bad posture.

Call me a monster! Go ahead and do it. I am not sure what the freak my deal is, but I think I have the sorest back in the world. I hear people saying if I exercise it will help, but I hate exercising. I may sound like a pessimist right now, but sometimes I sound like! I really probably should start exercising, but what's the fun in that? I don't know. I don't understand it, maybe baby steps. I could first stop slouching. That would probably help. However, I don't notice when I slouch. I feel like if I sit up straight I will look like a prude. Don't you imagine a mean librarian when you think of someone sitting up super straight? Me too. I bet you're picturing a librarian with a bun on her head right now. That's what I am picturing.

This week my back has been a meany. 

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Family Stress.

I have been really stressin’ out today. I have designated myself the decorator for a party at my moms house on Sunday. My mom and dad are taking care of all the household chores like cleaning up doggy poop, and dusting. My brothers both live at home right now, and they are helping them out there too. Thank heavens. My mom and I don’t have meshing personalities when it comes to stress. If we are both stressed then it’s not going to be productive. My mom shuts down, she makes lists and lists and delegates. Instead of her listing getting smaller she just keeps adding to them. So the day of she’s still has 55 things to do before guests arrive in 30 minutes. I am more laid back, I prefer to have a list to work off of, and I will complete it in time, but on my own. I HATE being micromanaged or watched. I just need to know what I am in charge of and I promise it will be done. Some how when stress hits she and I just bonk heads, because of how we handle it.

Anyway, she sent out this list.

If that were all then it would be fine, but as soon as we volunteer more and more gets added. I already have been really excited to do the decor. I am spending a lot of time to make this party look really cute. I cannot wait to see the final turn out. Anyway, I get really stressed because I feel like I already took on an under taking by volunteering to decorate, which means make and bring all the supplies myself. Now she sends out this list, and I feel like I need to go over and spend the next 100 hours helping shampoo the couch! I really don’t mean to be a snotty pants, but I feel like when you work full time, have a house of my own with laundry, dishes, and dusting to keep up on my own I just can’t do it all. I remember being younger and WEEKS before Thanksgiving we would start to get ready for it. I just can’t do that. She and I aren’t wired the same.

Anyway.

That’s my story.

How do you handle stress? Differently then your mom? The same? What about with you partner? Jared has never been stressed in his life. It works really well for me, because when I get wound up, he helps relax me and put things into perspective really fast.

What is in YOUR bag?

I am really excited for all of you to watch this vlog. It was one of my favorite vlogs to record because it’s incredibly random and pretty awesome. It’s lots of minutes long, and even more seconds. So I will let you watch me instead of read me for today.

<center> <a href="http://www.whatialwayswas.com/2012/09/what-is-in-your-bag.html"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-frsaSSDTWEI/UGJlYY1rfZI/AAAAAAAADh0/sZPTXljFoFg/h109/WIYB-200.png" /></a></center>

P.S.

Here are our previous vlog link-ups -- so you can see how fun WE are!

What’s in your closet?

What’s on your bucket list?

What’s on your feet?

Once again I ask of you. What topic should we do next month? What vlog would you like to participate in?

What are you doing tomorrow?

Today is Tuesday.

Tomorrow is Wednesday!

Tomorrow is our monthly vlog link-up! We have been trying to do it the 3rd Wednesday of every month. We are a bit behind this month. September seems to be quite the busy month. What up with that?

This month our topic is “What’s in your bag?”

We couldn’t decide on an exact topic so we kind decided to have an obscure topic.

A bag could seriously mean any of your bags! A grocery bag, a make-up bag, a to-go bag, a first aid bag, the bags under your eyes?…

I just barely finished recording my vlog.. {I procrasinate.. so kill me!} I must say this vlog was really REALLY fun! My bag is the most random bag that I could possibly think of. It's none of the bags I listed above.. it's a weirder one.

SO

Tonight if you need something to do while your hubs is off lifting weights or playing guitar (Oh wait... is it only mine that does that EVERY night?) Well, film your vlog and link-up tomorrow! Or tomorrow if your bored after work.. COME LINK UP!

Also, do you have any ideas for our next vlog?

