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Vitamin Rambling

30 Sunday Oct 2011

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I rolled around in my bed this morning, feeling so rested and so lazy too.  And laughed at myself when I realized it was 10:30am!  What a lazy butt I can be.

Reflecting on this past week…I have a lot to be thankful for.  I feel happy, energized, confident…not that I wasn’t before but I’m feeling that inner surge and whooshing around that just makes me feel, well, happy!  I DID start taking vitamins more regularly – is that one of the reasons, or just a coincidence? 

I usually take a couple of fish oil capsules every morning – they say those extra Omega 3s are good for your brain and digestion so it couldn’t hurt.  I like the unscented ones because while I love fish I don’t need to start off my day with my breath smelling like it. 

And when cleaning out a drawer in my bathroom I discovered a jar of Vitamin D that I’d forgotten about.  Expiration date’s still aways in the future so into the routine she goes too.  Where else do we get Vitamin D besides some daily sun exposure?  Milk?  And mushrooms I think (sounds strange though)?  Well, around here daily sun exposure is non-existent and laughable to attempt, especially this time of year.  I don’t drink milk either (though I never met a cheese I did not love, but does cheese have vitamin D in it?  It must if it’s made with milk, right?).  

And…good ol’ Vitamin C.  Doesn’t hurt to pop a couple of those every day as we head into the winter flu season.   I’ve already had a cold since starting this new job and earlier this year I had that cough that lingered easily two months.  No more of that, thankyouverymuch. 

What else did I find in that bathroom drawer?  Some multi-vitamins.  Jar half empty and expiration date still OK (I am VERY anal about pull dates on food/vitamins/you name it.  They’re there for a reason!) 

NOW I remember why I stopped taking those.  They upset my stomach no matter how much extra water I’d drink after taking them.  I’d feel like I was going to puke on my drive to work.  Not fun.  But I decided to try eating a little bit more in the morning (I’m usually so rushed I have a quick wedge of cheese and that’s it till lunch time).  Anyway as I ramble here, I’m trying to allow just a few extra minutes in my morning routine to take these vitamins with a ton of water…and I feel great!  Is it just psychological?  On the other hand, the stupid bruise on my knee is finally going away (don’t ever bump into your dishwasher when it’s open – just sayin), and some of the sharp knee pain I’ve experienced occasionally – recently – going up or down stairs has vanished.  I slowly, carefully, knock on wood about that. I figured the knee pain was a reminder that I need to lose weight AND that I am not getting any younger.

So we’ll leave that alone for now.  I rolled out of bed yesterday and headed to my favorite spa for a little, ummm, maintenance.  And I actually got there early enough to head into the Starbucks across the street and relax a little.  Lo and behold I had a Starbucks gift card hiding deep in my wallet I’d completely forgotten about!  Bonus! 

I tried my first ever salted caramel mocha.  With half the usual chocolate as someone suggested.  Delicious!  I sat outside at one of the small tables, browsed Facebook on my phone and just savored my coffee.  This is freakin’ late October, people, and it’s sunny and I’m sitting outside enjoying the changing leaves, slight breeze, and a beautiful view of Lake Washington.  Amazing!

I’ve known my esthetician, M, for probably 10 years and she is wonderful to chat with.  As we were waiting for the eyebrow tint to work its magic she said you HAVE to come check out the knitware we have in the front of the spa.  It’s flying off the shelves and the prices are amazing (amazing as in low, ha ha). 

Sure enough…a few minutes later I picked up a black infinity scarf and a medium grey toque with a fleur de lis design in grey bling on one side.  LOVE IT!  I loved it so much I immediately cut off the tags and wore it running errands the rest of the afternoon.  Perfect new fall accessories!  And they were $40 total – yes for both!  If you haven’t tried an infinity scarf, check them out.  It’s a scarf that’s in one continuous loop – so easy to just plop on and it always looks great!  And doesn’t fall off either.  I actually have this one on its way in the silvery knit from the nice people at Nordstrom.  It will go perfect with my new toque!

Now it’s time to get caught up on reading, cook up some chicken for an early dinner and get ready for hockey later tonight.   Best way ever to wrap up a weekend!

The Blahs, the Blues and the Bling

27 Sunday Feb 2011

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Oh February, February, you fickle bitch you.  Teasing us with the promise of spring – love seeing those crocuses coming up and even a few zings of sunshine – and then whomping our butts with SNOW and COLD as we’re about ready to dive into March!  Yep, we had a few inches of snow, icy winds and temperatures down the in the teens at night.  UGH, my power bill is going to be out of control yet again this month.  The snow is beautiful…but no thanks so late in winter.
So how do you banish the blahs?  You get out of the house and downtown for a change of scenery and some down & dirty live blues! 

Exhibit A:  the Highway 99 Blues Bar in Seattle.  Gotta hand it to my friends D & B who invite a group of us out several times a year for different kinds of live music and dancing.  A couple months ago it was live disco – now, the Blues!  And I’m a suburban girl who needs to get my city fix on more and more, plus I LOVE checking out new venues.  Great friends, great music and a big ol’ dance floor – sounds good to me!

