Celebrate The Lessons

Last night I was talking to a friend regarding my upcoming, officially an "adult" birthday. While I was bumming about it, she was celebrating it. And that got me thinking, instead of being sad about my new age and list of accomplishments left to be crossed off, how about I celebrate and make a list of all things i've learned through my life's accomplishments. Some may sound familiar, but that is only because I've finally lived them, instead of just read them.



If you love someone, tell them, even if they don't love you back, love is a great thing to share.


If you hate someone, deal with it. Sharing hate never did any good.



Money does matter, but not as much as you think it does.



Spend some money.


Save some money.



Balance. Its much easier said that done but worth the effort.



Take risk, no matter how advised against it you are, the lesson learned is
always worth it.



Have confidence in yourself. Not an ego, confidence.


Try new things, sometimes they will become new favorites and sometimes they will send you running back to your favorites.



Make time for friends and family.


Make time for yourself.



Its okay to cry. Alone. With friends. In Public. It's okay to cry.



Being strong doesn't always mean doing things on your own. Sometimes it means asking for help.


Know your weaknesses.

Everyone has issues, everyone. It's just a matter of who is acknowledges them or not.


Sing karaoke, at least once.


When you're mind is telling you no and your body is telling you yes, its okay to listen to your body *sometimes.


When you're body is telling you no and your mind is telling you yes, listen to your body.


At the end of the day, you're parents are just people, just like you, just like me they live and learn.


Hurting someone you love hurts more than being hurt.



Forgiveness is much easier said than done, but when fully achieved, freeing.


Don't look back, unless it's to learn, laugh or reminisce.



You're life may not turned out as planned, but maybe that is the plan.



Be you. Not what people want you to be, or you think you should be. Just be you.


Let your wall down. It's the only way to really experience life.


You don't have to like everyone. Not everyone has to like you. And that's ok.



Stress takes a toll on your mind, body and soul, therefore stress less.



If you fall down, its okay to take a few minutes to stay down, before you get back up and brush yourself off.


Family is family. You can't choose them. However, you can make some additions.


Don't judge others. Really. Don't judge them.


Everyone looks better after a few cocktails.


I may not be smarter than a 5th grader, but I'm more experienced.



If it can go wrong, it will. Deal with it and move on.


Your body changes, whether you like it or not.


People don't care what kind of car you drive, if they do, screw em.


Take the hit and tell the truth the first time.


Keep praying. Someone is listening.


Don't just travel, explore. Doesn't matter how near or far, there is always something waiting to be found.


Life can be challenging, but it doesn't need to be challenge.


Celebrate every success, big or small, its still a success.



Stop thinking so much. Start listening more.



When you have a problem, take a step back, not only does it make your problem appear smaller, it also allows you to see new ways to fix it.


Be grateful for what you have, a lot or a little.


Release expectations you have for friends and love ones and you won't be let down.



Venting is good, in moderation.


A quiet drink with an old friend can be better.


Sometimes the best things said are those that are left unsaid.


Nothing will ever replace the feeling of picking up where you left off with an old friend.


You don't always have to understand what a loved one is going thru, but you should at least try.



As much as you want to 'fix' a loved one, sometimes you have to allow them to 'fix' themselves.

Call someone. You'll be glad you did.



Take your phone off the dinner table. You'll be glad you did.



Never forget where you came from.



Stop hiding, it will only be that much harder to face the reveal.


Stop, breathe in and take a look around...and be thankful you can do all three.


Admire children for their innocence, admire the elderly for their experience.


Let go of the 'One that Got Away.'


Next time you go for a walk and pass a flower, stop and smell that flower, literally. Do it.



Workout because it makes you feel good inside and its good for your health, not because it can make you 'skinny.'


Eat ice cream when you want ice cream without counting the calories or thinking you've 'cheated.'



It's ok to say no to that cocktail. It's ok to say yes to one more cocktail.


Friends and family will grow into their own, but nothing will ever replace the connection you've built with them.



