I had another PET scan last week. By now, they're routine and are meant to help us catch any early developing problems. Generally I don't even think about them, because I expect everything to be fine. This past week, however, I had a feeling that something was off.
I met with Dr. Knechtl yesterday and explained that my scan looked great, except for my throat/thyroid area. It was lighting up a little bit, which means that there is some activity going on there that shouldn't be. He asked if I had any history of thyroid problems, and when I relayed that my mom has hypothyroidism, I was sent downstairs to the lab to have more blood drawn, then be on my merry way.
Now, I'm not the type to ask a million questions--if it's supposed to be, it will be--but when I told my husband about the scan results, he had several. What's are my t3 and t4 levels? What about my TSH? Did they check for a tumor marker?
Uhhh...... ?
All I know is that I had to get more blood drawn, and instead of the usual purple and yellow tubes, this time they used red.
Shouldn't that be enough information, babe?
No.
No? You did take phlebotomy, didn't you? Isn't the tube color enough for you to know what's going on?
Ashley! No!
Then he shakes his head and starts to laugh. Although we're still newlyweds in a lot of areas, discussing our medical issues is something we're really great at. He asks questions; I say "I don't know." I call whichever physician I'm working with, put them on speakerphone and spend a minute or two relaying questions and answers back and forth between the two of them, eventually get tired of pretending like I know what they're talking about and hand the phone to Isaac, then spend the remainder of the phone conversation trying to detect any facial expression changes on him.
This morning, we're at the point in this process where I've called the physician but was transferred to the lab nurse, who read me my results, but couldn't answer any of his other questions. I think her and I were getting extremely confused between Isaac's questions and my translations of them.
It sounds like I've got hypothyroidism. Which is NOT the worst thing in the world. I have to take drugs for the rest of my life (thanks, Mom) but at least it's an easy fix.
Best of all, it doesn't involve chemotherapy.
Hallelujah!!!
Dec 12, 2012
Sep 30, 2012
Bride Two
Last time I wrote, it the story of two brides. I liked one; I was complaining about the other.
Yesterday was the wedding of bride number two, and I have to say, I actually had quite a bit of fun. I don't have a clue what the girls had or hadn't been told, but every single one of them was a blast. As the outsider looking into their ring of friendship, it was easy to see that not only had they been together for quite some time, but that they cared deeply about each other. Everyone was relaxed and nobody was uptight about anything.
Actually, they were thrilled with the results we delivered for hair, and I had a couple of ladies ask for my card for future reference. One of the ladies, we'll call her Shar, was so excited about her hair she almost started crying. She's got unusually thin hair, and in the past, almost every hairstylist has made it look like she's balding. I put my best efforts forth to make sure she looked like she had gobs of hair, and was rewarded with a big hug and a smiling, super-giddy, newly-pregnant woman for the rest of the morning.
Yesterday was the wedding of bride number two, and I have to say, I actually had quite a bit of fun. I don't have a clue what the girls had or hadn't been told, but every single one of them was a blast. As the outsider looking into their ring of friendship, it was easy to see that not only had they been together for quite some time, but that they cared deeply about each other. Everyone was relaxed and nobody was uptight about anything.
Actually, they were thrilled with the results we delivered for hair, and I had a couple of ladies ask for my card for future reference. One of the ladies, we'll call her Shar, was so excited about her hair she almost started crying. She's got unusually thin hair, and in the past, almost every hairstylist has made it look like she's balding. I put my best efforts forth to make sure she looked like she had gobs of hair, and was rewarded with a big hug and a smiling, super-giddy, newly-pregnant woman for the rest of the morning.
 |
| Smiling Shar! |
 | ||||||||
| The back of her undo that she was SO excited about.
The whole while I was doing everyone's hair, I couldn't believe that I had been so stuck on the prices. I mean, yes, I have skill, but is it worth getting upset over a difference of $100? No. At least, it shouldn't be. I feel ashamed I reacted the way I did. The more I digest it, I think I was more shocked and surprised because it came up last minute.... I'd already had my mind set that things were going to go a certain way, blah, blah blah. Apparently I don't deal well with last second changes.
The upside is, now I know this about myself, and next time it happens, I can just have a little pep talk with myself before letting it rock my boat. Plus, now I know what changes I need to make to my system to make sure things like this don't happen again.
Everything turned out beautifully and I'm really happy that it ended up working for me to do their hair for the wedding. Here's a few pictures!
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Sep 25, 2012
What I'm "Worth"
I've had the chance to work with the Detroit Glam Squad as a hairstylist now for a few months. I love it!! The girls I work with are amazing artists in their own right, and it's a lot of fun to share a creative vision with someone and then execute it.
This past week I've had the opportunity to work with two brides. And WOW--I don't think they could be any more different!!
The first bride was a joy! She was a little indecisive at times, but whenever dealing with a bride, you expect that. They want their big day to be perfect. We had the opportunity to do hair and makeup for her, her mother, and her entire bridal party. They were a blast! Everyone was upbeat, positive, trying to make sure that everything went perfect for the bride, and extremely appreciative of our skills so that they too, could look awesome on the bride's big day. I'd do these ladies again in a heartbeat!
Bride number two has been a different story. She's been all but non-responsive until the last minute for absolutely everything. I'd sent an email three days prior to confirm the trial date and didn't get a response until FOUR HOURS before the trial was supposed to happen. Then, after the trial, there was a dispute about prices. Mind you, I sent the bride a copy of our contract about three weeks in advance. Over a month before that, I gave it to one of her bridesmaids, who was the original contact.
Apparently nobody read it.
We charge $65 for bridesmaids, $75 for the bride. I did research before setting these prices because I wanted to be competitive and fair. These costs match what people in this area pay to get their hair done in a salon--except if you hire us, we travel to you.
Turns out the bride was given slightly lower prices originally. She'd been told $50 for bridesmaids, $65 for the bride. No big deal, I can work with it. Because she'd had my contract for about three weeks and didn't bring the discrepancies to my attention until the day of the trial, I did feel she was trying to bully me into lower prices, but I wasn't going to abandon her because of it.
It gets better... Alongside both sets of the prices, we offered a 15% discount due to her party size. Somehow, the math was done wrong and she'd told her bridesmaids we were charging $33 post-discount.
Let me see.... $50 x .85 = $42.50.
Maybe it was $50 x .15? Nope. That's $7.50
Did she do $50 - $15? Hmm... still comes to $35....
Uhhhh........ I have no idea how it got to $33.
So now I've got a non-appreciative, cheap bride who wants me to work for LITERALLY half price because of her mathematical error. I explained that I'd have to have her sign the contract at full price, because that's what we charge, but I would talk to the girl who originally gave her those prices and if there was a reason behind it, we might honor them. She signed, wrote a check for the deposit, and I headed home.
When I called back later that day to explain the pricing options that I could let her pick from (NOT $33), she told me that she's not sure everyone is still going to want their hair done and that the number of people in the party may shrink due to the price.
Excuse me? You JUST signed a contract. Did you not read ANY of it? There's a number of things that you should have paid attention to, but the biggest would be this one:
I'm frustrated and I feel bad that she's gotten herself in this predicament, but I'm pretty sure it's not my fault.
This past week I've had the opportunity to work with two brides. And WOW--I don't think they could be any more different!!
The first bride was a joy! She was a little indecisive at times, but whenever dealing with a bride, you expect that. They want their big day to be perfect. We had the opportunity to do hair and makeup for her, her mother, and her entire bridal party. They were a blast! Everyone was upbeat, positive, trying to make sure that everything went perfect for the bride, and extremely appreciative of our skills so that they too, could look awesome on the bride's big day. I'd do these ladies again in a heartbeat!
Bride number two has been a different story. She's been all but non-responsive until the last minute for absolutely everything. I'd sent an email three days prior to confirm the trial date and didn't get a response until FOUR HOURS before the trial was supposed to happen. Then, after the trial, there was a dispute about prices. Mind you, I sent the bride a copy of our contract about three weeks in advance. Over a month before that, I gave it to one of her bridesmaids, who was the original contact.
Apparently nobody read it.
We charge $65 for bridesmaids, $75 for the bride. I did research before setting these prices because I wanted to be competitive and fair. These costs match what people in this area pay to get their hair done in a salon--except if you hire us, we travel to you.
Turns out the bride was given slightly lower prices originally. She'd been told $50 for bridesmaids, $65 for the bride. No big deal, I can work with it. Because she'd had my contract for about three weeks and didn't bring the discrepancies to my attention until the day of the trial, I did feel she was trying to bully me into lower prices, but I wasn't going to abandon her because of it.
It gets better... Alongside both sets of the prices, we offered a 15% discount due to her party size. Somehow, the math was done wrong and she'd told her bridesmaids we were charging $33 post-discount.
