Goodnight quickie

Greetings from Columbia, SC!

I'm headed to bed shortly, but I just had to stop by to say hey, and to announce that Jase and I are going to be in the palm beaches for a week. Were leaving tomorrow when he gets off, and I'm super excited!

So, be sure to say a prayer for our safe travels! See you in FL!

xoxox

I hate to pack

I dont think I know anyone who enjoys packing, but I especially loathe it. Like, ech. My brain is so turned off that I cant actually write anything else. Especially since I'm supposed to be packing and I've used up the miniscule amount of words written here to express that.

I'll try this again tomorrow, k. Off packing!

A few random thoughts

Greetings from 438!

Allegedly I'm supposed to be working...on something. Actually, in a perfect world I'd already be in Florida...but alas, I'm not. Anyway, I just wanted to deposit a few random thoughts.

First, I try to cover my ass when it comes to personal appearance and upkeep. Hence me having 3 hairdressers: one in Athens, one in Atlanta, and one at Home. If I need to get my hair done, I should be able to manage with at least one of the three. I feel the same way about my nails and my brows. Nails I have on lock, if the need arises, I can go somewhere and get them done. Even if its not up to my standards - a proficient pedicure is better than no pedicure. Brows on the other hand are a little more testy. I will not just go anywhere. I had one lady, but she stopped working at the shop, then I my nail-lady also doubles as my brow lady, but she's still on maternity leave (joyous bummer), which leaves me with what I'd consider to be my emergency nail/brow lady. Because I dont go there enough, I dont know if shes a sometimes hitter, or if she really is talented. Until I make that designation, she is a gamble. Which sucks.

Second, I'm on tap to make cupcakes for Jase to take to work. Idunno why, but I got recruited, and he told me he'd buy the ingredients. I've already made a bunch this week, Lemon with a Lemon buttercream, but the second bunch is Oreo or Cookies in Cream as they are properly named. I'm kinda excited. I have to remember to print that out while I'm here.

Third, I had something in mind to wear to my birthday party...my penny dress (yes, I literally paid 1 cent for it - I have the receipt to prove it!), but I dont wanna wear it anymore. And I have a gazillion cute summer sandals, so I'm going to start brainstorming cute birthday outfits. Almost all suggestions are welcome. Yes, almost.

Okay, thats all I got for now. Oooh, and D, if you're reading...welcome. And since I know you wont be able to resist visiting today: Happy Birthday :)

Toodles!
xoxox

Look at the time

I'm laid up here with Jase (he's watching TV...thankfully he got his morning dose of ESPN out of his system before I got up). But thats not why I'm here. I want to get my nails done before I skip town. And I like to call the nail salon before I ride over to the eastside. Well, I've been calling and calling. I've logged like 3 calls. If I remember correctly, the salon opens at 10, benefit of doubt: 10:30. No pick up yet. It's bad enough my nail lady went on maternity leave and I had to take a huge gamble with some other nail lady on my eyebrows. I really want her to be in the shop so I can get properly hooked up!

Okay. Wait. Calm down.

This is not a new problem. Hence me getting disenchanted with the shop since I cant predict when I can get my nails done. I need to calm down, call back, and hope for the best.

But before I go, look at the time! They'd make so much more money if they opened on time...

xoxox

May Twentieth: Not Just My Birthday

National Treasure 2 comes out on DVD May 20th!

Who's excited?
MEEEE!

xoxox

Someone has a birthday coming up...

My birthday is exactly a week from today, and I'm ordering my birthday cake. No, I dont have a problem ordering my own cake...it really is the best way to make sure you get what you want - lol.

I believe I've decided on a 1/4 sheet buttercream (of course) cake, with red, orange, and yellow decorations. Initially I was thinking polka dots, but I'll settle for roses. I like roses...perhaps a little more than the next person.

