This time, it’s not like I actively quit coffee so much as July-August isn’t exactly a time for hot beverages. Yesterday, we had an all-day meeting at work. I didn’t want to doze off and someone was kind enough to bring a gigantic supply of Starbucks so I sipped a small cup. Then another. Then another. By the time my heart was racing it was too late. And it’s 3AM and I am still wide awake!

Every time I have to rely on myself to get up and go to work, I invariably oversleep and show up hours late to work.  It’s embarrassing and annoying.  Previous times, I’ve set my cell phone alarm.  Unfortunately, I must’ve done something to the setting where it will only beep once.  That’s it!  That’s the entire alarm.  One teensy wittle beep.  I can sleep through a fire alarm so the beep doesn’t even register.  I oversleep.  So yesterday night, I made a point of figuring out how to set the alarm clock and even setting two separate times so if one doesn’t work for whatever reason, or I don’t hear it, the second one will surely rouse me.  Yeah, this morning, I got to work close to 10AM.  I don’t know what went wrong.  Anyway, I need to learn how to be self-sufficient enough to wake up and go to work.  This is yet another minus on living alone.

My face has been itchin’ since this past weekend. The Internet and I think it’s cosmetic dermatitis, some kind of reaction to a facial product. I don’t know if it was sunburn, a bad reaction to Bare Escentuals mineral makeup, or maybe my face is saying “Stop being such a cheapass!” to the CVS knockoff of Olay facial lotion. Right now, based on where the rash is covering, I think it was the Clinique sunblock + 5 hours of sun. It was a great product and made my face very soft when I used it normally. Then when I went out Saturday for 5 hours in the sun I got a sunburn where the block didn’t cover and where the block did cover, my face freaked out. Itchy. Bumps. Rash. Yuck. No one can see it, but I feel it and I see it. And it isn’t pretty or comfortable. I’m not sure what is really causing it but whatever it is, my face ain’t havin’ it. I got some allergy tablets and also Eucerin Calming Creme. I was going to get a hydrocortisone cream but the pharmacist told me to go with Aquaphor or Eucerin. I suspect for the face, they don’t recommend anything too strong. Face products are always so iffy. I don’t want to point at Clinique or Bare Escentuals because who knows what it really was. But I’m not taking any chances when I travel to New York. I got new sunblock and makeup. Neutrogena Mineral Sheers powder and Dry-Touch sunblock. After testing the Mineral Sheers powder, I think it feels and looks nice. I’ll have to give it a day-long test to really see how it holds up but I love that it’s very light. Also, don’t worry too much about buying the right color if you want to try it. It’s so sheer, it barely makes a difference.

Christina is my hair lady and I love her. She knows my hair pretty well. The wavy. My lazy. She can work with it. And I can work with what she gives me. Every time I go to other people, I can’t help but wish I’d gone to Christina. So today, I went to Christina and I’m so glad I did! I went in thinking I was going for maybe 2 or 3 inches off. Mind you, I only told her layered, no bangs, long enough to tie up. That’s what I always say, to everyone I go to, variance on the bangs though. Anyway, this time, she took off a bit more than 3 inches. It’s barely long enough to tie up, especially the shorter layered sections, but it’s the exact haircut I wanted and I just didn’t know it at the time!

So today, I fessed up to her that I’ve gone to some different people since I last saw her. She remarked that it’d been a while since I’d gone back. I felt kinda’ embarrassed about wandering but she was fine with it – hair grows back so it’s fine to experiment, but I had to tell her that in all my ventures, she’s still the best. By the way, do you notice the dull hair at the top photo and the shiny on the bottom? I think that’s Fekkai Glossing Cream. It’s magical.

I’m counted! For the third time.

They only have enough slots for 12 people per household. What do Octomom and the Duggars do?

I just had a sudden realization of something I witnessed about 2 or 3 months ago.

Riding home from work on the Metro, it was maybe 7PM or so on a Friday night I think, two young (20s) people hopped on board. They looked like they’d just gone shopping or out somewhere, there were a couple of bags. It didn’t appear as if they were a couple, maybe friends or acquaintances. They didn’t appear to sit very close or familiarly together. She appeared kinda’ FOBby or maybe they both did. They were talking and smiling, a bit distanced politeness or shyness and then his stop came and he waved good-bye to her and she waved bye. No hugs or kisses. Just a friendly wave. Then she kept waving and I couldn’t see if he was standing there waving back or what but she kept waving and re-waving and then as the train pulled away, she started frowning, then crying. I was staring, maybe slackjawed. Or not. But I kept wondering what that was about. Was one of them leaving for good? Going away on business? Long distance relationship in two different college towns? Did he give her an indian burn before stepping off the train while I wasn’t looking? And I have no idea why it even entered my brain this afternoon but I think I may have figured it out. I think she regretted not getting that pair of cute shoes when they’d gone shopping. Non-buyers remorse.

It’s funny I thought I’d have more free time after I was done with school but I don’t feel it. I can’t believe we’re already into the third month of 2010! Part of it is moving out, having to do chores (which is time and labor intensive!) and another part is this new job which has longer hours than the last job. With my current schedule, school wouldn’t be impossible, but it’d definitely be a bit more challenging. Then again, if I really look honestly at how I spend my weekends, I do putz around a lot. Aside from cooking, which I resumed due to interest and necessity, I’ve mostly been enjoying my free time, relaxing, watching TV (I find 16 and Pregnant very intriguing.), and playing with the chinchillas. Lately, I’ve picked up reading for pleasure again. Before starting school, 2007, I was in the middle of reading The Memory Keeper’s Daughter. I finally finished it on the Metro to and from work. Then I read The Tipping Point and Freakonomics. Then Confessions of a Shopaholic (Excellent!! But it made me impulsively purchase a face product at the Lancome counter for free makeup which only a year ago I said I wasn’t going to do! And buy a pair of boots, but they’re cute and on sale!), and now I’ve started Catch-22 (It’s bizarre and somewhat frustrating). I don’t know what’s next on my hobby list, but it feels good to slowly pick things up where I left off when my personal time was put on pause for school. Maybe the next hobby I reinstate will be… knitting? Maybe!

My heartburn. I thought it was gone but after almost a week of that burning and finally resorting to a night sleeping upright, I’m cryin’ uncle. Pass me the Prilosec. Thinking back to what I’d been eating, I think I can safely point to what triggered it: citrus season. Florida grapefruit, tangerines, limes. Oh and coffee. I skipped coffee yesterday – a weak attempt at quitting. I still had a grapefruit last night and this morning, 2 cups of joe. I like to live life on the edge. Ugh, it sucks to have geriatric issues.

The sis and b-i-l went to Spain and brought me back these. I love them, they’re fun and have just the right dangle.

Tis Friday after a crazy week dealing with unstable and mean people at work. I’m so relieved! I love my job – I love my job – I love my job. Also since last week, I’ve been dealing with acid reflux and heartburn. At first, I thought it was running that caused it but the gastroenterologist thinks maybe I just produce too much acid. Here all along, I thought I had an iron stomach. I can eat ANYTHING! Anything except coffee, fruit, wine, juice, kimchee, pickled anything. Last week, I was nearly done in by an innocuous peanut butter and jelly sandwich. I downed Maalox to put out the fire and it helped for all of 5 seconds as it went down my throat. So I’ve truly given up coffee (for now), no cheating. Also, the doc said no food or drink 2 hours before bed. For anyone who likes to keep water by their nightstand, save it til morning or you run the risk of pissing off your esophagus. And if you like eating as much as I do, that just sucks.