Red Rubber Ball

And... it's Friday! Hallelujah! But where did my week go? I'll tell you.
Monday-- Blood Donation=7 minutes. I'm awesome. Mr. Handsome cancels FHE appearance, but Clint treats with a Frosty and a ride in his swampy truck. It's good to have him back.
Tuesday-- Great finds at Savers! The lingerie line continues to grow. Dinner with a very negative chap. Poor little peanut!
Wednesday-- 13 hours taking care of the nieces, and too, too much paperwork.
Thursday-- Ice cream with Little Joe the Wrangler. I tried Baskin Robbins' new grapefruit sorbet. Joseph makes good on his date promise and becomes #106. More importantly, I started a new blog, http://www.bohobabesboutique.blogspot.com/, to promote this October's show. It's gonna be awesome! Follow for information on when and where, plus get previews of what will be for sale. Ooops! Now I'm all commercial.
On tap for today-- finishing paperwork, painting more bottle flowers, printing the boutique postcards, hanging out with Pammy who will be gone for a month (BOO!), etc. This weekend will include housekeeping, ridding my yard of noxious weeds (I hope), finishing some Halloween shirts for the boutique, and possibly painting a bed. Can you tell I'm in full-boutique swing? I guess I'll be able to rest in mid-October. I love this time of year!

And... I'm back

Here are this morning's thoughts from the trenches:

* Mentioning that I'm back from the family reunion would not be complete without a couple of Zoey stories. She decided early on that she wanted to sleep in "Aunt Rachy's Bed." She is so sweet, and my brother and sis-in-law are a little cramped in their room, so it was OK, but I was reminded of how it's going to be a big change when I someday share a bed with a husband. Let's just hope my husband doesn't take up all the room (quite a feat for someone about half my height) and kick me all night. The first night, Z woke up and said she wanted her milk. I handed her the sippy cup from the bedside table and she said she wanted more. The cup was about a quarter full, but she insisted. So at 2:30 a.m., I stumbled to the kitchen, was blinded by the refrigerator light, and found some milk for a top-off. It was some Skye had packed in a Nalgene bottle-- probably some she was trying to use up before it went bad. I brought it back to Little Z, but she informed me she wanted NEW milk. I'm not gonna lie, I wouldn't blame her. I don't think it was bad but it was just at that point... you know what I'm talkin' about. So it was back to the kitchen to wash out the sippy cup and give her the NEW milk. When I got back to my room, she took about one swig and then said "Put it on the table" (I guess "please" isn't in her vocabulary circa: middle of the night) and promptly fell asleep. Honestly, little kids are so funny! I couldn't even get mad. The next night, she asked me to tell her a story. I don't think I really know any, so I told her about Egypt. She wanted to know what the princesses looked like, so I stretched the truth a little bit and told her to imagine Jasmine from Disney's "Aladdin." I told her that people in Egypt have beautiful brown skin. She then insisted that SHE wanted beautiful brown skin. I guess I'll have a prime suspect if suddenly my instant tanning cream goes missing. She also mentioned that she wants a baby brother and wants to name him "Chester." I didn't know she even knew anyone named Chester. We had to sleep with her Hello Kitty Purse, a plastic tomato and a deflating punching balloon. So on the whole, I didn't get a lot of sleep this weekend, but I got a slumber party fix.

* As for further explanation regarding my new lingerie hobby, I don't really know where it came from. You know that old cliche, "Those who can't______ teach"? I think it usually refers to performing arts. So I guess in my case, it would be "Those who can't ____..." (blank for a different reason) "...make stuff for other people to wear when they do." I doubt I'll be the next Victoria, but I'm hoping I can sell some of my wares at the Boho Babes Boutique. I don't know if there is a market for negligees at a craft boutique, but we will see.

* Finally this morning, and on a more serious note, I'd like to say I'm really grateful the way God prepares our hearts for whatever is coming down the pipeline-- if we let Him, that is. Trials that I wouldn't have thought I could face several weeks ago aren't even a big deal today. And, I really believe if we would just follow His will for us, we'd end up with better things than we could have chosen for ourselves. I could give lots of examples, but why don't y'all just think about that and tell me that I'm right? Good. Do that.

And Now for Something Completely Different

I went to the family reunion this weekend, and I was inspired.
For the last few weeks, I've started stressing over "Boho Babes Boutique:2" and not knowing what kind of stuff to sell.
And then, surrounded by family in the beautiful mountains of Colorado, I was inspired.
And that's how I started making lingerie.

The Grenade that Didn't Go Off

So the weekend was just a drill, I suppose.
Ex-boyfriend did not show up.
Exhale.
Mr. Handsome also didn't show up.
Sigh.
All that preparation for nothing?
Still, there was good news.
An E. Coli outbreak in Socorro. Which meant no one could drink the tap water. Which meant there was a lot of bottled water happening. Which meant I walked around all day Saturday carrying a giant black trash bag and collecting people's plastic. Oh, recycling, how I love you! And it doesn't hurt that I was able to make about 95 flowers out of all my plastic, expediting Ashley's birthday present of a flowered salon mirror like the one over my mantle. I've got to break out the spray paint tonight. I'll take sore trigger finger (from the paint and the glue-gun) over emotional explosion any day.

