Somethin' about nothin'

It’s hard to find something that can bring the craziness of life to a screeching halt. Enter, the stomach flu…where the only thing that matters is sleep and distance to the toilet.  Oh, don’t start saying ewww…we’ve all been there. It’s an unfortunate and ugly part of life.

So here we are. The only semi-edible thing in the cupboard is a small box of graham crackers. We both have a fever, cold chills, body ache, hair standing in every direction, and Safeway.com has no available deliveries for today. There’s a bit of a glossy eyed stare down as we realize that one of us has got to try to go out to get bland food and something to keep us hydrated, all while praying that nothing more comes up in the process. I think it’s going to come down to rock-paper-scissors.

I heard about this today and just had to see if it actually exists…and yes, it does. It wasn’t hard to find. I just Googled “Bling band-aids” and it came up with 61,900 results. Holy Crap! Maybe I’m a little late to the game on this one but this is utterly silly.

They come with Swarovski crystals, packed in a special tin case!

What is the world coming to?  Do we really need to bling out our bleeding, open wounds?

…hold on

…maybe they’re on to something 

I can totally see my 17 year old daughter sporting on of these. Maybe not on her face like the model in the picture…but I can see it. Hmmm.

Check it out…

http://www.woohome.com/home-gadgets/swarovski-bling-band-aid

 

We've moved back to the city and we absolutely love it. One aspect of city living that we'd forgotten about is the free entertainment. It's incredible. And by free entertainment I'm referring to people watching. Has anyone reading this actually done any people watching in SF? It's not hard...just stop and look at the person next to you. (Try to keep the stares and open mouth reaction to a minimum.)

By simply walking down the road, we saw Moses dressed in a long leather trench, accessorized with leather chaps and gloves...completed with his long trench flowing out behind him as if part of The Matrix. We saw Santa riding down the street on a purple Harley while blasting some gangsta rap, and let's not forget the man wearing an impressive amount of barbie dolls. Yes, that's right...barbie dolls. (The pic has been cropped for the protection of young readers.)

And now my new favorite?

Well...it would take a local to be able to pull this off without anyone even blinking an eye.

We were having lunch at the Ferry Building Sunday, sitting on the back patio next to the water enjoying the sounds, the people, and the beautiful weather. What was soon right in front of us on his unicycle was a very tall (and not very slender) man wearing a full body suit (head cover included). This suit was a shimmering, hot pink leotard with an itty bitty silver cape. Strangely enough, not the outfit I'd expect to see on a Sunday afternoon, but whatever.

No music could be heard playing live or overhead (the clarinet player had already moved further down the pier), but that did not stop our new unicycle wielding friend from throwing his arms up as if frolicking through a meadow while singing The Sound of Music with Julie Andrews. To be clear, we're not sure what was actually coming out of his mouth...be it comment or song...but he was loud and proud and rocking that unicycle. Again I say...only in San Francisco.

Is anyone familiar with the song? It has a playful feel with an undertone that grows with intensity as the song progresses. Several years ago, my love and best friend insisted I listen to it in the middle of the night while he was packing to catch a plane early the next morning. I quickly understood why...what a great song! I can't help but smile when I listen to it. Enjoy...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DmWJLzLOZXo

How many times can one person move in a life time? As I sit here and think about it, I can’t help but wonder if it’s my constant desire to grow, or did being raised in a military family unknowingly make me part nomad? Perhaps it’s simply the desire to find a place that better fits who I’ve become?  Whoa…too deep…let’s move on…

Wikipedia defines moving as: the process of leaving one dwelling and settling in another

Well that’s breaking it down to almost nothing, but how can almost nothing result in so much stress and frustration when the original idea is filled with excitement? There’s an emotional component to moving that cannot be defined by an encyclopedia or dictionary. It’s far more than “the process of leaving one dwelling and settling in another”, and it’s that emotional component that makes our families and friends cringe when they hear the words “will you help me move”. The mere mention or even suspicion of the process has people showing how well they mastered the oh-so-famous disappearing act as a child.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not criticizing here. I’m just thinking that we need to rethink how we define things. Maybe we need some sort of a reference guide on “what the facts don’t tell you” (more on that later). Either way, I’m determined to get some excitement back into this emotional process we call moving.

 

Just a quick shout out to those of you who called, emailed, yelled, or snail-mailed well wishes while I’ve been sick. I’d like my New Year’s resolution to be that I will no longer be a patient to the nearest hospital…but since I do not have absolute control over what’s around me I can only call that a hope and not a resolution. What I can resolve is to be hopeful that the New Year will bring health and happiness to us all. Thank you…

When did we all learn how to start a zipper? Preschool? Kindergarten? I have been able to start and zip since I can remember. So why is it that over the last year my ability to start a simple zipper resembles that of a 3yr old? I don’t get it.

I’m home alone, the dog is begging, it’s cold out, and every single casual jacket or sweater that I own has a zipper. I’m screwed! I spent 15 minutes trying to get my zipper started, gave up, and held my sweater closed for the next 20 minutes while I walked the dog in the cold wind. Is it any wonder why I can’t seem to shake this nasty cold?

After we finished our walk, I went through my closet on a mission to test every single zipper I own…and I could not get a single one started. Have I digressed that much? I’m not even 40 and I’m already having trouble. What will happen when I’m 50? Will I be forced to wear cushioned mittens as a safe-guard from accidental self-inflicted wounds?

Okay, so that may be a bit of an exaggeration…I hope. What I do know is that I feel silly asking my 17yr old daughter or my love to zip my sweater or jacket for me. Does anyone know where I can get “How to Start a Zipper, for Dummies”? I can’t seem to find it on Amazon.

For now I guess I’ll swallow my pride, ask for help, and start to convert my wardrobe to buttons. Yes, you heard me…I’m moving to buttons.