Lately, I have been hearing from people that I have a talent to write. There have even been a few people that believe that I could actually write a book and I should try. I do appreciate the compliment, but deep down inside I know I lack the skills to go beyond writing a blog post here and there. I am not that talented to outline a story plot and build a story with fictional characters. I am just an average person that does not have enough to follow through to even try. I will admit that I thought about it a couple of times. In fact, I once did try to think up a story to tell and even started it to only scrap the idea and deleted what I started with. The reason is because what I did start with really had nowhere to grow from and after 2 pages of effort, I could not even set a proper dialogue between the characters. You have to realize that I am my own toughest critic and I just flat out refuse to see what I did manage to write being worthy of print. Heck, I struggle with sharing what I write when I happen to blog.
There are other things that I happen to do that also end up with compliments and requests to build upon what I have done and make it more widely available to the public or I should start my own business with....
I have told people that an idle mind for me is a recipe for disaster. When DH takes his annual "fishing" trip with his buddies (aka the 4-day drink-a-palooza sans spouses and/or family), I manage to find yet another "hobby" to start. The first few years, I was a cleaning maniac that would fill my waking hours until I crashed from exhaustion and would have DH return home to a spotless and rearranged home. Yep, I moved furniture, too. One person told me that I should become an interior decorator with that hobby. Then, for a few years after that, I took up glass painting. I purchased a few tutorial books, some paints, a set of brushes, and learned the skill to paint on glass. I painted glassware sets, wine glasses, glass ornaments, glass bowls, glass vases, and a few glass cake stands. All it took was for one donation to DD's preschool for their annual fundraising auction and then I ended up painting glassware and ornaments for their annual craft show with special orders pouring in every time. I got really tired painting glass real quick. Well, I still will paint on glass, but not as often as I used to. Then, after that, I had an interest in making beaded jewelry. That hobby got real expensive... really fast. I just could not fathom using cheap materials. With each trip to the bead store, I managed to learn yet another little trick or technique. I even took a few project classes to learn the process to make a specific item. While what I made was oohed and complimented on, I just did not have the confidence to actually sell what I made as a worthy craft to the masses. Nowadays, I might dabble a little if the mood hits me, but most of the time I am repairing co-worker's broken stuff. Then, of course, I also have one other talent that I have been praised for and a few of my professional colleagues have been pushing me to consider starting my own business in makeup artistry. One person has even offered to have a friend of hers set me up with a web page to advertise my talents and set up a pay pal account so people can buy makeup from me. The catch is for me to purchase the necessary inventory and have a place to store the stuff. Then, of course, I would have to set up all the other facets of having a business and would need an accountant to manage handling taxes, profit/loss statements, and projections to assure there is enough financial security as well as inventory control to assure me that my investment is not a money eating disaster. Heck, I just do not have the capital to start a business, nor the backing necessary to even consider it.
With the start of any business venture, there is a strong case of huge losses for the first 3 years. I am not even sure if that is accurate anymore. Supply and demand can either make or break a business. Heck, with that in mind.... there is no guarantee that a business can become fruitful after the mentioned three year acclimation period since the economy is closing businesses that have been around for far longer than three years. I just do not have the capital to support something to watch it fail as well as the nerves of steel to take the chance. What I do see is something that people see as exceptional being just not all that special. Heck, it is run-of-the-mill to me. There are plenty of artisans that paint glass, make beaded jewelry, rearrange furniture, and apply makeup out there. Not all entrepreneurs succeed and the ones that do have more drive than I could ever imagine. I believe that all stems from really believing in themselves to succeed. I just do not have that much faith in myself. Probably because I have been slowly being knocked down every time I tried. My helpful nature has been knocked down so many times, I should have the word "welcome" stitched across my forehead. Ideas that I gave DH in helping solve some of his business problems were shot down faster than the words came out of my mouth, to later find out another person thought the same thing and became the greatest idea ever. If the one person I seek out to have believe in me and back me in starting a venture as big as any of the ones I listed (including trying to write a book that I feel would not be worth the paper it is printed on), shoots me down every time and kills the possible confidence necessary to even bother trying... then it is probably the wisest of choices to not try to make a mark in the world.
So, in closing.... I would like to at least say thanks to all of you that believe more in me than I believe in myself. Who knows.... maybe someday I will try again when it comes to writing a book. I do not really see myself as an author, but if I do decide to really try and follow through.... I will let you know if I succeed. For now... I might stick to blogging from time to time. That is my cathartic release, you know....
Thanks for reading and have a great day!
Tuesday, March 26, 2013
Friday, March 22, 2013
Reasons with seasons....
As I woke up this morning, I looked at all the cleaning I really need to accomplish and sighed. Upon walking into the room that holds my computer, I say... "Nope, not today... just not feeling it. Maybe next week." My stomach started growing since I skipped dinner last night and wondered what I would make myself for breakfast and cringed. Just thinking about the calorie content, the health value, AND the dirty dish I will have to clean managed to squash the notion of eating anything beyond a banana or an apple. Of course, I learned early this morning that an empty stomach can make a person sit up rather quickly when the acids that reside there start to rise, seeking something to devour. Not exactly my best moment to fear throwing up with no bucket nearby. I had a hard time going back to sleep after that false alarm, so I sat up and let gravity takes it's course to keep the burning tide from breaking free.
DD and DH both have left for the day. Leaving me home alone with a lot to do and zero motivation to do anything. Oh joy! A repeat of yesterday.
I did finish that book I started the other day last night, and I have another one lined up for today. While I have roughly 3 weeks to read these library books, I just can't seem to take my time. When it comes to reading, that is. I manage to read a book in roughly a day or two. I lost count of how many books I have read over the course of a year. According to my Amazon account, I have at least reviewed 100 books (the 100th one I did last night). I know I read more than that because when I started reviewing every book I read, I skipped going back to review the ones I had. I just did not feel like dredging up what I thought of a book from a month prior when I was well past it. Really, does Amazon really need the reviews of books 2-17 in the Janet Evanovich, Stephanie Plum series? I did do a review of 1, 18, and 19, even though I did read every book she published. Including her 12 or so books that were strictly from the genre of romance AND her other 2 series as well as those few stand alone books she had out in the past 2 years. Heck, I was even being nice in some of my reviews when I probably shouldn't have. I just could not bring myself to slam a book because it was not what I expected. Heck, I can't see myself writing a book, so who am I to judge? Believe me.... some of the people reviewing these books were real nitpickers with counting typos and exposing small grammatical errors. Apparently, they lost focus on the enjoyment of reading a story to escape the everyday. Between the library's vast selection (and not always complete when it comes to series from certain authors), and those few purchases from Amazon for my kindle.... I have a hefty library of things I have read. Thank goodness I have that Kindle of mine! If I owned the paper copies of all these books.... I would have no room in my house to exist in. Okay, I might be exaggerating a little bit, but since I do not own a book shelf... you can imagine seeing books strewn all over my house. I just have to wait for the few books I pre-ordered on Amazon to become available. Really... why offer a teaser into the next book if it won't be available to read for months? That drives me batty. I am apparently impatient.
Okay... enough with my tangent on books. What I really wanted to get off my chest to see if I am truly not alone in this matter is.... I lost my Spring cleaning mojo. It is technically Spring, you know. Of course, it feels nothing like Spring. It is darn frigid outside! The snow is not melting, and there is mention that there will be another dusting of the white stuff in the very near future. That darn rat lied when he saw his shadow and Mother Nature is making it known that we should not believe that tale of folklore anymore. I can't open my windows for some fresh air without DH blowing a sprocket over the heating bill and this stagnant, trapped winter air is really messing with my ability to feel motivated to get anything done beyond the usual maintenance cleaning. Heck, I am even slacking on the surface cleaning I should be doing.
You think that living with two clutter bugs would motivate me to try harder, but it is not. The dirty socks are yet again taking residence on the floor by DH's side of the bed. DD is back to her old ways of living in a pig sty that is called her room. All the while, I am not all that thrilled with the pile of clothes that need to be tended to in the laundry room as well as the dust that is piling up everywhere. I am actually starting to overlook the drips, spills and dropping of crumbs and seeds on my floors. I dread washing dishes, I am starting to hate cooking... food is becoming unappealing to me... and all I want to do is curl up with a book and escape. I will admit that when I read a book.... I don't add to the building mess that we have going on.
What concerns me is that Spring break is starting tomorrow for DD and that means her friends will want to hang out here if their parents are not schlepping them off to a vacation destination for the week. Trust me.... my house is not ready for a group of teenage girls to hang out in. Heck, the gibberish they squeak out kills the ambiance I prefer for reading a book. I like peace and quiet. With that thought, I shudder at the realization that summer is around the corner. 10 weeks of trying to keep track of DD is a job in itself. DH will be taking his annual "fishing" trip again this year with his buddies and I get 5 days of reprieve from his attitude (or in some cases... non-attitude that hogs the remote and sleeps on the couch with the TV on).
