Take two of these and call me in the morning...

I think that it is somewhat important to preface this entry by letting you all know that I have been abnormally stressed out lately. I have been short with my family and have raged about things that were going on at work. I don't like that. Now, I've never been really mellow or laid back, but I envy people who are. I've tried lots of different things to try to manage the stress. I've gone so far as to change my work hours to give myself more time to get the kids ready in the morning- I've even been tempted to shell out for a massage. But I got a good dose of reality a while ago, and it cracked me up. And then I thought to myself, maybe that's really all that I need.... a good dose of reality and a good laugh.

I'm going to begin by making four statements that will seem disjointed and somewhat lacking in continuity.
A. My husband decided at the last minute to join some of my family and our oldest son on an overnight trip to Arlington to see the Rangers play the Yankees. Tomorrow they are going to go to Six Flags-- fun!!! I wish I could have gone with them. I'm glad that they're getting this opportunity to do something so cool!! But it was a very last minute trip and he barely had time to throw some clothes for tomorrow in a back-pack, grab an i-pod and jump in the van as it was pulling out of the driveway. He bought his ticket for the game tonight about 8 minutes before they left... Seriously, "last minute" barely begins to describe it. Last second is better, but still doesn't do it justice. I won't get ridiculous looking for an adjective, but it was a really, really quick decision.
B. I spent $20 on a pair of shoes this afternoon. I'm a practical woman, and, outside of tennis shoes, I almost never spend that much money on a pair of shoes. But these shoes.... they make me glad to be a woman. They're three inch, sling-back, peek-a-boo pumps with the most amazing criss-cross of fabric I've ever seen. They almost audibly spoke to my artistic nature. The fabric is ivory with a random royal blue, black and blush pink pattern. They are, in a word, fabulous. I will so regret wearing them, because I know my feet will hurt for three days, but it will be worth it. My dad used to tease me because I would buy a pair of shoes that I loved and then shop for an outfit to go with the shoes. Most people do it the other way around, he used to tell me. But I don't care. I've always loved shoes, and these are those kind of shoes. If I didn't have an outfit already- which I do- I would buy one to go with these shoes. I've been wearing them around the house ever since I got home, even though I'm wearing yoga pants and a tank top. I just like the way they make my legs and feet look. Truly fabulous shoes. I could probably go on, but I won't. They're just great shoes.
C. I bought some make-up last week. Nothing fancy... just a bronzer that I love. I've bought it lots of times before. It's not expensive make-up, but it's nice. Just drug-store bronzer. And then, about three days later it disappeared. Now, I've searched high and low for my make-up. I even pulled out all of the drawers in the bathroom to make sure it didn't fall back behind into the vanity. It hasn't. I've looked in purses and back-packs- even though I don't take it with me in my make-up bag. I've looked in my bedroom and even in the drawer in the sideboard, thinking that maybe Jordan took off with it, and then "put it away" somewhere for me. I can't find it anywhere, so I finally replaced it yesterday. Big mystery....
D. Our toilet has been stopping up a lot lately. A whole lot. I am not gifted at unclogging our toilet. I try- I promise. I just can't seem to get it done. I made a deal with Nate when we got married... I would cook, clean, do laundry, carry and birth children, make the beds and love him 'til death do us part if he would deal with vermin, plumbing, yard work and electrical problems. I love my husband, and this deal has always worked. Of course, we do the give and take that is necessary in a marriage. For instance, he's not above doing a load of laundry and I'll wield a pair of hedge-clippers when necessary, but, for the most part, this arrangement has served us well.

So.... this afternoon I found myself standing in our bathroom wearing three inch, sling-back, peek-a-boo pumps plunging my toilet because I'm now thinking that my make-up probably got accidentally thrown into the toilet and then said toilet was flushed to cover up the mistake. Maybe the change in my work hours is working, because I didn't freak out. I was proud of myself for the mellow, relaxed, laid back way I giggled about it, and then decided to write about it.

My toilet is still clogged, though.