Sunday greetings to you all! I hope you're all having a great day so far...
I'm sitting at home with my kiddo debating on when to leave to go help one of my best friends with moving/getting situated at his new apartment. He's been moving all weekend, and I'm really hoping that he gets everything all wrapped up either today or tomorrow...moving sucks. Even more so when people that have given you a verbal commitment to help back out of said commitment and leave you hanging...[that's what's happened to my buddy...and it isn't the first time either...I think I'm going to have to strongly suggest to him to make better friends...]
Monkeys Are Creepy.../shudder
How does that saying go? "Not my circus, not my monkeys" or something like that. I'm not crazy about the idea of going to help, but I talked to him earlier today and he sounded quite distraught about the whole ordeal...soooo, SuperTammy to the rescue! Again.
This leads me to another concept that I find simply baffling.
Why is it that so many people seem to be alright with the notion of being un-dependable? This issue is just the tip of the proverbial 'why people suck' iceberg...but, c'mon. If you tell someone that you're going to help with something, then do so! It seems like there are fewer and fewer reliable people...
/siiiiiiiiigh...okay, I've got to get myself and my kiddo ready to go help out...more posts to come later...
I remember reading somewhere that window shopping [even the online variety] can stimulate the same areas of the brain that light up with all sorts of happy chemicals whenever you make an actual purchase...
This is great news for those who are firm believers in retail therapy but don't exactly have bank accounts with limitless funds! [*ahem* such as myself]
Chemical Happiness!!
A brief Google search didn't bring up the article that I was thinking of, but I'm pretty sure that all of the 'feel good' stuff that comes from shopping is thanks to our little pal dopamine.
Anyway...I was doing a little online window shopping while texting my cousin [it's like we're virtually shopping together! /sigh...I really need to get out more]. I've learned that there's a ton of stuff out there to buy, and most of it is way overpriced.
Devastatingly expensive item number one:
Star Quilted Bedding from Pottery Barn.
$159 plus shipping for a Full/Queen quilt in any of the available colors. Oh wait...the brown quilt is $129. But still. That's ridiculous.
I've been wanting to get one of these quilts for my kiddo since he was about two years old. Over the span of almost four years, the price has never dropped on these quilts!
Devastatingly expensive item number two:
Holtom Storage Bench from Pier One
$349.95 plus shipping...or you could save the shipping fees if you have the item shipped to a store for you to pick up rather than have it delivered.
This isn't really the exact sort of storage bench that I'd want for myself, but it's kind of close, and a definite indicator of how expensive these things can be. Why must you be so expensive, storage bench? Why?!?
Devastatingly expensive item number three:
Elin Tower Bookshelf from World Market
$149.99 plus shipping. Plus a $30 delivery surcharge, as if that's really necessary.
I saw this bookshelf in one of their stores this past weekend...I think I like it because it isn't a typical bookshelf, but it doesn't seem like it's a very practical design. I think it would serve much better as a piece of accessory furniture rather than a functional bookshelf...or maybe I just have too many books. [pfft! nah. there's no such thing as too many books!]
Devastatingly expensive item number four:
Verona Six-Shelf Bookshelf from World Market
$249.99 plus shipping. Add an additional $70 surcharge for delivery. What?!?
This actually makes me kind of sad. Unlike the other bookshelf I posted, I could see these shelves being extremely useful and I love the design. Is there any reason it should be so expensive though? I understand that 'you get what you pay for' and if you want better quality furniture that it's foolish to not expect a heftier price tag...but I'm under the impression that a good bit of the furniture from World Market isn't exactly heirloom quality. If these shelves are made from whatever faux-wood that makes up those cheapo accessory pieces that can be found in catalogs [Think companies like Brylane Home...] then it's certainly over-priced!
I'm going to go on record as saying that this evening's online window shopping session was not successful in producing feel-good amounts of dopamine...quite the opposite actually.
But maybe now is one of those times when I should be optimistic and try to enjoy the things that I have right now...and look forward to getting some of the things that I want when I grow up! [hehehe]
A very drowsy good morning to you all...I don't know why, but it seems like I've had the hardest time getting up and going here lately. It doesn't make a whole lot of sense. I've actually been getting more sleep that I did about a month ago, but I feel as if I'm less rested that before.
/shrug Oh well, guess it's just one of those things...
Do you remember the post I'd written back in August about the book "Gone Girl"?
It's being made into a movie! It comes out next weekend and I'm super excited! I think the casting seems like a good fit. I'm in love with the idea of Neil Patrick Harris playing the role of Desi Collings...but really, I love just about everything that NPH does [he's a truly amazing performer]. I don't know how I feel about Ben Affleck being cast as Nick Dunne [one of the main characters in the book], but after atrocities like DareDevil, I think the wariness is justified. I'm sure it doesn't help that the Nick Dunne I imagined looked way more like John Barrowman and nothing like Ben Affleck. [Don't even get me started on roles that I think a terrible for Ben Affleck...**coughcough**Batman!*cough*]
My personal casting preferences aside, I think it there's the potential for a great movie...here's the link to the IMDb page, there's a trailer on it you should check out if you haven't seen one yet.
