Wednesday, January 19, 2011

Huh?! Your Phone Number Isn’t Just the Number 2?


In a day and age where there are just SO many numbers to remember and so many combinations of passwords and usernames and accounts my brain has become fried.  Seriously, between work and home I have 5 different emails ALL with different usernames and passwords!  I have work computer logins and passwords, home computer logins and passwords, accounts, phone numbers, SSN, License number, birthdays, anniversaries, billing due dates….AAAACK!!!

So why am I mentioning this?  Because folks, I am admitting right here, right now….I have failed. 

What have I failed with?  Remembering people’s phone numbers.  *sigh*

This really bothers me.  I feel like that was a special connection I had to people when I knew their phone number.  I use to be SO good at remembering phone numbers and would remember everyone’s phone number.  When I got my first cell phone I had some numbers in there, but I would rather DIAL the number than go to the contact book and call from there.  When T & I first started dating, ok and even now, he had to constantly ask me what certain phone numbers where… even his own.  (T. is old-fashioned.  He doesn’t remember phone numbers he gets them out a phone book which is why we still have a landline.) 

But somewhere along the way, as my brain became infiltrated with a lot of this technological bullshit that is suppose to make our lives “easier”, I was forced to remember more numbers and usernames and passwords.  And because I seemed to be running out of usable brain space I had to take “shortcuts” where necessary so I didn’t forget anything and so I could instead continue to have room for yet another new stupid internet thing that I just had to sign up for online.  

And the big “shortcut” I took was not remembering people’s phone numbers anymore.

Seriously, do you want my old phone number growing up before I was a teenager….878-7728.  I am 30 and should NOT still remember that number, but it is in there just taking up space.  As well as are some other phone numbers that I really shouldn’t remember.  And I imagine I remember those numbers because I HAD to dial them….you know on the rotary phones.  There was no quick dialing.  But ask me what my sister’s phone number is…go ahead. Yeah, it is 3 Send. Yes I push the number THREE on my phone and push SEND! What?!  How can I NOT remember her number, she is my sister. I text her daily and call her frequently enough that I should know it.

I can remember my phone number growing up and my home number….but I have NO IDEA what many people’s phone numbers are.  You want to play a mean joke on me, then just switch up my phone number with different contacts.  I won’t know any difference until I call them. 

I mean I work with numbers daily and will off the top of my head know the matter number for a case (and we have thousands of cases) but I can’t remember my parents cell phone numbers! WHAT is up with that?!    

I am trying to make an effort to remember more phone numbers.  I currently remember the beginning of Kristen’s cell phone number, meaning the area code and the first 3 numbers but that is it.  And the worst part is that it just seems like the more I try to stuff in my head the more I forget.  For awhile I was letting the internet remember my passwords for certain accounts on my home computer…until one day I had to login on another computer and I had NO IDEA what my main email password was.  You know the one I check every day.  Yeah, I just forgot it.  So I now force myself to login to every account I have, even if it means logging in to it several times a day. 

I don’t know what the point is other than I think I am going crazy.  Seriously, I am losing my mind and becoming so forgetful.  We have become so reliant on making things “easier” for ourselves that it actually, in my opinion, has become harder.  We are forgetting the basic things and I think our minds are just going 100 miles an hour because we are just too stimulated by all this stuff to remember.

So right here right now, I am saying that I am going to make a conscious effort to actually LEARN my sisters & my parent’s cell phone numbers and actually dial their number the old fashioned way like I did on a rotary phone when I want to call them instead of just hitting a pre-programmed number and hitting send.  If that means forgetting other things, fine, but I just think there are some things that we shouldn’t allow technology make “easier” for us.



Wednesday, January 12, 2011

Monday, January 10, 2011

I Love – Hair Styling Tools Edition

So before the Holidays I bought this little gem, the Bed Head Wave Artist styling tool.


I have to say I looooove it!  It is not too often I get to talk about beauty/hair products I enjoy as I hardly wear makeup and wear my hair up 98% of the time.  So needless to say I was excited to share this!

I love the "wave" look.  I love the messy, I just got out of bed and am not even trying waves.  The ever so subtle, barely there waves. The very much there pageant queen waves.  And my favorite, the hair up in a wild bun with hair all over the place crazy waves. Yep, I love the look.  I do have naturally wavy hair, however my hair can very easily go from cute to frizzy in about 10 seconds even getting anywhere near a window or the outside.  And if I add product then I just have crunchy 80's hair.

