Blonde Story Short

If ONLY I was snoring! Though I have completely faked energy and enthusiasm thus far this week...I am exhausted! My recent crafting at home and project-taking-on at work would lead you to believe otherwise.  So tricky. Monday started out alright. For some strange reason I woke up with Gloria Estefan and M iami S ound M achine's "Rhythm is gonna get you" in my head.  I know...what on earth? Gloria is the first artist I ever danced (on stage) to...that's another story, and one that still doesn't explain how her collaborated 1987 hit found its way into my subconscious. Things improved on the way to work- in my own car. I did love the extra A.M. time with the Hub, but I have to say having my ride back is just a real treat. Channel surfing (radio frequencies) is one of my favorite things about driving alone.  I also like talking to myself. A rhythm that really "got me" hit the airwaves just in time for my 8 East merge... Is there anything b...

One of my mottos in life ("mantras" if your verbiage is cooler than mine) is Make it Work .  I attribute this one to my mother, who is the ultimate make-it-worker. As a single mom she did just this! I spent a lot of time, especially in high school, doing a LOT of stuff.  Most if not all of my activities made my mom's time, money and "rides" a must. Side note: Now that I have teens, it is very apparent to me that they never   say "Can you drive me..." they always  say "Can I get a ride ..."  "Heidi needs a ride ..." "Can we give Nick a ride ...." (profound observation from yours truly.  Another quasi obvious one: they say "I was all like" every time they quote themselves) More on teenagers later...and I used to think I wanted to write a book on being a bridesmaid. This material grows by the day! Making it work means being flexible and staying positive. If you went to PLNU or perhaps another institution that fo...

Alright this just got real. It's March. As of last week I skied for the last time this season and Winter is officially over. So is not being in shape because it's cold outside.  Between you and me it's really only been cold like twice. I will readily admit that the only way I work out regularly (which I should do  every month, not just March through November) is if I can get it done in the morning before  work.  After work I have this total distraction called a family that I want to spend every possible moment with...plus it's dark and scary  outside! Even though 2014 is the year I become a "Morning Person," I still struggle to get out of bed an hour early to exercise. We're only a quarter way through the year right? This morning I got to work at 7:15 to get in a pre-work-work-out. Much like I've confessed that I'm not a style blogger, before taking this any further I'd like to also say that I don't think I'm a fitness blogger.  T...

I'm really torn about where to go on this one. HAPPY, CRAFTY Valentine's post?  I DIDN'T MAKE HEART SHAPED pancakes  either   Valentine's  post? Let's just see where we end up. There is so much one could do to celebrate Valentine's Day, every other holiday, milestones, friendships, pretty much anything... One word sufficiently explains exactly what I'm talking about- Pinterest .   I dare you to go on Pinterest, especially around a holiday, and not end up feeling like a total shmuck when you eventually "X" out of the page. I'm sort of kidding, but not really.  I usually start off totally pumped and pretending that I have time to go to "Michael's" for project materials. Is that where people go for project materials?  I honestly have NO idea.  Please don't misunderstand my opinion of Pinterest.  I literally go on every other day and love it. I use it mostly for inspiration since I likely won't do ex...

I've mentioned before that I'm just not that creative...not even close to some women I know (in person or in blog). Maybe someday I'll be really good at arranging flowers and using a sewing machine, without hurting myself...or getting bored.  Today isn't that day. I do seem to be getting a little more creative (even getting better perhaps) with putting together an outfit.  Most of my creations happen Monday through Friday for work. Being a non-teacher these days has definitely helped this area of my life. Don't get me wrong there are plenty of stylish and adorable teachers. But when I taught, I scanned the scene and quickly realized putting in a mere 10-20% effort into my style met all necessary expectations. I think we were all just really tired most of the time.  I also attribute motivation in this area of my life to my teeny-boppers at home. I want my girls to see that the way a woman presents herself is important....and I really like it when I wear somet...

Lessons I've already learned tend to be reiterated (or relearned), on my drive to work. I attribute this to two things:  1) I'm usually caffeinated which makes my memory a little better and 2) It's one of the rare times that I'm alone, without a lot of distractions. Like a typical Monday morning, I pushed the clock to the absolute limit today. This particular morning was well worth it since my hub and I decided to stay one more night away, anchored in the middle of the cove. We brought her into the slip with just enough time for me to have some breakfast, throw on something work-appropriate and straighten my bangs*. Of course I couldn't let his efforts with the french press go to waste, so I took my steaming joe to-go.  Keep in mind, my German car does not have a cup holder- German driving is far too serious to pair with beverages. Naturally I'd pushed my gas tank to the limit too...last week. On Friday when I parked with my car on "E," I'd left...

