This Is The Kind Of Post You Get When My Brain Is Frozen
Posted By Kristabella on January 13, 2009
Winter has come on full force in Chicago. We had a blizzard warning today, which meant basically that it was going to be really windy and snow was going to blow around like we were Rudolf and that misfit elf Hermie who wanted to be a dentist walking around the North Pole. That didn’t happen, but it was windy and cold today. And it is supposed to be a HIGH of four on Thursday. With wind chills hovering around minus 25 degrees. Which basically means your boogers freeze. And that walking four blocks means you’ll fall up the stairs because you can no longer feel your extremities.
So all the snow we got over the weekend is going to freeze, which means my car is probably going to be stuck. So I’m not even going to try and get it out and just take public transportation to work every day this week. It gives me some exercise, but also makes me want to crawl into the carcass of a dead animal to keep warm.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I never wrote about any resolutions this new year. I didn’t really make any. Mostly because whenever I do, it ends up being a big FAIL WHALE. So I figured if I didn’t make any and didn’t write them down, I couldn’t go back a year later and be all “oh, well, um yeah, I didn’t do any of those things.” And then I dwell on the failure, which hi! Not productive!
This year I made little goals. Nothing big. The main was that I need to get back into the habit of washing my face every night before bed. Some time, months ago, I got out of the habit because unless you’re new here, it’s not a fucking newsflash that I AM LAZY.
Thankfully, my skin hasn’t been really effected noticeably. I haven’t really broken out too bad or anything. But I battled acne REALLY bad when I graduated college, so bad I have the scars to prove it, and I don’t want to go through that again. So I need to wash my damn face. Plus, I’m old now and I am getting wrinkles and I think I read somewhere that not washing your face makes it all settle into fine lines or something and it is just bad. I don’t need reasons to wash my face. I need to just wash my damn face.
I didn’t start out 2009 on the best foot on the face-washing front. I mean I got drunk on NYE and wasn’t about to waste precious passing out time on washing my face. Especially since I was just going to drool all over it anyway. But I’ve gotten better. I’m at least doing it every weekday, so far. (It is only the 13th.) The weekends are my next step.
My other goal was to finally get healthy. I’m making a goal to get back to eating healthy and not inhaling burritos the size of my femur on a near daily basis. This isn’t a new thing. I was very successful at Weight Watchers back in 2003. So I know what it takes. I also want to get back in shape. Because now that I’m over 30, I’ve noticed that just eating right doesn’t make the pounds melt off. I actually have to be active and make my belly shake like a bowl full of jelly to help burn some calories.
So I’ve joined Weight Watchers again. I know the rules. I don’t need the program for the rules. I can do it on my own. I need it to make myself keep track of everything I eat during the day. It’s very easy to fudge when you aren’t writing it down or logging it online. I started last Thursday and I’m doing pretty well. But I’m not patting myself on the back yet, because it hasn’t even been 7 days.
I also am getting shredded with Jillian Michaels. I’m doing her 30 Day Shred DVD and hoping all her promises will come true and I’ll be dropping inches and pounds in 30 days. It’s a good time to start when my car will be stuck on the street until March, so I won’t be going anywhere anytime soon. What else to I have to be doing?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
My final goal of 2009 is to become a homeowner. (OK, this is a BIG goal.) Which translates to BECOMING AN ADULT! OMG! The world might stop spinning on its axis!
Obviously the buyer’s market is good right now. And I’m thankful for that. And with some of my extra severance left over, I paid down some of my debt, so financially, I think I’m in good place to buy. But overall, I’m freaking the fuck out.
This economy is scary. I mean, I don’t feel like anyone’s job is secure. Except Barack Obama. He’s pretty set. Unless he pulls a Blagojevich and sinks himself. WHICH HE WILL NOT. (How much do I love that Blago’s name is in the WordPress dictionary. Because clearly no one is talking about him.) So I’m scared that I will make this ginormous purchase and then I’ll lose my job. And then how will I pay my mortgage? Where will I live? Where will the cats throw up at?
I know that you can really lose your job at any time. If anyone knows that, it’s the girl who has lost her job three times. But this whole economy situation we are in right now, it is scary. And since the cats don’t even pull their own damn weight, I’ve got no one to lean on if that does happen. Seriously cats, get a job.
But I’m going to take the plunge anyway. For no other reason than to get away from the pot heads who live below me that I would like to strangle with a hemp necklace. (Another reason I like doing the Shred? Jumping jacks. It has to annoy them.)
I want my own place. I want to own something. And I doubt we’ll have a market like this again for a long time. Not with our man Barack in office. I don’t want to have to climb three flights of stairs to do laundry. I don’t want to have to call the apartment office THREE TIMES to have something fixed. I don’t want to deal with waiting for someone to decide to turn on the heat when clearly it is cold because my lips are blue. I want to be an adult and own a condo in the city.
I don’t know much about any of this house stuff. Which means if you know me and you own a residence, I will be bombarding you with questions. But at least I have a realtor. That’s step one, right?