What would you like to see?

What would you participate in??

LET ME KNOW!!

Baby Prevention.

I have some seriously talk up in here for you today. Okay, it's not that serious but it's definitely on my mind. OH my little brother, and older brother probably don't want to read this. Sorry boys, read the next one :)

My story is a sad one. When I was in high school my cramps didn't even exist. I pretty much had a non-existant punctuation. As soon as I hit about 17 my cramps tried to kill me. They did. I have been to the doc's office numerous time curled over and crying because I can't handle it. My last doc said that I should get on birth control to stop my punctuation, because there is no purpose for it, if I am not trying to put little miki's on this earth. Which I'm totes not. 

I was so stoked that there was an answer, but I am scared to death of birth control. I have never taken the pill, had a patch, shot, injection, my tubes tied... none of the above. I seem to only hear that birth control makes you gain weight and messes with your hormones. 

My doctor suggested Mirena. I know a lot of people with this little device that are in love with it. I have done tons of research, but am still just scared of having something foreign in my body. Plus I really don't want to gain weight. However on days like today, where I have to take an early lunch break, cry my whole way home, get home strip down, and lay with a heating pad on my belly, and one on my back it seems like it's really time that I do something about this. 

Are any of you birth control experts, and would you like to contribute to my thoughts? I really don't want to hear horror stories. I want to hear someone who loves their birth control, maybe even someone that is named Miki DeMann, and is a future me. She could tell me it worked perfect, and after about the first month life was really good. Anyone? Anyone?

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Organized heart to heart

Holla at you girls! Today is FRIDAY - dontcha know?! I have an organization post for you today. I think that most bloggers run into this issue on the daily. I have been horribly unorganized lately, and it makes me want to punch a rock straight in the nose. I won't do it though, I hate having bloody knucks. 

How do you organize your blog, home life and work life? I don't mean mentally, well maybe I do. I finally broke down and decided my iphone only needs to keep track of my home life. I take notes on paper, and use a paper calendar at work, because I need it to be there taunting me everyday. With my iphone I can just close a pop up telling me to pay my credit card bill, but I need a bright pink post it note stuck to my calendar reminding me of follow up calls at work.

Yes.. all the dots are "appointments:

When it comes to blogging, I haven't figured out the perfect structure that works in my life. I know that I want to post every day during the week. Usually I post during my lunch break, because it takes my mind off of work and lets me relax for an hour during the hectic day. However lately I have felt I need more, but I don't know what. I am wondering if I need to start writing posts in advance and scheduling them. I did that during my anniversary week posts, but haven't otherwise. I liked it that week, but it takes away time from my evenings with my husband since we both work during the day. Also do you keep lists of posts that you may want to write in the future. Do you use certain apps?

I have a lot of questions, don't I? Sometimes we just need blogger heart to hearts, since I can just call all of you up, and start asking these things it's really nice when you reply and just word vomit anything that helps you. I am in need of some organization!

Close the eye balls.

I really cannot tell if my life has gotten really busy or if I have just gotten lazier?

I haven’t gotten anything done. I have been staring at the picture on my left sidebar where is says ENGISH in stead of ENGLISH for 3 weeks. I still haven’t gotten around to changing it. I decided to take down my swapping page, because I’ve been terrible at keeping up with it. I decided that right now I need to get back in the groove of my blogging, before I can commit to help others. I plan to have it back up at some point in my life. Scouts honor. I am not a scout.

It is a little bit sad that it’s hard for me to differentiate busy and lazy. I feel really busy, but I also think that I could handle all my tasks if I really sat down and wrote them out. Made lists, and organized my thoughts and schedules.This week has been a really busy few days at work. I am training some newbs, and it takes a lot of energy to be expelling all day. I don’t mind it at all, and in the long run it will be SO WONDERFUL for me, but it’s draining to sit and watch someone do your work, ha ha. I often blog on my lunch break, and this week all I have wanted to do on my lunch break is close my eyes for 20 minutes and listen to Howard. I was in my car today, and started to think what people do that don’t have outlets. When I am stressed and work, I often close my eyes in my car and just turn on Howard Stern. It helps me completely take my mind of the stress and put me right back in a happy mood. I didn’t have Howard 2 years ago, and I can honestly say I don’t think I was as happy. I need that “me time”. I need to get in my car with no one else, and just be in my “glass box of emotions” {name that movie!}. Lately I have felt I need this time more than not.

