Monday, March 31, 2008
And The Gap Once Again Brightens my Day
I ordered some pants on Saturday. They got here 5 days earlier than expected. And I think one pair actually makes my butt look pretty good. And since I qualified for the Silver Card (yes, you should ooh and ahh, it does sound fancy doesn't it? :) I get FREE shipping on every online order. So can order 5 bucks worth of stuff and it's still free delivery. So let me know if there's anything you want to try. I'll get it delivered to you for free! :)
Time to Do Some Trash Talking
Hey M&T Bank in Delaware! YOU SUCK!!!
Just an FYI to all those people out there looking for car loans...don't use this bank! They gave us an interest rate that seemed too good to be true...yeah, it was. Their customer service people are RUDE.
We've been having issues with the title to our new car. When we initially called the bank to request that my name be added to the title we were run around in circles. That should have been our first sign. We had to speak with three different people to get an answer as to how the process even worked. And then, when we did speak to someone who sounded like they knew what they were talking about they gave us the WRONG INFORMATION.
How did we find out it was the wrong information, you ask? Because we went to the title bureau and they called the bank back for us because the request we brought to them made no sense. So the nice lady at the Miami County Title Bureau clarified what they needed and faxed it THAT DAY.
I've patiently waited three weeks. Because the bank told us it would take 10 business days to process. That's today. The first person I spoke with was immediately rude to me. Everything she was saying made no sense to me and I told her that. I said, "You're not making any sense to me" and she started getting salty. Well, when someone gets salty with me, especially in customer service AND when I didn't deserve it, I get salty back. By the end of the phone call I had no answers, except that, acccording to M&T Bank, I was supposed to blame the Ohio BMV for the hold up and I ended up hanging up on her when she started trying to TALK OVER ME. I HATE that.
I called the BMV. They DID issue a new title for the car, back on March 17th, (Which M&T calims they never did...right...) which they mailed back to the bank. Unfortunately, it was printed in Montgomery County instead of Miami County, like the request indicated. So they only printed Kendall's name on the title again. So I called back M&T and asked to speak with a supervisor. Who immediately got on the phone to inform me that this was a State of Ohio error (in a sassy tone) and that the bank could send the title request to any county they felt like since Ohio dealt with electronic titles.
I immediately corrected her by stating that the initial request specifically indicated to mail the title to Miami County. She started to TALK OVER ME and state once again what the state was really supposed to do, like I was an idiot and hadn't heard her the first time. So I started YELLING over her that she wasn't listening to me and that this request was made IN WRITING to be sent to Miami County. She didn't really know what to say to that.
The conversation ended with her telling me she would submit a request that the title be overnight mailed back to Ohio. But she couldn't confirm that it would mailed overnight or that it would be mailed to the correct address. All she could do was submit the request WTF!
The bright spot in this is that my faith in the BMV has been renewed. Many times you encounter disgruntled employees who aren't always very nice to you. The woman I spoke with at the title bureau was extremely helpful and very sweet and took care of everything I asked her to, including refaxing the request to the JERK BANK.
The whole situation was ridiculous and I ended up in tears. I will NEVER use this bank again. And if I can, I'll make sure that they loan gets transferred to another bank. What happened to customer service and the customer always being right? Oh wait, that only happens at The GAP.
Just an FYI to all those people out there looking for car loans...don't use this bank! They gave us an interest rate that seemed too good to be true...yeah, it was. Their customer service people are RUDE.
We've been having issues with the title to our new car. When we initially called the bank to request that my name be added to the title we were run around in circles. That should have been our first sign. We had to speak with three different people to get an answer as to how the process even worked. And then, when we did speak to someone who sounded like they knew what they were talking about they gave us the WRONG INFORMATION.
How did we find out it was the wrong information, you ask? Because we went to the title bureau and they called the bank back for us because the request we brought to them made no sense. So the nice lady at the Miami County Title Bureau clarified what they needed and faxed it THAT DAY.
I've patiently waited three weeks. Because the bank told us it would take 10 business days to process. That's today. The first person I spoke with was immediately rude to me. Everything she was saying made no sense to me and I told her that. I said, "You're not making any sense to me" and she started getting salty. Well, when someone gets salty with me, especially in customer service AND when I didn't deserve it, I get salty back. By the end of the phone call I had no answers, except that, acccording to M&T Bank, I was supposed to blame the Ohio BMV for the hold up and I ended up hanging up on her when she started trying to TALK OVER ME. I HATE that.
