Inspired.

Best "Shake My Head In Amazement" moment: 4:08

Or the incredible box jump at 2:14.

Wow.

Mariah and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day

.... or in other words, my birthday last week.

Let's call them birthday surprises.

Started off with a funny one: running out of toilet paper. Lovely.

Then Aunt Flo made her presence known. That bugger is always early for our appointments.

Unfortunately, that skewed things for my body fat test, measurements, etc. later that morning at the gym.

Speaking of the gym, I dropped a 65-pound, loaded bar on my shin. It was pleasant. Note to self: do NOT lose concentration at the bottom of an overhead squat.

It's still pretty painful. But, on a side note, my sweet Adistars were my early birthday present a few months ago. :) I love them.

After the gym, I stopped by the grocery store to pick up a few things. I stepped in a super deep puddle by accident and found out my little suede boots were the opposite of waterproof. Freezing cold, sloshy socks... brr.

And on the way home from the store, I managed to hit a massive pothole on the highway. Literally, there was a chunk of the road missing. Thankfully, I wasn't traveling highway speed because it was a bit snowy/slushy. Regardless, the tire was flat within a quarter mile, or by the time I made it down the offramp of our exit.

Thankfully, I have a hubby that loves me. He was there within 25 minutes, swapped out the snow tire/rim with one of our summer tires/rims in a couple minutes, and I was on my way home. Nothing like eating lunch at 2:30!

We also got the snow tire replaced yet that afternoon, which was great... except for the massive pothole sized dent it left in our checkbook. ;)

The rest of the day went a little bit more smoothly with only a broken lock button on my phone to finish the day off.

I might have done some lounging around in yoga pants that evening. :) And ate bacon. Hey, I'm only human.

Good thing it was my birthday... all the Facebook posts, messages, texts and the few phone calls really brightened my day. :)

And thank goodness my birthday only comes once a year! Phew!

Tomatoes. Apples.

In the last month, I have not only tried, but seriously enjoyed eating tomatoes... fresh garden ones, obviously. They were delicious. And apples. Plain. Without caramel. Yum.

Eep, I'm turning into such an adult. Mom, be proud. hah! :)

That feeling.

One of my all-time favorite pins from Pinterest...

Source: someecards.com via Mariah on Pinterest

... and totally how I felt about a session that was cancelled this weekend. Many times I have a hard time saying no, or putting my foot down when it comes to planning things. And then I feel sweet relief when things get cancelled. Anyone else do that? :)

Day 4 of "Rest"

Today is the 4th consecutive "rest day" for me.

No working out. No cardio. Just a little stretching and rolling.

And this morning, I had a massive migraine. I haven't had one this bad since the day I drove home from Iowa after Justin's funeral.

Actually, I haven't had a migraine at all since probably last summer when I really cleaned up my eating and dropped most of my weight. A migraine is usually my body's way of telling my brain to knock off the torture.


Remember that whole "taking a break" thing? I have been trying, honest!

Granted, it has been a rough last few days. Here's the highlight reel:

Last Thursday evening...

The essence of the story is my awesomeness. In other words, I'm an idiot.

Pretty sure I braced myself, which completely helps my shoulder issues. Oh? No? It makes it worse?

We just heard today that the estimate was approved by the insurance company. Good deal, since apparently for that year of Cobalt, they will total the car if the damage is greater than 71% of its value. I managed to slide in with damages at 61% of the total value.

Yikes. My poor car. Fortunately, I was "fine," the other guy was really nice about everything, and even the cop was a sweetheart. Can a guy cop be a sweetheart?

I may or may not have jumped off my chocolate bandwagon that evening. I had been chocolate-free for months. Months, I tell you!

But like I said on Facebook, sometimes this is how you make lemonade out of lemons.. ;) And sometimes, just sometimes, there are experiences in life where cussing and chocolate are required. And wrecking your favorite car ever when your husband's out of town is one of those times.