This morning at my Nanny Job... I know, I know, I haven't mentioned Summer position #3 before. It is a mere 6 hours, 7:00-9:00am three-day-a-weeker. I get two children up and out of bed, feed them breakfast, pack their lunches and drive them to various summer camps. My favorite camps they attend are within 5 miles and provide lunches. How do I manage all of these duties you ask....and still maintain sleep, sanity, friendships and so many eligible bachelors?  Coffee.  Lots of Coffee. This morning Aunt Becky (not to be confused with Uncle Jesse's wife) from Carlsbad came out of the guest room, ran into me and said, "Oh, you're the Cleaner." Confused. "Uh..sorta." Until now I hadn't realized I'd become the cleaner. The two children are pretty self-sufficient. A simple "Did you make your bed?" and "Gimme that dirty cereal bowl when you're done" is really all they need from me. So, what I end up doing....is laundry a...

I went to a small, tiny really, Christian university where everyone knows everyone. This means that even if you don't know someone's name, which normally I do because I have a freakishly good memory, you at least recognize their face. I mean c'mon how many times can you walk past a face on "Caf Lane" without eventually being able to recognize it again shopping at Target? There are inevitably cliques that form at a small school like this. There are the partiers, the athletes (which tend to overlap with each other), the super spiritual (you lead the homeless ministry and play the guitar in "chapel band", we all get it!), the dude-bros ("dude...bro!" Our school sits on the cliffs of amazing surf, 'nuf said), the over-involved (I mean, isn't ASB supposed to end after high schoool?) etc etc. I didn't really fit any one particular group, mostly just dabbled in a few from time to time and unfairly judged the rest. Because of the reco...

One of my many jobs this summer (gotta keep those outta work teachers busy and out of trouble!) is serving la jollans and vacationers wishing they were la jollans on a private beach at La Jolla Beach and Tennis Club aka The LJBTC...almost not an abbreviation at this point. The LJBTC goer is one of two people: A member, just your average bloke who can afford to pay $60, 000 to join a private club where he'll frequent the beach and walk around with a tennis bag, you know, the ones in the exact shape of a tennis racket. The other is the guest who is staying in what we call our "apartments". We pretend not to, but we look down on these people. They are not as great as the members. "Oh, you're charging it to your room number? Yea, it's probably going to be about 30 minutes for a Kids' Chicken Tender basket, I'll get it to ya when I can." I spend my day walking up and down the beach with trays of drinks in one hand and Styrofoam boxes of foo...

As I attempt to survive this summer I find myself filling out lots and lots of paperwork. There is the job application paperwork which includes things like name, address, previous address, address before your previous address, last 100 places you've worked and the skills you used at those places, references from people who cannot be related to you or know you on a professional level, personal level...or any other level... Once you've gotten someone to hire you, you're called a "NEW HIRE." You have "New Hire" training, "New Hire" codes to get into buildings and of course "New Hire" packets of paperwork to fill out. This includes questions like, "During work hours, if you slip and crack your head open, do you want the option of seeing your own personal physician, or will you be okay seeing ours? I don't know, I'll be unconscious wasn't one of the options. Then of course there is the on going document called the...

I'm a thankful gal today.  I have many jobs now...just waiting for the paychecks from them. So is my Portuguese landlord, we play a little game called "Hide and Seek" from the 1st of the month until whenever I give him some cash. Today I had to go through a drug screen for my new serving job.The nice Filipino nurse gave me lots of instructions.  She made sure I didn't have pockets in my puffy skirt, I'm thinking they would be for smuggling in drug-free urine?  As we stood awkwardly in the doorway of the restroom she told me not to wash my hands nor flush the toilet. "Okay" I said as I listened intently. "Can I wipe?"   She doesn't think I'm funny. Hope I passed!

I have a lot on my mind today. This week seems especially anxiety ridden. My full-time job ended almost three weeks ago. That's what happens every June when you work at a school. The first week of Summer I ran around like a chicken with my head cut off, continuing the process that I started back in April...finding a job for summer! I have my "side job" but whadoya know, bartending 2-4 shifts a week surprisingly doesn't pay all the bills...maybe like 1/2 the rent and a payment on that Visa I racked up the first year out of college. The second week was "7 Days, Live or Die?" A title Dad came up with for our first ever vacation with "Dot 1" only (Dot = daughter). Now here I am on week #3 out of a job, sitting in my car, in OB. Don't worry, I'm not living in it, not yet at least! But the "Seriously who does that?" moment I just experienced called for nothing short of a silent, car, sulk sesh. Before you read this you ou...

Today I chose joy. I woke up in a rut of worry yesterday. Coincidentily I went to church and heard a sermon, more like sermonette-appropriate for our generation that can't focus on one thing for too long, on Joy vs. Happiness. Hmmm... I knew that the financial woes going through my head and upsetting my heart that morning would soon be behind me once I got to church, usually a high school auditorium does not have this power. I heard the earlier service needed what churches call "Baby Holders." This was my tentative plan (my plans are tentative 99% of the time, ya never know!) and probably would've made me even more joyous on this day...maybe next time. I must say the sleep instead was pure glory. Without giving the sermonette to those of you that are against this sorta thing, I'll simply hit some main points...Everyone recieved a peice of Trident gum on their way in. You were instructed to chew it (church kids are so obedient!) during the service. It was ...

