"El Shingles"

Do you remember back in the 1990's when everything was blamed on El Nino?  It started out being blamed for weather changes, then moved to weird ocean currents. It wasn't long before you heard it being the scapegoat for allergies, gross airplane food, increased gun violence, why he dumped me, brittle nails, blue eye shadow, and eventually my mom's bad hair day. Even Chris Farley realized the significance of this global phenomenon.  

So lately, I have been having flashbacks to those excuses as it seems I am blaming everything on "The Shingles." At about 6 months pregnant, my body thought growing a child was getting a little boring so it thought it might throw some good ol' fashioned Shingles into the mix.  Fabulous. 

The shingles have been gone now for over a month, but it has left me with Post-Herpetic Neuralgia (PHN).  Again, fabulous.  It basically feels like someone is putting a cigarette out on my back about every hour. The only thing that makes it start to go away is by laying down.

So, this is where I start to look bad:  

Oh look, dishes need to be done. . .My back is killing me, I need to lay down.

Volunteer in Tay's class? . . .Dang, my back is killing me.  I need to lay down.  

No clean clothes? . . .My back was killing me, I needed to lay down. 

There is only ketchup and broccoli in the fridge. . .Yah, about that, my back was killing me. I needed to lay down.

I felt bad when Téa asked me to do something and I started to say, "Sweetie, I  - "

She cut me off and said, "I know Mom, your back hurts."

But I am here to tell you I'm not lying.  I'm for real!  I promise you.

I only felt slightly vindicated when, after asking my doctor if PHN was normal, he responded (and I quote), "No, it's awful! It sucks." Unfortunately, I was alone when he said that.

Oh, and by the way, Justin took that photo of Ben.  I haven't been taking pictures of anything or anybody lately. . . my back has been killing me, I've needed to lay down.  

In the Presence of Greatness

When I was younger and visiting my parents' alma mater, I remember seeing a building that said Humanities. I thought, "Perfect! A major where I can just people-watch for a living." (The airport = quality people-watching. Spending the night on the street the night before the Rose Parade = prime. It really can't get any better than that. Honest.) Well, I was out of luck with my dream of what a Humanities major studies, but my love of people-watching has never diminished.
So you can imagine my glee when the Guiness Book of World Records holder for the World's Longest Fingernails (Lee Redmond) was at the register next to me today. I was glowing. Glowing!  Aren't you dying to know how she even functions?! Well, I got to see how she gets credit cards out of her wallet and sign her name. I got a fantastic undercover shot of her on her way out. I do have to say I was intrigued by both women's hair almost as much as the nails. I am disappointed I didn't talk to her. But c'mon, I was honestly speechless.

Home Sick

This happens every April. I live in the snow more than half of the year. Come February, every year, I expect it to just stop and be 70 degrees outside. It has snowed the past 2 days and we are all so over it already. But this happens every year. I've been wearing my flip flops, regardless, for awhile now. Some people love seasons, but I don't need them; 72 degrees year-round is just fine with me. These are some photos of where I grew up in Palos Vedes, Ca. I didn't appreciate where I lived until I moved away. Do we ever?

Stop Writing Your Number on Napkins, For Crying Out Loud!

How often are you digging through your purse trying to find a receipt to write your phone number on, just to find out you don't have a pen either?

You don't have to be a business man to need a business card.  So let's just call it a calling card, shall we? Ben and I always run into people who would love their own cards, but don't want to drop $250 when a receipt and dried out pen would be cheaper. Right?

So, Ben came up with this idea of pre-designed, but customizable calling cards for a steal!  A crazy steal; $95 for 250 cards. For that price, you could afford a second set with a wrong number on it to hand out to that creepy admirer that won't leave you alone, the weird girl from high school that says, "Hey we should get our kids together!," or the Mary Kay saleswoman who wants to give you a "free facial."

They are all hand-letterpressed (on 100 year-old presses) on super nice, thick, 100% cotton paper.

You don't have to know me or Ben to get these.  He has it all set up on his Mandate Press website.  Just fill in the info and they will be sent directly to you.  You don't even have to talk to anyone.

These cards can't find you new friends to give them to, but they can help you look cool when you do. So, stop being shy and start being social. Seriously.

You're Jealous

This past weekend I got some serious family time. . . and I didn't even have to travel!  My brother Jake and sister Josie came down for Conference, as did my Dad, Diana, and Ben's parents.  And as luck would have it, it was also my birthday.  It turned into a three day affair.  I'm not one to complain. . .

Jake and Josie

My cute mom cooked all day to make me a birthday dinner at her house.
Hailey proved to me that she truly knows how to treat a "30 weeker."  Again, I'm not one to complain. . .
Seriously how great is that.  Téa gets a spa treatment from both Papa Bart and Grampie Dune.
Avery and the beloved iPod. She just disappears with that and I find her on the couch singing to herself.