I had the most embarrassing experience in my entire life today at the gym. Worse than when I was 12 and peed my pants at the bank; worse than the time I sang shaky and off-key for my "I Will Follow Him"solo in the 8th grade choir concert; worse than the time I spouted off my entire high school graduation speech in less than 1 minute 30 seconds because I was so nervous. Oh yes, this tops them all.
You remember that H2O fitness class I take? Well, those old ladies know how to gang up on the little kids.
I arrived at the pool about 20 minutes late because Qiana wouldn't stop crying at the child care center (that's another story.) After a few minutes, the instructor pointed to me while I was struggling through the reps, and told me that so-and-so in the class was selling a really nice swimsuit for $40 that doesn't fit her that she found in a grab-bag she bought. I felt a little embarrassed because I wear the same swimsuit to every class (I still wash it after every class,) and I knew the ladies have probably noticed that. From my point of view, I don't know if I'll be taking a swim-aerobic class forever, so I don't want to go out and invest a lot into it; I'm fine if I just have one workout suit at this point; however, these ladies think otherwise.
I acknowledged what the instructor said, but didn't even entertain the idea of purchasing the suit. While in the line for the showers, another woman came up to me and told me that I needed to try the suit on. (Hmmmmm, it was at this point that I started thinking that they had all spoken about me in particular, previous to my arrival, when the suit for sale came up in conversation.) So, instead of just politely refusing, I caved into peer pressure and affirmatively nodded my head.
Later, while at my locker getting dressed (already a mortifying situation for me every SINGLE time because I just don't like being part of the sea of bare skin,) four different half-naked old ladies came up to me and handed me a bag with the swimsuit in it. The ringleader told me to try it on. At this point, I could have just said, "Oh, no thanks. I don't need another suit," but did I? No! I caved again and pulled the suit out the bag, trying to jump into it as fast as I could (all the while having four eager, elderly spectators.) Unfortunately, there were about 5 straps to this "wonder suit" and I couldn't get it right; my legs were getting all tangled up and I couldn't fit my head through the shoulder straps. It took THREE attempts to get it right because I was just trying to put it on so fast that I didn't take the time to really assess where everything should go. Each time, I had to take it completely off to put it back on, which only multiplied my embarrassment.
When I finally got it on, I looked up and noticed that a crowd of 9 women had gathered around my locker. Now, let me make one thing clear: although I like these people and enjoy listening to their chatting in the pool, I don't know but three people by name, and I DEFINITELY know that they don't know my name or story.
The ringleader, a nice British mum, went off about how lucky I was to be young and thin (it's all relative,) and pointed out features of my figure that made me so embarrassed that I grabbed my towel and tried to cover up. I kept muttering "Thank You, that's so sweet" all the while desperately looking for an escape from the mob of crooners. My instructor was the next to speak, and told me that I needed that suit and that it looked so good on me. If the suit would have been free, I would have taken it right then and there because I agree that it was a nice suit and that it fit me well. However, it was double the cost of my current swimsuit which is still a good, quality brand, and I just couldn't justify it. I responded to her by saying that my problem is that I'm a bargain shopper and that it was just a little too much for me to spend right now. What's wrong with that answer? If someone had said that to me, I would have dropped the subject altogether.
Not these girls. They started talking about the quality of the suit and that it would outlast any other suit I bought and yada-yada-yada. (By the way, I have the mentality that ideally, you should purchase the higher quality so it lasts longer and saves you $ in the end. However, there are certain financial times that it is not always wise to spend more... i.e. while in grad school.) I told them that my Speedo would have to work for now, and walked away. I handed the bag to the "seller" and said 'Thank You'. She had not been part of the mob, so she asked me if I was going to buy it. I told her "It's okay, but thanks anyway," to which she replied, "Why? Don't you like it?" This time, instead of dragging it out, I just said, "Yes, it's really nice, but thanks anyway," and I grabbed my stuff and darted for the door.
On my way up the stairs, I realized what made me so frustrated about the situation. It wasn't completely because they were all staring me down while in le buff (though that was a big factor,) it was that they weren't very considerate about the cost. I was so embarrassed by the whole situation that my first reaction was to go into the ladies room and shed a few tears in private. Not the smartest thing to do, as I still had to go pick up the girls from the child care center, but it did the trick and I got the humiliation out of my system.