Let me see.... $50 x .85 = $42.50.
Maybe it was $50 x .15? Nope. That's $7.50
Did she do $50 - $15? Hmm... still comes to $35....
Uhhhh........ I have no idea how it got to $33.
So now I've got a non-appreciative, cheap bride who wants me to work for LITERALLY half price because of her mathematical error. I explained that I'd have to have her sign the contract at full price, because that's what we charge, but I would talk to the girl who originally gave her those prices and if there was a reason behind it, we might honor them. She signed, wrote a check for the deposit, and I headed home.
When I called back later that day to explain the pricing options that I could let her pick from (NOT $33), she told me that she's not sure everyone is still going to want their hair done and that the number of people in the party may shrink due to the price.
Excuse me? You JUST signed a contract. Did you not read ANY of it? There's a number of things that you should have paid attention to, but the biggest would be this one:
- You are liable for the full amount on the contract, once signed. (The only time this would be swayed is if we feel we've messed something up and want to make amends by lowering prices. I was clear in saying that we MIGHT lower them. Not that we would.)
Did I mention that this is a party of 11, and that both myself and the assistant I've hired are taking a Saturday off at Nordstrom (which is frowned on because it's retail) to do this wedding? Did I mention that I'm paying the assistant? Did I mention it's 45 minutes away? Did I mention the bride's disorganization/non-responsiveness has been a pain in the butt? Did I mention she wants me to stay for an additional two hours so that I can give her a second undo before the reception? (Which I had agreed to do for free before the price conversation came about)
I'm frustrated and I feel bad that she's gotten herself in this predicament, but I'm pretty sure it's not my fault.
Sep 20, 2012
"Encouragement"
Truth be told, I think I've gotten lazy. Either that, or there is no definitive end to when my body will be "recovered" from chemotherapy. Some days I think it's a mix of both.
Regardless, I'd like to try and push myself out of this rut that I'm in.
There are a lot of days where all I want to do is the bare minimum--which is NOT my style. I'm usually at the front of the pack, trying to accomplish far more than has been asked of me. I've been an over-achiever since birth. And yet I find myself extremely un-motivated to do anything. To get involved with anything (or anyone). To go to work. To hit the gym. To clean. To do laundry. To cook. To do anything at all. I feel like I'm living on repeat from day to day.
I was talking with Lindsey the other day and we were discussing how we both really want to put more effort into getting back into shape. So we're trying to figure out how to motivate each other--even with over 700 miles in between us. We exchanged lists of what resources we have access to, and then based on the list, we created challenges for each other.
Her challenge to me was this:
Regardless, I'd like to try and push myself out of this rut that I'm in.
There are a lot of days where all I want to do is the bare minimum--which is NOT my style. I'm usually at the front of the pack, trying to accomplish far more than has been asked of me. I've been an over-achiever since birth. And yet I find myself extremely un-motivated to do anything. To get involved with anything (or anyone). To go to work. To hit the gym. To clean. To do laundry. To cook. To do anything at all. I feel like I'm living on repeat from day to day.
I was talking with Lindsey the other day and we were discussing how we both really want to put more effort into getting back into shape. So we're trying to figure out how to motivate each other--even with over 700 miles in between us. We exchanged lists of what resources we have access to, and then based on the list, we created challenges for each other.
Her challenge to me was this:
- Work out at least 3 days a week.
- 45 minutes of cardio
- 2 sets of: jumping jacks, full-body planks, mountain climbers, squats, crunches, and flys.
Easy, right?
Not so much. I'd be dying from the cardio session if it weren't for the fact that I just finally got the a-okay from my ENT to swim. For months, I've been waiting for my ear tube (from my previous ear problem) to fall out, and it's finally gone! I can't walk uphill for 45 minutes without heaving like a sick horse, but I can swim like a fish for a long time, no problem.
Oddly enough, the loudest voice in my head encouraging me to finish these challenges successfully isn't my own. It's Travis Pierce.
Travis is a friend of mine from back home. We both attended Surefire Boot Camp for several months, and when we attended class at the same time, he was usually the person that I would try to beat out. Sometimes I did, and sometimes he cheated.... and occasionally, he would beat me honestly. No matter where we were in the workout though, I could count on Travis to trash talk encourage me.
Now, whenever I need motivation at the gym, even though I'm hundreds of miles away, one of the first things that comes to mind is Travis, saying, "C'MON BREKKE!! IS THAT ALL YOU GOT??" So I push harder and fight longer. The memory of him taunting encouraging me helps me keep going.
And although it will be quite some time before Travis and I can go head to head again at Surefire, when that day comes, I need to be ready.
Because I don't like to be the cheater.
Because I don't like to be the cheater.
So bring it on Travis.
See you "soon."
Sep 13, 2012
Anna
This past weekend I was working at Nordstrom, like usual. I had made a bunch of really cute foundation samples and was handing them out in the aisles when my manager pulled me to the floor and asked me to help a customer who was searching for a good foundation.
Of course, I happily took on the task, since matching people in foundations is one of my favorite things to do--right up there beside giving people complete makeovers. There is an artistic aspect to doing this that requires a keen eye for color, and my eye seems to have developed quite well in that area.
My customer's name was Anna. I've helped her find a mascara before, but hadn't ever had a chance to sit down and talk with her for more than a couple of minutes.
Anna is a beautiful Philippino woman. Her natural hair color is a soft charcoal that fades in the popular ombre style toward a mid-level caramel brown on the ends. It lands a little past her shoulders and I've noticed she likes to wear it curled in a wave. Her eyes are a deep brown that glint gold when the light hits them, and you can tell by their shape that she smiles quite a bit. Her skin has a strong gold tone with very few imperfections, which I found amazing once I learned about the last few years of her life. Most people wear their stress on their face.
Before you start thinking I'm a creeper, know that these are the things I pay attention to when I'm searching for what color to use on people. I can tell you these details about almost any person that I've put foundation on. I'd probably also be able to recall the depth of color and thickness of their brows, if they had any distinguishing marks on their face, and if they had strong cheekbones or not.
Somehow we got on the topic of cancer. I think she thought I'd noticed her scar on her neck. Being someone who has a scar from cancer, I can tell you that sometimes I'm self-conscious of it and sometimes I think people notice it. Oddly enough, though, I don't usually recognize them on others. I mean, I'll notice them, but my mind doesn't stop and think, "This person has a scar. I wonder what it's from?" I guess I my assumption is that everyone is scarred, but only some of us have them on the outside whereas others carry them only on the inside.
Turns out she's had thyroid cancer. She was diagnosed a few years ago and has been through several surgeries and multiple rounds of radiation. Her journey has been long and difficult. During one of her surgeries, one of her laryngeal nerves was clipped, and consequently, her right vocal cord is now permanently paralyzed. Did I mention she's a professional singer?
At one point, she was completely unable to speak, or even whisper. In her book, My Lipstick Journey Through Cancer, she talks about how she had to grieve the possibility of not being able to sing again. Possibly ever. However, she's been in therapy for quite some time now, working on restoring strength to her working vocal cord so she can continue singing.
Every time she's visited the cosmetic counters at Nordstrom, Anna is always smiling. Always. I was thinking about it while reading her book, and I hope that I have a positive effect on people like she does. I hope that I am a little ray of sunshine for people who meet me on a daily basis, that I smile, and that people feel a little more cared for and respected because they met me.
***Update, 3/16/13: Anna isn't doing so well now. It is believed that the cancer is coming back and has spread to different areas, but she has no insurance to pay for a PET scan that would reveal more.***
Of course, I happily took on the task, since matching people in foundations is one of my favorite things to do--right up there beside giving people complete makeovers. There is an artistic aspect to doing this that requires a keen eye for color, and my eye seems to have developed quite well in that area.
My customer's name was Anna. I've helped her find a mascara before, but hadn't ever had a chance to sit down and talk with her for more than a couple of minutes.
Anna is a beautiful Philippino woman. Her natural hair color is a soft charcoal that fades in the popular ombre style toward a mid-level caramel brown on the ends. It lands a little past her shoulders and I've noticed she likes to wear it curled in a wave. Her eyes are a deep brown that glint gold when the light hits them, and you can tell by their shape that she smiles quite a bit. Her skin has a strong gold tone with very few imperfections, which I found amazing once I learned about the last few years of her life. Most people wear their stress on their face.
Before you start thinking I'm a creeper, know that these are the things I pay attention to when I'm searching for what color to use on people. I can tell you these details about almost any person that I've put foundation on. I'd probably also be able to recall the depth of color and thickness of their brows, if they had any distinguishing marks on their face, and if they had strong cheekbones or not.
