Week 6, Days 4 & 5 - St. Patty's Day + 1

Week 6, Day 4 Outfit: Ann Taylor Loft GREEN wrap shirt, black BR pencil skirt, Joan and David black patent leather pumps (guest appearance: Sunny the cat, what a ham!)

Week 6, Day 5 Outfit: Ann Taylor gold silk blouse, black BR trousers, Joan and David black patent leather pumps

I headed up to my regular Detroit "hotel" (a married co-worker couple's apartment that has been generously offered to me to crash at when I report into the office, which is about a 1.25 hr drive from home- I usually get in two days of back to back "office time" because of this generous offer). During my Detroit trips, it's harder to blog because I usually end up spending my after work hours draining bottles of wine with Mike and Lyn. I've become so inculcated into their family that I have started to think of myself as their second child - yes, I am competing for their attention with a 1 yr. old boy named Beck (which I might add, has a future in Gap Kid ads because he has perfect features). Yesterday, I joined them for a St. Patty's day dinner and ate meat for the first time since my wine dinner at the Toledo Museum a couple of weeks ago. I am definitely beginning to notice how quickly my system is forgetting meat and how eating just a bite-ful of it is such a conscious effort, that it's actually easier to not eat it at all. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed the corned beef...really enjoyed it...but definitely think I've got this flexitarian thing down. Tonight, I ate what was probably an over processed cheese and mushroom frozen pizza and my stomach nearly exploded from the butter and cheese loaded on it. Hmmm...maybe being Vegan really is my destiny!

During our monthly office meeting yesterday, when we got around to the "people news" section, the male meeting facilitator turned to me, with cocked eyebrow, and asked if there was a certain challenge that I wanted to share with the group. Seeing this as an opportunity for shamelessly publicizing this blog, I did share with the group about my goal to avoid buying clothes for a year (now I really need to stick through this as long as possible as my very reputation at work is at stake - especially since they all refer to me as the "fashionista"). Those in the office who have been keeping up with the blog asked me to share about my arrest warrant, which ended up becoming the highlight of my story. Speaking of which, I have finally received a notification of my speeding ticket (on an ever so otherwise easily missed postcard the thickness of the kind of "no postage required" cards you find stuffed inside of magazines - actually, this card was actually thinner). Apparently, no court hearing has been scheduled for me, and I am instead expected to pay $145. In the breakdown of this total, $10 of the $145 is the actual "fine" for speeding 5 miles over the speed limit, $95 attributed to what is labeled as "Costs", and $45 for what is labeled as "State Costs." Can someone tell me what the difference is between "Costs" and "State Costs?" WTF????? Please note, that I rarely swear in blogs - ok, this is really my first blog, but anyway - I am so annoyed as to how an agency that is being funded by good tax dollars (not mine, of course, because I live in OHIO) can run so terribly, inefficiently, and we-don't-give-a-f**k-about-you-ly (yes, I just invented a new word in blogland). ARGHHHHH! I am SO calling this place to give them a piece of my mind (which will surely dwindle down to nothing after likely being on hold for 15 minutes when I call).

So, I have been giving much thought to the fact that I have made a commitment to take on a new week-long challenge each month (in addition to giving up shopping). Given that March is over 1/2 way through, I need to get crackin' on this month's challenge. Since I'll be traveling quite a bit these next few weeks, I figured the "easiest" (or rather most likely to be maintained this next week) challenge to do is 30 minutes of meditation each day for a week. So, starting tomorrow, I'm beginning this challenge. I tried meditating with Mikey last June for a weekend when we were trying a detox weekend (this followed by 3 days in Vegas binge eating and drinking)...and I actually enjoyed it. I was only able to last 10 minutes - which will therefore make it quite interesting to try for 30 minutes...wow, that seems like a long time...which is all the more reason it has to be 30, not 10 minutes. My travels next week involve a trip out to Denver, followed by a 1.5 hr drive into Key Stone for my client engagement. I've decided that I WILL ski, even if by myself and somewhat rusty from not having done it in 10 years. How can you be in Key Stone, CO at a ski resort, in a condo that is (according to the client) right next to the lift, and not embark upon the opportunity that has been placed in your hands? Plus, that's one more day's worth of clothing I would otherwise not wear that will count toward my challenge! Oh what fun!