After seeing my puffy, red face, the child care workers were probably wondering where the therapy sessions at the Y were located... especially after the morning they had had with Qiana.
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
If I Had Two Million Dollars...
...I'd use the first million wisely, then use the rest to invent a machine that zaps most everything on this website into my closet.
Stacia likey.
Stacia likey.
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Lap 7 Completed
Well, Juan is done with his third year of dental school. Wahoo!!!
But just when we thought we saw the light at the end of the tunnel, he goes to the OR.
(I'm writing this with a smile, I promise.)
Ever since we were dating, he has wanted to be an oral maxillofacial surgeon (the guy who cuts open the entire face and puts it all back together again,) but because of the possibility of being on-call all the time he decided that dentistry would be a profession that would allow for more family time.
After three years of dental school, he got to do a hospital oral surgery rotation two weeks ago, and the flame was reignited the second he stepped into the operating room. The first day was spent putting faces back together. One guy had had a gun shot to the face; another guy got so drunk he couldn't remember the next day how he had managed to get his face beat to a pulp; they also repaired a woman's eye socket so her eyeball could stay put. Pretty gross stuff to me, but fascinating to him. The next week he got to pull out some wisdom teeth and was so proficient that he caught the attention of a few professors who do that for a living. Every time he gets to work on a more complex case, he comes home with a visible elation.
After speaking to some residents and a few doctors, he got more information on the schedule of a practicing oral surgeon (which it really comes down to,) and our worries were a little eased; so we've decided to go full speed ahead and apply to some residencies in Philly and Oklahoma. This does not mean that he will automatically get a position in a program, but we're going forward with the mentality that if it happens--it happens, and if he doesn't make it in, well, then he still can practice dentistry and be very happy with that.
I'll be honest, I was not a huge fan of the idea and it has definitely taken some getting used to the fact that we may not be quite as near the end of school as we had thought; however, I know that if Juan doesn't go for it, he will probably have "what if..." regrets about it in the future. I have to laugh though, because we have friends whose brother-in-law is going that route, and when we heard about all the schooling he would have to go through (12+ years post-high school,) we were in disbelief that someone would possibly want to do that. Now Juan is that guy. It will just all come down to whether or not he can squeeze into a program.
He's going to Oklahoma for another externship in August, so hopefully that will help out, and he is now part of an exclusive oral surgery honors program at the school. We're truly seeing that every little step forward in this process is a blessing and that the further progress he makes, the more exciting it becomes. We'll see if this is what he's supposed to do for the rest of his life, or if it is just an experience to teach us a little somethin' about patience.
So, here's to another 4 years!
But just when we thought we saw the light at the end of the tunnel, he goes to the OR.
(I'm writing this with a smile, I promise.)
Ever since we were dating, he has wanted to be an oral maxillofacial surgeon (the guy who cuts open the entire face and puts it all back together again,) but because of the possibility of being on-call all the time he decided that dentistry would be a profession that would allow for more family time.
After three years of dental school, he got to do a hospital oral surgery rotation two weeks ago, and the flame was reignited the second he stepped into the operating room. The first day was spent putting faces back together. One guy had had a gun shot to the face; another guy got so drunk he couldn't remember the next day how he had managed to get his face beat to a pulp; they also repaired a woman's eye socket so her eyeball could stay put. Pretty gross stuff to me, but fascinating to him. The next week he got to pull out some wisdom teeth and was so proficient that he caught the attention of a few professors who do that for a living. Every time he gets to work on a more complex case, he comes home with a visible elation.
After speaking to some residents and a few doctors, he got more information on the schedule of a practicing oral surgeon (which it really comes down to,) and our worries were a little eased; so we've decided to go full speed ahead and apply to some residencies in Philly and Oklahoma. This does not mean that he will automatically get a position in a program, but we're going forward with the mentality that if it happens--it happens, and if he doesn't make it in, well, then he still can practice dentistry and be very happy with that.
I'll be honest, I was not a huge fan of the idea and it has definitely taken some getting used to the fact that we may not be quite as near the end of school as we had thought; however, I know that if Juan doesn't go for it, he will probably have "what if..." regrets about it in the future. I have to laugh though, because we have friends whose brother-in-law is going that route, and when we heard about all the schooling he would have to go through (12+ years post-high school,) we were in disbelief that someone would possibly want to do that. Now Juan is that guy. It will just all come down to whether or not he can squeeze into a program.
