Whack-A-Mole

To follow up on the nice words I said about my mom yesterday, this post is an ode to a dear friend I had to say goodbye to this week. Saying goodbye is hard, especially when something has been with you for your entire life. 

This dear friend has been with me through everything. Seen my worst, my very worst. Literally. My. Worst. It knew my secrets, my fears, my loves and more than maybe I even knew.

Okay, sorry to lead you on with this confession. This "friend" was actually a huge unsightly mole that I have hated, despised, stressed about and thought about most every day of my adult life. It was removed Monday at a routine annual skin check with my new Dermatologist. However, I really really hope that one or several of you aren't reading this paragraph and you comment something sympathetically about me saying goodbye to a friend. That would be what I call a great success. Ending this paragraph with one more sentence so that my wish isn't revealed to those who skim, mwahaha evil laugh. 

Hold out your pinky. Pretend that a mole the size of your pinky finger nail-to-tip, yes including the entire width of your finger, really the WHOLE thing, was somewhere on your body. Only your parents, doctors and most but not all lovers have seen this mole. Unavoidable, and you really have no idea if it's been named before or not. Chances are yes.

I never named it. 

I've gone from avoiding showing doctors, asking doctors for opinions, scheduling surgery and chickening out to finally asking a sweet woman who I just met remove this mole. In ten minutes she drew on it, numbed it, removed it, burned it and bandaged the remaining wound. Oh, and she was the sweetest woman to say "nice you meet you" on her way out of the office, hopefully not to dinner plans that I'd made her queasy over with my unannounced request.

For the next few weeks it will be covered with an eclectic collection of Angry Bird band-aids (Alissa at Graceless Lady, I am pretty sure these were meant for you and I was the worst and never sent them. Check your gmail for "bandaid" if you don't recall) and will be closely taken care because now I don't have to ever feel embarrassed about it ever again. 

It looks so good that I wish I could share my transformation with the world. But I won't. 

I will share that I celebrated "whack-a-mole" with a dinner of chips + salsa + guacamole.

At least I'm funny, right?

Are you confessing with Melissa today?

Hair and More

This weekend I skipped a Derby party so that I could get my hair cut. 

This is not a post about my avoidance of social gatherings, but rather my blatant avoidance of things that I should do, but don't. Social gathering avoidance is a different topic altogether and shouldn't be taken so lightly. Really it comes down to the ever important debate of pants or no pants. No pants will always win. 

So this haircut, it wasn't just any haircut. It was a last-minute holy-grail same day hair cut. This was a haircut and hair coloring that hadn't been done for 33 weeks according to the last instagram "new hair!" selfie. One I'd avoided scheduling because history shows that the minute I schedule any appointment for my hair I become emotionally obsessive about everything that's wrong about it. For the 2-4 weeks I have to wait post-schedule, there's nothing that can ever go right with my style, it takes too long to dry, it's too light, too dry, too something.

Oh, and way too many split ends to get distracted by. There's always another.

This made me think about other errands and "things" I'm currently putting off because I'm lazy or something.

:: Fold the socks that have been occupying my pool table for longer than I care to admit.

:: Actually donate the clothes I long ago sorted into the "donate" piles.

:: Restore clothes with holes and missing buttons that prevent me from wearing them.

:: Pick up my undergraduate degree paperwork from college (Graduated in 2009).

:: Update my resume and cover letter.

:: Find, organize and use outstanding gift cards. Free money.

:: Understand how my DSLR remote works (and use it). Currently wasted money.

:: Om at Home more often (thanks, Alyssa)

Oh yeah, here's my hair since this is the only after-salon shot I was able to get before getting sweaty. Sweaty was either from a workout or a crazy sunny day in Portland, you decide!

Pardon the obvious snapchat AND the obvious car-selfie.

Are you confessing today with Melissa?

