Spray tan

With an upcoming reunion this weekend, I decided going in to it my normal pasty, neon- white color just wouldn't do (especially since it's going to be nearly 100 degrees & I'll want to wear something short).  So, I called a couple days ago to a local salon & asked about spray tanning.  The girl was very helpful, answered all of my questions, and assured me I wouldn't be orange or streaky.  So, I set up the appointment and hoped for the best. 

Just got back from said appointment about an hour ago, and I have to say, I'm pretty pleased!  I'm neither orange nor streaky, just like she said.  And it's fairly dark without being unnaturally so for my coloring - darker than I could probably get even if I spent the whole summer tanning (and without the sunburns I would get for the first several times I'd try to tan!)  I still feel kind of sticky and keep worring that it's going to rub off on fabrics or anything I touch....but it's not.  I can't shower for at least 6 hours, and they told me it would be better if I could hold out until my morning shower tomorrow.  That may be tough, but I'm going to try.  I love the color, especially on my shins ( which no matter how I tan, never seem to get as dark as other places)!!

I do have to say, it was a little unnerving to have some stranger airbrushing me as I stood in my undies & strapless bra ( I was kind of hoping it would be a booth thing), but the results were well worth it!  Even my toes are tan!!  I can definitely see doing this again!!

Numbers

Does anyone else have numbers that seem to follow them around??  I have this set of numbers that seems to follow me through time.  711....and no, I never worked at a 7-11 store!  But these numbers show up in my life a lot!  I've had two addresses over the years with them in it (711 & 2711), I started my current job on July 11th (7/11 - 6 years ago).  I have several account numbers ( my car loan, my car insurance, my electric bill) with 711 in it.  My child support goes onto a debit card.....and I just got my new replacement card...yep, there it is...711!!  And then of course, there are all the random things....I glance at the clock and it's exactly 7:11; I get change at the store..$7.11.  Ohio has a Pick 3 lotto....I keep thinking I should just go play MY numbers....but I'm afraid it would jinx it!  Then again, these numbers following me are starting to creep me out! 

Great read!

Just finished a book by Robert Masello, not normally an author I read, but looked very good at the library.  The Medusa Amulet....fantastic book!!  Very Dan Brown meets Indiana Jones...except it's steeped in mythology rather than religion.  Takes you all over the world and through many centuries.  Through Italy with Michaelangelo, into France with Marie Antoinette, through WWII with Hitler & Himmler, and every other chapter bringing you back to present day (so it doesn't read like a history lesson).  For anyone looking for a great summer read...this is it!! 

Gardening

Whew!  Got it all planted...only took 3 1/2 hours!!!  Would have been longer without Grace's help!  We already have Irises, Daffodils, Tulips, and Hyacinths.  Planted Morning Glories (4 kinds), Marigolds (3 kinds), Sunflowers (2 kinds), Gladiolus, Dianthus, Cannas, Impatiens, 4 O'clocks, Larkspur, Lavender, Delphinium, Alyssum (2 colors), Verbena (2 colors), Zinnias, Snapdragons, one Peony, and one Daylily!!!  We have to wait until next month to plant the Hibiscus if we want a decent bloom for this year.  So glad it's all in....but I'm exhausted and every bone & muscle in my body hurts!!!  Tommorow I will hurt worse!  Looking forward to that....not so much!! 

Living in Oregon, OH

We love living here.  It's a small community, relatively safe from major crime (as much as it can be in today's world), and close enough to a large city so we have pretty much everything we want nearby.

And then there's the weather.  We have normal Ohio weather, like any other city/town near us, except I'm beginning to think Oregon is a tornado magnet.  Wednesday night we had a second tornado touch down in the course of a year!  The one last summer took out a local high school and a couple people were killed.  That one was 6 miles from my house.  The one on Wednesday was not as bad, luckily no one was injured, but there were several trees down and some houses were damaged pretty badly.  It was maybe 8-10 miles from my house.  Both times, little Oregon, OH made national news (at least on the Weather Channel)!  I'm growing a little concerned!  It's not like we are a community of trailer parks that tornados seem to love - in fact, I can't think of a single one in Oregon!!  One last summer, one this April....and we aren't even into storm season yet for this year!!  I know Oregon starts with an O, but hey, Mother Nature....in case you're confused, Oklahoma (which IS in "Tornado alley") is WAY south of here!!!  Not that I'm wishing tornados on anybody.....I just really don't want anymore this close to my home!!

Multi-tasking

A friend's recent Facebook post made me start thinking about this.

As a mother, I am not just Mom but also a chef, a chauffeur, a housekeeper, a teacher, a nurse, a confidante, a friend, a handyman, Santa, The Easter Bunny, The Tooth Fairy, and a personal shopper.

As a vet tech, I am not only a nurse, but a phlebotomist, a dental hygienist, a lab tech, an x-ray tech, a grief counselor, a pharmacy tech, and an educator.

No wonder God made women to be mothers, and why there are so few male veterinary technicians!!

Flowers

I am completely baffled as my flowers are starting to bloom this spring.  The fall that we first lived here, I planted daffodils along one wall of my fenced-in patio.  I planted classic yellow ones and white ones with pink centers.  The following spring, when they bloomed, those were exactly the colors I got.  The next year, come spring when they bloomed, I had maybe only 2 or 3 yellow flowers and the rest were white with pinkish-orange centers.  I thought "cool - I made hybrids"!  ( I had piggy-backed the bulbs, so this wasn't too surprising.)  Now it's spring again and they're starting to bloom.  Every one of them...classic yellow!!  Not a white one among them!  Granted, I'm somewhat new to the gardening thing....but this has me stymied!!  I will say, after last years odd colored ones, I'm glad I didn't change my irises!!  I had considered interspersing my purple ones with the rust color ones that I think are gorgeous.  But if they were to mix colors like my daffodils did last year....I'd end up with mud-colored irises - yuck!!!  Wonder how my tulips will look this year.....I planted a bunch of different colors of those that first fall!!