Leap Day Post, Not A Leap Day Picture

This was taken of me last week at the Whole Foods Market in Winter Park, FL.  Monthly, they hold a gluten free casein free (or GFCF) meeting.  I go, but we currently do not have Bucket on the GFCF diet.  I don't see it happening, either.  The foods are very expensive and they're mostly genetically modified.  They do have some tasty milkshake powder, which I may start him on, because he is now diagnosed with "failure to thrive" which means he is not eating properly (I knew that, the kid eats like crap.)  Bucket eats what we call the 5 Ps:  pizza, pasta, popcorn, parmesan cheese and Pepsi.  Instead of forcing veggies into him, these shakes have tons of minerals and vitamins, and they're chocolate.  Word.  I hope he likes it.  Oh, here's me:

Doing my best spokesperson pose...what?  Don't quit my day job?

That coconut milk was not half bad.  I put it in coffee.  I normally use only half and half in my coffee, but this was gluten and I believe casein free.  And I think I need a tooth whitening.  I didn't notice until I was wearing a white shirt that I definitely have coffee teeth going on.  Ahhh, camera.  Thank you for pointing out so many of my flaws.  Mwah.  Oh, and still haven't decided what to do with hair.  Right now, it's up in a bun, and I have about 1458 barrettes in my hair trying to keep it out of my face while I work.  I look like a deranged third grader.

Anyway, this is my first ever Leap Day Post.  I started my blog back in 2008, which was a leap year, but it was October.   Oh...and in more news?  I became a member of the Board of Directors for an autism ministry group!  I'll share more as I learn more, but I'm very excited about the whole thing.  I have no idea what a Board of Directors does, but I'm willing to learn!

I'm Not Sari

That I wore this outfit!  It reminds me of the lovely saris Indian women wear.  I can see why they like this kind of outfit; flowy pants, a a forgiving top?  My kind of outfit, amen.  Too bad I wasn't wearing the lovely colored silks, but instead I have black polyester pants and a striped Target dress.   But I can see trying outfits like this if I ever get pregnant.

I like black clothes, but I look tired.  And I had slept all night, promise.

Ready to head off to church!

  I swear I have make up on...I look washed out.

Wonky hair which I still haven't cut.

Much better this way, but it will fall down.

It was a long week at our house.  I had to drive to work on Wednesday due to computer issues.  While I was there, Bucket's school called me three times, and of course he ended up getting suspended and I couldn't go get him.  I ended up not getting home until 8pm, and he was nearly hysterical by the time I walked in the door.  My not being home for one day absolutely threw the boy for a loop.  He may be 13, but he still needs me at home.  Even the older two kept texting me wanting to know where I was, when would I be home...are these the same three people who ignore me constantly unless they need money, a ride, or food?  I was almost comforted by their panic.  Does that make sense?  I *AM* still needed!  By 9pm, Bucket was curled up in my lap, and telling me he was sorry, and that he missed me.

The Hair That Broke The Comb

So I clocked out, and realized that my ponytail was falling out, and my hair was in my eyes and bugging me.  So I went into the bathroom, and grabbed my trusty red comb which I bought home Avon.  ~CRRRAAACCCKKKKK!!!~
Goodbye, comb.  It was good to have you, own you, and love you.

Of course, my comb was red.  I owned it for about a year, maybe two.

Superglue is not going to save me here.

BAD HAIR!!! Bad, bad, bad!

I Can't Believe I'm Wearing This

My hard drive crashed on my work computer.  So in to work I drove today, making fairly good time (48 minutes) and finding a very far away parking spot.  I wasn't actually sure at first what was wrong with my computer, so I figured I better show up wearing my work shirt.

Our company decided to buy polos for the team.  Super nice of them, really.  Very high quality shirt.  But it had to be a man who decided that our 80% female team would need polos.  Even my manager smirked when she mentioned the word "polo" to me.  She knows how I feel about "man shirts."  I, Sarah, am a woman.  I have breasts, and a rounded tummy, and rounded shoulders.  I wear a real bra.  I do NOT belong in a man's shirt, which is a polo.  BUT!  It was free, and I could choose any color I wanted.  I decided to get lime green.  I want to like it.  But...but...

I look ridiculous.  See?

The lettering on the polo is navy, so I wore my navy dress with it.  And my black flowered shoes, because they had lime in it.  In theory, I can see how this might work.  But it didn't work on me.  I was uncomfortable all day.  The arms were tight on my fat and I felt like the shirt accentuated the fact that I have a pooch.

I tried to wear jeans, but the top wasn't long enough to cover my crack, and well...I can't show my crack at work.  Plus, my photographer?  FIRED.  Bucket was barely looking at me when he snapped this.  You wouldn't believe how much other junk I had to crop out of this shot.

It was a very long day at work.  One, I commuted, so lost two hours of my day.  Two, I skipped lunch to catch up on all my work.  Three, despite skipping lunch, I was unable to catch up.  Four, by the end of the day, I was crying in my manager's office.  Classy.