I just hope that I get my cleaning mojo back soon because I have a project I want to accomplish in DH's absence that includes painting and rearranging some furniture where my computer resides. I will eventually get to repainting my living room one of these years (if DH keeps avoiding it). I do happen to have some drapery I have to either make or purchase for DD's room as well as leveling some patio paving slabs in the back yard. Heck, I would even consider re-sheathing the shed and giving that a coat of paint. The door is rotting on it's hinges and needs to be replaced. Since DH is not motivated to do these things.... I will get to them myself. I just have to get past this seasonal slump since Spring does not feel like Spring.
Oh well, I guess I need to be patient, huh? Time to grab my book and wait for the weather to warm up so I can use the grill again. I sure do miss cooking outdoors. Have a nice day everyone!
DD and DH both have left for the day. Leaving me home alone with a lot to do and zero motivation to do anything. Oh joy! A repeat of yesterday.
I did finish that book I started the other day last night, and I have another one lined up for today. While I have roughly 3 weeks to read these library books, I just can't seem to take my time. When it comes to reading, that is. I manage to read a book in roughly a day or two. I lost count of how many books I have read over the course of a year. According to my Amazon account, I have at least reviewed 100 books (the 100th one I did last night). I know I read more than that because when I started reviewing every book I read, I skipped going back to review the ones I had. I just did not feel like dredging up what I thought of a book from a month prior when I was well past it. Really, does Amazon really need the reviews of books 2-17 in the Janet Evanovich, Stephanie Plum series? I did do a review of 1, 18, and 19, even though I did read every book she published. Including her 12 or so books that were strictly from the genre of romance AND her other 2 series as well as those few stand alone books she had out in the past 2 years. Heck, I was even being nice in some of my reviews when I probably shouldn't have. I just could not bring myself to slam a book because it was not what I expected. Heck, I can't see myself writing a book, so who am I to judge? Believe me.... some of the people reviewing these books were real nitpickers with counting typos and exposing small grammatical errors. Apparently, they lost focus on the enjoyment of reading a story to escape the everyday. Between the library's vast selection (and not always complete when it comes to series from certain authors), and those few purchases from Amazon for my kindle.... I have a hefty library of things I have read. Thank goodness I have that Kindle of mine! If I owned the paper copies of all these books.... I would have no room in my house to exist in. Okay, I might be exaggerating a little bit, but since I do not own a book shelf... you can imagine seeing books strewn all over my house. I just have to wait for the few books I pre-ordered on Amazon to become available. Really... why offer a teaser into the next book if it won't be available to read for months? That drives me batty. I am apparently impatient.
Okay... enough with my tangent on books. What I really wanted to get off my chest to see if I am truly not alone in this matter is.... I lost my Spring cleaning mojo. It is technically Spring, you know. Of course, it feels nothing like Spring. It is darn frigid outside! The snow is not melting, and there is mention that there will be another dusting of the white stuff in the very near future. That darn rat lied when he saw his shadow and Mother Nature is making it known that we should not believe that tale of folklore anymore. I can't open my windows for some fresh air without DH blowing a sprocket over the heating bill and this stagnant, trapped winter air is really messing with my ability to feel motivated to get anything done beyond the usual maintenance cleaning. Heck, I am even slacking on the surface cleaning I should be doing.
You think that living with two clutter bugs would motivate me to try harder, but it is not. The dirty socks are yet again taking residence on the floor by DH's side of the bed. DD is back to her old ways of living in a pig sty that is called her room. All the while, I am not all that thrilled with the pile of clothes that need to be tended to in the laundry room as well as the dust that is piling up everywhere. I am actually starting to overlook the drips, spills and dropping of crumbs and seeds on my floors. I dread washing dishes, I am starting to hate cooking... food is becoming unappealing to me... and all I want to do is curl up with a book and escape. I will admit that when I read a book.... I don't add to the building mess that we have going on.
What concerns me is that Spring break is starting tomorrow for DD and that means her friends will want to hang out here if their parents are not schlepping them off to a vacation destination for the week. Trust me.... my house is not ready for a group of teenage girls to hang out in. Heck, the gibberish they squeak out kills the ambiance I prefer for reading a book. I like peace and quiet. With that thought, I shudder at the realization that summer is around the corner. 10 weeks of trying to keep track of DD is a job in itself. DH will be taking his annual "fishing" trip again this year with his buddies and I get 5 days of reprieve from his attitude (or in some cases... non-attitude that hogs the remote and sleeps on the couch with the TV on).
I just hope that I get my cleaning mojo back soon because I have a project I want to accomplish in DH's absence that includes painting and rearranging some furniture where my computer resides. I will eventually get to repainting my living room one of these years (if DH keeps avoiding it). I do happen to have some drapery I have to either make or purchase for DD's room as well as leveling some patio paving slabs in the back yard. Heck, I would even consider re-sheathing the shed and giving that a coat of paint. The door is rotting on it's hinges and needs to be replaced. Since DH is not motivated to do these things.... I will get to them myself. I just have to get past this seasonal slump since Spring does not feel like Spring.
Oh well, I guess I need to be patient, huh? Time to grab my book and wait for the weather to warm up so I can use the grill again. I sure do miss cooking outdoors. Have a nice day everyone!
Sunday, March 17, 2013
Just a little out of sorts.....
Have you ever felt like you are the square peg in a world of round holes? I can tell you this..... I sure have. I am not really sure when this feeling came about, but it has been hanging around for far too long. I just seems like everything is just.... off.
I wake up in the morning, I do my usual routine. Work is work, and home life is home life. It pretty much sounds like everything is normal, but it is not. As I try to wrap my mind around these strange feelings, I get even more frustrated because I just cannot find the reason or even the starting point to how I got to this point. Heck, it is just like trying to pound a square peg in a round hole after all.
Really, I have handled all the issues at home and with DD. Things seem to be doing just fine. DH and I are getting along for the most part. There has been no significant improvement in the area of growth for our relationship, but fortunately (knocking on wood) we are not fighting. Who knows.... this just might be the calm before the storm and I am now on high alert for something stinky to hit the fan. Or it is a stage in life where things are going to remain this way.
Money is still painfully tight, the income I have managed to earn to help with the finances is gone before it arrives. The recent doctor's office debacle made sure that we are not going to get ahead any time soon. The bills for that have not yet arrived, but it is a guarantee that it is not going to be pretty when it does. I felt really bad that I could not participate in helping the children of a friend of mine raise money for the recent St. Baldrick's drive. The shame that I could not afford a few dollars for the cause has hit me hard. Heck, the shame that I bought myself something at the latest hair show is even stronger than before. That couple hundred dollars could have gone to others than to my supplies for work during the slow months at the salon. I should have reminded myself that I need to be last when it comes to necessities. I have done pretty good over the years. Even today, I am wearing a sweatshirt that is due for the rag bin, but I just don't have the heart to throw it away. More likely, I would never replace it if I did. I stopped trying to influence DH to step up more on the home front as well as stopped keeping on DD's backside about keeping her room clean. Basically, I have become a shell of a person going through the motions these days. I have not seen my friends in about a month, I think. I really do not know, but I have seen a fair number of events happening and being shared on Facebook. I will admit... I am a little jealous of all the fun they are having. I do get invites for events from time to time, but I sadly end up declining because I just do not have the money to go. I really hate owing people if they offer to buy me a beer because I am lacking money.
The job front is very slow. The salon seems to be getting less and less appointments booked and there is one day I am required to do services for free for a fashion show. While I love what I do, it really hurts when it comes down to the bottom line when you are not getting paid for the work. I have been the go-to girl for makeup services for years. I have supplied everything out of my pocket and the cost to keep my supplies up to date is taking a major hit when I still only earn a portion of the service and the rest goes to my place of employment. With this recent fashion show coming up and not being able to earn something back for my supplies.... I am really feeling unappreciated for my sacrifices. These people don't even tip for services rendered and really.... it is hard to build a repeat business when that service is strictly seen as something people do for special occasions. I try to cross-sell my abilities in hair, but with people trying to figure the value for something that they see more as a luxury than a necessity.... I am not seeing a really big return in consistent business. I have done this fashion show last year and not one of those people returned to become a consistent client, but are really looking forward to return to get more free services again this year. With money being tight everywhere, my regular clients are coming in less frequently. What was a standard of 4-6 weeks, has now been spaced out even further. Somewhere in the area of 2-3 months. I love my job as a hairdresser and makeup artist... feast or famine opportunities and all... but the famine part is really starting to wear me down. I am thankful, though, that I have been called in to help out being a student supervisor (aka hall monitor) from time to time. It is not exactly consistent either, but what I make from that has been going directly towards the family finances. I do not get a penny of that money. Once summer hits, I won't be called in to work and that extra money will not be coming in.