Somehow we got on the topic of cancer. I think she thought I'd noticed her scar on her neck. Being someone who has a scar from cancer, I can tell you that sometimes I'm self-conscious of it and sometimes I think people notice it. Oddly enough, though, I don't usually recognize them on others. I mean, I'll notice them, but my mind doesn't stop and think, "This person has a scar. I wonder what it's from?" I guess I my assumption is that everyone is scarred, but only some of us have them on the outside whereas others carry them only on the inside.
Turns out she's had thyroid cancer. She was diagnosed a few years ago and has been through several surgeries and multiple rounds of radiation. Her journey has been long and difficult. During one of her surgeries, one of her laryngeal nerves was clipped, and consequently, her right vocal cord is now permanently paralyzed. Did I mention she's a professional singer?
At one point, she was completely unable to speak, or even whisper. In her book, My Lipstick Journey Through Cancer, she talks about how she had to grieve the possibility of not being able to sing again. Possibly ever. However, she's been in therapy for quite some time now, working on restoring strength to her working vocal cord so she can continue singing.
Every time she's visited the cosmetic counters at Nordstrom, Anna is always smiling. Always. I was thinking about it while reading her book, and I hope that I have a positive effect on people like she does. I hope that I am a little ray of sunshine for people who meet me on a daily basis, that I smile, and that people feel a little more cared for and respected because they met me.
***Update, 3/16/13: Anna isn't doing so well now. It is believed that the cancer is coming back and has spread to different areas, but she has no insurance to pay for a PET scan that would reveal more.***
Jul 16, 2012
A Collection of Thoughts
Not a whole lot has been happening with us. Isaac started his rotations in-hospital about two weeks ago and it's been fun to see him finally have the chance to show what he's been learning for the last two years! I noticed on Facebook tonight that quite a few of his classmates have posted that they passed their boards, so I'm dying to know if he's gotten any word on his score yet. Tonight is his first "day" of night rotations; these will last all week long.
As much as I hate to share the bed, because I'm squished between him and the wall, I hate his absence even more.
I finished reading the Hunger Games series today. That deserves an entire blog of its own.
I will say this: while reading, it was extremely hard to ignore the blaring parallels between the "games" that the Capitol put on and our modern-day entertainment. Except we don't physically kill children. We psychologically abuse people. Pit them against each other to see who will come out as "winner." Set them up for public embarrassment, chop and edit their own words and actions, broadcasting the polished, tainted version on our screens until lies become so intertwined with truth that even those who were present in the moment cannot distinguish what is real and what is not.
And then there's our obnoxious amounts of excess and our concern over trivial things, like Capitol residents. Panem et circenses.
The understanding has always been there, but I feel I see it clearer now, working in a high-end department store. Today I "helped" a client who came in and spent over $1500 (yes, one THOUSAND, FIVE HUNDRED). And she plans to come back later in the week to shop for more, because the money spent today was focused between her three children. Later on, we'll outfit her and her husband's closet. If the figures are relational at all, the family will drop at least another $1000.
She had to figure out how she was going to finagle her finances to make it work. Because really, these are such "great deals."
Her children showed such disdain for the process, although I'm unsure why. Maybe they saw what I saw. Maybe this is a dull, boring routine for them. Or maybe they're just teenagers who lack appreciation for much. The oldest daughter had to keep reminding the mother she already had something similar to what was picked out. Mom just "had a hard time remembering what they already had."
I was having a hard time ignoring the many other ways the money could have been put to better use. Bodies rot in the grass, dead from lack of food every day.
And yet this is my job. Funny thing is, I chose it and on days, I like it. But I also hate it. There is always a piece of me that whispers, "...but you know they don't really NEED it. It's not necessary. It won't matter in the end."
What to do about it?
As much as I hate to share the bed, because I'm squished between him and the wall, I hate his absence even more.
I finished reading the Hunger Games series today. That deserves an entire blog of its own.
I will say this: while reading, it was extremely hard to ignore the blaring parallels between the "games" that the Capitol put on and our modern-day entertainment. Except we don't physically kill children. We psychologically abuse people. Pit them against each other to see who will come out as "winner." Set them up for public embarrassment, chop and edit their own words and actions, broadcasting the polished, tainted version on our screens until lies become so intertwined with truth that even those who were present in the moment cannot distinguish what is real and what is not.
And then there's our obnoxious amounts of excess and our concern over trivial things, like Capitol residents. Panem et circenses.
The understanding has always been there, but I feel I see it clearer now, working in a high-end department store. Today I "helped" a client who came in and spent over $1500 (yes, one THOUSAND, FIVE HUNDRED). And she plans to come back later in the week to shop for more, because the money spent today was focused between her three children. Later on, we'll outfit her and her husband's closet. If the figures are relational at all, the family will drop at least another $1000.
She had to figure out how she was going to finagle her finances to make it work. Because really, these are such "great deals."
Her children showed such disdain for the process, although I'm unsure why. Maybe they saw what I saw. Maybe this is a dull, boring routine for them. Or maybe they're just teenagers who lack appreciation for much. The oldest daughter had to keep reminding the mother she already had something similar to what was picked out. Mom just "had a hard time remembering what they already had."
I was having a hard time ignoring the many other ways the money could have been put to better use. Bodies rot in the grass, dead from lack of food every day.
And yet this is my job. Funny thing is, I chose it and on days, I like it. But I also hate it. There is always a piece of me that whispers, "...but you know they don't really NEED it. It's not necessary. It won't matter in the end."
What to do about it?
Jun 5, 2012
A Day of Surprises
Tomorrow should be a pretty interesting day! The early morning hours will bring my PET scan, which will put an end to my no-carb, no-sugar diet (required for 24-hours pre-scan). That will make me a much more agreeable person.
Then at 4:30, Isaac and I have our first ever marriage counseling session. Who knows what that will bring?
And to top it off, we'll be going over to some friend's for a night of pizza, games, and probably S'mores.
On a different note, I've been spending some time lately brainstorming with Isaac about how to promote myself at the salon more. So far, we've decided that I should get some flyers out, try to see if I can be included in the "new student" packet at the nearby colleges, and keep handing my card out.
If you have any ideas, I'd love to hear them. Literally. Please. I would REALLY like to.
Have a beautiful night!
Then at 4:30, Isaac and I have our first ever marriage counseling session. Who knows what that will bring?
And to top it off, we'll be going over to some friend's for a night of pizza, games, and probably S'mores.
On a different note, I've been spending some time lately brainstorming with Isaac about how to promote myself at the salon more. So far, we've decided that I should get some flyers out, try to see if I can be included in the "new student" packet at the nearby colleges, and keep handing my card out.
If you have any ideas, I'd love to hear them. Literally. Please. I would REALLY like to.
Have a beautiful night!
Jun 4, 2012
Beans, Brats, and Chicken Legs
Last week Isaac and I invested $25 in a charcoal grill. And another $10-ish in miscellaneous grilling supplies such as charcoal, lighter fluid, and smores supplies. We hadn't planned on getting stuff for smores, but WalMart made it so easy. Situated right beside the grilling things was a display of graham crackers, marshmallows, and Hershey chocolate bars. How do you say no?
We got our purchases back to the apartment and I started assembling the grill. As many of you may know, my husband is extremely skilled when it comes to fixing people--not so much with broken things around the house or anything that requires assembly. It's just not his forte.
I got a call at noon that someone had scheduled at Ken Paves Salon at 3pm, so I tried to finish the grill before I left, but alas, it was not to be. I abandoned it, legless and half-finished around 2:30, so I could work with my client, Barb.
When I got back, it rained.
So we postponed our outdoor fiesta and cooked brats on the stove, planning to try to grill out again the next day.
And it rained again.
And again.
Tonight we could finally grill. But it was only 60 degrees out. Probably colder. So while our little grill huffed and puffed and smoked itself to death in spite of the frigid wind, Isaac and I parked ourselves beside it and waited for the chicken legs and brats to cook.
Even cooler than that, I made my own hummus today. If you're interested in a really good recipe, here's what I did. Warning: it's not for the faint of heart.
Soak one 16 oz bag of garbanzo beans overnight, at least 8 hours.
The next morning, rinse and strain beans.
Then, place beans in a pan and add water until 2 inches higher than beans.
Bring to a boil.
Lower heat and simmer for an hour. Yes, literally, an hour. I promise, the next step will be more difficult if you don't.
Remove skins from beans. I found this to be easiest if I took one scoop of beans at a time straight out of the hot water in the pan and ran them under cold water (shocking them). Then the skins popped right off. HOWEVER, IF YOUR BEANS AREN'T COOKED LONG ENOUGH, THIS WILL BE MUCH HARDER THAN NECESSARY! Don't worry, more than likely you can't over-cook them. If you find the skins hard to get off, throw them back in the pan for another 5-15 minutes.
Get out your food processor.
