d-e-s-s-e-r-t-s

that's stressed spelled backwards.

currently, there are five tubs of this in my freezer:

{source}

yes, your eyes did not deceive you - i said f-i-v-e tubs.  i'm a sucker for those 'buy 2, get 3 free' sales {when i know that i'm really not getting anything for free}. 

i am stressed.  there's no doubt about that.  ice cream helps keep some of my stress & tension at bay.  okay, it really doesn't do anything except satisfy my sweet tooth.

the stress will work itself out, i suppose.  but, sometimes, it just doesn't seem like it works out fast enough.

money is tight {when is it not?}.  i'm ashamed to admit that we're still not quite used to making less money than we were.  well, i guess in a way we are, but it's still hard.  i mean, imagine having your income cut in half.  then, imagine your spouse's income being cut in half...ouch, right?  and, it pisses me off to hear people talk about how they hate hearing other people moan & groan about money being tight.  those are the people who usually assume other people's financial shortfalls are due to overspending {when really people are always going to complain about money whether they have it or not}.  my husband & i are not stretched to our financial limit due to overspending.  yes, i did treat myself to my area's groupon deal today, but 10 yoga classes for $25 is a steal {and a good stress reliever, too!}.

school starts in 28 days.  school for me, that is.  my financial aid situation hasn't worked itself out yet...i'm still waiting to hear about that.  i have to buy books & a ridiculously priced parking pass {grrr...}.  i also have to fit in 30 hours of observation time in my already hectic schedule.  i'm nervous & excited.  i know it's going to be worth it in the end {if only it were the spring of 2012 now!}.

lots has been going on within our family.  those that are close to me already know what i am talking about and those who follow the private blog also know what i'm talking about.

although i'm currently working {part-time} i am still viciously trying to find a job closer to home and, now that i'm headed back to school to complete a masters in early childhood education, i've been applying for vacancies within my city's school system.  keep your fingers crossed, please.  the stress of applying for jobs is enough to drive a person crazy!

i know that things will be okay.  i know things will not always be this hard.  i know that i'll look back on this time and really appreciate the struggle & the fight.  until then, i'm just going to keep on eating ice cream.

ohh, i...i will survive!

be thankful - very, very thankful - that you cannot actually hear me singing 'i will survive' because, well, honestly, um...yeah...your eardrums wouldn't survive.

there is cussing in this post, too...so if you have sensitive eyes then i suggest that you read something other than this post.

---

anyways...

my BFF is stress. at least it has been lately. stress at work {and that's all i'm sayin' because certain inquiring minds out there want to know too much and, well, everyone gets stressed at work} has been increasing. increasing stress at work has trickled into my home life. into my parenting life. into my life. ick.

so, i was chatting with a wise friend today and she suggested that i create a survival pack. nothing special...just a lil' something i could keep, oh, in my purse or desk drawer that is customized for me & my BFF stress.

the contents of my 'stressed out at work' survival pack would include...

• chocolate {'nuff said}
• a couple of smokes {i know, i know}
• ear plugs {i wonder where my green pair for the nascar races is...}
• cough syrup - because my friend's reasoning is this: you can't drink liquor {at work} but cough syrup might do the trick
• a rape whistle - again, my friend says that i could just blow it loud when people want to talk to me {just in case the ear plugs don't deter people}
• a face mask this way people will be like, "oh, you really are sick." {yeah, sick in the head!}
  
  and, last, but not least...
  
  
• my son's electronic whoopie cushion {don't ask} because, as my friend says, nobody wants to deal with a loud, gassy bitch -- and the bonus of this is...it's got a remote control. yeah.

sooo...if you, too, found yourself in a similar stressed-out position as i am currently in, what would your survival pack include?

Stress calls for Starbucks

I don't handle stress well. At all.

This morning was no exception. I dropped the pup off for surgery this morning and, while I was there, my mother was in surgery herself {nothing major or life threatening}!

Between all of the phone calls about the pup & my mother, I decided that before I headed back to work that I would need to treat myself to something lovely.

So, I drove straight to Starbucks and bought myself one of these:

The Banana Chocolate Vivianno - hello, it's like heaven in a cup! Yum! I also bought myself a fruit & cheese platter...oh, and a chicken cobb salad sammich. And, much to my delight, there was some money left on my Starbucks gift card to pay for some of the 'damage.'