newsletter delivery

Yesterday D and I delivered the newsletter to our section of the neighborhood. It's a transitional neighborhood - old houses in good shape, old houses falling down, new townhomes, new houses that are quite spectacular, business and industry.

Our delivery area includes a street that is alongside the railroad track. I would never drive on this street - it doesn't seem right for cars but cars do drive on it and the trash truck even goes down it. I think it is one way on one side of the track and the other way on the other side of the track - but I'm not sure. Some of the mailboxes are on this street so we walk down it to deliver the newsletters. There is a collection of six or eight small shacks near the main road off the rail road track road. Some are not occupied (front door boarded over) but some are. We deliver there. Then head down the track (actually walking on the track because there isn't any other place else to walk - the street just kind of peters out but there are still mailboxes there). I keep looking back over my shoulder and down the track in front, checking for trains.

I always think about the mail carrier and what it would be like to be one. Some days, probably pretty nice.

Yesterday there was a white pit-bull looking dog about a block down on the track road. We took a detour and went down the side street. D went and got the houses we missed. Even though I have an excessive number of cats, I do like dogs. But pit bulls can be kind of scary.

Once, delivering another section of the neighborhood, there was a pit-bull looking dog on a chain - but the chain wasn't attached to anything. "That dog's not on a chain" is what I told D - even though technically it was. It was kind of menacing D - D had my men's J Crew messenger bag - that's what he carries the newsletters in. He was planning on using it to defend himself if the dog attacked. And I was willing to let him! I was right by a landscaper's trailer - I was ready to grab a hoe or shovel if need be. Luckily, D was able to back away from the dog and we went on with our route, skipping a house or two.

Newsletter delivery outfit:
J Crew khaki bermudas from a year or 2 ago
Purpley blue dri fit top from Target
Nike running shoes
bandaids on my little toes because of my earlier shopping outfit:

7 bootcut jeans
white J Crew perfect fit tee
new Skecher platform slides (which were pretty comfortable except for blistering my little toes)

I got a Dressy Jersey Strapless Dress in Marine Aqua - size M at the J Crew B&M.

I also got my J Crew order yesterday:
Fresh Mint featherweight cashmere sweater in XL - actually goes with the Jersey Marine Aqua dress in a weird way
Breeze perfect fit tee in XL
Cowgirl vintage wash jeans size 28
soft seashell cashmere henley in XL
And 2 pairs of size 8 pants that are too big - a khaki Bistro pant and a pewter Saturday pant. I'll return these to the B&M and see if they have them there in a 6.

Girlification factor: +7

wore shoes other than sneakers shopping
delivered newsletters
bought a dress

Maui Jim's

I had to get gas today - I don't get gas often b/c I don't drive very far usually and D gets gas for me a lot of the time. Yeah, he's awesome. I stuck my credit card in the slot but it did nothing. I looked at the pic and I was doing it right. I pushed some of the buttons and still nothing.

I went in to tell the clerk it wasn't working - I was annoyed. I expect things to work properly. I gave him my credit card and went to fill up. While I was filling up, I was looking at the display for the credit card. I could faintly make out a Thank you message. I lifted up my sunglasses and the display came into view. I couldn't see the display because of my Maui Jim's - which I love. They are my second pair of Maui Jim's - my first pair is in the Gulf of Mexico.

I told the clerk that the pump was ok and I couldn't see the display b/c of my sunglasses. He laughed and told me they were getting new pumps next month. I could see the gas dispensing part of the display fine.

I still love my Maui Jim's.

Volleyball is awesome!!!

We are playing volleyball again after not playing for 2 years. Thanks Jimmy for setting it up! Yay Jimmy! Last night was the second night. Playing better already. Had some really good sets - which is what I'm best at. Ha - I find it hard to bump the ball properly - every bump turns into a set.

Crazy John's wife played with us and he was either a little calmer or I'm tuning him out more. He brought a camcorder and since we have 4 guys the guys rotate in and out so they were recording for a while. Crazy John set me and I had a good hit over the net and my team goes crazy. Ha - I think they were hamming it up for the camera but it was fun. The net is super low which makes it easier to hit it over. It felt good.

My volleyball outfit was:

Navy JCrew long board shorts from several years ago. I wish they still made these.
Purple Champion dri-fit top from Target.
Brown rubber JCrew flip flops.

Hey, yeah, I know it didn't really match. But the dri-fit type stuff is so much cooler than cotton. And board shorts go with sand volleyball.

