) having uneven, misshapen, bubbly acrylic nails applied, which have taken less than 48 hours to begin pulling up, for half price!

I am thankful, though. When we first began talking esthetics, her class was learning the art of the Brazilian Bikini Wax.

Creation: you are all gods.

I, like most I'm sure, have favourite bloggers. Some earn this rank by the quality of their writing, some by their humour. If a person can shift my perspective - I appreciate that, as well. There are countless specific reasons that a blog might catch my eye but they all have one thing in common. They change me. For whatever reason and in whatever way, after catching up with my blog-list bloggers, I walk away from the computer seeing life (seeing myself) a different way.

This is a prime example. Jenny (from Mamadrama) writes about originality but she covers so much more.

So thank you Bloggers for taking part in my creation.

Alive and kicking, so to speak.

Okay, I know that I've been gone a really long time and I generally don't like that fact. I haven't had the time or motivation to write lately no matter how I would love to do just that.

I want to be able to catch up just like that but I am so distractable and time runs a bit faster for me because of it. If only I had... there are too many things and none of them would actually help. If only I had a laptop... I'd still have to open it and use it without getting totally distracted. If only I had a laptop that wasn't connected to the internet... I'd still have to get my writings from it to the PC. If only I had a Mac... No, that one pretty much stands, lmao. I have to make the time, post the pictures... there's a lot to do and the list gets a little longer everyday. This is not a bad thing, it just is.

I'm very glad for the 'friend page.' It means that you will know this is here, rather than not knowing of the update until you happen to check in, like other (cough-blogger-cough) blogs. Ahem, I seem to have a tickle.

Anyway, I have already eaten butt-loads of computer time and Kitten wants to check on her blasted webkin. I must let her as she finally, finally cleaned up her room and it only took 3 weeks. (Truth be told, I didn't really institute consequences until this week. It works! It confused her a little bit after the 2 wishy-washy weeks - wait a minute, she's nine! - but I'm sure we'll both get the hang of this thing.)

I'm outta here, but maybe this entry signals the beginning of the Three Posts a Day part of my cycle? Ooh, suspense

Dead woman walking.

I am so tired. I just can't seem to get any sort of spark lit under my ass right now. My sink is full of dishes, the only clean laundry in the house is stuff I can do in the sink (read: underwear). Dinner, this evening, was egg salad on toast... and chips and ice cream.

I'm already dreading this full week ahead of me... I don't know for sure but I'll bet setting a bedtime that's earlier that 3am might help a touch.

I'll let you know.

Overheard at my house.

I love my family. I love my daughter. I struggle to let go of my need to control. Our cat (Kitten's cat) is particular and precious and patient. She will speak when she's less than pleased, but she almost never strikes out. She's not much for being carried and will say so, meowing once as if she's been startled.

Kitten comes from one side of the house, carrying her beloved cat. A brief conversation ensues.

K - There, I finally found a position where she doesn't meow!
Me - Oh yeah? You picked her up by the muzzle?
K - NO!

Kitten loves to make forts for her cat. She designs complicated tunnel and bridge systems, some of which remain upright long enough to be enjoyed. Sometimes Kitten will forget about their game, leaving the room. This morning, after having fed her cat into one such tunnel, Kitten returns to the kitchen to chat. She spits out a brief flurry of statements, some of which are even related to each other, before returning to her room.

K - I know how to find just where she is in the tunnel (giggling)
Me - You enter the room and suddenly scream like a banshee?
K - NO!

Yeah, she has to deal with my crap all the fricken time.

Because I am highly suggestible...

You Are 72% Open Minded

You are a very open minded person, but you're also well grounded. Tolerant and flexible, you appreciate most lifestyles and viewpoints. But you also know where you stand firm, and you can draw that line. You're open to considering every possibility - but in the end, you stand true to yourself.

How Open Minded Are You?

Thank you Jen for commenting on Chases post and introducing me to your blog and, therefore, this post by Stephanie.

Shine on you crazy diamond... and no I won't get nekkid. Don't ask again.

For more pointlessness, please refer to my most recent LJ post.

Road trip.

Things I learned from Thursday to Sunday.

I learned (Thursday) that:

• leaving late doesn't mean arriving late.
• speeding is relative to the rate at which the traffic around you is moving.
• manifestation works, at least in terms of catching a ferry in time.
• eating more veggies makes one hell of a lot more stopping for gas... and then some.
• making good time at the beginning of the day doesn't necessarily mean coming out on top at the end of that same day.
• it doesn't matter how old you are when it comes to sneaking in to your dad's house without waking him, it still gets your heart pumping.
• my sister is/was better at sneaking in than I was, which explains a lot...
  
• it's easier to make my sister laugh when she's nervous... and she swears more (heh)
• it's getting easier to fall asleep in a bed that isn't my own.

(Friday)

• my dad gets up really early!
• he loves his kids and pleasant surprises.
• sixty four doesn't mean old.
• prairie heat is gorgeous.
• say what you want, no matter what you think others want to hear.
• there's no such thing as perfect, and sadness is always an option.
• it's really hard to fall asleep when I'm sad.

(Saturday)

• success can be measured in smiles.
• the older the people in my life get, the more amazing they become.
• the people in my life feel the same about me.
• I am fully capable of smiling and continuing even if I'm scared and overwhelmed.
• my Dad has touched peoples lives and they're thankful.
• if I am willing to accept it, there is immeasurable support out there for me.
• I have a whole other family, really!
• it is hard to go to bed the night before the road-trip home.

(Sunday)

• there are no mountains like the Rocky Mountains.
• Calaway park is still there, but bigger than it was 20 years ago.
• it takes longer for my cell phone to realize we've changed timezones when returning home than when leaving home.
• I don't need to take a picture to make a moment memorable. In fact, it can often ruin the moment, altogether.
• that my sister is hilarious and amazing and loaded down with just as much baggage as am I. (When looking at a line of cars on the highway, trapped behind the slow guy she said, "Look. Pace car... in other words, 'Mom.'" and related to me a conversation she and Mom had had years ago. "Mom, you know that you're supposed to pass in the left lane but travel in the right, right?" "Yes" "Well, do you think that you should change lanes and let the people behind you pass?" "They're going plenty fast enough." You gotta love her! Well, I do, anyway.)
• leaving late doesn't mean arriving late.
• manifestation works, again, in terms of catching a ferry in time.
• after 11 hours of sitting on my ass in a hot car there is enough moisture in the crack of my ass to cultivate mushrooms and moss.
• that I am allowed to be a barefoot hippy and I love it!
• no matter how badly I wanted a vacation, my favourite part was when my daughter launched herself into my arms at the end of it.

It's good to be home.