The Stuff Dreams are Made Of

My sleep struggles are well documented.  And this week was awful.  My usually pitiful night-time routine was repeatedly disrupted and I suffered for it.

Last week I made a super quick 1-night trip to Birmingham to go to Fleetwood Mac concert with KJ.  Originally KJ, Dew and T-bone bought the tickets months and months ago with the intention of KJ driving in from Ox to spend the night with her sister in Birmingham.  Then, T-bone moved to Denver.  And KJ was bound and determined to go the BJCC solo.  And I really didn't want her to go to the concert by herself so I flew in Wednesday afternoon and flew back to Dallas Thursday. 

Fleetwood Mac was amazing and we had incredible floor seats.  There was no opening band, the group came out and played for over 2 hours and did a beautiful tribute to Tom Petty as one of their encores.  I'm not a huge Fleetwood Mac fan, more of a Stevie Nicks fan because, um, hello, it's Stevie Nicks and she's a goddess.  But Fleetwood Mac delivered one helluva show.  So by the time we got back to our hotel I was pretty wired and couldn't fall asleep.  And then I had a late flight back to DFW and didn't land until 9:30 PM and couldn't fall asleep when I got home.  I was soooo overtired. 

And then I had my very first MOD (Manager on Duty) weekend.  And I was a nervous wreck.  What if there's a guest emergency?  What if there's a problem with the building's mechanics (i.e., HVAC issues, pool filter, hot water heater, internet, etc?).  What if there are associate issues?  I worked myself into a tizzy.  I had to be at the hotel from 5 PM Friday to 12 noon on Sunday.  Cosmo had dinner with me Friday night but didn't stay at the hotel with me because he had been traveling all week and was suffering from a head cold.  He just wanted to be home in bed, not in another hotel room.  He was such a trooper and he accompanied me while I did my evening rounds that first night.  And then of course I couldn't fall asleep Friday night.  Because what if . . . .

So Saturday I checked in with all departments, did a few things in the Sales Office and had lunch.  I tried to take a nap in my room but just couldn't.  Because what if . . . .  Saturday night I feel asleep for a bit but didn't sleep long enough or fall into deep enough REM.  Because what if . . . .

By Sunday I was so freaking exhausted and it had really taken a toll on my psyche and my skin.  I had horrible bags under my eyes, I was terribly dehydrated and I looked like the damn crypt keeper. 

 



I was definitely on the struggle bus all week and last night I was able to finally give my skin some much needed attention.  Thank God I have a husband who understands my messed up sleep cycles because when I got home from work he had dinner ready and told me to go take a bath and try to relax.  Twist my arm.  You don't have to tell me twice. 

I've been hearing a lot about overnight face masks and at first I thought I wouldn't want anything too heavy on my face overnight that could clog pores. Burt's Bees has an "Hydrating Overnight Mask, Origin's has the "Drink Up Intensive Overnight Hydrating Mask with Avocado & Swiss Glacier Water" (sounds fancy!), Korean beauty brand Glow Recipe has the "Watermelon Glow Sleeping Mask," and I really want to try Fresh's "Black Tea Firming Overnight Mask." 

One day while roaming around Target,  I found "Wake Up Beautiful Super Hydration Sleepover Mask" by Pacifica.  I've seen this brand at Target many times as well as Whole Foods but didn't really know much about it.  I did a quick but all important in-store smell test and threw the tube in my cart.  I.  Love.  This.  Stuff.  It's just right.  Not too thick or sticky, not thin.  Absorbs quickly, smells heavenly and leaves my skin soft and refreshed in the morning.  I look and feel well rested. 

 

 



Another awesome Target find is the Pixi brand of SkinTreats.  I've been using the Glow Peel Pads once or twice a week for a couple of years now and love how refreshed my skin feels after. 

 

Last night I also used the Overnight Glow Serum before I used the Pacifica Wake Up Beautiful  Super Hydration Sleepover Mask and I feel like I pushed the re-set button on my skin.  In addition to sleeping great last night (thank you Dr. Teal's Soothe & Sleep Pure Epsom Salt Soak with Lavender!), I woke up to fabulous skin! 



I am no longer a Virgin

Yes, it's true.  I am no longer a virgin.  A "Bachelor" virgin that is! 

While the rest of the world was watching Alabama shit the bed against Clemson (one of my husband's favorite phrases, not mine), I broke down this week and watched my first episode ever of the Bachelor.  I will admit, I'm intrigued. 