Blogging is truly my passion. When I discovered the real world of blogging, and really committed it to it, it changed so many wonderful parts of my life. I feel happier when I write. I feel EXTREMELY happy that I have people who like my writing, and are interested in my posts. I can’t tell you how giddy I get when I check my comments and there are a bunch in there. It’s been a way for me to rediscover who I am, and who I strive to be. I’ve always preferred writing. When I first got my punctuation, I wrote my mom a note and hid it in her bathroom. I am a writer. I love to blog, when I don’t blog, I feel down. I feel like I didn’t do my best that day. It’s not a burden, it’s the opposite. It is a goal. That’s why it’s 10pm, and I am rambling here. I am still struggling because my mind has been in one spot. One post that I want to write but haven’t been able to form. I know I’ve talked about that before, but I think that’s why I have been in such a blog funk lately. I have a final due date that I made for myself. My post HAS to be done before September 30th. I don’t know when, but between now and then, it will be up. I will stand behind it, and I will bawl like a baby writing, and rewriting it a million times.

This is my theme for tonights post.

Cure a Stage 3 bad moood

When you're feeling down, what do you do to pick yourself up?

I have 3 things I do, depending on how picked up I need to be. First of all if I am in a stage 1 bad mood, I will drive. I listen to country music and go on back roads, where I know that there is no traffic. Nothing make you MORE angry than being stuck in traffic. Then I get home and feel ready to conquer the rest of the day.

If I am in a stage 2 bad mood, then I shower. I take really long showers, that are steaming hot. I close the bathroom door, no music, no TV, no puppy dog, no husband just complete silence. I usually turn off the light too. It's a really great relaxer.

Boiling blood, stage 3. I get irrational. Put on my finest jammies and just cry. Cry my brains out, and I feel SO much better afterwards. 

If you had to live in a different time period, which would you prefer?

The 20's. I dream of being a flapper. I want to live in the Great Gatsby era. 

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What is the most creative Halloween costume you've ever worn?

I always have really good ideas, but usually it's the day before Halloween when I am rushing to come up with a costume so none of my ideas work any more. Jared and I are 6 years apart, and when I was 18 and he was 24 we heard about it  A LOT. We went as a tiny school girl, and an old man pedophile. It was pretty funny. I don't think it was oober creative though. Last year I was a taco bell sauce packet, made by yours truly.

FIVE weird things about you, that we wouldn't know unless being told?

.ONE. I can't feel 3 fingers on my right hand.

.TWO. I love all the ingredients in lasagna, but HATE lasagna.

.THREE. I nap in the shower, a lot.

.FOUR. I cry at commercials all the time.

.FIVE. I have eaten a cricket before.

What would you tell you 16-year old self?

Hello itty bitty baby Miki. You're very uptight, and you're awesome. One day you will grow out of the awkward hair do, but it was TOTALLY a good idea to cut it yourself and REFUSE to see a hair dresser to "fix it", because it's a great story for mom to tell every day. Seriously, keep up the standards. That's awesome. I know it gets hard sometimes, but those friends and those girls regret it now. You have a wonderful life, and you CREATED it. Don't worry so much about what the other people are doing, and no need to fit in. The closest friends you have now, you've already won them over. The others you never saw after graduation. Don't cry over boys. Try to be closer to your family.

This lovely post was brought to you by:

Too personal for a blog.

How is your Monday? I woke up pretty depressed today. I had such a fantastic weekend, that it makes it really hard to jump back into the week. It's not even work that makes it hard it just weeks in general. I actually really love my job, and I love the people. I like being at work it's just that instead of sleeping in, cuddling all night, going to bed at 4am, wedding, brunches, state fairs, tinfoil dinners up in the mountains and being able to hang out with good friends and family.

 It is more boring during the week. I have to try to be in bed by 11, to sleep by midnight, I only get to see my sexy husband for a few short hours during the night, we fall asleep at different times and it's just less cuddle oriented. That's my extended version of why my Monday waking up was hard.