Blend together 5 large cloves of garlic, 1/2 C. of lemon juice, 1/2 C. olive oil, 1 Tbsp of tahini, 1Tsp of salt, and 1/2 Tsp of Cayenne Pepper. Then toss in your garbanzo beans, sans skins, and process. If you find that things are a little bit thick and not blending well, add a little water. Keep adding, little by little until things are silky smooth. Don't worry if your mixture is a teensy bit runny compared to store-bought hummus--it will thicken once you refrigerate it.
Taste hummus, add extra seasonings if you feel it to be appropriate.
And that is what we do with a day off of work.
We got our purchases back to the apartment and I started assembling the grill. As many of you may know, my husband is extremely skilled when it comes to fixing people--not so much with broken things around the house or anything that requires assembly. It's just not his forte.
I got a call at noon that someone had scheduled at Ken Paves Salon at 3pm, so I tried to finish the grill before I left, but alas, it was not to be. I abandoned it, legless and half-finished around 2:30, so I could work with my client, Barb.
When I got back, it rained.
So we postponed our outdoor fiesta and cooked brats on the stove, planning to try to grill out again the next day.
And it rained again.
And again.
Tonight we could finally grill. But it was only 60 degrees out. Probably colder. So while our little grill huffed and puffed and smoked itself to death in spite of the frigid wind, Isaac and I parked ourselves beside it and waited for the chicken legs and brats to cook.
Even cooler than that, I made my own hummus today. If you're interested in a really good recipe, here's what I did. Warning: it's not for the faint of heart.
Soak one 16 oz bag of garbanzo beans overnight, at least 8 hours.
The next morning, rinse and strain beans.
Then, place beans in a pan and add water until 2 inches higher than beans.
Bring to a boil.
Lower heat and simmer for an hour. Yes, literally, an hour. I promise, the next step will be more difficult if you don't.
Remove skins from beans. I found this to be easiest if I took one scoop of beans at a time straight out of the hot water in the pan and ran them under cold water (shocking them). Then the skins popped right off. HOWEVER, IF YOUR BEANS AREN'T COOKED LONG ENOUGH, THIS WILL BE MUCH HARDER THAN NECESSARY! Don't worry, more than likely you can't over-cook them. If you find the skins hard to get off, throw them back in the pan for another 5-15 minutes.
Get out your food processor.
Blend together 5 large cloves of garlic, 1/2 C. of lemon juice, 1/2 C. olive oil, 1 Tbsp of tahini, 1Tsp of salt, and 1/2 Tsp of Cayenne Pepper. Then toss in your garbanzo beans, sans skins, and process. If you find that things are a little bit thick and not blending well, add a little water. Keep adding, little by little until things are silky smooth. Don't worry if your mixture is a teensy bit runny compared to store-bought hummus--it will thicken once you refrigerate it.
Taste hummus, add extra seasonings if you feel it to be appropriate.
And that is what we do with a day off of work.
Jun 1, 2012
Aha!
I've been gone from Bloggerland for a while. Things have been rather repetitive over here, and of course, in the back of my head has echoed the saying, "if you don't have something nice to say, don't say anything at all."
Sometimes I feel that I'm adjusting to Michigan rather well.
A lot of days I do not.
Isaac and I will have our first marital counseling session next Wednesday. The woman that we'll be working with has experience helping people cope with things, marital stressors, and academic pressures. Things that we, as a couple, seem to need some help figuring out how to deal with.
I think it should be rather interesting.
Today was nice--it's the first day in a long time that we almost had an entire day with each other. I got called into the salon for an appointment at 3 that lasted til about 6:30, but aside from that, we had some much-needed one-on-one time together.
I had another little meltdown this morning. Isaac started to do what he usually does--lay me down and let me cry myself to sleep--but I found that I really didn't want him to leave me. I learned that I felt alone. Often times he'll be sitting no more than a few feet from me, but this morning I felt as though I finally realized that one thing I miss quite a bit is my best friend.
My husband.
I miss hanging out with him all day, doing nothing but stupid stuff like going to Wal-Mart so we can walk around and laugh and the goofy things we find. I miss laying down in his arms at night with the window open so we can hear the breeze rustle the tree leaves. I miss telling him stuff. Experiencing things with him.
It feels at this point, our lives are the same every day. We talk about the same two things: med school and Nordstrom. Occasionally the salon as well. We just don't do much...
An upside to realizing this is that now that we've recognized it, we can hopefully take steps to address it. However, med school isn't going away any time soon, and neither are my jobs. Additionally, there isn't much to DO out here unless you shop, drink, or eat. So there may only be so much we can do.
But for today, I feel accomplished. An aspect of my sadness was finally recognized, and that alone makes me feel better.
A side note: I have a PET scan coming up on the same day we start counseling, so hopefully that will be clear and spot-free. I'm planning on it.
Sometimes I feel that I'm adjusting to Michigan rather well.
A lot of days I do not.
Isaac and I will have our first marital counseling session next Wednesday. The woman that we'll be working with has experience helping people cope with things, marital stressors, and academic pressures. Things that we, as a couple, seem to need some help figuring out how to deal with.
I think it should be rather interesting.
Today was nice--it's the first day in a long time that we almost had an entire day with each other. I got called into the salon for an appointment at 3 that lasted til about 6:30, but aside from that, we had some much-needed one-on-one time together.
I had another little meltdown this morning. Isaac started to do what he usually does--lay me down and let me cry myself to sleep--but I found that I really didn't want him to leave me. I learned that I felt alone. Often times he'll be sitting no more than a few feet from me, but this morning I felt as though I finally realized that one thing I miss quite a bit is my best friend.
My husband.
I miss hanging out with him all day, doing nothing but stupid stuff like going to Wal-Mart so we can walk around and laugh and the goofy things we find. I miss laying down in his arms at night with the window open so we can hear the breeze rustle the tree leaves. I miss telling him stuff. Experiencing things with him.
It feels at this point, our lives are the same every day. We talk about the same two things: med school and Nordstrom. Occasionally the salon as well. We just don't do much...
An upside to realizing this is that now that we've recognized it, we can hopefully take steps to address it. However, med school isn't going away any time soon, and neither are my jobs. Additionally, there isn't much to DO out here unless you shop, drink, or eat. So there may only be so much we can do.
But for today, I feel accomplished. An aspect of my sadness was finally recognized, and that alone makes me feel better.
A side note: I have a PET scan coming up on the same day we start counseling, so hopefully that will be clear and spot-free. I'm planning on it.
Apr 1, 2012
A Day of Hope
Today was A Day of Hope at Ken Paves Salon! I'll write more about it later, but I'm only running on about 3-4 hours of sleep, so for now, I'll leave you with this little video that was (hastily) thrown together the night before for the event.
* * * * * * * * * *
Okay, so it's been a week and I'm finally having the time to sit down and write about A Day of Hope! We had somewhere between 30-50 people attend, and we raised a little over $1400!! I met quite a few really sweet people and of course, was super happy that Mom and Jess were able to come out for it.
I should have some pictures soon to share!!
Mar 20, 2012
Mar 12, 2012
Doing the Side Stroke Upriver
We are so boring.
Seriously.
Brother Isaac always used to make fun of me for it and I would just laugh, but now, it's getting serious. Or, rather, more serious. Basically, I work. And basically, Isaac Jordan studies. And eats Skittles from the five pound bag that Mom sent him...
My non-salon job is going better. I don't feel that I'm probably the best sales person on the planet, but I do what they ask of me at 200% effort so nobody can say I don't try. The biggest thing that amuses me about my job is the type of expectations people can place on a facial cream. I was on the phone the other day with a lady for over an hour and a half discussing which skincare regimen would benefit her the most. She wanted hydrating, lifting, tightening, firming, wrinkle-fixing, de-puffing, pore-shrinking, acne-curing, dark-circle-ridding magic. I ended up telling her that if things are really headed that far south, the best product would probably be a face lift. Creams and serums can only do so much.
Things are going along pretty well at Ken Paves Salon too. We're having an event on Sunday, April 1st to raise money for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. I figured since so many people went out of their way to help us when we needed it, the very least I can do is donate what I can and encourage others to do the same. The relief that we felt once the financial burden lift during chemo was immense. I didn't even realize how heavy it was until afterward.
Here's a flyer for the event, in case you hadn't seen it yet:
Seriously.
Brother Isaac always used to make fun of me for it and I would just laugh, but now, it's getting serious. Or, rather, more serious. Basically, I work. And basically, Isaac Jordan studies. And eats Skittles from the five pound bag that Mom sent him...
