Gee Whiz, what a weekend.

The Beautiful Ashley Roze, ready for church
Me and the band - Tobe of the Street Dogs
Brian's broken nose
Me and my lover
The Crazy Eye


I really feel my age. Lets see, so Sunday morning I decided to go to Tulsa to see the Street Dogs cause I love them and they keep skipping KC when they tour. So I put some feelers out and Ben says he'll go and my mom will too. Which means we get to drive my mom's car. Which is actually a really nice car. Fast. So Sunday afternoon I lose my voice. I feel like crap. Monday, more of the same. So I dip out of work early and go to the doctor. The conversation goes like this.

"Doc, I have the swine flu"
"No, you just have allergies"
"No, I think you misunderstand what's going on here, I have the swine flu, I'm dying."
"No, you just have allergies."

Needless to say, she sends me on my way with allergy meds. Meanwhile, my left eye has gotten very red and gross. I nickname it The Crazy Eye. I wear my glasses for the next three days. Which are actually new and the right prescription and rather cute. Things are looking up and I almost have my voice back and we get up at the crack of dawn on Thursday. Ben comes over and I cut the hawk before we hit the road. I decide to Twitter the whole trip. Ashley keeps calling Ben 'Nick'. Ben wants to know if he can drive the car. Mom decides he can drive and she'll sleep. Instead I watch Mom have about three mini heart attacks as Ben drives her car in ways it has never been driven (by her at least). We get to Tulsa. My eye freaks out again and I have to take the contacts out. I forgot contact solution. We go to Wal-greens and get stared at (mohawked and tattooed). Some guy really likes Ben's hair and my tattoos.

Later that evening I'm sitting outside in my cousin Rebbecca's backyard holding her 4 month old daughter, Kai. Ben is playing blues on the electric guitar (Rebbecca's husband used to be in a punk band so he and Ben talk shop for a long time). It's a beautiful 75 degree day and I can smell fresh cut strawberries. It's a quiet, fabulous moment.

Dinner is over and we head to the show in some dive bar. People stare at us more. I try to convince some guy that I am the most Martha Stewart type girl he'll ever meet. He tells me that I can't be with that shoulder tattoo. He asks what's wrong with my eye. I tell him about The Crazy Eye. The show starts. Ben and I are running around having a great time scaring Tulsa folks, despite the fact that I can barely breathe cause of the 'allergies'. Singing along to every song. Two songs in Mike yells "Kansas City, I want to see you dance!" I guess he recognized us. Great show and afterwards, we are talking to Mike and Tobe, who asks me about The Crazy Eye as well. So they invite us back to the bus to hang out with them and Alkaline Trio, who is also touring with them, but didn't play that night. We don't go cause I am too tired. Ben hates me.

So heading back home the next day and I sleep. A lot. Which irritates Ashley. I have lost my voice again. We run to the grocery store real quick and start getting ready to go see the Offspring. Ben and Kelsie come over and we grill some burgers and put Ben's hawk back up. We tell Brian and Kelsie how lame the crowd at the Tulsa show was. Off we go to another show.

The crowd here sucks too, We don't like Amberlin so we stay out for that, but head in when Alkaline trio starts. very, very push pit. Lots of big dumb frat boy types who think it's just an excuse to hit people. So I get thrown around a lot. I fall down a lot. They play This Could Be Love and Brian and I dance together in the mosh pit. That part was great. The Used was next and we skipped that, the Taking Back Sunday who put on a killer set, I thought. Then the Offspring start and the pit gets really wild. So Brian finds me at one point and says,"I feel like my nose is broken". I look and it looks like a half moon. I mean, it is screwed up! So we laugh for a minute then get serious and head out of the pit.

Long story short, he has no idea what or who hit him and he shattered it into about eight pieces. He goes in on Friday for surgery to fix it. I 'm pretty frustrated. I mean, we're just getting our finances under control and this happens! I have no idea how much it's going to cost us, but I'm assuming a few thousand dollars. But it's broken so bad, he has too! So anyway, I'm sure it's really painful and uncomfortable for him too. I'll keep you all updated. So anyway, we decided we may be too old for mosh pits. From now on, we'll be the boring people in the back. Neato.

Other news, I think I may start writing a book. I dunno. It's an idea that was brought up to me and I keep throwing around. It occurs to me that while my life is not that interesting, I have a good way of making a mundane story entertaining. I think that's why half of my clients go to me. well, that and my stunning color expertise :)

Sigh. I used to blog so much...