I have had a hard time blogging lately. There is so much going on in my life, and I want to write about it. I really want to tell my story. I want to document it. Sometimes I get stuck in this vicious circle. I always try to be upfront and personal on my blog. I tell my stories, and my stories make me who I am, so I choose to be open with my life. However I  know that I have family that reads my blog, and even though there is nothing too shocking in my life, there is lots of big news in my family. I really want to shout it out, and cry about it, and let everyone know that my life is going to change. The hard part is that in order to reveal the news to the blog world I need to explain things about myself, and my "religion" or lack there of, which I have a very hard time explaining my views. I honestly am not a religious person, even though I think that I am spiritual. 

I want to form this post, this perfect post to document these feelings and struggles, but every time I start to I cannot even start typing. I can't think of how to say it or how to start the post. I sit and stare at an empty screen. 

Do you ever get faced with this problem? Where you actually have something you WANT to say, something you WANT to write about, but cannot figure out how?

Gross cups consume me.

I have some weird characteristics. I actually don't know if they qualify as a characteristic. Well let me preface this by saying, I am usually a classy girl. I don't like burping at all. I think I've only accidentally burped in front of my husband like 2 times. Hiccups are another story. They aren't gross though, mostly just extremely inconvenient and embarrassing. 

Like yesterday when it was 8am, there were 4 other people on the elevator and it was totally silent, because none of us were wanting to be awake. We had to stop on each floor to gather more and more people, which made our 4 floor commute seem like 40 floors. I was slowly being pushed further and further back into the corner. I am already way shorter than everyone, but to make it worse.. I had a hiccup attack. Every other second I made that high squeaky noise, and by the end of our ride everyone piled out and I felt like they all just stared me down. C'mon people, it's only hiccups! Hold your judgmental horses, why don't you?

Anyway back to how classy I am. I don't burp, I will never ever fart in front of another human. I am completely disgusted by this. One time I told my sister in law that, and she was so confused. She told me that her and her husband fart all the time, and they just avoid farting on each other. It's so hard being perfect like me and my no burping and farting rule.

I do have one thing I do, that's right only one, that is pretty gross. At least I think it is. I get it from my dad. I used to snack a lot,not because I was a hungry hungry hippo, it's just something to do. Like people who smoke, I don't think they really love it, but it's something to do. You don't know what to do without chips when you're on a couch or when you're outside without a cig. I get it. After high school I had plumped the belly. I decided to cute out my snacking and be more strict on only eating when I'm hungry. I still get the fever though. I get the snacking fever. Instead of pulling out chips, I buy sunflower seeds. 

Seeds aren't' that gross right? Well when you eat them and you're inside it gets dirty. Down right dirty! I have to find things to spit my seeds in. Water bottles, bowls, cups, whatever is there I will take it. I promise. The gross part is that then you have a spit cup. You are carrying around something you've been spitting into for hours. A slobbery, seed filled mess! have you ever spilled that cup?! Me too. Then you have to pick up each seed one by one. That's right pick up the soggy, wet chewed up seeds one by one.

There's my confession. I'm gross.

Blabbering Fall.

I have mixed feelings about Fall. Utah is becoming pretty fallen these past few days since I have been  home from vacation. I usually do love the fall, mostly because some of my favorite outfits are meant for the fall. I love the cool air during the day, and mostly I really love jackets. I have so many cute jackets and blazers that I get to sport during the fall. AND BOOTS. I love wearing boots!

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However fall depresses me too. I always try and be an optimistic person, but fall means winter is coming. I really don't like winter. I don't even mind the cold, and I think that snow is really pretty, but I feel like I never see anyone during the winter. All my friends and social hang out disappear when Winter comes around. It's a really lonely time. Of course, Winter can seem romantic because you dream of movies, hot cocoa, and cuddling under blankets but that really isn't what it's like. It's more like you can't make out, because you have a runny nose and can't breathe. Your throat is so tender from breathing in the cold air. After a freezing cold morning, you can't warm up until that night in the shower. 

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I am never this happy when I am freezing cold.