I called the BMV. They DID issue a new title for the car, back on March 17th, (Which M&T calims they never did...right...) which they mailed back to the bank. Unfortunately, it was printed in Montgomery County instead of Miami County, like the request indicated. So they only printed Kendall's name on the title again. So I called back M&T and asked to speak with a supervisor. Who immediately got on the phone to inform me that this was a State of Ohio error (in a sassy tone) and that the bank could send the title request to any county they felt like since Ohio dealt with electronic titles.
I immediately corrected her by stating that the initial request specifically indicated to mail the title to Miami County. She started to TALK OVER ME and state once again what the state was really supposed to do, like I was an idiot and hadn't heard her the first time. So I started YELLING over her that she wasn't listening to me and that this request was made IN WRITING to be sent to Miami County. She didn't really know what to say to that.
The conversation ended with her telling me she would submit a request that the title be overnight mailed back to Ohio. But she couldn't confirm that it would mailed overnight or that it would be mailed to the correct address. All she could do was submit the request WTF!
The bright spot in this is that my faith in the BMV has been renewed. Many times you encounter disgruntled employees who aren't always very nice to you. The woman I spoke with at the title bureau was extremely helpful and very sweet and took care of everything I asked her to, including refaxing the request to the JERK BANK.
The whole situation was ridiculous and I ended up in tears. I will NEVER use this bank again. And if I can, I'll make sure that they loan gets transferred to another bank. What happened to customer service and the customer always being right? Oh wait, that only happens at The GAP.
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Stealing Karen's Format
On my way to work this morning I turned the radio on and heard Green Day's song Brain Stew. You all know it. The title is weird, but you'd know it. And it totally reminded me of driving to high school in the morning. I would hear that kind of music all the time because Adam was in the car. The only differences:
1. I now have a much sweeter car
2. I'm much cooler now
3. I was getting to school early and not speeding to get there because I was late
Okay, so it was pretty much totally different....but the feeling was there.
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The Gap has excellent customer service. Have I mentioned that already? I bought a pair of jeans 6 months ago and they turned up with a hole worn in the back of my leg last week. I was mad. I paid 50 bucks for those jeans. And I had to order them off the Internet because the store doesn't carry many talls. So I wrote an email to their customer service department. It was very respectful but firm. I told them that I expected higher quality products from them because I paid more money. And you should get what you pay for. They promptly replied with an email the next day asking me to take the jeans to a Gap store.
The manager took one look at the pants and gave me a FULL refund. Actually, she gave me more than I paid for them. I bought them on sale for 50 bucks, they retailed at 65. I was extremely pleased and will continue to buy pants from their online store.
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I had it out with my annoying co-worker today. I've been keeping it pent up inside and occasionally venting to other people. But today, she called me out and wanted to know what was wrong and I finally gave it to her. I was yelling at her in the hallway. She gave me a lame ass apology that I don't believe was very heart-felt, but at least I finally called her out on her behavior. I'm thinking that I might need to start calling her out on more. In the past I felt it wasn't worth the trouble. But it felt good. We'll see how she reacts to me tomorrow though. I may pay the price later on....I just keep trying to tell myself that this next year will be her last year....I PRAY.
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Today was FABULOUS weather. I'm planning on getting the dogs out for a walk later.
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We've officially booked our summer vacation to...Las Vegas! I'm super excited! We're staying in a 5 star resort one block off the strip, which I'm totally okay with because it looks AMAZING. We're supposed to be heading there with our next door neighbors. The only snag so far is that our neighbors aren't really following through on their part of the bargain. We said we would pay for the whole condo if they could get us cheap airline tickets. They're bailing on that option and it now looks like it's going to cost us an additional 600 bucks in airline tickets. I told them there were probably going to have to chip in more money and have gotten no response. If they don't, we're planning on asking someone else to go with us. The condo will actually sleep up to 8. Any takers? We're booked the 20-27 of June. Slot machines here I come!! Here are some pictures I stole off the Wyndham website.
1. I now have a much sweeter car
2. I'm much cooler now
3. I was getting to school early and not speeding to get there because I was late
Okay, so it was pretty much totally different....but the feeling was there.
--------------------------------------------------------
The Gap has excellent customer service. Have I mentioned that already? I bought a pair of jeans 6 months ago and they turned up with a hole worn in the back of my leg last week. I was mad. I paid 50 bucks for those jeans. And I had to order them off the Internet because the store doesn't carry many talls. So I wrote an email to their customer service department. It was very respectful but firm. I told them that I expected higher quality products from them because I paid more money. And you should get what you pay for. They promptly replied with an email the next day asking me to take the jeans to a Gap store.
