My Septmeber, in brief....

* I started training for a half-marathon in October. My knees responded to the extra burden by screaming at me all night every night, eliminating sleep. When I removed my clever, at-home fix for pronators (enormous arch supports), the pain decreased by about 75%. Hopefully I caught this before I caused permanent joint damage. Moral: talk to your doctor about your gait problems, not the guy trying to sell you the orthotics.
* I have started a 2-meal-a-day diet, sponsored by Walgreens. Seriously, I never get a minute to scarf some lunch!
* My hubby surprised me with a 4-day visit to DC for my birthday! We had a great trip - museums, monuments, friends, even a White House tour - and didn't break the bank thanks to lastminute.com.
* Incidentally DC is the ultimate "cheap date" because almost everything is free, and transportation is cheap (walk or take the metro). I lived in West Virginia as a kiddie and I wondered why my parents brought us to DC so much...now I understand that it is a really low-cost way to entertain an enormous family for free!
* Hubby also got me perfume for my birthday that I hated. I posted a heart-wrenching plea for help on the blog (Should I tell him I need the receipt to return it? Should I sell it on Ebay? Should I just suck it up and wear it for the next 4 years?) but of course I received zero advice comments so I ended up politely asking for the receipt...then explaining that only teenie boppers wear this scent. He was cool about it and the JC Penney gal just laughed at him when he returned it.
* I have been doing rather well at the Buffalo Clothing Exchange over the past few weeks. Check out their store listing - you may have one near you! Unlike most used-clothes stores, they have an excellent selection of jewelry and accessories.
* I don't wear lots of make-up, but I found a powder you should try. It's the Wet 'n Wild version of bare minerals powder! But I really like it - it has a cute brush that sits in a little jar with the powder jar screwed on top, perfectly compact and great for travel, and the powder has a luminescent quality close to bare minerals. It doesn't look like you're wearing powder at all. Plus it's $5!
* Swine flu's upon us...my brother, dad, and hubby have all had it. Keep washing your hands! Don't touch your eyes, nose, or mouth in public!

That sounds sort of like my September in a nut-shell. I'll be back later!

Complicated = blog ate about 20 posts

Hello, anyone still there? How are you, dears? I'm fine thanks, didn't fall off the planet. My blog simply decided to not post any posts for the last month....and notify me YESTERDAY. Technical glitch (it was, quite honestly, my fault, but I couldn't fix the problem without a notification, right?).
Now you know that I never read my own blog, hehe. Truth's out!
So, my apologies! And I will try to summarize the best posts in sentence form later today!
Tons of love,
Grace

Cheap date Wednesday: beer tasting

This is easier than a wine tasting because what ever would you do with 4 open bottles of wine? Quite simply, go to World Market and buy their specialty beers (you can buy a 6 pack of various flavors). Have a beer tasting - serving small portions in little shot glasses - and use plain popcorn as a palate cleanser.
This goes over a little better if it accompanied by something like fantasy football research. I mean,it's beer, but most guys are not wowed by the tiny cups part. I, however, was thrilled to death at my creativity.

My new adorable 1-minute hairstyle

Pressed for time? I always am, thanks to the hour I squandered this morning making pithy comments on my friends' Facebook statuses. When I'm rushing out the door to work I rely on this dressed-up, low, side bun style.
Here's what you do:
1. You need a normal elastic plus a dressed up elastic. I bought the one above at Walgreens for $1. I also have one with a tortoiseshell decorative thingy on it.
2. Use the fancy elastic to put your hair in a not-too-neat low side ponytail (I usually leave the front wispy).
3. Twist the ponytail so it loops back on itself and the end of your hair sticks up above the top of the fancy elastic - leaving some spiky "fringe" sticking up.
4. Use the other elastic to hold this loop in place. I wrap it around three times: Twice ABOVE the fancy elastic and once BELOW the fancy elastic.
5. Adjust the elastic and your hair ends to look cute and fluffy and a little messy.
This holds all day in my hair, especially if my hair is damp or I slept with it wet (which gives it lots of texture). It's cute but professional enough for work. If your hair is shorter than mine your looped bun will just be smaller.

Blame it on computers

I have figured out a clever way to get out of the age-old pharmacy dilemma. Let me describe the scenario: You are working in the pharmacy and someone you recognize walks up - an old customer, a friend, former co-worker, etc. You two greet each other since you obviously know each other, but of course you can't remember this person's name. That's a huge problem, because everything you do in pharmacy requires you to know your patient's name (usually the patient cheerily asks what blood pressure medication he's on and you have to start making educated guesses). I have solved this problem by routinely blaming my computer system. I start typing, then frown in annoyance, then slam the keyboard a couple of times. Then I feign exasperation and ask, "What's your date of birth? For some reason this thing won't pull your profile up." Once I get the date of birth I can usually recognize the name out of a list of patients with that date of birth.
Face saved!

Ten things you don't want to see on moving day

It's the start of another semester, and for my husband and I - residing in walking distance to two colleges - it's the week of brand-new neighbors. Ugh, people! Further ugh - young people!
After grouchily observing various move-ins through the blind slats, I've compiled a list of things you don't want to see as your neighbors move in.
1. Diesel truck pulls up. As the wrangler-wearing occupants open the doors, six or seven empty beer cans tumble out as well.
2. The back of the moving van opens, and you stare in horror as 4 pet crates in successively larger sizes are removed.
3. Random car parked in your driveway.
4. Moving van blocking your driveway.
5. She's installing a red light bulb on the porch.
6. Drug trafficking before his parents have even kissed him goodbye
7. The movers carry a bed into the single-bedroom apartment, followed by eight folding cots. EIGHT?!
8. Any item with a Marlborough or Corona logo on it.
9. Enough bumper stickers to obscure the color of your new neighbor's car
10. An empty electric guitar box in the trash.

Katrina Anniversary Reflections

Four years later, I want to express my gratitude to the brave people who worked to rescue storm victims. Many rescuers were neighbors, volunteers, or Coast Guards. Most had no personal stake in the rescues but risked their lives out of the goodness of their hearts. My brother in law spent days helping boat people to safety before he fled the city himself. Thank you, Chris.
I'm thankful to the medical personnel who stayed in fetid, hot conditions and cared for patients by hand. These people gave up their own food, water, and resting places for the patients they cared for. I remember an image I saw in the newspaper of patients being lifted to helicopters hovering over Baptist Hospital. I recognized the man holding up the sick baby - he was a pharmacist I had worked with. Thank you, Glenn.
I am still disgusted with FEMA for not even knowing that you could take River Road into the city when the I-10 was flooded - this lack of research caused a dramatic delay in the arrival of help and many died because of it. Thanks a LOT, FEMA.
Our ex-governor Blanco is the epitome of poor leadership. She allowed her ego and her pride to make decisions - and in doing so cost innocent victims their lives. Thanks, Blanco - I know it is hard to make decisions under duress but you were foolish and ineffectual.
I'm thankful to God for allowing this city to crawl back bravely and I'm thankful to all the people who moved back to their homes and tried to build their lives back. We're a brave city! Keep your chin up, NOLA!