Today's my sister's birthday!! Let's celebrate the anniversary of the day my sister graced the world with her presence and took away my 'only child' title!! [I kid, I kid...everyone knows I love my sister...]
The gif of Pinkie Pie bouncing on a balloon is maybe the most perfect depiction of what celebrating my sister's birthday is like...she IS the human embodiment of Pinkie Pie! Super excitable, ridiculously hyper, and a huge fan of the color pink...
As I'm sure you guys have probably noticed, I have a tendency to binge-watch absurd amounts of a TV show for a couple weeks at a time... [If you've been following my blog, you've seen me go through Naruto, Arrow, and Fairy Tail phases already] My current television obsession??
/swoon
I know this show has been around for a good while, the 10th season is set to start up on October 7...the 10th season!! [Do you know how many episodes of Supernaturally-charged goodness that means I get to watch?!?]
Over the years, I've dated a couple of guys who were really big on following the show, but I never really watched it myself. Now that I'm watching it, I can't help but wonder why I haven't been watching all along. I mean, it's a show with ridiculously handsome men, other-worldly baddies, ridiculously handsome men, one bad ass Impala, and ridiculously handsome men.
Did I mention the ridiculously handsome men??
Dean Winchester [Jensen Ackles] is currently my favorite...he's the older of the two brothers and has the most bewitching green eyes on the planet. What can I say? I'm a sucker for a good looking dude with a bad ass car...
Then, there's Dean's younger brother, Sam [Jared Padalecki]. I'm pretty sure this picture is from an earlier season of the show...his hair seems to get longer with each season. He isn't smiling in this picture, but he's got dimples that are just about the cutest thing that I've ever seen!
Fangirl swooning aside, it's a really good show. I'm only 4 seasons in, and I've seen the show tackle some pretty intense topics [family relationships, faith, loyalty, hidden agendas...]. Thanks to the aforementioned ex's, I'm vaguely familiar with the main storyline up until about season 6...but I'm trying my best to watch the series all the way through without skipping too much.
They're just adorable :)
If you haven't watched the show, I recommend that you do.
If you're like me and are/were harboring some sort of nonsensical reason to abstain from the show, stop. Stop being silly and watch the show. It's awesomeness greatly surpasses whatever nasty former relationship thoughts/feelings that it might conjure up.
If you like the show, leave me a comment/send me an email/contact me through psychic means...we should be friends!
I know that I've left a lot of amazing characters and actors/actresses out of this post, but it's only because the post would be forever long if I tried to mention all of the awesomeness...besides...I've still got 4 more seasons left on Netflix, season 9 to find on DVD, and then season 10 starts in about a week...there will be more Supernatural posts. It's inevitable.
That's a video of Dean/Jensen singing to Eye of the Tiger...not even gonna try and deny it, it's in this post just for me ;)
I know that dozens of these lists get posted every month, but really, do they ever stop being awesome?
Fun Fact: After reading the list, my sister and I got in an argument over who owned one of those color changing Lion King spoons. [Which, of course, is MY spoon. Duh.]
Here's another BuzzFeed that I thought was pretty awesome:
Today is one of my favorite days of the year...it's the first 'official' day of fall!! [Is it more proper to refer to the season as autumn rather than fall? Not really sure..I'll look it up later]
Bahahaha!
Weather reports say that the temperature is in the 50's this morning and I am overjoyed!
Unfortunately, the high for today is forecasted to be in the 80's...when the weather reaches the point of having high temperatures of about 72, I'll be one happy camper...if I didn't have family/employment ties in Alabama, I'd move to a much cooler climate in a heart beat.
I know it will be a few weeks before this lovely Alabama weather truly feels like autumn, I'm looking forward to the days of wearing jeans and a t-shirt without feeling like I'm burning up!
Other reasons why autumn is awesome:
- Football! There are a few things that we Southerners do a little differently than the rest of the country, football is certainly one of those things [RTR!]
Ken-O-Sha Park - Grand Rapids, MI
- Foliage! There are very few sites than can match the awe-inducing beauty of trees with leaves that have turned for autumn...unfortunately, Alabama is lacking severely in this department! This time of year is when I miss Grand Rapids the most. Alabama definitely has trees, as any allergy sufferer will tell you, but most of them are evergreen...
-Halloween! Alright, I think this one is pretty self-explanatory.
I mean, who doesn't love an occasion that calls for both costumes and candy?!?
-Thanksgiving! A holiday that centers around food...yes.
-TV Shows! A good portion of television shows come back for their new seasons in the fall...personally, my DVR is set to record at least a half-dozen season premieres.
