Luring Perfume Sites

All of my favorite perfume sites had fantastic 'Black Friday' sales.  This messed with my mind because I have almost reached my self-imposed annual budget.  According to Inner Farm Girl, that is.  And even she was being generous.

So I thought and researched and read reviews and walked the streets of my new downtown shopping center.  Then, I endured the annoyance of the Nordstrom sales associate who kept saying, 'we're carrying Bond No. 9 now!'   I'm not enamored with the Bond line - they all have the same drydown - but I tried to be polite. 

'Oh,' I said.  Shut up, it's the best I could muster.

In the end, I ordered Serge Lutens' Muscs Koublai Kahn, because I have always wanted a full bottle of that dirty little bastard.  Plus Cartier's Baiser Vole, to offset the dirtiness of the little bastard I've always wanted. 

Besides, B-man said Baiser Vole made him smile.

That's it for 2012.  I think.

Image from foodrenegade.com

The Hierarchy of Flying

I spent most of last week in Washington DC and flew on three planes in the process.  On the first two, the following announcement was made from the cockpit:

'Two restrooms are located in the back of the plane and one in the front cabin.  Sit back, relax and enjoy your flight.'

But on the third and final plane, the announcement was a bit different:

'Two restrooms are located in the back section of the plane and one in the front cabin.  Please use the restroom in the cabin you are sitting in.  You may use the front restroom, but only if the two in the back are occupied.  If you must use the front restroom, please stand behind the first class section, at row number 10.  We cannot have a line forming in the first class section.  Thanks for your cooperation.'

I'm in coach.  I actually said, 'wow' out loud. 

My translation of this overhead message:  'Look, peasants, you get what you pay for.  Now just keep your moldy asses in coach because we don't want to deal with your pedestrian behavior.  You'll probably piss all over the toilet seat anyway.  Honestly, I don't know why we carry anything other than first class passengers - it's so annoying.  Just shut up and thank your lucky stars that we even let you on the plane.

Here's the worst part:  If I pay to sit in first class, I don't want the moldy asses of coach passengers using my very special bathroom, either. 

Yeah, I know.  Wow. 

image from davewirth.blogspot.com

Landscaping Done At Last - Yay!

Pictures my own

Didn't Your Mamma Teach You Better?

Josephine's Tip-Of-The-Iceberg List of Bad Manners

1.  Not holding the door for the person walking right behind you. 

2.  Grown men rushing the elevator before women with children or the patient in a wheelchair. 

3.  Nurses laughing hysterically at a blind date joke in the intensive care unit. 

4.  Men with nose hair that curls and hangs out of their nostrils. 

5.  Receptionists that finish an e-mail or answer the phone before acknowledging me.

6.  Crowding my space when I'm shopping for clothes and standing so close I can smell your breath.

7.  Cutting your fingernails at your desk. 

8.  Flossing your teeth in the food court.

9.  Taking a crap in the ladies room while reading the newspaper.  No mercy flush.

10.  Men who spit out of their car windows. 

What bad manners drive you crazy?

Image from cloudyjam.com

Settling In The Day After

Does anyone else feel exhausted when Election Night is over?  It's not that I stay up and watch the news program blather (imagine having to talk about something all night until the results are in), but I do find myself thinking about the candidates and how worn out they must be.  And their wives?  I can envision few things worse than schlepping around the country, smiling up at my man and obsessing over my wardrobe.  Shopping would probably be involved. 

Just shoot me.

Of course, I had my favorite presidential candidate, but of the two front runners, I didn't find either one horrible or wonderful.  Both are smart in their own ways, and enough checks and balances exist that one person has a hard time ruining the country out of sheer stupidity.  George W. proved that.

In the end, it comes down to who I can trust, who says the least embarrassing things and my opinion of who will represent us best to the rest of the world.  Mostly, it's just nice to know the outcome.  Now we can all get back to the business of watching what happens next.  

image from blog.zap2it.com

Still Driven: Looking for Lightning

Today, I'm reading about Taylor Swift's new album, 'Red.'  It's another huge hit for her and she's what...22 years old?  I start wondering why some people are successful at such a young age and others aren't?  What determines where lightning strikes?

Exactly how different would my life would be if I had Taylor's wealth?  Where would I go?  How would I spend my time?  In the end, money would be nice, but really, it's just money.  I also want Hillary Clinton's power and Steve Jobs' genius.

I've always been driven.

Last week, JD stopped by the house to see how the landscaping was going.  As usually happens whenever he and I are in the same room, we start talking about our lives after about five minutes of general updates.  That's one of the things I love most about him; he is devoid of bullshit and is not afraid to reveal his deepest thoughts with confidence and grace.

I can't remember exactly what led to his comment, but JD said, 'Growing up, I never saw you just as my mother, but as this driven woman who also happened to be my Mom.'  'I knew you loved me, but I always knew I wasn't your whole life.'

Even though he said this as if it was a good thing, I wish I had hidden it a little better.  My inner life and my desire to create something big - something of my own - has dominated my attention over all other things and, if I'm honest, over most relationships, too.  My therapist once described this trait with great understanding and compassion by saying, 'that's simply because you are self interested.'  We laughed hard together because no one had ever reframed my own perceived selfishness into something I could accept and embrace as an authentic part of myself.

My drive to achieve is as strong now as it has ever been, even though my ultimate goal is still unclear, even to me.  Plus, I find myself - shockingly - at 53 years old, so I feel a sense of urgency and know that time will win out in the end.  Every day, I continue to push myself higher and to search for those places I where I can make a positive difference.  Sure, I feel the clock ticking, but it's never too late for lightning to strike.

image from science.howstuffworks.com