Will You Still Love Me If I Steal These?

So I am totally stealing my friend’s pictures.  My phone died so I wasn't able to take any pictures this weekend, which means I have to "borrow" hers...

I’m sure I’m breaking some kind of friend code but I couldn’t help sharing the fun I had with two of my favorite girls.  Two of my favorite grown up girls. 

I had a great weekend! We started with dinner – Mexican!  That was enough to make the weekend for me.  Love, love, love Mexican food!  Even though I couldn’t eat the chips, which was a huge bummer for me.  I got asked for my ID when I ordered a Sangria Swirl (love those things) which was kinda funny because I honestly can’t remember the last time that happened.  I am assuming it was the fact that I look about 15 now. 

Ready to get our grub on! Bring on the food!

Then we hit the movies- saw Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close.  It was a good movie, I really liked it.  The acting was outstanding.  I hadn’t seen any previews so I didn’t know I should have packed my tissue – I cried multiple times.  Sometimes I hate that I do that, but I can’t help it – it's hard for me because I always imagine what it would be like to experience those things.  I mean, I know it's just a movie but I can't help it - I'm just easily moved.

Then, after a bit of driving, we found a place to have a drink. I had originally suggested Wormy Dog but we had parking issues so we ended up at Edna's.  Apparently they are famous for a drink called a Lunchbox, which is a shot inside a beer - made with amaretto, orange juice, and beer. Never heard of it and probably would have never tried it.  But thanks to the generosity of a stranger I had the opportunity to try one.  It doesn't sound good but it actually kinda was.

Love this girl!

We got there a little late so we didn’t have too much time. In fact, I ordered an $8 drink and then they started closing up!  My drink was WAY strong so there was no way I could suck it down before we left, although I tried.

Closing time already? Gonna try to drink this down...

That's $8 sitting right there, exactly how I left it...

We got to hang out the next day too – with the addition of the kiddos.  We ran around a little and did a bunch of nothin. But I had great company and I enjoyed every second.

Super, super fun weekend. So incredibly thankful for such great friends!

Don't I Know You?

Every year I attend an event in February and for the last few years I have seen someone I had a relationship with.  And every year he pretends he doesn't know me. 

The first year I was a little surprised to see him.  It had been several years and it caught me off guard.  I wasn't sure what to say but I wanted to say something - just a hello at the very least. 

He walked by me and left while I was talking to someone else.  And the last few years it was the same thing - he makes it a point to ignore me. Which I think is so completely odd.  I don't know, maybe I'm the odd one but I just don't get it. 

I went on dates and dated quite a bit but I haven't had a lot of relationships (4 including my husband).  Although my relationships were few they were each long term.  And I guess I just feel like with each of those men there was something about them that I liked - I appreciated who they were as people.  So yeah, the relationships didn't work but I genuinely cared for each of them and I still wish the very best for them.

My husband has a different mentality – to him an ex is an ex and who cares what happens to them.  But his relationships were all short - the longest only lasted 6 months.  I think it's different when you spend a significant amount of time caring for someone.  I don't know, I’m just wired differently than that.   

So maybe this guy just has that same mentality as my husband – I’m in his past, so who cares?  But I guess that’s the thing I don’t understand the most.  It is in the past.  It’s over and done and we don’t mean anything to each other so why is it so difficult to find the maturity to say hello?

So I had decided that this year I was going to hunt him down and say hello and ask him how he is – like I would with every other person. And then last night I had a dream that I was at the event walking to talk to him and an eagle pooped on my head.

Don’t get me wrong, I still plan on saying hello, I’m just going to make sure I’m indoors when I do it…

I'll Be Back

So I haven't abandoned blogging - I promise!  We're Husband is putting in new floors, which means everything is in chaos and disorder and most of our furniture is being stored in the guest bedroom. Along with our computer.

So it's cut into my blogging time.

But I am so super excited about the floors!  I cannot tell you how long I have been waiting for this - 4 years, 5 months, and 16 days.  Okay, so I guess I can tell you.

All joking aside, our house is nearly a 100 years old and our floors are original.  So while they are real wood and are pretty - they are also very thin and worn out.  I'm scared another few years and we'll be falling through the floors. Not good. Not good at all.

So new floors it is! 

Brace Face

So since I've gotten braces I've been asked the same series of questions.  To save everyone time, here's a quick guide to tell you everything you wanted to know (and some you probably didn't):


1. No, getting them on didn't hurt. Although I was shocked that they were able to get my mouth stretched open so wide.  It wasn't uncomfortable, just odd realizing my mouth was almost as wide as my hips.

2. No, the braces don't hurt.  At least not me.  The orthodontist office told me I would probably have some light pain for two days after but I didn't experience any pain at all.  Everything feels fine. The only discomfort I had was from the unbent wire that was sticking out and scraping me - and that isn't suppose to happen.

3. Yes, they feel funny.  I feel like I have something stuck on my teeth - oh wait, I do.

4. Yes, I really did need them.  I know to you my teeth looked fine and I'm glad that you haven't been looking at me all this time thinking about how jacked up my teeth were...but that doesn't mean I didn't need them.

