KirstenL4W

I know I should write in my blog more often.  Sometimes I lack inspiration, but lately I keep thinking that I shouldn’t write anything until I have a topic to write about that I can impart a certain amount of insight and wisdom to all my readers.  I realized today, after another quiet week, that I’m just not so eloquent when it comes to writing about my experiences and observations.  I’m more simplistic than that in my writing; I just like to tell it like it is.  So, with that in mind, I give you BULLET POINTS!

• I’ve been wanting to tell you all for awhile about a new razor I’ve been using (I do not get compensated for telling you about this, but if anyone at Gillette is reading this, I won’t turn down a case of blade refills!).  The Venus Breeze is it.  Remember when I wrote about another razor with a similar concept that just didn’t quite do it for me? Well, I found one that does.  The Breeze is flexible like a regular razor, but it has those built in shave gel bars, which makes it just a tad bit bulkier than a regular razor.  It’s great at going over my knees, solves the shower head problem, and even the shave gel bars are flexible, so I don’t have any of the issues I had with the Intuition.  This is definitely one that I’ll be using regularly.
• Mister and I are leaving for Boston on Wednesday night!  I can’t wait to show him all the cool stuff that I grew up around.  We don’t want to totally stuff our itinerary, but we have plans for the Freedom Trail, the Salem Witch Museum, and of course a visit with my family in the form of dinner at a nice restaurant.  Usually when I go back for a visit, I’m by myself, but I want to show Mister some of the historical offerings, so we’re getting everyone together at a nice dinner.  That way we won’t spend the entire week visiting them one by one and not getting to see anything.
• I installed Photoshop Elements on my new computer, so I spent a bit of time playing around with it this afternoon.  I’d show you what I did, but the results are too good.  If I can get my butt in gear, mess with some more photos and get them printed out, I might even be able to sell them on Etsy, but please don’t hold your breath.  I am the queen of procrastination when it comes to project stuff like that.
• This won’t mean anything to most of you, but to my readers in Nevada, Arizona, and California - have you tried Fresh & Easy yet?  I was looking forward to it since it was first announced, and I must say that I really like shopping there.  The stores are smaller but they don’t lack anything that you really need.  Most of the stuff is their own brand, but they have name brand stuff too, though I like their own brand.  We got bbq sauce last week for some chicken, and it was probably the best bbq sauce I’ve ever had from a bottle.  Their meat department is excellent, their produce is the best I’ve seen since I moved here, and their desserts are to die for.  And the best part, especially with the economy the way it is - the prices are great!  Lately it’s my store of choice, and both Mister and myself have been very happy with it.
• I’ve been surfing the internet a lot lately, as I do when I am bored and don’t feel like taking on tasks that I should get done, or when I am getting tired during the week and am putting off going to bed so that I can spend a bit more time with Mister before I crash.  Anyway, I need to try and find a way to corrall the stuff I’m finding so that I can post about it, even if it’s just a couple of tidbits the way Jordon does at the end of every post.
• I’m having a teensy issue with either Vista or Firefox 3.  I’ve noticed that about once a week or every other week, I’ll get up on a Saturday morning and go to read all the usual message boards, and I’ll be logged out of all them.  Every single one.  Does anyone know of a setting I can change to prevent this?  I know it’s not with the boards themselves, because I’m set to stay logged in forever, and it’s just too weird that unrelated sites would all log me out on Friday Nights.  So if anyone knows the solution to this problem, please let me know.

So that’s about it for now.  I’ll try to post at least once more before we leave for Boston, but in the meantime, happy blogging!