He's going to Oklahoma for another externship in August, so hopefully that will help out, and he is now part of an exclusive oral surgery honors program at the school. We're truly seeing that every little step forward in this process is a blessing and that the further progress he makes, the more exciting it becomes. We'll see if this is what he's supposed to do for the rest of his life, or if it is just an experience to teach us a little somethin' about patience.
So, here's to another 4 years!
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Make
Magnet boards. I know, I know, this trend has probably passed it's prime in Utah, but I'm just now getting into it out here. My friend saw this awesome-cute magnet chore chart online and we said, "Hey! We can do that." So we got all the supplies and snapped out a chore chart in an afternoon. Last night, I decided to make a Family Home Evening board for a friend; so that's what I did because it's so darn easy. It was so easy from start to finish, that I highly recommend making something like this if you want to feel "crafty".
Siena saw us working on the boards and after it was all done, I explained the concept of the chore chart to her. She immediately took a liking to it and constantly begs to do chores. Yep, that's what I said. It's a marvelous thing. (I think it helps that I added some fun chores to the chore chart. Her favorites are feeding the birds, getting the mail, and watering the plants.)
The whole project cost about $6 per board*. HOWEVER, I found a way to make it even cheaper. Instead of buying the boards at Home Depot for $4, I buy them now at IKEA in their scratch and dent section. They are usually around $0.49 and are already mostly finished. The boards I chose out for the FHE chart had two unfinished edges, so I just took some #9 ribbon I had on hand and glued it around the board to finish it. I still have to come up with magnets for the board, but that's not too hard. The rest of the project is DONE.
*The roll of flashing is around $8, but you can make many boards with it. If you happen to get lucky and find the single flashing shingles at the hardware store ($0.10 each,) then I would go with that; however, don't get fooled by the aluminum shingles, the magnets will not stick... even if the teenage worker in the Construction Department at Home Depot says they will.
Family Chore Chart:
Family Home Evening Board:
Okay, so my number one "craft rule" is that the project has to be relatively inexpensive. These fit that category. I went to Home Depot bought a big roll of metal flashing (NOT alumninum!) and then had them cut a 2'x2' board in half ( to make two 1'x2' boards). We spray-painted the wood and cut down the flashing to the size we wanted (I used an old heavy-duty paper cutter... you know, the kind with the handle; we inherited it from a friend and after a year of just storing it, I decided that if the blade dulls up because of cutting through metal, I wouldn't be too upset. It cut through the metal like a knife to butter.) After applying some Epoxy to the metal, we pressed it to the board and weighed it down with cans. Using scrapbook paper and "crafty stuff" we made the board the way you see it. I had bought magnets at the Dollar Tree and just painted them and added circles of scrapbook paper and labels.
Siena saw us working on the boards and after it was all done, I explained the concept of the chore chart to her. She immediately took a liking to it and constantly begs to do chores. Yep, that's what I said. It's a marvelous thing. (I think it helps that I added some fun chores to the chore chart. Her favorites are feeding the birds, getting the mail, and watering the plants.)
The whole project cost about $6 per board*. HOWEVER, I found a way to make it even cheaper. Instead of buying the boards at Home Depot for $4, I buy them now at IKEA in their scratch and dent section. They are usually around $0.49 and are already mostly finished. The boards I chose out for the FHE chart had two unfinished edges, so I just took some #9 ribbon I had on hand and glued it around the board to finish it. I still have to come up with magnets for the board, but that's not too hard. The rest of the project is DONE.
*The roll of flashing is around $8, but you can make many boards with it. If you happen to get lucky and find the single flashing shingles at the hardware store ($0.10 each,) then I would go with that; however, don't get fooled by the aluminum shingles, the magnets will not stick... even if the teenage worker in the Construction Department at Home Depot says they will.
Fourth of July
Waiting...
Waiting...
and Waiting....
(The fireworks were too cool for pictures.)
We got to watch a lot of fireworks and celebrate the holiday early this year. After a really cute Second of July party with Sammy and Hayden, and a fun Third of July party complete with Minute to Win It games, we were happy with just watching fireworks on the Fourth of July. Taking the bikes was the best thing--we avoided traffic and had something to do while we were waiting. The girls loved every minute and were so tired by the end of the fireworks show that they gave up trying to stay awake for the excitement.
Thursday, July 1, 2010
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