Okay, I've gathered the supplies. Tonight is manicure night. With our pending move to Seattle, I can't go get a manicure (yes, even manicurists like to get manicures), so I'm doing it myself at home. It's a nice way to feel and see results quickly.

Polish remover
Cotton balls
Emery board
Nail Clippers
Small bowl
moisturizing liquid soap
Cuticle oil
Polish
Orangewood stick

Fill bowl halfway with warm to hot soapy water. It will have cooled by the time you're ready to use it.
Use cotton balls to remove any polish from nails.
Clip nails and gently file with emery board. The key word here is gently. Most people make the mistake of being too rough. If you clip the nail close enough to the shape you want, little filing is needed. And, yes, you should only file in 1 direction.
Use orangewood stick to gently push back your cuticles.
Place hands in bowl for about 10 minutes.
Remove hands, dry thoroughly.
Apply polish. Clear only, no worries about chips or peeling for me this week.

Become engrossed in John Grisham's A Painted House

I miss taking care of me. I fell into the typical female stereotype, when things get hectic in the family, I started worrying about everyone else being taken care of and forgot about me.
I miss long, steamy showers. Scented shower gel, sweet smelling lotion, lazy hours in bed with a good book. I'm taking me back, starting today....

I love my husband. I do, but after 4 years you would think I know better. Don't tell him I want to do something, especially if it involves working out because he will hound me until I do it, just to shut him up. I told him that I wanted to flatten my stomach (or as much as humanly possible) and we've been putting off doing it because first he was sick, then my daughter, then me, then my daughter again, but last night no one was sick, so guess what? Mrs Ebony was doing sit ups last night instead of watching Def Poetry. And of course this morning I hear that Smokey Robinson did a piece. S**t!

Saturday Scruples

A good friend confesses he's HIV positive. He's terrified to tell his spouse. Do you?
No. I don't get in the middle of marriages. I would do everything in my power to encourage my friend to tell his spouse, including threatening to tell, but I never would.

You need one number to win the jackpot at BINGO. The stranger beside you also needs one number and its been called. Do you tell her?
Heck no, the b**ch should have been paying attention. Karma's no joke, but I'll deal with the consequences later. The money is mine!!!

The taxi driver you get at 2 a.m. is drunk and driving recklessly. After he gets you home shaken but in one piece, do you report him?
In a New York second. As soon as I realized he was drunk I would have asked him to pull over. I have a friend who lost his mother to a drunk driver, the devastation to the family of the victim and driver is immense and I want no part of it.

Weekly Wrap Up

1. What is the earliest crush you can remember having? Who was it? How old were you? And what did you do about it?
I had a crush on Ray-Ray when I was about 5 or 6. I kissed him when we were playing hide-and-seek.

2. What celebrity did you obsess over as a teenager? How did your tastes change, if at all, during your teenage years?
You could not tell me I wasn't going to be Mrs. John Taylor and travel with Duran Duran. My tastes have pretty much stayed the same. All I ever wanted was a GOOD MAN.

3. What kind of crushes (i.e., real people vs celebrities) do you have now? Are they fleeting or long-lasting? How?
I really don't have crushes. I can recognize a beautiful face, but do I have long drawn out daydreams like I did as a kid? No. I don't think about being Mrs. Tyson Beckford. I like who I am now.

4. What would you do now if you were face to face with your #1 crush from childhood or teenage years?
Ask for their autograph after introducing them to my family.

5. Who is your #1 crush today? Why?
My husband because he is that GOOD MAN I was searching for.

It sucks not having a computer at home anymore. That will be my first order of business when we get settled. It's nice that the library offers free access, but try to get there when they aren't all being hogged up. By the time my name comes up, my 17-month old is too worked up to let me sit down and do anything. So postings are still going to be few and far between.
My husband (I'm amazed at how quickly I got used to saying that) and I are planning a move to Seattle next month. Anyone know anything of use about that fair city? I really want to go to New Mexico, but it's looking like we will have a better chance in Seattle.

TGIFF (Thank God it's F---ing Friday!)

1. What housekeeping chore(s) do you hate doing the most?
I really don't hate to do any cleaning chore, but I'd kiss a cow if it meant I didn't have to cook.

2. Are there any that you like or don't mind doing?
I actually like doing laundry. The smell of nice clean clothes is intoxicating.

3. Do you have a routine throughout the week or just clean as it's needed?
I like to think that I have a routine, but why lie?

4. Do you have any odd cleaning/housekeeping quirks or rules?
I hate when things aren't put back in the fridge where they belong. The milk should be on the top shelf, condiments on the door, etc. I mean, who wants to search for food in the middle of the night? Oh, and the toilet paper should be placed so it releases over, not under, thankyouverymuch.

5. What was the last thing you cleaned?
My car. Dear God, with 2 small children, it's nearly a daily chore.

Oh my goodness, I can't believe I did it! D and I went and got married yesterday, can you believe that? We've talked about it a million times over the past couple of years, but I never thought we'd actually go and do it. But that's just what we did. I am a married woman. At 32, I just believed that I would be single the rest of my life, but I guess not. I don't even know what to say. It's like a shock that hasn't quite set in yet. I'm happy. He makes me happy. He's good to my kids. I'm a lucky lady to be married to the person I've called my best friend for the past 4 years.