With the economic downfall and the decrease in available jobs, DD's college fund is not exactly growing, either. I keep reminding her that good grades and good test scores are helpful in possibly being accepted for scholarships, but the student loans will be devastating and she really needs to focus on good grades. I now fully understand how my parents struggled and sacrificed for their kids. I even feel bad about the resentment that I could not "keep up with the Jones'" back when I was a kid. I had to earn my own money to pay for things I really wanted and watched my parents feel bad that they could not give it to me. They were never ones to spoil us as kids, but they sure wanted to offer more to us than they ever had growing up. I had no doubt they felt bad saying no to the begging we pummeled them with because I sure feel bad when I have to say it to DD.
I seriously feel I need to step away from everything and try to find my center, but I fear that once I do step away from everything..... I will not return. I have done that before. After high school, I stepped away from everything and everyone I was friends with. While I made new friends along the way, I lost some opportunities to keep my old friendships strong. While I have tried to reconnect, I still feel that I am an outsider looking in. I am not the center of attention and I do not want to be, but there are times I wish I could get half the attention my friends get. I know that it is because of my actions that I am more detached to people, but I am not a pushy person to force people to want to be around me. I just have to accept and adapt.
Well, this flossing did nothing for my unsettled thoughts. I guess I should just go back to my book and maybe play a game or two on the computer to fill my time and distract me from digging deeper in my thoughts. I do appreciate that you took the time to read today's entry. Not sure when I will do another one. Have a good day!
I wake up in the morning, I do my usual routine. Work is work, and home life is home life. It pretty much sounds like everything is normal, but it is not. As I try to wrap my mind around these strange feelings, I get even more frustrated because I just cannot find the reason or even the starting point to how I got to this point. Heck, it is just like trying to pound a square peg in a round hole after all.
Really, I have handled all the issues at home and with DD. Things seem to be doing just fine. DH and I are getting along for the most part. There has been no significant improvement in the area of growth for our relationship, but fortunately (knocking on wood) we are not fighting. Who knows.... this just might be the calm before the storm and I am now on high alert for something stinky to hit the fan. Or it is a stage in life where things are going to remain this way.
Money is still painfully tight, the income I have managed to earn to help with the finances is gone before it arrives. The recent doctor's office debacle made sure that we are not going to get ahead any time soon. The bills for that have not yet arrived, but it is a guarantee that it is not going to be pretty when it does. I felt really bad that I could not participate in helping the children of a friend of mine raise money for the recent St. Baldrick's drive. The shame that I could not afford a few dollars for the cause has hit me hard. Heck, the shame that I bought myself something at the latest hair show is even stronger than before. That couple hundred dollars could have gone to others than to my supplies for work during the slow months at the salon. I should have reminded myself that I need to be last when it comes to necessities. I have done pretty good over the years. Even today, I am wearing a sweatshirt that is due for the rag bin, but I just don't have the heart to throw it away. More likely, I would never replace it if I did. I stopped trying to influence DH to step up more on the home front as well as stopped keeping on DD's backside about keeping her room clean. Basically, I have become a shell of a person going through the motions these days. I have not seen my friends in about a month, I think. I really do not know, but I have seen a fair number of events happening and being shared on Facebook. I will admit... I am a little jealous of all the fun they are having. I do get invites for events from time to time, but I sadly end up declining because I just do not have the money to go. I really hate owing people if they offer to buy me a beer because I am lacking money.
The job front is very slow. The salon seems to be getting less and less appointments booked and there is one day I am required to do services for free for a fashion show. While I love what I do, it really hurts when it comes down to the bottom line when you are not getting paid for the work. I have been the go-to girl for makeup services for years. I have supplied everything out of my pocket and the cost to keep my supplies up to date is taking a major hit when I still only earn a portion of the service and the rest goes to my place of employment. With this recent fashion show coming up and not being able to earn something back for my supplies.... I am really feeling unappreciated for my sacrifices. These people don't even tip for services rendered and really.... it is hard to build a repeat business when that service is strictly seen as something people do for special occasions. I try to cross-sell my abilities in hair, but with people trying to figure the value for something that they see more as a luxury than a necessity.... I am not seeing a really big return in consistent business. I have done this fashion show last year and not one of those people returned to become a consistent client, but are really looking forward to return to get more free services again this year. With money being tight everywhere, my regular clients are coming in less frequently. What was a standard of 4-6 weeks, has now been spaced out even further. Somewhere in the area of 2-3 months. I love my job as a hairdresser and makeup artist... feast or famine opportunities and all... but the famine part is really starting to wear me down. I am thankful, though, that I have been called in to help out being a student supervisor (aka hall monitor) from time to time. It is not exactly consistent either, but what I make from that has been going directly towards the family finances. I do not get a penny of that money. Once summer hits, I won't be called in to work and that extra money will not be coming in.
With the economic downfall and the decrease in available jobs, DD's college fund is not exactly growing, either. I keep reminding her that good grades and good test scores are helpful in possibly being accepted for scholarships, but the student loans will be devastating and she really needs to focus on good grades. I now fully understand how my parents struggled and sacrificed for their kids. I even feel bad about the resentment that I could not "keep up with the Jones'" back when I was a kid. I had to earn my own money to pay for things I really wanted and watched my parents feel bad that they could not give it to me. They were never ones to spoil us as kids, but they sure wanted to offer more to us than they ever had growing up. I had no doubt they felt bad saying no to the begging we pummeled them with because I sure feel bad when I have to say it to DD.
I seriously feel I need to step away from everything and try to find my center, but I fear that once I do step away from everything..... I will not return. I have done that before. After high school, I stepped away from everything and everyone I was friends with. While I made new friends along the way, I lost some opportunities to keep my old friendships strong. While I have tried to reconnect, I still feel that I am an outsider looking in. I am not the center of attention and I do not want to be, but there are times I wish I could get half the attention my friends get. I know that it is because of my actions that I am more detached to people, but I am not a pushy person to force people to want to be around me. I just have to accept and adapt.
Well, this flossing did nothing for my unsettled thoughts. I guess I should just go back to my book and maybe play a game or two on the computer to fill my time and distract me from digging deeper in my thoughts. I do appreciate that you took the time to read today's entry. Not sure when I will do another one. Have a good day!
Thursday, March 14, 2013
Soapbox moment....
Yesterday's debacle of a situation that got blown completely out of proportion has me now still needing to speak my mind on the subject of mental issues and how the professional realm of doctors, teachers, and such react to it.
I have heard many stories of parents feeling like they are at a loss when it comes to their children and their attitudes or behavior. I have probably experienced a fair amount of the ridiculous assumptions that it is now fine time to speak my mind on the subject. Since it was apparent that these professionals need to seek out my opinion on the subject... I now need to really let loose my thoughts on the matter....
Has it crossed the minds of these professionals that people manage to say one thing and be seeking another for the need for attention? Has it even crossed the minds of these professionals that too much information readily available via the internet creates more text-book symptoms being shared in the doctor's office to seek out attention? Heck, even self diagnosis is on the rise because people take the generalized terminology and blow it up to epidemic proportions? Especially in the realm of mental health?
I really have no intentions to sugar-coat or even ignore the fact that there are truly disturbed people out there and there are truly warning signs to pay attention to and should never be taken lightly, but I truly believe that there is minimal attention to details that end up resulting in misdiagnoses and unnecessary medications being administered. Lets just discuss a couple of scenarios that I personally experienced over the past 13 years with DD and what I have managed to do about it, along with what was the professionals would have done....
Back, in the days of elementary school for DD, I had to deal with a couple of less than motivational teachers. One was coined "Hitler in heels" because her teaching method bordered on criminal with her short temper and booming voice that had every child in her class cringe. The other was called "the Zen teacher", because she believed in her classroom.... children should be seen and not heard. Both were opposites, but had the same end result of placing blame on my child for her less than entrapped attention to her environment. While both teachers hinted towards having me get my child tested for A.D.D. (attention deficit disorder), I did a little research and found out that my child was suffering from side effects of a well-known medication that was prescribed to her for her reactive airway issues. This drug called "Singulair" was noted as a safe medication for children (as well as adults) to take and had minimal to no side effects. Being a remotely new drug, the mention of side effects did not surface until well after DD started taking this medication. Upon some research, I found that every complaint about my child's lack of attention to detail (as well as her body aches/pains, random facial tics, mood swings, and consistent nightmares) stemmed from being a side effect to this medication. After discussing my findings to the doctor, I got the "green light" to wean her off to see if this was truly a result of side effects. Needless to say.... it was the solution. After mere days off that medication, my child's focus improved and all her other complaints vanished. Now, with that in mind, if I decided to take the route that the professionals (meaning the teacher's idea to have my child tested and eventually medicated for A.D.D.), I would be subjecting my child to taking one pill to counteract the side effects of another. Which would result in possible other medications to fix issues from the other medications, creating a domino effect of other issues that were not really there to need to be treated in the first place. Basically, just a band-aid to the real issue because these professionals refuse to look deeper into other possible conclusions.