Things that made for an outrageous Monday: Drinking a "chocolate milk" at work. The quotes mean that there was a dash of Baileys in it...delish. Note this was at Job #2, not the other one that involves adolescents. Two jobs on the same day. Monday especially. Twelve hours straight of work= no bueno for Sarita. Yelling "Excuse me, I'm talking right now!" to a student and him responding "Of course you are." If I wasn't so excited that we're at T-4 days til summer I may have reprimanded him. The TV (on behind me while I bartend) doesn't have a subtitles option- not one that I could find at least, being the techie that I am. How am I expected to watch the Bachelorette in these conditions!? Not being home by 9:00pm.  If everyone leaves at 8:30 I only have a half hour to scoop out the leftover ice, lock up the beer and white wine fridge and put the liquor bottles away! I went to the chiropractor today in between job 1 and 2...pure glory. I...

I am extremely sore and joyfully exhausted. This week has been fantastic...and it's only Wednesday. After a day of cardio hip hop, break dancing and learning incredible choreographed routines I went home to hit the shower. That's how you know I got worked. Normally after a hard workout, I'm all about hitting the errands sans an in-between shower. These days though, the dancin madness has got me resorting to cleanliness! I've been sweating like a man...more than an average man probably.  After a shower and Advil I was ready to conquer my to-do list of errands. I started out picking up my bartending paycheck. I just love having two jobs...it makes it seem like there's always someone paying me! My manager (the "mo-fo" abolitionist) had left a message for me earlier asking if I could work on Saturday morning. Let me just say that Saturday is my ONLY day off. In a given week I work forty hours teaching and two nights mixin' 'dem drinks (ok...

I should feel refreshed after a relaxing (sorta) 3-day weekend. That's the thing about being in education, the people that run our schedules think we deserve many random 3-day weekends, and I concur. I'm not exactly refreshed however, since I am in the spin cycle of my over-thinking...just keep going around and around! I have many tangents today. I just found out that this week we are going to be doing Sex-Ed in the 7th grade tomorrow. Lookin forward to that, especially with these 12 year-old yahoos! Happy St. Paty's Day. Hope you're wearing green. I wish there was a book of rules for life...especially for relationships. Black and white could actually be really helpful in certain cases. Unfortunately, most decisions are based on some sorta gray shade. As of an hour ago, my gray sitch just showed its black hue. A decision made. fewf. I got a rolled up dollar put in my hand by a 92 year old customer I served last night. She looked up from her dark, large glasses...

A co-worker and I keep running into each other in the "Teacher" bathroom. After the standard passing with a smile, 30-second convo, we decided we must be on the same "schedule"...I added, "Or the same blatter pattern!" (laughter, laughter, laughter) It's a good thing these people are easily amused. Also, they might think I'm insane.

Let's start with " Mo-fo " issue #1. Last Monday I was asked to make a list of helpful hints for a coworker (at my bartending job). She would be opening the bar solo the next day and needed some essential reminders...things like; put place mats and rolled up silverware out so people can help themselves etc...just your average list of frivolous information that surprisingly makes a difference. I titled the list "Things that will make life easier." I got a friendly call from my manager on Saturday. FYI I'm not a fan of work related calls on Saturdays-I tend your bar 2 nights a week, beyond that I'd like you to pretend I don't exist! She asked me if I remembered #5 on my list of reminders. Obvious response-"Um...nope." There's only so much room in this head and trust me there's already a lot goin' on up there, I don't recall what "#5."  She continued, "Well you wrote, 'Make extra iced tea, people drink it...

Last Monday at this time I was feeling like death...and lookin' like it too! This Monday begins a new week and a new and hopefully improved blonde. I started the day off with 45 minutes of cardio and some squats. My fantastic roomate (who has no morning commitments but still wants to get up at 6:30am to be my work-out buddy) and I have commited to getting our Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays started just like this morning, with an energetic workout. We'll change it up...doing things like swimming, walking, running and maybe taking a class at the gym. I figure not only will this help me feel good in my oh so silky bridesmaid dresses, but it might even put me in a better mood before work, making me like junior highers a little more perhaps? Oh did I mention my free weights had dust bunnies all over them? (there's my confession for the day!) This week I return to bartending on Monday nights. There's nothing I hate more than feeling enslaved to my frenemies Sallie ...

So tonight at job #2 my busser buddy and I found a piece of paper on a table (which by the way is normally super annoying. We're supposed to clean up your food and linen napkins, not all the trash you just cleaned out of your purse). The top of the paper said "Things to do." Instead of throwing it away we thought we'd have some fun. I definitely don't remember the entire list, although I did read it aloud at the end of the night to the bartender and 2 barflies still standing, we all died! I thought I'd share some highlights here with all of you. We'd jot a few more down in between taking orders and running food out, then yell to eachother "Hey I just wrote 2 more....read 'em...they're funny!" "Things to do:" prostate exam go to Circuit City spank some little boys wash my underwear Cialis purchase some crack cocaine bus table 57 buy Preparation H creme find out Sara's "inside source" bone out ope...