I am always impressed by people who have goals. Or at least people who follow through with their goals. Sadly, I am not usually among this population. Oh sure, I can do the little stuff. I once had a goal of driving a Toyota Corolla; now I drive a Toyota Corolla. I once wanted to try Sweet Corn Ice Cream at the State Fair. Mission accomplished on that one, too.
Generally, when it comes to the big stuff, I am 50/50 on completion. College degree? Check. Boyfriend? No check. Graduate degree? Almost check. Millionaire? No check. You see?
If I had to specify an area of my life where many goals fall by the wayside, it would have to be in the side project/hobby category. For example, inspired by the blog/book/movie spectacle of "Julie/Julia," I took matters into my own hands and decided to set my sights on a more attainable goal: I would bake my way through the Betty Crocker Cooky Book. Oh, and I would blog about it.
Well, I did create and write a blog for the recipes I managed to do. The problem with this was that I undertook the project while on winter break in my first year of grad school. When one has a full winter month of no homework and no responsibilities, baking is not such a difficult task. Sadly, once classes resumed, I had only made it through the first rounds, and I was closing in on some flavors that were highly unappealing. Some may have involved raisins. Yuck.
The blog itself and all of its magical five posts are still available at http://cookybooky.blogspot.com/ Please don't judge me based on the fact that I cannot do food photography for the life of me. This was before I ever looked at the Pioneer Woman's blog and was put to shame by her beautifully lit creations. I blame my shortcomings on the fact that there are no windows in my kitchen. Right.
To get more to my point, this weekend (at the Fair), I purchased a cook book at the MPR stand. Does this sound odd to you? Perhaps it is but I find that I do not care. It is called "All Cakes Considered," by Melissa Gray. It is a cake cookbook, obviously, but it is more than that. Ms. Gray spent a year bringing cakes into work every Monday to try out on her coworkers. Also, she spends quite a bit of time elaborating on the sometimes neglected necessary steps to successful cake baking.
I was intrigued, it was cheap, I am an MPR member, so I bought it. Don't get too excited, I have no intention of bringing a new cake into the office every week, but it has been a looooooong time since I did baking of any kind, and I have that lovely KitchenAid Stand Mixer just sitting on my counter begging to be used, so I figured, why not try a few out?
So tonight I will attempt to bake a cake. If it turns out well, I will let you know. Now that the weather is cooling, the use of my oven does not seem so onerous to me. If the cake turns out, my coworkers will reap the benefits. If I fail, my garbage can will be a little fuller this week. I hope all the kitchen activity does not confuse my dog too much as she has never known me to use much besides the microwave.
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
Monday, September 5, 2011
New Beginnings
I should perhaps try a little harder to not make the writing prompt suggestions I use into my title. Creativity is taking a holiday, it seems.
Actually, I make take a moment to ridicule this prompt just a tiny bit. Isn't the phrase "new beginnings" a bit redundant? Also, is "beginning" really meant to be a noun? Perhaps my questions here are rhetorical, but I have to throw them out there as I am starting to believe that this prompt is dumb.
Thankfully, it appears that I was correct in my illness assessment and I do not have a cold. At least, my nasal behavior of the past 12 hours would agree with this statement.
My brother and his girlfriend went home this morning and my father has spent the day out in the country visiting my grandfather. My mother and I remained at home with the dogs, but we did venture out for a nice walk around the neighborhood after our luncheon at the Boundary Waters restaurant.
OK, so it isn't called that any more. But then, Macy's wasn't always Macy's, was it? No. Before that it was Marshall Field's. Before that it was Dayton's. It was actually Marshall Field's that did away with the name of the Boundary Waters as the name of their in-store restaurant. The lovely restaurant tucked away in the basement of Southdale Shopping Center that my grandmother took us to as children.
Never mind. If I get going on how depressing Macy's makes me feel, it could ruin this perfectly lovely day.
Can I just say how much I enjoy three-day weekends? Or how much I would love it to be a four-day weekend instead? Not that my work is drudgery or anything. I just like not having to be there and not feeling guilty about not being there.
