Lots of fun AND I'm not hung over!

First, I'm happy my little snit/conflict was put to rest.  I have a hard time with unresolved conflict especially in times when my emotions are running high. Thanks to everyone for their support.   (HUGS).

Dennis and I went to dinner and a concert with friends/neighbors last night.  Months back, Dennis did the construction plans for a simple room addition for their home.  When it came to working out terms of payment he didn't want to charge them because it was a simple job but they insisted so he told them to just take us to dinner sometime.  Well, the room addition is done (and it is so nice!) so they had us over for dinner last night and then took us to a concert to see Paul Rodgers.  The name didn't ring a bell but when we heard he was lead sisnger with the group Free ('all right now, baby, it's all right now......) and Bad Company the lights went on and we got excited.  Free's first hit was in The mid to late 60's for all you babies out there. LOL  This old bag remembers those good old days when rock and roll was MUSIC and not the cr*p that comes out of a computer with so much bass that it destroys organ tissue over time from the constant vibration.  There should be a health warning.........(I am joking here).  Anyway, getting back to Paul Rodgers, His presence is full of fun and energy. He pulls the crowd in and makes us a part of the show.  It helped that the venue holds only 3500 people ~ Small and intimate and not a bad seat in the place.  His picture is below:

Pssst:  I won't mention names (but it wasn't me and it wasn't Kelly, because he drove) but 2 out of the four of us got very hammered last night.  Way too much wine...  (shaking my head with wonder).  One of us could hardly walk back to the car and we had to help her.  <notice I didn't mention names>.  Hmmm, wonder how much their heads and tummies hurt this morning? I feel pretty darn great.   I had a great time!

Now I'm on red alert.  I have to get my a@@ in gear and get stuff done around here.  I'm on serious count down.  I leave on Tuesday and my weekend is full of things that impeed my progress.  Wish me luck.  I'm going in......

Thanks So Much For The Feedback

I'm feeling a LOT better after reading all the comments in the Opinion Poll.  Thanks to everyone who responded so quickly.  I will sleep better tonight.

I think we both over reacted.  She was under a lot of stress because of the accident and knowing she would have to go thru so much to get her car fixed and then probably pay higher premiums because of it.  I over reacted because I'm just sensitive these days.  My feelings are on the surface and I am queen of the over reactors as of late.  As time goes on and my heart heals from losing my dad, I feel my sensitive side starting to calm and become more 'normal' (if there ever is such a thing).  I know that I've been 'prickly' and this is why I put up the poll.  It was a reality check and I appreciate your honesty and candor.

I gave the benefit of the doubt and apologized for my part.  She admitted that she was in a snit and we are OK.  All is good.

Opinion Poll - Am I Being too Sensitive?

This is a real situation and I am asking your opinions and feed back:

Yesterday, I had a conversation with a friend of mine.  This person was rear ended on the freeway on the way to work.  The person who hit the car was an illegal alien with no driver's license and no car insurance.  The rear bumper of my friend's car was extensively damaged but no one was hurt.  The other driver, of course, did not want the highway patrol to be called but my friend insisted and phoned for help.

When the highway patrol arrived, the officer took all the information and at the end of the interviews, etc., he told my friend that the other driver had no license and no insurance and unfortunately, my friend's insurance would have to pick up payment for the damages.  My friend asked what was going to happen the the other driver.  The officer said he had written him a ticket and since he had no license and no insurance he was having his car towed.

I asked my friend, "Did you stay until the tow truck arrived to take the car away?"

"No, I had to get on my way and get to work, why?  What would you have done?"

"Oh, I would have stayed.  It would have given me satisfaction to see him pay consequences.  I probably would have even taken a picture with my cell phone camera."   Note:  the thing about the picture was said, laughing and kidding.

My friend snapped, "I have got to get back to work, I don't have time for your Jerry Springer stuff."

I ended the conversation by saying, "Ok, good bye." and hanging up.

I wanted to know what any of you would think about the Jerry Springer comment and what connotation that reference brings to mind.  I am withholding my feelings until I get feedback as I do not want to poison the well, so to speak.

Thank you very much.  Love,  Kathy

Re: Internship

Jan of Serendipity asked if Cari wore the outfit we picked out together when she interviewed for her internship.  This is the outfit we got and this picture shows how she looked as she left the morning of the interview.

Professional yet trendy, don't you think?

Yippee Skippy

Cari was awarded the internship with Union Entertainment Group.  Her feet aren't even touching the ground she is so happy!  She will meet with them on Monday to work out her schedule and responsibilities.  I hope this is a stepping stone to her dream coming true!

The Week Ahead

Just one question ~ where did April go?  May is here and I have no idea what happened to April.  It felt like the entire month got condensed into a short blur.  It's kind of like living in the Twilight Zone.  I'm almost dizzy.  It's so  bad that I actually thought I had 12 days before leaving for Denver and Laramie BUT I have 5 days to get ready ~ I leave on May 8.

 

This calls for extreme organization and focus.  Tomorrow is hair cut and color touch up day.  Friday is my nail appointment.  Over the weekend, I will stock up the cupboards and fridge with provisions to get Dennis and Cari through the first week or so and then they are on their own.  I will also get the laundry caught up because I have to pack most of it.  I need to get the guest room cleaned because my Mom is coming back to California with me for a week.  She wants to meet her new great grandson and to see the rest of the great grandchildren, her grandchildren, and the rest of us if she can fit us in.  LOL  I will leave instructions with Cari to dust and vacuum the guest room again right before  we get back so it's fresh as a daisy.