So there was that. Friday was fairly normal. Aside from, you know, fallout of an accident and spending hours on the phone with different people, housework, prepping for a wedding, and trying desperately to get caught up with proofing. I might have had 2 more squares of chocolate.

Saturday was a wedding. Sore muscles + holding a camera all day = torture. And there was Justin's birthday. Which actually came and went with a lot more "sweet" and a lot less "bitter." Also, love it when the hubby starts some projects on Saturday evening, resulting in 1:00am bedtimes. UGH.

Sunday was pretty normal, but also prepping for company. Plus a mental crash. All the lovely exhaustion of the weekend combined with this:

Oh, it was good. Grandma B makes amazing pie. But. I only ate 2/3 of the piece, and the results were nasty. Mood swings, I was "out of it" the entire afternoon, and I was feeling panicky and overwhelmed while thinking about the coming week. Definitely not a healthy stress response.

I told my darling hubby (thanks again for loving me, by the way) to remind me about that experience if I ever. want. pie. again. Seriously. It was that horrible. I have sworn off pie. Okay, well except for a bite or two of pumpkin at Thanksgiving. ;)

Monday was decent. I had a chiro treatment. Oh, that was awesome. Then normal computer work.

Or at least I thought so until today. And this nasty migraine.


So, dear body... What in the world? Why the migraine after nearly a year? Too much stress? Not enough sleep? Too much chocolate? All likely, I suppose.


Anyway, on a lighter note. I am pretty excited for the rest of this week: an ordering session, an engagement session, and my last wedding in a row on Saturday. The rest of the weddings I am photographing are a little more evenly spaced throughout the rest of the summer/fall, so that will be great.

Plus! The hubby is working around home this week. Ahh. What a wonderful break from his out-of-town work. :)

A random from last week: I hadn't worn this top since high school! So despite the facts that it's too big and horribly out of date, I wore it anyway. :)

I had so much fun grocery shopping just for myself... and then I found out the hubby would be home this week, so it was off to the grocery store again!

Well, happy Tuesday. Hope your week is off to a great start!

Adversity.

This thought came to my mind the other day. I never envisioned myself as quotable but figured I would write it down. Maybe I'll become famous someday. ;)

"If I was going to let adversity get the best of me, I would have given up long ago."

5 deadly terms used by a woman

I actually laughed out loud at this one.

I saw a rendition of this on Facebook... but didn't enjoy the beautiful image of Whoopi in the background.

I spent 2 minutes doing a quick re-do.

I actually use all of these.. does that make me a bad person? Whatever.

It was obviously a profitable use of my time. ;)

This one time in Starbucks..

Maybe some of you remember my lovely Walmart story? You know... the "incident" where a young-ish black guy asked me to carry his babies?

Disclaimer: Yes, it's a stereotype, but yes, it's true, so let's just get over it that black men appreciate junk in the trunk. We all know it. It's not being racist, it's (actually) personal experience. Sigh.

Anyway, I won't lie. One of the reasons I was excited to lose weight was so that I wouldn't be attractive to black guys. I thought I had accomplished that! Honestly.

Turns out... no.

I was sitting in a consultation with a lovely gal in Starbucks yesterday. (I know, you're thinking... Starbucks? This isn't Walmart!) Towards the middle of our chat, two older black gentlemen walk in. To be honest, I am in tunnel vision mode during consultations as I'm concentrating on my prospective clients, but that's the chronological order of things. I'm horrible at estimating ages, but they were possibly 50's-ish?

I assumed they were gentleman because they were sipping from the little espresso cups that Starbucks has. I know these things because I spend so much time there. ;) Hello, "Gold" status! Just got the card in the mail today!

Anyway, I'm having a grand ol' time chatting and laughing away when one of the guys asks me if I'm a photographer. He then asked to see some of my work, so I tossed one of my sample albums at him and continued on with my conversation.

