Makeup Uniform?

As you know, I love clothes, shoes, makeup, jewelry - well, all that kind of stuff.  However, I do not have the time or the money or even the desire to spend my life in search of something new, better, or prettier all of the time.  Granted, I do buy things, but like most people, my job and our bills get in the way of leading a glamorous, all-leisure life!

In addition, since my surgery, I am still at the point where most things take me a long time to do.  Certainly I am improving in small ways each day, but a week from today, I have to return to work.  I'm not thrilled about it, because my job has become pretty unpleasant ever since our museum affiliated with another local institution.  But it *is* a job, and it will be nice to start getting a paycheck again, since I have been unpaid while on medical leave.

I'd been thinking about all of this, and how my morning routine might need some adjustments, at least for the near future.  Granted, putting on my makeup is not something that takes a long time for me, at least not for every day (I will take my time and make an effort for special occasions), but if other things take longer, I'll need to take that into consideration.  Last week, while reading blogs that I follow on various topics, I came across this post, and decided that having a makeup "uniform" would not be a bad thing.  I spent most of my life wearing uniforms to school, and it was nice to not have to spend time every single morning thinking about/deciding what to wear.  (Though it was daunting to then get to college and suddenly have to think of such things!)

So whereas Tamira was writing her post talking about how she often ends up using the very same things every day, even though she has never consciously decided on a makeup uniform, I have decided this is just the kind of thing I need for my return to work.

I don't wear a *whole* lot of makeup to start with, but I have been known to take way too much time to decide whether or not to wear eyeshadow/eyeliner, and then take even longer to decide which one out of the few choices I have.  My new plan is to have a "uniform" for the week, that does not vary for the most part; I can take the time for choices for special occasions or on days when I am feeling particularly inspired.

I really think - and sincerely hope - this will allow me to go back to work feeling a little bit more polished and confident, without worrying about how long I am taking, and possibly getting to work late as a result.

Because let's face it, "my dog ate my homework" is one type of excuse, but "I had a hard time deciding on eye makeup" is a whole 'nother issue ...

:-)

Walking the Walk

I have always enjoyed walking.  And I am fortunate enough to live close enough to where I work to walk back and forth, thus being the only one responsible for how long my commute takes.

Since my surgery, the only physical exercise that is allowed to me is walking - at least until the end of October.  The first week or so, making it around the block was exhausting.  Since then, I've been making reasonable progress, and increasing the distance little by little.  I try to take a walk twice a day, which has not been a problem until this past week, when it has been ridiculously hot and humid here.  But I've still managed to get two walks in - though usually the one in the morning is longer, since it's more bearable, temperature-wise.

The thing that I have noticed though, is that most of the other people I see who are out walking don't look like they are walking for pleasure or exercise.  Rather, they are clearly on their way to something/someplace else, with a specific destination or purpose in mind.  I'll easily admit that a lot of the time, I'm in that situation as well.

But I am now reminded of how wonderful it is to walk just to go out and walk.  You know, because it's a nice day, and being outside is pleasant.  Or even not, but you want to get out of the house even though you have no particular reason to do so.

I would encourage you to take a walk.  Even if it is only for ten minutes a day.  First of all, that little bit of  movement is better than none at all.  But more importantly, taking a walk can do so much.  You notice things, because you are taking your time, and not thinking of the next thing (at least in theory).  You can take the time to think about things, and sometimes clear your head of lots of worries and cobwebs.  It's alone time if you want it to be, or the perfect time to catch up with a friend without a thousand interruptions.  For the most part, you don't need to buy any special equipment or clothes to do it - you can just get dressed and go.

This time around with my surgery and my walking, I've had so much time to think, to enjoy the world around me, and to decide that I am going to try more than ever to live in the present, and take my time with my life.  I think I'm around so many people who are always in a hurry, or bragging about how well they multitask, that I get caught up in it without even realizing that it is happening.  I feel stressed so much of the time, and it's as much because of everyone and everything around me as it is things that I personally have going on in my life.

I am lucky.  I have a nice life.  And I want to start to appreciate and enjoy it more.  Because I am here now, and I can.

And I'm going to be sure to keep walking.

Here I Am Again

Yes, here I am - bruised and scarred, but making my way slowly back to daily life.  It's been difficult and painful, but I am making slow, reasonable progress each day, and that's what it's all about in the end.

I've had lots of time to think, plan, wish, and just decide who/what/why/etc. I want to be and do.  It's not vastly different from who I already am, but I feel like there are refinements to be made.  So I'll be blabbing about that, as well as regaling boring you with some of the details of my surgery and recovery.   You, of course, have no obligation to read it all.  :-)

Anyway, I wanted to say hello, and let you know that I will be posting again.  I feel like I've been gone for a much longer time than I actually have, but I guess when it is surgery rather than something like a vacation, time away takes on a different personality.

Until the next time, take care.  For anyone who stayed around, thanks and I'll be here again soon.

Preparation for Upcoming Radio Silence

I know that it's not like I post here every single day, or even on a regular basis, but there may be some time coming up when you really don't hear from me for a while.