Anyway, the decorations are completely null and void if my name is spelled wrong. Considering I've spelled it twice for the Publix lady on the phone, I fully expect for it to be spelled correctly. If not, I have no problem asking them to re-do it. I can be really gangsta when I need to be...channeling all my inner Patricia Ann :)

Since Publix lady has just read back my order to me (complete with spelling out my name p-a-t-t-i), I am pleased and running off now.

T-minus seven days til the birthday, 5 days til the roadtrip home. Counting both down...
xoxox

Dr. Patti is Open for Business

So, I've always toyed with the idea of being a life coach. I feel like even if I cant get my own ish together, I can help other people. Most of maneuvering through life is common sense mixed in with a little pop psychology. Well, since one of my other dreams is to write a pop psychology book, and come next year I'll have three degrees in psychology, I'm generally qualified to offer advice to people.

However, I must say that sometimes having a background in psychology gets in the way of normal life. Especially when two of those degrees are in social psychology (the best field of psychology ever created - lol). Like, when I first met Jase, before my friends started touting him as the best thing since sliced bread, and before him and mom got along like we've been dating for decades, I was genuinely concerned about how he was going to get on with them. Why? Because the literature suggests that oftentimes indivduals are blinded by love (excuse the cliche'), meaning that they are less likely to see the flaws from the objective standpoint that their close friends and family have when it comes to a new beau. Said another way: if Dani or Brew didnt like Jase, that means they saw something in him that I did not see.

Thankfully they love him. And they really do think he's right up there with sliced bread. Hmm, we could call him Henry Wheat....lol!

Sorry, I'm focusing now.

So, like I was saying psychology can get in the way. But it can also help. Like I've started life coaching my friend MJ. Am I much older than her? No. Am I much smarter than her? I got better grades, but because I never like to claim to be smarter than anyone, we'll roll with No. Am I managing my personal and professional life and goals better than her? Yes. Which I guess (note, I'm on record as saying guess) puts me in a position to give sound and useful advice. So much so to the point that I have gotten really good at determining when she's having a bad day, when she's following bad advice, and when she really needs to shake the haters off (yes, I said haters) and do whats good for her.

Hold on, MJ just called. No, I'm not joking. I gotta make her functional again real quick....

Okay, I'm back. Seriously, if she made enough money, I'd consider charging her. Are there pay scales for life coaches on the internet? Hmm, I should google it.

But anyway, I'm also stretching my life coach muscle on Yahoo! Answers. Let me just say its my new favorite website (after wikipedia of course). I enjoy the weddings category - again, don't ask, I dont want to get started on that - and is amazing to me how people turn to complete strangers for advice. From things like "how do I get my boyfriend to make an honest woman out of me" to "what colors should I use for my wedding." When you think about it, Y!A is the perfect kind of enviroment for me! I have opinions about all kinds of stuff. Especially when it comes to wedding color combinations and interpersonal relationships. However, its not just the opportunity to give my advice/opnions about seemingly important matters that makes Y!A great. Its the fact that people can rate the responses you give, and decide what are the "best answers" to questions. And [popping my own collar] I've gotten a few best answers, particularly re: colors and relationships. Yes, I'm thriving on Y!A. Not only is it satisfying my neverending quest for information, but it allows me to deposit my 2 cents on people who actually asked for it. Most importantly, it provides me preliminary evidence that I could advise and guide people for a living, or a least a side hustle. I'm already a life coach, but maybe one day I could get paid for it.

And I already know what my Life Coach Philosophy would be. My favorite psychological tidbit, the one that the field of social psychology is practically based on, is this: the best predictor of future behavior is past behavior. Thats not to say that people cant change. Its just less likely. Think about all the problems you have with a current friend, sig.o, pet, etc. Now ask yourself: are these new problems? I think most people will find that what ever is problematic today has probably been problematic all along. Its all in how you managed the problem, but it was probably still a problem. Stay with me now. My second favorite tidbit of information is: you cant change someone's behavior, you can only control how you respond to it. Those two tidbits are THE solution to all kinds of ills. They are also the primary tenets of my LC practice. And you have to admit, they really have a way of putting life in perspective. Is it just me or are they kinda empowering? Its hard being mad at someone when they're only acting in the way they always do, AND when you're choosing to get all worked up about it. Wait for it...