Fast forward to the current time. DD is now in Junior High. It is a new school, new experience that transitions them from a singular classroom dynamic of Elementary School to a multiple classroom experience that is found in High School. With this new experience, it is known that there needs to be time to adapt to a different environment, but some people... well most people.... will experience stress for the first time. Now, add in hormonal imbalance (you know, puberty), and teenage angst to that. What you get is a high strung teenager that tends to have a flair for the dramatic. Of course, girls have this affliction far stronger than boys, but it is par for both genders. This is where the child thinks they know best and believes that their parents are completely clueless to the challenges that are placed before them (aka the "you don't understand" phenomenon). With yesterday's debacle of the doctor taking a firm stand that what was obviously teen drama induced angst as a serious threat to the welfare of this child, I was forced to have my child go through a psychological evaluation for depression. Spending money that was not necessary to come to the same conclusion that I came with if this doctor bothered to listen to me, happened to just get me so furious that I returned to the doctor's office to give them a piece of my mind. I did not want DD to see me lose my cool because, frankly, it is not a pretty sight to behold. While understanding the importance of keeping our children safe is foremost the most important thing, it was the shoot-from-the-hip mentality that clouded the judgement and even further made protocol for handling this situation far less effective. Do these doctors think all parents are clueless? Apparently, the mental health professionals noticed that I was not a clueless parent. Of course, it makes me have less faith in the system if a mental healthcare professional asks me what course should be taken in the care of the child. Yep, I was asked that last night. It appears that their college degree is nothing more than a means to a title if they cannot make an executive decision for the care of another individual. I did have the sickening sensation that they were more than willing to just write a prescription without learning all the facts. Also, it appears that the risks of medicating someone for something that has not been solidly proven necessary to medicate was not even considered. Really, would you prescribe an anti-depressant to a person that happened to have a bad day when they went in to see the doctor and truly was not diagnosed as clinically depressed? The side effect risks are scary enough to think about.... potential risks for a person to become suicidal while taking an anti-depressant are far higher when the patient is under the age of 18, but the risk is still there for adults far over the age of 18 demographic.
It appears that society has become more dependent upon the easy way out than to actually look deeper and seek out other potential scenarios that could be causing the problem in the first place. Albeit a side effect of a medication or blatant disregard for all the facts... there is a risk to just agreeing to taking a pill to fix all your ailments. Are you willing to take that risk? Is the potential risks of side effects worth taking if there is a different, yet more personally involved solution out there? Has every professional decided to refuse to put in any more effort than the least possible? Has society become so dependent upon accepting the first opinion that they refuse to seek a second one when it comes to their best interests?
If I did not take the initiative to seek out the various angles of why and accepted what was told to me.... my child would be taking unnecessary medications that can be more damaging than helpful. Maybe I am just one of the very few that refuse to agree to roll over and play stupid when there is a college degree hanging on the wall of the professional that I sought out for help. Maybe my insatiable desire to learn has placed me in a certain demographic that refuses to constantly be a "yes" person all the time, because really... how does a person learn if they do not challenge the conclusion in the first place. Isn't that what life is all about? Learning experiences at every turn? Isn't that what our freedoms allow? Freedom to think? Freedom to learn? And maybe... just maybe... freedom to choose?
Okay, time to get off my soapbox. Carry on with your day.....
I have heard many stories of parents feeling like they are at a loss when it comes to their children and their attitudes or behavior. I have probably experienced a fair amount of the ridiculous assumptions that it is now fine time to speak my mind on the subject. Since it was apparent that these professionals need to seek out my opinion on the subject... I now need to really let loose my thoughts on the matter....
Has it crossed the minds of these professionals that people manage to say one thing and be seeking another for the need for attention? Has it even crossed the minds of these professionals that too much information readily available via the internet creates more text-book symptoms being shared in the doctor's office to seek out attention? Heck, even self diagnosis is on the rise because people take the generalized terminology and blow it up to epidemic proportions? Especially in the realm of mental health?
I really have no intentions to sugar-coat or even ignore the fact that there are truly disturbed people out there and there are truly warning signs to pay attention to and should never be taken lightly, but I truly believe that there is minimal attention to details that end up resulting in misdiagnoses and unnecessary medications being administered. Lets just discuss a couple of scenarios that I personally experienced over the past 13 years with DD and what I have managed to do about it, along with what was the professionals would have done....
Back, in the days of elementary school for DD, I had to deal with a couple of less than motivational teachers. One was coined "Hitler in heels" because her teaching method bordered on criminal with her short temper and booming voice that had every child in her class cringe. The other was called "the Zen teacher", because she believed in her classroom.... children should be seen and not heard. Both were opposites, but had the same end result of placing blame on my child for her less than entrapped attention to her environment. While both teachers hinted towards having me get my child tested for A.D.D. (attention deficit disorder), I did a little research and found out that my child was suffering from side effects of a well-known medication that was prescribed to her for her reactive airway issues. This drug called "Singulair" was noted as a safe medication for children (as well as adults) to take and had minimal to no side effects. Being a remotely new drug, the mention of side effects did not surface until well after DD started taking this medication. Upon some research, I found that every complaint about my child's lack of attention to detail (as well as her body aches/pains, random facial tics, mood swings, and consistent nightmares) stemmed from being a side effect to this medication. After discussing my findings to the doctor, I got the "green light" to wean her off to see if this was truly a result of side effects. Needless to say.... it was the solution. After mere days off that medication, my child's focus improved and all her other complaints vanished. Now, with that in mind, if I decided to take the route that the professionals (meaning the teacher's idea to have my child tested and eventually medicated for A.D.D.), I would be subjecting my child to taking one pill to counteract the side effects of another. Which would result in possible other medications to fix issues from the other medications, creating a domino effect of other issues that were not really there to need to be treated in the first place. Basically, just a band-aid to the real issue because these professionals refuse to look deeper into other possible conclusions.
Fast forward to the current time. DD is now in Junior High. It is a new school, new experience that transitions them from a singular classroom dynamic of Elementary School to a multiple classroom experience that is found in High School. With this new experience, it is known that there needs to be time to adapt to a different environment, but some people... well most people.... will experience stress for the first time. Now, add in hormonal imbalance (you know, puberty), and teenage angst to that. What you get is a high strung teenager that tends to have a flair for the dramatic. Of course, girls have this affliction far stronger than boys, but it is par for both genders. This is where the child thinks they know best and believes that their parents are completely clueless to the challenges that are placed before them (aka the "you don't understand" phenomenon). With yesterday's debacle of the doctor taking a firm stand that what was obviously teen drama induced angst as a serious threat to the welfare of this child, I was forced to have my child go through a psychological evaluation for depression. Spending money that was not necessary to come to the same conclusion that I came with if this doctor bothered to listen to me, happened to just get me so furious that I returned to the doctor's office to give them a piece of my mind. I did not want DD to see me lose my cool because, frankly, it is not a pretty sight to behold. While understanding the importance of keeping our children safe is foremost the most important thing, it was the shoot-from-the-hip mentality that clouded the judgement and even further made protocol for handling this situation far less effective. Do these doctors think all parents are clueless? Apparently, the mental health professionals noticed that I was not a clueless parent. Of course, it makes me have less faith in the system if a mental healthcare professional asks me what course should be taken in the care of the child. Yep, I was asked that last night. It appears that their college degree is nothing more than a means to a title if they cannot make an executive decision for the care of another individual. I did have the sickening sensation that they were more than willing to just write a prescription without learning all the facts. Also, it appears that the risks of medicating someone for something that has not been solidly proven necessary to medicate was not even considered. Really, would you prescribe an anti-depressant to a person that happened to have a bad day when they went in to see the doctor and truly was not diagnosed as clinically depressed? The side effect risks are scary enough to think about.... potential risks for a person to become suicidal while taking an anti-depressant are far higher when the patient is under the age of 18, but the risk is still there for adults far over the age of 18 demographic.
It appears that society has become more dependent upon the easy way out than to actually look deeper and seek out other potential scenarios that could be causing the problem in the first place. Albeit a side effect of a medication or blatant disregard for all the facts... there is a risk to just agreeing to taking a pill to fix all your ailments. Are you willing to take that risk? Is the potential risks of side effects worth taking if there is a different, yet more personally involved solution out there? Has every professional decided to refuse to put in any more effort than the least possible? Has society become so dependent upon accepting the first opinion that they refuse to seek a second one when it comes to their best interests?
