My name is NOT Raquel!

I had training with Chanel all day yesterday in a pretty nice hotel downtown...the trainer started out the day calling me "Rachel" and then went through some weird switch and started calling me "Raquel" for the rest of the day. I didn't correct him, maybe I should have...in a room of about 50 women, I felt a little awkward calling out the only man in the room on his grammatically impaired memory. Besides, he was trying SO hard to throw anecdotes in that would imply he wasn't gay, when all of us surely knew better. Being Raquel for a few hours wasn't so bad, but it was the hour plus drive home in rush hour that was very bad. Denver has only TWO highways---one that goes north and south (I-25) and one that goes east and west (C-470/I-70)....CRAZY. This is not a small cowboy podunk town as many might believe, and the traffic is horrendous. At least in Minnesota you have many choices about which route you want to take to arrive at your destination.

I already knew this, but was re-reminded yesterday that Chanel No.5 is 80 years old and is still the #1 selling fragrance in the world--140 Million dollars a year worldwide. When I smell it, I think of my grandmother, but not in a bad way. I think of femininity, class, and another era, which is all sort of comforting. I wore it yesterday on my wrist and by the end of the day I decided that I loved it, which was surprising because over the past 3 years working for Chanel on and off I have never really felt that way. All the people in my life that are important have a certain smell...."a signature scent". Dan's is sort of sweet and yet musky--his own skin smell is yummier than any cologne he could wear. Eli's is very little boy-ish, sometimes he smells like wet dog and other times like fresh soap from his nightly bath. Eva smells like urine a lot--which I know sounds gross, but I like it! It's just that her diapers get so full so fast that sometimes the odor sort of envelops her and she smells like baby pee. She smells really distinctive. When I nurse her, I often bend down to smell her face because I want to remember just how sweet it is, and often I think she smells like the best vanilla ice cream in the world. Fresh vanilla, cream, and sugar...and I want to lick her! The animal kingdom is full of "lickers", and yet we kiss and do not "taste" those around us (and, no, this has no sexual connotations whatsoever). I often want to immerse myself in those I love so that I can taste them as distinctly as I do my breakfast of eggs and toast, or even better, my favorite--a quality piece of chocolate melting in my mouth.

I think the power of smell and scent is often under-stressed in my life, and today, I am going to make an effort to "smell" with heightened awareness.

Friday, the 13th

I am not superstitous, but it IS Friday, the 13th, Dan's birthday, and since Dan is a little kooky at times, it is fitting that his 37th birthday is a day that can be kinda kooky. Happy birthday, Danny-poo! I wish I had planned something really exciting for us to do today, but I didn't. I did drive to a bakery and pick you up a French Silk pie, so that should account for something. I don't know why, but it seems the more married I am, the less creative I get in terms of birthdays, anniversaries, etc... I remember putting together these elaborately themed gifts and making all sorts of special plans and arrangements in the early years of my relationship...and now, I am thinking it is easier just to get nothing and drive to pick up a ready made pie.

Happy Friday to everybody!

Working Girl

Well, I go to work today for the first time in a year...it is only a 6 hour shift, but I haven't left Eva that long yet in all of her 10 months, so it is a little hard--but since I am only working about 4 days a month, I can't complain. Plus, OF COURSE the one day I have to go to work, she is up every HOUR last night...I think she is teething, and Stacy, thanks for the gel suggestion. I try to go the homeopathic/holistic route whenever possible. However, at this point, I think I may need some illegal substances to be able to carry on with my exhausted life. UGH.

There have been a lot of birthdays this week for the Porch peeps...Jenell's is today, Dan's is Friday, Jeff and Stacy's close together....we should have all arranged some sort of party halfway between Denver and Minneapolis. Anybody in for a road trip to Omaha?

Today, I am thankful for Target carrying affordable work clothes so I don't have to wear holey sweats on the job, the dry Colorado air that makes the heat bearable, and the distant hope that one day soon I may experience more than 5 hours of sleep per night. My blogs and my life will be much more interesting once that occurs. But, for now, I will milk the "I only get 5 hours of sleep per night, so don't expect me to be _________" (the blank could read: "happy", "cleaning the house","willing to do that", "ready for sex", "able to have this conversation", "my best self", etc...