He interrupted me one more time to ask if the album he was holding was bought in a store, if I was published, and if I had an agent.

Thankfully, he then shut his mouth and let me finish up talking with the sweet gal. I do mean sweet... she even gave me a hug when she left! I love those kind of consultations! :)

Of course, with her gone, that left me to pack up my stuff and get out of there.

And, of course, a conversation ensued in which I was complimented on my photography, asked where I was from, and told that I must like to get down-and-dirty since I'm from Iowa, so wouldn't I go out and take pictures of him and his gal at the track. ... ?? Your guess is as good as mine. I left that statement alone.

Finally, I got my big consultation bag packed, and one said that it must be heavy. I said it wasn't bad, and mentioned the fact that I lift, and was again enthusiastically complimented... this time on my abs. Urk. (Time to get some shirts that aren't as tight!)

Then I answered his question, yes, my "old man" is, in fact, waiting outside for me. He also lifts and is very strong. ;)


This bootay I have, while very nice, isn't near as large as it used to be. And, for once in my life I actually have wider shoulders than hips.

So tell me. What is it? Why the random black men? Why the awkward conversations?

And seriously, why always ask where I'm from?! What does that have anything to do with anything?

Bacon, fat, and other good things

Folks.

Bacon = high cholesterol = false.

True, bacon may not be the best meat in the world. Bacon is usually cured with nitrates and has plenty of salt and sugar. There's plenty of other meats that are better for you... grass-fed meats, especially.

However. Let's stop all the bacon-hating, mmkay?

And this article bears repeating. In a large font. And in italics. Kidding. Maybe kidding.

World Renowned Heart Surgeon Speaks Out on What Really Causes Heart Disease

Forget the “science” that has been drummed into your head for decades. The science that saturated fat alone causes heart disease is non-existent. The science that saturated fat raises blood cholesterol is also very weak. Since we now know that cholesterol is not the cause of heart disease, the concern about saturated fat is even more absurd today.

Ding, ding, ding!

That's all folks.

Chuckle.

I got a few laughs out of this today:

****** 20 ADULT TRUTHS ******

1. Sometimes I’ll look down at my watch 3 consecutive times and still not know what time it is.
2. Nothing sucks more than that moment during an argument when you realize you’re wrong.
3. I totally take back all those times I didn’t want to nap when I was younger.
4. There is great need for a sarcasm font.
5. How the heck are you supposed to fold a fitted sheet?
6. Was learning cursive really necessary?
7. Map Quest really needs to start their directions on #5. I’m pretty sure I know how to get out of my neighborhood.
8. I can’t remember the last time I wasn’t at least kind-of tired.
9. Bad decisions make good stories.
10. You never know when it will strike, but there comes a moment at work when you know that you just aren’t going to do anything productive for the rest of the day.
11. Can we all just agree to ignore whatever comes after Blue Ray? I don’t want to have to restart my collection…again.
12. I’m always slightly terrified when I exit out of Word and it asks me if I want to save any changes to my ten-page technical report that I swear I did not make any changes to.
13. I keep some people’s phone numbers in my phone just so I know not to answer when they call.
14. I think the freezer deserves a light as well.
15. I disagree with Kay Jewelers; I would bet on any given Friday or Saturday night more kisses begin with Miller Light than Kay.
16. I have a hard time deciphering the fine line between boredom and hunger.
17. How many times is it appropriate to say “What?” before you just nod and smile because you still didn’t hear or understand a word they said?
18. I love the sense of camaraderie when an entire line of cars team up to prevent a jerk from cutting in at the front. Stay strong, brothers and sisters!
19. Shirts get dirty. Underwear gets dirty. Pants? Pants never get dirty, and you can wear them forever.
20. Even under ideal conditions people have trouble locating their car keys in a pocket, finding their cell phone, and Pinning the Tail on the Donkey – but I’d bet everyone can find and push the snooze button from 3 feet away, in about 1.7 seconds, eyes closed, first time, every time.
    