Hair:  twisted into the weirdest knot ever.  Grays are coming back in at the temples.  Desperately want to cut hair, Mr. R is begging me not to do it. 

Still rocking the gold sparkle pedi (it chipped, but I filled it back in) and my Target flats.  My dress is actually knee length, it's just a weird angle.

But tomorrow is going to be better.  Know why?  1) I'm working from home.  2) We get a bonus check tomorrow!  3) We have overtime this week.  So hopefully, I can catch up.

So yes.   Thank you, workplace, for the lovely lime green polo.  I will keep it, and probably only wear it on days when important people show up at the office.  I will stick with what I know and love; feminine dresses, peeptoe shoes, cardigans, drop earrings, and waist minimizing wrap tops and dresses.  I did not feel like ME today, and I think it shows. 

Ugh.  Where's my pajamas?!?!

100 Followers

Well, I had 74 followers, which just dropped to 73 (what did I do?!?  I'm sorry!) and I really shouldn't include myself, so I have 72.

Goal:  When I reach 100 followers, I will have another Target giveaway, this time $50!!!  So tell your friends, tell your mama, tell anyone with a computer!  I'm ready to get deep here...in my own pockets.  Let's see how quickly I can get there!

Maybe It's Salvageable?

I was sitting at my laptop, checking facebook and eating my dinner.  Missy decided my hair was driving her crazy (uhhh, me too!) and decided to play with it.  I was surprised at how much I liked it.  What do you think?

Tired as heck, and weirdly red in the face?  Maybe I should check to see if I'm running a fever.  I'm wearing a thrifted pink Lane Bryant shirt.  Size 18/20, and again, a bit big again.  It's a very thick knit, and I can only wear it when it's quite cold outside.  HIgh for today is 60...that's about as cold as it's going to get.

She braided the sides and pinned them with large barrettes; little barrettes can't hold my hair back.  I only use tiny barrettes for wisps near my hairline.  Otherwise, they're useless.

I had a horrible dream last night.  I have this dream over and over.  I dream that I'm in my house, and a tornado is coming.  I can hear the wind and the rain pounding the house.  I'm screaming for the kids.  And I can hear all three...and they're all in different parts of the house.  I can only choose one kid to save; the other two are on their own.  My mind whirls with the wind; who do I save?  Who will die?  And before I can ever make a decision, I wake up in a cold sweat.  I hadn't had this dream in several years, and I had it last night.  It's awful.

So anyway.  Should I save the hair?  It does look nice from the back.

40 Hours Per Week

This is where I spend the majority of my life; this is my office.  Nestled into a corner which is supposed to be a breakfast nook, I have a great view of my kitchen, most of my backyard, and I can smell the kids' bathroom.  Thank you, Lord, for Febreze and scented candles.  Last week, I was blessed with overtime (those extra three hours helped me get ahead, and I'm grateful for it!) and my desk was awful by Friday.  I walked past my desk area today, and after telling the kids to clean their rooms, I realized I was amiss and decided to do something about "Mommy's office."  Here are the regrettable before pics:

I should be ashamed of myself.

The white box is one of those numbered bill organizers.  I never bother looking at the numbers, and I'm not even sure what is in there.  I had toilet paper on my desk because I had a nose bleed and couldn't find my tissues.  Phone book, coupons, Bible bag, very old iPod which never quite worked, glucose blood strips, kids reports cards...I LIVE HERE.

I shred medical paperwork at the end of every shift.  This is personal bills to shred.  Also located here are my coding books, medical reference books, and more bills shoved into a divider.

I am not a knick-knick, or tshotshke person.  These three shelves comprise of the only stuff I will allow in my house, and I'm thinking about knocking it down to two shelves.  It creates dust and annoys the pooh out of me.

More school books, plus my tshotshkes.  As you can see, I favor Christian stuff, pics of my kids...and Strawberry Shortcake figurines.  Yes, I love them, and only have four.  I kinda want more (so much for the two shelves thing I just said.)

Let's commence to the clean up.  It took me...gasp...about 90 minutes.  Of course, that included shredding and constantly running to the recycling bins.  But I got a lot done in 30 minutes!

One of the few toys both my sister and I loved mutually as kids; Strawberry Shortcake!

My angel globe.  It's actually named "Sarah" on the bottom of the globe.

One of my favorite stories as a little girl was Scuffy the Tugboat.  Pardon my dust; as you can see, cleaning was a necessity.

The only thing I have of my great grandmother Rose were her Siamese cat salt and pepper shakers.  They are at least...I want to say 50 years old.  But they are made in Japan.  Grandma Rose was born in August 1900 and passed away 1986.

My sister made this for me in an art class she took in high school.  It says Sarah and the frog is holding a diploma that says 1993 on it.  That is the year I graduated high school.

These nails represent Jesus being nailed on the cross.  I've had them for many years; there used to be red paint on the ends, but it has chipped off.  I'd like to get a display case for them.

Ok, let's get to the end result:

Hung up my 2012 calendar behind me, finally.  It is low because I need to spin and read it.  Only thing on my desk is my "Sarah" coaster for the massive coffee consumption will should start around 7am.  Everything is shredded, paper is in the printer, and I even blew the crumbs out of my keyboard. 