Last Year's Pumpkins
-Pumpkins! Well, pumpkin carving to be specific. I absolutely adore carving pumpkins...I bought a professional pumpkin carving kit last year [I bought it way after Halloween...you know, when it was on sale!] and I can't wait to try it out! Last year, I was going through a My Little Pony phase, so I carved Derpy Hooves [Also affectionately known as "Derps"] and my kiddo carved Spider-Man. Well...I carved Spider-Man, but he did pick out the design.
-Pumpkin-flavored things! I know that it gets way overdone and by the time Christmas rolls around, everyone's tired of pumpkin-flavored everything. But until I've reached that point, I will gladly order pumpkin bread and pumpkin-flavored lattes!
I'm sure there a ton of other reason why autumn is awesome, this is just my short list...
I'm sure that there's some sort of perk to living in an apartment, right?
I don't have to cut any grass, there's a maintenance crew that is supposed to fix anything that may need fixing [keywords: "supposed to"], and I have a place to call home without having to jump through all of the hoops that come with buying a house.
As I've said before, I have terrible neighbors.
Run, Simba!
Terrible neighbors! Absolutely terrible! [yes, the triple repeat ending in bold AND italicized text is absolutely necessary.]
I am convinced that my upstairs neighbors have been watching the stampede scene from the Lion King over and over and over...for hours on end, with a sub-woofer laying face down on their floor, pumping a ceaseless stream of constant wall-shaking noise into my living room...all day long.
All freaking day long!
Why would anyone want to submit Simba to that sort of punishment, all day long?!?
Is there no humanity anymore?!?
/twitch
The rumbling is still going on as I type...I can't remember, is my left eye supposed to twitch like that??
I've got about 2 more minutes of being a 'pleasant' neighbor before I...
/sigh what am I going to do about it?? Call the way helpful after-hours maintenance line?? Ugh.
I take it back.
There are no perks to living in an apartment. None.
Anyone considering doing so should promptly contact me so that you can spend 45 seconds in my bass-thumping dance club of a living room and then take me with you when you leave while screaming obscenities at my ceiling...
If anyone reads this, please send help...I'm going to lose my mind!
Hey guys, hope you're having a fantastic Sunday morning...
I've made it my mission to get some serious cleaning accomplished today. Between working and parenting/entertaining my kiddo, it seems to me that clutter tends to accumulate way too quickly...my living room can go from company host-worthy presentable to "what happened in here?!?" in about two afternoons!
CLEAN ALL THE THINGS!!!
Truthfully, I don't mind cleaning all that much. I actually sort of like it! I think it's because cleaning is a task that renders immediate results...I know that if I put, say, an hour's worth of effort into cleaning up clutter, that within that hour, the clutter will be gone. Much, much more gratifying than other things...like exercise. I can exercise for an hour a day, and it would be weeks before there are any noticeable changes. Weeks! /sigh...so, yeah...lots of cleaning will be done today.
Plus, keeping a 'clean home' does wonders for helping to combat depression. I know myself, and I know that on my personal depression scale, I'm doing okay right now...but, I know what's coming.
I know that I'm a few 'bad days' away from hitting some potentially dark lows, and for the sakes of myself, my kiddo, and my family...I need to try and stave the beast off. I've learned the hard way that nothing truly good ever comes from my bouts of depression and I owe it to the people that care about me to put some effort into managing my depression.
I know that the concept of [ decluttered house = decluttered mind ] might sound far-fetched to some that aren't familiar with the idea, but I promise that it's an actual phenomenon.
I have no idea why, but I woke up absolutely exhausted this morning...I need to find some caffeine!
Don't you just love these kinds of mornings?
I went to bed at a 'reasonable time,' had what should have been a restful night of sleep, and then wake up feeling worse than I did before I went to bed in the first place! /Sigh
It probably doesn't help that I've had an incredibly busy work week. Seems like the appraisal business is constantly in some sort of up/down cycle...the last week and a half or so were very slow, and now we've got so much work that it's overwhelming. Oh well, better to be busy than bored, right?
Elsewhere in Gotham City...
I got my hair cut yesterday. [Note the impressive lack of enthusiasm!]
At the last minute, I chickened out and decided to get my hair cut into a short bob rather than a pixie cut. I showed the lady cutting my hair several different pictures of what I'd like, one of which was this adorable little blonde cut on Chelsea Staub...
Well...the cut I ended up with looks nothing like the picture. Nothing.
Yeah, this little gem on the right is much closer to the haircut that I ended up with.
Okay, I might be exaggerating...but only just a little.
I hate it.
And I'm not really sure what ended up happening either! But I'm going to give it a few days...see if I can make the new cut at least tolerable by styling it a few different ways, or something...but if not, then I'll go back and have the rest of my hair cut off into a pixie cut after all...
I don't think I'd mind it. And maybe that's why I hate this current cut so much, because I know I'd rather have it shorter...
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