Skincare Junkie

I love, love, LOVE skincare products! And my friends that have spent hours with me in Sephora can second that. Last night when I was out with friends, one asked if I had anything she could use for her lips. Well, of course I did! My two new favorite lip products are Estee Lauder's Nutritious Vita-Mineral Lip Treatment and Sugar Lip Treatment with SPF 15.

The Estee Lauder product just feels like heaven when you place it on your lips...it goes on smooth and you can just feel it hydrating your lips. The great thing is that it has lots of nutrients (hence the name!) which really help my very dry lips. I use this product all by itself, under matte lipsticks, or on top of lipsticks to give an extra glossy shine. (My friend liked it too, especially once people started asking her what type of lip gloss did she have on and that her lips looked wonderful)

The Sugar Lip Treatment is just as great for a different reason. Due to the cost, I only use this product in the morning before I go walking (since it has SPF) and at night before I go to bed. This product really penetrates the skin and it is also a great exfoliater.

So if you are looking for 2 great lip products I personally endorse these! They can be found at any major department store that carries Estee Lauder and Fresh skincare products.

Neighborhood Watch Member or Nosey Neighbors?

Yesterday evening as a proceeded to move my garbage and recycling cans to the curb, I ran into my neighbors (I'll call them Bob and Betty) that live two doors down. Mind you this was probably not the time for me to meet my neighbors (yes, I have lived here for two years and no, I had not met them before) since I had not showered for the day and had a scarf on my head. The only neighbors that I have met live on the other side of me. And since our conversations are always about something crazy they have done (their dog jumping the fence into my back yard, their guests parking in front of my driveway, and the list goes on) I'm certain they wish that they hadn't met me. Any who, back to Bob and Betty.

Bob and Betty jump right in to tell me that they thought I had moved since they hadn't seen me in a while (don't forget that I've NEVER seen them!). They also tell me about the family that lives in between us and that they 'think' the family might have moved since Bob and Betty saw a moving truck. This leads into them explaining that the family was renting the house and that they wanted to move closer to their daughter's school. Also the owner of the house actually lives in California so maybe now the owner is going to move here.

(At this point I am having a flash back to the people that used to own that house...prior to their leaving they gave me the low down on ALL of the neighbors. And if I remember correctly, I believe that possibly Bob and Betty aren't married but have children together. Ok, I guess that's neither here nor there, but it does set a trend for nosey neighbors!)

Being the good neighbors Bob and Betty are, they had threw away the flyer's that were left on my door (now this I had noticed since when I arrived home from my last assignment there weren't any flyer's on the door). About this time, I am beginning to think 'Hmmm, Bob and Betty are a little too observant of my comings and goings' and then they mention they are members of the Neighborhood Watch Program (and not vouyers).

So now I wonder if being a member of the Neighborhood Watch Program is just an avenue to legitimately be a nosey neighbor and have reason to know all of the neighborhood happenings? Or are Bob and Betty just really nice neighbors (they did offer to check my mail when I am out of town and that their daughter does house sitting) that are interested in keeping the neighborhood a safe place (and possibly make my life easier)? I don't know. But I do know that I will be keeping an eye on Bob and Betty!

Welcome Home Shannon!

I am FINALLY back at home! After almost 6 months of being gone on assignment, I was finally paroled over the weekend. Let's hope that this release is a long one!

I arrived home to find everything intact...tons of mail to go through, dust bunnies in their place and food that was long past its expiration date. I really wish that I could find someone that would come to my house a day or two before I arrive and they would make certain that I had fresh flowers on my kitchen table, my favorite food in the fridge, and not a dust bunny in site. But that sounds a lot like a cleaning service (costs money) or a special someone (then they wouldn't want to leave!), so I guess I'll make nice with the bunnies!

The Doghouse

A male friend that has discriminating taste shared this video clip with me. I figured that since men need all of the assistance that they can get, I had to do my part and share the knowledge. Hell, some won't even get it with this video...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_F2md4uGmMU

All Roads Lead To...

Ohio!