This is Only a Test

OK. Deep breath.
In a mere nine hours or so, I've got to face a demon.
Not that the person I will see is a demon, but seeing him may be tough.
Here's the story. Picture it-- Monday night, hanging out with the girls. I should have gone home to get some sleep or read or do laundry, but I was too busy admiring my friends' Warhol-inspired refrigerator art (for FHE we colored pictures of President Monson for Kindergarten Night, and it was amazing how many people put him in a pink suit). I basked in the delight of chatting it up with two of my besties (shout-out to Pam and Daniela!), and laughing as they commanded poor Jeremy to dance (which he did not do, despite their bullying). All in all, it was a typical Monday evening. Until terror struck.
We were discussing our plans for the weekend-- a regional young single adult conference-- when Pam (who is in charge) broke the news. She said at least 13 people from Las Cruces are coming. I asked if there was anyone I knew, thinking maybe she'd say Kimball, a boy I once saw in the temple. She didn't mention Kimball, but did say that my ex-boyfriend will be there. And then I couldn't breathe.
Yes, I know what you're thinking... "isn't that the one she posted about just a few days ago?" Why, yes it is. "And didn't their relationship end 19 months ago?" Yes. "She isn't over it yet?" Apparently not.
Talking about you-know-who is all very well and good in theory. I have no problem discussing him in an abstract, nostalgic way. But remember when I ran into him and his girlfriend at Papers! this January? On Monday I was ready to throw in the towel and make plans to leave the country for the weekend to avoid the YSA Conference. Poor Pam! She is the greatest friend ever, and she did do me a major service by letting me know in advance so I didn't faint at the dance tonight, but it probably didn't make her feel too good to see my deer-in-headlights face.
The good news is, I think I'm ok, and I can still participate in the activity. Pam and Daniela got a kick out of my written plan of action I read to them the next night, after shopping for cute clothes (because I sure as heckfire am not gonna show up to this shindig looking like a Tusker). After crying-- no, that doesn't begin to do it justice; more like making this weird, hiccuping and honking noise-- all the way home Monday night, I started thinking that maybe I could handle it.
I will spare you the details of the written plan, because they make me sound like an absolute nincompoop (I know this because Daniela found it particularly entertaining), but I'm just gonna go through with it. Trial by fire, right?
Also on tap for the weekend is getting to know Mr. Handsome without acting like a weirdo. Daniela gave me PLENTY of tips on that as well. "Do your hair like this." "Make sure you DON'T do that." I've got so much to remember, I'd better make another list. I just need to make sure that I don't get them mixed up, and end up batting my eyes at the ex, and running and hiding from Mr. Handsome. I may just need to dance by myself in a corner with my eyes closed and pretend like no one else is there. It kind of defeats the purpose of going to an activity where one of the prime aims is to meet people, but you gotta do what you gotta do.
Report to follow. Pray for victory, no carnage.

What I Do When I Should be Working

Listen, I love insulation.
Fiberglass is fun and Cellulose is splendid.
And now I'm likely going to spend a lot of time working and staying late to get everything done.
Why?
Because I've been daydreaming.
Some of it is pondering life's important questions like, "I wonder what ever happened to K-Ci and JoJo? 'All my Life' was such a good song.'" Part of the time I spent in the massage chair in my office (I don't know who thought it was such a good idea to put it in here, but after yesterday's long day with the nieces, I needed 15 minutes of peace and quiet. And then another 15 minutes. And, then (shh!) another). What's more, after taking a delivery of some wire rods at the warehouse, I snuck home to snap a few pictures of my house for a contest to have your house decorated and photographed by MATTHEW MEAD. Love, love his work. Don't know if my humble abode has a prayer, but it's worth a try, right?
Anyway, you'll have to excuse me. I'm listening to Maroon 5's new single and I should probably actually finish the 24 bids I need to send out in the next hour and 15 minutes. Oops!

Friends in High and Low Places

Ready for something inappropriate?
So a couple weeks ago, my cousin's sons went to visit our Aunt. These little guys are both super smart, and sometimes they say the most outrageous things. Especially the little one. He's pretty doggone cute, but I don't know where he comes up with a lot of it.
Our favorite story: Sylvia took Dylan and Collin to Carlsbad to explore the Caverns. Sylvia said she'd been complaining a bit about how her body ached-- I think it was her foot at the time. Collin decided to give his two cents and said, "Well, that's what happens when you get older. Things just start to fall apart."
One must wonder what things HE'D have experience with... I think he's about 8 years old.
"There's just one body part that never wears out," he went on to explain.
Sylvia waited patiently to find out, but he wasn't immediately forthcoming.
"Well, what never wears out?" she finally asked.
And he said, "The testicles."
!!!
So last night I was talking to Jake who is off in Gallup for his B.A.M.D. program, and I told him this story (we were talking about prostates, oddly enough). Jacob loves potty humor as much as the next boy, so he told me that someday he'd be glad to give my future husband a prescription for Viagra. Kind, right? Then I told Pam, who is studying pharmacy, and she said she'd fill the Rx for me. Hahaha! I think my friends think I'm going to marry a really old man. I guess that's OK so long as he's really, really rich.
Just kidding!

