Creepy!

hahaha- Youtube hates me.  Really, I look up guided meditations and I see a video for "Best of Josh Hutcherson." It sure knows how to distract me! It didn't help that the guided meditation was completely boring.  I guess I am so used to Renee's meditations of imagery.  She takes you to a place and helps you feel calm and centered in that spot.  She also seems to say exactly what you need to hear at the moment.  For example: "Breath in love, breath out jealousy.  Breath in hope, breath out fear.  Feel the soft strength of the rock beneath you and how centered you are on it.  You are looking up at the night sky and you see a shooting star.  There are many of them now and they start to fall on you.  Bringing light and happiness to you as they embrace you.  Take in that light and breath it out into the world, sharing your light with the world."  It is hard to go from something like that to: "Breath in fully, breath out fully."  The sound of the waves was really working for the guy leading the meditation.  He also sounded like he was trying way to hard.  There was something forced in his voice. Renee's meditations just seem to flow straight from her mind and are genuine; not rehearsed.   A few other yoga related things:  so excited that a studio is giving free demos of aerial yoga soon and I am anxious to start making my Samatahiti video once I get all the components.  Once I get the video together, it shall be on here!

I figured I should follow up my post about peeling.  IF I HAD KNOWN THIS BEFORE, I think I'd be a much happier person at this point in my life.  I feel like one giant itch.  Between peeling scabs and peeling sunburn, all I do is scratch.   Here are some useful sunburn remedies that are all natural.  I will say, I did rub two aloe "leaves" on my legs and it helped a bit.  I wish I'd known the vinegar one though!  The linked article has natural remedies for other summer time complaints (bug bites, tick prevention, etc.).

1. Vinegar – Surprisingly this came out as the number one remedy for burning, itching sunburn. Use either white or apple cider vinegar they both seem to work equally well, spray it on or apply it with a cotton ball and let dry. It takes away the itching and burning and helps your burn not to peel quite as much.
2. Aloe – No sunburn list would be complete without Aloe on the list. Long known for its healing properties this is the remedy that most of us are familiar with. Simply apply aloe juice, gel, or direct from the plant and leave it.
3. Tea or tea bags – Tea will reduce the burning as well has help your burn fade a bit faster than it otherwise would.While many people suggest applying tea bags directly to the burn if you have a large burn this could be a bit difficult. You can brew your tea let it cool and use a rag to apply the tea directly to your skin. Use this remedy two to three times daily till the pain stops and the redness fades. Especially good on severe burns.
4. Ice – Removes the burn and pulls the heat out of your skin, ice will also help to reduce any swelling that might occur from severe burns. Best if combined with other remedies. You can use ice cubes, ice packs or put a wet towel in the freezer and let it freeze.
5. Mustard – while this might sound a bit gross, and truthfully it is the first time I had heard of it many people swear by it. Smear the burn area with mustard and let it dry. Remove by washing it off, it takes away the sting and will prevent blistering from occurring.

*Note: I am becoming slightly concerned with how crazy intelligent our technology is getting.  Really, my desktop just asked me: "See What Bing Knows About Stephenie?"  Creepy.  I think technology is getting smarter and people are growing dumber.  This was honestly in a health pamphlet that was sent to the office.  Really?  Pregnancy is a fact of life.  NO WAY!  I didn't know that!  I can't believe we populated a whole planet to almost over population without pregnancy being a fact of life.  I get what the writer was going for, but it makes me want to die reading redundant statements of just pure idiocy.  My internet can tell me exactly what I want to find without even asking for it; however, there are human beings that the phrase "Pregnancy is a fact of life" is enlightening.  No, it really isn't.  And with the modern woman and growing concerns of over population, more and more couples are choosing to keep pregnancy from being a fact of their lives.  My neighbor and I were joking about babies being a game changer.  I met a guy with a "Game Over" shirt with a married couple on the front.  I thought, heck, add a pregnancy belly to that image and it would be accurate.  That is at least the way I feel at this moment. 

Second spooky thing of the day.  Guys who hit on you in front of their wives.  I thought, silly me, when I quit working at a hardware store, I'd have to stop fielding weird requests.  I got asked today if I wanted to be a sugar mama - with the guys wife sitting right next to him.  I've had marriage proposals and requests to spank with a paint stick, but this is just a new level of creepy.  I know the man was completely kidding, but I wonder how that makes his wife feel.  To hear him ask another woman to take care of him.  How rude?  And to put me in a situation dealing with that -  I don't need to be brought into any other relationship. 