My best friend and I used to jokingly talk about our futures and what we would do once we had settled down before and after children. We would start our days at a reasonable hour. No need to sleep in past 9 a.m., but no reason to be up at 5:30 a.m. either. After a small breakfast, we would hop off to the gym where we would do yoga or work out with our hot personal trainers. You know, exercise.
Next, we would meet up for coffee. Probably at Caribou. Once we were done with that, we would go home and clean up before meeting for lunch, possibly at Dayton's. After that, we would do "errands" of some kind, which could include grocery shopping or maybe a visit to the hairdresser. With a sense of accomplishment, we would go home and do whatever the heck we wanted until our husband and children got home.
Obviously, these plans were made in jest. We honestly had no intention of becoming high-class pretentious "Ladies Who Lunch." The only part that may have been somewhat truthful is that we hoped to settle down one day and be happy.
For now, we settle for going to lunch whenever we happen to have a common day off, which is sadly not as often as one would hope.
On a different note, I am thinking of adding yet another page to my blog pertaining to music. I don't know how this would be received or if anyone would even care to look at it. I also need to decide how to determine what would be in it. I have thought about simply listing my most recent iTunes purchases, but that really doesn't give a full picture of what I am listening to or what I would recommend. Keep an eye out for it, but it may take a while.
Crap. I just realized that I have written almost an entire entry without thinking about my imposed prompt. Well, I guess we will just have to accept it and move on. Like a new beginning. Ha.
Actually, I make take a moment to ridicule this prompt just a tiny bit. Isn't the phrase "new beginnings" a bit redundant? Also, is "beginning" really meant to be a noun? Perhaps my questions here are rhetorical, but I have to throw them out there as I am starting to believe that this prompt is dumb.
Thankfully, it appears that I was correct in my illness assessment and I do not have a cold. At least, my nasal behavior of the past 12 hours would agree with this statement.
My brother and his girlfriend went home this morning and my father has spent the day out in the country visiting my grandfather. My mother and I remained at home with the dogs, but we did venture out for a nice walk around the neighborhood after our luncheon at the Boundary Waters restaurant.
OK, so it isn't called that any more. But then, Macy's wasn't always Macy's, was it? No. Before that it was Marshall Field's. Before that it was Dayton's. It was actually Marshall Field's that did away with the name of the Boundary Waters as the name of their in-store restaurant. The lovely restaurant tucked away in the basement of Southdale Shopping Center that my grandmother took us to as children.
Never mind. If I get going on how depressing Macy's makes me feel, it could ruin this perfectly lovely day.
Can I just say how much I enjoy three-day weekends? Or how much I would love it to be a four-day weekend instead? Not that my work is drudgery or anything. I just like not having to be there and not feeling guilty about not being there.
My best friend and I used to jokingly talk about our futures and what we would do once we had settled down before and after children. We would start our days at a reasonable hour. No need to sleep in past 9 a.m., but no reason to be up at 5:30 a.m. either. After a small breakfast, we would hop off to the gym where we would do yoga or work out with our hot personal trainers. You know, exercise.
Next, we would meet up for coffee. Probably at Caribou. Once we were done with that, we would go home and clean up before meeting for lunch, possibly at Dayton's. After that, we would do "errands" of some kind, which could include grocery shopping or maybe a visit to the hairdresser. With a sense of accomplishment, we would go home and do whatever the heck we wanted until our husband and children got home.
Obviously, these plans were made in jest. We honestly had no intention of becoming high-class pretentious "Ladies Who Lunch." The only part that may have been somewhat truthful is that we hoped to settle down one day and be happy.
For now, we settle for going to lunch whenever we happen to have a common day off, which is sadly not as often as one would hope.
On a different note, I am thinking of adding yet another page to my blog pertaining to music. I don't know how this would be received or if anyone would even care to look at it. I also need to decide how to determine what would be in it. I have thought about simply listing my most recent iTunes purchases, but that really doesn't give a full picture of what I am listening to or what I would recommend. Keep an eye out for it, but it may take a while.
