Ten Things of Thankful: Week 7

I know I am arriving fashionably late to the party today. I blame my early morning breakfast, followed by my CPR/First Aid class.

And then the storm which knocked out our cable television and internet. For three+ hours.

I am well-aware that it sounds like I am simply making excuses but I hope you know me well-enough to know that I would never do that. If I didn't have time to write, I wouldn't.

And also, please understand that I'm not complaining (ok, maybe a little bit, but mostly I'm thankful that it's back on). But let me at least say this: part of the reason we got rid of the satellite television and slower-speed internet (each through different providers) was so we didn't have that kind of issue during inclimate weather...

But I am trying to be thankful that I have internet and cable at all...how many people around the world don't have it at all? And can't read our lists of thankful each week? And don't even know what a BLOG is? How sad for them.

1. I am thankful for internet and cable...there, I shall start it out with this.

All that to say, I shall continue with the following list:

2.  I am thankful that my hairdresser will be back in town next week. First of all, I have to explain that though I use the term “hair dresser,” she doesn’t usually do much beyond cut my hair. I don't even have her wash it (oh gasp of horror, right? No worries...I almost always wash it immediately before I go get it cut...I'm not totally gross.) Sometimes she does fix my hair up a bit, but not usually. I tell her not to worry about it. And I am ok with that because she doesn’t style it like it do at home.

Can anyone else relate?

Plus, I must admit that to call her “hairdresser” sounds so bourgeois. Let’s be honest: I go to Great Clips. I can't even schedule an appointment, though they do have a wonderful feature which will allow me to check-in online before I arrive. I can't call in to hold my place, but I can do it from my computer or phone (there's an app for that!). 

I have been going to the same Great Clips for over eight years now. Yes, you read that right: eight years.  And to the same person no less. Oh yes…she’s a rarity in the Great Clips realm. And she’s fabulous.

3.  I am thankful for boxed hair color. Over-the-counter, get-it-at-the-CVS type of hair color, that is. 

I am fully-aware that I could/should grow old gracefully. But my plan to do as such entails a box of hair color applied every 6-8 weeks...which will change to approximately every 4 weeks once I switch over to semi-permanent color...which I am doing beginning with my next box. 

I’ll have you know that I used up my last box of “permanent” color just yesterday so it’s “growing old gracefully” for me from here on out. Actually, what it means is that the color will look like highlights on the silver. 

Yeah, I’m owning the silver hair…not gray. Now don’t get me wrong: I LOVE the color gray…but my hair is going to be silver. Thanks for asking, but it was an intentional color selection.

4. and 5. This is items 4 and 5, all rolled into one...I could have separated them but frankly I was feeling too lazy. You'll deal with it, I'm sure.

I am thankful for my free purse and for time spent with my sweet friend MR. She only lives 3 ½ hours away but we haven’t seen each other in at least three years. But this summer I have gotten to see her TWICE. Thankful, thankful, thankful…she’s one of those “pick up where you left off” kind of friends I mentioned last in last Saturday’s list of thankful.

And even though it seems like time with MR could not be improved upon, it was; better than simply spending time with MR, while shopping together at Kohl’s (not really my favorite place to shop, but I had a coupon for $10 off any purchase of $10 or more…how could I resist?), I found my latest purse. For free.

I, initially, was without focus and was looking in various departments...very willy-nilly. But finally landed on purses.

I needed a new purse. OK, WANTED a new purse. Need is subjective.

But this orange one spoke to me…I’m certain you’ve experienced the siren song of a purse (or shoes, or outfit, or SOMETHING you didn't really NEED but WANTED, right?).

And I justified it because orange is an autumnal color and I can carry it right through the fall, right? Well, this purse was originally marked $64. And it was on clearance for $19.84, including tax. Now, before you question my math skills (because I said it was free and also because I said I had a $10 coupon, not one for $19.84), I also had on my person a Visa gift card valued at $10, which was the result of a Proctor and Gamble rebate program. I had been sitting on this card, awaiting such an occasion.

Yeah, I took a picture of it and texted it to my friend LW as soon as I got it...don't judge.

So now I have a Visa gift card with $0.16 on it. And I shall wait for the appropriate opportunity in which to spend it...don't want it to all go in one place, mind you.

6. I am thankful for quick-dry nail polish. Enough said. Even the men can fathom why this would be on the thankful list. And even don’t paint your nails on a regular basis (male or female) you can surely appreciate something such as this being “quick-drying”...yes? I have too much to do in life to sit around an wait for my nails to dry.

That being said, I AM a master of "going to bed with wet nails and not smudging them" however I am not always up to the challenge. As you can imagine, you have to lay pretty still for that...and I tend to thrash around in my sleep.

Pulling to rip cord on that.

7.  I am thankful for inexpensive (teetering on cheap) recipes for dishwasher detergent and laundry detergent. (recipes forthcoming in a post to follow…I can’t wait to share them with you; I just had to try them out…and more than just once…before I swore by them. Stay tuned!).

8. Even though the storms did put a damper on my afternoon activities, I am thankful for the forecast of rain and cooler temps for the upcoming week. Granted, we have been terribly spoiled this summer with cooler temperature and no drought. After having a drought for two (and it might be three…time goes by so quickly and I don’t always keep track) years, it’s nice to have some rain in the summer. And to not have tree going dormant (or flat-out dying) by mid-July.

9. I am thankful that I passed my FBI Fingerprint scan. With flying colors, no less. I make that presumption because it wasn’t in the message I received that there was any sort of issue. And for the record, my mother confessed that she completely understood my concerns…1) because she would be nervous if it was her, and she would have no reason to be nervous either, and 2) she saw where I lived in college. And the off-campus houses were slight S.K.E.T.C.H.Y.  Hence my (and her) concern. 

10. I am thankful to have completed First Aid & CPR training…and am certified for two more years. I always make the assumption that if I am prepared for it and have discussed it and been prepped for it, I will NEVER.HAVE.TO.USE.IT.

I know that’s not really the case, but it’s my story and I’m sticking to it.

I do need to pause here and make a confession: CPR is always much less “distasteful” to me than the First Aid; the First Aid has a lot more blood. And bones protruding from places they should not. I don’t deal well with that. There’s a reason I am not a nurse and other people are. Don’t judge.

So the lesson here is this: if you are bleeding out or have a broken bone which is protruding through your skin, you had better hope someone other than myself is there to help you. Or if you can wait until I finish vomiting, you might be ok.

I just about vomited today in the class, even though the videos showed people with fake injuries. Oh yes...who's got one of the weakest stomachs you'll ever know of? This gal.

So, I've ended on a high, as usual…that’s my list for this rainy day. How about you? Be sure to click on the “Ten Things of Thankful” image to take you over and see all the other participants. And link up a post for yourself if you’re so inclined!

Have a fabulous day!