Two Pennies Please

A few months ago I had a friend turning a quarter of a century, which is kind of a big deal. That person is also a big deal.
In an attempt to not only show my friend how much I care, love and appreciate them, I also wanted to do something different.

On a random bolt of inspiration I came up with two projects. A box of 25 items and a penny heart.

This box was filled with 25 things, each thing being in groups of 25. For example, she had 25 cans of beer, 25 fake tattoos, 25 packs of ramen noodles, 25 pens, 25 sticks of gum, 25 sweet treats, 25 pixie sticks, 25 tampons, 25 condoms, 25 hair ties, 25 band-aids and a whole bunch of other stuff I have currently forgotten.

This box was over flowing with items. During my quest to fill this box I also realized it might have been a better idea for someone turning 24. A lot more items come in multiples of 4 and 6 a lot easier than multiples of 5. Beer for example comes in groups of 6.

What seemed to really take the cake though was the penny heart. I found a penny for each year my friend has been alive. Starting at her birth year of 1987 and going all the way up until 2012. I was lucky enough to almost all the pennies either at work or in my piggy bank except for two pennies. I could not find 2005 and 2008. My friend was coming back into town soon and I was running out of time, so I decided to call the bank. They seemed like the most logical place to have vast amounts of pennies. It would be my best chance at finding those two pennies.

I knew my request was a little off the wall so I called them early in the morning, explained my project, explained the years I was looking for, and wanted to see if I could pick them up at noon. They said sure.

During my lunch break I head over to the bank.

I was not exactly sure who I had talked to in the morning so I got in line to talk to a teller. I explained to her that I’m trying to find two pennies and was wondering if it would be possible for her to look through her drawers. After a few blinks of utter confusion she called her supervisor over. The story is explained again and the supervisor started to check with some of the teller and their drawers looking for my pennies.

I had a seat to allow the teller to help other customers while the search for 2008 and 2005 commence. I feel bad that I came in at noon but I thought they would have explained this odd request sooner rather than later to the other people.

After about 15 minutes of searching, the supervisor called me over and I exchanged two pennies for my two missing dates.  I thanked them profusely and headed back to work.

Once I’m done with work I stopped by the craft store, picked up a frame, some foam backing, and a marker. I had to actually put everything in the box and make sure I had 25 items of everything while I soaked my pennies in vinegar and salt.  

The pennies went from dirty brown to shiny new copper color in a matter of minutes. A good rinse and dry, I assembled the project.

First making sure the pennies looked like a heart, then making sure they were all facing the right direction, and then gluing them down. Once everything was dry, in the frame it went, and walla, all done!

Family Figures

While driving to work today I was behind a SUV that has the little happy family cling on things on the back of the car. I’ve often pondered about these little guys.

First, what happens if someone dies? Do you have to take Fluffy off the back window?

What happens in divorce? I would think about the same thing?

Are you promoting the last child syndrome by keeping them on the back window as a baby?

Why do the baby things never seem to be boys or girls always the bald unisex creatures?

When said baby turns a certain age do they get promoted to a real person figure? Like blow out the candles for your 5th birthday, now everyone come outside and we'll change the sticker?

Today’s little family had a Dad, a Mom, two boys a girl and a baby. After going wow that is a lot of kids I noticed that Mom was a bit higher than dad. Actually, she was the highest in the line of people. Was that intentional, unintentional, or someone’s subconscious coming out?

Do these little family characters ever get stolen?

Are these always put on by wives or do some husbands walking through a store go “OOOOHH, honey we have got to put these on the back of MY car!”

If you are a crazy cat person, advertising it on the car…is that a good idea?

Do you have any issues with these little characters on the back of the cars? If so let me know! Leave a comment below or on the facebook page.

They call me Snow 5th Street

Isn’t that how that game is played? To find your stripper name it is your first pet’s name with the first street you lived on? No? It sounded like a good.

Always with my eye out for something new and exciting to try, I went to my first pole dancing class the other day.

Yes, I’ll say that again. I went to my first pole dancing class.

According to the lingo they were using, working out on poles or pole dancing is called Poling. Also, there are apparently different thickness of the poles. I did not lose the irony on that conversation.

I had no real expectations for this class. I asked them first what I should wear. They said a tang top and some shorts. They said socks if you’d like because the floor is cold. I wore socks. I am so tired of cold feet and winter hasn’t even started.

After checking out the map and wishing I had remembered to bring my GPS, I headed out to this location.

It took me about 10 minutes to drive to the area but another 10 minutes to find the actual place. I kept taking the wrong turns. Also, this studio being so new, they were still working on getting a sign and some more lights.   

I find the place, get signed in, I get my little punch card so it shows that I have 4 classes left. I giggle because it seems like all the new things I try usually involve release forms saying if we accidentally die, no one can be sued. That and helmets seem to be my new norm. I take off my layers of sweats and jacket to get to the tiny little shorts and tang top. Then I stand around with a few other people waiting for class to start.