Crap. I just realized that I have written almost an entire entry without thinking about my imposed prompt. Well, I guess we will just have to accept it and move on. Like a new beginning. Ha.
Labor Day!
Happy Labor Day, everybody! It is a beautiful day in the neighborhood, and my mother wants to go out to lunch, so this will be a brief entry.
As for me, I am finally pulling out of my Nyquil-induced coma that I was forced to enact last night when my congestion proved too much for me. I still maintain that it was allergy related, but sadly, the antihistamine in Claritin was insufficient to quell the sneezing.
My main suspect for the cause of this sudden and strong bout with the boogies is the Fair. Don't mistake me, I fully enjoyed my visit and have every intention of going again next year; I may simply need to drug up on allergy meds beforehand and not wait until after the damage is done.
Something about all the hay, dust and human particles in one place came together to cause some major ickiness in my sinuses.
As my mother and her best friend can attest, the effects of Nyquil are largely sleep inducing. Unfortunately, the kind of sleep produced can be less than restful, which is why I generally keep away from the stuff if at all possible.
More on this later, perhaps, but I sense that I will now need to make a call on our lunch plans and I hate to waste this day on too much typing.
As for me, I am finally pulling out of my Nyquil-induced coma that I was forced to enact last night when my congestion proved too much for me. I still maintain that it was allergy related, but sadly, the antihistamine in Claritin was insufficient to quell the sneezing.
My main suspect for the cause of this sudden and strong bout with the boogies is the Fair. Don't mistake me, I fully enjoyed my visit and have every intention of going again next year; I may simply need to drug up on allergy meds beforehand and not wait until after the damage is done.
Something about all the hay, dust and human particles in one place came together to cause some major ickiness in my sinuses.
As my mother and her best friend can attest, the effects of Nyquil are largely sleep inducing. Unfortunately, the kind of sleep produced can be less than restful, which is why I generally keep away from the stuff if at all possible.
More on this later, perhaps, but I sense that I will now need to make a call on our lunch plans and I hate to waste this day on too much typing.
Sunday, September 4, 2011
Corn of my dreams
Gah. I think I have eaten more corn in the last 24 hours than I have in the past 10 years. It's not a bad thing, but my tummy is not thanking me wholeheartedly for it as of yet.
Yesterday, my parents had a little family shindig that involved us drinking a whole batch of Pioneer Woman Sangria. There were six of us doing the drinking, but it was still a little intense. Especially when we knew that we were planning to get up EARLY this morning to attend the MN State Fair.
But... we made it. We successfully arrived early enough to enjoy the fair before the maddening crowds, and by the time we left at 1 p.m., tummies full and multiple purchases made, we were happy.
By far the best new item I consumed this year was the Sweet Corn Ice Cream with Honey Butter Bacon topping. Wow. The reviews did not lie. I gave up my usual chocolate malt at the Dairy Building for this, but it was definitely worth it.
This year, I ended up doing more "shopping" than normal. Lena got a new toy, I got a t-shirt and a bracelet along with some new CD's, mittens and a cookbook. Eek.
Now we are home and slightly lethargic due to the caloric intake, our early start and the beautiful weather. But we are satisfied. Plus, we can enjoy the day knowing that tomorrow we do not need to return to work.
Sadly, I do have to keep in mind that school starts this week. Mercifully, my Thursday night professor has not assigned any readings for the first class. This is not normal, but I don't mind. My Saturday professor has assigned some readings, but hey, that isn't until next Saturday, right?
I must now roll my bloated self over to the next comfortable seating location and perhaps partake in an afternoon snooze. Ta.
Yesterday, my parents had a little family shindig that involved us drinking a whole batch of Pioneer Woman Sangria. There were six of us doing the drinking, but it was still a little intense. Especially when we knew that we were planning to get up EARLY this morning to attend the MN State Fair.
