Another Saturday Alone

J. took the boys snowboarding today - they left the house around 6 and aren't expected home for a few more hours. They had a wonderful day - beautiful, sunny, clear as a bell. J. said there were girls in ski pants and bikini tops around the lodge so I'm sure the boys enjoyed the scenery, too.

I got up around 8ish and headed downstairs. Chloe had already been up and had breakfast (thanks, my sweet husband) and after another quick trip outside, she returned to her lair to cuddle in the warmth of her blankies. I got on the computer, checked emails, etc. Was a veg-o-matic for most of the morning. A bit headachy and 'off' today. Sinus issues. I showered with a new bottle of Neutrogena Rain Bath and realized that I couldn't smell it at all. That gel has a unique, lovely scent - one of my all time favorite smells - and I couldn't smell any scent at all. I obviously have some kind of sinus issues and think it's time to get to the Dr. I miss smelling things. And I have a theory that I overeat because my sense of taste seems to be affected also - and I feel like I'm never 'satisfied' - so I keep eating...it's a theory. Makes sense to me and I'm going to see what my Dr. suggests.

Had on my list of errands today a trip to Trader Joe's - I had lunch yesterday with my wonderful friend N. and thought I would run that errand after lunch - but I took a wrong turn and ended up at the freeway so headed home. Which meant if I really wanted to hit TJ's this weekend (and I really did) I'd have to either drive back to Livermore or head to Stockton. The lure of a stop at Mervyn's to spend some gift cards I've been carrying around in my wallet for over a year made Livermore the final destination.

Driving J's car since he has the van. Was completey bummed to find my iPod not only dead (as in no power) but giving me a 'diagnostics menu' - which I can't turn off. Not a good sign. So didn't enjoy the MP3 hookup feature. Drive was uneventful except for someone's spare tire that apparently either flew off or out of a car on the freeway. I narrowly avoided it by slowing to an almost stop - but it rolled away and finally came to rest on the other side of the freeway.

I used to work at Mervyn's for many years - from 1980 until 1989. I have a long affinity for that store - which sadly, is lessening more and more. The store today was just gross - jammed full of merchandise displayed poorly. Could barely move through the woman's sales floor - just rack after rack of clothes jammed into a small space. Like going to a swap meet kind of place - where you have to look and look and have a hard time finding anything. Nothing I would wear - well, not exactly true - I did find a pair of jeans which I thought was on sale for $16.99. Also found a couple pairs of twill pants in a gray and a kind of light teal/blue. Turns out the pair of jeans was only $8.00 AND when I was paying for it, the sales clerk told me that if you buy one piece of clearance merchandise, you get two pieces free. FREE. So I got another pair of clearance jeans and a sweater. Even with the 2 other pairs of pants, after the discounts and minus the gift cards, my total out the door was under $20. SCORE!! Love it when you get a good deal...though it makes me sad that I can't find too much there anymore that I feel good about wearing. It's just changed a lot over the years.

Lunch yesterday was a blast - just loved visiting and catching up. And lunch with N. reminded me what it's like to work with people who are mutually supportive of each other. Who forgive each other their silly 'quirks' - at the end of our meal, I couldn't find my car key - my excuse is that I'm carrying a new work phone - a Blackberry w/ email - and my whole 'system' is just off - and I was trying out my new teeny, tiny purse that I hope to use when we travel to Hawaii in 6 weeks - and it just cracked N. up. Didn't piss her off. Didn't get her all 'huffy' and 'high on her horse'. She just laughed and helped me look - and of course, the key was just on the seating bench next to me. We laughed and laughed and I felt so blessed to have such a great friend. Miss that kind of laughter and helping each other. Have nothing like that at my (now) job. One more reason to miss the old place, still. Again. Always.

That was my day. Quiet. A little productive, and it was nice to not feel compelled to clean the house, etc. The cleaning ladies do that for us and it's made our weekends so much easier. More tranquil. I love it. Yes, there's always stuff to do - and we do a lot to maintain - but knowing they will arrive for the nitty gritty cleaning is a big load off all our minds.

Tomorrow is church - J. and B. are playing music all morning and I'm working at the coffee cart. We're trying to figure out how to get H. there for the 9:30 service - hopefully, J. and/or B. can run get him between practice and before the service starts. It will most likely end up that he'll stay home since he'd have to stay for both the 9:30 and the 11 service and I'm pretty sure he won't want to do that. Can't blame him for that.

The boys and I are off on Monday - though I will likley go in for a bit. I'm trying to get to the movies...have a couple I'd like to see and would like to see them rather than waiting for them to be out on Netflix.

My sister has already purchased her wedding gown - a beautiful light pinky/peach dress. So things are moving slowly with them, as usual. :-p