Come to think of it, maybe this sleep deprivation thing might not be so bad after all.

Weekend Update

Saw "Collateral" on Saturday night. Good movie--not a perfect film, but nonetheless, a gripping, good story, and solid acting. And, of course, Tom Cruise isn't bad either. Although, his hair was sort of weird for me. It was a little distracting at first because I think he looks too young to be gray, but after a while, I didn't notice it (ever since Friday I am still having hair issues). Next on the list is Open Water, as I heard it made Jaws look like Flipper in every way. Naomi? Wanna go?

Yesterday Dan and I fought a lot, which wasn't fun. We have had a really difficult couple of months--the kind where the vows keep you going and not what is actually happening in our midst. We have a lot of added stress into our lives with our changing circumstances and my Mom living here, and I am hopeful that after this time, our hearts will be renewed for one another and we will have a more redemptive and glorious season ahead.

It was a crazy weekend with Dan's sister in town staying with us, my Mom staying here, Dan's two kids and our two kids, and all of the stress that comes along with a lot of people under one roof--not to mention little Eva Luigi Maria Concetta (her new designated Catholic name) waking up every 2-3 hours at night). I am learning that the older I get, the more of an introvert I am, and therefore, the more exhausted I feel by being around people constantly. I am really needing some downtime, and I am thankful that today I will be able to have a little.

It was a while ago, but did anyone, by chance, hear about that story of the man who bought an individual sized bottle of Snapple or soda, and he thought there was a penis inside of it? He took it immediately to the police, and sure, enough, they removed this "thing" in the shape of a penis and sent it to the lab for testing before they started a serious criminal investigation looking for someone missing his "member". It turned out to be MOLD that grew into a phallic shape inside of the juice bottle. I can't find the link about it, but I was, for some wacky reason, thinking about it this morning, and thought I would share a little bizarre tale with you for some Monday entertainment.

Follicular Rejection

Here's a crazy story for my Friday blues...I am still nursing my wounds from yesterday about this one. Dan has a hairstylist friend who we have known for years. Since we are in the poorhouse, he offered to cut and color my hair for a deal, and so I went in for a consultation (at HIS suggestion, I might add at this point). We laughed, looked at hair pictures, and talked about what I had in mind. I did let him know that I was picky about my hair, but that everything he suggested sounded PERFECT and that we were on the same page. I let him know I would call him when I had the $$ to book the appointment and I went on my merry way with visions of luxurious sun-kissed locks in my mind absent of split ends after the past 3 months of hair neglect. A week goes by, and the "hairstylist" asks Dan if he has an extra ticket for a concert in late August. Dan suggests that he give him the ticket in exchange for him doing my hair. Well, he tells Dan, "I really don't want to do Rachel's hair. " What??? SO, I call him up to schedule my appointment and jokingly let him know I heard he didn't want to do my hair. He told me that he was serious and that he thought I was so particular that he would disappoint me and it would come between his friendship with Dan and that I would probably want him to redo it and that it would be a pain, etc... Now, this may all sound reasonable, but this is a person who has OFFERED countless times to do my hair, and who was on the same page as me when we met in his salon. I know this sounds extreme, but how dare I be rejected by a hairstylist! I would have paid him, I would have respected him, and I am sure it would have turned out great. I felt so rejected and hurt that I am embarrassed to admit I got a little teary when he told me he wouldn't do it.

But, I quickly nursed my rejected spirit and called the nearest salon and got a fabulous hair cut.
Still, something in me felt more hurt than normal. Since I lost a friendship this past year with another hair stylist that was unstable (for different reasons), I have decided that it is unwise to ever let "friends" do your hair. Hair should be a strict business transaction for me, because every time I have tried to mix hair and friends, I have come up empty.

So, $32 for a cut and a box of $3 hair color from Walgreens later, I am a new woman. I have decided not to let this follicular rejection get me down, but to pick my head up, shake out my hair, and carry on without a cosmetologist in my life.

(Yes, this above story is not meant to be taken completely seriously, but for the record I DO feel it is always unwise to mix hair and love)

Here are some things I learned this week that are important to share:

1) Javier likes Daniel Lanois, and so do I. He is fab. Acadie is a great CD for any who care.

