Just A Quick Moment To Share

The fabulous Shasta over at Bergdorf Blondes is having an AMAZING 307th giveaway: As you can see it is the Clarisonic Brush System.

I myself have never used this device but have heard wonderful things about it and it has even been featured as one of the best products for skin care in InStyle Magazine.

You can learn more about the Clarisonic brush system here (also Bergdorf Blondes).

I entered in the giveaway and you should too ( or maybe not... I would enjoy my odds to be better)- it may be the only way cash poor beauty whores can try this product that sells for $195.00 smackers a pop!

Ciao Lovlies!

Miss Amber Lane

Miss Amber Lane

Ey Babay Where'd You Get Ya Money?

I've been perusing the bloggernets and find myself bumfuzzled by something. I know this post is going to sound a smidge like I'm jealy - and mayhaps I am a smidgen- but I'm going to go out a limb and say it like I think it anyway.

Where do you people get your paper?!?!

I'm for serious.

I have been to the blogs (lovely blogs too - don't think otherwise- I love you for you are- not what you have) of ladies my age- perhaps a smidge younger or older who are ALREADY maried, ALREADY have children or are expecting children, ALREADY have homes, and are ALREADY rolling around naked in piles of cash ( o.k maybe that last bit is an exaggeration).

How is this possible?

I've been to blogs of people still in college buying half million dollar houses and stocking up on $2,000 handbags. I google some of the items you ballers purchase and almost fall out of my chair- where have I been and how do I jump on the money train?

Let me recap for you all: I am 24 years old. I have been out of college for the better part of two years after taking an extra year to finish a late added minor. During college I worked more than full time just to have the means neccessary to survive. I went into serious school loan debt, not to mention a few thousand dollars worth of Visa debt- and I'm talking to pay bills not buy myself pretties. There were times that I felt like my financial situation was hopeless and to this day don't know how I would have survived post college if Bennyboo and I hadn't decided it was time to merge.

I currently am employed by a private pay retirement community. I make the most money that I have ever made and according to WikiAnswers I am in line with the average American income and above average when Bennyboo's and my income is combined to create our household income.

Though we live comfortably in our current situation we don't live too comfortably when you factor in paying for our wedding (which we are getting very little monetary support from our parents for) saving for our first home or making any other major purchases (furniture, appliances, etc.). Not to mention all of my fabulous school debt.

I just wonder how its been done by those of you who appear to have all these wonderful things that I would enjoy to have sooner or later. Did you have immaculate credit right out of college? Did your parents support you financially until you were well settled? Are you in debt up to your eyeballs? Did you marry an heir? Did you invent the Shamwow?

I'm basically collecting information here. I'm curious to know more about where ya'll come from and how you've gotten where you are. Nothing too specific of course.

Each person's paths are different and though its not my life aspiration to be dirty rich- I certainly wouldn't turn it down.

Do any of you sometimes find yourselves feeling the way that I do?

I do hope I don't come off rude bringing up money and all - I'm just amazed by you all and want your secrets ....

And your cash flow.

J/K

Maybe.

Much Love!

Miss Amber Lane

Tonight I'm Feelying: Gritty, Entertained, Content

Opening Day - Hooray?

This morning as I'm driving to work every radio station in the area is announcing that today is the Cincinnati Reds Opening Day.

Great, I'm thinking as I cruise South on the highway - that means I'll have to take the long way home instead of driving through the city so that I'll be sure to miss all of the extra traffic.

I drive the rest of the way without giving the occasion an extra thought. Who cares about baseball if you can't actually go to the game?

Apparantly everyone. After I arrived at my place of employment I went to our daily morning meeting. After I called everyone's attention to an event occuring later in the week - my boss goes, "And today for opening day?"

Crickets. I planned nothing for The Cincinnati Reds Opening Day. It never even occured to me. I'm a bad activities director. After being told that we needed to make something happen we (assistant and myself) sprang to action.