The instructor is like don’t be shy go grab a pole. I go stand by a pole but don’t do anything. I have no idea what I’m doing. I’m trying to resist the three year old Shannon just taking one hand and walking around in a circle until she get dizzy and has to stop.

After the poles are check to make sure they are tight. Then it is time to stretch.

I consider myself a pretty athletic person. I run, play soccer, I can do decent in most classes at a gym. This was some of the strangest stretches I have done. I also learned that my hamstrings are SUPER tight! Ouch!

Unplanned Adventure

***Warning, this blog post gets a little graphic***

Oh, where to begin. The other night I had an adventure and I didn’t even know it was coming.

I completed my day job and headed over to work a shift in the restaurant. I was excited because I wasn’t closing. I had plenty of errands to run with the holiday season and this was going to give me some free time.

The shift started off like normal, doing side work, saying hi to fellow co-workers, trying to stay busy. I had a total of 3 tables all night so I wasn’t that busy. It was actually a good thing because I started to have some discomfort in my lower abdomen. The urge to pee increased and when I did go it kind of felt like I was peeing fire. Not good. These symptoms are classic signs of a UTI (Urinary Tract Infection) on the way.

I’ve had UTI’s before, and they go from minor annoyance to full blown blood in my pee within just a few hours. If you have never experienced the joys of a UTI here’s some fun facts. Like once you have peed, you hold your breath for a few seconds after you’ve finished trying to feel some relief and get the pain under control. The urge to pee hits with the desire of chugging a gallon of water. The amount actually peed is like a table spoon. Suffice to say, the first time I had one of these I thought I was dying.

It kind of makes me stop and wonder how people dealt with them in the past before taking a pill for a few days would make you feel better. Most of the time taking the pills makes things better within the first few hours.  

Anyway, I see the signs, I know I’m in trouble and I have to get out of the restaurant go to a urgent care places so I don’t have to go to the ER. Being around 7:30pm when I cannot deny what was going on, the doctor’s office is clearly closed. I know I couldn’t wait for the morning and I wouldn’t get any sleep or be able to make it through a night without help.

I cleaned my tables, turn in my money and paperwork for the evening and headed over to the urgent care office.

When I went through the door, I’m the only one there. The lady at the front desk say, “Hello! How are you doing?”

I tell her, “Fine. Wait, no I’m not. If I was fine, I wouldn’t be here. So I’m lying. I’m a liar. How are you?”

She was laughing at this point and she’s like “I’m doing fine and I’m not lying.”

“Glad to hear. Plus you’re not a liar, or I don’t think you are so that is good. So, I would say that I’ve seen better days.”

We go through some paper work. I have to wait for another lady to call me over and talk to talk about paying. While I wait, I watch Cartoon Network. They have a show on called “The Annoying Orange.” What have you done Cartoon Network? I felt so old at that moment. Grant it, I don’t have cable, but what is this crap? How can people watch this show? Am I turning, gulp, into an adult? Is this what my parents thought when they have to watch our cartoons? No wonder they wanted the news, this stuff sucked.

After being told about HIPPA and signing some things and paying a co-pay, I sat down to watch some more bad cartoons.  

I got called back to review my medical information and have my vitals taken. They start off with, “Hello, how are you doing today?”

Again, I start off with “Fine, wait, no, I’m here, so I’m not fine, I’ve been better.”

They giggle. I’m pretty sure they heard my little rant earlier. Again, not many people were in the office and my voices carries.

Happy Halloween!

This blog is a little late, but like all my blogs it is a story that can be told. I don’t know if it needs to be told, but it can be told.

I have a hard time getting up in the morning. Unless something super awesome or exciting is going to happen like Christmas, new jobs, going for a hike, or someone is making pancakes, mmmmm pancakes, I hit my alarm. I hit snooze, not once but multiple times. I have been known to hit it for hour. I am a bit more respectful when other people are around, but for the most part lots of alarm hitting.

October 31^st was no different than any other normal day. I hit the alarm one too many times. I am allowed to dress up for work but have no real plan. I try and think what to wear when I go back to a costume I did a few years ago. It is a simple comfortable costume. I wear jeans, a pair of Converse low top sneakers, add a bowling shirt I own, some trophies my sister won for bowling when we were young and I’m now a bowler! Go me!

I am a big fan of bringing food to work. It gives me snacks all day long. It is cheaper then eating out for every meal, sometimes it’s better for you. Also, I feel like if I have my cereal at work it might motivate me to get there on time so I can eat it. That part hasn’t really worked out 100% of the time, but eating breakfast is still a good motivation for getting to work. Part of bringing cereal to work is the need for milk. I don’t want to bring a whole gallon to work, it think it is both too big and worry about finishing it. So I keep bringing half gallons of milk. However, when you buy two half gallons of milk you’re paying more money for something that actually comes in gallon size.