If I did not take the initiative to seek out the various angles of why and accepted what was told to me.... my child would be taking unnecessary medications that can be more damaging than helpful. Maybe I am just one of the very few that refuse to agree to roll over and play stupid when there is a college degree hanging on the wall of the professional that I sought out for help. Maybe my insatiable desire to learn has placed me in a certain demographic that refuses to constantly be a "yes" person all the time, because really... how does a person learn if they do not challenge the conclusion in the first place. Isn't that what life is all about? Learning experiences at every turn? Isn't that what our freedoms allow? Freedom to think? Freedom to learn? And maybe... just maybe... freedom to choose?
Okay, time to get off my soapbox. Carry on with your day.....
Wednesday, March 13, 2013
Everybody does.....
Second blog in one day.... yep, a worthy topic to floss about because it is causing me a major headache so, I am just gonna jump in, okay?
This morning, DD made the request for me to call her doctor to see if they can call in a prescription for an inhaler. Her reactive airway issue (also known as asthma), is flaring up. The weather changing so often beings on an irritation to her lungs. Honestly, this happens only twice a year, but we have been controlling it quite well. It just happened to be that time to step up our game and get the inhaled steroid when the weather fluctuates between rain, snow, frigid temps to warm temperatures. Heck, a healthy person with allergies is starting to suffer, so we were prepared for it. With allergy medicine at the ready (for her allergies), we did need to consider getting back on the steroids for a short period of time to avoid the need for an ER visit. We just cannot afford that kind-of monstrosity of a bill to pay.
I informed DD that this type of request will require a doctor visit and she was okay with it. So it was safe to say that she was in dire need to step up her routine. Well, I called the doctor's office after she left to catch the bus for school. Knowing I was right about the office visit, I followed protocol and talked to the nurse prior to my prescription refill request. Apparently, we missed having her annual physical and she was due for a round of shots... oh joy... so, in order to kill two birds with one stone (and save some money when it comes to the insurance co-pay that we shell out), I got an appointment for 1:30 this afternoon. I called the school to inform them that DD was going to be pulled from school for a doctor's appointment and will be missing her last two classes for the day. Thinking I had all my ducks in a row... I went to pick up DD from school at the time I mentioned to find out that they forgot to hand her a pass to go to the office at the time I was to arrive to pick her up. That was the beginning for the catastrophe that I ended up dealing with.
Upon DD's arrival to the office, she was furious with me. She did not plan for the doctor's appointment to happen while school was in session. I calmly handled that tantrum with a smile and got her in my truck. We got to the doctor's office on time and had to fill out yet again more paperwork (which I see is a total waste of trees since our insurance info has not changed and we have not moved since our last visit). With DD throwing daggers from her eyes at me, I jokingly asked if the doctor can remove the stick in DD's backside. At least the nurses had a laugh. We were promptly sent to an examination room and the nurse proceeded to do DD's physical (taking her temperature, getting her weight, checking her blood pressure and even achieved the in-office eye exam). We waited for the doctor for about a half hour and once the doctor appeared, she proceeded to do all the other routine things for a physical and then she just had to ask DD if she could be suffering depression. REALLY?? She is a teenager and not a PhD in psychology and should not be diagnosing herself something like that. But as I sat there and listened to DD mention that she thinks she is suffering depression. Well, that perked the doctor right up. Then this college educated person asks some very pointed questions that a teenager would say for added attention, but would be taken to the literal sense... apparently, DD thought of hurting herself from time to time. What the doctor never asked was if she actually considered a way of doing such a thing. If she did.... she would have come to the same conclusion as I did (and later a mental health practitioner)... DD is not suicidal, she just needed an outlet to vent.
Yep, my simple routine physical for DD resulted in a standoff with the doctor AND a direct trip to the ER for a psychological evaluation. Apparently, DD's mention of never actually following through with any thought of suicide because she has a serious issue with seeing blood, has a painfully low level of pain tolerance and believes that suicide is NOT the answer was not good enough for the good old doctor. She wanted a pound of my flesh and an even bigger gouge to the checkbook, she held DD and I in that examination room for 2 hours to have us agree to go to the ER and get a psychological evaluation. While her demands were reasonable (if I did not actually know my child), I had a really hard time grasping the concept that regardless of what I happen to know and what DD repeated over and over again... this woman refused to listen to reason. I did agree, though, that it would be beneficial that DD has someone other than her family or friends to talk to about things she feels is a cause to be upset over and learn from this outside person how to gain the essential tools to handle depressing and/or stressful situations because children will get depressed from time to time over trivial things. I just did not see it being necessary to drag her off to the hospital immediately to have someone pick her brain. I saw this as her having a bad day and I was more than willing to talk to her about it because I am attentive to her needs at all times and I look out for potential calls for help. Trust me.... I am no moron! I do have a clue!! I watch my child like a hawk, but I refuse to drill into her to make her cry like this doctor. DD was upset with me and she was acting overly dramatic to try to get her way. Calling DD's bluff was enough of a swift kick in the backside for her to realize that words cause actions.... regardless if she means it or not. Watching her stammer her words and try to get out of getting a psych evaluation was proof that her attitude was more driven for dramatic attention than an actual cry for help. I knew it, but the doctor refused to see it or even consider reason from it. I understand that people need to be overly cautious, but this was ridiculous!
While all this was going on in the doctor's office (the initial standoff, that is), the doctor insisted to call DH and inform him of the apparent unbalance of DD's state and her need to get a psychological evaluation.... THEN this woman hands me the phone to talk to DH about how much this evaluation was going to cost. I really did not need to hear his exasperated voice telling me what I already knew and that just the idea of spending an additional $150 over the $30 co-pay for this could quite possibly push us to put the house up for sale and we would have to move because we just cannot afford such extravagances. I did my best to not let the doctor know that I was being yelled at over the phone and managed to reason with DH that this was for DD's benefit. Of course, I knew he was going to agree to let me take her in to be evaluated, but was reminding me that he is not happy that we had to waste money we did not have to prove a point to this determined doctor. Trust me... when we did finally do everything that this doctor asked for and picked up her prescription... we just spent a total of $260 in roughly 5 hours (a $30 co-pay to see the doctor, $150 co-pay to the ER for the evaluation, and $80 for her prescription refills of an inhaler and an inhaled steroid)... That worked out to $52 an hour being spent... far more than what DH and myself can earn an hour combined. Then, of course, we will still get a bill from the hospital after out insurance will not pay for the psychological evaluation that resulted in a diagnosis of suffering an inability to adapt to a new environment and a list of psychology counselors that charge roughly $50 an hour to say uh-huh at random moments and ask "how do you feel about it". Heck, during the evaluation (that both DD and I talked to different people in separate rooms), I was asked what I thought and how I would like to treat this situation. Really?? They have the college degrees and I am making decisions for the welfare of my child? Makes me scratch my head. The talk I had with DD for the ride home solved a majority of her problems and that actually costs our pocketbook a big, fat ZERO! Well, at least DD got some stuff off her chest, she is in a better mood, and I get to deal with the wrath of DH when it comes to that waste of money being spent. She now knows that it really does not need to cost $150 in a co-pay to talk to her mom about her problems first. Darn shame we could not turn the hands of time to save us that blow to the pocketbook, but you know.... hindsight is 20/20. She got to understand that everyone suffers a little depression from time to time, but as long as you try to not let it keep you down.... you will be just fine in the end. In fact... you become a little stronger in the process. I should know.... I am walking proof that even if I get knocked down repeatedly (of which it happens often), I will keep getting up. I may resort to crying alone and occasionally screaming in solitude, but I keep trying to move forward and make life bearable. Call it conformity, call it acceptance... I see it as dealing with what life offers the best I possibly can. Even if I have to resort to blogging about my feelings... I do what I can to let go the negativity and look forward for better things to come.
This morning, DD made the request for me to call her doctor to see if they can call in a prescription for an inhaler. Her reactive airway issue (also known as asthma), is flaring up. The weather changing so often beings on an irritation to her lungs. Honestly, this happens only twice a year, but we have been controlling it quite well. It just happened to be that time to step up our game and get the inhaled steroid when the weather fluctuates between rain, snow, frigid temps to warm temperatures. Heck, a healthy person with allergies is starting to suffer, so we were prepared for it. With allergy medicine at the ready (for her allergies), we did need to consider getting back on the steroids for a short period of time to avoid the need for an ER visit. We just cannot afford that kind-of monstrosity of a bill to pay.