So I am in this silly dance routine right now. I am excited for fall clothes, carving pumpkins, dressing up, thanksgiving dinner, and pretty drives up the mountains. I just have a hard time not looking into the further season of Winter. 

I want fall to last. So before it's over I will:

Go to a drive-in before it's to chilled. I want to go to a corn maze. Take a bunch of friends to a haunted house. Host a football BBQ. Pumpkin carving contest. 

What else should I do? What are you favorite fall activities that I can accomplish? 

The days after..

Hi. My name is Miki and I am a vacation-a-holic. I have looked it up, and I think that all the symptoms are ones that I can relate with.

vacation-a-holic: counts down to vacations with paper chains, and widgets. Enjoys every waking moment on vacation. Then after the high of a vacation adrenaline rush, rethinks their life. How could I be on vacation all the time? Why can't I cuddle my husband 24 hours a day? Why do I have to rely on an alarm clock? After rethinking life a V.A. takes about a week to recover from the after vacation depression, by looking over the photos again and again, texting other attendees texts that start out "remember that time...?"

I am really struggling to get back into my routine that I had previously, which really only consists of going to work. You should have seen me trying to wake up yesterday, it was such a joke, today I was even worse. I keep thinking is this real? Am I really home? Damn. 

I did miss my puppy though. Next vacation she's coming. I actually had a dream last night, that Betsy (my sister in law who planned the trip) told J and I that we were the only ones allowed to bring our dog, because otherwise the dogs on that trip would have outnumbered the humans. It was a good dream. 

As I sit here reminiscing. Come reminisce with me?

We had a neighboring houseboat full of friends, one night they all stupidly went boating, and we went old school on those suckers. We definitely toilet papered them. Definitely.

We played the Newlywed Game. Josh was our MC, this was the tie breaker round. Jared and I got 3rd place. To be fair the two "newly-weds" had been married the longest! 7 years for the winning couple, and 3 years for the 2nd place.

Jaquie, Colyn, Me and Jared in our insane twister match. J and I killed it. Don't you threaten us with a twisting time.

We lit off Chinese Lanterns almost every night that we were there. They are so gorgeous, and when you are in the middle of a lake with nothing but skies, you can see them gracefully float to the ski with no obstacles, and it truly is incredible. Side note: We tried to do this in SLC for New Years, and they would light because it was so windy, and then they almost burned down the neighbors house. Good thing Brant is a trained fireman.

 What was your favorite part of my vacation? 

Fashion Friday!

I have a friend. Her name is Anica. I am in love with her. In a creepy way, mostly I fell in love with her when she sent me a birthday present in July. Seriously, that made my entire week. I may have cried tears of joy when I opened it. She seriously rocks and is a GREAT bloggy friend. She does a "Fashion Friday" post on her blog every week. She has the greatest fashion sense alive. I asked her if she'd post for me while I am enjoying the last few days of my vacation, and write a little fashion blurb about what she'd wear on vacation. 

Hi y'all!  I'm Anica from simply splendid LOVE.  I am obsessed with fashion and I thought I would share with you two outfits I'd love to wear on my dream vacation.

My dream vacation is hands down Hawaii.  Don't get me wrong, I'd love to travel to Bora Bora or somewhere as equally awesome, but Hawaii has always been a dream of mine...or should I say a more obtainable dream.

beachy chic

Here's an outfit I'd wear lounging on the beach with my hubby, who I call Mr. H.  Isn't this hot pink tunic to die for?!?!

1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6

fun and flirty

After a fun day on the beach, Mr. H would take me on a romantic dinner date.  This is a fun dress that I thought would be perfect for a Hawaiian dinner.  I love dresses that can be dressed up or down.  

1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5

Every friday over at simply splendid LOVE, I blog about fashion. There's always a fun theme.

Thanks Miki for having me!  I hope you are having a wonderful time on your vacation.  I can't wait for you to return to hear all about it!

Generally I like road trips..

Hello. I am basking like a lizard at Lake Powell. =) I have hired entertainment for this happy happy hump day!

Without further intro, here's Rachel..