The manager took one look at the pants and gave me a FULL refund. Actually, she gave me more than I paid for them. I bought them on sale for 50 bucks, they retailed at 65. I was extremely pleased and will continue to buy pants from their online store.
----------------------------------------------------------
I had it out with my annoying co-worker today. I've been keeping it pent up inside and occasionally venting to other people. But today, she called me out and wanted to know what was wrong and I finally gave it to her. I was yelling at her in the hallway. She gave me a lame ass apology that I don't believe was very heart-felt, but at least I finally called her out on her behavior. I'm thinking that I might need to start calling her out on more. In the past I felt it wasn't worth the trouble. But it felt good. We'll see how she reacts to me tomorrow though. I may pay the price later on....I just keep trying to tell myself that this next year will be her last year....I PRAY.
----------------------------------------------------------
Today was FABULOUS weather. I'm planning on getting the dogs out for a walk later.
----------------------------------------------------------
We've officially booked our summer vacation to...Las Vegas! I'm super excited! We're staying in a 5 star resort one block off the strip, which I'm totally okay with because it looks AMAZING. We're supposed to be heading there with our next door neighbors. The only snag so far is that our neighbors aren't really following through on their part of the bargain. We said we would pay for the whole condo if they could get us cheap airline tickets. They're bailing on that option and it now looks like it's going to cost us an additional 600 bucks in airline tickets. I told them there were probably going to have to chip in more money and have gotten no response. If they don't, we're planning on asking someone else to go with us. The condo will actually sleep up to 8. Any takers? We're booked the 20-27 of June. Slot machines here I come!! Here are some pictures I stole off the Wyndham website.
Monday, March 24, 2008
A Book Review and Some Randomness
So I just finished another book by Sophie Kinsella, also known as Madeline Wickham. It's called Remember Me? and it chronicles several weeks in an amnesiac's life. The main character's name is Lexi Smart and she wakes up in the hospital one day to find herself completely changed. She's got a new body, a new job, and a dead sexy husband. The only problem is, she doesn't remember any of this happening. The last she remembers she had bad teeth, an overweight body, and a crappy boyfriend.
Throughout the book she is trying to piece the last three years of her life together. Along the way she discovers that she doesn't like the new person she has become and can't seem to figure out how things got so bad. She has her share of mishaps along the way that made me laugh out loud. Just like any other good chick lit book, things end well for Lexi and you leave feeling good about the story. I won't tell you whether she regains her memory or not, that would ruin the book, but I highly recommend it for a good weekend of at home entertainment.
The thing I love about all of Kinsella's (and Wickham's- she writes under both names) books is that I always feel like a part of the story. Her details are at times outrageous but also extremely believable. I find myself relating to the characters as if I were their friends and at times even dream about the books. In this latest novel I dreamed that I actually WAS Lexi Smart and was having a big argument with my girlfriends. It's crazy.
I'd highly recommend her books, most especially the Shopaholic series. They're actually coming out with a film this year of the first book in the series.
In other randomness......
Throughout the book she is trying to piece the last three years of her life together. Along the way she discovers that she doesn't like the new person she has become and can't seem to figure out how things got so bad. She has her share of mishaps along the way that made me laugh out loud. Just like any other good chick lit book, things end well for Lexi and you leave feeling good about the story. I won't tell you whether she regains her memory or not, that would ruin the book, but I highly recommend it for a good weekend of at home entertainment.
The thing I love about all of Kinsella's (and Wickham's- she writes under both names) books is that I always feel like a part of the story. Her details are at times outrageous but also extremely believable. I find myself relating to the characters as if I were their friends and at times even dream about the books. In this latest novel I dreamed that I actually WAS Lexi Smart and was having a big argument with my girlfriends. It's crazy.
I'd highly recommend her books, most especially the Shopaholic series. They're actually coming out with a film this year of the first book in the series.
In other randomness......
- I got a huge ass chocolate bunny for Easter this year. It's awesome. I promised my mom I'd take a picture of myself with chocolate smeared all over my face. We also spent a lovely day and a half in Cleveland visiting family. It's always such a grueling schedule when we try to make a weekend trip. We're heading up again in two weeks to celebrate my grandparents' 60th wedding anniversary. We'll be making it a 3 day trip, so that will help.