Thus began the scramble for making Opening Day a success. We bought peanuts, cracker jacks, corn dogs, and nachos. Blew up red and white balloons and I wore a baseball cap - gross.

From noon until ... well the game is still on now- I've been subject to the boredom that is baseball on TV- I've dished up all the ball park favorites - and eaten way too much of them myself. I cut baseballs out of white poster board and a "Let's Go Reds" message out of red construction paper. I am officially baseballed out and its only the first day of the season.

The residents have had a good time though - and that's all that matters.

But if I see another corndog again today I am going to vomit.

Maybe more later or maybe I'll be in a corn dog induced coma.

L8ter G8ters

Miss Amber Lane

Today I'm Feeling: Spirited, Stuffed, Bad At My Job

Why Are You Such A Whiner

Not you...

Bennyboo.

While I went to church with Emily this afternoon, Ben went out and played football with the guys.

Tell me why he came home with scratches all over his face, covered in mud, sun burnt and all I can think about is wanting to jump his bones - yet am brutally rebuffed because apparently babycakes can't be physically active on the football field and then be expected to be physically active at the home front.

No, instead he dragged his tired butt to the shower and then started to pass out in the recliner before going up to bed for a nap (at 7pm) I just roused him and he whined and moaned and came back down stairs but somehow I think I better save my libido for another day.

Hmph. Sorry for the TMI but ... uhm...well ... my blog so I can say what I want homies.

Ok well for now I'm off. Weekend recap later I'm going to try to spend some quality time with my man face.

Later,

Miss Amber Lane

EDIT: Bennyboo is not amused by this post- he saw it over my shoulder- got pissed and stormed off outside to smoke a cigarette - see what I mean - whiner.

Tonight I'm Feeling: Grumpy, frustrated, Mournful (weekends over ) : )

Baby May Be A Little Craz-ay

"Whatever women do they must do twice as well as men to be thought half as good. Luckily, this is not difficult."

There has been much argument in the maison de Miss Amber Lane avec Bennyboo (I'm sure that makes no grammatical sense in Francais).

We've already established that I have a thing about a clean house. Yet somehow its been in hyper drive lately - ever since I got my wedding gown ... its like I've been thinking WG is too good for this messy room, WG needs a sweet smelling, cat free zone, WG deserves better than this. So cleaning has been happening room to room like nuts all week by yours truly.

Bennyboo would contribute from time to time- but on Tuesday when we came home from dinner and I started cleaning and Bennyboo flopped down on the couch to watch Hitchikers Guide to the Galaxy while I cleaned the living room ---- after I had been the one working all day hadn't sat down any longer than for dinner ... I lost my cool. The argument was relatively mild and ended with me stomping upstairs to clean "my room" and Ben finishing his movie (that was actually my idea -- and I didn't see but a few minutes of it ).

We made up around bed time with me explaining to Boo that since we are expecting a house guest for Friday evening there are some things that I would like to have accomplished and they need to happen by Thursday night. Boo expresses that he understood and would try to be more helpful and we drifted off into dream land.

Fast forward to my arrival home Wednesday evening. I walk through the front door to find Bennyboo on his computer and NOTHING.... I MEAN NOTHING had been done around the house.

Now I'm going to clarify before I sound like a complete bitch (too late eh?) I'm not talking about cleaning ceiling fans and bleaching tiles and nitt picky things - I'm talking wiping counters in the kitchen, finishing dishes and vacuuming cat hair off the rug....visible cat hair. I'm talking picking up dirty socks and taking out the garbage. Things that ANYONE can see needs to be done.

Ladies (and gents?) I was HEATED! It's just not fair. Why should I work all day - physical work with residents, up and down on my feet all day; and then come home and do everything here as well? Especially when Boo isn't employed currently?!?!? Yes, he is working on some free lance things but without deadlines - he has infinite time to do some home cleaning maintenance - especially since he already knew that I was stressing about it and had already asked for his help!

The argument on this day was not mild. Glass was broken, sandals may or may not have been thrown. We hardly talked for four hours.

