So...
I usually love spring. It is a great reminder that the depressing winter is over, the sun gets warm. I feel like a frozen block of ice melting, and I can actually feel my toes again!
I love to open my windows and air out all the nasty cold and flu smells that have been lingering for months. The sun is up before I am, and it stays up after dinner.
Normally, this is a time I start getting the 'spring cleaning' bug. I love to clean everything, and have that fresh feeling. I look forward to going outside and planning the flowers for the next 6 months or so. I enjoy seeing the new leaves first poke up out of the clean dirt prepared for them.
With all that said, I'm not sure what's wrong with me this year. Honestly, the past few weeks have dragged me along...and I'm feeling worn.
I haven't even looked at my yard. I want to clean, but I don't know where to start. I need a 'jump'. I am the old rusted car that's sat on the side of the house all winter long...and I need my battery re-charged.
I've been struggling with getting to Spring Cleaning, because I can't get on top of my regular day-to-day cleaning.
I like to use excuses like...I need to get curtains, I need a new dresser for my bedroom, I need to paint my entryway and find something to hang in the hall, I need to finish about 5 big projects (because I have all the stuff to do them), I need to paint my bathroom (I've have swatches tapes to the wall since December), and I need a new vacuum.
Alright...I don't NEED a new vacuum, I just want one. Really, I don't NEED any of those things...the only thing I NEED? I need to just buckle down and deep clean my house.
I started cleaning out my closet a few couple weeks ago. It has been a chore...a bigger one than I thought. It's made me realize how much crap I have, and after getting rid of what ONE: doesn't fit, TWO: I don't ever wear, and THREE: what I won't be able to wear again until next winter...well, I'm not left with much at all. And it makes me want to go shopping!
Speaking of shopping...I have a funny.
I am a person who doesn't know any jokes. Honestly! I've probably heard a million jokes in my lifetime, and I really do LOVE jokes. But ask me to tell you one? Not a single joke comes to mind. I HATE this!
I compartmentalize things in my brain, and for some reason, I've never made a space for jokes. Weird.
So, the other thing I've never made room for? Embarrassing moments. I'm not sure if I don't have the mental space to keep them, or if after so many I stopped keeping track. If someone asks, or I have to come up with one...I cannot think of a single one. I usually want to say "Every day of my life is an embarrassing moment...because literally, I think I have at least one a day."
To my moment...
I was invited to join a book club. This was something I have never done, and it was with a group of women I do not know, or have not known since Jr. High or High School. High School was not a good time for me, I don't like to re-visit it, and avoid even talking about it. So...
This was pretty much a new group of people...it had been a very long time. I was actually looking forward to getting together with a new group of ladies, I love hearing others opinions, and prioritizing my goal of reading more.
(If any women who are in this club read my blog...I'm 'outing' myself and my embarrassing moment...but I'm not sure they could have missed it)
Another background element...
I've spent the last 10 months dreading my 30th birthday. I took a challenge to lose weight, accomplish some things on my list (my list of things to do before I die), because a small part of me feels like on this birthday, I'm saying goodbye to a big part of myself.
So in January, I used a spa gift certificate (thanks to my amazing sisters) and got some facial treatments. I chose to have microdermabrasion...only because the word 'chemical' and 'peel' together frightened me.
While it felt good...I didn't see much result. (I thought I would walk away with the face of a 15 year-old) I thought that acne was something that went away after teenage years...then I figured I still had problems because I was always pregnant or nursing...then I've realized I just have problems.
I went to see my dermatologist, for my ears (yes...my multiple earring issue is not rebellion...I can't get my ears to heal properly if I take them out) While I was there, I asked him about facial treatments, and age prevention. Almost like he needed to build me a time machine or something.
He said that getting some treatments will help with the inevitable...then he mentioned the words 'chemical peel'. I asked for an explanation, and it didn't sound too bad. Then the kicker was when he told me that he could do it in office, and my insurance would cover it. What?! Ten minutes later I had my first chemical peel.
I got home and expected to wake up the next morning to my 15 year-old face. Nothing happened. I have oily skin, and it got dry...but no peeling. I called and they said "next time, we will do another layer" So four weeks later, I went in again. That time it worked better. My face peeled a bit, over the course of a few days.