- I learned today that Morrie listens to the invisible fence quite well. I heard a lot of barking going on out in the yard while I was reading everyones blogs and opened the front door to find Morrie and the next door neighbor's dogs standing on their respective sides of electric fence barking at each other. They're idiots, but at least they obey the fence.
- I am SOOOOOOO happy that my TV is starting to come back. I've missed all of my friends....okay they're not really friends. They're TV characters. But they sure feel like friends sometimes.
- Maggie is currently into humping Morrie. Yes, you read correctly. My girl dog mounts my boy dog and goes at it. It's so weird. We yell at her and say, "No! No! No!" but it doesn't stop her. And to be honest, I think he likes it. We've talked to the vet about it and he says it's a dominance issue. She's showing him she's in charge. Hmmmm....I tried that with Kendall one time and it didn't work. Maybe it's only a dog thing. *grin*
- We got the neighborhood newsletter today and I've found that there are at least 3 other young couples that have moved into our neighborhood recently. They all had email address listed. I'm debating as to whether or not I should try to get in touch with these people. They all have young kids which kind of puts us outside of their "loop", but I obviously hope to have a kid sometime soon.....We'll see. Jamie says I have enough friends and she forbids me to make anymore. But these people would be in my neighborhood and could fulfill my recent neighborhood friendship fantasies. Does that sound naughty?!?! *wink*
Monday, March 17, 2008
5 Star Doctor
So I got this flier in the mail today from Anthem. I guess they've started this new thing with Zagat, the people who rate restaurants and stuff. They're now going to provide ratings for your doctors. In the mood of AN Italian? What about some Mexican? So if you're looking for a 5 star doctor with a 3 star price......hmmm...not quite so sure how this is all going to work. Will they list a "menu" of services that they provide? Will they include a virtual tour to "test drive" the doctor? What about nightlife, hotels, and attractions in the same area as your doctor?
Sorry, I just found this highly amusing. I, of course, went to check out my husband's rating. Unfortunately, since they just started it, he had no scores posted. They are rating doctors on 4 things: trust, availability, communication, and environment. I can find no way to mock these categories. It saddens me. They actually seem pretty legit.
I can however, spice the story up even further by telling you that I created a fake name and rated my own husband with top scores in each category. *grin* I wasn't really lying when I checked the box that said, "I ceritfy that I have recieved services from this provider." I HAVE received services.....not always appropriate ones. But he still serviced me. *wink wink* I'll keep you all posted on his Zagat score.
And on a totally different note, for anyone who knows them....Ben and Jen Agati were in the UD Quarterly today. They had a baby! Dan Agati.....I wonder if he'll be known by his full name too!
Sorry, I just found this highly amusing. I, of course, went to check out my husband's rating. Unfortunately, since they just started it, he had no scores posted. They are rating doctors on 4 things: trust, availability, communication, and environment. I can find no way to mock these categories. It saddens me. They actually seem pretty legit.
I can however, spice the story up even further by telling you that I created a fake name and rated my own husband with top scores in each category. *grin* I wasn't really lying when I checked the box that said, "I ceritfy that I have recieved services from this provider." I HAVE received services.....not always appropriate ones. But he still serviced me. *wink wink* I'll keep you all posted on his Zagat score.
And on a totally different note, for anyone who knows them....Ben and Jen Agati were in the UD Quarterly today. They had a baby! Dan Agati.....I wonder if he'll be known by his full name too!
Friday, March 14, 2008
People Magazine Commentary
Okay, I was flipping through this week's issue of the Pop Culture Bible and decided that it warranted some blog commentary....
1. Madonna is getting old. And the longer you stare at her, the older and scarier she looks. At first glance, I thought she was looking pretty good. Then I started looking at the photograph more closely. Man, her face is starting to look ROUGH.
2. Jessica Simpson really is an idiot. It's a good thing she's hot and can sing decently. Because she'd be working at Wendy's if she wasn't.
3. Pregnant famous people. Halle Berry actually looks like a normal pregnant woman. Good for her. She's not starving her baby. It might even take her a while to lose the weight. Nicole Kidman is five months pregnant and looks like me on a normal day. What the crap??? And Jamie Lynn Spears, she shouldn't even make the magazine. Why are we over glorifying a teenage pregnancy? The tackiest part is that she's wearing a "Homecoming '06 t-shirt. CLASSY. And a great reminder to us that she's barely old enough to have a driver's license let alone a kid.