I informed DD that this type of request will require a doctor visit and she was okay with it. So it was safe to say that she was in dire need to step up her routine. Well, I called the doctor's office after she left to catch the bus for school. Knowing I was right about the office visit, I followed protocol and talked to the nurse prior to my prescription refill request. Apparently, we missed having her annual physical and she was due for a round of shots... oh joy... so, in order to kill two birds with one stone (and save some money when it comes to the insurance co-pay that we shell out), I got an appointment for 1:30 this afternoon. I called the school to inform them that DD was going to be pulled from school for a doctor's appointment and will be missing her last two classes for the day. Thinking I had all my ducks in a row... I went to pick up DD from school at the time I mentioned to find out that they forgot to hand her a pass to go to the office at the time I was to arrive to pick her up. That was the beginning for the catastrophe that I ended up dealing with.
Upon DD's arrival to the office, she was furious with me. She did not plan for the doctor's appointment to happen while school was in session. I calmly handled that tantrum with a smile and got her in my truck. We got to the doctor's office on time and had to fill out yet again more paperwork (which I see is a total waste of trees since our insurance info has not changed and we have not moved since our last visit). With DD throwing daggers from her eyes at me, I jokingly asked if the doctor can remove the stick in DD's backside. At least the nurses had a laugh. We were promptly sent to an examination room and the nurse proceeded to do DD's physical (taking her temperature, getting her weight, checking her blood pressure and even achieved the in-office eye exam). We waited for the doctor for about a half hour and once the doctor appeared, she proceeded to do all the other routine things for a physical and then she just had to ask DD if she could be suffering depression. REALLY?? She is a teenager and not a PhD in psychology and should not be diagnosing herself something like that. But as I sat there and listened to DD mention that she thinks she is suffering depression. Well, that perked the doctor right up. Then this college educated person asks some very pointed questions that a teenager would say for added attention, but would be taken to the literal sense... apparently, DD thought of hurting herself from time to time. What the doctor never asked was if she actually considered a way of doing such a thing. If she did.... she would have come to the same conclusion as I did (and later a mental health practitioner)... DD is not suicidal, she just needed an outlet to vent.
Yep, my simple routine physical for DD resulted in a standoff with the doctor AND a direct trip to the ER for a psychological evaluation. Apparently, DD's mention of never actually following through with any thought of suicide because she has a serious issue with seeing blood, has a painfully low level of pain tolerance and believes that suicide is NOT the answer was not good enough for the good old doctor. She wanted a pound of my flesh and an even bigger gouge to the checkbook, she held DD and I in that examination room for 2 hours to have us agree to go to the ER and get a psychological evaluation. While her demands were reasonable (if I did not actually know my child), I had a really hard time grasping the concept that regardless of what I happen to know and what DD repeated over and over again... this woman refused to listen to reason. I did agree, though, that it would be beneficial that DD has someone other than her family or friends to talk to about things she feels is a cause to be upset over and learn from this outside person how to gain the essential tools to handle depressing and/or stressful situations because children will get depressed from time to time over trivial things. I just did not see it being necessary to drag her off to the hospital immediately to have someone pick her brain. I saw this as her having a bad day and I was more than willing to talk to her about it because I am attentive to her needs at all times and I look out for potential calls for help. Trust me.... I am no moron! I do have a clue!! I watch my child like a hawk, but I refuse to drill into her to make her cry like this doctor. DD was upset with me and she was acting overly dramatic to try to get her way. Calling DD's bluff was enough of a swift kick in the backside for her to realize that words cause actions.... regardless if she means it or not. Watching her stammer her words and try to get out of getting a psych evaluation was proof that her attitude was more driven for dramatic attention than an actual cry for help. I knew it, but the doctor refused to see it or even consider reason from it. I understand that people need to be overly cautious, but this was ridiculous!
While all this was going on in the doctor's office (the initial standoff, that is), the doctor insisted to call DH and inform him of the apparent unbalance of DD's state and her need to get a psychological evaluation.... THEN this woman hands me the phone to talk to DH about how much this evaluation was going to cost. I really did not need to hear his exasperated voice telling me what I already knew and that just the idea of spending an additional $150 over the $30 co-pay for this could quite possibly push us to put the house up for sale and we would have to move because we just cannot afford such extravagances. I did my best to not let the doctor know that I was being yelled at over the phone and managed to reason with DH that this was for DD's benefit. Of course, I knew he was going to agree to let me take her in to be evaluated, but was reminding me that he is not happy that we had to waste money we did not have to prove a point to this determined doctor. Trust me... when we did finally do everything that this doctor asked for and picked up her prescription... we just spent a total of $260 in roughly 5 hours (a $30 co-pay to see the doctor, $150 co-pay to the ER for the evaluation, and $80 for her prescription refills of an inhaler and an inhaled steroid)... That worked out to $52 an hour being spent... far more than what DH and myself can earn an hour combined. Then, of course, we will still get a bill from the hospital after out insurance will not pay for the psychological evaluation that resulted in a diagnosis of suffering an inability to adapt to a new environment and a list of psychology counselors that charge roughly $50 an hour to say uh-huh at random moments and ask "how do you feel about it". Heck, during the evaluation (that both DD and I talked to different people in separate rooms), I was asked what I thought and how I would like to treat this situation. Really?? They have the college degrees and I am making decisions for the welfare of my child? Makes me scratch my head. The talk I had with DD for the ride home solved a majority of her problems and that actually costs our pocketbook a big, fat ZERO! Well, at least DD got some stuff off her chest, she is in a better mood, and I get to deal with the wrath of DH when it comes to that waste of money being spent. She now knows that it really does not need to cost $150 in a co-pay to talk to her mom about her problems first. Darn shame we could not turn the hands of time to save us that blow to the pocketbook, but you know.... hindsight is 20/20. She got to understand that everyone suffers a little depression from time to time, but as long as you try to not let it keep you down.... you will be just fine in the end. In fact... you become a little stronger in the process. I should know.... I am walking proof that even if I get knocked down repeatedly (of which it happens often), I will keep getting up. I may resort to crying alone and occasionally screaming in solitude, but I keep trying to move forward and make life bearable. Call it conformity, call it acceptance... I see it as dealing with what life offers the best I possibly can. Even if I have to resort to blogging about my feelings... I do what I can to let go the negativity and look forward for better things to come.
Spending money like I had it around half naked people...YIKES!
Good morning! NOW that I have your attention with that blog title.... we can get this "flossing" going.
Hairdressers, like myself, are required to attend hair shows. The way I look at it is.... we get to see the movers and shakers in the hair industry showcase the upcoming trends before the pictures grace the magazines. Along with showing what is the up and coming trend... we get to see (and learn) how to achieve these styles. While most are quite outlandish for the demographic I happen to reside and work in.... it never hurts to learn some new techniques. In fact, being the artist that I happen to be.... there are opportunities to tweak the technique to become applicable in various degrees to regular people that cannot sport such interesting looks. Really, no two people should look identical anyway. Where would the individual's uniqueness shine if you all look the same? There are far too many people that judge by the look of a person instead of really getting to know them. I think that is really sad, but it is quite true.
Well, onward to what I titled this blog for....
Just a couple of days ago, I went to one of the largest (and basically longest lasting) hair shows in Chicago. It was called.... The Midwest Beauty Show. It is now called.... The America's Beauty Show. Basically, in the eyes of a person that happens to be a sponge for learning (thus my blog has been a journey of not just clearing my mind of the mundane, I also try to offer what I learned from the experience. Even though it is more based upon the conclusions I draw from these experiences, but I do happen to see others feeling the same way.)... this hair show is more fluff than substance.
Picture this.... A large building holding a venue that is filled with booths of tools and products for people to purchase, a few small stages to demonstrate techniques, and models wearing either half of something or very little of everything that basically are to showcase that specific product or style of hair. Sadly, I forgot my camera to share the actual look of this, but in all honesty.... this hair/beauty show was more of a one-stop shopping extravaganza for the hairdressing professional. There was no place to sit and focus on one thing to actually learn much. It was loud, crowded, and filled with far too many "shiny" things for people to purchase. What people seem to forget at these venues is that there are some professionals that would rather focus on an item than be distracted with a very attractive and scantily clothed person in your field of view. I have no doubt that there were quite a few people buying things because there was a half naked man holding it with a smile on his face, regardless if they really needed it or not.
Some vendors felt it was necessary to be so outlandish in their presentation of the goods that they were selling.... it was hard to rationalize the reasons behind it. Really, where does a woman in stilts standing between two half-naked men stir up the need to buy a curling iron or blow dryer? Heck, some of these hair models wore stuff that I considered being so tattered that it would be in the rag bin at my house to show off their expertly styled hair. Somehow, this one model made me think.... is she a street walker or so poor that clothes are an afterthought to their hair (meaning: look at my expensive hair style!... So expensive, I cannot afford real clothes!) Heck, I understand that sex sells these days.... look at some of these commercials on TV nowadays.... but is it really necessary to keep lowering the bar?
