i bet you can’t.

I’ve always been one of those wake-up-and-go type people. I like a purpose in the morning, and I’m not much of a dilly-dallier. Since I was in high school my m.o. has always been to sleep until the last possible moment, shower/groom, then head out to wherever it is I’m supposed to go that day. I guess it’s just how I work best. And old habits die hard.

Now that I don’t really have anywhere I need to be in the morning, it’s hard for me to instill a sense of urgency into my day. During the past decade I’ve realized I’m a morning person, but because there’s nothing terribly pressing for me in the mornings it’s hard to find the motivation to get out of my warm, cozy bed. I wake up, and then I fall back asleep. 8:00 is my absolute limit – I freak out and jump out of bed as if it were aflame.

I’ve got a to-do list, and it’s chock full of pressing items. I have projects and homework and housework and job hunting and all sorts of things I need to do. Yet without a schedule I’m having a difficult time retaining a day-to-day consistency. I’m not much of a go-with-the-flow-type gal (ahem *control freak*), so the lack of structure wears on me a bit. I’m working on it, and I know I’ll have a routine down in the next couple of weeks, but the blah winter weather and a sort of lingering malaise, combined with my never-ending cold/flu/whatever don’t help much. So I complain. There, I’m done now.

In other news, I think this is pretty much the sauciest ad for glassware I’ve ever seen.

Sadly, if you can't find a better excuse for a party than your bar ware then I probably don't want to come to any of your parties.

dry brush.

This edition of twirl is all about my love love love for my dry brush. Every morning before I shower (but after my jumping jacks and stretching) I run a dry brush over most of my body. It sloughs off the dead skin, improves circulation, and some say even helps the immune system. Scandinavians have been dry brushing for hundreds of years, and they claim some of the other positive affects include: 
 

• Removal of cellulite
• Cleansing of the lymphatic system
• Skin tightening
• Tones muscle
• Aids digestion

I’ve only been dry brushing for a couple of weeks, so I can’t really attest to any of the benefits aside from exfoliation. But it feels great and adds a nice ritual to my morning. 

Oooh, sweet dry brush.

  

 

doctors say.

So true.

one word.

This week’s edition of twirl only requires one word:

Lost.

greetings from the groundhog.

So, the rodent says we have six more weeks of winter. I could have probably told you that around 3:00 this morning when I heard the snow plows outside our bedroom window.

In other new I rescheduled this week’s big trip due to, naturally, scheduling issues. I’m bummed. So now I’m going to watch Witness. Nothing cheers me up like an Amish thriller, especially one viewed from the new couch.

As far as I'm concerned Bill Murray starred in *the* definitive film about February 2nd.

out of sorts.

It’s my second Monday of unemployment. Honestly, I think I’ve slept too much, because I’m finding it difficult to get my brain revved in the morning. Things are pretty low-key now – major highlights include filing my taxes, filing for my first week of unemployment, and completing COBRA paperwork.

The biggest drama today is waiting for the delivery of our new couch. I’ve pretty much been stood up by the delivery people every step of the way and I still haven’t received a confirmation call. It’s far too mundane to detail here, let alone write out. Long story short, we’re supposed to get a new couch today and I can’t wait until it’s here. And I have no idea when that will be.

Tomorrow I’ll wake up earlier. And get more done. Plus, this week I get to see my Mama and my bestest friends and work with Katy on our conquer-the-world plan. Life is grand.

All week I've been day dreaming about exotic vacations and warm weather. This looks pretty good to me right now.

some kind of good-bye.

J.D. Salinger died yesterday at age 91. I wrote this post about The Catcher in the Rye last summer.

Definitely not a phony.

twirl #1.

Gala Darling has her Things I Love Thursday (TiLT), so I decided to do my spin on it…This Week I Really Love…or twirl. Here’s the inaugural edition. Enjoy! 

Transference.

So this week I really love…the new Spoon album. Yes, I still call them albums. And records. I’m sold. Anyway, this new release is so good. It’s snappy and driven and fresh and alive.

Spoon is one of those rare bands who have traveled with me from college to now and held sway over me with every release – I don’t always fall back on the discs of my youth. Instead, their songs mark my time in unique ways. And they give a shout out to Lawrence in their latest liner notes. I like that.

birthday boy.

Happy Birthday to my favorite man in the world.

get ready, get set…now lounge.

While Friday was my official last day of employment, both the WI Department of Workforce Development and I consider today my first official day of unemployment. And what a barn burner it is! I awoke at 6:00 a.m., then again at 7:00 a.m., and finally got up around 8:00 a.m. After some pretty strenuous online banking, I did some stretches and showered. Now I’m pondering what to make for breakfast. Later today I have a lunch date with a friend and later still a dinner date with friends. It’s a pretty rough life.

After I turned in my laptop and badge last Friday I went to Trader Joe’s to stock up. I took a cue from my friend Annette and bought a couple of bouquets of flowers to add some cheer and color to the apartment. The orange roses are so vibrant and so fairy-tale like they bring a huge smile to my face every time I see them. I even cut a few and put them in the bedroom. Tres romantic, no?

I don't think this photo does the flowers justice, but I'm no Ansel Adams, so what were you expecting?

Today’s biggest quandary involves the best way to run errands. I need to go to the bank and the post office, and this morning I realized there’s both a post office and a bank branch within walking distance of my home (and each other). But I don’t wanna walk! Of course I’ve had the internal debate about living downtown and all the reasons I need to soak up urban life and walking-distance-conveniences, not to mention it’s actually nice enough outside to go outside….my poor apple cart is just so upset. Because my inherent laziness took charge once I got the “you’re getting laid off” letter from my former employer.

So yeah, that’s my struggle today. It’s no crisis in Haiti, but it’s enough for now. Tomorrow is Jason’s birthday and after that I can start dealing with the real world. Until then I’ll just look at my flowers and pretend my biggest problem is the logistics of running errands on foot. It’s a nice world.