Ahh, isn't insight refreshing? Okay, that will be $10 - I accept cash, Target and Publix giftcards, and personal checks if I know you like that.

Talking to MJ tonight has reinforced how far she has come. We've been friends now for 4 years, and I've been coaching her for I'd say at least the last year or so. I cant quite call her a success story, but she definitely gets points for progressing towards the woman she wants to be. In this industry (yes, I'm talking like I'm a professional LC), you take what progress you can get - lol. Shes not nearly as judgmental as she used to be, and she's finally reclaiming her life and deciding what shes willing to tolerate from her interpersonal relationships. Yay MJ!

And yay me...I really should hang a shingle. Perhaps even a heart shaped one!

xoxox

The more things change: Not loving, not bitter.

Late spring/early summer seems to be my time of the year....my time of year to get back into blogging - lol.

Why? Probably because I dont have time to do any extra writing until classes are almost over.

In fact, I should probably be writing something that will get me a couple steps towards graduation instead of writing here. But I realized after skimming Stace's blog that I miss blogging. I used to be a faithful blogger...and now I'm relegated to a few posts a year (yes, a year).

Anyway, enough about my extended absence. Not going to make any promises considering I'm starting and internship and a dissertation in the fall (I'm going to be legitimately Dr. PK), but maybe (hopefully) this will be a good distraction (along with cupcakes), from wedding planning. Dont ask.

If you've kept up, this is also the time I come to comment on a disfunctional at best relationship with one of my oldest friends. Yes, the same one who has a birthday coming up in about 3 days. I finally got that call. About a month after my last post. Again I didnt call on his birthday (as our custom to chat on our birthdays if no other time of the year), but he called on mine. I practically shit a brick! I swallowed my surprise - hell even Mom was shocked - and called him back. We even continued to chat for the rest of the time I was home. Things were almost back to normal. Yes, I said almost. Wait for it...

Fast forward to this year. I talked to him a couple of days ago - yes, of course I called him - just to see how he's doing. Turns out he's completely embraced single-dad-dom, and is doing really well with it. In the last year, we've confessed our undying feelings for each other (circa that May chat I previously referenced), half-ass planned a trip for him to come visit me, saw the trip never come to fruition and him stop calling, I stopped calling because I figured I couldnt be in a relationship with someone who wasnt interested in calling or coming to see me, got mad and then got over it, met Jase, fell in love, and am practically engaged.

Yes, thats a lot. And a year is a generous estimate...its really closer to about 10 months. But anyway, thats not important. What is important is that I finally let him go. And I really think that by my combined efforts of letting him, William, and Kevin go, that I was able to fully recieve the blessing that is Jase. Its almost as if I needed to get those other guys out of the way so that I could be fully available to meet and be with a good man when I met one.

Interesting, huh?

And I didnt realize that until I took a good look at all the clearing out and getting-out-of-my-system that I did last summer. The timing is eerily close, by August I was totally single (and pretty okay with it), and on August 18th, I met Jase.

I digress.

Today's point is that I've spent the last couple of years blogging (albeit intermittently) about "the way things change" from whats arguably a cynical and slightly attitud-y point of view. Which is a bit unfair. Now I realize the more things change, the more opportunities you have to step up to the plate and be a better person. Its just life's way of saying "Ha! I'm going to switch it up on you...whatcha gunna do now?!" Yes, change is uncomfortable, and as someone who enjoys being as on top of her life as she can manage, its been a difficult adjustment. However, I have to say that the more things change, the better you get at managing it. Not quite loving the change, but not nearly as bitter. And yes, that applies to all of my "changed" relationships, even the one with D.

You'll probably never read this, but happy early birthday D. 27...you're getting up there. Hope its a happy one.

xoxox