4. Britney Spears gets an allowance...of 1500 dollars a week. A WEEK!!!!! Dude, that's more than my paycheck for two weeks. I hope she can survive.....that doesn't seem like much....gosh...I'm so worried for her.....
5. Someone stole Kurt Cobain's identity. How do you do that? He's got to be like top 5 most famous alt rockers of all time. How do you walk into a bank and say, "I'd like to take out a mortgage. Yes, my name is Kurt Cobain.
6. Paris Hilton and Benji Madden have rings with each others initials on them. Think about it for a second and my immaturity will hit you....Paris Hilton is currently wearing a ring that says "B.M." Does no one else find this funny? I find it HILARIOUS. I feel bad for poor Benji. What were his parents thinking? First they named him after a famous dog and the double whammy of bad initials?!?!
7. Paul Giamatti in the new HBO show John Adams. Okay, first of all, who the hell is going to watch a show about John Adams? Secondly, who is going to watch a show that has Paul Giamatti as John Adams? This show would have at least had a chance if the lead actor was hot. I'm sorry, I'm a history lover, but even I'm a little superficial.
8. The show Miss Guided. I think I might actually watch this. It looks funny. It's produced by Ashton Kutcher and has Becky Freely as its main actress. She's played some great comic sidekicks in big films and I think she's quirky and funny. It's also on a major network, not something like the CW or FOX, and in my mind that actually makes it worthy of trying.
9. Snoop Dogg's new album Ego Trippin is coming out. I'm not ashamed to say I'll probably preview it and might even buy it. I can't help myself lately. I think his show Fatherhood is hilarious. And the ring tone I created for my mom is Drop it Like It's Hot. People even gave this album three stars. And I think they're usually pretty picky. I quote People here, "he can still win you over with his drawled delivery, sly rhymes and pimp-daddy charm." I LOVE IT!
10. Sleeveface.com- this was one of the last features in the magazine this week and it totally fascinated me. It's amazing the way they manipulate some of these album covers.
1. Madonna is getting old. And the longer you stare at her, the older and scarier she looks. At first glance, I thought she was looking pretty good. Then I started looking at the photograph more closely. Man, her face is starting to look ROUGH.
2. Jessica Simpson really is an idiot. It's a good thing she's hot and can sing decently. Because she'd be working at Wendy's if she wasn't.
3. Pregnant famous people. Halle Berry actually looks like a normal pregnant woman. Good for her. She's not starving her baby. It might even take her a while to lose the weight. Nicole Kidman is five months pregnant and looks like me on a normal day. What the crap??? And Jamie Lynn Spears, she shouldn't even make the magazine. Why are we over glorifying a teenage pregnancy? The tackiest part is that she's wearing a "Homecoming '06 t-shirt. CLASSY. And a great reminder to us that she's barely old enough to have a driver's license let alone a kid.
4. Britney Spears gets an allowance...of 1500 dollars a week. A WEEK!!!!! Dude, that's more than my paycheck for two weeks. I hope she can survive.....that doesn't seem like much....gosh...I'm so worried for her.....
5. Someone stole Kurt Cobain's identity. How do you do that? He's got to be like top 5 most famous alt rockers of all time. How do you walk into a bank and say, "I'd like to take out a mortgage. Yes, my name is Kurt Cobain.
6. Paris Hilton and Benji Madden have rings with each others initials on them. Think about it for a second and my immaturity will hit you....Paris Hilton is currently wearing a ring that says "B.M." Does no one else find this funny? I find it HILARIOUS. I feel bad for poor Benji. What were his parents thinking? First they named him after a famous dog and the double whammy of bad initials?!?!
7. Paul Giamatti in the new HBO show John Adams. Okay, first of all, who the hell is going to watch a show about John Adams? Secondly, who is going to watch a show that has Paul Giamatti as John Adams? This show would have at least had a chance if the lead actor was hot. I'm sorry, I'm a history lover, but even I'm a little superficial.
8. The show Miss Guided. I think I might actually watch this. It looks funny. It's produced by Ashton Kutcher and has Becky Freely as its main actress. She's played some great comic sidekicks in big films and I think she's quirky and funny. It's also on a major network, not something like the CW or FOX, and in my mind that actually makes it worthy of trying.