I just get so tired anymore. So what's up, what's new. i have felt like death for the last several days, as many of you know. So I got my little self into the doctor today and it's just really, really bad allergies. So I got some prescription allergy meds. So she tells me that they may make me drowsy, to take them while ate home to best gauge how they affect me. How, I ask you, does only being able to take them at home help me? I mean, I have lost my voice the last two days at work. My voice is important to me! My clients come in to hear me talk, to hear my stories (apparently I'm pretty talented at turning my run-of-the-mill suburban/revolutionary life into an interesting saga). So I keep losing my voice and kids, it just plain hurts! So anyway, my eye also started turning really red at work today too, so it turns out I also have an eye infection. Killer. She gives me drops and says that if it's not better int morning, to go see an eye specialist. Great. That sounds promising. Besides, I have two booked solid days on Tuesday and Wednesday and I need the money! But I can't work with an eye infection. So this better be resolved by morning.

I have decided to trek down to Tulsa to see the Street Dogs on Thursday. I haven't had a road trip in a while so I'm excited. I mean, the house will suffer, for sure. My weekends are time to grocery shop and clean, laundry all that, but it will be okay. Brian will live off of Totino's party pizza's and watch bad movies (he was watching BloodRayne today. I mean, seriously, I have never seen a worse movie. Everything, the costumes, the accents, the acting, the set design, all of it.) So anyway, Ben in coming (my concert buddy) and my mom, cause I have a couple of aunts in Tulsa. So that will be interesting. Two punk rockers and my mom in the (what is it Ben?) GS35. Then back on Friday for the Offspring show. Playing with Amberlin (throw rocks at them), The Used (gag, makes me want to shoot myself), Taking Back Sunday (who I actually like), and Alkaline Trio (I like them too). Busy busy weekend. I'm excited. You see why I need this allergy/eye infection thing cleared up NOW! I have faith that when I wake up in the morning, I will feel like a whole new person.

So, Week 3 of the new budget. We are doing awesome! Basically what I did was make a monthly budget. I have a space for everything, from mortgage to pets (dog food) to clothing to entertainment to allowances. Then I went through the month of may and wrote down each paycheck and what was getting paid from each one. So before May even started, I had the money divided up and spent. So we get to use our debit cards for gas and that's IT. I made it pretty flexible, with our allowances and with our entertainment fund. But once it's gone, it's gone. It was neat though, I was at Target and bought some new clothes and I didn't feel guilty about it, because it was budgeted! It honestly takes a lot of stress off of me, because I know that all the bills will get paid. In fact, in three weeks alone, we have made $300 in credit card payments! At this rate, we can have all of our credit card debt paid off in four months. Then all we have left is my school loans. I have a meeting with our financial adviser on Friday (between getting back from Tulsa and going to the Offspring) and we are opening a 529 which is a college savings fund for Ashley and we'll start making monthly deposits in there and also transferring our IRA into a Roth IRA. The rumor is that the government will be doing away with the Roth IRA's in 2010 because they are such a good deal for the public and such a bad deal for the government (post-tax investments vs per-tax). But if you already have a Roth, you'll be grandfathered in. So we'll start making monthly deposits into that too. They're small now, but after we get the credit cards paid off, we can start adding bigger payments. Theses are all thing that I've had to learn about recently, but are oh so important for our future. We understand that we will never make six-figure salaries, but that doesn't mean that with careful money management and restraint, we can't live very comfortable lives. We are on our way. For example, we don't have car payments right now, we own both cars outright. So I opened a savings account and we are putting $200 a month in it, like it's a car payment. So at $200 a month, in three years we will have $7200+ interest. You can buy a very decent used car for that. And then we won't have any debt, any interest we have to pay. So then maybe we start saving $300 a month instead and in three years we have $10,000 in the bank. Instead of piddling our money away on interest payments, we're thinking ahead and buying things outright. SO anyway, money management. That's where it's at.

I heard a quote tonight - Capability breads humility. It means the better you are at something, the less you have to talk about how good you are at something. So I guess I need to shut up about being a stellar colorist.

I think the allergy meds are kicking in so I'm gonna log off before this blog goes really weird. Look out for updates, photos and yes, probably videos, about my weekend.

Next week - Gogol Bordello

A perfect day

What a lovely day. I swore off all errands and cleaning for the day. First I met with my friend Ashley and took our kiddos to Deanna Roze farmstead where the kids can feed baby goats from bottles, feed adult goats, ducks, fish, cows, and just about every farm animal you can imagine. There is a fishing pond and a hayride and a pony ride. If you can handle about 100 other screaming children, it's actually a run time. And free. Then I took my mom out to a fancy lunch for mother's day. I used to do that all the time for her and haven't much the last few years. The older I get though, I realize time is more important than anything else I can give her.