I can hardly believe that I am back in Ohio once again! Actually I have been here for the past two months on assignment for Hurricane Ike, so I should be over the disbelief by now. Who would ever think that a hurricane would pass through Ohio???

I have always heard the saying 'Never say NEVER' and now I truly buy into it. After being in a relationship with a Buckeye (I'll spare names so I don't have to go back to therapy) I said that I would 'never, ever, ever move to Ohio'! Then about 4 years ago, I moved to Cincinnati when I decided to make a career change. As soon as I could (18 months later) I left Cincinnati as quickly as I arrived and relocated to Dallas, TX. And now, as my luck would have it, I am back in Ohio again...I just can't seem to shake this place!

In light of my travels bringing me back to Ohio, I am beginning to wonder if I am really meant to be in Ohio for some unknown reason. I'll go on record and say that I'm not sold, and I'll be glad when this assignment is over!

Back Again...

Where has the time gone! Yes, have been back to work since July 21st (and yes, I am feeling great!). And things have been busy as ever!

For a short while I was in Bismark, North Dakota. No, not someplace that I would have gone on my own, but glad to say that I had an opportunity to go there. A couple of things that I found amazing is that there is about zero humidity there (awesome for my hair!) and that it stays daylight for what seems like FOREVER! The sun would rise by 6 am, and I swear it wouldn't be dusk until 9:30 pm! All good things had to come to end, and I went to the other side of the spectrum...

When I returned to Dallas, I was greated at the airport by 100 degree plus weather! You know it's hot when you're at the airport at 9:30 at night, and it is still 95 degrees outside! Needless to say, what was good for my hair was no more! Last summer was very rainy in Dallas, and this summer was hot (probably more typical for Dallas)...guess I'll have to wait and see what next summer feels like!

Now the wind has blown me to Montgomery, AL. Hmmm, what to say? I have seen the entire state from Huntsville and Florence, to Birmingham and Mobile! I find that southern hospitality is nice, but I will be glad to get back to Texas! And maybe that chance may come sooner than later with Hurricane Ike swirling out in The Gulf. Stay tuned...

Not Keeping Up My End of the Deal!

When I created this blog site a couple of months ago, I really hoped that I would be able to place a weekly blog out here for all of you to keep up with me. But what do they say about the best laid plans? And besides, is my life even that interesting that any of you would want to read about it on a weekly basis? I'm living it, and the answer is probably not! :-)

Since I posted my last blog, a lot has been going on. Let's see...my last work assignment in Augusta, GA was completed the end of April. While I was there I did get a chance to go to the Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta. Way cool, and I highly recommended it if anyone is ever in the Atlanta area.

Once I returned from my assignment, things (medically speaking) began to take a turn for the worse. Fortunately, I was able to remain at home and not be redeployed to a new assignment to take care of everything. This is definitely not the forum to go into any details, but I had surgery last week and I am currently at home resting comfortably. And yes, really resting! My Mom was here all of last week (thank God for Mom's!) and my sister is here this week (even though little sisters can be pesky, mine is stepping up to the plate!). Both have been adamant about me resting and not overdoing anything. I will be at home until the end of July, so at least all of you will know where to catch me if you would really like to catch up on things!

Prior to my surgery I did have the opportunity to go to Cancun for a few days (I guess I wasn't really near death) with a couple of girlfriends. The weather wasn't the best (honestly, it SUCKED!!!), but as always the company was great! We were doing some preplanning for April 2010.....when I will be revisiting becoming 35 again. I am thinking about doing a fantastic birthday destination trip and inviting family and friends to join me to celebrate. So, begin to save your pennies, nickels, and dimes and get your visa (as in to leave the country AND the plastic kind too!) ready.

Hopefully now that I have some downtime I will be able to keep up with my blog site. If not, I PROMISE to do better after July 21st!!!

Another Year Older...

As many of you should know, I recently celebrated another birthday! Now, I won't go into detail about which birthday this was, but 35 sure feels good again! And for those of you who didn't send presents, it's never too late!