• This morning I got an email from Orbitz reminding me of my flight tomorrow. The flight numbers and times were all correct, so when I go online to check in we’ll see exactly how correct they are.
• Boyfriend had to drive to Reno today to do a 20 minute appointment. His territory is all of Nevada, and even though his company is trying to save money, they still think that because he has a lighter workload than other territories, it’s more prudent to have him drive 7-8 hours to take care of this tiny little thing, rather than having someone from the Sacramento office (2 hour drive) do it. Not only that, because his workload is allegedly lighter than the surrounding territories, he also gets to go to Kingman and Bullhead City, AZ a lot more than he would care for. This company recruited him for his brain. He’s hoping another company will recruit him for his common sense.
• My sister is starting to drive me beserk with Thanksgiving plans. She called me on Saturday to ask me if a 15lb turkey is enough for 10 people. Then she called me yesterday to ask how to cook the darn thing, because she doesn’t think that what Mom told her was quite right. What I don’t get is Sis is supposed to have cooked Turkey Day dinner before. So why does she not know this now?
• Also, I’ve been trying to plan a get together with Cousin T while I’m in Florida. T is willing to meet halfway, since she’s a 2 hour drive from Sis’ house, and another 1/2 hour to go the 2 miles past the mall on Black Friday. At first Sis said Bradenton was too far, way more than halfway, and can’t T meet us closer? Then when I suggested the Cracker Barrel in Bradenton, all of sudden that was good enough. I gave Sis and T each other’s phone numbers so I don’t have to spend my whole workday calling them and relaying what the other one said.
• I still need to pack - but I’m pretty organized about it. I won’t forget any socks, underwear, or jammies. I’ll probably end up forgetting my camera (for pictures of Mia), my cell phone charger, or the presents for Mia.
• I have a full day at work tomorrow, and will likely work late. Luckily, working late means working until 5 instead of 4, and my flight isn’t until 10:55pm. But I have a feeling that despite my warnings of not being in on Wednesday and not being able to scan until Tuesday because I’ll be covering mail for Frank (Hi Frank! How’s hi-speed internet treating you? Got whiplash yet?), I’ll get swamped with stuff at 3pm that absolutely must be scanned before the holiday. Yeah, like anyone will be in over the weekend to try and look for it, right?

I’m going to start packing now, watch Ham on the Street, cook something so Boyfriend has dinner, and relax for goodness sake. Have a Happy Thanksgiving!

I signed up for a gmail account, just to have a second email since I no longer have an account through the cable company, and Blogger went and switched my login name. No biggie, but it seems that the Google empire wants you to have everything with them. At least they make it easy and convenient and not a major pita.

I got a reply from my mom to my my previous post. I haven’t posted her comment yet, and I’m not sure if I will. I did email her, and it’s just something we have to work out. So enough on that.

Boyfriend and I went to IKEA yesterday. I’m still a bit peeved that they currently have no intention on building one here in Las Vegas, so we made the 4 hour (each way) trek to SoCal. We bought three bookcases, two CD racks to flank the fireplace (which currently is a featureless hole in the wall), a shelf to act as a mantle over the fireplace, and two ice cube molds. All the big stuff was either black or black-brown, and it all fit in my tiny Ford Focus hatchback. After a somewhat cramped ride home, we got right to work putting it all together. The place is really coming together now that there’s somewhere to put everything. Tomorrow I’ll drive a truckload of stuff over to the charity shop so we can get it away from us.

My back has been really hurting me the past few days. Friday was the worst. It seems ok as long as I’m not moving around and I can sit on a comfortable, supportive seat and in an upright position. It seems to be getting a bit better, but now the muscles are stiff too. Hopefully it will be better really soon, because I hate not having my normal range of motion and ability to move and do stuff.

Ah well. Tomorrow it’s back to job hunting, unpacking, and organizing all the shiznit I have, and trust me, I’m still frustrated with it all.

What a week. I quit my job last Friday, which I’m kinda glad about because I was so freaking bored. I mean, you saw the frequency of my posts increase, and they were all posted during work hours. So, needing something to do, I went out in search of a new job. If anyone in Vegas has any connections looking for an admin, let me know.

Saturday Boyfriend and I moved my stuff. Ugh. Next time we hire someone. I’m still not all completely unpacked, but it’s been tough trying to fit all my stuff in with his. I’ve been going thru and making decisions on what can go, and honestly, I feel fine with that. I start getting anxious sometimes when I think about all the schtuff I have, but in this day and age how is it possible to do with less? I mean, I have a computer, and with that goes lots of cords, printer, modem, paper, speakers, blah, blah, blah. Next time I get a new computer, it will be a laptop because at least then I won’t need such a big freaking desk to put everything on. Anyhoo, yeah. Just trying really evaluate what I need and don’t.

