Daring

Since I have firmly committed to working in Tracy, I am slowly but surely transitioning my life to this side of the Altamont.

I've been traveling to Danville every 5 weeks for the past 7 months - sticking with a hair stylist I love. She's helped me grow my hair long and also gotten me to embrace my inner blondness. But maintaining long, blond hair requires frequent trims and touch ups. It's an hour and fifteen minutes or more each way plus an hour and a half in the chair. That's a big chunk of time and more and more, I've found myself reluctant to make the 'commute'. At first, it felt like a 'treat' - a reason to work an earlier day and leave in the late afternoon, stop for a bite to eat and some Starbucks iced tea and enjoy an evening of me time. But more and more, when evening rolls around, I just want to be home. As soon as possible. So the journey to and from Danville has been less about pleasure and more about necessity for the past few months. I was sort of on the fence about it since I was still pondering which job to do - but now that I'm firmly committed to staying where I'm at, it's time to take the plunge.

Thing is, it's HARD to trust another 'unknown' stylist with color. It took me forty years to be brave enough to try it. So trusting someone to 'match' it well and do a good job was hard. But, I did it - she was recommended by a coworker and she did a great job. The cut is more layered, still plenty of length. And she matched the color really well. I love it. And I was in and out in just over an hour and it was a 13 minute drive from my office to her shop. YEAH! Oh, and she was half price! including the tip!! YIPPEE!!

Next big change is to find a doctor out this way. I'm going to work on that in the next week. Need to get my annual and my current Dr. is also in Danville - thankfully, I don't have to go there often but it's still an all day thing. And a mammogram is needed and that's all the way to Hayward. I'll have to take time off work to go there and back, for sure.

Once I've located a doctor (and I have a pretty good head start on that - J. loves his Dr. and the medical group he's in), that'll be it. I won't be going out that way except to meet friends for dinner.

WHICH, I did last Friday - a spur of the moment dinner with the lovely N. Tons of fun. We actually just had coffee (wink, wink) in case her fiancee M. is reading this. But we had Mexican food and great conversation. The wedding is only a couple months away!! Can't wait!

Speaking of weddings, J. and I are attending a commitment ceremony [can't call it a wedding 'cuz it won't be legal - but someday, hopefully, it will be] for a coworker of J's on Sept. 1st. Black tie. I can't recall when I last wore a dress much less a 'gown'. I've ordered the dress (should be here next week - cutting it a bit close 'cuz I know it's going to need to be altered) and will start the shoes and handbag quest soon. And the new hair stylist will do an updo or braid for the wedding, which will be cool. I've never had hair long enough to 'updo' OR braid, so a 'fancy' hairdo will make the fancy event even more fun. I think J. is considering renting a tux though his dark suit will do in a pinch. We're looking forward to it - an evening of adult conversation and fancy to boot. That should be fun. And I'll get to meet J.'s coworkers, and I'm really looking forward to that as well.

We're having Trader Joe's meatless meatballs for dinner. DELICIOUS. I'm not going to tell the kids they aren't really meat 'cuz they'll never know. They are GREAT. We're making a trip to TJ's a weekly event! Last night, we had Tempura for dinner - also from TJ's. I owe the refresher course on how great it is from my aunt's visit - she pointed out all the 'good' things, most of which I wouldn't have tried without her recommendation.

And I'm drinking Tejava iced tea (also a TJ find) instead of Starbucks - saving $3/day!

But I'm winning the $56M lottery this evening and once that money's in the bank, I'll probably go back to SB tea - it's just easier.

Talk to you later -