I had the pleasure of sharing my birthday with my family (Dad, Cindy, and Sharon) and friends in Dallas. I'll stress 'in Dallas' because I have been on assignment for work continuously since the first of the year. So needless to say, this sistah was ready for a break!!!

The week started with Sharon arriving first. We did the sisterly bonding thing - meeting some of my friends (Lavonya and Diane at the Grand Lux Cafe - yum!) and getting our hair did. My sister still doesn't understand that getting one's hair did is a process (sometimes a looong process) but well worth the end result. And I have to say that she went home with some cool looking hi lights! Watchoutnow!

Dad and Cindy arrived, and let's just say the eating REALLY began! We hit some of my favorite spots (Blue Mesa Grill, Dickie's Bar B Que, Pappadaeux's) and a new favorite, Del Frisco's. An AWESOME steak house, and I'll go on record to say that I am glad it was MY birthday and that someone else was picking up the tab! In between all of the eating, we did check out a few sites: a Texas Rangers game, the Dallas Arboretum, and First Monday's in McKinney. But most of all, we had a great time just being together.

And I cannot forget the presents...one of the best things about a birthday! Some of my presents traveled far to be with me: a special friend sent me two dozen beautiful red roses, I received a GPS system (great for traveling to all of my exotic locales!), a Tassimo coffee/cappuccino/any kind of drink you want maker (great for guests who want java in the morning), a Target gift card (that's MY spot!), and a tons of birthday phone calls and emails.

Over all, I had an AWESOME birthday...I wish that everyday could provide the same great feeling that I get from my birthday being my special day. Even if things go wrong, you can count on something great happening within a few minutes!

Until next year....

Organ Donation

In the wee hours of the morning today, my aunt underwent a successful heart transplant surgery. She had been placed on the national waiting list on Good Friday, and yesterday received the call that a match had been found.

I am extremely grateful and thankful for the second chance at life that my aunt has been given. At the same time, I also wonder about the person who's heart she received and their family.

In my quest for answers, I found myself at http://www.organdonor.gov/. Did you know that as of April 7, 2008, there were 98,718 candidates on the national waiting list for organ donations? And that each day about 77 people receive organ transplants? These figures leave me speechless and humbled as I think about my aunt and realize how blessed my family truly is.

Probably like most of you, I didn't totally realize the importance and need for organ donors and the impact that organ donation has on others. It is so unfortunate that many times we don't think about the concerns of others until these concerns impact us personally to become our concerns.

Deciding to be an organ donor is an extremely personal choice. But what a wonderful gift to give to someone else! Although my family may never know where my aunt's new heart came from, from the bottom of my heart I thank the person who decided to have the forethought for giving the gift of life.

An Hour to Live, An Hour to Love: The True Story of the Best Gift Ever Given

Yesterday as I was wondering aimlessly through Target, I came across a book entitled, 'An Hour to Live, An Hour to Love'. The book is co-authored by Richard and Kristine Carlson (the man who wrote all of the 'Don't Sweat the Small Stuff' books).

I have to admit that the title alone caught my attention - many of you know that I am a hopeless romantic! The book is a wonderful, true story about Richard's love for his wife and what he would do if he only had an hour to live. What is ironic about the story is that it was written on Richard's 18th wedding anniversary as a gift to his wife, and 3 years before he suddenly died on a business trip.

For the past few weeks, I have been re-evaluating my life and trying to find more balance in it - balance between my job and the relationships in my life that are important to me. I am sad to say that I have allowed some of my personal relationships to suffer due to my career choices. This book helped to reaffirm for me that I need to actively pursue getting the balance back in my life.

If I knew that I only had an hour left to live, I wouldn't want to spend that hour trying to make telephone calls to my family and friends to let them know how I feel. I want them to always know how I feel about them, and starting today I am going to start doing a better job of that!

Let's Try This Again...

Hello Family & Friends!

As many of you know, I have had a page on MySpace for awhile. Not sure if I out grew the page or maybe a friend's advice about it not being the safest place to keep in touch with everyone caused me to create this new blog. Hopefully I will do a much, much, MUCH better job of keeping everyone updated with what is going on in my life!