You don't have to 'Do' the impossible, but 'Try.' Who knows, you might surprise yourself.


You'll know when its time to give up, not anyone else, just you.



Help the friend that has never helped you. Acknowledge and appreciate the friend that always does.



Pain is good. Suffering is not.



Sometimes, all you want is your mom. That's ok.



The easy choice isn't always the right choice. The right choice isn't always easy.



It's amazing how different family can be, its even more amazing how much they still love you.


People may not support you the way you want them to, but they support you the only way they know how, and that's more than enough support.



It's okay to say "That's all I have to give right now." People will respect you, even more.


Don't let yourself get pulled in so many directions that you forget which was is up.


Smile at a stranger.


Share.

Laugh.

Sometimes you have to just put yourself out there.

Groupon Makes The Cut

As everyone knows  are in a recession, therefore the days of 'clipping coupons' have made a tremendous comeback known as Groupon aka 'Groupon clickings' (get it because you click the mouse...).  Well, being the savvy shopper that I am, I 'clicked' one of these Groupons for a much needed hair cut. And this is my story.

First step, see the Groupon stating the amazing deal (if acted upon NOW!). Second step, Google and Yelp said deal salon and look for review. Four out of five stars. Score! Step three, click on the deal make the call and get on my merry way. So long rat's nest, hello savings!

Side note: This salon was nestled on a very popular street in the very popular 90210 neighborhood.

I arrived at the salon and patiently await for my 'stylist', a few minutes in she arrives sits me down to discuss my hair wants and needs, exclaims 'I have an idea for you' and ushers me back to the shampooing station. (After, of course, a quick tour of the cafe located in the back of the salon, because who doesn't want to nibble on a bacon filled breakfast burrito while snippet's of your locks fall to the ground.)

Now I've always enjoyed the shampooing portion of the hair cut experience. The tilted chair, the warm water, the relaxing head massage follow by the rinsing of the suds and of course the final towel off. I like to image that for this one moment, I actually have money, enough money to make people do things for me and I am very capable of doing on my own. THIS shampooing experience however, was a bit different. The chair wasn't tilted just right therefore my neck and one ear were crammed into the sink, the other was wide open and slowly filling with H20 and suds. When I reached for the towel positioned ever so uncomfortably behind my neck to removed the suds from my ear, my hand was whisked away and replaced with a grueling failed attempt made my the 'Stylist' to remove it 'for me'. The 'Stylist' head massage was more like a like a 'stylist take your aggression out on Groupon Gals head'. Of course I was extremely alert of all these lovely tactics as the water was a bone chilling 50 degrees.

Moving back to the cut. Girlfriend starts snipping away and doing the usual awkward 'I'm a stylist and have to make small talk even though I actually don't give a shit about your personal life', however this 'Stylist' actually DOES care...about the sound of her own voice. Her and her sweet southern draw start on about her big move to the 'Big City' and how her dreams of becoming a model were crushed when she discovered cocktails and packed on twenty pounds. I didn't have the heart to tell her that twenty pounds wasn't the only thing crushing her modeling career.

So she continues, about her life, her boyfriend she left behind because he was too 'Small Town' and she had just always wanted to live in Beverly Hills with all the celebrities! Unfortunately, the only way for her to do this was to get a job in the "GOD AWFUL" industry of hair cutting. Yeah, that's right, hair cutting. She HATES To cut hair, NEVER wanted to do it or had ANY interest in it, but was talked into going to cosmetology school because that would be an easy way to make a lot of money...she could cut the hair of celebrities!!! Yeah! Luckily, for her, once school started she realized that she really enjoyed doing hair, but by doing she meant, "coloring hair, NOT cutting." I, while frozen in panic, continued to listen while she continue to chop and come to the self realization that she still doesn't like cutting hair and has decided not to become a celebrity hair stylist, because she can see enough of them just going out in Beverly Hills...after all she sat next too (aka in the same restaurant as)  a C list celebrity just the other day! Yeah!