Generally, I like road trips. I've gone on several road trips with Angel in the year and a half we've been married. We even went on a road trip to Mall of America last month!

Angel is thinking, "Why are you telling me to smile at the camera while I'm driving? Haven't you head of keeping your eyes on the road?"

I don't drive very often on roadtrips, even now that I have a driver's license. When I was a kid, I didn't drive at all. On road trips with my family, I would sleep, read books, and play with pull-and-peel Twizzlers till we got to our destination.

 Okay, so maybe I still play with Twizzlers. I created this lovely piece of art on our honeymoon!

One of the very last vacations I ever took with my family was a road trip that went a bit rougher than usual. You see, the weird thing about road trips is that you need a car.  We had a car, but as it turned out, that wasn't good enough.

Just to let you know who you're dealing with here.

So, here's the setup: Two parents, and seven kids, of which I am the oldest, if not the biggest. I don't have any actual pictures from the vacation, since that was before I got a computer, but I think we were all about two years younger than we were in the picture above. I was 15 or 16 at the time. I should also mention that we weren't living in America, but in a country where English isn't so widely spoken and things don't work quite the same way.

My parents decided that our summer vacation would take us to a big city about 6 hours away from where we lived. If you've ever traveled with kids, you know that you have to stop every three or four hours, or even more often. We were an hour or so from our destination when we stopped at a rest area, got out of the car, and ran to the restrooms. In a few minutes, everyone piled back into the car, strapped our seabelts on, and got ready for the last leg of the trip. Only...Dad couldn't get the car to start.

With seven of us in the back and the hot sun shining through the windows, the temperature inside the car quickly became unbearable without working air-con, so we all got out while Dad tried to figure out what was wrong. He couldn't find anything obvious, or anything that seemed like an easy fix, so he ended up needing to figure out how call a tow truck in the area and get our car towed to a mechanic's shop.

Meanwhile, there are seven kids of various ages and sizes either wandering around the rest stop or slumped over picnic tables, not feeling particularly cheerful. Dad thinks that this wasn't the greatest start to our vacation, so he tells us he's going to buy us all ice  cream cones! From a guy with his own little ice cream stand at the rest area. There's only one flavor, and the ice cream is yellow, but we just figure that it's vanilla and Dad orders seven cones.

Only it's not vanilla. It's durian ice cream. If you haven't heard of durian, it is most famous for being a fruit with a very strong and very bad smell. Durian ice cream is ice cream that tastes, very, very bad. After one lick, all we wanted to do was secretly throw our ice cream cones away, but Dad was mad when he caught us doing that. "How bad could it be?!" he said, and tried one of my little sisters' cones. Then he said that it was all right to throw them away.

The tow truck came after an hour, and brought a taxi with it for the rest of us to ride in. We were all hungry by the time we got to the mechanic's shop, so Mom took us to a nearby restaurant while Dad negotiated the fixing of our car.

It turned out that the car needed a new motherboard, I believe it's called. The very important computer thing in cars? Anyways, it would take a whole week to fix, since they needed to order the part. Dad and Mom had us take a taxi to our hotel to complete the trip, leaving our car at the mechanic's shop in the middle of nowhere, and we took public transport everywhere we wanted to go once we reached the big city. That's the nice thing about those huge cities--you might need a car to get there in the first place, but once you're there, the subway and bus system will do!

 My sister, looking like she thinks she'll meet Prince Charming on the public bus. Could happen, I suppose.

I don't remember too much of what else we did on that trip, but I sure remember what it took to get there!

Punctuation Squared

I have this perfect friend. Her name is E-Ho! This post that she is sharing today, is EXACTLY why I love her so much. If you haven't been to Hope Squared, please go! You will laugh your tail bone off.

Have you ever been to Thailand, and gone on a train? Yeah me either, but Emily has. It sounds like an awesome vacation right... well what about when your Punctuation attacks, and you're on a train... in Thailand. Read on..