We won all 4 games - the first one we barely one. It's city ball, so we play to 15 points or for 15 minutes, whichever comes first. The other team had been ahead. Then it was my serve - I got all 3 or 4 in and we were up one point then side out. They served and side out. Then the ref called time and we won. It was good that I got my serves in - we needed all the points. I think the rest of the games were pretty much blow outs.

Birthday

Had a good birthday weekend starting with a 2-mile run Thursday morning. To get to the running trail, we have to walk through a short tunnel under a rail road track. The tunnel is closed off from the road - making it sort of private. It's used by the homeless as a toilet and/or a place to sleep. Calvin (probably not his real name - just what D and I call him) has been sleeping there for a week or 2. He was sitting up on his bedroll eating a bag of microwave popcorn. He says good morning to us and asks us if we want some popcorn. We politely decline. I think he'd made the popcorn the day before. Because there isn't a microwave in the tunnel.

It was weird but normal. Like if someone dropped by my house just as I was popping a bag of corn, I would naturally offer them some.


Thursday night, volleyball. For the first time in 2 years. It was awesome to play again. Unfortunately, our team is the jerk team b/c we picked up this guy John who doesn't shut up. He is "just joking" but super obnoxious. We were beating the crap out of this team and he just won't shut up. Arrrgh - hopefully he won't show up this week but I know he will.

Today I'm going back to the eye dr. New contacts - not working out so great actually. Got my left eye set for near and my right set for far. Gonna have her set them both the same and pick up a pair of readers for when I need them. Yuck. But I think with the contacts different my eyes track wrong - like lazy eye. Not a good look for me.

Plus I'm going to return the Anthropologie dress. Don't think I will end up wearing it...unless we are going to have the party for my dad...heh. We'll see about the dress.

I got lots of nice presents from D - he had presents for me Friday (my birthday), Saturday, Sunday and Monday. It was a total birthday weekend! Got a book on Dali and a poster, a book by Henry Rollins, a Vince Vaughn movie (I collect Vince Vaughn movies).

Plus had a drink and then pushed the button to order my JCrew cart. Nothing from the new collection - a couple of feather weight cashmere sweaters, a perfect fit tee, a pair of jeans, 2 pairs of pants...I think that is it....

This morning went for a run - Calvin wasn't there. There was a stack of books in the tunnel - something by or about Billy Graham and another Jesus book on top. Don't know if they were Calvin's or not.

Haven't showered or dressed yet from my run so:

Girlification factor: +2 (for running!)

I got a pair of boot cut 7 jeans and a dress at Anthropologie. Neither on sale - but 15% off with my birthday card. And dress is dry clean only - so much for washable. But nice - dusty pink w/ embroidery. Where will I wear it? Who knows? 7 jeans are nice - shrunk enough in the length so I can wear them with heels and not have to have them hemmed. Perfect!

My corneas are beautiful (per eye dr). My teeth are pretty (per hygenist after cleaning). I wore:

pink J Crew perfect tee
new J Crew ragged jeans (forget exact name)
sneakers
pink striped J Crew tie belt from several years back
J Crew pearl necklace looped twice
for dentist, J Crew summerweight cashmere cardigan in snow - left it home for the rest of the day. It had warmed up a bit and the eye dr. is not super cool.

so with wearing pink and pearls and cashmere and buying a pink dress and taking care of my eyes and teeth -

Girlification factor: +7.

But today, work meeting so probably J Crew black cotton stretch boot cut pants (do not know name - kind of old) and long sleeved shirt and short black boots. Need something to spice up work wardrobe....

Oh and I've lost 14.9 pounds so far. nice. probably about 4 more to go.

May 18, 2009

Today dentist and eye exam. Decided to do both in one day...we'll see how that goes.

Also - eye place right by Anthropologie so already decided to shop there today. And got a 15% off card for anything this month (it's my birthday Friday) and yesterday got an email saying today starts the biggest sale of the year! Looking for some jeans and maybe a top or 2. One thing to keep in mind - get something washable!

Girlification factor: +5 (taking care of myself!)

May 18, 2009 - First Post

First post.

Purpose of blog - track Girlification.

Current attire:
Men's Large J Crew Crab Grab graphic tee.

J Crew Vintage Slim Jean in Worn-in Wash (translation - I paid $73.50 for jeans with holes in them).

Beat-up Ugg short boots in Sand (I only wear these in the house and immediate vicinity - when I see people in the mall wearing them, it startles me and I think - hey, she's wearing her house shoes in the mall).

Girlified Factor: zero.

OK - changed blog colors to pink.

Girlified Factor: +1.