But... we made it. We successfully arrived early enough to enjoy the fair before the maddening crowds, and by the time we left at 1 p.m., tummies full and multiple purchases made, we were happy.
By far the best new item I consumed this year was the Sweet Corn Ice Cream with Honey Butter Bacon topping. Wow. The reviews did not lie. I gave up my usual chocolate malt at the Dairy Building for this, but it was definitely worth it.
This year, I ended up doing more "shopping" than normal. Lena got a new toy, I got a t-shirt and a bracelet along with some new CD's, mittens and a cookbook. Eek.
Now we are home and slightly lethargic due to the caloric intake, our early start and the beautiful weather. But we are satisfied. Plus, we can enjoy the day knowing that tomorrow we do not need to return to work.
Sadly, I do have to keep in mind that school starts this week. Mercifully, my Thursday night professor has not assigned any readings for the first class. This is not normal, but I don't mind. My Saturday professor has assigned some readings, but hey, that isn't until next Saturday, right?
I must now roll my bloated self over to the next comfortable seating location and perhaps partake in an afternoon snooze. Ta.
Saturday, September 3, 2011
Fun with Horoscopes
Over a year ago, back when I was in my highly prolific drawing phase, I created a series of horoscope related drawings for each astrological sign and posted them to a Facebook album. As I was somewhat pleased with the outcome, I decided to share them here as well. Please note: I in no way endorse or believe in astrology. This is intended for entertainment purposes ONLY. If you are not entertained, I apologize.
 |
| Clearly, this is personal. In case you couldn't tell, I am an Aries. |
 |
| Again, slightly personal. My friend Mary is an Aries and her boyfriend is a Taurus. |
 |
| Interestingly enough, this was a prediction that came true. I was so freaked out, I hid under my bed for three days. |
 |
| Ha ha. I wrote this one just about one year ago exactly. Coincidence? |
 |
| The drawing of the Leo sign is disturbing, I admit. But it is marginally accurate. |
 |
| Good advice. Heed it. |
 |
| Mmmmmmm.... |
 |
| I rarely make shoe predictions, but this one was spot on. |
 |
| Two things that everyone loves: pirates and fish tacos. |
 |
| I usually try to keep "Twilight" from infiltrating my universe, but this snuck in anyway. |
 |
| If you can't read the words that the girl is singing, it is "Seize the Day." |
 |
| Beware of leprechauns and pollen. |
Friday, September 2, 2011
Reader's Advisory
One of the interesting and frustrating conundrums I face in writing a blog that is viewable by one and all on the Internet is measuring where to "draw the line." It is probably safe to say that my writings are not that dangerous and offensive, at least in my own opinion.
Every once in a while, I am tempted to take a risk and be a bit more "out there," but common sense and decency usually win out. People could get hurt. My employer could get angry and fire me. Not that I am sharing trade secrets or anything, but it could "reflect poorly on the company."
So I am thinking about trying to add a tab for reader's advisory on my blog. "Reader's Advisory" is a librarian term, by the way and yes, I am misusing it a bit. Technically, I am supposed to be able to speak to a patron and through a set of careful questions and lightening quick mental evaluation, I should be able to name some new books for them that they may like. It's a bit like amazon.com recommendations that are based on browsing and purchase history.
Although this makes me sound a bit teacher's pettish, I love to read. Always have. Always will. It is really just a shame that something I like so much does so very little for one's physical well-being. Other than relaxation and mental stimulation, it does nothing to improve the shape of one's backside. What a shame.
Now I have a confession to make. Despite the fact that I am training to be a librarian, I rarely utilize a library to obtain new reading material myself. I buy books. Over the years, I have accumulated quite a collection, and please note that I have no intention of donating or giving away any of them in the near future. I know there are people who can read things once and never touch them again. This does not work for me.
I love knowing that I can revisit a book any time I want, provided that I can find it. You see, I have run out of bookshelf space. When I daydream, I imagine that I have divested my second bedroom of the common furniture (bed, dresser, etc.) that currently resides within and turned it into my own private library, complete with tall bookshelves and comfy seating.