And one more thing:

It’s spring, my lease is up in 23 days, and I’m never at my apartment anymore. So, it’s time to move. This spring brings a first for me - I’m moving in with Boyfriend. I’ve never lived with anyone in this capacity before. I’ve had roommates, but that was purely out of financial necessity, and given a choice between a roommate and living alone, I’d rather be alone. But, since I’ve been over at Boyfriend’s house pretty much since we met, stopping at my apartment only to pick up more clothes and toiletries and check the mail, we decided that me moving in would be best.

Now, why his place over mine? Well, here’s a comparison:

So, it made more sense to move me there than the other way around. Now we have just over three weeks to pack my stuff up and figure out where it’s all going to go. Each of us on our own has enough stuff to fill that apartment, so I imagine some compromises will have to be made. But I am a very organized person, and I am confident that I will be able to come up with something to fit it all in without too much being stored in the garage or getting donated.

I do have to admit, though, that the next few weeks until we get all my stuff settled in will be a bit trying. I’ve been living with only the bare minimum of my own possessions, and I can make do on that, but eventually I will have them all again. I also have the feeling that I’ll be able to shed some of my stuff rather painlessly. I do miss my kitchen stuff (one area of our apartment that is in dire need of reorganization) and more of my clothing, even though very little of it fits at the moment (it will again, and hopefully soon). What I really miss is my “office” area - my computer, desk, files, books, music, and all the other things that I like to do. That I think should be a top priority, getting my desk set up.

This is definitely an adventure. I’m in my 30s, and like I said, I’ve never lived with someone in this capacity. We’ve already talked a lot about this change, how we feel about it and on a more practical level, so I’m confident we will be able to get through this on continue on with our relationship, which so far has been absolutely wonderful.

And, friends and family, you’ll be getting address updates soon. My phone number and email address will not be changing, so I’m always reachable that way.

I don’t consider myself a particularly creative person. I do appreciate creativity, though. One job I had for a few years was as a receptionist in a graphic design studio. I loved going to work every day and seeing the work the artists were producing. I loved that the creative mind carried over into the decor of the office. And I loved that I was able to express myself however I wished.

In high school, I was in the Art Club. I didn’t produce much, but it was a lot of fun walking around the art rooms, seeing what everyone was doing, and talking to them. I did a few mediocre paintings and made a pinch pot with pottery (since trying my hand at the spinning wheel wasn’t exactly successful). I think my mom still has that pinch pot somewhere.

I’ve tried my hand at various crafts. For quite some time I’ve found myself drawn to paper crafts - particularly card making. I don’t care as much for stamping, just paper. I love feeling papers, with all the different textures, materials, and prints. I used to work in a wallpaper store, but that’s another post. Right now, I have some card-making materials and I need to make a card for someone who is having babies (yes, babies. Twins!)

I also love photography. I don’t think I’m very good at it, but some people (including VegasRic, who is a professional photographer) have told me otherwise. And Boyfriend mentioned today that when he gets his tax return he wants to buy Photoshop. I can just see myself spending hours and hours and hours on there playing with it to see what I can come up with. Adobe Elements has been on my list, which is a much less expensive and watered down version of Photoshop. It’s more to my budget. I’m already imagining the possibilities. I’ve been participating in quite a few mix exchanges lately, and trying to make the cover art has been difficult without some sort of software to manipulate photos. Thank goodness for VegasRic and his mad skills for the V-Cat Version 2.07.

I’ve also been thinking about pursuing a more creative field of work. I’d love to study graphic design. I think I’d be better at the more technical aspects of it rather than the creative. I really appreciate creativity and know good work when I see it, but I am pretty much incapable of producing it myself. The technical aspects I tend to pick up right away, so I’d like to learn that. Someday, perhaps, someday. For now I’ll just wait for Boyfriend to get Photoshop and play with that, then see what happens.

Quote taken from Creative Juices website.

Every now and then I think about starting over. I start to feel burdened down by what I have and where I am, and I feel the need to start fresh, usually in a new location. I’m going through that right now. Vegas feels old and stale, especially with the heat of the summer well on its way. It’s 7:40pm as I write this, and 82ºF outside. We had one or two weeks of spring, and now summer has arrived. But more than that I think about somewhere a bit more refreshing, with greenery, water, and an end in sight when the oppressive heat hits. I think about a smaller town, a slower pace, a simpler way of life. I think about shedding myself of many of the possessions weighing me down.