Really! Really? This is the story you feel compelled to share with me while you're taking a pair of scissors to my head? Awesome. Well, thanks for that and also for the  unexpected heavy fringe bangs and uneven layers.

UGLY Sweater Holiday Party

This is what I wore:

AND this is what the rest of the (coupled) party wore:

Yup, really. Welcome to my life.

Nothing like a relaxing massage...

While on a recent trip to the land south of the border I decided to treat myself to a relaxing deep tissue massage, because ya know what, I'm good enough, I'm smart enough and doggone it, people like me. ...But Ahhh, just the thought of typing it makes me uneasy. And here's why.

First off, my appointment was at noon and it wasn't until 11:55am that I ceased shoving my second plate of chili cheese nachos down my pie hole. I then rolled up to my appointment, at 12:00pm (prompt in LA time) but more than fashionably late in Mexico time. Still the five foot polish build senorita accepted me and lead to me to relaxing destination.

 And though, I was trying to get into the relaxing 'Zen' mode I was also trying to 'Secret' my stomach into politely digestion that pile of meat, beans, cheese, chips and jalapenos asap. (note to self, stick to one plate or none) So already, two strikes on my count.

Now any massage I've had, they ask you to disrobe,  but leave on the bottom half of your 'delicates' or in a previous friends experience at this spa, they handed her a pair of make-shift undies to sport. Muchacha however, was very adamant about me disrobing it all. So against my will, I did and already slightly uncomfortable slid under the pressed white sheet.

Snuggling in the upside down head rest I was finally starting to digest and fall into a deep relaxing...until that is, I started to become overly aware of the absurd awkward sounds of the room, the room of which I could only see a 2x2 cube of the floor of. The shuffling footsteps wandering around the room; the opening and closing of random drawers, cabinets, bottles; what I assumed to be a plastic bag being opened and closed; the gentle unfold of a towel, and finally the squirting fart of a creamy liquid being poured...somewhere...turns out that somewhere was muchachas hand, the hand that she then placed directly below my nostril while using the other to press the back of my head further into the headrest. Now, this is supposed to be a relaxation technique, however when laying naked in a spa in a foreign country and obnoxious sounds that you're blind to have your senses on edge and a small woman with the strength of ten tigers forces you to breathe in a magic potion, you begin to tense up...well at least I did.

Moving on. Let the rub down begin. She's getting in my back like a fat kid breaking into a candy jar, just as I'm getting into my deep relaxation like a fat kid falling off the high dive into the deep end. It was awesome. The magic potion was kicking in and I was in it! That was until I hear and feel the soft warm creepy whisper in my ear of "Miz Peeterz, is the pressure okay, Miz Peeterz does that feel ok, Miz Peeterz are you ok?" Well I was ok until you got all wet willy up in my ear and started whispering, it's just you and I in hear muchacha, let your vocal chords run free. Back to being tense.

Finally the whispers cease and I'm diving back in. I've lost all awareness of the chili cheese nachos stirring in my stomach, the random cream squirting sounds and my completely naked body. I'm in it to win it. Then, she starts to go low,  then lower, then the lowest. Yup, muchacha went for the tight end tackle. And it's at this point in the massage that I become completely  110% uneasy. I mean, I know I have some muscles down there (tight ones may I add) and I know it's her job to 'massage' them, but what I don't know, its how low is she really supposed to go? Like, is this ok?  Is this MAYBE just a touch too far?
I mean, I want to stop her and ask but then I'll feel like an ass (pun intended) for not knowing the edicate of 'massage' yet still, I'm not so sure senorita is suppose to be digging that deep and rough into my seat cushion, so now this is the battling going on in my mind, not that of fuzzy slippers and daffodils. Relaxing??? I think not.

The moral of my story. Like karaoke, I feel like there should be clear defined rules in a massage pallor..JUST so we all are on the same page and don't end up hearing the ballad you played when you broke up with your high school sweetheart or get stuck in our heads wondering if that really was herb infused oil shoved up your nose and whether or not, you did in fact just receive a Mexican 'final feliz'.