A couple weeks ago, I called to schedule another one. I went in last Wednesday, and it felt stronger than ever. I drove home a bit excited and still hesitant of how my new layers of skin would look and feel. I knew that with Conference weekend...none of the nursery kids would have to see my scary face.
The story...
I got the peel last Wednesday. The next morning, I am cleaning out more clothes out of my closet. I'm thinkg to myself...I really don't have much to wear this spring and summer. I'm going to need some clothes. I went to my basement and found the box with my smaller sized clothes in it. After I blew about 10 inches of dust off it...I found some great things.
Capri's, skirts, tank tops, and even some undershirts. Now since these clothes were purchased almost 50 years ago (maybe not 50 years) there were some things I knew I would not wear. I was really enjoying hanging things up and filling like I had clothes again.
So the joy of Utah...I can't really pack up ALL my winter stuff yet, but I'm thinking there's no point in packing up the summer stuff either. And besides some skirts...what's in between? nothing.
Friday morning. I wake up, use the bathroom, get the kids to school, yada, yada...I look in the mirror to see my face starting to peel off. "YEAH!" I'm thinking. I'm loving the fact that this is working and...WAIT A MINUTE...I have that book club thing tonight. A reunion with all the beautiful and popular girls from High School. The girls that have stayed friends, and somehow I was invited to join, and none of them have seen me in 13 years or so.
I was already the 'freak' who went crazy in High School...the one that dropped of the face of the earth. I didn't attend any event or occasion worth mentioning...not even prom. I knew I wouldn't be a part of the reminicing...but at least I would look like a healthy, normal functioning adult...or not.
I realized it wasn't too bad, and some make-up was hiding it well.
I got ready that afternoon, and after looking through my closet for something to make me look 15 years younger and 15 pounds lighter, I settled on a regular pair of jeans (already worn two days without washing) and a plain undershirt. fantastic.
A few hours later, I was running errands with my kids...all of them...all four of them. I had this insane idea of stopping in a store and grabbing a spring-looking sweater or something to make me feel somewhat dressed-up. I trudged thought the store...tried on a white shrug-type sweater...and was done. During checkout, I saw a necklace. Simple and fun. (Here's where my shopping issues come in.) I grab the necklace and justify the item as a "gift" for myself...having successfully dragged four kids through a clothing store and all of us making it out alive.
I went home, dropped the kids off. I threw on my necklace and sweater, dropped in eye drops (so I look like I sleep...maybe even had an afternoon nap) and grabbed a book.
Two hours later...
Dinner was fantastic! It was a fun group of girls, these women were smart and funny, and at this stage in life, we had so much in common. Nobody mentioned my previous lack of social life or absence from High School...although I had to get everyone's names and I didn't know I went to High School with half of them.
I was really enjoying myself, and happy to make new friends.
I went to use the bathroom...WOW!
My face was falling off! Starting around my mouth...the skin on my higher cheekbones...and my forehead. I looked like I had put a couple layers of Elmer's glue on my face before putting on my make-up. It felt like it too!
I knew I wasn't supposed to pull any skin off, so I did a little rub over the areas...this made it worse. great. "Oh well" I thought, I'll just tell everyone why my face is coming off. At least they'll know it's by choice, and not a life-threatening disease. Choosing to have your face fall off for vanity reasons is funny...right?
I walk out and start to visit...of course, I quickly bring up the peel. Then as I am talking...I reach around and feel a strange plastic bulge on the back of my neck...then something else on the back of my shoulder. I'm thinking "what in the world?..." then it dawns on me...THE TAGS!!
Not just one price tag...the tag on the sweater and the necklace...and not just tags...the plastic envelope with the spare button...not a small button...a huge 1 1/2" white button!
As I pull the tags (and button) off and put the button in my pocket, I think "Well?...if they didn't wonder if I was crazy before...I'm sure I sealed the deal."
Then we chatted about books and other stuff. The night was great, and I had a blast.
When I got in the car I couldn't help but laugh out loud. I called Mr. Smith and had a good laugh. When I got home, he looked at my face and said "Wow!...yeah...that's awesome!"
When I told both my sister's they were both laughing...hard. My sister said "you poor thing...they probably thought you were trying so hard."
Yeah...awesome.
So if asked an embarrassing moment, I have this one (among a hundred others) but hopefully someone can remind me of this one...it's a good one!
...and I highly recommend chemical peels! They work great!
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