The Reading Confession

I may have stirred up a bit of controversy yesterday with my comment about how "I don't read novels" and then how I'd never read any of the books Alyssa noted as must-reads. Also not knowing anything about Jodi Picoult or how to spell her name put some negative points in the Jessi-is-awesome column.

Nobody shamed me but they'd love for me to see the light in the stories that are out there that can change a life. I had a serious heart-to-heart with Alyssa, followed by Kristen's heart breaking over the facts. I felt like it was finally time to share...

I can't read.

Just kidding, haha. Somehow it's still in my head that confessions are synonymous with April Fools. I play.

But really, I can read despite the way I often misuse grammar/punctuation. It's not that I don't like reading. I really enjoy reading! It's a way to step out of the present and into the lives of the characters. It's a way to decompress. It's a cuddly way to spend cozy time in the winter. It's a peaceful way to spend sunny time in the summer. I understand all of the wonderful things about reading, I do.

It's just that I don't make time to read stories.

Like I said yesterday, my interests gravitate more toward self-help books, like any of the following titles I've purchased on Amazon in the last 4 months:

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People

The SPEED of Trust

The Willpower Instinct

The Power of Habit

I do want to make time to read stories, the ones that will make me feel or think or understand. The ones that I can find myself within or the ones that are just as intriguing because I'm unable to find myself in them.

This is why I was so ecstatic and so public about joining Plucky's book club. It really is a huge accomplishment for me to read a ~300 page story in the course of a month. It takes dedication and willpower and wantpower!

The last story I read was Eleanor & Park in March with a few other lovely blogger ladies, and I really enjoyed it!

Before Eleanor & Park, it's unfortunate to say that the last novel I read was either The Hunger Games or - don't hate me, Melissa - Fifty Shades (#2, because I didn't finish #3), neither within the last year. Likely back in 2013 when I'd read a book while a former love interest of mine would play video games. 

You'd think that with all the cross-country flights I've been on - especially in the middle seat - that I'd have a bit more reading under my belt but somehow I've passed that time with internet browsing, napping or scrolling through the 2,000 photos on my camera roll. Productive? Never. Entertaining? Always. 

Next up for Plucky's book club is The Opposite of Loneliness, but I guess there are a few other books out there that will strike my fancy? 

Oh, remember that time I faked you out that I was getting a puppy? Sorry if you missed it but that was an epic April Fools prank! 

What are you confessing with Melissa today?

An Exciting Confession!

I can't believe how suddenly this came up or how flipping cool it happens to be on Confessions Day, but I have some crazy exciting news I'm bursting with joy to share with you!

Do you remember when I shared this article stating the 11 obvious reasons you need to get a puppy now? How they snuggle you and cuddle you and make you feel so much better? How they're your best friend and you are theirs? 

Well, this past weekend I got the chance to watch my silly golden sisters. They are so wonderful and they bring so much joy to my world. They're the best sisters I could have ever asked for and they made me feel all of those wonderful psychological benefits of being around happy puppies that show love and affection and fill your tank to the fullest.

After hanging out with them all weekend, it made me really impulsively want a puppy of my own to be best friends with. I wouldn't say I'm an impulsive person, but sometimes you just have to listen to what your soul is telling you. 

So, impulsive me wants to introduce you to sweet, playful, silly and shy Betty! 

This six-month-old chocolate lab lives at the Oregon Humane Society and she was looking for a nice home. I said "was" because Monday after Easter she's coming home with me! (heart eyed emoji for days and days and years!!)

Doesn't she look like such a sweetheart? We met Monday and she's already 55 lbs so I may have a large lady on my hands in about a year. Do you think her name should stay "Betty"? I actually like it! 

I can't wait to get her home and get used to all of the sights and smells of my house, then love her forever and ever like she deserves! Oh, and get her into some puppy training and obviously introduce her to my golden sisters! 

What are you guys confessing today?

Linking up with Melissa as always!

(April Fools!!! Somebody Adopt her, please!)