I have poo-poo'd this show since the beginning.  I never understood the fascination with this show (and subsequent franchises) and quite honestly thought finding true love in 6-weeks on reality TV was ludicrous.  Now I'll admit, I had kept up on social media with who's who over the years (kinda hard to avoid when that whole Arie thing was all over the internet and these contestants usually end up hawking some kind of food supplements or on Dancing with the Stars).  I mean, I knew who Trista & Ryan were, I think Jo-Jo Fletcher is absolutely adorable and I knew Rachel was from Dallas.  I knew who Juan Pablo and Andi Dorfman were, too.  I knew who Melissa Rycroft was because I watch the Dallas Cheerleaders show.  I never liked that Emily Maynard and I knew who Jesse Palmer was (duh).  Oh, and I think Josh Murray is pretty nice looking! 

So having said all that, why would I, a staunch critic of the show, decide to start watching this particular season?  Well, there's a couple of reasons actually: 

#1 Colton Underwood
He's adorable.  I mean, like really cute!  Very boy next door.  He seems pretty sincere and comes across as a nice guy.  And let's face it.  The whole virgin thing is intriguing.  Not that I care about this guy's sexual history (or lack thereof) but I do admire him for putting that info out there and not being ashamed of it.  It's kind of sweet.  It doesn't sound like it's a religious choice, it's more of a "I haven't found the right person yet" kind of thing. Very refreshing to see a 26-year old virgin rather than a 26-year old man-whore.   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colton_Underwood

#2 Bri
Twitter was a-buzz prior to the season premiere about the girl with the strange Australian accent and whether or not she lied about it.  I thought it was pretty brilliant.  I get it.  She's trying to stand out among 30 contestants.  But how will this all play out when Colton discovers she's not exactly Australian???

#3 The Entrances
Again, newbie here so I had no idea what to expect from the limo entrances and found it interesting how I immediately "liked" or "disliked" a contestant just from those edited, initial few moments of interaction. Meeting someone for the first time is hella awkward as it is. And the girl who brought the balloon?  Yikes!  I liked the butterfly girl (and how cute was Colton when he put one of those butterflies in his pocket???!!!), thought the girl who gave him nuts was hysterical (especially after the Cinderella entrance -- she turned to the other girls, with a full glass of wine in hand, and said something like "I probably should have done more than give him a bag of nuts!" hahahahaha  My kind of girl.  We could be friends.).  Oh, and BTW . . . when I saw Cinderella girl my immediate thought was "Run Colton Run!  She's too high maintenance!).  Spoiler Alert -- she did not get a rose.  Did not care too much for the girl who handed over her dog (she then went on to sabotage other contestant's time with Colton.  Not cool.).  The South?/North? Carolina pageant girl was cheesy and comes across as someone who's used to getting what she wants.  And let's just say Sloth Girl was weird.  Spoiler Alert -- she did not get a rose.  Hannah B from Tuscaloosa seems pretty chill and I also liked Nicole from Miami who spoke Spanish. She seems a little unsure of herself but I'd like to see her gain some confidence and find her worth.  Didn't care too much for the girl who showed up in a squad car and claimed she was Fashion Police. 

#4 Hannah G. 
a girl from Hoover is on the show!  Hannah is a year or two younger than T so naturally I wanted to check her out!  T said she is/was a genuinely nice person in high school.  Not being a Bachelor veteran, I had no idea what a big deal it was that she received the first rose!  https://www.eonline.com/news/1002862/meet-the-bachelor-contestant-who-won-colton-underwood-s-first-impression-rose

So there you have it!  I will be watching The Bachelor.  This season at least! 

July

"Answer July—
Where is the Bee—
Where is the Blush—
Where is the Hay?

Ah, said July—
Where is the Seed—
Where is the Bud—
Where is the May—
Answer Thee—Me—"
-  Emily Dickinson, Answer July 

 

 

July is more than halfway over and it's been a wonderful month!  We got to see T-bone and the Dew twice (on their way out west and on their way back to Birmingham to pick-up KJ).  Coach and I had a very, very relaxing week while KJ  was gone.  Cruised around in her convertible a couple of times (drives her crazy when we send her Snapchats of us in her car!), hung out in the pool a lot, watched a couple of good movies, got a few things done in the house.  She had an awesome visit with her big sister and called me from the airport yesterday crying.  It was all good; happy tears.  She got to see some old friends, spent lots of time with T and they went to Sloss Fest with friends over the weekend.  She gets like me . . . I get overwhelmed with happiness and being incredibly blessed and cry for no apparent reason but it's really happy tears.  T was crying too when she took KJ to the airport and Coach said KJ was crying when she got off the plane.  She just really had a good visit with everyone. 