 

Saturday, my dear friend, Joan is graduating from college with a B.A. in Education.  Yeah, Joan!  I'm so proud of her.  She's an amazing woman and I know she will be a terrific teacher.  She has been a sign language interpreter for years working in a school district.  Each year, she is assigned a deaf student.  She goes to class with the student and signs everything going on in class so the student understands what is going on and what the teacher is saying.  This background will be great experience as she transition to being the teacher.  I'm going to her graduation party on Saturday afternoon.

 

Saturday evening, Cari and I are going to a play called Sequins  which is written by her friend, Jordan Beck.  He's the young man who is writing the play/musical about MySpace that will be opening on Broadway later this year.  We are really looking forward to the experience.  It's the first time I've ever gone to a play and known the writer. 

 

Sunday the grandchildren are coming for a visit so I can see them before I leave.  I haven't seen them since the Saturday before Easter.  Little Matthew is growing like a weed and I do not want to wait until the middle of the month to see him again.  He's changing so fast.  I want to experience all the stages. 

 

So with all of this stuff going on, my organizational skills will be put to the test.  I may need some help from my daughter around Monday night but I'm sure everything will get done and I will be ready to fly away on Tuesday morning.

 

While in Denver/Laramie I will be with my Mom when she has her annual colonoscopy.  I won't be in the room, of course, (LOL) but I want to be there to lend support.  A year ago, December, she had major surgery which resulted in her having a ileostomy until March, 2006 when she had surgery to reverse it.  Now she has to have a colonoscopy every year to be sure scar tissue isn't forming in the colon causing blockage.  I'm sure everything is fine but she needs to check to be sure. 

 

After  Mom's test, we will be seeing her sister Helen who is recovering and doing very well after surgery for breast cancer.  We'll be seeing some cousins and their husbands which will be a lot of fun.  We plan to go back to Laramie on the 11th.  While there, we will take care of some business now that Mom has all the copies of Dad's death certificates.  We can finalize some things that were waiting for that document. 

 

I want to go through all the cards and letters she got from friends and family after Dad died.  I also want to visit the cemetery and take flowers.  I want to see Dad's best friend, Jim, and a few other people who were very important to him.  I want to thank them for bringing so much joy to his life.  I want to do the things I would have done if I had been there when he died and for his funeral.  I need to go through all of the motions and say all of the things that I wanted to say to get closure.  It's very important to me to feel finished with the details and to start letting the finality of his death sink in.

 

I have flashes of how final it is - how cold and harsh the reality is but I haven't taken in all in.  I miss our phone calls.  We used to talk at least once a week, usually twice.  Sometimes I wake up and my first thought is, "I need to call Dad today," and then a wave a panic and sadness hits me and I know I'm a long way from acceptance and serenity.

What NOT To Wear

One of my favorite shows is TLC's What Not To Wear.  Tracy London and Clinton (can't remember his last name) find an unsuspecting woman who dresses terribly, give her $5000 and a trip to New York where they toss out all of her clothes, teach her how to dress and then at the end, she goes to Nick for a hair cut and to Carmindy for make-up advise.  The end result is usually a sophisticated, much better looking version of the woman at the beginning of the show.  Don't ask me why I like the show because I do not know.  Their humor isn't funny and sometimes they are down right mean to those poor women when they are talking to them about how they dress.  I like the last 1/2 of the show when everything starts coming together and she turns from frump to princess.  I am very impressed with the make-up artist, Carmindy.  She can teach these ladies how to do a 5-minute make up job that makes them look like a million bucks. 

Well, today, I ran into an item by item list of the products she recommends and a simple to do list of how to apply each one.  I'm not endorsing any of the products because I haven't tried any of them myself YET.  I'm just passing on her advise and the names of the things she recommends.  So if you try these things and you don't like the results, send her an email, not me.  LOL

Carmindy's Beauty list:

Start with a tinted moisturizer or foundation, spot conceal any redness and apply under eye concealer. Classified Cosmetics Era Spray Foundation ($55) is a good one.  (She sprays this on a wedge sponge and dabs it on the skin to even out the skin tone.)

 

2. Next, dust on a light translucent powder. Cover Girl Clean Fragrance-Free Pressed Powder ($5) works great on all complexions.

3. Highlight is key to this look so apply a shimmering light shadow under the brows, on the inside corner of the eyes and on top of the cheekbones will showcase your face. Try Benefit Cosmetics Eye Bright ($18).

4. Next swirl on blush for a fresh lively look. Paula Dorf Cheek Color Cream in "Candy Apple" ($19) is a good choice for Asian skin while Revlon Cream Blush in "Lilicent" ($9) looks great on fair skin. MAC's Pigment Color Powder wows on dark skin.

5. Line the upper lash line with an eyeliner pencil and smudge with a Q-tip. This will give you the subtle definition you need. Almay Intense I-Color in "Brown Topaz" ($7) is a great option for fair beauties.

6. Sweep on mascara to the top lashes only. Skipping the lower lashes will save time and potential clean up.

7. Now slick on lip color and you're ready to go. I like Milani Glitzy Glamour Gloss in "Glitz & Glam" ($5.49) on olive skin.

She recommends lip gloss with a hint of color rather than lipstick.  I also saw her talking with a woman about lip liner.  She said never use a lipliner unless you have fine lines around your mouth and want to prevent your lip color from running or if your lips are uneven and you want to use the lip pencil to even things out.

Fast, easy and effective!

This said, you can't be quick with your makeup regimen if you're not sure which colors and product choices are right for your skin tone or age-appropriate. In 'The 5 Minute Face' I list no-fail hues and products so you can skip the guessing game for a fabulous look every time.

So presto-blinko, there is What Not To Wear's 5 minute Face.  Good luck.