BUT. Shit got done.

We've since REALLY talked about what we expect from each other and think we've come to terms. We've agreed that sine Boo has a different standard of cleanliness and doesn't "see" the things that he sees that I will leave him lists of things that I would like him to do during the day as he has time. I did that today and it worked! Hopefully going forward this will be one of the keys to our success. However, it seems to be cyclical- things go well for a few months and then it starts all over again.

Rewinding just a bit though- notice how I mentioned glass got broken and sandals thrown? What's up with that shit?! Back in high school when I lived at home with Ma Mere I was notorious for throwing things - telephones especially- but I thought that now in my mid twenteis I had the problem licked. Apparantly not.

Several nights ago I was attempting to hang wall hangers on my bulletin board. I spend 15 minutes trying to simply "screw in" these hangers when there were no starter holes. Eventually I got so frustrated that I took my hammer to the cork board and beat the crap out of it. The board cost $7.00 but the relief I got from ripping it to shreds was priceless. When I showed Bennyboo he smiked and shook his head as though to say, "typical Amber".

When Boo and I were fighting Wed I tossed a decorative plate strewn with Yankee potpouri and a candle; frisbee style onto our hardwood floor - it shattered accordingly. Boo was not amused.

I'm pretty sure its not healthy but sometimes I get just so blindingly angry that I feel "something has to break". I meantioned I had this problem in high school - well one thing has changed since then. In high school I just did it, threw something neve thinking about the reprecussions. As an adult I feel my body tensing up, start to throw something or beat on it - and then I stop myself, think about if what I'm going to do is going to damage something irreplacable or expensive and then do it accordingly.

I'm about to make an analogy forgive me if its out of line; but its almost like the feeling you have when you try to prolong an orgasm- you to try to keep it from happening and you try to restrain yourself- but in the end- you just can't help it- you do it anyway because it feel so good.

Ugh.

Between this and my control issues/anxiety I'm pretty sure I could keep a therapists family fed for decades. I'm not against therapy- a time slot set aside in which I can talk about moi and only moi?

Sold.

Anyhow. Assistant called in sick, again, today. I had a to do list 100 miles long and crossed off 1, count em', 1 thing on it again because I was doing her job. I kinda miss my job - I sure hope she's repaired for the weekend. I have a friend in town and I AM NOT - working this weekend (ahem- famous last words I'm sure). That's the trouble with working for a 24/7 community. Activities occur even on the weekends, like it or not.

Well, I'm outta here. Hope you'll still read after finding out I'm a crazy, cleaning, diva.

Happy Thursday. Just one short day left!

Loooooove!

Miss Amber Lane

Tonight I'm Feeling: Tired, Content, Crazy

Happiness Is A Warm Gun

Bang, bang. Shoot, Shoot.

No seriously. I'm posting from work right now because here at the end of my day I have such a warm feeling of accomplishment and happiness and in a typical work day my friends, that's rare. So I thought I would share before my tires start making pavement on the long road home.

Nothing substanitally out of the ordinary happened to day. Well, with the exception that my assistant called in sick for the second day in a row (how's that for my thoughts on my last post where I was longing to take a sicky myself...karma!) leaving me by my lonely on a busy day. I found myself quite amused earlier today when I realized that on days that I'm here by myself when my assistant calls off- its her job that I end up doing instead of my own. My job is supposedly the "important" job, definitely the higher paying job - but her's by far, hands down is the most urgent job. The stuff she does when she's here- is the stuff that HAS to get done when it HAS to get done.

So that's what I've been doing today: her job and when I had a few moments a scattering of my job. On the upside of that though I'm getting paid more to do her job so I guess no complaints.

Today has made me appreciate her more (and also long for the days when I wasn't the boss and calling in sick just meant making a quick phone call to my boss, instead of when I'm sick now and I have to call the office a hundred times a day to make sure things are covered and everything is getting done that needs to get done) so though I'm not sure she's considered an admin. assistant I seriously think I will appreciate her on the day for said position- she deserves it!

