Oooohhh look....Squirrel!!

Otherwise known as, totally random post!! I'm on vacation this week. The last one of the year. And, it's turned out to be a fabulous week, again! (my last vacation was fabulous, weather-wise, also) What have I accomplished?? Well, let's see................................ Katiekatherine's room has been re-arranged and cleaned all at the same time...just have her stereo (which only the radio portion now works) and the craft corner to deal with. As an aside....I'm also seeking any of my things that she's helped herself to while I've been at work. So far, not too bad, mostly because I've searched her room before. However, nothing has solved the problem of keeping her out of my private things (aka: the things in my room), so more drastic measures WILL be taken.... I've been going to Weight Watchers since July. I've only had one week where I didn't lose anything...it was "That Certain Week", too, so I felt I did well! Anyway....I've been losing it slowly, anywhere from .2 to 1.6 pounds a week. This week, however, I lost a surprising 2.6 pounds!! Woo Hoo!! And, I felt I was really struggling, too... (realize, a week runs from the previous Thursday to the current Wednesday, as WW is on Wednesday nights), So, this week, because of vacation, I've been walking more. Both to and from school, most days. So, I've logged an amazing 32 miles...12 miles more than what I'm used to doing!! I'm definitely feeling it in my lower calves (down around my ankles)...Mama 'Zan showed me how to "rip" some CD's, so I was able to load up my MP3 with fast paced music to walk to. Managed to shave off 10 minutes of my walking time, too!!! Getting my mix of foods down has been tricky, too. WW uses the "points" system, which is okay, except that it doesn't keep track of things like how many carbs you eat, how many calories you're eating, etc. So, sometimes, the points value of what you've eaten may stay the same (say, 25 points), but you've eaten 1200 calories today, 1700 calories tomorrow. All the research I've done (thank you, internet!) has shown me what I need for calories, carbs, fats (including the dreaded saturated fats), fiber, protein to complete my day. Thank goodness, at a health magazine website, you can use their calorie counter and activity counter for FREE...you just have to sign up for some newsletters. Which is okay by me, the more I learn about utilizing my body effectively, the better! So, I keep track in both...keeps me relatively honest. I'm not one of those people who constantly "BLT's" (Bite, lick, taste)...once in a while, but not all the time. I'm a SNACKER who doesn't remember to eat fruits and vegetables!!! So, that's a huge effort for me. But, I'm getting there. My doctor informed me I needed to lose 60 pounds, so I'm working on it. With WW, I've lost 7.4. On my own, I managed to lose 2.4. So.....ten pounds down, 50 more to go!! I've broken it down by pounds and weeks, divided it out, and figured out what the minimum is I need to lose each week. Truly, it's not a lot...1.2 pounds a week. It's making sure I do that every week that's the challenge!! I'll also be incorporating other exercise into my schedule, since I won't be walking 32+ miles a week once I go back to work!! I have put off my color study all summer...not going to lie about that one. However, now that it's fall, I'm getting back to it. The child and I switched work stations (made hers bigger, mine smaller), in an effort to reorganize my stuff (and hers, too!). That being said, I'll be back at it, soon! Tonight, we'll be going to the Franklin County Fair with our friends...should be a blast!!!

Hmmmmmm.....

Let's see...what's been going on since my last bloggage?? I missed commission by thismuch, again! Talk about frustrating!! My weight is coming off oh so slowly...my own doing, although I don't want it to all come off in a week, either. What I really need to do is quit sabotaging myself!! So, the salty veggie sticks (which really aren't good for you) are going away, TODAY. Thank GOD there's a dumpster in the driveway!! We hiked Mt Monadnock on Monday...a good-bye to summer kind of thing. Having never hiked before, I slowed the whole thing down, considerably. It didn't help that it was 85 degrees & sunny out, either. The climb up was all rock...BIG rocks. The climb down was all smaller rocks, once you got away from the top area. By the time we were about 3/4 of a mile from the end, I got very snivelly and nearly cried, it hurt so bad! I had Katie come back (she was ahead of us, but still within eye sight) and help me down. My right knee couldn't take it any longer (and that's my good knee!!) and both legs were shaky! She's truly an awesome kid! I'm so proud to know that she can totally step up to the plate like that! After the hike was when I sabotaged myself. We went to Mom's the next day, even went swimming. I stepped on her scale (which lies in terms of accuracy) and there was a drop in my weight. What did I do?? Apparently, had an internal panic and started eating salty snacks, knowing I retain water. Idiot. What the hike taught me is that I really CAN do anything! What my reveal at the WW scale taught me....can't use the extra points gained from activity...it allows me to eat too much. So, back to the routine. I'll still be walking and doing other exercise, just not using those activity points!!

Busy Busy Busy!!