5. No, I can't eat that anymore. Nothing sticky, nothing too crunchy. And no popcorn. That one was a little painful.

6. Yes, I know I look really young  younger.  I'm okay with that. Really.  I don't mind getting teased that I look 12 - I'm going to embrace it and have fun with it. Why not? I may even start wearing pigtails and bobby socks.

7. Yes, they were expensive.  More expensive than I thought they would be. And more expensive then for children. Orthodontist charge more for adult patients. 

8. I don't know if it's weird to kiss. To actually grown-up kiss. I haven't done that yet. The only kisses I've had since braces have been quick pecks on the lips. But I'll be sure to keep you posted.

Bad and Badder

I'm in week three of my training and I missed my run yesterday.  I don't have a real good excuse...I just didn't get it in.  Making it up tonight.

It's going to mess things up a little though since I'm suppose to run on Thursdays too.  And I'm technically suppose to rest between runs.  But they're my short runs, 30 minutes, so I think I can do back to back and be fine...and Sunday, my long run, is not that long - it's only 2.5 miles.  And since I ran FIVE MILES (yep, still pumped) last Sunday I think I can handle that one okay.

I messed up on my diet drinks too.  It kills me to have to confess that but accountability and honesty go hand in hand so you get the ugly truth.  I actually have messed up more than once.  BIG sad face for me.  I couldn't even last a whole week! 

Although I will say the first one was not really my fault, really.  My hubby ordered one  for me and I rationalized that I didn't want to waste it.  And then I rationalized that it was just one and what would one hurt?

See, see how that works? It's very obviously called lack of willpower.

And then again today I cheated.  I have no rationalization for that except to say I am stressed to the max.  Really, just very, very stressed.  And it's good that I don't get stressed too often because I do not handle it well. 

So after my visit to the orthodontist (to bend a wire that I'm pretty sure should have been bent when they put them on but obviously wasn't since it's been scraping the inside of my mouth since Monday but I just thought it was normal getting used to braces pain and thought I could tough it out until today when my mouth was so raw it hurt to smile and I smile a lot so that was kinda a problem) I caved to the temptation of Sonic happy hour.

I'm going to get back up on and hop on the wagon tomorrow and try it again.  If I can avoid Sonic from now until forever I may have better luck...

Brace Yourself

Take a long, hard look at this picture. Really get a good look at it because I won't be smiling like that for a very, very long time.

Some things have changed and that smile has been replaced by this...

Yes those are red bands...BOOMER!

This is my new "35 going on 12" look.  Sexy, right? 

It's a little ridiculous looking...well, really very ridiculous looking but it will fix my teeth so I'm willing to deal with the temporary ridiculousness. 

Over the last several years my two front teeth have shifted and have moved at an inward slant - it's just got progressively worse as I've gotten older.  It's really obvious in this photo:

So I decided to take the plunge and get them fixed. I know they weren't horrible and it seems a little vain.  Maybe it is...My husband was not keen on the idea.  Actually, he wasn't keen on spending the money.  The idea he had no problems with. 

His initial response was that I was 35, married, and who cared what my teeth looked like?  Although I'm sure he wouldn't try to use this logic if I decided to blow up to 400 pounds... 

But my philosophy is, and always has been, to make the most of life. If something makes you happy - do it!  If something bothers you - fix it!  I don't want to be 60 wishing I had fixed my teeth..what kind of life is that?

So is it the best investment we've ever made?  No, probably not. But there are just some things you can't quantify....like the value of being proud of your smile.

I've been fortunate that I've never required extensive dental work.  In fact, I got my first adult cavity filled last year.  That's it - that's the only thing (besides cleanings) that I have ever had done.  Until today. 

I had no idea my mouth could be stretched in such ways. 

Really, it was gruesome...here's a little taste for those that can stomach it...

And as if having to sit around like that was not painful enough, my orthodontist did a profile assessment.  He had to mark "Recessed"  "Average" "Prominent" on a series of items pertaining to my profile. He marked all of them "Average".  Except my nose.  So it's officially, medically documented that I have a big nose.  Of course, I didn't need a doctor to tell me that.

And then to add insult to injury, the technician gave me a t-shirt when I was all done.  She gave me a large and when I asked her for a medium, she repeated my question and when I confirmed she told me they were 100% cotton and would shrink.  Hummm, wonder what she was trying to say? 

Don't think for a minute that I'm not going to be wearing that shirt on my very next appointment.



"The" shirt. I'm certain I know what size I wear.

  

FIVE

Completed my 5 mile run!  I am SO pumped!  I have to admit it got really tough around the 4 mile mark but I pushed through and made it!  Yay for me!  Although technically, it really isn't a 5 mile run, since I walk some of that too.  I don't care though, I'm still celebrating!

I made a discovery this weekend when I saw myself in some video from last month...I definitely have some body image issues.  Typically women with these type of issues are very tiny but they see themselves as big when they look in the mirror.  They have a distorted view of what they look like.

I also have a distorted view of what I look like but my issue is a bit different - in fact, it is the exact opposite.  The person I see in the mirror is actually better looking than in real life...so basically, I think I'm sexier than I really am.  Until I see video and then I have to face reality. 

And oh, what a painful reality it is...