Nothin better or a really long meandering account of the last few days

Wow.

That is the best word I have to sum up my last few days. My little bro Mike and his wife Cindy and their kids came to visit this weekend. We always have so much fun when we get together. The only problem is that I quite often get headaches from laughing so hard.

It's okay though, it's one headache I'm willing to trade off for.

Last night we had dinner at my house. Nothing unusual about that. I almost always have Sunday dinner at my house with Donald and Lisa. It's usually the highlight of the week for all of us. But when we get to add other family members to our little group it is even better. We had grilled New York steak, roasted potatoes, oriental salad, Lisa's delicious ambrosia fruit salad and a limited supply of garlic bread. Limited, because I completely incinerated the first loaf.

(Good thing I had bought two.)

We enjoyed roasting marshmallows and eating smores. We were so loud I'm pretty sure we gave my mom a headache. Oh well, there's always ibuprofen.

Friday was also a good day. Courtney and I had a mom and daughter day. I went to the mall with her. I usually hate the mall. No parking, too crowded, high prices, ya know what I mean?

But it was amazingly not too tedious. Courtney had a Macy's coupon for 25 dollars off 100 dollar purchase. Now I grew smart about those kinds of offers a long time ago.

Courtney has yet to learn.

If you were already planning to go to Macy's to make a 100 dollar purchase, then these coupons are wonderful to have in your possession.

I doubt that happens very often though.

I mean how likely are you to receive one of these handy little coupons at the exact moment you also plan to go drop a hundred at Macy's.

Uuhuh, I rest my case.

I decided that, since I was already there, I might as well look around for a new purse. And yes I actually did need a new purse. It turns out that I didn't really need to look around, I spotted "IT" right away. I seldom experience love at first sight. So, I'm not really sure how it happened but I loved my new purse from first glance.
I do believe a picture would be appropriate here.

Here is the back.

And here is the front. Don't you just LOVE it?????


Should I wax poetic on my new purse? I believe I will.

First of all it is big. I like that. Mind you, it's only nice and big, it's not luggage. Second, and this is actually even more important, it has lots of compartments.

Lots.

I love that!

On the front there are two individual pockets. I will use those for, pocket on the left; jujyfruits (that's right I never travel without my jujyfruits. ) pocket on the right; various lip glosses, lipsticks, compact mirror and microfiber cloth for cleaning glasses.

Then behind these two front pockets but before you get to the main purse insidery, we have a long zippered pocket, empty at the moment, to be filled as needed.

Now we enter the main purse sanctuary. There is a big inside pouch separated by another inside zippered pouch thus making three, mind you, THREE inside pockets, or pouches whatever you like to call them. These are filled (so far) with, compartment one: wallet, checkbook, calculator and one pack of spearmint gum. However, the gum will probably get put in a different pocket.

It usually can't hold up to the rigors of the main pocket.

The middle zippered pouch holds Kleenex's (allergies you know.)

And the last big pocket contains everything else, coupons, Jo-anns ads, and mostly anything else that doesn't have anywhere else to go. (Some might call it my junk pocket.)

Oh yeah, there are also two pockets in the inside front. One holds my cell phone the other's use is at the moment, undecided. Also one inside zippered pocket in the inside back. This one is for nail clippers, my teeny little fold up scissors, my little Altoids tin that I have filled with ibuprofen and about seven safety pins of different sizes. Trust me, these are all things I have needed from time to time.

Need I repeat how much I love this purse? I also kinda like that it is a "Fossil". I have never bought an actual name brand purse before. I also never thought I would spend so much on a purse.

I would like to think that my glorious above description justifies the price I paid.

Hmm, has anyone else ever spent so much time blogging about an accessory, albeit a really cool one?

Courtney, btw, ended up getting herself a darling black dress coat. It looks sorta Audrey Hepburnish to me and she agrees. I would show you a picture of her in her coat but she doesn't want to cooperate.

It is 8:00 Monday night and she wants to go to bed.

She has acquired this new early bed time because she gets up at 4:30 to get ready to catch the bus at 6:00 to be to work by 7:00. I feel that she is being extremely responsible so I don't argue. But it does mean I have no picture of her in her cute new coat.

We (that would be me and Courtney) had a lot of fun though while we were out Friday. I forgot to mention that before all this, we took my mom to dialysis*. After dropping mumsy off, we went across the street and then across the parking lot to get our nails done by Annie.

Woops, Correction.

Annie did my nails. (I have seniority after all.) Kim did Courtneys'. Courts got a full set, I just had a fill.

Funny thing about Courtney and her nails.

She goes without them for months and then one day she will suddenly decide that she simply must get a set of french tips. Since I was going in there anyway, she came with.

Now here is what usually happens when Courtney gets new nails.

She gets her nails. She loves them and talks to me about them at least seven times a day for the first four or five days.

She worries and worries that for some unknown reason they are planning to fall off. Try as I might to convince her that her new set of nails, have NO intention of jumping ship, she still is pretty sure it could happen.

Oh, one other neuroses she suffers from after, oh, say, four days or so; She is absolutely convinced that they have grown out to the point of needing a fill. I look at them for her. I assure her that they are not showing any new growth as yet, and that there is NO reason for a fill after only a few days.

That would be week one of Courtney having new nails.

Weeks two and three;
She realizes that her nails are still intact and for most intents and purposes they are going nowhere. She can finally relax and enjoy them. For up to six, days at least.
Week three starts which means that after 14 days they are most likely ready for a fill.

New worries.

Does she want to keep the white tips or go with color? Debate, debate, debate. From past experience I will predict that she will decide to stick with the french tips for one more round.

Two more weeks pass.

That means time for another fill.

Suddenly, Courtney starts to think that maybe she doesn't want to have to spend fifteen bucks (plus tip) every two weeks. She also starts to think that just maybe these acrylic nails aren't as wonderful as she was thinking they would be, this time.
She also starts to have a hard time deciding to keep the tips white or to explore the wonderful world of nail color.

More debating.

I try to make it easier for her by pointing out that I am leaving to get a fill with or without her.

Okay, now we come to the part where she (at least every other time up til now this is what has happened. Keep in mind that as of right now she has only had this new set of nails for four days.) decides that these stupid nails are just too much work, too much expense and not at all worth all the drama.
I am quickly informed that she will not be accompanying me to Hot Spa Nails.

The nails are pulled off. (She does this herself. There is actually a certain satisfaction that comes from ripping those nails off yourself.)

The fingernails underneath are a real mess.

Courtney proclaims that she is not going to get acrylic nails anymore. Dum,dum,dee,dum.

Six months go by.

Eight months.

Nine months, and guess what?

Courtney suddenly decides that, most of her friends at work have fake nails. Their hands always look so nice. And all of a sudden, she will not know a moments happiness until she can get a new full set of French Tip nails.


Ahh, such is my life with my Courtney.

Well that about covers the last few days for me. It has been lots of fun and entertainment. Oh I also gave a talk in church on Sunday. I feel like I did a good job and I really enjoyed it. I really enjoy public speaking. There's nothing like a captive audience. I also realized today that I have not presented my blog with a new post since last Tuesday, so here is a new post for all my lovely friends to read. Yes, yes I do like to spread the love.

So tell me, how was your weekend?

*Correction: I just realized that I made a big mistake, I did not take my mom to dialysis on Friday. I take her on Mondays and my sister Janice takes her on Fridays. I don't know what I was thinking. Okay Janice, sorry to take credit for Friday.