Dynamite Day

So the Catholic Family’s Friday July 3rd party got started early with my 8:00 am salon appointment and Hubs having the day off from work, meaning a breakfast of homemade waffles and steamy espresso to tide me over while sitting in that blessed salon chair for 2+ hours. Then, for wasting time purposes, I paid Kohls a visit and picked up 3 new outfits of skimmers (pants somewhere in between walking shorts and capris) and summer tops, because quite frankly, I needed a lil’ wardrobe update that didn’t bear the name of Nike or Adidas. (Father Chi frowns on that kind of thing during mass, you know.)

Meanwhile, Hubs & the Catholic Kids were home watching Roger Federer kick some tennis bootay at Wimbledon, out-and-about taking taking the car for a much needed oil change, and subsequently working up a good appetite for sub sandwiches. So guess what? I met those peeps at Barnes & Noble, because it just happens to be right next door to Kohls and a birthday gift card was burning a hole in my wallet. But we only left with a few books for the CK’s and my card intact. (BTW: Spent that baby online later in the afternoon, per Becca’s sweet book recommendation – thanks!) And finally, lunch at Subway where we replenished our starving bodies. *whew*

Then what? In search of a fireworks stand! More specifically, one bearing the Knights of Columbus logo, as we prefer buying fireworks in support of those nice Catholic gentlemen in our Archdiocese. Although, despite the fact that Catholic Son had his sights set on bringing home a 3-foot tall monstrosity of pseudo-dynamite, we settled with a nice grocery bag of fireworks fun to keep us safely entertained yet another year:

Birthday Bust

After a scorching fun-filled afternoon of cooling off at the pool and subsequently replenishing our energy with a batch of my famous home-cooked lasagna and garlic toast, I set off to the store to pick up some much needed items: orange juice, milk, chardonnay, muffins, butter and a yummy marble cake topped with butter cream frosting screaming “HAPPY BIRTHDAY” across the top. These items would be for celebrating my birthday tomorrow with the Catholic Homies, of course.

Only, hold up just a minute. Here’s my conversation with the cashier (who appeared to be @40-ish) that will go down in history as the best (?) 39th birthday present ever:

• Cashier: Can I see your driver’s license, please?
• Me: Of course! It’s actually my 39th birthday tomorrow.
• Cashier: Happy birthday. (looks confused at license) Wait, you said it was your 29th birthday tomorrow?
• Me: No, my 39th.
• Cashier: Are you serious? (literally staring in disbelief) That just can’t be right. You look so… young to be that age. You have such nice skin!
• Me: (surprised) I seriously can’t believe you thought I said 29th. Wow, really? (shakes head in disbelief)

Then while leaving the store, I’m thinking – Now wouldn’t that just stink if I were to be busted on the eve of my 39th birthday as some crazy chick trying to buy booze with a stolen driver’s license? Completely priceless.

Chlorine is SO Underrated

A big huge laundry list of errands awaited me from the minute I tumbled out of bed this morning, and I was bound and determined to get every single one of those buggers done, willing participants or not:

• Walgreens – need for Father’s Day gift cards, bar soap, and a box of Lactaid
• Bank – deposit client checks and essentially ‘getting paid’ for consulting
• Post Office – mail Father’s Day cards to Dads in New Mexico and Minnesota, along with a Junie B. Jones Paperback swap request
• Target – buy ground turkey, contact saline solution, Vic’s popcorn, Nesquik, cheese Bagel Bites, spinach & cheese Savorings, shampoo, conditioner, bottled water, cinnamon rolls and a frozen Boston Market Salisbury Steak meal.

Back home, again we found ourselves eating another one of our famous smörgåsbord quickie lunches before taking off to CG’s ‘tween’ pottery class. Catholic Son and I bonded over renewing his card at the library and shopping for printer toner at Office Max. The love was all around when the HPLJ printer spit out that crisp test page, let me tell you.

Then before anyone could ask “What’s for dinner?” I’d whipped up a full blown meal of Turkey Cheeseburger Helper with fresh sweet corn and Hawaiian dinner rolls. Amazing what a person can do with a box of Hamburger Helper when in a bind, isn’t it? Anyway, we filled up and somehow Incognito Mom walked away from dinner having agreed to take the CK’s to the pool for a late afternoon swim. Ah well, who could complain about some leisurely time beside the pool, sitting and watching kids expend some of that pent-up energy, hanging out with friends, throwing around a sopping wet pool ball and playing a game of Marco Polo for the umpteenth time?

It’s all chlorinated summer goodness.

Salon Seekers

Yesterday it was pants, today the hair salon. Not having had a haircut in way too long, Mom set up a hair appointment with a random stylist named Thomas at the JCPenney Hair Salon. In fact, she scheduled the appointment bright and early in the morning so that it wouldn’t interfere with all the exciting activities we had planned for the rest of the day, like painting our toenails pink and seeing High School Musical 3 at the theater. Ok, not really. We actually planned to pick up another lucky lottery ticket, and then make jewelry out of those precious gemstones purchased earlier this week.