Happy Anniversary!!

Well, my friends, I've been back in New Mexico for FOUR years, and I've gotta say, I'm pretty happy about that. My life is pretty awesome. Here are some things that make life in NM really great (and please, don't get argumentative and say some of those things are universal-- even if they are, they're better in NM):

* I go barefoot at work. Where else could I do this? That is a major advantage to having one's office in her childhood bedroom.
* I can embrace my inner gangsta and rap all the time. Much to Rudy's surprise, I confessed yesterday that I have a certain weakness for Salt-n-Peppa's "Shoop." Watch for me at your next karaoke event.
* Being near the family is basically awesome. On Friday, I hung out with my sister and brother-in-law at their palatial estate (otherwise known as a tract home, given the old Sego charm by my very creative sister) in Rio Rancho. We ate clown cones from Baskin Robbins. (I don't really care about ice cream, but I love clown cones more than anything. And here's a hint-- they're better from the B&R at Cottonwood than they are in Los Lunas.) On Sunday I spent some good quality time with my brother and sister-in-law and their charming children. Paizlee is learning to walk, and even though Zoey is super naughty, I can't imagine my life without her.

There's more, of course, but Gerri has been complaining that I don't blog enough, so I'm gonna spread it out.

I will share one other true anniversary story, though, for your reading pleasure. When I thought about this the other day, I laughed out loud for about five minutes straight. As most of you know, I've only ever had ONE official boyfriend. We had gone out a lot and had been kissing just as much, and decided to make our relationship official on July 11, two years ago. As we discussed the implications of exclusivity, he announced that I was obligated to come over and have dinner with his family the next day. I'd already met them, but he told me he needed to introduce me in my official capacity. He said he'd tell them over breakfast the next day that I was his girlfriend, and suggested I do the same with my family. I was 100 percent embarrassed, but I charged on through, determined to get the teasing over with. When I met up with him at his parents' house later, he said he'd not had time to tell them yet. I walked in, said hello to his mother, met his sister, brother-in-law, niece and nephew, and then he blurted out "RACHEL SEGO IS MY GIRLFRIEND!!" I then was passed around again to be hugged and congratulated. You'd think this sweet little episode would be worth celebrating on its own, but my favorite July 12 memory of that day was when my boyfriend's dad was blessing the food and asked a blessing on everyone, but he couldn't remember my name! It went "... and please bless Elliot and Maggie and Margaret Ann and Ron and Wendy and Holly and Chrissy and Becky and Loni and Ray and... (Super long pause)... Ray's, erm, friend... Amen!" Well, of course I didn't mind, but everyone gave boyfriend's papa a very hard time. He tried to make it up to me by being extra kind for the rest of the evening, until I left when boyfriend had to dismiss him. We were walking out toward my car when boyfriend said, "Dad. I want to kiss my girlfriend goodbye, and I can't do it with you standing here." Hahaha! I doubt very much he remembers his July 12, but I'm pretty sure he remembers my name!

One final shout-out-- though he was born last night and not actually on the 12th, I do want to let everyone know that my college bestie and his wife, Sean and Rachel McKissick, welcomed their baby boy into the world! The text I got from Sean? "Dean Gerald McKissick is out, and he's a big, hairy baby. Everybody's doing great." Leave it to someone who loves WWE to announce his son's birth that way. Still, congrats to Sean and Rachel, who continue to make my life wonderful even from hundreds of miles away!

Smoking Candy Cigarettes

Things You May Not Know About Me:
1) In fifth grade, I had the elected position in my homeroom class of prosecuting attorney. When students had grievances, they could sue one another. I won every case.
2) Sometimes I like to pull out candy cigarettes and pretend to smoke, particularly when I'm on the phone with someone from church (in case you didn't know, we Mormons don't smoke, so I find this highly amusing). I think I picked up the pretend-smoking habit from my friend Summer, who used to "smoke" her pens.
3) Even after ending my month-long vegetarian streak, I still have not had red meat. It's not that I don't mean to-- I just haven't found anything to eat that seems worthy. So it's been 5 weeks.
4) When I get really angry, I get creative. When someone asks me how I managed to get the worst movie ever ("Down and Derby") on the Today Show, the simple explanation is I was mad at my coworkers. You know that great-looking mirror over my mantle? Finished it while I was on the outs with one of my friends.
5) I met the world's best-looking guy this weekend. Just wanted to let you know.