2) I love dried strawberries. Try 'em.

3) Eli is amazing at Scrabble. He beat me by more than 50 points, and I actually TRIED.

4) God is re-invigorating something inside of me that has been dormant for a long time--that part of me that wants to stay "present" with what I may have to offer the world, and what other have to offer me. This includes, but is not limited to, writing, creating, and living a more "alive" existence. Vague, but still significant.

5) KP has the coolest web links I could ever imagine.

6) I am more sad about my parents divorce (which is in the works right now) than I previously thought. This was triggered by visiting my Dad's new townhouse in Colo Springs this week, and it was weird to see a "bachelor" pad for my Dad after only knowing him in the context of our family home for all of my 27 years.

7) There are so many movies I want to see right now that my mind is frenzied. Open Water, Manchurian Candidate, The Village, Collateral...with popcorn and a date, that should run me about $90. That is absurd. I could have gotten my hair done for the same or less, but instead, I think I will use that hair money to go see movies to take my mind off of my follicular rejection.

jib and jab

Okay, if you all still haven't checked out the movie "This Land" at jibjab.com you are missing out on a hilarious hit that is all the rave right now. And, I might add, before I saw it on the news, I posted it on my blog site. It is on CNN, Entertainment Weekly, all the local news stations....it is sweeping this politically crazed nation, I tell you! I like it even better because it was created by two brothers who run their business out of a warehouse in CA. They will be looking at a lot more business after all the buzz dies down from this craziness. If it doesn't at least get a chuckle out of you, then I don't know what will.

who knows what to title this mish mash

As I was folding laundry last night, I caught a few minutes of the TV show, "Last Comic Standing". I gotta tell you, it wasn't that funny. If we are now having competitions on TV where America votes for the funniest person, I need to nominate KP and Jimmy because they would win without even trying. Their observations on everyday life are far funnier than a contrived 7 minutes on NBC.

I wish I had something profound to write today, but I am prohibited because of my lack of sleep. As much as I love Eva and am thankful to have her, the child DOES NOT sleep. She is up at least 2-3 times a night, and her naps are usually one hour tops. What kind of a baby doesn't EVER fall asleep in the car? Knowing that I am a 8-10 hour a night person, at the least, this does not bode well for my energy levels and my sanity in general.

It does, however, make me want to eat these yummy cookies that I must share with you all after a few requests--these are from my dear friend Courtney, now residing in Omaha. I miss her more than I love the cookies, but the cookies are AMAZING. The recipe makes a TON and can always be halved. I usually freeze half the dough to make another batch when I feel like it.

The Famous Chocolate Cookies of Sin

2 cups butter
2 cups sugar
2 cups brown sugar
4 eggs
2 ts. vanilla
4 cups flour
5 cups oats--processed into a fine powder
(I use the Cuisinart for this)
1 ts. salt
2 ts. baking powder
2 ts. baking soda
24 oz. chocolate chips (I add less because I like them more dough-y)
1 8 oz. chocolate bar, melted

Cream butter and sugars.
Add eggs and vanilla.
Mix together with flour, oats, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
Add chips, and melted chocolate bar.

Bake at 375 degrees for 6 minutes. Yep. Only 6 minutes. They will look raw, but then they sort of congeal into this amazing yummyness that you have to experience for yourself.

Things I am thankful for today:

1) this most hilarious movie (you MUST cut and paste this URL to see what I mean as I have not figured out how to insert web links) which you will appreciate no matter what political side you lean towards

www.jibjab.com/?flash4=true

2) getting some freelance work with Chanel which will be extremely part time and great $$ for putting makeup on rich women

3) the best chocolate chip cookies ever baking in my oven right now (the secret is the melted ghiradelli bar that goes into the dough)--seriously, these are so good I am sure they are banned in some Christian communities for the reactions they evoke

4) Eva growling like a bear when she is happy with me

5) my bedroom ceiling fan that has helped me discover the joy of falling asleep with a breeze that isn't generated by the stale summer air

6) the fact that I have already thought of 5 previous thing to be happy about to get my mind off the 20 other things I feel crappy about--maybe I will make a "things that are lame in my life" list later, but right now, I need to go eat some chocolate chip cookies
6)