Taken from this great new blog I found: Iowa Girl Eats (http://iowagirleats.com/2011/11/08/10-ways-to-deal-with-stress/)

If you decide to head over there, you are hereby warned: it IS possible to spend 2+ hours on her blog. :)

Hel. lo.

Wowza.

Hormones and Cravings.

How do hormone changes affect food cravings? For women, these cravings can be more intense than for men. Hormonal changes tied to the menstrual cycle are often a cause of cravings. Immediately prior to the menstrual period, the body's estrogen level drops, as does the serotonin level in the brain.

Serotonin is a neurotransmitter , or brain chemical, that plays a role in maintaining a relaxed feeling. When the level decreases, irritability and mood swings increase as does the craving for carbohydrate- and fat-rich foods such as chocolate, cookies, cake, potato chips, and roasted nuts. There is nothing wrong with eating a piece of chocolate, of course, but when chocolate and other craved foods become the mainstay of the diet and healthier choices get overlooked, then the cravings have gotten out of control and health may be compromised.

(http://www.faqs.org/nutrition/Ca-De/Cravings.html)

Yeah. I'm feeling it. For the past few days... why else would a sane person eat straight up salsa with a spoon?? Argh!

Yes. No.

Yes. I'm still here.

No. I don't ever really feel like I have much to say.

Yes. Business is going well. Enough, anyway. :)

No. Sometimes, I don't feel like doing anything. Still. Even though I have mounds of stuff to do.

Yes. I'm still working out.

No. This isn't supposed to make sense.

Yes. I'm excited for my first wedding of the season this coming weekend.

No. I don't have my calendar filled for the summer.

Yes. I'm thinking of offering a summer/fall wedding promotion for my open weekends. Should I? Isn't it better to shoot and get paid to cover only your expenses, rather than doing house/yard-work that Saturday? I suppose.

We'll see.


No. Hubby didn't end up going to New York for 2 weeks their emergency job this round. Maybe the next round.

Yes. I am beyond happy and overjoyed he's home, even though the $$ would be nice.


No. It's not warm outside.

But.

Yes. It is sunny!

Hmm.

I'm addicted to listening to the hamster dance while working out. It's nearly perfect tempo for one of my elliptical machines I use.

Needless to say, I usually hide my phone screen so no one happens to see what I'm listening to. Heh.


Apparently I can't embed this one, so here's the link.

http://youtu.be/p3G5IXn0K7A

Good hair days.

Hello, random!

I remember one day in Iowa having a super terrible migraine, but going to work anyway. Why? Because I was having a good hair day! They're not that common.... Don't like to waste 'em laying around in bed! My mistake was mentioning that to my supervisor, who then announced it at our sales meeting that morning. :P

So. Does anyone else do this? Take pics of your hair?

This is just a very slight few from the past 2-3 years. My entire collection is rather enormous.

Waterloo apartment.. yay!

Hellooo, weird face.

This was a fun one.

Normal one.

If it would stay like that, I'd wear it down more.

Another fun one... don't wear my glasses often, either.

My fatal flaw.

Heh, as if I only have one. :)

I'm usually different around people than when it's just me or the hubby and I at home. There. I said it. It's like I have multiple personalities or something.

I've been thinking about this for awhile now, ever since an older worker came up to me at Marion last year and asked me if I was a happy person. I'm sure my puzzled look forced him to clarify. He said he took notice the first few days of convention that I was always smiling, laughing, and having a great time chatting between meetings. I think my exact words were, I guess! Plus, I love convention, so it's easy to be super happy there. :)

I grew up in a household where personalities were discussed quite a bit (thanks, Mom and Dad! :D), so I've been aware of different personalities for quite awhile... which drives Hubby nuts! Anyway, I guess I strive to come across to people as relaxed, laid-back, chatty, amiable, and super-friendly. Whatever goes..