As a ways to change this waste of money I bought half a gallon of really good milk in a glass container. I figured drink this half gallon, bring the bottle home, wash it and fill it back up from MY gallon of milk at home. I’m saving money, I’m recycling, I’m going to get colder milk. Go me!

In my scramble that morning I’m throwing milk, trophies, cereal box, snacks, and other items in a reusable bag, throw it over my arm with my other work clothes, purse and jacket and head out the door.

Things Have Changed.

When I ripped out the neck of my zebra cake for my 26^th birthday, I didn’t realize the consequences of that action. First, it was super cool and fun. Second, it was like the third thing I ate that day after being stupid hung over. It was an amazing cake and I was able to cross, eat zebra off my bucket list. Third, things changed.

Something happened that day, I didn’t know it then, but I know it now, but officially things had changed. By just adding 365 days to my 25^th birthday and things evolved.

Since that day the zebra cake slowly bled upon my table. No seriously it did. My friend filled it with cherry filling so it oozed out. Awesome right? I began to not only understand things but accept them.

One of the most powerful things I’ve learned is to be happy with the skin you’re in. I’ve been saying this since high school. I believed it most of the time too. However, as I look into the mirror at my 5’2” height that I was hoping for bigger boobs, about 3 inches taller, I realized, yup, this is it. This is all I have. So I have two options, hate it or love it. I find loving it to be a lot easier.

I think the show “What Not To Wear” is a great example of how to embrace your body. At this point in the game it is all about comfort and what makes you look good. Red is a great color for me. Yellow is not. Wide leg pants are not flattering while slightly flared ones are. Short skirts look better then long ones and A frame dresses work better then tube dresses. Sure I’d like to walk around looking like one of Victoria Secrete Angels with their long thin bodies and big boobs, but I’m not shaped like that. I’m not willing to go through surgeries to look like that, so why keep fretting over something I cannot have. Accent the eye, show off the curves I do have, and let the curls fly and be done with it. All the worry about something you “don’t have” is useless. Why worry every single day about what you don’t have when you can just learn to accept what you do have?

I also have come to a lot of new realizations about dating.

Dating is different now. If games that were used in High School or the first two years of college are still normal for you, grow up. There is no point to them. The requirements are different now than they were back then. Don’t run from it, embrace it and keep on going. When people are in their teens and even early 20s just having a cute face, decent body, being a good kisser, and fun to hang out with were all that was required. That is not the case anymore, or at least not for me, and that is okay.

Don’t get me wrong, those things are still somewhat important, if you don’t want to make out with the person then any relationship is doomed. But other things are now more important like the ability to have a keep a job, being able to take care of things without Mummy or Daddy stepping in ALL the time. You still need Mummy and Daddy sometimes, but not every decision. Making mistakes are fine as long as you’re learning from them. Having a concept of a budget and money is a requirement. Common sense and knowing when to ask for help. Having hobbies and ways to de-stress.  How to interact appropriately with people is important. No one wants someone who says the wrong thing every time they open their mouths.

When dating the person shouldn’t just make you happy, they should bring out the best person you can be. You should also bring out the best person they can be. They have to accept the good and the bad but mostly bring out the good. No one wants to be criticized or criticize all the time. If they do find someone else. I don’t want to do that to someone and they shouldn’t want to do that to me.  

I also realized that when you start to date someone, you aren’t just bringing them into your life and vice a versa, you’re bring in their friends, their family, their problems, their drama. If it is super scary to start out with run while you still can. Dating someone is different from your family in the fact you can CHOOSE who you end up with. Your family is what it is, for better or worse there are no trades in or upgrades.

What to blog about?

I have been a slacker the last few weeks. I am barely getting one post up a week. I am sorry for that. Most of the time it isn't due to lack of stories, I have lots of those, mostly it is because I'm conflicted on what to write.

It is kind of like the ponderings of Facebook. Certain adventures like going camping, cutting grapes, and things like that, it is totally fine to post about. It was all in good fun and entertainment.

However, life is not always fun and adventureous. Sometimes the days are long and sad because things need to be done like have "that coversation" with someone. Weather it be a wake up life conversation, or dating conversation, or wow you really hurt my feelings an we'er at a this needs to be fixed or I'm walking away type thing.

Or the day might not be fun, yet still intersting because of the lengths one must go to in the hopes of removing something as fun as a planters wart. I'm just going to say I'm on Plan B, and hoping there is no need for Plan C.

If I've written one blog about running tips is it okay to write about running failures? Like the last 10k I did I puked, not like a little, but like just all over the place like 30 feet from the finish yard? The people were nice about it. It's a great way to impress the family members that come out ot support you. It's like a violent suprise! I am still looking forward to those pictures.

I am currently in a limbo about what I want and where I want to be. Everyone feels this, does anyone really want to hear about it again? Then I ponder about musicians and the songs they write. Artists have these hard life issues, that everyone has, they sing about it and people are like you touched my soul. You konw exactly what I was feeling like and that helped me. Is a blog the same way?