At this point, the only thing holding me back is the uncertainty of my future career. I hesitate to put much remodel effort into a room that I may not be able to utilize one year from now. If it turns out that my new job enables me to stay in my present location, I may take that step. After all, it's not like I really NEED a fully equipped second bedroom. No one has slept in there in years.
In a well-intentioned attempt to catalog my collection, I signed up for an online community called Library Thing. It's a great idea, but entering everything is time consuming and involves locating and retrieving all my books from their various hiding places, which includes large bins stacked in closets. If only I could have them all in my centrally located library, I could just bring my laptop in and do it all in one place. Someday...
If I learned anything from the Library Thing experiment, it is that I have no interest in providing you with a list of all the books I have read. Far better to just start in the moment with my most recent completed item.
So for that purpose, I am going to try and navigate the template settings for this blog and see what I can do. Keep an eye out for changes. Also, if you haven't noticed, I added a little "fun" reaction gadget to the end of all my entries so that you can rate what I write about. I apologize that the options are pre-chosen (by me), but if you have any ideas of what would be better to use in these categories, please let me know. It does not appear that anyone has used them yet, so I am a little sad.
To summarize, I love books, watch for changes on my blog, and for goodness sakes, give me some reactions!!
Every once in a while, I am tempted to take a risk and be a bit more "out there," but common sense and decency usually win out. People could get hurt. My employer could get angry and fire me. Not that I am sharing trade secrets or anything, but it could "reflect poorly on the company."
So I am thinking about trying to add a tab for reader's advisory on my blog. "Reader's Advisory" is a librarian term, by the way and yes, I am misusing it a bit. Technically, I am supposed to be able to speak to a patron and through a set of careful questions and lightening quick mental evaluation, I should be able to name some new books for them that they may like. It's a bit like amazon.com recommendations that are based on browsing and purchase history.
Although this makes me sound a bit teacher's pettish, I love to read. Always have. Always will. It is really just a shame that something I like so much does so very little for one's physical well-being. Other than relaxation and mental stimulation, it does nothing to improve the shape of one's backside. What a shame.
Now I have a confession to make. Despite the fact that I am training to be a librarian, I rarely utilize a library to obtain new reading material myself. I buy books. Over the years, I have accumulated quite a collection, and please note that I have no intention of donating or giving away any of them in the near future. I know there are people who can read things once and never touch them again. This does not work for me.
I love knowing that I can revisit a book any time I want, provided that I can find it. You see, I have run out of bookshelf space. When I daydream, I imagine that I have divested my second bedroom of the common furniture (bed, dresser, etc.) that currently resides within and turned it into my own private library, complete with tall bookshelves and comfy seating.
At this point, the only thing holding me back is the uncertainty of my future career. I hesitate to put much remodel effort into a room that I may not be able to utilize one year from now. If it turns out that my new job enables me to stay in my present location, I may take that step. After all, it's not like I really NEED a fully equipped second bedroom. No one has slept in there in years.
In a well-intentioned attempt to catalog my collection, I signed up for an online community called Library Thing. It's a great idea, but entering everything is time consuming and involves locating and retrieving all my books from their various hiding places, which includes large bins stacked in closets. If only I could have them all in my centrally located library, I could just bring my laptop in and do it all in one place. Someday...
If I learned anything from the Library Thing experiment, it is that I have no interest in providing you with a list of all the books I have read. Far better to just start in the moment with my most recent completed item.
So for that purpose, I am going to try and navigate the template settings for this blog and see what I can do. Keep an eye out for changes. Also, if you haven't noticed, I added a little "fun" reaction gadget to the end of all my entries so that you can rate what I write about. I apologize that the options are pre-chosen (by me), but if you have any ideas of what would be better to use in these categories, please let me know. It does not appear that anyone has used them yet, so I am a little sad.
To summarize, I love books, watch for changes on my blog, and for goodness sakes, give me some reactions!!
Thursday, September 1, 2011
Touch your OWN toes, thank you very much!