About the author
I’m scared of your weather. AND I’m doing the Shred too. Yes, you’ll annoy your neighbors with jumping jacks but that’s just the kind of girl you are, right?
I’m terrible about washing my face too. At the moment, I’m trying your “21 days to make a habit” with flossing. If it works, I guess the face will be next!
The Shred is evil- I spent most of yesterday curled up in my chair at work trying to ignore all the soreness. God, I hope it works.
I’m so excited about you looking for a house! Its a crazy process- remember to have some fun with it.
tutugirl1345s last blog post..Germany! (and Prague)
I’ll be getting shredded when I’m not pregnant any more (May, apparently). For now I have a gym pass for days I’m working and a Wii Fit. Oh and weather that isn’t -25 with the windchill (am assuming that’s Fahrenheit). Our snow is melting at least.
Oh and because I’m a traffic whore, I put in the proper URL this time.
Nicoles last blog post..Today
Coming to work today was even worse than yesterday…and it’s only Wednesday. I’m too old for this. But I do want Jillian to Shred me so I’m going to try it….as much as these old knees will allow. Part of a Shred is better than no Shred at all!
1) I can not even tell you how many times a day I stick my hands in my dogs armpits to warm them up.
2) Buy a house! Do it. It will be, by far, the most stressful thing you will ever do in your entire life with no exaggeration, but it is completely worth it in the end. It is worth it for the sheer fact you can paint!
Dutchess of Kickballs last blog post..We Need To Take Action
Is it super expensive to buy in Chicago? With our combined incomes, I don’t think Chris and I can afford anything within the tri-state area here. And that is sad.
nancypearlwannabes last blog post..Testing… Testing…
Home ownership is a fabulous goal!
I’ve now owned three houses, so I can offer lots of advice. The first one is: Save as much money as you can before you get started. Have one less bottle of wine each week and put that money in your savings. Skip a burrito and toss that money into your savings. Trust me on this one, you’ll want plenty of cash available.
Jen on the Edges last blog post..They should be called crack cakes, not snack cakes
I want to be a homeowner this year, too. But, sometimes that just seems a LITTLE TOO GROWN UP for me.
Rhis last blog post..My Blog, My Rules
I signed on for WW too… so weird how we can know all the right things to do but not do them. I like the bells and whistles of the website and the prospect of someone at a meeting hollering Bravo! and shoving star stickers at me for achieving the tiniest of goals. Got to force myself to buy in to the whole thing lest I over-think how goofy it all is and give up. Been trying to think of a way to write about that.
Good luck to you!!
tmcs last blog post..one bowl, one plate… oh nevermind.
Last year I resolved to wash my face every night, and it was so dried out that by the 5th I realized that was a bad idea. Now I just try to make sure to moisturize with SPF something every day, because that’s probably the best way to keep the wrinkles at bay.
Noelles last blog post..Help Wanted
There are many days that I think about crawling into an animal carcass to stay warm, but I think I’d need a light sabre to be able to do that.
Maybe I’ll ask for one for my birthday.
Angellas last blog post..He Bought Me Flowers
I made “washing my face” a 2009 goal too! And I blew it last night. 🙁
Anyway, I just wanted to address your concerns about buying a home (as the wife of a real estate whiz, I feel more than qualified to address this). It is the BEST time to buy right now-low interest rates coupled with a huge supply of houses on the market. I think one thing you can do to make you feel safer is to work on saving 3-6 months of bills into a hard to access account. I know this is MUCH harder done than said, but it’s supposed to carry you over if you do lose a job.
Of course, I’ve been working for 8 years now and we’re still trying to get this done! 🙂
TUWABVBs last blog post..On Monday mornings I am dedicated to the proposition that all men are created jerks.**
so we both have frozen brains and never wash our faces. awesome!
If you want to see and hear the only blizzard in American history declared a major disaster then on You Tube type in Blizzard of ’77 sldeshow and watch 7 minutes of my DVd about The BlizzArd of ’77. The go to my website as stated on the You Tube clip and see my pics and book.
It’s going to be 73 degrees here today. And houses are now very cheap in ARIZONA!
Loris last blog post..let their be light…rail
i find when I wash my face, it looks worse. i’m good with walking around with racoon eyes.
Look at you being all responsible with the face washing and house buying! Good luck with both. Looking at houses is super fun, owning a house is pretty fun, signing your name on the paper that says you owe a quadrillion dollars-not so fun. Just enjoy the process and find something you love.
Celias last blog post..New Start, New Year
First, washing the face. I used to be SO AWESOME at that. And now I absolutely suck at it. I need to get back into that habit, too.
Second, Go for you for doing WW again. Do it for yourself and continue to do it for yourself and you can’t fail. Here’s to healhty living.
Third, HOW EXCITING! Buying a house is such a big step and one that’s so exciting. Look at lots of homes and pick the one that makes you happy. Have fun!
Kristies last blog post..I am not detail oriented
Since that special someone is blocked, I guess there’s no one around to ask why you’d buy property somewhere with cold weather since you hate it.