But no more....not with this product!  In just a few minutes I can create as defined or as subtle waves as I would like.  See, this is me experimenting the first day I got it.

Full on view....




Getting closer....



...and closer.



This is even me right after I woke up the next morning and I did nothing to my hair (I promise)!  Love it.


 I have even been messing around with styles and sometimes just do a few strands here and there for just a couple seconds to give a little body as well as some cute and casual "updos".  (No pictures...sorry)

Now I used this on my sister's hair who has finer hair than mine. (Mine is thick) And while on my hair I got very distinct curls quickly (holding for the count of 5) like in the top pictures, I had to hold the iron alot longer to get a more distinct curl for her.  And even then it was a slightly looser curl....kind of like the picture when I just woke up.  So basically, if your hair holds curl well or has natural curl...beware as just a few seconds is all you need (don't want to look like a puff ball!) and for people with finer hair that may not hold curl as well, you will typically get a loser wave.

However, I must say for me.....I looooove this product and highly recommend it for anyone who likes that wave look and wants it done easily and quickly!  It is $30 and you can find it at Amazon, Meijer, Target and Wal-Mart.

Also, before I ever curl my hair I use Silk Elements Megasilk Olive Heat Protection Spray from Sally Beauty. LOVE this stuff and just a little bit works wonders in protecting your hair from heat damage. It is about $7 a bottle.

So if you want hair with waves get the Bed Head Wave Artist!

Pros: Heats up fast. Made of ceramic to help control frizz (which it does very well). Easy to use. Curls quickly.

Cons: No where to really hold the product while you are squeezing it shut. Large.

Sunday, January 09, 2011

Photo Challenge: Day 05 & 06

My apologies for being away from blogging, but I hope everyone had a wonderful and very happy Christmas and New Year. 2011, already?! WHAT?!


Incase you forgot as it has been awhile, I was blogging the photo challenge I found on other blogs.  It really is no longer much of a challenge as slow as I am at completing it, but I hope you enjoy nevertheless!


Day 05: A photo that makes you laugh.

In college I completed my internship at a resort on St. Pete Beach in Florida. It was over the summer and it had its perks but overall was very hard and alot of 14 hour days 6 days a week in the heat and of course Florida rain and humidity.  During the summer we worked in different areas of the kids club at the resort.  The best was when I got to dress up as the resorts mascot.  If parents requested I would tuck their kids in at night and give them a little Beaker Doll (the birds name). That was the best.  I may or may not have jumped on the bed once and got the kids all wound up instead of tucking them in....oops, my bad :)

During my turn as Beaker I would also walk around for 45 minutes or so through the resort and take pictures with the kids and make them laugh. I really loved doing that and seeing the expression on the kids faces....even though I was in a costume that stunk, was never cleaned, and that was so hot because you could hardly breathe and it was the summer in freak'n Florida!!  But it really made me smile EVERY time I wore it for the kids.  I had more pictures, including one with my dad that I can not find right now....but these will do.  The first is me after a kids tuck back at the hotel room I stayed in and the second is me posing with one of the other interns during our walk through the resort.  These make me laugh every time.









Day 06: A photo of someone you love.

There are many many people I love, most importantly my family. However, I love my husband for just being himself and being there for me through everything.  Yes things get hard and frustrating at times, marriage isn't easy.  But I can't imagine being on this journey with anyone else. 

This is the man I married and I LOVE him exactly how he is!



(P.S. He never takes a serious picture....yes he was making this face on purpose.)

Tuesday, January 04, 2011

Guess Who Is Blogging Again?!?! (Hint: She is Nearly As Awesome As I Am)

MY SISTER IS BLOGGING AGAIN!!!  YAY!

Yep, she has put down her calculator & math books, tossed aside her D&D dice, and dusted off her keyboard so that after 9 months she can once again share her insight and wit with us on the interweb!

Now she does have a new blog as I suppose it is a new start for her.  Her new blog is called Facing Forward(Link in post and on sidebar) Please read her blog as she is funny, talented, charming, good looking, awesome....basically everything I am but just a smidgen less.  It isn't her fault, she is just the younger sister so can't be AS awesome as I am.

So check out her blog!  She promised that this is not a temporary thing and that she won't be a blog tease again.