T and the Dew had an amazing trip out west.  T's pics are incredible.  They hiked, went on a hot air balloon ride at dawn, did the Grand Canyon again, camped and hiked some more.  They never sit still. 

 

It's been very, very hot the last couple of days ~ high 90's with the heat index putting us in the triple digits.  All I can say is, "thank God we have a pool!"  When we were moving here I told Coach I could not move to Texas without a pool.  We luv, luv, luv our pool.  We are in the pool almost every night and pretty much all weekend.  We just float, talk, relax, listen to music or watch TV (Coach bought a TV to attaché to one of the breezeway's post and it flips around so we can watch it from the pool or from the cozy corner of the patio.  Despite the heat, Coach is still playing men's league lax once a week.  Fortunately, it's late at night when the sun goes down (some games start at 9 PM) but it really doesn't make much of a difference when it's still in the low 90's. 

 

My job is winding down this week.  Because I haven't been here a year I don't qualify for the FLMA and the company is not legally obligated to hold my position while I'm recouperating from surgery.  I've had a couple of clients take me to lunch and my Front Desk and Housekeeping buddies are sad.  I've enjoyed this job very much.  I've learned a lot and met some wonderful people.  But, at this point, I'm just glad to be getting this over with.  I've suffered for so long and now I finally see some light at the end of the tunnel. 

 

 

New Chapter

Someone recently suggested I change the name of my blog to "Keeping Up with the Cos's" because we've always got so much going on!  And things are about to get even crazier!

Coach started his position here in Dallas on April 1, 2015. I had been working at the Sheraton in Columbia but resigned mid-March so I would be available for house hunting trips in Dallas and be there for KJ during this big transition (which was essentially our second move in less than two years).  So, basically I've been a stay-at-home mom, a homemaker, a domestic Goddess, whatever you want to call me, for almost two years. T is independent and living an incredibly full life in Birmingham.  KJ is a junior in high school, driving and starts an after school job next week.  In approximately 18 months Coach and I will be empty nesters. And now I need to start making some changes. 

As much as I've loved being here for my family, getting everything settled in Dallas and being a lady of leisure, it's time for me to think about a career. Yup.  Forty-nine years old and I think I've finally found my dream job and something I would call a career, not just a job to fill time in between our moves.

I had been interviewing for a few months but nothing really seemed to fit. I love being in the hospitality industry and there are tons and tons of hotels and resorts in this area.  Unfortunately sales and catering positions don't come easily and I think my resume scared off potential employers. I obviously have the experience but there's always that chance we'll get transferred.

Before Halloween I started the interview process with a hospitality company and got a great offer on our drive to Nashville for Thanksgiving!!  To say I'm super duper excited is an understatement!  The two properties I will be selling are awesome and everyone I've met has been incredible!

So, pretty soon I'll be signing "Heigh Ho!  Heigh Ho!  It's off to work I go!!!"

Sneaky Spot

T and I cleaned the Sneaky Spot yesterday while KJ was whooping it up at Six Flags.  I guess I should back up a minute and explain what the Sneaky Spot actually is.

T was not quite 5 years old when we moved to Birmingham.  We were taking the tour with the realtor when we opened a door at the top of the stairs which lead to a little office/study.  T took one look at it and said, "Ooooohhh!  A Sneaky Spot!"  And the name stuck.  It's a really neat little space / bonus room with built in shelving, an angled ceiling and a parquet floor.  When the girls were little they used it as a playroom and had the Little Tykes kitchen set up there, they played dress up, read books while relaxing on the beanbag chair, colored, etc.  Then, as the girls got older and outgrew the Sneaky Spot, it became a bit of a junk room.  If you didn't know where something belonged, "just throw it in the Sneaky Spot; no one goes in there any more."  I tried to take it over as my office at one point and Cosmo installed a counter for me to do scrapbooking, etc.  It just never took hold.  So, the Sneaky Spot became more of a Catchall Corner over the years.

We tore that room up yesterday and I'm happy to say we have a nice, clean, organized Sneaky Spot once again. I keep all of our photo albums up there and T and I had a lot of laughs over some old photos.  KJ was a beautiful baby and toddler but had the worst smile.  It was more like a grimace.  We used to have to bribe her to smile in photos.  Even now it's a bit of a struggle to get her to smile in photo but she's kind of learned if she just gives a quick grin, I'll snap the photo and leave her alone.  As long as she doesn't do a bunch of those awful duck-face "selfies" I'm OK with it.