9. Snoop Dogg's new album Ego Trippin is coming out. I'm not ashamed to say I'll probably preview it and might even buy it. I can't help myself lately. I think his show Fatherhood is hilarious. And the ring tone I created for my mom is Drop it Like It's Hot. People even gave this album three stars. And I think they're usually pretty picky. I quote People here, "he can still win you over with his drawled delivery, sly rhymes and pimp-daddy charm." I LOVE IT!
10. Sleeveface.com- this was one of the last features in the magazine this week and it totally fascinated me. It's amazing the way they manipulate some of these album covers.
Thursday, March 13, 2008
Thursday Thirteen
Thirteen Things I Love that are "Cheesy"
(In no particular order)
- Andy Capp's Cheddar Fries- if you haven't had them, they're awesome junk food
- Cheesy Potato Casserole- cubed hash browns, shredded cheddar, sour cream and a little magic- how could you NOT love these?
- Papa Johns Cheese Bread- This will forever remind me of Karen. We used to order this in college all the time.
- The Nacho Bell Grande- HELLO TACO BELL!
- 80's movies- esp the ones about teenage angst
- Big Hair Ballads- I bought a CD of them at Target for 8 bucks! They're great!
- Greeting cards about Love- I always find a couple and save them to give to Kendall when he's having a bad day
- Those crazy cutouts that you can put your face in- any time Kendall and I see one, we get our picture taken in it, even if it's only on our cell phone. I have one of me with Ricky Bobby and me as an astronaut, among many others.
- Walking with my arm linked through Kendall's like an old lady would- old fashioned, but so comfortable!
- Easter basket grass- okay, it probably hurts the environment to make it or something, but I love eating my candy straight out of that cellophane grass!
- Seeing my first robin in the spring- it always gets me excited (for spring that is...)
- Holding my breath in tunnels- remember doing this as a kid? I still do it! I make the kids do it on the bus ride to DC every fall.
- TV Land- Leave it to Beaver, I Love Lucy, The Addams and The Munsters- They're all such feel good shows!
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Wednesday One
- I just wanted every one to know that Bev at the Troy Starbucks makes THE BEST Carmel Macchiatto known to man. YUMMMMMMMM!!!! (We're BFF.)
No news here!
Saturday, March 08, 2008
Priorites (from another perspective)
So I read Jen's entry on being someones #1. I read her comments. And I decided I needed to write my own blog about this.
Kathy commented that only Jen's single friends probably really got how she was feeling. I don't think that is true. I think we've all been where Jen is, even if we're not there right now. I think what some of the other people were trying to remind Jen of, is that her own self esteem is important too. I don't think it had anything to do with the fact that we all had our own #1 people and were just trying to give kind words.
I know exactly how Jen feels. I once put someone very special to me above everything else in my life, even moving to be with them. It didn't work. And going back to being your own #1 is hard after a serious relationship. It almost seems/feels impossible at times. And you feel like you'll never meet anyone else. And it's sad. And that's okay. I wallowed for quite a while, myself. And when you realize that you probably weren't the #1 in the other person's life to begin with it just makes it harder. Just because I have someone else in my life now doesn't mean I've never been there and don't understand. We've all been single, even if I'm married now, I still remember what that hurt felt like.
And I haven't said much about this, but sometimes I resent being labeled and defined by my relationship with my husband. I work very hard not to be. I am not defined by my husband. I am defined by my own actions and beliefs. Moving to a small(er) town has shown me how very quickly we can be labeled. In many people's eyes I am Dr. E's wife. That is bothersome. I make efforts for people not to label me that way. Even if, at times, I seem outrageous in my methods. I'll even correct people when they introduce me that way. I'll say, "Actually, my name is Lisa. Not Dr. E's wife." While it turns heads and may offend people, I feel it's important to not be defined by someone else.
And sometimes, I still put myself as #1. You have to in order to keep your sanity. Married people aren't saints you know. While we all like to try and put our spouse, children, significant other, whatever, as our first choice, sometimes we're selfish too. Anyone who says they never do that is lying and just trying to look good.
And Jen, that's what's important, defining who you are with or without the other person. And from what I've read lately in your blog, I think you're doing a good job of that. It's still hard, and it still sucks, but you're putting yourself out there. That's huge. And I DO understand how you feel, even if I'm not single now.
Kathy commented that only Jen's single friends probably really got how she was feeling. I don't think that is true. I think we've all been where Jen is, even if we're not there right now. I think what some of the other people were trying to remind Jen of, is that her own self esteem is important too. I don't think it had anything to do with the fact that we all had our own #1 people and were just trying to give kind words.