Trust me, I have no complaints looking at a well-chiseled physique. I saw a fair number of them at the show. Heck, I read contemporary romance novels for Pete's sake! I just did not appreciate feeling struck dumb in the presence of it. Well, fortunately, I had the common sense to look beyond most of it and only bought my much needed tools that I had to replace. I sought out the best deals and focused strictly on my list of those necessities.
The only issue I had... which turned out to be the best decision I ever made.... was how much I spent. I walked in with $100 in my wallet. I figured that would be enough for the few things I needed to get. Apparently, I was wrong, and spent an additional $200 on my credit card that I will have to explain to DH once the bill comes in. The reason it ended up being the best decision I ever made was because of the quality of the items I purchased. I really did not need a new flat iron. I happen to have one that works just fine, but the package deal for the curling iron had a flat iron in it. After receiving a demonstration of how well the flat iron works to tame frizzy hair, of which mine was that day from the drizzling rain, I was sold. Never in my life did I see a flat iron do what it did for my hair! Made it shiny, soft and completely frizz free! Even after leaving the show (in yet again the drizzling rain), my hair stayed frizz free! The promotional special was that you got a flat iron, a curling iron (in the size I needed), and a container of deep conditioner for $150. I will tell you this..... it was worth every penny! I used my new stuff and even had a co-worker play with my new stuff to curl my hair. It worked flawlessly and without added hair products. My hair is still just as curly as I had it done yesterday and that is after sleeping on it, too. There is no hair spray on my hair and it is still holding a curl! What a liberating experience it is to be able to run my hands through my hair that is in soft curls without the feel of hair spray! Even that conditioner that came with this stuff renewed the feel of my hair! What I do find interesting is that the booth where I bought my new irons was at a booth that did not have one scantily clad model in sight. Just a quality product sold without all the fluff and glitter of someone better looking distracting you.
So, the lesson learned was..... look beyond the flash and fluff when choosing what you intend to get.... and.... when quality comes to mind.... it is not the most expensive item, nor is it the cheapest item... it is what works best for you. That iron set I got was not the most expensive, but it was obviously not the cheapest... it just happens to perform in the manner it is meant to be. The 5 year warranty does not hurt, either ;)
Now, to prepare myself for the upcoming scream-fest from DH once my credit card bill comes in.
Hairdressers, like myself, are required to attend hair shows. The way I look at it is.... we get to see the movers and shakers in the hair industry showcase the upcoming trends before the pictures grace the magazines. Along with showing what is the up and coming trend... we get to see (and learn) how to achieve these styles. While most are quite outlandish for the demographic I happen to reside and work in.... it never hurts to learn some new techniques. In fact, being the artist that I happen to be.... there are opportunities to tweak the technique to become applicable in various degrees to regular people that cannot sport such interesting looks. Really, no two people should look identical anyway. Where would the individual's uniqueness shine if you all look the same? There are far too many people that judge by the look of a person instead of really getting to know them. I think that is really sad, but it is quite true.
Well, onward to what I titled this blog for....
Just a couple of days ago, I went to one of the largest (and basically longest lasting) hair shows in Chicago. It was called.... The Midwest Beauty Show. It is now called.... The America's Beauty Show. Basically, in the eyes of a person that happens to be a sponge for learning (thus my blog has been a journey of not just clearing my mind of the mundane, I also try to offer what I learned from the experience. Even though it is more based upon the conclusions I draw from these experiences, but I do happen to see others feeling the same way.)... this hair show is more fluff than substance.
Picture this.... A large building holding a venue that is filled with booths of tools and products for people to purchase, a few small stages to demonstrate techniques, and models wearing either half of something or very little of everything that basically are to showcase that specific product or style of hair. Sadly, I forgot my camera to share the actual look of this, but in all honesty.... this hair/beauty show was more of a one-stop shopping extravaganza for the hairdressing professional. There was no place to sit and focus on one thing to actually learn much. It was loud, crowded, and filled with far too many "shiny" things for people to purchase. What people seem to forget at these venues is that there are some professionals that would rather focus on an item than be distracted with a very attractive and scantily clothed person in your field of view. I have no doubt that there were quite a few people buying things because there was a half naked man holding it with a smile on his face, regardless if they really needed it or not.
Some vendors felt it was necessary to be so outlandish in their presentation of the goods that they were selling.... it was hard to rationalize the reasons behind it. Really, where does a woman in stilts standing between two half-naked men stir up the need to buy a curling iron or blow dryer? Heck, some of these hair models wore stuff that I considered being so tattered that it would be in the rag bin at my house to show off their expertly styled hair. Somehow, this one model made me think.... is she a street walker or so poor that clothes are an afterthought to their hair (meaning: look at my expensive hair style!... So expensive, I cannot afford real clothes!) Heck, I understand that sex sells these days.... look at some of these commercials on TV nowadays.... but is it really necessary to keep lowering the bar?
Trust me, I have no complaints looking at a well-chiseled physique. I saw a fair number of them at the show. Heck, I read contemporary romance novels for Pete's sake! I just did not appreciate feeling struck dumb in the presence of it. Well, fortunately, I had the common sense to look beyond most of it and only bought my much needed tools that I had to replace. I sought out the best deals and focused strictly on my list of those necessities.
The only issue I had... which turned out to be the best decision I ever made.... was how much I spent. I walked in with $100 in my wallet. I figured that would be enough for the few things I needed to get. Apparently, I was wrong, and spent an additional $200 on my credit card that I will have to explain to DH once the bill comes in. The reason it ended up being the best decision I ever made was because of the quality of the items I purchased. I really did not need a new flat iron. I happen to have one that works just fine, but the package deal for the curling iron had a flat iron in it. After receiving a demonstration of how well the flat iron works to tame frizzy hair, of which mine was that day from the drizzling rain, I was sold. Never in my life did I see a flat iron do what it did for my hair! Made it shiny, soft and completely frizz free! Even after leaving the show (in yet again the drizzling rain), my hair stayed frizz free! The promotional special was that you got a flat iron, a curling iron (in the size I needed), and a container of deep conditioner for $150. I will tell you this..... it was worth every penny! I used my new stuff and even had a co-worker play with my new stuff to curl my hair. It worked flawlessly and without added hair products. My hair is still just as curly as I had it done yesterday and that is after sleeping on it, too. There is no hair spray on my hair and it is still holding a curl! What a liberating experience it is to be able to run my hands through my hair that is in soft curls without the feel of hair spray! Even that conditioner that came with this stuff renewed the feel of my hair! What I do find interesting is that the booth where I bought my new irons was at a booth that did not have one scantily clad model in sight. Just a quality product sold without all the fluff and glitter of someone better looking distracting you.
So, the lesson learned was..... look beyond the flash and fluff when choosing what you intend to get.... and.... when quality comes to mind.... it is not the most expensive item, nor is it the cheapest item... it is what works best for you. That iron set I got was not the most expensive, but it was obviously not the cheapest... it just happens to perform in the manner it is meant to be. The 5 year warranty does not hurt, either ;)
Now, to prepare myself for the upcoming scream-fest from DH once my credit card bill comes in.
Friday, March 8, 2013
Brain drain.....
Good morning! Just taking a moment to floss before I face more housework. Luckily, I have very little to blog about. So, this will be quick and painless....
Spent yesterday focusing on one task because I apparently still have the reading fever going on. Looks like I will be frequenting the library just a bit more in the coming weeks since the last book I read only took me a day to complete. Not sure on the number of pages, but 21 chapters via the Kindle Fire probably guaranteed me at least 300 actual paper pages if I read the actual hard copy of a book. I can at least breathe a little easier since it was strictly laundry and if you all could have seen the way my laundry room looked like..... it was quite a feat to clear that room out. Basically, it looked like a clothing store blew up down there. Darn shame I did not take a picture to really drive the idea home, but I was determined to get something done other than the usual stuff of dusting and using the vacuum.
Along with the usual tasks taking far too long to get done, I am thankful that the weather is finally starting to show signs of Spring. The last snowfall was roughly 10 inches of a nightmare that I really did not want to deal with. Probably because I was running out of places to put the freshly shoveled snow. I actually have a pile of snow in front of my house that was almost as tall as me, and being roughly 5 foot 7 inches (on a good day), makes it hard to heave the heavy slop we got when it came to snow. Sadly, I think my little chair and table set that I have on the small patio/seating area by my front door is going to need to be replaced. Plastic stuff is not meant to take that much snow being piled on it. I could be wrong, though, but I will have to wait until that snow pile melts to see if that is the case. With the temperatures nearing the 40 degree mark.... I am just thrilled to see that white nightmare finally melt. Of course, I have a new set of concerns to deal with. With all this snow melting, a rainfall on the horizon, and living in a subdivision that tends to flood quite easily.... I have a huge pile of snow covering this house's only defense to getting sewer backup when the rains flood the storm drains... the shutoff valve. I just hope the upcoming rains do not pose a threat before the roughly 2 feet of snow can melt away so I can access it. I really do not want to flood here. It is a real pain-in-the-backside to contend with. I just have to remain positive that that won't happen and all will be safe.