Look!  The white bill box is now on the bookshelf instead of on my desk.  There's room!  Actual room for working!

Monday, I am ready for you.  BRING IT.

Leopard Print At Church?

I say SURE, WHY NOT?!?!  After all, it is He who created the leopard, and I was still modestly dressed.  I bought this Merona 2x dress of eBay about two months ago, and have been hesitant to wear it.  Mostly because it is a bit big on me, and I don't own a belt to cinch in my waist.  I actually bought it thinking of future maternity wear, but I thought maybe the wrap shirt on top of the dress (pretty much the same look from last week's "Full Length Mirror") would work.  And it did.  Somebody stop me!

I need a better spot to do pictures in my house.  The sunlight is lovely but the glare is intense.  Oh, the clothes!  Black wrap top: Coldwater Creek, size 2x and a bit big on me.  Dress, Merona, size 2x.  Again, too big for me.  Shoes are "Trotters"  I've had them for at least 5 years but the sole is wooden and not all that comfortable.  Plus it demands a fresh pedicure since the entire shoe is open.  Oh wait, my photographer has managed to lop off my feet in this shot.  Teenage sons = not good photographers.

Black + leopard print = still church appropriate!

Not trying to show you the lint.  I am trying to show the dress under the black wrap; it's the same neckline, and it looked lovely with my Goodwill black bead necklace!

It was 33 outside this morning!  Still wearing bare feet and no jacket.  I am so warm blooded.  In fact, when we shook hands at church, the little old ladies all came to me because my hands were so warm.  I find that amusing.

So I am excited about the fact that Torrid is opening up to a mall near me!  I received an email from Torrid stating that they will have a location in Altamonte Springs, which is about 20 miles south of me.  I'm very excited; I am hoping to stock up on accessories such as belts.  Torrid is a bit young for me; it is more geared toward the teenage plus size crowd, but a belt is a belt.  Avenue is great but I never see accessories there except jewelry.  I don't understand that at all.

Squinting again. 

Finally in the shade so I can see, but now you get to see my banged up garage door and my neighbor's garbage cans behind me.

Ah, there's my feet.  Trotters shoes, at least 5 years old.  Gold sparkle pedicure which was a huge pain in the butt because the sparkles kept flaking off.  Horizontal scar on left leg, massive shaving incident several years ago.

This hair?  It's RIDICULOUS.  And this is after I "did" my hair.  I've had enough!  Here is what I'm thinking about doing to my hair.  Will you guys tell me which one you like?

Choice 1:

Choice 2:

Choice 3:

I realize they are all quite similar; what do you think?  Or should I just let my hair grow out, like Mr. R wants, and live with the craziness for another 3-6 months until it is longer and easier to manage?

Full Length Mirror

I don't own a full length mirror.  I think these pictures prove that.

I like purple and blue together.  "Burple."  By putting this wrap top over my dress, it pulled my dress up in the front, revealing my not-so-cute legs.  Lesson learned.

I tried to part my hair on the other side.  I'm still not happy with it.  Missy insists that I need a drastic hair cut.  I am starting to think she may be correct.  It looks awful almost all the time.  Maybe as I'm getting older, my hair is not as pretty as it used to be?

Oh.  It's very, very bright out

No Work Friday

I worked 35 hours in 4 days this past week because I had Friday off.  I was supposed to take Tiger to an oral surgeon for an impacted wisdom tooth, but the dentist referred me to an out of network provider so I had to cancel the appointment the day before (I don't pay dental insurance so I can be a self pay!).  At first I was ticked because I was wasting one of my precious pdo days, but I decided to keep the day off, and hang out with my hubby.  I made him take pictures before we left for the day.

I really not sure what is wrong with that man.

Mr. R "Hey babe, I'm sorry.  I cut off your feet.  Do it again."

Mr. R: "Your feet are too little anyway.  I'm not sure it makes a difference if they're in the picture or not.  And it looks like you're barefoot."  (note:  I wear a size 8 1/2, and I am wearing sandals!)

What I'm Wearing:  Purple prescription sunglasses.  Black knit 3/4 sleeve cardigan from Avenue, size 18/20 (it's getting a bit big on me.  The shoulders roll on it, but it's such a versatile piece!  I may try to find it on eBay in a size 16.)  Green maxi dress which my mom hemmed for me to be knee length.  I think it's a Jessica London, I can't remember.  It's a size "L" which is 18/20 in Jessica London language, and it's also getting too big for me.  Sandals, Avenue, size 9W, so they're also a bit big on me.  (is anyone here seeing a pattern of me wearing stuff that doesn't fit well?) And last but not least, my gorgeous new bag my sister-in-law bought me for Christmas, an authentic red Louis Vuitton bag.  I feel like a fraud carrying it when everything else I own is from Target, Walmart, and the like.

I am dying for a hair cut, but I said I wouldn't cut my hair.  But ugh, I am so annoyed with it lately!