I've been crazy busy lately!! And, not even with true "back to school" stuff--just regular clients! I suspect I'll be busy Friday night and Saturday with the kids...Chrissy is off this Saturday (Again!)so, I've got some opportunities!! I haven't even done anything with all my master color stuff lately!. I've also joined Weight Watcher, with the idea of losing a SIGNIFICANT amount of weight over a long period of time. I went to the Dr's back in July, and had blood work done, to eliminate any health issues, if there were any. Lo, and behold, I don't have any health issues, other than GLUTTONY!! So, I have nothing to blame my weight gain on (not diabetes, not thyroid issues, which run in my family, on both sides)but myself. So, I grabbed the bull by the horns, and started changing my eating habits. It's not been easy. However, being the numbers geek that I am, I've taken the supplies I get from the meetings, re-doing them so they're large enough to write on, and created a binder of stuff to write everything down that I eat, all day long, and count points, blah blah blah. I'm losing weight, slowly, and fairly steadily, which is exactly how it's supposed to come off. I now also shop huge once a month for my groceries, then pick up the necessaries each week (milk, eggs, bread). While I'm still not a huge vegetable eater, I have eaten veggies I wouldn't normally eat...which is a HUGE improvement over things just a few months ago! I'm also walking 3-4 days a week, at least 4 miles at a time (making sure to throw in a few hills, just for fun!), so I definitely FEEL better than I did two months ago! Once Katiekatherine goes back to school, I'll be able to incorporate other exercise-stuff into my routine. She doesn't prevent me from doing these things, I'm just using that change in schedule to change things up! I'll need other things to do for the days that it's just too damn cold to walk outside! Although, my Mom has a tread mill now, so I'll be able to use that in the winter time, as well! Happy End of Summer!!

I've got the keys!!!!

Alas, it's only temporary. A bit of back story: A couple of weeks ago, before I went on vacation, I noticed that for August 7th (just yesterday), both Evelyn & Ginger (the only one's besides Ginger's family members who have keys) were leaving work early for different things (one was a funeral in VT, one was anniversary). Chrissy took the weekend off to go to the beach, which left Maude & myself at the salon. Maude, God bless her little heart, leaves early, ALL THE TIME. So, I knew she wouldn't stay until the very end. And, she didn't. But, I'm jumping ahead. I spoke to Ginger about this before I left on vacation, and her reply was "well, I guess someone will need some keys". And, I knew, she and Evelyn would find a way to make sure I didn't get a set. It's happened before. From what I can figure, it comes from a bunch of different angles. 1). Ginger is very OCD, and has major control issues, because of it. She also has HUGE trust issues. 2). Evelyn's nose gets all out of joint when she's perceived as not 2nd in command any longer, which means Ginger won't do anything to hurt Evelyn's feelings, even if it " hurts" someone else's. 3). Ginger also doesn't take the time to really get to know her co-workers/subordinates, and it shows. So, lets now jump ahead to Friday, August 6th. My book was pretty full, so I was busy all night (well, until 6:30ish). I went up to the desk (to check out a client) and noticed a note with names of my clients and phone numbers, with notes to call them to get them to come in earlier...this is to prevent me with getting the keys, so everyone can leave at the same time. Since no one discussed with me exactly what those notes were about (no, I'm not dumb, however....), I didn't bother to call my clients. Now, it's Saturday. Ginger gets done before Evelyn, and she's hanging around. Evelyn helps her do something with her hair (put it up), so they're farting around. FINALLY, Ginger has put things off long enough. She hands me the keys, tells me which one is for which door (there's 3 total), and proceeds to collect her things, asking me if I'm going to be all right here by myself, stuff like that. I looked her right in the eye and said "Gee, I've closed a salon, many times, before, Ginger. I think I can handle it." At my previous salon employer, Not only did I close two nights a week (Tuesdays & Saturdays), but, I had the keys and I was TRUSTED. Talk about frustrating!! I'm surprised I haven't gotten a phone call, as of yet, regarding my closing of the salon. Mind you, I only had to shut everything down and lock the doors. I didn't have to balance the drawer (which I'm completely capable of, even though I've never been shown "Ginger's way" of doing things). And, the fun part of most salon software, it's relatively idiot proof. It's a matter of following the directions. And, as long as a password isn't required, all is right and wonderful. Can't wait to turn the keys back in on Tuesday!!

This week....