So ironically a few hours before hearing the Blues, I got smacked with the Blues myself.  Totally came out of nowhere. 

Let me back up here a little.  And come with me on this tangent. I’d invited G to come along with me to this a few weeks ago, even before he left on his trip to Australia.  And I was sooo excited he said yes.  This was going to be the first time introducing him to a few of my friends and I was so over the top giddy!  Weeee! 

But the reality is he came down with a really bad bug a few days after coming back home.  And who wouldn’t after flying in a tube with hundreds of people halfway around the planet sharing god knows what icky germs for hours and hours, plus the shock of weather change from Australian summer to our freakazoidal cold snap here right?  Yuck. We jokingly called it the Australian Wallaby Flu.

So he laid low for a few days and I had a couple of girls nights out earlier in the week, just keeping myself busy meanwhile.  By Friday I was missing him so bad!  And he came by to take me to dinner.  We thought a margarita at the Mexican place walking distance from my house would kill off the germs but no dice.  He was still hacking away.  But you know I was so happy to see him, it didn’t matter that by 8pm he was pretty much toast.  Dang, this was a bad bug already, not leftover jeg lag!  And ahhh, kisses and walking back home.  I took his arm as we walked.  You know, I really love that feeling.  Nice and strong.  A little stargazing too – LOVE that.

Now it’s Saturday, and he’s still feeling like crap.  And he calls me and says he’s really sorry but he’s gonna have to bail on going out to the club with me.

Oh no oh no oh no. My heart sank.  And I mentally started to topple over into a shitty thought place I’d thought I’d left behind over a decade ago. Being flaked out on.  Being let down at the last minute.  Guys who say they’ll be there for me and change on a dime with no rational reason and don’t show up.  Fuck!

But screechy record sound already.  The dude is sick!  He doesn’t flake out on me!!  And it’s not 2000 or 2001!!  And oh dear lord this mental yin and yang was gonging in my head and I choked up. The rational vs. the emotional.  My voice wobbled on the phone I’m sure.  I don’t recall all of what I said but I told him I felt totally bummed and now didn’t feel like going either.

Meanwhile, the Bling.  Yes, I got this call about a half hour before I was expecting some girlfriends (and my Mom!) at my house for an informal jewelry show and open house. Had my dining table decked out in beautiful scarves (nice alternative to a tablecloth) and trays of gorgeous jewelry ready to be touched and tried on.  A little wine, sparkling water and some munchies.  Weee!  And now I’m feeling like a deflated balloon.  But I gotta dig deep, shake it off and be the happy Hostess here!

And I did and was.  We had a wonderful afternoon – this was a mix of friends who had not yet met eachother, nor had anyone met my Mom yet either!  We had a great time.  And you know, girl talk helps too.  B (of D & B) came by too and when I told her G couldn’t make it after all she was all oh man that’s too bad, but next time.  Just hearing those words made me realize that my old residue feelings from many, many years ago, have no place here.  It’s the PAST. No room!  It has nothing to do with G and me. And my feelings, while, yes, they are my feelings, aren’t the point here.  Meaning, G is sick, end of story.  He’ll be back to normal in a day or two.

HUHHHHHHH.  So that was my mental workout and I was glad to have friends with me, B’s keepin’ it real advice, and time to sell a little bling.  In fact, the party sales put me past the goal I’d set for myself when I started this side business!!  Woo hooooooo!

Then, it was time for the Blues.  G called while I was just about at the club and it was so good to hear his voice.  I was feeling a lot better about everything and even about ready to laugh at myself for how I’d reacted earlier.  And when I was still not sure exactly where this club was, he looked it up on his laptop and helped me find it over the phone.  Which was awesome, by the way.  

I met up with D, B and a couple other couples (wow, good thing they got there early and got a table – the place was packed!).  LOVED the music.  There were two bands that night – first was the Karen Lovely band (she’s in the pic up top).  If Janis Joplin had a niece, this woman would be her.  Freaking killer pipes.  I was totally blown away – she far outshone the second act.

Then, I suddenly felt tired.  And feverish. And then chills and my throat was sore. What was going on here? Did I catch something from G? Or was it the combo of a fun, sweaty basement bar and talking loudly, combined with a pulled pork sandwich and a couple of Stellas?  

Nope.  I was coming down with a cold.  Who knows where it came from.  But how ironic.  B even said she’s been battling one over a week now.  Yes, it’s February alright.  

As we left the bar later and walked back to our cars, the cold air blasted right into my lungs.  Cold, icy wind off the water.  When I got to my car, I looked up and smiled.  For I’d parked just steps from the steam plant where my Dad was CEO for many years before he retired.  Something about seeing that building that literally put food on the table for my family and so much more, where Dad invested years in his career and turned the company from a bump on a log to a thriving operation made me do a big mental full circle.  The plant chugs along 24/7 as it has for over 100 years.  My past.  And my emotional loopy doop was the last gasp (let’s hope please!) of an old head rhythm whose tune is long past its prime.  

DONE.