I know exactly how Jen feels. I once put someone very special to me above everything else in my life, even moving to be with them. It didn't work. And going back to being your own #1 is hard after a serious relationship. It almost seems/feels impossible at times. And you feel like you'll never meet anyone else. And it's sad. And that's okay. I wallowed for quite a while, myself. And when you realize that you probably weren't the #1 in the other person's life to begin with it just makes it harder. Just because I have someone else in my life now doesn't mean I've never been there and don't understand. We've all been single, even if I'm married now, I still remember what that hurt felt like.
And I haven't said much about this, but sometimes I resent being labeled and defined by my relationship with my husband. I work very hard not to be. I am not defined by my husband. I am defined by my own actions and beliefs. Moving to a small(er) town has shown me how very quickly we can be labeled. In many people's eyes I am Dr. E's wife. That is bothersome. I make efforts for people not to label me that way. Even if, at times, I seem outrageous in my methods. I'll even correct people when they introduce me that way. I'll say, "Actually, my name is Lisa. Not Dr. E's wife." While it turns heads and may offend people, I feel it's important to not be defined by someone else.
And sometimes, I still put myself as #1. You have to in order to keep your sanity. Married people aren't saints you know. While we all like to try and put our spouse, children, significant other, whatever, as our first choice, sometimes we're selfish too. Anyone who says they never do that is lying and just trying to look good.
And Jen, that's what's important, defining who you are with or without the other person. And from what I've read lately in your blog, I think you're doing a good job of that. It's still hard, and it still sucks, but you're putting yourself out there. That's huge. And I DO understand how you feel, even if I'm not single now.
Wednesday, March 05, 2008
My BBH
So the short version of this story is that my FABULOUS husband brought me a Starbucks coffee the other day because I was dragging. I just can't keep up with these 5 day work weeks. Who knew work could be so hard?!?!?!
Anyways, he's been in my room several times before. But never without his glasses on. And it seriously threw some of my kids off.
One kid actually asked:
To which I responded:
To which my butler replied:
Which was lastly followed by:
My final response:
My kids then all proceeded to shout out the door how much they loved him (in repsonse to my "I love you" when he was leaving) including, but not limited to:
To which he repsonded when he peeked his head back in the door:
Anyways, he's been in my room several times before. But never without his glasses on. And it seriously threw some of my kids off.
One kid actually asked:
"Who is that guy?"
To which I responded:
"He's my butler!" *A titter of classroom laughter erupted*
To which my butler replied:
"Actually I'm her boyfriend! Shhh, don't tell!" *More tittering*
Which was lastly followed by:
"But I thought he was her husband...I'm confused!" *Loud laughter*
My final response:
"Actually he's my butler-boyfriend-husband. It's a complicated relationship."
My kids then all proceeded to shout out the door how much they loved him (in repsonse to my "I love you" when he was leaving) including, but not limited to:
"I love you like a sister!"
"I love you like a pet goldfish!"
"I love you like my mom!"
"I don't love you! Okay I do!"
To which he repsonded when he peeked his head back in the door:
"I love you all like puppies!" *Mad dash for the car*
Tuesday, March 04, 2008
Pilates School Dropout
Okay, I'm a big puss. I made it through one night of Pilates and then dropped out. Yes, you can laugh. I am not ashamed to say that I went back and re-signed up for my Yoga class. Pilates gave me a whole new appreciation for Yoga.
My biggest complaint about the class actually doesn't have anything to do with my being a wuss. The instructor was way too fast for me. I told her at the beginning of the class that I had never done Pilates before. I guess the class I signed up for was not considered beginners Pilates. Even though the Y doesn't offer a beginner class. So I assumed that had to be this class. Everyone else in the room had taken a class before.
While I was able to keep up with the Yoga moves, I also felt they were done unsafely. It actually made me feel a little bit like a hippie. I'm used to smooth, graceful moves that are gentle and safe for your muscles. This instructor turned Yoga into boot camp. We did moves in quick, repetitive progression. I just didn't feel it was safe. Furthermore, I couldn't keep up with the new moves because I was trying to watch everything she did before trying it. The other people in the room kept up nicely, including my friend Jamie.
The second reason that I dropped out was my back. By the end of the one hour session it was killing me. I told the instructor this and she basically told me I had to suffer through a few weeks and it would probably go away. Okay, probably is not good enough for me. If my Yoga class didn't make it all go away, what makes her think high intensity Pilates will?