My non-salon job is going better. I don't feel that I'm probably the best sales person on the planet, but I do what they ask of me at 200% effort so nobody can say I don't try. The biggest thing that amuses me about my job is the type of expectations people can place on a facial cream. I was on the phone the other day with a lady for over an hour and a half discussing which skincare regimen would benefit her the most. She wanted hydrating, lifting, tightening, firming, wrinkle-fixing, de-puffing, pore-shrinking, acne-curing, dark-circle-ridding magic. I ended up telling her that if things are really headed that far south, the best product would probably be a face lift. Creams and serums can only do so much.
Things are going along pretty well at Ken Paves Salon too. We're having an event on Sunday, April 1st to raise money for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. I figured since so many people went out of their way to help us when we needed it, the very least I can do is donate what I can and encourage others to do the same. The relief that we felt once the financial burden lift during chemo was immense. I didn't even realize how heavy it was until afterward.
Here's a flyer for the event, in case you hadn't seen it yet:
Mom and Jessica will be coming up for it, which will be really sweet. They're going to be our greeters, welcoming people in with warmness and smiles and asking how they've become connected to the event. We hope to do lots of makeovers for women who are currently in treatment or who have recently finished treatment. There is something therapeutic about putting your makeup on every morning. Especially after chemo. It's kind of... stabilizing. If that makes sense. Like.... even though everything else in your world has been shaken, at least you can still take a shower and put your makeup on.
We'll also have wigs for women who have gone through treatment and lost their hair. Ken was super sweet and has not only offered the wigs, but has given us full and complete support, which is awesome. We're hoping to be able to raise over $5,000, and honestly, I'd be thrilled if we could hit $10,000.
I would probably cry.
Anyway... I've got to sign off for the night... I open tomorrow morning and I need to be rested so I can put 200% in all day again tomorrow!
Enjoy your life. Every day is faster than the next and at some point, you run out of days.
Feb 25, 2012
Yuck
I feel like dealing with life after cancer has been WAY harder than dealing with life during cancer. Sure, I pooped myself a few times, was constantly tired, made several trips to the ER, and felt like I was suicidal toward the end. However, now that the drugs have worn off, I'm having a hard time dealing with the fact that I was looking forward to things going "back to normal," when "normal" isn't what it used to be.
I hate going to church on Sunday because it reminds me that "normally" I would be spending time with my Iowa family and friends afterward. I don't feel I'm very good at my sales job, because instead of doing something I love, I'm graded on how much stuff I can sell people. I still have plenty of days where I feel I wouldn't mind if someone shot me or crashed into me and I died, but now I can't blame it on the drugs. Now it's just me.
Once upon a time it felt like life was fairly simple and straightforward. Now it's complex and confusing.
But... what doesn't kill you, makes you stronger. Right?
I hate going to church on Sunday because it reminds me that "normally" I would be spending time with my Iowa family and friends afterward. I don't feel I'm very good at my sales job, because instead of doing something I love, I'm graded on how much stuff I can sell people. I still have plenty of days where I feel I wouldn't mind if someone shot me or crashed into me and I died, but now I can't blame it on the drugs. Now it's just me.
Once upon a time it felt like life was fairly simple and straightforward. Now it's complex and confusing.
But... what doesn't kill you, makes you stronger. Right?
Feb 5, 2012
A Night At The Ball
Never in my life did I envision going to a ball. For starters, I didn't think they existed anymore. I equated balls with Cinderella, and Cinderella isn't real. Therefore, balls aren't real, right?
Wrong.
A few months ago, Isaac was invited to attend the MOCF (Michigan Osteopathic College Foundation) Ball and he so sweetly asked me to come as his date. I said yes. This event would be an amazing networking opportunity for him, and we couldn't pass that up!
The event was last night and it was incredible, to say the least! Here are some pictures!
The school asked that we write thank you notes to the people who donated our tickets. We ended up having even more to say thank you for, as Isaac won a trip to Cancun for us! Looks like we'll finally be able to go on a honeymoon!! Woohoo!!
Wrong.
A few months ago, Isaac was invited to attend the MOCF (Michigan Osteopathic College Foundation) Ball and he so sweetly asked me to come as his date. I said yes. This event would be an amazing networking opportunity for him, and we couldn't pass that up!
The event was last night and it was incredible, to say the least! Here are some pictures!
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| The menu for the night. |
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| Our ride to and from the event. Around 20 of us from the MUC campus pitched in and rented a limo instead of all driving separately. |
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| Before people were seated. There were around 900 people in attendance!! |
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| Some of Isaac's schoolmates enjoying their food. |
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| Really sweet centerpieces! One lucky person at each table got to take the flower arrangement home at the end of the night (but not the stand)! |
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| The lobby at the hotel. The car that Amy and I are standing in front of was given away in a raffle. Tickets were $100 each and MOCF ended up making $70,000 by the end of the night from the raffle alone. |
Jan 31, 2012
Oh Lawdy!
Whoooeeeeyyyy!!!!
It's been a while since I've had cramps at all, let alone cramps intense enough to wake me from a dead sleep. But that's where I found myself at 4-something this morning.
The bummer about getting cramps in your sleep is that you're not quite conscious enough to realize why you keep waking up. So the first four times that I woke up, rolled over, groaned, held my lower abdomen, and made my "that really hurts" face... well, they were relatively useless. Thankfully the fifth time I started to realize what in the world was going on, and by the sixth, I decided to get out of bed to address it.
If snorting ibuprofen helped alleviate my pain quicker, I might have considered it this morning.
To my knowledge it doesn't, though, so I ingested them the ol' fashioned way. Four of 'em down the hatch with a couple of long swigs of water. Followed by a minute or two rummaging around in the bathroom closet trying to find the heating pad.
Boys probably don't understand this very well, but when you're rolling around on the floor, clutching your midsection because of you cramps, hugs don't make you feel better. Kisses aren't very useful either. As a matter of fact, almost any type of physical contact (and maybe this is just me) causes me to grit my teeth, clench my fists, and have a quick mental dialogue with myself about how hitting things doesn't actually make pain disappear.
The only consolation I seek in my moment of darkness is that of a drug that will eventually (hopefully 30 minutes or less) knock the pain out, and a heating pad.
And of course--a seat near an electrical outlet.
It's been a while since I've had cramps at all, let alone cramps intense enough to wake me from a dead sleep. But that's where I found myself at 4-something this morning.
The bummer about getting cramps in your sleep is that you're not quite conscious enough to realize why you keep waking up. So the first four times that I woke up, rolled over, groaned, held my lower abdomen, and made my "that really hurts" face... well, they were relatively useless. Thankfully the fifth time I started to realize what in the world was going on, and by the sixth, I decided to get out of bed to address it.
If snorting ibuprofen helped alleviate my pain quicker, I might have considered it this morning.
To my knowledge it doesn't, though, so I ingested them the ol' fashioned way. Four of 'em down the hatch with a couple of long swigs of water. Followed by a minute or two rummaging around in the bathroom closet trying to find the heating pad.
Boys probably don't understand this very well, but when you're rolling around on the floor, clutching your midsection because of you cramps, hugs don't make you feel better. Kisses aren't very useful either. As a matter of fact, almost any type of physical contact (and maybe this is just me) causes me to grit my teeth, clench my fists, and have a quick mental dialogue with myself about how hitting things doesn't actually make pain disappear.
The only consolation I seek in my moment of darkness is that of a drug that will eventually (hopefully 30 minutes or less) knock the pain out, and a heating pad.
And of course--a seat near an electrical outlet.
Jan 29, 2012
C'est La Vie.
Work, work, work. That's what this past week has been.
The funnier part is that the amount of work I did wasn't even really that much. I used to put in anywhere between a 40-60 hour week without thinking about it, but this week 30 was pushing my limits.
I know I'm going to get a lecture from my "cancer moms" telling me that I shouldn't try to push too hard, too fast. But believe me, I've already picked up on that. When I'm tired after working for only 7 or 8 hours, I have no other option than to believe it's a residual effect from the chemo and radiation. 'Cause normally, that'd be no problem.
Some women I've talked to told me it might take up to a year for me to get "back to normal." Whatever that may be.
For now, though, I find myself yawning at 8pm. Granted, I rarely go to bed that early because there is still a part of me that feels like coping out that early is just wussy. And I don't like to be a wuss.
The plan for today is to make it out to either Lakeside Mall or The Somerset Collection to hand out my cards and strike up deals with the pretty faces behind the counters so that I can get my name out there.
I was talking with one of the girls that I work with last night and asked if she wanted to go with to hand out cards at Somerset soon and I'm not sure I understood her response. It seemed she was worried that we would be stepping on someone else's turf or that maybe we were inferior to the resident mall salon. I was confused. Actually, I still am.
Either way, I'm not worried about it. If their work is better than mine, it will show and their clients will stay. However, if it's not... well, that's how the game goes. I won't badmouth another stylist or salon to gain their clientele, but I'm not going to sit back and just hope people appear in my chair, either. I'm going to get my hustle on and let people know that if they'd like, I'm here: talented, able, and willing. (And in a lot of cases, more budget friendly, too!)
