Sick of Being Sick!

Surely our family will be on Cigna's Christmas Card list this year. The card will read something like this:
Outside: You're still alive?
Inside: Then Merry Christmas!
Signed: your friends at Cigna Insurance

First, I cut part of my thumb off with a pair of scissors. Yeah, pretty gross huh? Then a day later, my husband has chest pain that lands him in the hospital overnight only to be told he had a touch of acid reflux and then a day later the Ebola Virus strikes our house. That's what we call that horrendous stomach bug that has both ends going, fever, etc. You wouldn't wish it on your worst enemy.

But this time, we had pain to go with it. That's right, gut wretching abdominal pain & swelling to boot. I walked by a mirror and looked six months pregnant!

So we're all in recovery mode right now, weak and grouchy but soon mended. Here's hoping to a better weekend. Little Man has a birthday party and when you're three, it's like the highlight of your life. I don't want to tell him he can't go. Will break my heart...feel better Little Man!

Frozen Yogurt Quest 2010 Continues

Lately, I've become all obsessed with frozen yogurt. I think it's that wanting what you can't have...meaning, that "plain tart" flavor I got at Pink Berry has been on my mind ever since I left Los Angeles and you can't get that here--yet.

But then I was in Dallas, and my friend asked if I'd experienced Yogurt Land. I said, "no, take me to the land of the yogurt people."

Oh. My. Stars.

How to describe...I guess it's like the Sephora of frozen yogurt. Meaning, you can sample before you buy. And there is this wall of dispensers with about a dozen flavors to pick from and with the sampling and all, there is no buyer's remorse. Then, you want two vanilla wafers, one gummy worm and three scoops of chocolate chips? No problem! Because with their toppings bar, you serve yourself and there is no judgement for your one of a kind creation. Then they weigh the whole thing and that's how you pay. My creation, which I thought substantial, was only $2.41.

Please oh please Yogurt Land people--come on down to Memphis!

Be a Hometown Tourist

Many people seem to be down on Memphis. I'm a home town girl, have been robbed at gunpoint at the old Mall of Memphis (or was that the Mall of Murder?) and am a graduate of Memphis City Schools--the city's punching bag. But I still love this town and refuse to get on the I Hate Memphis bandwagon.

My job affords me travels to lots of wonderful places. I'm thankful each and every day to have a career that I love that has such great travel perks. And there are certainly cities in the US that I often say "If I could afford it, I'd live here..." as for all that Memphis is not, it is one of the most affordable places to raise a family, have a big house and a yard!

With that said, a city is what you make of it. In one weekend, I experienced the fabulous Memphis Farmer's Market downtown, took my son on a trolley ride that cost a mere $2 and he had an absolute ball, went to Mud Island Sprinkler Park that was free. On Sunday, we went to our wonderful zoo and then had ice cream at Cafe Eclectic. Dinner next week will be at the new Trolley Stop restaurant to check it out. As there are so many restaurants here, you could try a new one every weekend.

Lots of cities have crooked politicians and crime and pan handlers...But start being a hometown tourist and you may feel like Memphis is not so bad after all.

Breaking Up is Hard to Do

Finally, I have broken up with my manicurist. It was a painful decision but I'm now in the acceptance phase of my grief and can talk about it.

Let me explain. I LOVE my nail salon. Been going there for years, am on first name basis with some of the staff, tell all my friends, etc. But about six months ago, I opted to go from regular manicures which I'd let anybody do, to acrylic overlays for which I wanted only the "best," and thus my relationship with let's call her Betsy began (switch some letters around to know how I really feel about her.)

Betsy is by far the most talented manicurist I've ever encountered. She's the perfect blend of speed and attention to detail. She can file a nail in the perfect squoval. After one of her sessions, my hands are magazine worthy and they last a solid two weeks without incident. The problem? The girl is aloof, way too irritable to be so young (about 23) and a downright downer to be around for thirty minutes. She has an air about her that she is fashionista icon and that everyone else is a slob. She also is so ambivalent about her talent and has no ambition that I can't stand it as a career woman. "If" she even talks to me at all (most of the time I get the silent treatment) the conversation goes like this:

Me: I think you are the most talented person in this whole salon. When will you open your own salon? You could!
Betsy: I'm too busy partying right now to think about that.
Me: Uh, okay. So what's happening with you this weekend?
Betsy: I'll go out with friends, get drunk you know.

Wow. Okay, so there is a good 15 years difference in our ages so it's a generational thing perhaps.

The last visit, she wore her iPod the whole time during my session. Today, she didn't even say hello to me when I sat in the chair. Do I tip? You bet. (I once heard that aloof waiters make better tips than nicer ones because people feel they need to somehow pay more for the people to be nice as sort of a charitable donation mentality...I'm not sure if this is her strategy or not.)

So today, I sat in the chair, didn't get a hello at all, and she didn't say one word to me the entire session. I thought... if I sat in my hair dresser's chair and she didn't say hello to me or one word and just immediately started cutting my hair in silence, I would find that odd. Why do I put up with this every two weeks? No more.

I'd rather have slightly less than perfect nails than spend 30 minutes in a downer "relationship." I made an appointment next time with someone else.

Over the Hump

I was reading a friend's Facebook post on all the places she's schleps her newborn on a given day. Me, I was lucky to get out once a week and even that felt like it took all morning to prep--emotionally, physically, and tactically with all the "Stuff" a baby requires. Plus, I had all these irrational fears like someone would kidnap the baby as I'm fooling with the car seat, I'd be in a horrific car accident going on some mindless errand to say Hobbby Lobby, etc. So, wasn't a fan of getting all out with the baby.

So it should be of no surprise that eating out with the baby/toddler was never a joy. Afterall, for kids to know how to behave in a restaurant you must take them to a few and it takes a lot of patience and practice and some embarrassing moments you just have to get over. I'm proud to announce that FINALLY we can eat out with the kid (never mind he's 3 and a half). In fact, he likes to "go to restaurant" he says. Yes, he is my child. There were times I wondered...I feel like a whole new world has been opened up to us as a family unit.

For the most part, we've been very pleased with his behavior. So keep in mind my shock when some stranger at the Purple Cow had the nerve to shush him. Yes, that's right, a lady turned around and shushed him when he got a little whiny the other day. And let's say that a little whiny in all honesty was about a 3 on the 1-10 melt-down scale. In other words, very manageable.

Where to begin.
1) It's the Purple Cow. As the name might suggest, it's a milkshake place. I contend that any restaurant with an animal in the title and/or logo or a color in its namesake,or in this case both, is clearly child friendly.
2) It was 2:30 in the afternoon, well after the "lunch rush." Besides, I don't see the Purple Cow as being the Power Lunch or Ladies Who Lunch kind of place.
3) Where does someone get off shushing another person's child? Especially, over such a minor of offenses. And with a man sitting there (my husband)? It's one thing to sass another woman, but with a man there? I personally, cannot imagine. D0 we as a family appear so non-threatening? Maybe I do need to get a tattoo.

Needless to say, a few words were exchanged but there was no need to call the Law. When it was all over, we laughed a little over how this young woman, maybe 20 at the oldest, will have her due one day. I hope someone shushes her.