But yes, though I was busy doing double my normal work- I had a great day. Here's what I accomplished:

A Day in the Work Life of Miss Amber Lane:

-Arrived early
- Made arrangements for activity coverage in my place so I could take assistant's place to drive residents to doctor's appointments
- Dropped first res. to doctor
-Returned to office interviewed two potential volunteers and completed paperwork
- Dropped two more res. to doctor
-Picked up first res.
- Returned to office- led trivia game
- Folded and stuffed party invites for Easter
- Dropped next res. at doctor
-Picked up 2nd res. at doctor
-Returned to office to drop res. off
- Left again to visit hobby Lobby to pick up craft and bulletin board supplies
-Pulling in to Hobby Lobby got call that final res. was ready to be picked up from doc
-Picked res up, she came with me to Hobby Lobby
-Returned to office
-Began social then delegated to Care Manager to complete
-Discarded old flowers, and washed vases for tomorrow's flowers
-Applied postage and mailed Easter invites
-Helped clean a messy bathroom
-Typed and pritned tomorrow's schedule
-Sat down to blog

BUSY DAY!

Yet, like I said; somehow I feel happy and accomplished not worn out and frustrated and that's such a good thing!

Alright well I do have a few more things to finish up before dashing out the door.

Happy Tuesday my lovlies! Only three more days left!

Hooray!

Miss Amber Lane

Today I'm Feeling: Hapy, Accomplished, Satisfied

Honeymoon

So I know its still such a long way off, but I've been daydreaming about our honeymoon. In our 5 years together Ben and I have spent 1, that's right 1 night together in a hotel- and believe me that night was not romantic, we were downtown for New Years in a queen bed next to another queen bed where our friends slept. Not sexy.

So I've been having thoughts about what I would like our honeymoon to be like. I stop and close my eyes and think about what I want it to feel like. So far I've come up with this:

Warm
Sunny
Water
Bare Legs
Air Conditioning
Flowers
Soft Sheets
Sleeping In
Swimming
Peaceful
Romantic (That's a given me thinks)
Worry Free - no hurricanes, no foreign language, no long car trips with me as the passenger

Clearly this means that we must go tropical. We've been tossing around the idea of Jamaica. It seems to be the laid back, no worry kind of place where Ben and I can really unwind- Ben's not much the adventure seeker and I've got to admit on vacation I don't mind just being a beach bunny/ pool shark.
The travel advisers mention however that the best time to go is March, April, May ---we would be going in late June/early July ---would it be bad then? Does anyone know?

Also as I'm sure everyone is aware- the cash isn't free flowing in Amber and Ben land. What is the most economical way to plan a trip like this? Ben swears by Expedia and the I think that planning a trip of that caliber without ever making contact with a live person is daunting. What are your experiences with this?

I've got to be honest I've never left the continental United States without professional assistance and the thought of doing that makes me a scoshe nervous.

Like I mentioned though - we're not quite ready to book yet - Expedia won't even let us have a quote for any sooner than next February so we have time- I'm just getting anxious about all the money committments we have coming up over the next 15 months.

Anyhow.... This weekend has been nice- but like always WAY too fast. I'm dreading going back to the grind tomorrow and have considered taking a sicky- but know that I won't- I may actually need it someday and will just kick my own ass so tomorrow I will trudge in.

You already heard all about my day yesterday- I accomplished a lot- today was precisely the opposite- I accomplished nada. Went to the future in-laws and showed off the dress, did the same at Meggies- then Boo and I went to Best Buy for nada and left with exactly that. We had dinner at IHop and have spent the rest of the evening on the couch. This weekend is the end of that however- I need to get back to my old, motivated self.

I've been a potato recently- probably because my work life has been so draining of late.

Hopefully I get a handle on that this week.

Alright Lovies, goodnight! Sleep sweet!

Miss Amber Lane

Tonight I'm Feeling: Laxy, Happy, Dreamy