The ubiquitous "they" say that if you gain about 50 clients in a year, probably expect to lose about 10-20% of them in that same year. Some people just like to jump around, while others die, move, go off to college, etc... Regardless, your client's lives are not static, so they won't be either.
Anyway, that's enough of that.
Isaac has been studying like a madman, making sure that he's ready for everything that his Cardiology class can throw at him. He's definitely a little bit stressed, but I suppose a little fire under everyone's behind does some good.
I've been getting little love-notes from him recently, which I adore. Maybe it has to do with the fact that I'm working a little bit now. Or maybe it's because I've been conscious for a couple of consecutive months instead of doped up on the chemo drugs. Whatever the cause is, I'm a fan.
I've been enjoying my time at Nordstrom so far too. It's a very interesting place.
Dad got home from Africa today!! I haven't talked to him yet because I think everyone is together hanging out, talking about how the trip was over lunch and stuff, but I'm hoping that I'll be able to chat with him soon.
It's weird, not being home in Iowa for his homecoming. I can picture in my head what's probably gone on and I can remember what the emotional atmosphere was last time he got home, but it stinks, not being able to be there and share it with them.
I've been having weird dreams, too. Really weird, and REALLY vivid. Almost every night. Even weirder, Jessica and I both dreamt that I was pregnant a couple of nights ago. Glory, I hope not. I know, I know, His timing is perfect. I have complete trust in that; I just would be extremely curious how it would work with our present life situation.
C'est la vie.
The funnier part is that the amount of work I did wasn't even really that much. I used to put in anywhere between a 40-60 hour week without thinking about it, but this week 30 was pushing my limits.
I know I'm going to get a lecture from my "cancer moms" telling me that I shouldn't try to push too hard, too fast. But believe me, I've already picked up on that. When I'm tired after working for only 7 or 8 hours, I have no other option than to believe it's a residual effect from the chemo and radiation. 'Cause normally, that'd be no problem.
Some women I've talked to told me it might take up to a year for me to get "back to normal." Whatever that may be.
For now, though, I find myself yawning at 8pm. Granted, I rarely go to bed that early because there is still a part of me that feels like coping out that early is just wussy. And I don't like to be a wuss.
The plan for today is to make it out to either Lakeside Mall or The Somerset Collection to hand out my cards and strike up deals with the pretty faces behind the counters so that I can get my name out there.
I was talking with one of the girls that I work with last night and asked if she wanted to go with to hand out cards at Somerset soon and I'm not sure I understood her response. It seemed she was worried that we would be stepping on someone else's turf or that maybe we were inferior to the resident mall salon. I was confused. Actually, I still am.
Either way, I'm not worried about it. If their work is better than mine, it will show and their clients will stay. However, if it's not... well, that's how the game goes. I won't badmouth another stylist or salon to gain their clientele, but I'm not going to sit back and just hope people appear in my chair, either. I'm going to get my hustle on and let people know that if they'd like, I'm here: talented, able, and willing. (And in a lot of cases, more budget friendly, too!)
The ubiquitous "they" say that if you gain about 50 clients in a year, probably expect to lose about 10-20% of them in that same year. Some people just like to jump around, while others die, move, go off to college, etc... Regardless, your client's lives are not static, so they won't be either.
Anyway, that's enough of that.
Isaac has been studying like a madman, making sure that he's ready for everything that his Cardiology class can throw at him. He's definitely a little bit stressed, but I suppose a little fire under everyone's behind does some good.
I've been getting little love-notes from him recently, which I adore. Maybe it has to do with the fact that I'm working a little bit now. Or maybe it's because I've been conscious for a couple of consecutive months instead of doped up on the chemo drugs. Whatever the cause is, I'm a fan.
I've been enjoying my time at Nordstrom so far too. It's a very interesting place.
Dad got home from Africa today!! I haven't talked to him yet because I think everyone is together hanging out, talking about how the trip was over lunch and stuff, but I'm hoping that I'll be able to chat with him soon.
It's weird, not being home in Iowa for his homecoming. I can picture in my head what's probably gone on and I can remember what the emotional atmosphere was last time he got home, but it stinks, not being able to be there and share it with them.
I've been having weird dreams, too. Really weird, and REALLY vivid. Almost every night. Even weirder, Jessica and I both dreamt that I was pregnant a couple of nights ago. Glory, I hope not. I know, I know, His timing is perfect. I have complete trust in that; I just would be extremely curious how it would work with our present life situation.
C'est la vie.
Jan 23, 2012
Well Hello, Sir!
So.
I've just about peed myself several times this week. I don't even have a good excuse for that kind of thing anymore since I'm not in chemo, but hey, it still happens... right?
The first time I almost wet my pants was when I got a Facebook friend request from Ken Paves. I had kind of wanted to add him since I was working in his salon, but I didn't want to be a creeper, so I didn't. I figured I should probably wait until I meet him someday and then I can friend him. So now we're Facebook friends.
Then, Nordstrom (I've been officially notified that it's inappropriate to say Nordstrom's) called and offered me a part-time position as a rover, which means I'll be getting paid to play with makeup all day! I really can't think of a better way to pay off student loans--except for doing hair, of course.
THEN, I got a call on Saturday morning from the manager at Ken Paves Salon asking if I could come in for a meeting later because Ken was going to be in and would like to chat with everyone. That, my friends, was when I literally almost... you know.
Immediately, I asked if his parents were going to be in early because I had a couple of things that I wanted to talk with them about before the meeting. They were, so I hopped through the shower, put my face on, and out the door I went. In my head I'd been thinking that it would be ideal to talk with them about the position I'd been offered and see if they'd be willing to work with me so far as scheduling and such and I also wanted to talk with Ma Paves about doing an event we'd talked about previously to see if she was still considering it.
Ma & Pa Paves were already there, working away in the office when I stuck my head in to see if they had a minute to chat. Usually they do. They LOVE to chat. Which is good, because I like chatting with them! Anyway, I went to take a seat to talk with them when Ma asked me what Ken was doing. I was a little confused because in my head I thought he wasn't coming in until the meeting. Turns out he was already there.
Again, surprise! It was cute to watch how excited she was that he was there. It reminded me of Mom and Ike. Apparently there is nothing that makes a woman smile more than getting to see her son and give him hugs and bathe him with her motherly love. It's so precious!
I had the opportunity to chat with him for a while and thoroughly enjoyed the entire conversation. He's a very insightful guy with a big heart. I'm really excited that he'll be pushing us to do better as stylists and artists and is generous enough to allow us access to some of his resources to do so.
Those close to me already know that I love working, but it seems that it will be even more exciting this year!!
If your'e interested in checking out the work blog (I'll be keeping my personal life out of there) click here! 'Til next time!
I've just about peed myself several times this week. I don't even have a good excuse for that kind of thing anymore since I'm not in chemo, but hey, it still happens... right?
The first time I almost wet my pants was when I got a Facebook friend request from Ken Paves. I had kind of wanted to add him since I was working in his salon, but I didn't want to be a creeper, so I didn't. I figured I should probably wait until I meet him someday and then I can friend him. So now we're Facebook friends.
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| It came as a complete shock to me, so of course I had to capture the moment in a screen shot. |
THEN, I got a call on Saturday morning from the manager at Ken Paves Salon asking if I could come in for a meeting later because Ken was going to be in and would like to chat with everyone. That, my friends, was when I literally almost... you know.
Immediately, I asked if his parents were going to be in early because I had a couple of things that I wanted to talk with them about before the meeting. They were, so I hopped through the shower, put my face on, and out the door I went. In my head I'd been thinking that it would be ideal to talk with them about the position I'd been offered and see if they'd be willing to work with me so far as scheduling and such and I also wanted to talk with Ma Paves about doing an event we'd talked about previously to see if she was still considering it.
Ma & Pa Paves were already there, working away in the office when I stuck my head in to see if they had a minute to chat. Usually they do. They LOVE to chat. Which is good, because I like chatting with them! Anyway, I went to take a seat to talk with them when Ma asked me what Ken was doing. I was a little confused because in my head I thought he wasn't coming in until the meeting. Turns out he was already there.
Again, surprise! It was cute to watch how excited she was that he was there. It reminded me of Mom and Ike. Apparently there is nothing that makes a woman smile more than getting to see her son and give him hugs and bathe him with her motherly love. It's so precious!
I had the opportunity to chat with him for a while and thoroughly enjoyed the entire conversation. He's a very insightful guy with a big heart. I'm really excited that he'll be pushing us to do better as stylists and artists and is generous enough to allow us access to some of his resources to do so.