PS: After I wrote last night's blog, my neighbor really did stop by and ask for a cup of sugar.  It had me chuckling for a time since I had only put it in my title as a joke.  Life is funny sometimes.

Can I borrow a cup of sugar? Maybe a piece of cake?

Tonight, I noticed my neighbor posted something about a delicious chocolate recipe she was trying.  I jokingly commented: "Can I come over when it is done?!? That sounds yummy. Now I wish I hadn't eaten my body weight in Thin Mints a minute ago!"  She did invite me over.  I got cake and chocolate red wine and a great conversation.  It is so nice to actually sit down and chat with a neighbor.  She is one of the two people I know in the building.  Both of us love to bake and are really into healthy food and baking (with all natural ingredients and attempting to not pollute ourselves with all the fake, chemical additives in many processed foods).  It was a fun time.  Now I am super tired and in need of a few good hours of sleep.  I don't know if I can even stay up to read a few pages of my book.  Who am I kidding, of course I can read a few pages!

Daughter of Fortune

I am like 3/4 of the way done with our book club book.  I am really enjoying this book.  When I picked up the book, I had no idea that it had been translated from Spanish to English.  I find the story line very interesting.  It jumps around quite a bit, but I really like the way that the story seems to all tie together.  The book is Daughter of Fortune by Isabel Allende.  Eliza is the adopted daughter of a family of British colonists in Chile; Rose, Jeremy, and John Sommers.  She is raised with all the privilege of the wealthy, European elite located in Chile.  She also benefits from being connected to the locals of Chile through her caretaker, Mama Fresia.  Eliza has a  special gift of scent.  She can detect the scents of ingredients in recipes, making her a great chef and baker.  She can also identify people and locations by their scent.  Eliza falls in love with a poor Chilean man who get struck with Gold Fever and she is desperate to follow him to the California gold mines.  A Chinese healer helps her to California and Eliza's journey into the wild and free land of California begins.  As stated, I am really enjoying the story.  I am a little worried that I won't have it finished by book club; however, by all indications, I may be the only one at book club that has gotten close to the end.  Well, off to hit the pages a little more before sleep.

Expecting Friends

I had a pretty amazing weekend!  I for sure can't complain.  Baking on Friday slipped by really quickly and then Grandma and Grandpa B were here!  We had my birthday dinner and ate rather soupy ice cream cake.  I won't complain, it was good no matter what!  Then, I got all dressed up as a bitten surfer and went to see The Brother's Quinn play a show.  My two friends and I were the only people dressed up, besides the band, for the longest time.  Some other people dressed up finally came in a little later on - it helped us feel a little less like fools.  Then Saturday was spent with the family in the car. First, grandma, mom, and I went to Vinnies and found lots of good things.  I got a ton of books.  When I got to the register, I was happy to find that books were half off!  SWEET DEAL!  We then roamed from place to place picking up grandparents, having lunch, going to my brother's place, having nice, warm potatoe soup for dinner, and then movies with my sister and friend.  We got What to Expect When You're Expecting.  Then we watched part of Warrior before calling it a night.  Today, after church, I had to say goodbye to Grandma and Grandpa B.  I wish they didn't have to leave.  I will see them this weekend again, but it doesn't mean that I felt I got enough time with them this weekend.  My friend and I then spent the afternoon shopping (I bought way too many beachy scented candles at Bath and Body Works - I have Oceanside burning beside me right now), spray painting furniture, carving pumpkins, drinking wine, and watching Friends with Kids.

What to Expect When You're Expecting is a hilarious movie.  I still can't see myself having a child, however, this movie was just spectacular though.  The movie follows several couples that all overlap somehow, who find themselves "expecting."   One couple is adopting, one is pregnant after years of trying and finally deciding to stop trying, one was an accidental pregnancy, one was a happy surprise, and one was just easy in every way.  All of the couples face many different challenges while learning to accept, grow, and change with all the developments that occur while developing a baby: the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly.  The "Dudes"Group scenes are my favorite part of that movie. 



Friends with Kids is another hilarious movie covering how having kids can be complicating.  This movie follows two friends that see their friends having children and seemingly falling apart.  They, unwed and not seeing anyone, decide that they should just get the "having the kid" part of a relationship out of the way.  This way, when they meet "the one," the romance isn't killed by having a kid.  They still have the joy of having a child, but they don't have all the other complications.  They end up having a son together and all of their friends are astounded that they somehow make everything work so well.  Both begin to see other people; however, complications begin to pop up and they must decide what is best for their son. 