Big plans for day #5 – bring it on!

So off we go, to find Thomas in hopes that he would bestow magical powers on my mother’s lovely mane, during which time I’d finish my search for just a few more shopping items – for the Catholic Peeps back home, of course. But I couldn’t resist a certain silky red shirt that would compliment the necklace purchased yesterday so nicely, now could I? Not a chance. And really, it was just a drop in the bucket compared to the 2 mega-finds that I stumbled upon for Catholic Son at the mall. I’m not giving anything away here, but one word popped out of my mouth after capturing those magical items: SCORE!!!

Finally, this blog post wouldn’t be the same without an after-shot of Mom in her fresh & hip new ‘do:

… and Hubs, if you’re reading this, I really am done shopping now.
*said with fingers crossed*

Pants Expedition

What did the Girlies do today in the Land of Enchantment?  First and foremost, we worked from our computers while watching &/or listening to The Today Show, or should I say – to annoying POLITICAL CAMPAIGN ADS on television.  Maddening!  Finally we just turned the television off and called it good, because all that personal bashing was getting in the way of our work progress, leaving us to agree that the next 6 days will be nightmarish with of all the negativity that is being broadcast over the waves.  You just can’t spend a single quiet day at home with election day so close. Unless the TV is off, of course. But what kind of fun is that? *pfft*

Anyway, so I finally blocked it all out by strapping on my iPod nano and getting in a good treadmill workout while Mom finished up her work.  Then we decided to spend our afternoon out on the town by dropping off a donation at Goodwill and then heading back to the mall.  I know, I know.  Shopping again.  But this time it was out of necessity, because Mom needs new pants after dropping a couple of sizes after surgery.  Like I’m going to be responsible for sending her back to the office with big baggy ‘ole pants?  Not on my watch.  Yet we came up empty handed after searching out her favorite Sag Harbor dress pants in JcPenney, Sears, Mervyns and some other random petites store.  Unfortunately, low-risers have taken over the planet and now Mom’s out of luck.

Sorry, Mom. Looks like it’s eBay time for you.

Yet all was not lost after I ran across this fabulous find that I couldn’t pass up:

Only, now yet another shopping trip is in order – matching clothes needed.
Whoa is me.

Shopaholics Anonymous

Me & Mom
Originally uploaded by itchick

There we are, me and Mom as we return from day #2 of shopping as if we were ‘Independently Wealthy Bargain Hunters’. (Using our exact words.) And that we found, BARGAINS that is. So what exactly did we find? Jewelry and clothing, mostly – because we depend on each other for opinion purposes. I mean, who else is going to tell me whether or not my butt looks big in the GAP jeans I selected? Only a mom!

Isn’t that special?

So now after we’ve finished our lasagna & flat bread Lean Cuisine entrees, Mom insists that we watch The Big Bang Theory on television. When else will I ever get to sit down and watch an actual TV show anyway? Although, a sense of guilt is creeping in as I flash back to Hubs at home as he shuttles people to and from orchestra rehearsal. Ok great… on that note, our fun just went directly out the window.

Almost. 😉

Serious Girl Time

I arrived at Mom & Dad’s place yesterday morning and immediately donned my official Mom’s Personal Chauffeur Hat. Dad gave me a quick run-down on the key features of the Toyota Camry hybrid that I would be driving, a gem that I’ll probably miss dearly and want to sneak back home with me at the end of my visit. That along with Mom, of course. Because I love that woman so dearly that I wouldn’t want to leave her without that sweet vehicle, and I know that doing so would basically ruin my chances of ever stepping foot back in Mom & Dad’s house ever again anyway. But there I go digressing.

What? These things do actually happen, you know.

So what exactly have we been doing on Visit Day #1? As you can guess by the title of this post, we’ve been having ‘Girl Time’ – but not completely. First we had to see Dad off on his business trip back at the airport, the same one where I landed yesterday, the very reason why I’d been sent to take care of Mom in the first place. Yet being on the other end as the ‘Sender’ of the ‘Sendee’ ordeal felt strange today, especially since I still felt like the ‘Sendee’ after leaving home mere hours ago. Hugs, kisses, airport gift shopping, then Mom & I set off to figure out what to do with ourselves by heading back home again to think it over during lunch. Decisions, decisions, decisions.

Not being one to step away my consulting work even while off in another state helping out family, I chose to spend time on a client’s web request before setting off on our desired destination of the day – SANTA FE! Oh. yes. we. did. Together, Mom & I agreed that retail therapy in a brand new, never-set-foot-in city (by me, anyway) had to be the best reward for all of our strife. So, yes, we girlies shopped in SANTA FE and returned home with goodies from Liz Claiborne, Nine West and other gift shops specializing in local handmade treasures, ones I will be surprising the Catholic Family with back at home later this week. (No spoilers!)

And now I leave you with my guilty pleasures of the day:

Mom & I are feeling so much better now. Amazing how that shopping escape works on a person.