Those close to me already know that I love working, but it seems that it will be even more exciting this year!!
If your'e interested in checking out the work blog (I'll be keeping my personal life out of there) click here! 'Til next time!
Jan 19, 2012
No, I Don't Have Multiple Personality Disorder.
Recently, some of you may have gotten an invite from me to become my friend on Facebook. "Wait," you might have thought, "I was pretty sure we already ARE friends. What's going on?"
Don't worry. You're not losing your marbles. We probably are. However, I've taken on another project. Those of you who know me well are probably already smiling because you know when I taken on a project, I take it on.
This one is called: Project Bring In Clients To Pay Off Student Loans.
In order to complete this project, I decided to build a digital presence, which will include my Facebook Business Page, a Twitter, and a Blog (under construction). Alas, once I started on my project, I learned that Facebook requires Business Pages to be linked to a profile. In keeping with the rule of thumb to separate business and personal, I decided to create another Ashley Hinton to which my page can be linked, without disclosing my entire "private" life to current and potential clients.
The whole thing is a little bit weird, because as those of you who have been my clients know, I don't really separate the two in real life. My friends are my clients, my clients are my friends. And I love my friend and I love my clients. However, it was recommended to me to go about it this way by a MUCH wiser person than myself, and so I am following through on her instruction.
We shall see how this goes.
In other news, things have been relatively peaceful around our apartment.
Isaac keeps eating my chocolates and then making fun of me when I happen to take the last one in the bag, saying "man, you sure downed those fast!" Turd. He also did something super sweet last Sunday.
I was invited to go with Ken Paves Salon, Clinton Township to a Bridal Show at Fern Hill Golf & Country Club. We made up and styled eight models for the fashion show and then handed out information and cards afterward.
The night before the show, I had run around the house gathering whatever I might possibly need for the show and putting it in a pile beside the door. My plan was to wake up early and then finish packing. When I got up in the morning though, Isaac had already packed it all up (very nicely, I might add) in a rolling suitcase and placed little love notes on it (see below). In addition, he went to WalMart and bought me a little lock for it so that nobody could steal my makeup kit.
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| My sweet husband is smart, but doesn't have the best grammar... and it was pretty late! |
What a gem. A handsome gem at that!!
The next morning when I woke up, I had just opened my mouth to ask him if he could get me the rolling suitcase from the closet when I walked around the corner into his surprise. I was so happy!! I mean really, can a girl get it any better?
On top of all that, he made me breakfast that I barely had time to eat. Bless his big ol' heart!
I've just been slaving away on gaining a digital presence. The goal is to gain a presence which will hopefully translate to ranking higher on Google, which will hopefully bring in more clients, who will hopefully enjoy paying me for my services so that I can pay off student loans.
That's a lot of hopefully's.
In case it doesn't happen that way, or in case it takes longer than the Department of Education would care for, I've also been applying for jobs since we got back from Christmas. I had an interview with Nordstrom this morning and I'm hoping that they liked me. I should know by the end of the weekend.
Aside from that, we're just keeping on, keeping on!
Jan 14, 2012
Who Says You Can't Blog At 1 AM?
Things have been looking up rather quickly!
I've been spending the past week reading articles and doing research about what it takes to run a successful business and how to advertise to your niche clientele. One thing in particular that I kept seeing was that a company should have an internet presence. In this day and age, it seems that everyone wants to meet the digital you before they spend time investing in getting to know the real, live you.
Okay.
So I started doing research on how to create website, see if domain names are free, buying domain names, etc... Turns out that Intuit is doing something fabulous for the state of Michigan. Any small business owner can get a domain name (provided it's available) and a website setup for FREE. Of course, this offer only lasts for the first year, but even so, if it serves it's function, many small businesses won't mind paying for the subsequent years because the revenue it helps create should severely outweigh the cost of the site. And if it's not making money... well... I'd probably drop the site and start over. Or reconsider whether entrepreneurship was my thing.
Anyway, I long story short: I am now the excited owner of www.ashleyhinton.com! (It's up and running if you want to check it out!)
I had conducted a survey toward the end of last year asking for the public's opinion on what a good website name would be, but I am reserving that one for when I have the ability to invest more into freelance wedding work again.
Additionally, I have an interview at Nordstrom for a Cosmetics/Fragrances position on Thrusday. I'm very hopeful that this is where God wants me. Because I want to be there.
We'll see what all of this brings, but so far the results have been lots of excitement and Isaac receiving less of my attention than normal because I've been learning the in's and out's of the software for the website design.
He is so sweet. Right now he's sitting at the table, decked out in his latest Parilexx gear. He gets so excited to wear it because the company is run by one of his former track members--and because the shirts are SUPER comfy! I think he looks quite handsome in them. They hug his biceps very nicely.
That's it for the night--rather, the early morning update! We hope you have an awesome weekend!
I've been spending the past week reading articles and doing research about what it takes to run a successful business and how to advertise to your niche clientele. One thing in particular that I kept seeing was that a company should have an internet presence. In this day and age, it seems that everyone wants to meet the digital you before they spend time investing in getting to know the real, live you.
Okay.
So I started doing research on how to create website, see if domain names are free, buying domain names, etc... Turns out that Intuit is doing something fabulous for the state of Michigan. Any small business owner can get a domain name (provided it's available) and a website setup for FREE. Of course, this offer only lasts for the first year, but even so, if it serves it's function, many small businesses won't mind paying for the subsequent years because the revenue it helps create should severely outweigh the cost of the site. And if it's not making money... well... I'd probably drop the site and start over. Or reconsider whether entrepreneurship was my thing.
Anyway, I long story short: I am now the excited owner of www.ashleyhinton.com! (It's up and running if you want to check it out!)
I had conducted a survey toward the end of last year asking for the public's opinion on what a good website name would be, but I am reserving that one for when I have the ability to invest more into freelance wedding work again.
Additionally, I have an interview at Nordstrom for a Cosmetics/Fragrances position on Thrusday. I'm very hopeful that this is where God wants me. Because I want to be there.
We'll see what all of this brings, but so far the results have been lots of excitement and Isaac receiving less of my attention than normal because I've been learning the in's and out's of the software for the website design.
He is so sweet. Right now he's sitting at the table, decked out in his latest Parilexx gear. He gets so excited to wear it because the company is run by one of his former track members--and because the shirts are SUPER comfy! I think he looks quite handsome in them. They hug his biceps very nicely.
That's it for the night--rather, the early morning update! We hope you have an awesome weekend!
Jan 10, 2012
Sometimes It's Okay To Be A Creeper
Yesterday was crazy. And by crazy, I mean intense.
The morning started off with me being so excited to job hunt. I was optimistic about the possibilities, full of energy, and planning on making appearances at the stores since it seems that filling online applications out does close to zero good.
I called stores ahead of time to verify that they were hiring, did a few follow-up calls for some positions I'd previously applied for, and then took a shower, put my face on, and headed out the door to for some face time with prospective employers. I applied at Teavana and Jimmy John's in person, and then both Lucy's Activewear and Bare Escentuals asked me to fill out the online applications and assured me they actually check them.
Regardless of how excited I was when I started, it didn't take too long for me to start feeling down-in-the-dumps. I'm a 24 year-old intelligent college graduate who has years of supervisory work experience (not to mention some pretty good life experience) and here I am, running around competing with kids still in high school for jobs that pay slightly above minimum wage.
Welcome to Michigan, folks.
I've moved from the land of milk and honey to the dang desert. I feel like surely manna has to start falling from the sky sometime... right?
To top it off, something, somewhere along the line triggered my homesickness. Maybe it was running around town for a few hours and not seeing a single familiar face. Maybe it was the song on the radio that Ike incessantly listens to. Or maybe it was calling Jessica for a pep talk and realizing that no matter how hard I wished, she was still a ten-hour drive away from giving me a reassuring hug.
Either way, I started to cry on my way home from the mall. And I was still crying when I got home.
I think Isaac thought there was something terribly wrong because I'm not sure that I've ever returned to the apartment from anywhere (except Iowa) in tears. He was trying to figure it out and I told him it was my job search but thankfully he's insightful enough to know there was more to it than that.
He let me calm myself down a little bit while we talked. Or rather, I cried and he sympathetically stared at me. I finally thought I'd maybe beaten my tears when my phone rang.
It was my mom. She apparently has awful timing.
So... off to bed I went, tears starting fresh again while Isaac graciously answered the phone for me. He came in later to check on me, hugged me and snuggled me for a bit, and then left me to sleep it off.
Later on that night I was hanging out on Facebook being a creeper, like everyone on Facebook is, and all of the sudden, a chat box popped up on the lower right-hand side of my screen. It was the homemade baby wipes girl. Name: Lindsey Taber.