Welcome to September 2011! Here I am on day one of the month with nothing very interesting to say to you. I wrote up a few entries yesterday, but they ended up being some pretty serious-type ones and I just am not quite up to sharing them. Maybe someday I will modify them and re post, but when I consider the spirit of most entries I put on here, they just didn't jive.
To give you an idea, part one was about priorities in dating and part two was about dating after the death of a loved one. Eesh.
Instead, I am going to write about a much more benign issue: mani-pedis.
For the uninitiated, mani-pedi = manicure/pedicure. According to Merriam-Webster, a manicure is a "treatment for the care of the hands and fingernails." If you know French (or Latin), you can probably break apart the meaning of the word quite easily. You should then also know that a pedicure is the same thing, except for feet instead of hands.
In case I have never mentioned it, I have a "thing" about being touched by strangers. No, I am not a raging germophobe. There is just something in me that finds the act of touching to be somewhat intimate (and not in a sexual way) and it means bringing some part of my body into contact with someone else. Perhaps it is my Minnesota-ness coming through, but it conjures up the whole idea of personal space for me.
If I know you well, chances are I have no problem giving you a hug, shaking your hand, or patting you on the back (and vice versa). But if I just met you, back off. OK, so I won't run away screaming or try and fend you off with a sharp stick, but I will be profoundly unhappy about it.
To embrace a bit of a tangent, this idiosyncrasy really comes into play when I date. For whatever reason, the general male population of the world (at least the ones that I date) have decided that two dates is the proper amount of time after which major physical contact can be initiated. Don't let your brain jump too far ahead there, Buster. I am talking about kissing. Honestly, I had a guy stop calling me once because he figured that since we didn't make out on the second date, I wasn't interested.
Ha. Try putting that in reverse. I was interested. See, when I am actually interested, I prefer to get to know the person before sharing saliva. Kissing random strangers is only fun when you're intoxicated. And in a foreign country. But we'll save that story for later.
Wow, I just realized how far off topic I went! I guess it illuminates my problem in a more concrete way, but it may have been too much information.
Back to mani-pedis. These procedures enjoy a great deal of popularity in modern society, especially when the weather is warm and extremities are more exposed to visual evaluation.
Some people get mani-pedis (or simply manis or pedis) on a weekly basis. Some stretch it out to monthly. Some only do it every once in a while for a special treat.
I do it only when forced. When I really think about it, I am pretty sure that I have only had a manicure done 3-4 times in my life. I know for absolute certain that I have had a pedicure done NEVER. The manicures were done primarily in conjunction with weddings in which I was an active participant, so that is my excuse for those. Honestly, I can deal with manicures most of the time, but this is because I feel no shame about my hands or fingernails.
My feet are a different story. Over the course of time in general and summer in specific, they get a little uglier. I use a relative term, because even in the best circumstances, my feet are strange looking. I have long toes. I also have a condition known as Morton's Toe. It's hot.
Also, I have calluses, on my heels mostly. I do occasionally attempt to use a pumice stone to work on these and three times in my life I have used foot lotion. But I always forget and anyway, my mornings are already too full of personal hygiene routines that I simply do not have room for another.
So not only are my feet somewhat deformed in general, but they have that lovely extra oomph of dried callus-y skin as well!
To many people, the obvious solution would be to get a pedicure. While the overall shape and structure of my feet cannot be changed without surgery, surely the callus situation can be remedied?
Unfortunately, this is never going to happen. First, of all the parts of me that I really do not like to have other people touch, my feet are top of the list. Yes, I am ticklish, but it is more than that. It just gives me the heebie-jeebies.
Second, it is dangerous. How many stories have I heard about people getting infections from pedicures? A lot. No thanks. Also, nail polish tends to turn my nails yellow. Who needs that?
Third, it is expensive. If I am going to drop money on cosmetic treatment, it sure isn't going to be for my feet. Hair? Yes. Teeth? Maybe. Heel? No way. Not on your life.
