The Wedding

My sister got married Sunday.

Let me rephrase that: my BABY sister got married Sunday.

It’s really surreal. I’ve been to weddings that were really meaningful to me, but when it’s such a close relative it’s just hard to wrap your brain around it.

I mean, her whole life is different now.

I woke up at 8:30A and started getting ready for the wedding. I got home at about 10:00P after the reception and went to bed. That's a 14 hour day dedicated to one big party. And for Janet, it's the culmination of months worth of planning. I can't even imagine how exhausted she and Shane must have been when they got to the hotel. I know I was exhausted when I hit the sheets.

I took Monday off and I was really glad. The emotional toll was a real surprise to me. I cried or teared up at least 5 times that day. I was asked to make a toast by one of Janet's friends who was coordinating the reception. I bawled through the whole thing.

I really love weddings. I cry at the sight of a bride walking down the aisle. Even total strangers. It's just such a sweet and significant moment. Not just for the couple getting married but for the people who love them. I love my family and it was a beautiful day for me because I got to officially welcome a new brother.

Congratulations Shane & Janet. I wish you Love and Prosperity. Healthy Children. Happiness and Peace. I wish you everything that you want in life.

Love,
Your big sister, Susan

I'm Missing an Important Girly Gene

I got my haircut this weekend. It looked awesome. Nothing looks better than a blowout (yes gentlemen, women love to get blown too). It's a big deal for me when I get my haircut, because I probably do it about every 6-8 months.

Yes, I said months.

This is my entire hair care regimen: wash every other day with dandruff shampoo.

That's it. I don't dry my hair. I don't curl my hair. I don't put product in my hair. I don't color my hair. I don't even comb my hair.

There are some pros and cons to this lack of maintenance. The cons include the occasional tangle the size of a bird's nest and that my hair is often in a ponytail for lack of a style. The pros are that I could really give a rat's ass if I have a bad hair day and I don't have split ends.

This girly gene that I lack also carries the DNA that would make me buy shoes and accessories. For instance, I hate buying shoes. Not only that, but I hate shoes period. WTF! I mean, can I even call myself a woman? I wish everyone could go barefoot. I have to force myself to buys shoes when the couple of pairs I have at one time (not including a sneaker of some type) start to fall apart.

The big news last month was that I bought a bracelet. I never wear jewelry except for a jade Buddha necklace I never take off. Despite the fact that I don't wear jewelry (or even a watch) I do like it. I've wanted an amber bracelet for a really long time. I finally broke down and spent $85 on this beautiful bracelet. What is interesting about this is that EVERYONE noticed. Even some of my male co-workers. I've been toying with the idea of wearing earrings but I'm afraid I'll give someone a heart attack.

However, I'm not even close to being a tomboy. I love clothes. And before I started focusing on paying off my credit card debt, I used to shop a lot. I still buy clothes on occasion, but I'm just more careful now. Also, I am a spa whore. I promised myself that as long as I work two jobs, I can get a massage once a month. (FYI - if you live in Seattle, the best value in town is New Seattle Massage in the U-District). And don't get me started on make-up and skincare. I know more about make-up and skincare than any 10 women combined.

So for my lack of some stereotypical girly obsessions, there is no doubt I am a girl.

I also have a nice rack.

- Susan in Seattle

Sudoku: The New Craze

So I'm totally addicted to this game that my co-worker introduced me to. It's called Sudoku. And it rocks!

There's no math involved. You just have to populate each square with numbers 1-9. However, you can't have duplicate numbers per row or column.

This is the best sudoku site by far:

http://websudoku.com/

Playing this game reminds me of the Star Trek Next Generation episode where the video takes over the crew. The crew becomes addicted to the game because of the pleasurable, nearly orgasmic sensations the game emits when you 'score'. Sudoku's good, but it's not that good. Trust me, if it were, I would have quit my job by now or at least seriously embarrassed my colleagues around me.

I do apologize in advance for introducing you to a game that will totally engross you. I invite you to play this game now. Be the one to introduce it to your friends and co-workers. It's only a matter of time before you're playing this game while keeping an eye out for your boss.

Resistance is futile.

- Susan in Seattle
Please don't take me as some kind of Trekkie-nerd (it's really Trekker, by the way).

Hi. My name is Susan and I'm a Workaholic.

I work too much. Obsessively so. I understand the root of my addiction, but I also understand that for people with addictive behaviors, it is often switching addictions, not curing them.

Back story: I got into credit card trouble about 9 years ago. That's when I realized that I had "a problem". About 7 years ago, I started paying it down. Unfortunately, a few years later, I was unemployed for several months. I managed to save my house, but it was with considerable effort. Everything is peachy-keen now and I should pay off all my credit card debt by April 2006.

I have two jobs now. My regular job (salary + benefits) and my "part-time" job. My part-time job pays pretty well - it's hourly with the prospect of overtime. The most I've ever worked in a 7-day period was 96 hours. Yes, that's a nine and then a six. Needless to say, I'm tired all the time. Many of my friends would like me to quit my 2nd job. However, my need to get rid of all of my credit card debt is pathologically obsessive.

I can see the proverbial light at the end of the tunnel. But I'm scared. My friends realize that even after I'm paying off the demon credit cards, that I may not quit. The memory of collection calls and letters and worry is still pretty graphic. So now I want to save money. Like 10's of 1000's of dollars. I don't necessarily think having a nest egg is a bad thing, but I've neglected having a life. I'm single with no kids and in my 30's (or late 20's, depending on how I feel). I should be having lots of fun. I should be drinking. I should be having sex. I should be better at bar games.

I went out the other night to a dive bar. I was with my buddy Kim and she was visiting a friend who works at the dive. We drank hard cider. We played 80's rock on the juke box. We played pool until the bar closed. I had a freaking great time. For the last 7 years, I forgot to just hang out with my buddies. What the hell was I thinking?!

I wish that I could change with just a wish. I can't. I'm not that strong enough. I might be strong enough to work 60-70 hours a week for 8 months out of the year but I'm not strong or disciplined enough to change my nature. I think some people see me as incredibly disciplined because of my strong work ethic, but I'm remarkably out of control.

It's not the worst problem to have. I'm an extreme person; my whole life has been about trying to achieve balance. I'll take it easy again. I'm just wondering when I will allow myself to do that.

- Susan in Seattle