We had the opportunity to chat until I could barely hold my eyes open anymore and lots of cool things were revealed along the way. Let me just brief you on it.
For starters, she is a fellow Iowan. That in itself is huge. I love Iowans. Secondly, her husband is in the medical field. He is doing his residency at Henry Ford Macomb, which is where Isaac will be doing his round starting June/July-ish this year. Again, lovely. Next, she loves God. That is bigger than the other two combined, so far as pluses go. And yes, it CAN get even better. We started talking about church and guess what? They go to the same one we do! At the same time!! And then I was creeping on her profile even more after we quit talking, and realized she went to TSPA too!
Gravy sakes!! Can it even get any better? I'm not sure that it can!
The entire time we were chatting I was sitting, staring at my computer completely enthralled. I was beaming from ear to ear and probably looked like a fool and occasionally Isaac would look over and giggle at me because I was giggling for absolutely no reason, other than the fact that I was SO happy God sent another Christian female my way. Or rather, He momentarily provided me with the balls to randomly message someone I had Facebook creeped on simply because they lived close and were from Iowa. Regardless of how you want to look at it... I was giddy!
Around midnight I went to bed, completely emotionally wasted. I felt like a tractor had dragged a field cultivator through my brain and my body was just as tired from our intense week at the gym so I knocked out pretty quick. And I'm pretty sure I slept like a rock.
I am incredibly thankful that I have a Father above who so graciously looks out for me when I can't hold myself together any longer. I was bursting last night because He lovingly provided me with another friend when I felt like a single paint drop in the chaos of an original Jackson Pollock.
My heart is smiling.
The morning started off with me being so excited to job hunt. I was optimistic about the possibilities, full of energy, and planning on making appearances at the stores since it seems that filling online applications out does close to zero good.
I called stores ahead of time to verify that they were hiring, did a few follow-up calls for some positions I'd previously applied for, and then took a shower, put my face on, and headed out the door to for some face time with prospective employers. I applied at Teavana and Jimmy John's in person, and then both Lucy's Activewear and Bare Escentuals asked me to fill out the online applications and assured me they actually check them.
Regardless of how excited I was when I started, it didn't take too long for me to start feeling down-in-the-dumps. I'm a 24 year-old intelligent college graduate who has years of supervisory work experience (not to mention some pretty good life experience) and here I am, running around competing with kids still in high school for jobs that pay slightly above minimum wage.
Welcome to Michigan, folks.
I've moved from the land of milk and honey to the dang desert. I feel like surely manna has to start falling from the sky sometime... right?
To top it off, something, somewhere along the line triggered my homesickness. Maybe it was running around town for a few hours and not seeing a single familiar face. Maybe it was the song on the radio that Ike incessantly listens to. Or maybe it was calling Jessica for a pep talk and realizing that no matter how hard I wished, she was still a ten-hour drive away from giving me a reassuring hug.
Either way, I started to cry on my way home from the mall. And I was still crying when I got home.
I think Isaac thought there was something terribly wrong because I'm not sure that I've ever returned to the apartment from anywhere (except Iowa) in tears. He was trying to figure it out and I told him it was my job search but thankfully he's insightful enough to know there was more to it than that.
He let me calm myself down a little bit while we talked. Or rather, I cried and he sympathetically stared at me. I finally thought I'd maybe beaten my tears when my phone rang.
It was my mom. She apparently has awful timing.
So... off to bed I went, tears starting fresh again while Isaac graciously answered the phone for me. He came in later to check on me, hugged me and snuggled me for a bit, and then left me to sleep it off.
Later on that night I was hanging out on Facebook being a creeper, like everyone on Facebook is, and all of the sudden, a chat box popped up on the lower right-hand side of my screen. It was the homemade baby wipes girl. Name: Lindsey Taber.
We had the opportunity to chat until I could barely hold my eyes open anymore and lots of cool things were revealed along the way. Let me just brief you on it.
For starters, she is a fellow Iowan. That in itself is huge. I love Iowans. Secondly, her husband is in the medical field. He is doing his residency at Henry Ford Macomb, which is where Isaac will be doing his round starting June/July-ish this year. Again, lovely. Next, she loves God. That is bigger than the other two combined, so far as pluses go. And yes, it CAN get even better. We started talking about church and guess what? They go to the same one we do! At the same time!! And then I was creeping on her profile even more after we quit talking, and realized she went to TSPA too!
 |
| The random conversation I creeped on that instigated said random message. I was originally creeping because her baby looked exactly like the daughter of the family I interviewed for on Saturday. |
The entire time we were chatting I was sitting, staring at my computer completely enthralled. I was beaming from ear to ear and probably looked like a fool and occasionally Isaac would look over and giggle at me because I was giggling for absolutely no reason, other than the fact that I was SO happy God sent another Christian female my way. Or rather, He momentarily provided me with the balls to randomly message someone I had Facebook creeped on simply because they lived close and were from Iowa. Regardless of how you want to look at it... I was giddy!
Around midnight I went to bed, completely emotionally wasted. I felt like a tractor had dragged a field cultivator through my brain and my body was just as tired from our intense week at the gym so I knocked out pretty quick. And I'm pretty sure I slept like a rock.
I am incredibly thankful that I have a Father above who so graciously looks out for me when I can't hold myself together any longer. I was bursting last night because He lovingly provided me with another friend when I felt like a single paint drop in the chaos of an original Jackson Pollock.
My heart is smiling.
Jan 9, 2012
Well, I'll Be Darned!
Today I'm deciding to share with you the awesome things that have happened in our lives in the past few days since getting back to Michigan.
First off, Isaac and I have been going to the gym EVERY day! For those of you who are behind in our lives (probably because I miserably failed to blog regularly for the last couple of months), I am in a weight loss competition with Howard. And Isaac wants to have a 6-pack. Or rather, maybe he just wants to diminish the size of his love handles. I want to get rid of mine entirely. Regardless, we've been diligent about getting our exercise in. Every. Day. On occasion, twice a day. But that's when we're feeling super motivated.
Secondly, I had an extremely cool experience the other day. I was browsing a friend of mine's Facebook, reading about homemade baby wipes, when I stumbled upon a name that sounded relatively familiar. Being the creeper that I am, I jumped into her profile to see if I could figure out why I felt I should know her. Turns out, there is absolutely no reason at all, other than the fact that God wanted me to see that she lives close to me. And that she is a fellow Iowan. And that maybe we will be friends. Also, a friend from home has also recently moved out here, and although she isn't as close (she's about an hour and half away) I have every intention of traveling out to see her at least a few times. AND (yes, it gets even better) while Isaac and I were pounding out our fat cells at the gym the other day, we met a former Iowa Stater who is doing her residency at Mount Clemens. How cool is that? Let me answer for you: pretty cool.
I have also been spending a significant amount of time job searching since we got back. I was doing it a little bit before we left, but really not so much since everyone wanted you to be present for the holidays and work an unlimited amount of hours. Since we went home for almost a month, I feel that I can now fill out applications and honestly say that yes, I am "available" for the holidays. At least, until Thanksgiving, when I will be returning home again for as long as I can. And I will repeat that pattern at Christmastime.
Til next time!
Ash
First off, Isaac and I have been going to the gym EVERY day! For those of you who are behind in our lives (probably because I miserably failed to blog regularly for the last couple of months), I am in a weight loss competition with Howard. And Isaac wants to have a 6-pack. Or rather, maybe he just wants to diminish the size of his love handles. I want to get rid of mine entirely. Regardless, we've been diligent about getting our exercise in. Every. Day. On occasion, twice a day. But that's when we're feeling super motivated.
Secondly, I had an extremely cool experience the other day. I was browsing a friend of mine's Facebook, reading about homemade baby wipes, when I stumbled upon a name that sounded relatively familiar. Being the creeper that I am, I jumped into her profile to see if I could figure out why I felt I should know her. Turns out, there is absolutely no reason at all, other than the fact that God wanted me to see that she lives close to me. And that she is a fellow Iowan. And that maybe we will be friends. Also, a friend from home has also recently moved out here, and although she isn't as close (she's about an hour and half away) I have every intention of traveling out to see her at least a few times. AND (yes, it gets even better) while Isaac and I were pounding out our fat cells at the gym the other day, we met a former Iowa Stater who is doing her residency at Mount Clemens. How cool is that? Let me answer for you: pretty cool.
I have also been spending a significant amount of time job searching since we got back. I was doing it a little bit before we left, but really not so much since everyone wanted you to be present for the holidays and work an unlimited amount of hours. Since we went home for almost a month, I feel that I can now fill out applications and honestly say that yes, I am "available" for the holidays. At least, until Thanksgiving, when I will be returning home again for as long as I can. And I will repeat that pattern at Christmastime.
Til next time!
Ash
Jan 7, 2012
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