"Oh Miki you're so fine - you're so fine - you blow my mind - hey Miki!"  Sometimes when I think of Miki [which is always] I think of that song.  I am sure I am the only one!  Anyways Miki is off on an awesome holiday and since I am a globetrotter - I thought I'd come by and amuse you with my banter.  I am good at that.  Banter - not amusing people. My name is Emily - but I am on a mission to ensure that the entire interweb calls me E-Ho!   I like nicknames.  Usually I hang out at Hope Squared.  I am a fan of visitors.  So if you are a fan of banter - then swing over sometime. Here is what I am here to talk to you about today. This is a post I shared on my blog after returning from my honeymoon.  It has a good lesson - so it's worth the recycle. Yo - DJ let's kick it!  I am sure that most of you have seen the Kotex commercial below.  The commercial that explains all the awesome things you probably want to do when your Aunt Flo is in town [or as Miki likes to call it - your punctuation].  If not - take a moment to catch up with the rest of us.  We'll wait for you.
Done?  Okay good!  Well I have a few things I would like to add to this.  Because on my recent trip to Thailand -  during the most adventurous stretch - I was faced with all sorts of activities that I desperately wanted to partake in while my back was cramping.  My hormones were raging - not in a good way.  And all I could think about was a giant bowl of skittles.  And an extra strength Advil.  And bottle of wine.  First of all let me set the mood further - I woke up on a train.  In a cabin with my husband and two strangers.  NBD.  It was freezing cold.  I knew a trip to the shared squatter bathroom on the moving locomotive was going to be the best part of my day especially since mother nature was blessing me with my monthly gift.  Apparently she is a comedian! I never photographed said toilet [as I can still smell this small space and was afraid that it's odor would permeate my camera and I'd be stuck with it for life or at least until I bought a new camera]  so instead I will share with you a Googled stock photo that is pretty accurate to what I experienced.  Also the door didn't lock.  This is where all my yoga came into practice and I was thankful for my amazing balancing abilities.  Did I mention the train was moving?  And I was holding my breath the entire time?  And the door closed with one hand?  End of visual. 

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Now that the mood is set - I would like to add the following activities to the commercial above that absolutely classify as enjoyable during your monthly gift.  Because after the morning's experience I was ready to take on the world and explore my little heart out. 

I totally wanted to climb 306 steps in 38 degree Celsius {100 degree Fahrenheit} weather to a temple on top of a mountain. Even though there was a tram.  Why would we take the air conditioned tram up?  That would kill the fun.

Sitting in a rickety basket on top of an old elephant  when I felt like one was just coincidence. And trekking through the jungle on inclines, declines, through rivers, all while being bitten by mosquitoes and jungle flies - no better mood lifter.

Cruising down the river on a bamboo raft for an hour in the midday blazing sun - with an additional eight legged large, hairy passenger {not Steve - a spider} - piece of cake.  

Zip lining into the rain forest, crossing extremely shaky monkey bridges, and belaying 45m down a tree to reach the ground - sounded like the perfect cure to my ailments. 

So I would like to suggest that if you are planning a trip in the near future - I highly recommend you time the most active part of your itinerary around your lady business.  It will definitely increase the enjoyability factor of those activities.  If you don't believe me - re-watch the video above.  And look at the excitement written across this face.

Note: I did enjoy participating in all of the above activities

End of Banter! Thanks Miki for letting me invade your blog. And Miki-readers - come over and tell me a funny story about Aunt Flo!

The time I almost killed my husband

Happy Monday Friends! I know it's labor day, and all of you are at home in your beds with your iPads blog surfing. I know how you are. Well today I am gone. I know it seems like I am here, but I am not. This post is a robot. Just kidding, but it is scheduled. I am on my wonderful vacation, and I wanted to let you know that not all vacations are awesome. Mine right now is, but this one below.. is  not.

 This is a No-No of traveling post, keep in mind I love to travel, and usually go to Mexico twice a year. It’s my most coveted vacation spot. My husband and I go to Mexico with my family for Xmas, and his family for fun. We are a lucky couple. However, traveling that much really makes you understand what will make and break a vacation. Two years ago we were planning to travel to Cozumel, Mexico with my husband, Jared’s, family. Jared has severe A.D.D, anything that we do or plan has to be schizophrenic. I like to do our normal routine, and know where I am going, how long I will be there, and then I know what to pack. I want to point out that in every day life when packing, airplanes and passports are not involved I am a little more fun and spontaneous. BUT when we are leaving the country, and treading unfamiliar territory I like to know what to expect. I know I can get a little side swiped, and get off topic, so back to the story. Two years ago and Cozumel. Jared had decided that this year he didn’t want to fly into Cozumel, he wanted to fly into Cancun. I think it may have head something to do with airfare, but I usually stay out of it.