After that Brian and Ash and I went to pick up the dogs. Maddi got spayed and Strummer was hanging out keeping her company. We got lots of compliments int eh waiting room on how well trained Strummer is. Which makes me feel like we're doing a good job. Maddi is our new foster. She has been with us two weeks and has gained ten pounds. She is a full-blooded border collie. She came to us weighing 14 pounds and scared to death of everything! She will now come when called (sometimes) and will let us pet her. She still won't voluntarily spend any time out of her kennel though. She's such a sad little thing, but I think she'll recover well. We'll probably have her most of the summer, I expect. Doc thinks puppy mill, but the shelter she came from said abuse. Anyway, it's a sad thing to do to a dog.

After we got home Ash watched a bit of a movie and I sat outside and read while Brian climbed our apple tree and cut off branches (we've decided to put the poor tree out of it's misery) while the dog and the cat roamed around beneath him. It was pretty funny. It was such a nice peaceful few minutes. Then we made spaghetti carbanara and garlic bread and ate outside in the beautiful 75 degree weather. Lovely.

Brian left for work and Ash and I decided to take the dogs for a walk. That was a trip. I have one dog I'm trying to teach to heel and another that has probably never been on a walk in her whole life. Challenging, at best. By the end though, Strummer seemed to be getting pretty good at heel. Won't it be nice when I can take him on a walk without a leash! I think it's possible.

Then I just acquired My Neighbor Totoro, which I'm pretty sure is one of the greatest kids movies ever. And surprisingly well-dubbed into English. You go, Dakota Fanning. I'm so happy to have it for Ashley. I need to get her more of the Studio Ghibli stuff, but since she can't read I need stuff that's been dubbed. It's better than nothing right?

So anyway, now I'm doing a nice at home facial and my my pores are looking very polished indeed. All in all, it was a perfect day off. The only thing better would be if Brian was still home and maybe a bit of winkedy-wink-wink.

Time to read some more Sookie Stackhouse.

Summer's Coming

Oh boy is it gonna be a busy one. Brian tore up the back half of the yard and put down seed and fertilizer. "It's all in God's hands now" he told me. It will take an act of God to keep those dogs out of the fenced off area, that's for sure. It looks like one of my tomato plants isn't going to make it. It's the Beefeater though, so I don't care too much, the Heirloom is looking good. I still need to plant my sugar snap peas and herbs. That's all I'm doing this year. We don't have much are for a garden and with all the big trees, no area in the yard that gets enough extended sunlight. So I'm planting in pots on top of the dog house.

I have this old china hutch that my mom gave me. You've probably seen it in pictures. I love it cause it holds so much, but it looks pretty dated, and not in a good way. So I have a plan. A rather ambitious one. I want to remove the glass and replace it. That part will be easy, it comes right out. But I want to find a specialty glass place that will make me new panes, maybe with something cool like a sparrow etched on it. Then I want to replace all the knows. Again, very easy. Here's the hard part. I want to sand it all down and refinish it. I want to stain it really dark, like a mahogany or something. I know it will take a lot of time, but I can work on it at night while Brian is at work. I've never done anything like this so we'll see how it goes. I'll fumble through it, like I do everything else grand that I attempt, I'm sure. Like that time I tried to sew Ashley an Easter dress. Never again, folks, never again. But anyway, when it's done, it will be stellar. And much more usable. And my mother-in-law gave me her china set and it's a really nice simple cream colored set. I want to display it in the hutch, but not the way it is now. And I need to get rid of all that bar glassware that I have. But I kinda like having martini glasses, margarita glasses, highballs, rocks glasses, champagne flutes, red wine glasses, white wine glasses, about fifty shot glasses, traditional Japanese sake set, traditional Japanese teas set, two french presses, two shakers, a jigger, kids, I got it all. And I don't use any of it anymore. But I like having it. We'll see. I just need to rearrange.

Also, I need to start on my church cookbook.

And I need to start on my cookbook.

I have a lot to do.

I went through an did up a budget for us. It turns out we have about $900 a month unaccounted for. That means, not going to pay any bills. That is unbelievable! We are hemorrhaging money! I've got to find it. So I sat down and made a list of every week for the rest of the year and who gets paid when and were. Then for the month of May I wrote down what gets paid each week, where all the money needs to go. So we'll see how this goes. It seems like we're always struggling at the beginning of each month, the middle is okay, but then in anticipation of the beginning of the next month, we're broke again at the end of the month. I really want to even things out and get everything under control. I want to know where our money is! And the problem isn't Brian, I know it's me. It's just, with double incomes, we have a lot more money, but we have double the bills too! So I'm getting used to managing all of this. I mean we have to budget dog bills, dog food, clothes for Ash, gas, car repairs, even the food I like to cook to take to our friends houses, hair product! Makeup! Color for my hair, color for Brian's hair! And I need to stop eating at Dean and Deluca a couple times a week. And he needs to knock off Chipotle. We can do this. I'll let you know how it goes at the end of May.

Today is my two year anniversary at Mario's.

Tattoo Number ?