I'm on vacation. My first one in three years. It's a paid vacation, too, THANK GOD. I have a list going of the things I should be doing this week. Have I accomplished any of it?? No, not really. I'm still trying to keep up with the dishes! And, I get to do laundry, AGAIN. When you don't wear your work clothes, and just wear "civies" all week, suddenly there's a ton of laundry! We also did Vacation Bible School this week (MTW), so there's extra from there, as well. And, I'm back walking with purpose, so, there's clothing there from being so sweaty. Oh, yeah...extra towels from showering extra (yes, I do use the same towels for the body & hair, it's the wash cloths that are piling up rapidly), as well as scrubbing the makeup off my face from VBS --we were "Egyptians" this time...so I coated my face in copious amounts of bronzer & did a bit of detail work to look Egyptian...even wore a black wig! It was fun, but I'm glad it's over. My face has NEVER been this clean! However, we must get some serious work done today. SiSi & NiNi are coming up tomorrow for a sleep over, and there must be space figured out in KatieKatherine's room both for the sleepers and for walking in the middle of the night when I have to pee!! I'm also supposed to be making a dent in the hair swatch situation....haven't done very much, I must say. Cleaned up the mess I left from a couple of weeks ago and that was it! However, the sleep fairy deemed it necessary that I get up at 0:dark thirty this morning, so, perhaps I ought to get to it before the child gets up. Not that she interferes with my work in the first place!

And so, the battle continues.....

I posted, a couple back, about how KatieKatherine is to be doing chores now if she wants money. It's not going well. Today, she called me at work, to tell me she had SUCH a headache that she couldn't do her chores. However. She was well enough to eat the last of the Blondies, watch movies, mess around on the computer (which she denied), and play in general, as well as call me to tell me she was just too sick to do her chores. (insert dramatic pose here) I'm thinking she's hoping that if she comes up with the right angle, I'll just give up on her doing chores and just do them myself. No such luck, kiddo!

To tip, or not to tip...It's always the question!

I had an interesting conversation with my daughter a few days ago. It was her math teacher's philosophy regarding tipping waitstaff. It's a "theory" that's been around forever, and it's never been my favorite. It is this: If you receive good service, tip accordingly. If you receive horrid service (and every one's definition of either is open to interpretation), you leave a penny. This is to show the waitperson that they stunk. Now, while I'm not waitstaff (never a job I wanted), I am someone who receives tips (most of the time) for the services I render. Personally, I would rather receive NOTHING than a penny, if my service was horrid. A complaint to the manager would be in order, as well, from you, the patron, instead of leaving a penny. There are many courses of action to take, rather than leaving a penny. And, this is what I talked to my daughter about. Tipping in my industry. Many people ask me what is an appropriate tip. Jokingly, I'll tell them "$50!" Then, I'll seriously tell them "Tip us exactly like you'd tip waitstaff". Which means this: whatever percentage you generally tip your waitstaff is the same as you would tip your hairdresser. Waitstaff get paid minimum wage + tips. That's why tips are intensely important to waitstaff. Does this knowledge prevent them from giving poor service once in a while?? No. Stuff happens. We don't know what's going on with their day, and quite frankly, it's hard to leave your personal stuff behind and be "ON" for your patrons all day long. It's draining. Yes, it's the profession they've chosen, so they should just suck it up, I know. However, they're still people, too. With actual lives outside of their profession. And, occasionally, they overlap. Hairdressers get paid commission. Some employers are able to pay an hourly rate until you start hitting commission, some do not. So, those tips we receive are equally important. The owner of the salon is not supposed to receive tips. They own the place. The owner of my salon, Ginger, does not realize this. I know this because she gripes every once in a while about the $1 tips she receives (from the nice old ladies she's had for 25 years) for a $55 perm. She's owned the salon since 1988, and it makes a profit (although this year may be a bit interesting, numbers-wise), so, according to industry standard, her paycheck (and she should be receiving one) is a percentage (I have no idea what it is) off the top. I admit, I will gripe if I don't get a tip, particularly if the client was a bit "difficult"...either very demanding, or very indecisive, or their hair was quite a challenge on its own. However, I'm truly not in this industry for the tips. Because, I've learned (even before becoming a hairdresser), you will be disappointed, every time, if you count on them. Do I need my tips?? Sure. They're gas money, laundry money, extra groceries, lunch money, stuff for the child money, stuff for myself money, stuff to continue my education money, cat food money, you get the picture. Could I survive without them?? Yes. Do I want to?? No, not really. But, I would, if I had to. My other "beef" is this: If someone "squeezes" you in, manages to get you done, ON TIME, and gives you the same quality of service, don't be a snot and tip less because you felt "slighted" by the service getting done in less time than normal. There isn't a one of us that enjoys running behind for ANYBODY. It messes up our whole day and makes everyone cranky. Please appreciate the fact that we "squeezed" you in. Or, better yet, schedule accordingly so you have the time you need. Seriously. My point is this: If you like your service, please tip your service provider accordingly. 10% and up works well. If you didn't like your service, please leave NOTHING for a tip, and, if you feel it's necessary, talk to management about your poor service. Please do NOT leave a penny.