About a week before we were supposed to leave, I ask Jared to print out the itinerary. This is the first time I was aware that we weren’t flying directly to Cozumel. I am a pretty “go with the flow” type of girl. I didn’t think much of it. Then the night before we left on the plane, Jared told me that he was planning to stay in Playa Del Carmen for the night, which is about 30 minutes away from the airport, but there is a ferry from Playa Del Carmen to Cozumel. I was fine with the whole idea, so I thought… Jared forgot to tell me that he didn’t book a hotel for the night he planned to stay in Playa Del Carmen. YES. We were on the plane for 5 1/2 hours, only to get off and have no idea where we were going. I was in plane clothes, which is usually clothes I can sleep in easily on a COLD plane. NOT walk around in and sight see in really really HOT Mexico.

We get off the plane, and I already had a bad attitude, because Jared had told me last minute that we had nowhere to stay. He thought it would be fun and spontaneous and everything that it was NOT! At this point we have a week and a half worth of packing in our big suitcases that we are holding, we are both in plane clothes and already hot and sweaty. When Jared decided that we should take a 45 minutes bus ride, instead of a cab into Playa Del Carmen. We stay on the bus with all our luggage, not understanding the language very well and picking apart what they’re saying on the loud speaker, to decide where we need to get off. The busses in Mexico are like tin boxes, I am pretty sure they don’t have suspension, because I felt like we were in a bounce house the whole ride. When we finally decide to get off, we are in a chain of really nice hotels. Like 7 that are beautiful. I start to feel a little relief like I could hurry and shower soon. We walk into the first hotel, and they are completely full. Then we walk into the next 6 which are each about half a mile apart, and… you guessed it… they are all FULL! At the last one Jared is practically begging and I am offering to pay to sleep in a janitors closet. The nice man finally caves and tells us that he has one suite available for $700 a night… WHAT!? I was joking when I said nice man. We bailed. Off into the heat with our plane clothes, and suit cases. Jared tries to find another bus stop to take us into downtown Playa, and I about chop off his head, and tell him we are taking a cab or I am ordering a divorce. (We werent even married at the time). I made a map below so you could see where our travels took us:

Another 20 minutes and back in the direction we came, probably another $50. The cab drops off into the Mexican abyss. I am not joking for another 5 HOURS we (totally probably 7 or 8 hours) now, we tote around a suitcases and we are knocking on doors. Seriously, like these “hotels” are so incredibly sketchy, but at this point I was more ornery then I have ever been in my entire life. To top the misery off it started to rain, I may have welcome a cold sprinkle. It was a warm rain. I was sweaty, it was already humid, I didn’t have a hair elastic, and now it was raining warm water. I was done with life. We continue walk down this horribly creepy alley way and find a gate into a “hotel”. This is the first hotel in downtown that was even using a computer, not just a person with a clipboard, and hallelujah they have rooms available! I am pretty sure I started crying when they told us we had a place to stay for the night. They led us up a bunch of stairs, into a room that was a cement box with only a bed. An incredibly uncomfortable bed, and we were both the most happy we had ever been, especially me. We even kissed in the pouring rain, after we had showered and calmed down and we were ready to see each other again. We even were able to walk along the “strip” and get dinner that night.

We stayed the night in the hotel. The next morning, we didn’t even enjoy Playa Del Carmen, we got on that Ferry and peaced out as fast as possible. This is Jared in front of the Ferry ready to put that adventure behind us.

The morals of my story:

Always make plans when you’re leaving the country.

Never make your significant other carry their suitcases around for over 8 hours in their plane clothes.

Don’t trust a Mexican bus.

Sketchy Alleys are where you’ll find vacant hotels.

I hope you enjoyed my story, and my "DONT DO THIS!" warning.
I miss all of you!!