Someone mentioned they were studying personality types a while back, so I asked them to analyze me. They had a name for it which I don't remember... but essentially, they thought I was the laid-back, have fun, social type. I believe I laughed in their face. Sorry, if you're reading this... and you recognize yourself. ;)

However, I see myself as detail-driven, slightly withdrawn, and not super-social. A perfectionist in some areas, and a realist in most things. I do enjoy being around people, but I definitely need my alone times. Thankfully, Hubby is more than welcome in my alone time. haha. In my own element, I'm fairly set in my ways, hate change or last-minute decisions, and am quite stubborn.

They say opposites attract, which turned out exactly true in my case. I intensely admire Hubby because he is the exact same around every single person.

I don't know how to do that.

On one hand, people might see this as "putting on a show" or being deceptive.

However, I guess that's how I am... and I look at it as a benefit in some ways. Admit it, no one likes being around those personality types like I actually am. That's why people like Hubby are the center of the party.

It's a huge plus for talking and chatting with clients.. and honestly, being with people draws me out of my little funk for awhile. I do love people, really. But when I hang up the phone or leave a consultation, I revert "back to myself."

It's great for this showing the duplex/rental process. I can be genuinely sweet, honest, and nice when they come to look at the plexer. Then when they leave, I can sit down, analyze things, and come to a realistic conclusion (obviously with Hubby).

It's also pretty nice for having company over... especially for workers. :) Honestly, it's such a joy to have people over, and I'm pretty relaxed about people in our home.

But get me out of my routine too long, and relaxed, care-free Mariah disappears pretty quickly.



Do I have a conclusion? Not really.

Just know that I'm not being fake, honestly. When I'm happy to see you, it's the real deal.


And, aren't I lucky to have Hubby?! :) Last-minute decisions? Spontaneous? Happy? Carefree (mostly)? Of course. He really is the ying to my yang. :)

2010 Wrap-up

1. What did you do in 2010 that you'd never done before?
Started an official business. Left my "office" job.

2. Did you keep your New Years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I usually don't make New Years resolutions.. it's a crutch people lean on. Rather, I do goal-setting throughout the year. heh.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Well, no sisters or sisters-in-law. Some ladies in the extended family did. :)

4. Did anyone close to you die?
Grandpa Baseman

5. What countries did you visit?
USA. Hah.

6. What would you like to have in 2011 that you lacked in 2010?
More self confidence in standing up for myself and my business.
Clients, in general. ;)

7. What date from 2010 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
1.4.10. The day of Joel's accident. Ironically, 1 year from today exactly. That's the first time in my life I've ever truly lost my appetite.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Getting my business up and running... including an official business plan. And my weddings. Looove my weddings. :)

9. What was your biggest failure?
Hard to say. I'm pretty tough on myself. This year has taught me a lot of lessons about planning ahead, planning for the unexpected, valuing myself, my talent, and the hard work it's taken to get where I am now.

On a lighter note, my addiction to coffee. :)

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Not me personally. Wait. I had that thing with the heart operation... WPW syndrome. I'm all good now.

11. What was the best thing you bought?
Whooeee. My lens. 24-70mm 2.8L. Love it. Also my recent purchase of CS5, as well as all my computer upgrades this year. Totally worth it... I love Win7!

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
My cousin, Karlene. The relationship we've created over the last 10 months has by far exceeded what I've ever expected in a relative, friend, and client. Thank you from the bottom of my heart; you have no idea how much I appreciate you and our time together! You've been incredible to get to know! :)

Also, my husband. He lives with me every day and still loves me to death. :D

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
Oh, you mean the situation that caused my heart to pound, sleep to fail me, and ruined my appetite for Annie's Organic mac'n'cheese? ;) We won't go there.