Mmmm, I'm not even sure anymore. It's funny I was talking to a friend today after my latest acquisition and remarking about how to most of my friends, and certainly to my clients, I am the 'tattooed girl', but until today, I haven't really felt like the tattooed girl. Now I think I am on my way. I mean, I have all these little ones, only one big one. And truly, a lot of those early ones, I barely even count. So today I started on my first project tattoo. It will eventually be a 3/4 sleeve. We outlined the top portion of it and I have an appointment in two weeks to get the lilies colored. And that will have to do for now cause he's going on tour to japan for two months and I'm gonna really start working on that whole baby thing. But I'll feel pretty good to get that much done for now. I'd say I probably have four or five more sessions to finish it all the way below my elbow. But you can see the potential and envision where it will eventually go.

So anyway. Other than the part that pretty much went into my armpit, this tattoo was such a breeze compared to my other recent ones. Even my back hurt more, I think. I mean, I barely feel it right now. When I got the inside of my arm done, that burned for hours. It was pink and puffy for days.

So anyway, since I only have one day off this week and spent half the day at the tattoo shop, I have lots of stuff to do. Laundry, clean the kitchen. Clean up from our mohawk session. Shower. You know, the usual.

Oh, yeah, Keira may be meeting her adoptive family tomorrow. I'm a little sad to see her go. She is so sweet. But, that's one less being to clean up after around here. As if one dog, two cats, a kid and a husband weren't enough, right?

And that picture of my sitting on the couch? Ashley took that. She turning into quite the little photgrapher :)

Rage and Grace

So wow, I feel like I haven't blogged in forever. It has been a couple of weeks and that's so odd for me. So anyway, what's new? I got a root canal and the filling did NOT fall out, regardless of what I thought late one night. In fact, it seems to be doing quite well. Ashley is home from her two week hiatus to Mpls and I am reminded of why I cherish her so much. And am reminded to cherish her. She is such an incredible blessing in my life. Speaking of blessings...I am not pregnant. As of today. I was talking to a friend today who is finally pregnant after years of trying, about how it's such a disappointment, every month. How for so many women, when they're late, it's that terrible sinking feeling, that oh, crap what am I going to do? And for others, when they're late, it's hope and rejoicing and excitement. It's so interesting that something so mundane can really cause so many different reactions. So anyway. Not pregnant. Kinda sad, but that's okay, we haven't been trying for long.

On another topic, I am starting a total money makeover for our family. I just made the finally payment on the surgery for Brian's arm yesterday. Now I am in the process of figuring out what we owe who. My goal is to have us completely debt free in two years. With enough money in savings to cover three months of expenses, from mortgage to daycare to groceries. That means no more credit cards ( we don't owe a lot, relatively speaking, but I still want it gone). I want my school loans paid off and any other random stuff too. I still have seven years left on my school loans, but if we really focus, I think w can do it. So lucky for all of you, you're along for the rid. I plan on journaling our progress. it occurs to me that I am 28 and have very little to show for it and if I really sit down and figure it out, we owe more than we are worth. That's not the legacy I want to leave for my children. I want to live free and not have to worry about money of interest rates of emergencies. I don't exactly live paycheck to paycheck, but close enough. I want a cushion in the bank. Money is a dumb thing to worry about and I'm doing what I cant to remove that from my life. Imagine! Living debt free, completely cash based except for our mortgage! We'll see. The first thing I need to do is cut up my credit cards, which I am avoiding by writing this blog. I'll do it tonight, I promise!

This could be a movie sequence, I think

So I am in my bathroom this morning minding my own business combing Ash's hair when the dogs start barking up a storm so I go look out the window and it Linda, who I'd fogotten was coming over for a haircut so I go down to let her in and notice that there is a small river flowing from my washing machine across my basement floor (thank God into the drain). So I let her in and we run into look at it and the washing machine is overflowing, water is just pouring out of it and we unplug everything and that doesn't stop it so we turn the water valve off and that doesn't work (old valves that won't turn off all the way) so we try to turn the water off to the house in the meantime I'm yelling for Brian to wake up (who is exhausted from his four hour color session on his tattoo yesterday then had to go straight to work). I tell him that the washer is overflowing and he jumps out of bed and I tell him to put pants on because Linda's here and he runs downstairs and tell me to find a wrench so as I'm digging through he tool box a putty knife slices my finger open, I mean deep! So he's finally getting the valve to turn off and it breaks off! Which is funny cause when we moved in his mom told us that the valves were old and corroded and they needed replaced but my dad said no they were fine. So I told Brian not to tell his mom about this! So we got the water shut off to the whole house know, the valve to the washing machine is broken, and we need a new washing machine.

Brian goes back to bed, I cut Linda's hair and the dogs go back outside and hump each other (since they're both fixed I guess it's okay right?)

And it's not even noon yet.