ALSO WASH YOUR DAMN FACE. Has our friendship had no influence on you???
Why don’t you just come down to Atlanta? I mean… if you’re going to move anyway. (Tee-hee.)
Owning your home is awesome and will be well worth the frustration if you can swing it. Besides, this is the perfect buyers market time! Just ask tons of questions and make sure you get all the inspections you can before you buy and you’ll be fine.
And get those cats to the unemployment office, already! They need to be earing their keep!
Giggle Pixies last blog post..I’m Beginning to Worry About the Blogosphere
I’m sorry, SSG just fainted due to the post traumatic stress from the snow we had in Portland. Which really is baby snow compared to what you’re talking about … and SSG just fainted again.
(BUT! I have a house and have been in finance and lending for um … way longer than I’d care to admit. I always offer myself up to answer questions and look over any documents that might freak you out. I’ve helped my friends through the process who were first time buyers, so if it can be asked? I’ve probably answered it. Please feel free to e-mail me even if the question seems minor! It’s a big decision and you want to go into it well informed!)
Serendipitous Girls last blog post..Special Agent SSG
Wow, I could never live in Chicago. I was crying today about our 30 degree weather in Virginia! Also, we’ll have to swap house hunting stories now that we’ll both be going through this at the same time!
La Petite Chics last blog post..Come Out, Come Out Wherever You Are!
I actually pay less on my mortgage then I did when I was renting.
However, when my roof caves in, my siding flies off, and my gutters tumble down because they’re so packed with ice from my crappy insulation…
um, I’m responsible.
Hold me.
Decembers last blog post..Alphabet Soup!
Save money first and foremost.
Banks aren’t loaning like they use to.
Go get pre approved first.
And then enjoy the stress of looking and buying the best thing to call your own.
1. Right now I keep telling myself to get off my arse and wash my face and “get ready for bed”. But I don’t want to and I’m lazy.
2. I’ve never heard of this Shred thing, but it sounds like a good idea. Is it a DVD thing?
3. If you buy a house then you’ll have somewhere to park your car – and that alone has to be worth it, right?
4. It is freakin’ cold out there. But I don’t need to tell you that, but I think it feels better to complain about it to others who KNOW what it’s been doing here. This winter sucks. I broke my 3rd ice scrapper today.
Cathys last blog post..Happy Monday!
1. I don’t wash my face every night either. Mostly because I’m asleep before our water gets anywhere warm enough to actually put it on my face. So, until we get city water (not likely) or it gets warm, I’ll probably be wiping it with a makeup off sheet and hoping for the best.
2. Oh, yea, the get healthy thing. Does this mean giving up vodka? Not happening. I try to work out when the Diva isn’t downstairs though.
3. Woot! Someplace for me to sleep when I come to Chicago.
Rees last blog post..When you’re a famous blogger, you get interviewed*
I resonate with the renting thing…wanting to own is powerful, and sometimes I think it’s because it’s how culture validates us as “full adults”…see my ramblings!http://specialktreatment.blogspot.com/2008/09/just-renting.html
SpecialKs last blog post..Task 71: Buy something on ETSY
Very interested to see what you think of The Shred. It should be called “30 variations on a push-up”
thecoconutdiariess last blog post..She Said/She Said: The Introduction
Do you like the Jillian Michaels DVD? I’ve heard it’s pretty crazy. I had it in my hand at Target but went with the Biggest Loser DVD instead…I think Bob is hotter. But Jillian would probably kick my butt more.
The high in Dayton is 4 degrees tomorrow also, so I’m with you on the miserable booger freezing-ness. BRRRRR!
Dude, they now have these daily face wipes (basically baby wipes) for super lazy people like us. $7 a package, and they work even when you’re totally wasted.
I won’t advocate any specific brands, ’cause advertising on other peoples’ blogs is super cheesy, but yeah. Face wipes are the bomb.
Home ownership is one of the best decisions I ever made! It feels good.
Just be cautious of all the extra maintanence type costs that come along with it (fixing things that break, basically) – I wasn’t prepared for that part and didn’t have any money set aside for that.
What does it say about me that I had the thought this morning, whilst washing my face, “I think Kristabella recently blogged something about having had acne issues…I should tell her about Proactiv!”
Wow.
I mean, you don’t know me. I don’t know you. But I do enjoy your blog. You seem genuinely kind, and you swear in all the right places. So I guess, while it may be kind of pathetic that strangers’ blogs come to the forefront of my mind while I go about my day, I like you (in a stranger kind of way), and so want to tell you about things that have helped me in similar situations. (Remember, I also had to tell you about my husband’s success with Prilosec the other day, too. Sheesh, who am I, anyway? WebMD?)
Anyway…
I, too, have dealt with adult acne issues, so I took Jessica Simpson’s advice (’cause who can’t trust Jessica Simpson?) and gave Proactive a whirl. And guess what? She wasn’t lyin’. Go figure.
Be careful if you have sensitive skin, though. My sister does, and it chewed her face to bits.
Luck!
g
gillians last blog post..just call me bandwagon-jumper