My last reason is just immature. I couldn't stand one of the ladies in the class. She was like a Pilates Queen. I think she takes it 5 times a day. 2 times at the Y and 3 times at home on a video. Okay, not really, but she's hard core. She was the Billy Blanks of Pilates. And she was distracting me!
So I limped out to the lobby last night and switched classes. I'm heading to Yoga tonight to hopefully repair the damage from last night. I think I need to try a tape first before I go back. Maybe then I could keep up. Jamie says I really broke up with her, not the class. I called her to break the bad news. She said it could have been worse. I could have texted her, "F*ck you and Pilates." I love her. She's so funny.
To soothe myself, I went to Kroger with Kendall and we bought 10 bottles of pop, 3 gallons of ice cream, and two boxes of cookies. Hey, I totally earned it. I sweated for like a whole hour. ;)
My biggest complaint about the class actually doesn't have anything to do with my being a wuss. The instructor was way too fast for me. I told her at the beginning of the class that I had never done Pilates before. I guess the class I signed up for was not considered beginners Pilates. Even though the Y doesn't offer a beginner class. So I assumed that had to be this class. Everyone else in the room had taken a class before.
While I was able to keep up with the Yoga moves, I also felt they were done unsafely. It actually made me feel a little bit like a hippie. I'm used to smooth, graceful moves that are gentle and safe for your muscles. This instructor turned Yoga into boot camp. We did moves in quick, repetitive progression. I just didn't feel it was safe. Furthermore, I couldn't keep up with the new moves because I was trying to watch everything she did before trying it. The other people in the room kept up nicely, including my friend Jamie.
The second reason that I dropped out was my back. By the end of the one hour session it was killing me. I told the instructor this and she basically told me I had to suffer through a few weeks and it would probably go away. Okay, probably is not good enough for me. If my Yoga class didn't make it all go away, what makes her think high intensity Pilates will?
My last reason is just immature. I couldn't stand one of the ladies in the class. She was like a Pilates Queen. I think she takes it 5 times a day. 2 times at the Y and 3 times at home on a video. Okay, not really, but she's hard core. She was the Billy Blanks of Pilates. And she was distracting me!
So I limped out to the lobby last night and switched classes. I'm heading to Yoga tonight to hopefully repair the damage from last night. I think I need to try a tape first before I go back. Maybe then I could keep up. Jamie says I really broke up with her, not the class. I called her to break the bad news. She said it could have been worse. I could have texted her, "F*ck you and Pilates." I love her. She's so funny.
To soothe myself, I went to Kroger with Kendall and we bought 10 bottles of pop, 3 gallons of ice cream, and two boxes of cookies. Hey, I totally earned it. I sweated for like a whole hour. ;)
Monday, March 03, 2008
Blah blah blah
I don't really have anything funny or witty or even interesting to write about. And I'm too bored to write about my weekend.
My car is still sweet. We had it in the shop to make sure everything was running well, and it is. Every time I get in it I bless America for allowing me to buy my giant beast of a gas hog. :) I figure that since I'm totally willing to pay exhorbitant prices for the gas without bitching, that I deserve this car. I wouldn't be suprised if it cost me 100 bucks a tank by the end of 2008. Did that make any of you earthy, hippy people sick just now?????
I guess I'm feeling a little antagonistic today. *grin*
Oh, and I'm starting a Pilates class with my neighbor tonight. I think it will be fun. Jamie is funny. I can imagine her bitching while we do stuff. I will most likely laugh more than I particiapte. But at least I'll be working my abs.
Oh, and one last thing- what's up with this shitty weather? The last two days have been FABULOUS! Now I'm under a freaking Winter Storm Warning again. This is unacceptable!
My car is still sweet. We had it in the shop to make sure everything was running well, and it is. Every time I get in it I bless America for allowing me to buy my giant beast of a gas hog. :) I figure that since I'm totally willing to pay exhorbitant prices for the gas without bitching, that I deserve this car. I wouldn't be suprised if it cost me 100 bucks a tank by the end of 2008. Did that make any of you earthy, hippy people sick just now?????
I guess I'm feeling a little antagonistic today. *grin*
Oh, and I'm starting a Pilates class with my neighbor tonight. I think it will be fun. Jamie is funny. I can imagine her bitching while we do stuff. I will most likely laugh more than I particiapte. But at least I'll be working my abs.
Oh, and one last thing- what's up with this shitty weather? The last two days have been FABULOUS! Now I'm under a freaking Winter Storm Warning again. This is unacceptable!
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