In my lack-a-daisy ways, I was taking my time waking up this morning. Well, that is, until I smelled smoke. Apparently, DH and DD cannot cook worth a darn. DH apparently likes his frozen waffle cooked beyond a golden brown, and DD did not pay attention to the toaster when she made her toast because her first attempt turned her two slices of bread into charcoal briquettes that she promptly threw away in the trash. I need to remind her that freshly burnt items cannot be thrown away unless it is a guarantee that it cannot catch something else on fire. Well, that and to at least turn on the exhaust fan over the stove to pull the smoke out of the house. The fire alarms were on the verge of going off. I did, though, manage to snake my way through the smoke to turn the exhaust fan on and open the back door for better airflow. I managed to check the garbage can to see if her burnt toast was melting the garbage can liner. I think it is about time to remind her where the fire extinguisher is in the kitchen and give her a quick lesson on how to use it. Fortunately, we never had to use the thing, but it is a wonderful piece of mind we have one anyway. It would look pretty dismal if our house caught fire..... DH's business partner is a fireman and we would never hear the end of it if the fire was from something as mundane as a burnt piece of toast.
Of course, after I got roughly eight loads of laundry done, I wake up to even more clothes brought to the laundry room this morning. At least I did not have to wander around the house to collect it from DD's room and along DH's side of the bed. There might actually be hope for the two of them. Still, I am not gonna hold my breath for that one. I have years of dealing with this situation and their track record speaks for itself.... it was just a freak incident.
I do have one thing to look forward to this Spring/Summer... I figured my new project for when DH goes on his "fishing" trip. I will be painting the middle bedroom that is used as the place where my computer resides. I think it is due time to do a little "redecorating on a dime". Also, I have a couple of other small projects to attend to.... DD's room needs new window coverings and there is a shelf in the laundry room that needs to be replaced. Maybe DH will become motivated to remove the old swing set in the back yard and even fix the hole in the side of the shed properly. Heck, maybe he will even paint the shed to match the house. It has only been somewhere around 14 years since the house was painted. Of course, Mr. Smarty Pants used stain instead of actual paint for the wood and that last time he painted is holding up quite well. Maybe (if I really pray hard enough), he will be motivated to paint the main floor of the house since our living room is in dire need of a new color. Trust me.... just getting him to at least paint that room would make a world of difference. I will easily live with the kool-aid stained carpet that DD created for us when she was little. I actually believe that baby steps in updating the house is perfectly fine with me, but we are in dire need of the first baby step to be taken. If we had the money to do what we really need to do... that is... put in an automatic sewer shutoff system for the house.... I really could live with my house crumbling around my ankles as long as it was guaranteed to never flood ever again. But we just do not have the $12,000 to invest in such a non-visual luxury. We have a kid we need to put through college. Oh, just to be fortunate enough to win the lottery..... all of the things we can accomplish... sigh. But I digress.... I really do not need to be greedy and win a huge multi-million dollar amount. I need just enough to pay off what needs to be paid off and to fix everything that needs fixing with a little extra to take a short vacation and cover DD's college career. In comparison to winning over 100 million... I think 1 million will be just fine. See? Not greedy at all....
Well, my daily chores sure don't get done by their-self. Time to get a-move-on. Thanks for reading and have a great day!... In fact, have a great weekend (since it is Friday, and all)...
Spent yesterday focusing on one task because I apparently still have the reading fever going on. Looks like I will be frequenting the library just a bit more in the coming weeks since the last book I read only took me a day to complete. Not sure on the number of pages, but 21 chapters via the Kindle Fire probably guaranteed me at least 300 actual paper pages if I read the actual hard copy of a book. I can at least breathe a little easier since it was strictly laundry and if you all could have seen the way my laundry room looked like..... it was quite a feat to clear that room out. Basically, it looked like a clothing store blew up down there. Darn shame I did not take a picture to really drive the idea home, but I was determined to get something done other than the usual stuff of dusting and using the vacuum.
Along with the usual tasks taking far too long to get done, I am thankful that the weather is finally starting to show signs of Spring. The last snowfall was roughly 10 inches of a nightmare that I really did not want to deal with. Probably because I was running out of places to put the freshly shoveled snow. I actually have a pile of snow in front of my house that was almost as tall as me, and being roughly 5 foot 7 inches (on a good day), makes it hard to heave the heavy slop we got when it came to snow. Sadly, I think my little chair and table set that I have on the small patio/seating area by my front door is going to need to be replaced. Plastic stuff is not meant to take that much snow being piled on it. I could be wrong, though, but I will have to wait until that snow pile melts to see if that is the case. With the temperatures nearing the 40 degree mark.... I am just thrilled to see that white nightmare finally melt. Of course, I have a new set of concerns to deal with. With all this snow melting, a rainfall on the horizon, and living in a subdivision that tends to flood quite easily.... I have a huge pile of snow covering this house's only defense to getting sewer backup when the rains flood the storm drains... the shutoff valve. I just hope the upcoming rains do not pose a threat before the roughly 2 feet of snow can melt away so I can access it. I really do not want to flood here. It is a real pain-in-the-backside to contend with. I just have to remain positive that that won't happen and all will be safe.
In my lack-a-daisy ways, I was taking my time waking up this morning. Well, that is, until I smelled smoke. Apparently, DH and DD cannot cook worth a darn. DH apparently likes his frozen waffle cooked beyond a golden brown, and DD did not pay attention to the toaster when she made her toast because her first attempt turned her two slices of bread into charcoal briquettes that she promptly threw away in the trash. I need to remind her that freshly burnt items cannot be thrown away unless it is a guarantee that it cannot catch something else on fire. Well, that and to at least turn on the exhaust fan over the stove to pull the smoke out of the house. The fire alarms were on the verge of going off. I did, though, manage to snake my way through the smoke to turn the exhaust fan on and open the back door for better airflow. I managed to check the garbage can to see if her burnt toast was melting the garbage can liner. I think it is about time to remind her where the fire extinguisher is in the kitchen and give her a quick lesson on how to use it. Fortunately, we never had to use the thing, but it is a wonderful piece of mind we have one anyway. It would look pretty dismal if our house caught fire..... DH's business partner is a fireman and we would never hear the end of it if the fire was from something as mundane as a burnt piece of toast.
Of course, after I got roughly eight loads of laundry done, I wake up to even more clothes brought to the laundry room this morning. At least I did not have to wander around the house to collect it from DD's room and along DH's side of the bed. There might actually be hope for the two of them. Still, I am not gonna hold my breath for that one. I have years of dealing with this situation and their track record speaks for itself.... it was just a freak incident.
I do have one thing to look forward to this Spring/Summer... I figured my new project for when DH goes on his "fishing" trip. I will be painting the middle bedroom that is used as the place where my computer resides. I think it is due time to do a little "redecorating on a dime". Also, I have a couple of other small projects to attend to.... DD's room needs new window coverings and there is a shelf in the laundry room that needs to be replaced. Maybe DH will become motivated to remove the old swing set in the back yard and even fix the hole in the side of the shed properly. Heck, maybe he will even paint the shed to match the house. It has only been somewhere around 14 years since the house was painted. Of course, Mr. Smarty Pants used stain instead of actual paint for the wood and that last time he painted is holding up quite well. Maybe (if I really pray hard enough), he will be motivated to paint the main floor of the house since our living room is in dire need of a new color. Trust me.... just getting him to at least paint that room would make a world of difference. I will easily live with the kool-aid stained carpet that DD created for us when she was little. I actually believe that baby steps in updating the house is perfectly fine with me, but we are in dire need of the first baby step to be taken. If we had the money to do what we really need to do... that is... put in an automatic sewer shutoff system for the house.... I really could live with my house crumbling around my ankles as long as it was guaranteed to never flood ever again. But we just do not have the $12,000 to invest in such a non-visual luxury. We have a kid we need to put through college. Oh, just to be fortunate enough to win the lottery..... all of the things we can accomplish... sigh. But I digress.... I really do not need to be greedy and win a huge multi-million dollar amount. I need just enough to pay off what needs to be paid off and to fix everything that needs fixing with a little extra to take a short vacation and cover DD's college career. In comparison to winning over 100 million... I think 1 million will be just fine. See? Not greedy at all....
Well, my daily chores sure don't get done by their-self. Time to get a-move-on. Thanks for reading and have a great day!... In fact, have a great weekend (since it is Friday, and all)...
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