I sold a lot of things when I sold my condo to move to Vegas, but acquired new things to replace it as I settled in here. Now it seems like I have more than I did than before I sold it all. I’m starting to feel the urge to not only downsize a bit, but swap some of my things for simpler, multi-functional pieces. For example, I have my home theater pieces that I bought about 7 years ago when my boom box crapped out on me. So now, while I have a very decent system, I have separate pieces for the receiver, CD player, DVD player, VCR, cable box, and 5 relatively large, obvious speakers. If I had to do it again today, I would choose something more multi-purpose and less obtrusive, like this. And (I should add this to my to-do list) I would be more vigilant about finding someone with a VCR/DVD recorder combo to burn to DVD those last few movies I have on VHS that aren’t available on DVD.

I’d get rid of so much of those little things I have that I know I really don’t need. I’d be more organized so that I don’t need so much stuff. I dream of having a home as organized and uncluttered as the magazines. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not a total clutterbug. I do have a lot of stuff, but it is organized - somewhat.

I’m also feeling the desire to redecorate. I really don’t need to, but I’ve had the same stuff for so long now. My shower curtain and bathroom scheme I’ve had for 7 years now, since I bought the stuff when I first had my condo back east. My bedroom set I bought 4 years ago when I moved here, and while I still love it, I want something a bit fresher - and a bit more ME. Something like this, perhaps. That look certainly doesn’t fit in here in Vegas, in the millions of homes that all look the same with their stucco façade. And that brings me to my next point.

When I first started this blog, I did it with the intention of sorting stuff out and figuring out where my next move was to be. I think that “what next” feeling hits a lot of us - I know Macoosh has been struggling with similar feelings lately. Last summer, when I went back east to visit the family, I was overwhelmed with feelings of wanting to move back there. But not long after my vacation was over, I finally found myself a social life here in Vegas. For those who have never lived here, Vegas is a very tough town to make friends in. When one goes away to college, they say that second semester is when you meet your real friends. In Vegas, it’s not unusual for it to take 2-3 years. Anyway, once I made friends here, I became much more comfortable with the idea of staying here. But I still know that Vegas is not forever. Sooner or later, I will move.

And then there’s the question of where. Three places in particular come to mind. One would be the obvious answer of moving back home. While I do love my family, I do also need my space, so Portland, Maine would be a nice compromise. It’s got a lower cost of living than any of the other major cities in New England without being totally isolated from the rest of New England. Then there’s the idea of living closer to my sister. Florida keeps coming up, and I have enjoyed my time visiting my sister and also my cousin. I’m not sure I would want to live in either of the areas that they live in, but the sandy, salty air that is prevalent all throughout the state is intoxicating. And last but not least, there is the ever-present appeal of the corn-fed wholesomeness of the midwest, specifically Iowa. Not sure what’s drawing me there, especially since I’ve never been there, but the thought will not leave my mind. Therefore, it is a thought worth exploring when the time comes to decide where to go.

It’s definitely food for thought, but for now I think I’ll focus on one thing at a time.

I mentioned a few posts ago that I would put in a word for AJ and her new candle business. So, here it is.

My friend AJ has been on a quest to find that perfect part time job opportunity that would allow her to spend plenty of time with her family, bring in an adequate income, and do something she’s passionate about. First there was the obvious - go to the mall and get a part time job. Sure, we had fun working together at the shoe store, but the pay sucked and honestly, so did the hours (sorry, Big G). Then there was candy. Who doesn’t like candy? But there’s a lot that goes into a candy business. Permits, licensing, the health department on your back, have to make it in a commercial kitchen, blah blah blah. That all costs money, especially in a red tape town like this one. On to digiscrapping. AJ loves to scrapbook, and she does it digitally. She’s got some great kits and has made some really cool pages. But is that really a sustainable business? Then she found candles.

