As many of you know Jillian recently decided to leave the land of the blondes and become a red head.  She will probably be mad at me for posting this picture but I want everyone to see how great it looks.  Sorry babe!

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Almost two years ago at a previous job I was presented with an opportunity to help someone who worked for me.  I was the General Manager at a breakfast/lunch restaurant and one day after closing I noticed an employee outside arguing with someone.  It turned out she was behind on her car payment and the lender was trying to take the car back.  To make a long story short, she needed to give the guy all the money she owed or he was taking the car.  Against my better judgment i loaned her the money so she could keep the car.  We agreed she would give me a portion of her tips every day until the loan was repaid.

I hate asking people for money they owe me and explained to this person that I was not going to chase her for the money.  Over a year later I left that job having never received any of the money.  At that point I had written her off as a person who had not deserved my help in the first place.  I decided she was an ungrateful b***h and swore I was not helping anyone again.

Two weeks ago this person walked into Jillian’s shop and handed her all the money she owed me.  It is very likely I would have never run into her again and it would have been very easy for her to leave the debt unpaid.

I don’t know the circumstances surrounding why she did not pay me before or why she finally decided to hand that money to Jillian.  In the long run her motivation doesn’t really matter.

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When I grow up I hope to become a “book person.” I’ve always wanted to become one and am patiently waiting for the day I get the urge to go to the bookstore for a reason other than their cafe’s coffee and pastry selections.  I envy people who bring books with them when they go somewhere and expect to have a wait. Or who’s idea of a perfect afternoon is curling up with a good book. Do people really do this for fun? I’ve just NEVER had that feeling. It’s one of those things that look enjoyable to me but…….5 minutes into it I’m wondering what possessed me to start this and how I can get out of finishing it. (same feelings arise with painting a room or cleaning out a closet.)

At least I know I’m not opposed to the reading part itself because lately I’ve been knockin’ out the magazines like they’re going out of style.  I love bad magazines. Don’t know why, I just love them.  Any fashion or trashy celebrity gossip one will do.  People, In-Style, Us Weekly, Cosmo…..they’re all stupid and  petty with no premise, yet I find them incredibly addicting.  If more people would openly admit they they’re hooked on bad magazines too it might make me feel not so bad about loving my bad magazines.

I guess some magazines are just so bad they’re good.

Pathetically, I ripped this quote out of a  magazine months ago and have clipped it to the visor in my car for daily inspiration.

“Anyone who sustains weight loss, which is extremely difficult, has essentially reinvented herself and is worthy of the utmost admiration and respect.” –Some doctor guy

It’s been working

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I know you’re not supposed to say hate.   But…..I hate that rule.

#1.   CILANTRO. Maybe the only food I will absolutely not eat. It tastes like soap.  Like really flowery old-lady soap. The worst is when restaurants think they’re cool and sprinkle cilantro all over the entire plate that you waited all week for which absolutely did not include soap as an ingredient when you checked on the menu 26 times before ordering it!!!! It ruins my life if I taste cilantro. Ugh, I think I just threw up a little.

#2.   WHITE SUNGLASSES.   Just don’t like ‘em.  Never met a single person who looked good in them.  I cannot understand the whole appeal of these things.  The only acceptable way to pull this look off is if you are 3years old.  If you can change my mind on this and convince me that white sunglasses can be attractive, by all means, do so.  But I don’t think you can.

#3.   MEN WITH PONY TAILS.    I can’t even talk about this one.

#4.   Anyone who starts a conversation with, “CAN I ASK YOU A QUESTION?” Really?  What is the choice here? They’ve already asked a question by asking that.  What if I said, “no?”  I’m going to start doing that from now on actually, I’ve just decided.

#5. FORMALITIES BRIDAL BOUTIQUE. Infuriating story.

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I’d just like to say that I think it’s funny that Ben and I appear to have twin girls and several other small children in all the photos on here.  They don’t belong to us. Too bad, though.

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By the way, Kim, Debacle means disaster. I love you

It was 100% my decision to change our wedding to the cruise.  So of course it had occurred to me that I had already ordered and paid for a gown that I fell in love with back in July.  This was the only snag. The gown wouldn’t be in until November! Could I really get married in anything other than a white dress?

I had from Wednesday till Friday to find something white to bring on this ship and wear on the big day. Unfortunately, I have a job. (God, that interferes with my life constantly) I was scheduled to work the rest of that week and the morning of the day we were leaving so Ben suggested just trying to find a white sundress or something in Europe once we’re there. I agreed but wasn’t totally sold on the idea of just wing-ing it.

Being the crafty girl that I am I called two of the closest wedding boutiques to find out their hours.  I also called my boss and got the morning off.  Ben, knowing only that I had a “secret mission” to go on once we loaded the car with luggage, told me to be back and ready to go to the airport by noon.  If I had any prayer of finding an emergency dress I needed to hurry.

While on my way to the shop that opened earliest, I drove past one that I hadn’t called. I whipped a U-ey. They were open–oh yeah baby!

“Hi, do you guys sell the gowns that you have here or do you need to special order them?”

“Sure, we sell off the rack all the time.”

“Oh, awesome, because I need a dress really fast.”

“We can definitely accommodate you, when do you need it by?”

“Um, like, right now. “ I explained the situation as I crossed my fingers behind my back.

So instead of laughing me out the door, this lady morphed into super high speed sales woman mode and pulled about 7 gorgeous gowns down from all over the shop.  I explained that I was not going to be picky as long as I found something white that fit me.  The alterations girl was standing nearby listening to me tell the story of why I needed the dress so quickly and she shrugged her shoulders saying, “Well…..that happens.” After sharing a laugh or two at my expense (yup, I heard you) they volunteered to alter anything on the gown that wasn’t perfect for me right then. I was shocked that I might actually be able to pull this off. (and somewhat annoyed that I was waiting 12 weeks for my first dress)

I tried the first of the bunch on and loved it.  SOLD!!!! I had to book-it. They made minor adjustments to my new dress while I ran to the car to make room in my suitcase.  I didn’t tell Ben I bought a second dress until we were on a shuttle bus in Amsterdam.  Ha!!

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Well, kids, if history tells us anything, our plans for the future will be exactly the opposite of whatever we say.

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“Ben, let’s just get married on the cruise!”

It started out as a joke, but there wasen’t really anything funny about my level of sanity (or lack there-of) during this whole wedding planning process. I was not myself. I had somehow bypassed Bridezilla, and morphed right into Bridezilla’s irrational, slightly insane, somewhat psychotic evil step sister.  It may have had something to do with plans A,B, & C for our location/venues completely falling through after we announced each of them to every single person on the planet. Or maybe the fact that since our engagement, my two sisters and Ben’s brother also became engaged. That’s enough to push even the strongest girl over the edge. So, that joke, soon became reality and we moved up our May 2009 wedding date to the weekend after that joke surfaced. We were officially going to get married on our European cruise…….and we were telling NO ONE!

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