The good news is that summer is almost over, and with that, the end of sandal season. Soon my feet will be safely ensconced in socks for the duration of the winter and not visible to anyone but me and my dog. I knew there was a reason that I love winter.
To give you an idea, part one was about priorities in dating and part two was about dating after the death of a loved one. Eesh.
Instead, I am going to write about a much more benign issue: mani-pedis.
For the uninitiated, mani-pedi = manicure/pedicure. According to Merriam-Webster, a manicure is a "treatment for the care of the hands and fingernails." If you know French (or Latin), you can probably break apart the meaning of the word quite easily. You should then also know that a pedicure is the same thing, except for feet instead of hands.
In case I have never mentioned it, I have a "thing" about being touched by strangers. No, I am not a raging germophobe. There is just something in me that finds the act of touching to be somewhat intimate (and not in a sexual way) and it means bringing some part of my body into contact with someone else. Perhaps it is my Minnesota-ness coming through, but it conjures up the whole idea of personal space for me.
If I know you well, chances are I have no problem giving you a hug, shaking your hand, or patting you on the back (and vice versa). But if I just met you, back off. OK, so I won't run away screaming or try and fend you off with a sharp stick, but I will be profoundly unhappy about it.
To embrace a bit of a tangent, this idiosyncrasy really comes into play when I date. For whatever reason, the general male population of the world (at least the ones that I date) have decided that two dates is the proper amount of time after which major physical contact can be initiated. Don't let your brain jump too far ahead there, Buster. I am talking about kissing. Honestly, I had a guy stop calling me once because he figured that since we didn't make out on the second date, I wasn't interested.
Ha. Try putting that in reverse. I was interested. See, when I am actually interested, I prefer to get to know the person before sharing saliva. Kissing random strangers is only fun when you're intoxicated. And in a foreign country. But we'll save that story for later.
Wow, I just realized how far off topic I went! I guess it illuminates my problem in a more concrete way, but it may have been too much information.
Back to mani-pedis. These procedures enjoy a great deal of popularity in modern society, especially when the weather is warm and extremities are more exposed to visual evaluation.
Some people get mani-pedis (or simply manis or pedis) on a weekly basis. Some stretch it out to monthly. Some only do it every once in a while for a special treat.
I do it only when forced. When I really think about it, I am pretty sure that I have only had a manicure done 3-4 times in my life. I know for absolute certain that I have had a pedicure done NEVER. The manicures were done primarily in conjunction with weddings in which I was an active participant, so that is my excuse for those. Honestly, I can deal with manicures most of the time, but this is because I feel no shame about my hands or fingernails.
My feet are a different story. Over the course of time in general and summer in specific, they get a little uglier. I use a relative term, because even in the best circumstances, my feet are strange looking. I have long toes. I also have a condition known as Morton's Toe. It's hot.
Also, I have calluses, on my heels mostly. I do occasionally attempt to use a pumice stone to work on these and three times in my life I have used foot lotion. But I always forget and anyway, my mornings are already too full of personal hygiene routines that I simply do not have room for another.
So not only are my feet somewhat deformed in general, but they have that lovely extra oomph of dried callus-y skin as well!
To many people, the obvious solution would be to get a pedicure. While the overall shape and structure of my feet cannot be changed without surgery, surely the callus situation can be remedied?
Unfortunately, this is never going to happen. First, of all the parts of me that I really do not like to have other people touch, my feet are top of the list. Yes, I am ticklish, but it is more than that. It just gives me the heebie-jeebies.
Second, it is dangerous. How many stories have I heard about people getting infections from pedicures? A lot. No thanks. Also, nail polish tends to turn my nails yellow. Who needs that?
Third, it is expensive. If I am going to drop money on cosmetic treatment, it sure isn't going to be for my feet. Hair? Yes. Teeth? Maybe. Heel? No way. Not on your life.
The good news is that summer is almost over, and with that, the end of sandal season. Soon my feet will be safely ensconced in socks for the duration of the winter and not visible to anyone but me and my dog. I knew there was a reason that I love winter.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)