You may remember that last month was The Big Fall, when I was in the ER for a couple of days, and then home recovering with stitches, etc.  During the time I was in the hospital, they did many many tests to be certain I didn't break any bones (I didn't), and that my fall had not been caused by a cardiac problem (it wasn't).

But as a result of the tests, they did find a mass on my right kidney, which has shown to be cancer.  Today I will go for several x-rays and MRIs in preparation for my upcoming surgery.  I already had a day of tests and dr visits this past Monday.  Friday afternoon, I have an appt with a cardiologist.

So many doctors.  So many tests.  But it works out to be a good thing in the end.  The urologic surgeon said that if I hadn't fallen, I probably would not have symptoms of kidney problems until the tumor had gotten to the point where they could not do much to help me.  The Big Fall turned out to be a Big Bonus.

I am lucky.  I have great doctors, live in an area with wonderful healthcare, and via The Tim's employer, I have good health insurance.  The surgeon told me that he thinks I will recover just fine.  Those things are keeping me sane.

Sadly, my employer does not offer short-term disability, and because we are not allowed to carry over sick time or vacation time, I will only be paid for six days of the six weeks I will be out of work.  Thanks to the Family Leave and Medical Act (FMLA), I will be guaranteed a job when I return to work, but it's gonna be tricky to have to pay bills, etc. with only one person's paycheck.  These are the things that are worrying me.

But in the end, the good outweighs the bad.  I have a supportive spouse and family, and lots of friends.  I have the kitties and Dug the Doodle Dog.  I have determination to work hard to get back to my usual level of health and activity.

So please keep a good thought for me.  On July 28, I will be having a partial nephrectomy (unless when they open me up things are worse than they initially appeared to be, and they do a full nephrectomy), and then going into my recovery period.  I may not post for a while, but I will definitely be back!

Here's hoping the rest of your summer is less eventful than mine ... :-)

Marble Lip

I am recovering (or really, have recovered) from The Big Fall about a month ago.  Most of the bruises have faded, and I have regained my confidence to just walk around without worrying.

However, I'm still stuck with Marble Lip.  And it a) hurts, and b) drives me nuts.  What, you may ask, is Marble Lip?  Well, as a result of my fall, I got stitches in my upper lip, both inside and outside.  And I guess that I have some scar tissue, because I have a big bump on the right side of my top lip, where the scars are.  I don't mind the scars at all, they are no big deal, but the bump drives me nuts.  It keeps my lips from "closing" properly, and when I touch it or accidently bump it, it does hurt.  

The only way I can describe it is to say that it is what I imagine it would feel like/look like if you had a marble under the skin of your lip - really uncomfortable!  Because of Marble Lip, I can still only eat or drink out of one side of my mouth, and my sandwiches must be in small strips, like tea sandwiches.  I also have to use a straw to drink anything.

I have an appt with the plastic surgeon who did my breast reconstruction years ago, to see if it can be dealt with.  Having said that, I won't be able to do anything about it if insurance doesn't cover it; and I really don't have time to take off work to have it taken care of.  But if nothing else, at least I'll know if it is a temporary condition, or if Marble Lip will become a permanent part of my face.

As one of my sisters would say, "White People Problems."  :-)

New Sandals!

I love shoes.  I love looking at shoes.  Unfortunately, due to foot problems, and the fact that I walk back and forth to work every day, I can't wear most of the styles out there.  In the summer, I am a big fan of sandals, but I have always had a hard time finding ones that I could wear that would look OK with dresses or skirts without being too casual.  Not necessarily dressy, but with a little bit more oomph than plain old sandals or certainly more than flip flops.

So I was pretty excited when I stopped at one of the shoe stores in my neighborhood yesterday after I got my hair cut, and saw these:

Well, OK, technically I didn't find them on my own - the woman who was helping me was wearing a pair in the Natural shade.  I complimented her on them, and she said that she liked them because they were lightweight and comfy, had good arch support, and were stable because of the way the sole was constructed - she wasn't in danger of falling off her shoes, so to speak.  Then she said they were Danskos, and it all made sense.  I love Dansko clogs, and decided that even though they looked "high" to me, I'd try them.

Crazy.  They are just like the clogs, where you are "up" on a platform, but your foot is even with itself, so it's not like wearing heels.  They feel *very* steady, and they are incredibly lightweight.  Plus, they actually look nice on your feet!  Add all of this with the fact that they were on sale, and they came home with me.

Now, in the interest of full disclosure, I must say that I have been known to kinda sorta fall off of my clogs, but fortunately the results have just been embarrassment rather than injury.  However, 99.9999999% of the time, I'm just fine walking along.  I sure hope that's the case with these as well.

If you want a pair for yourself, Zappos has them on sale here.  They are not uber-cheap, but they are worth the money - I find that I get tired of my Dansko clogs before they ever even come close to wearing out!

Happy Independence Day!

"The Constitution only gives people the right to pursue happiness,

you have to catch it yourself"

-- Benjamin Franklin