14. Where did most of your money go?
Sheesh. Everywhere. Bills, mostly. Loans. This year was big for medical bills.. Food, supplements, computer equipment/software/etc... My business. ;)

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
The surprise Joel planned for my birthday.
Business marketing and planning. Sad, but true.
Also, being able to tackle things head on, money-wise.
I get really excited about date nights with my hubby. :)

16. What song will always remind you of 2010?
Probably that Celtic Woman one, "Fields of Gold." Makes me think of Georgia, the lake house, being in the boat, and hanging out with Suz. :) Brings back happy memories.

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
i. happier or sadder? Happier, yet more realistic. Maybe stoic.
ii. thinner or fatter? Heh. I think about the same for once.
iii. richer or poorer? Feel richer, but as numbers go, I'm not sure. Maybe secure is a good word.

18. What do you wish you'd done more of?
Reaching out to others.
Laughing.
Singing.
Breathing.
Preparing.

19. What do you wish you'd done less of?
Whining.
Complaining.
Nagging.
Worrying.

20. How did you spend Christmas?
My family! Eating, playing games, and laughing, of course.

22. Did you fall in love in 2010?
It's funny. Seem to be deeper in love with every day passing... how does that work?! If it keeps getting better, being old must rock... love wise. :)

23. How many one-night stands?
365. With the same man. ;)

24. What was your favorite TV program?
The Office, How I Met Your Mother, Modern Family, Grey's, Private Practice

25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
Who actually "hates" people?

26. What was the best book you read?
I don't think I read a single book this year. How sad... I used to read 2-3 books a week!

27. What was your greatest musical discovery?
Celtic Woman. Hands down. Plus I love that I found The Dimes and Wiretree through Animoto.

28. What did you want and get?
My business.
I'm a pretty determined person, though.. usually find a way to get things I want.

29. What did you want and not get?
Determined.. but satisfied. I can't really think of anything at the moment. Probably for dear hubby to not work out of town so much.

30. What was your favorite film of this year?
That comedy guy, Gabriel Iglesias... that cracked me up.

31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
21, Joel planned a surprise weekend in LaCrosse with my mom and dad. It was gloriously fun!

32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
2 less accidents, a bazillion less medical bills, and working 14-hour days due to clients banging down my door.

33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2010?
Hah. Clearance racks. Random, bright color. Hair flowers. T-shirts. Hoodies. Double layer socks.

34. What kept you sane?
That certain someone and our pudder. Preferably together.
Music.
Retail therapy.


35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Me? Pay attention to celebrities or public figures? Pay attention to any current events at all? Hardly.

36. What political issue stirred you the most?
The elections this year. The health insurance thing rubs me the wrong way.

37. Who did you miss?
My Hawkeye buddies. :(

38. Who was the best new person you met?
Probably my best friend's boyfriend... because he makes her happy, and she deserves that. :)

39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2010:
Don't allow others to take advantage of you or perceive your expertise for less than it is.

40. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year:
"Does it get any better than this?
We're into something beautiful.
Bein' with you's as good as it gets.
It doesn't get any better than this!"

Better Than This ~ Kimberley Locke

Today's random thought.

Maybe my motivation is hanging out with the dust bunnies....

Sure wasn't under the pile of dirty dishes!

Crazy.

Well, how do you like this?

I thought I had made up the word "Randomities."

Apparently not.

On a happier note.

Today is the second day in a row that I've felt like "me..." for the first time in nearly a month. Talk about no-motivation central here.

This my friends, is cause for celebration.

Which happened to be KFC popcorn chicken with mashed potatoes and gravy. And now I feel "ugh" again.

Haha, just kidding.

Two major pet peeves.

Not that these happened to me today, but they've just been on my mind.

1. People that don't take me seriously. (This hits big... I switched accountants based solely on this.)

2. People that try to take advantage of me.


Oh, and 3. Drivers in general, but in particular those that a)are slow and b)don't know how to drive through round-a-bouts. Old man nearly broadsided me the other day.