*Just a side note: since when has it become socially acceptable to put porn in movies.  The Kids are All Right and Friends with Kids both had scenes with porn fully being shown on the screen.  Really?  Is this necessary?  Gay porn, threesome porn, watching porn while attempting sex...I really didn't sign up for seeing that when I got a romantic comedy/drama.  What is happening to the movie industry? Calm the sex down a bit.  It isn't really necessary to have it all hanging out there.  Doris Day and Rock Hudson didn't have to go at it on the screen for me to know that they had a strong sexual attraction/relationship/sexual appetite.  I got it all from innuendo.  Have some class and wit Hollywood!  Either that, or every one in Hollywood today lacks an imagination. Personally, I think both movies would have been a whole lot better with the porn or excessive sex scenes toned down or completely removed. 

Goodnight Sweet Heart, Well It's Time to Go

I am extremely exhausted after this week.  I have to get up and work at the bakery tomorrow.  However, I am extremely excited that my grandparents are going to be visiting.  I'll have to clean up my apartment a wee bit more before they arrive, but I'm sure excited. 

Relationships wise, I think I may have a Puerto Rican sweet heart.  He has written something to me every single day since I've been gone from Puerto Rico.  He's a super sweet guy, but I don't know if I see this going anywhere.  Not to mention, I'd have to get over my height-est objections to small men.  Puerto Rican guys aren't all that tall, occasionally there's a guy that goes taller than 5'6".  This guy is pint sized compared to me.  Maybe it is a good thing nothing is going to happen besides an exchange of weather reports.  It's nice to get weather updates from Puerto Rico though.  I can just imagine the sun on my face.  Javi's painting of Dome's Beach helps too. 
Health:  I need to get back to working out on a regular basis.  I went to bed early last night and I could hardly drag my butt out of bed for work this morning.  I did get in some Sun Series and 8 Minute Abs yesterday before going to work.
Career:  Ha. I feel like there is something more out there for me.  I just can't find it or put my finger on it.  I wish I could do something that let's me shine through, not something that I feel I trudge through until the weekend arrives.

Mine, Mine, MINE

I am beginning to disgust myself.  Honestly, I was finding flakes of my skin around the office.  Someone could track me by the trail of skin I am dropping.  I think I'm going to have to wear tight pants under my work trousers because I'm sick of going around and cleaning my flesh up off the floor.

Now that I've covered that gruesomeness, on to Criminal Minds!  They gave Reid a GIRLFRIEND and she said "I love you."  I'm crying on the inside.  He is so meant to be MINE!  My precious, skinny, issue-filled, nerd - Mine, Mine, MINE! I'm really interested in finding out what the heck is wrong with her.  If you remember, I suggested they get him a librarian girlfriend, not a chick with issues.  *Upset* - that boy deserves to be happy and issue free.  I know that doesn't make the best tv, but please, he needs no additional issues!

 

Also, I just need to put this out there.  People of WI, put the guns down!  WTF?  Three shootings in like two months?!?  Not to mention, two of them were within days of each other.  Not only that, but I'm pretty sure that there is a serial killer operating in WI again.  I need to move.  Rifle hunting season is starting soon - ugh.  Let's get through that with no disasters, please!  In all seriousness, my heart goes out to the family, friends, and loved ones of those that have been victims in all of the shootings. 

Peel

I am beginning to understand why snakes are so cranky.  Well, besides being blamed, alongside women, for the expulsion from Paradise, shedding your skin with no hands has to suck.  My legs are peeling and all I want to do is scratch.  This is especially pleasant since it is my upper thighs and backs of my knees that are flaking away to nothing.  I feel like on giant itch between all of my insect bites, peeling scabs and sunburn!  I honestly thought I rubbed a hole in my flesh while on the stair climber tonight; thus, I am currently sitting on an ice pack.    It felt really nice to rub my legs down with some exfoliating cream.  The itching stopped for a brief moment in time.  I haven't had this problem in forever.  I NEVER burn, mostly because I avoid the sun like the plague and always wear long pants.  I think I look pretty good pasty; however, I think I could live with a permanent tan for Puerto Rican sun.  You should have seen my younger siblings freak out when they saw my skin peeling off in bits. Their black skin has never peeled and this is the first time one of their white family members have burned so much that they turned red and peeled.  There is a first time for everything!