Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Beware...this is kind of a happiness countdown again...

No, I didn't do anything special. There is a bar just behind our house called the Leprechaun Inn and even at noon, the parking lot was overflowing. They do a very good business on St. Patrick's Day.

The only thing I did was go for my final appointment for my permanent makeup. Some of you may and may not know that I decided to get permanent makeup done. Due to an increasing amount of allergies to eye makeup and a huge increase in laziness, I decided to get permanent makeup done, especially full lips (since mine are originally the color of my skin almost). I had my eyebrows, eyeliner, lash enhancement and full lips done and haven't regretted it for a moment. I will post before and after pics soon. I was not smart enough to document the process as it went by as it happened in 3 treatment sessions. Needless to say, I'm extremely happy and will go to Malibu and not ever have to worry about my "makeup" coming off as I play in the ocean or wake up in the morning and stagger out of the tent still half asleep. Not that I ever really cared before, but it's nice to not to have to worry about doing your makeup all the time (though I love makeup and will still play...the stuff I had done was just a base and I can always build and play with it, which I love even more).

The countdown is on for Malibu and seeing the California Greens! I'm so excited I can barely contain myself! Whenever I think about the trip, little butterflies arrive in my stomach I'm so excited! This is going to be such a good trip and I'm glad I found a way to make it. Plus, spending some quality time on a beach (which I've only really seen in passing up 'til now) will be a novel and fun adventure. I'm a mountain girl through and through because I grew up with them, but I think I could very easily be transformed into a beach girl. There is something about the wildness and wind and the saltiness in the air that I like. Meh, I'll get to explore it more and maybe be able to put it into better words later.

My brother and sister-in-law celebrated St. Patrick's Day in true form, which I find so adorable I can't even contain it. They had a whole green day which started with green milk for their cereal, a hunt for four leaf clovers and a leprechaun (seriously, why didn't we do this when we were kids, huh?), a trip to Austin for the nephew, which included the good news that he is now on the kidney transplant list (I cannot donate because I'm too fat first, but also because I have the wrong blood type and my heart condition, otherwise, I'd be first in line for testing), playing at a green park, dinner of green pancakes and green eggs and ham and finished out the night for the two oldest with a green bath. This family is so cute I cannot put it into words. They make sure to make every day special and do the cutest things to make sure days are memorable, especially after having spent so much time in a hospital. Reminds me to enjoy the days, not just the special days.

In otherwise unnotable news, I have changed up some medication and it's amazing the difference I feel. I no longer feel like just laying in bed all day and sleeping. I don't feel like crying all the time. I don't find myself watching sad Lifetime movies all day long. Heck, I even feel like getting up and showering, which is a huge leap for me, trust me. It's amazing how a little change can make such a difference in how you view things. I'm happy again...after many months of my pity party. Yeah, it was a pity party and I still fall into it, but at least it's passing kind of like a storm. I highly encourage someone who is taking medication that just doesn't seem to cut it to ask the doctor to change it. It can make the difference in how you view everything and make a huge difference. Small changes, I tell you.

And lastly...I purchased a Kindle. It's an electronic book notepad that has wireless connectivity. I'm a huge reader and wasn't looking forward to lugging a suitcase full of books for the vacation and stumbled across this Kindle. The initial price is steep at about $260 (thank you tax returns), but the cost of books are so much cheaper than physical books and there are tons of classics that are free. I'm glad I purchased it. Best luxury purchase ever. Highly recommended.

Let's do it the Redneck way!

So...what do you do when the weather takes an unexpected change from a balmy 54 degrees to freezing and rain mixed with heavy snow and your car needs new brakes and rotors and you're not willing to wait until the weather gets better? You do it the redneck way, of course! Observe. The following pictures display the redneck way. What is that strange white thing above the strange white car up on a jack, you ask? Why, it's a canopy that you usually see at farmers markets and/or swap meets. Why do we have one? Your guess is as good as mine. I think it's for family parties when the weather undoubtedly turns on us and there are just too many people to fit inside the house.