Ah, candles. Almost everyone I know burns candles. Even I do once in awhile (I love the scent and ambiance of the flame, but I have this thing about fire). Even fragrance sensitive people can burn these, since they have an unscented candle! These candles are all soy-based, so they’re all natural and don’t throw off as much soot as regular candles do. I’ve been to people’s homes who burn tons of candles, and there were soot shadows on everything. That won’t happen with these candles.

Now, I haven’t smelled one of these yet or burned one yet, but I will be very soon. AJ tells me that the scents from these candles last all the way through. Personally I hate it when I’m only halfway through burning a candle and it doesn’t smell anymore, which has been known to happen with other popular brands. I’m really looking forward to getting my hands on one of these candles, and I’m also entering on AJ’s candle website to win a free candle. They give out one per week and you can enter once a day.

Now for the spread the word part. AJ emailed me a little while ago to get the word out, so I’m helping out here. Here’s what she wrote:

Who do you know who loves candles? Who do you know who chooses healthy alternatives? Who do you know who needs to raise money for their organization? Who do you know that loves product of the month clubs? (books, movies, music) Who do you know who owns a retail store, salon or spa? Who do you know in real estate who likes candles for their open houses or as client gifts? Who do you know is looking for a home-based business opportunity? Who do you know who would be upset with you for NOT sharing my website with them. Please forward this to all of those people and ask them to forward it to their list of “Who Do You Know’s”. They will be eternally grateful and so will I. Thank you.

The best part about this business and the internet today is that you don’t even have to live nearby to order them. So what if you live in East Undershirt instead of Las Vegas. Get some candles from AJ!

I found this on Megan’s blog, and I thought it was pretty cool.

My sister is trying to get her Mary Kay business off the ground. I know what you’re thinking, I’m the same way when it comes to this stuff. But gimmee a break, ok? I’m trying to help her out here by giving her a plug. I know lots of people try selling something through home sales, be it Tupperware, Avon, Mary Kay, candles, whatever. (AJ your plug will be coming soon!) But she’s my sister, and I’m gonna help her out all I can, which is what sisters do.

When I was down in Florida at her house not long after my car accident and when Mia was born, I had a bit of a problem. I had a cast on one hand with horribly itchy skin under the cast, and the good, uncovered hand wasn’t doing so well either. It’s hard to moisturize your hands when you have a cast on one of them. Sis was kind enough to wash my hand, massage it, and use some heavenly lotion to get rid of the lizard-like appearance. My hand felt so soft for a couple of days, which, let me tell you, very few moisturizers can do for me, especially living in the desert and constantly washing my hands to avoid the dreaded germ. So what was this miracle product, you ask? It was the Satin Hands Collection.

Such wonderful stuff! Sis sent me home with a sample, and I don’t know if you’re a sample hoarder like me, but I still haven’t used that. I think of it as an emergency pack. But it wasn’t long before she sent me a full sized set as a Christmas gift. I admit, I’m a bit lazy and don’t moisturize as often as I should, but I do love this stuff. Oh yes, I do.

So now comes the shameless plug part. You can go to my sister’s MK website to order your own Satin Hands collection and all sorts of other good stuff. You don’t even need to live near her, since the internet is everywhere. And if she asks, tell her that her big sis sent you!

I must sing the praises of these tissues. Of course, with my cold right now I can’t sing, unless I want to believe that I have a sexy singing voice like in the TV show Friends when Phoebe got a cold and thought it made her singing voice sexier. Anyway, back to the tissues. I love these things. I can’t imagine having to go through a cold or other upper respiratory illness without them. Back in 1993, as the second semester of my freshman year of college was starting, I came down with mono, the great kissing disease. I also had the nastiest upper resp infection ever at the same time. I was going through an entire box of tissues every day. Were it not for this miracle product seen before you today, I would have worn the nose right off my face after two weeks of this. Yes, I love this product.

Disclaimer: I am not one of those annoying PPP bloggers, and I am not receiving any money for this post. I hab a code, and these tissues have saved the skin on my nose many, many times. I’m just here blogging about stuff I love. I’m sure you prefer that over my other choice, which is blogging in great detail about what this wonderful tissue is helping me expel. Didn’t think so. Just don’t use Puffs to clean your glasses or shades, since it will leave lotiony smears on your lenses.

Photo courtesy internet search