What's all this you're seeing, you ask? Well, there is a rougly 1,000 square foot garage that is full of tools, but no room to park a car to say...fix the brakes. There is an evaporative cooler that was supposed to replace our current one, but hasn't made it onto the roof yet. A white cadillac that is unregistered (I think it runs), a motor home that is unregistered (undecided if it still runs, it hasn't seen the road for years), a car that is unregistered and receiving TLC for new brakes and rotors (under said canopy), a truck that is registered and in working order, a house that though unfinished for years is in working order. The neighbors house which to my knowledge is completely finished and in working order and has a car parked in the garage. And another Cadillac which is registered and in working order. I think I covered everything.

I give you...the redneck way! And just for the record, I didn't do this, though I offered to help. My brother (the one borrowing it) and my father were the ones who fixed it.

Whoops!

Bad news bears! All the brakes have to be replaced as well as the rotors on the back. The good news is that my dad is so handy, he's going to do it! The repair shop was going to charge $500 to do the work and my dad thinks it's highway robbery. Well, the parts turned out to be about $150 on their own.

I offered to help, but he prefers to do things on his own, so I let him go about his business. When it began to get dark outside, I went to check on him. He was having trouble getting the rotors off, saying somehow they're linked to the emergency brake. He had taken one side in the rear off and had moved to the other side to see if there was something magic. People, he had been working on getting the rotors off the rear for hours! He looked it up online and couldn't figure it out.

So me, being the helpful daughter I am, held the light for him because that's all I was pretty much allowed to do. After watching him logic his way through why the rotors wouldn't come off and how there seemed to be some magic answer he didn't have and muttering about how it seems to be connected to the parking brake, I finally asked him if the parking brake was on. He tells me no and I ask him if he's sure. He says he's sure, but sends me to go check...sure enough, the parking brake was on. Poor guy! Three to Four hours work trying to figure out why he couldn't just pull the rotors off and it turns out it's because his daughter actually uses the parking brake. He never does, so it didn't occur to him that it might be on.

We got the rotors off, but parts fell out of one side that has to do with the parking brake, so that's a riddle that has to be solved today. Hey, at least the front brakes will be a breeze now!

And the cutest part? He was out there for that long and I'm sure he was frustrated, but he just kept plugging at it, trying to figure out what the magic was! Then when we solved the riddle, he just finally removed the part and made some comment about how that was easy. My dad...you gotta love him!

There is such a thing as too comfortable!

I did not take pictures because I was simply too disgusted with myself at letting my car get into the state it was in.

Yesterday, my parents came home and asked if my brother could borrow my car because he got in an accident and totaled his. It's unregistered, but insured, so I said if we can get it registered, then he can certainly borrow it since I'm not supposed to be driving. My dad, ever so gently suggested I clean it out before doing anything else with it and now I realize why. My car is a 2 door coupe. When I finished cleaning out just the inside, I had a 13 gallon garbage bag full of garbage. Not to mention random articles of clothing, hair clips, new windshield wipers, etc. (I am happy to report that I replaced the windshield wipers all by myself!)

I vacuumed out the car, which was probably worse than cleaning out the garbage (I HATE to vacuum), then sprayed some air freshener. I might get ambitious and take a baby wipe (no Armor All) and wipe the dust off the dashboard, etc..

Next is the trunk, which I admit is completely and utterly full. Not looking forward to that!

Leavin' on a Jet Plane!

Yes, that's right...I'm leavin' on a jet plane and GETTING OUT OF UTAH! For 10 whole days! I'm so excited!

My cousin and her family and friends go the week before Easter to the Leo Carrillo State Park in/around (not sure) Malibu. Ready for a picture I found so you can be jealous? It probably won't look like this, but a girl can dream...

I really am excited about this trip, though it requires me being in a swimsuit, which I haven't done for about 8 years. Water and me are not great friends. But I don't much care about what I look like in a swimsuit because really there's nobody there to impress. It's all family and I've come to realize I am a big girl and I may as well embrace it until I'm ready to fix it.

The reason I'm so excited for this trip is because I get to see one of my favorite sides of the family! I love the Fresno Green's and being around them is always a good time to be had and I laugh like crazy. They're game freaks and it gets quite competitive, but it's a relaxing time when I can recharge my batteries. Plus, I never get to see them and they are just so different from my family. I cannot wait to attempt winning at Risk or Scrabble...I'm not very good so winning is always a victory for me!

Don't you worry...there will be pictures. Unflattering I'm sure, but we'll be having fun, so who cares? I leave 3-23 and will be enjoying every minute of being wireless! Correction. I leave on the 26th. I don't know where the 23rd came from. Duh.