Bad nights make for horrible looking mornings

It's definitely not the way you want to start a Monday morning, the new week, or even the carpool to the elementary school.  Is there anything worse than waking up and seeing puffy eyes?  It's the inescapable feeling that you have aged 7 years in one night.  This morning I look like I drink like a fish!  But I don't drink and can't blame the calming effects of red wine from the previous nights evening. However I can blame it on a bad night.  One filled with sorrow, a tad bit of anger, a rekindled friendship, and salty tears that diffuse straight back into my dehydrated body when they flow.

Fortunately the beauty of life is that we do have the opportunity to change the day.  It may be hard but finding the wind for our sails takes looking for it as diligently as possible.  With less energy than planned and looking like an extra on a horror flick, here is what I found helped me this morning.

• Laughter - Isn't this always the best medicine?  A sincere chuckle and the stress releasing hormones that the brain releases really lightens your mood.  Even if it requires laughing at yourself.  I found myself laughing at a somewhat stupid reference to the old TV show My three sons during an episode of This American Life on my morning run walk mosey.  I immediately felt better and clarity reigned for a whole two seconds.  
• Load up -  On a great breakfast.  One resulting in brain power and energy. Whole grains or peanut butter or a awesome protein shake would be totally appropriate.  It will help balance what you may be missing......and if that doesn't work than caffeinate or sugar load.  It will at least get you through the morning feeling better albeit temporarily.  
• Fight on! (that's in honor of my niece who was just accepted her full ride scholarship to USC.) Keep with your schedule, exercise despite what you feel, conquer the world and don't forget to take a hot shower.  Singing loud to a Carpenters song never hurt either.   Don't let this rainy day or Monday get you down.  

As simple as these are, they really do help and the energy expended is very little to accomplish what could change the day 100%.  It's still Monday and I have a lot on my plate but I'm crossing yesterday off my list and moving forward.  Let the hallelujah chorus begin.  It's Monday, a  new day with new beginnings and every opportunity for change.

......and if those don't work than go purchase these Kate Spade oversized sunglasses to hide a little bit of the bad morning that you may be having.  They are my new item I'm coveting.  After all, the beauty of life is the opportunity for change and these rose colored glasses may be just what is needed to improve your outlook.  

Don't get me started

A couple of days ago I was hot. So hot you could see steam rising and hear the sizzle.

Hot under the collar.

I ranted and raged to the person next to me, confirming to them that I was indeed a crazy person.  I'm usually not vocally opinionated about cliche phrases and words of political correctness, but maybe my situation as of late (tax season) has made me a little more sensitive to the situation.  It may be old news but I needed two days to just cool off to finally address the comment.

In an interview, Michelle Obama compared herself to a single mom.  She corrected herself and reworded......that she was as 'busy' as a single mom.  No harm done, I think we can understand that sometimes we say things by accident in the moment.   Then Obama, son of a single mother, stepped his foot in it when he reiterated the praise and chuckled.

But then again, I guess he had grandparents to help out......and the luxuries of government assistance.

Obama: Michelle has often been like a single mother

http://www.usatoday.com/story/theoval/2013/04/24/obama-michelle-today-interview-single-mother/2108957/

I'm a single mom and that is different than being a working mom.  Do I need to repeat that?  I don't want to say that both don't have many of the same struggles. The guilt of dividing your time,  the constant pull in different directions, inadequacies of not quite being 100% present in either role.  The list could go on and on in comparing the similarities between the two.  But do people really understand the differences?  Do people really even care?

Has Michelle Obama ever wondered how food would be put on the table?   Has she ever pushed a sick child into day care because she couldn't afford to take a day off work?  Again, the list could go on and on.

I'm not on welfare.  I fortunately make too much money to qualify but unfortunately too little to give my son the life he deserves.  So I continue working, as hard as I can. And stressing.  And losing sleep.  And never seeming to get ahead in the world.  With no support from others and nobody there at the end of the day.

While my hat is off to every working mother it is also off to stay at home mothers.  We have unique rolls in this world and the joys of motherhood can fuel us to do things we never thought possible.  My hat even goes off to Michelle Obama and I have deep respect for her in her role.  I can even imagine being the wife of a president and what that must be like.  That is definitely not an easy job.  

However as the old adage goes.  Never judge another man without walking in their shoes.  Especially the single mothers of the world.

My face is as red as the Pinterest icon

I'm single.  Therefore I google.

Have I said that before? It sounds very familiar.  But it's still true.

I know that other people who are single, google as well.  (Yes Google I'm using you as a verb.)  That has recently been confirmed to me from a single man.  A single man, who in fact googled me.

And he found it.  The something I've been dreading.  The something that comes up immediately upon a name search....on the first page. And the worst thing about it.  It's a video.  A video completely inappropriate for viewing.  At least in my minds eye.  Because it's embarrassing. And probably the cause of me still being single......and forced to change my name.

And if getting over that embarrassment wasn't enough....

I also have Pinterest to thank. Didn't I once blog about how Pinterest was an answer to prayer?  Maybe a revision is necessary.  And this is fresh.....as in less than 24 hours fresh .  My cheeks are still cooling off.  Imagine my horror when I'm scrolling down Pinterest seeing beautiful design, recipes, quotes, feeling all warm and fuzzy and than BOOM!!!  A picture of myself.  What?  Where? Who?  Expletive inserted here! Not only that...but it's the worst picture of all time.  Even my brother admitted it.  He thinks its hilarious.  That's the last time I do him a favor.  My face is as red as the Pinterest icon.  Maybe the video from google isn't that embarrassing after all.

I never thought of myself as a girl who gets around.  But I'm rethinking about that in today's world.

P.S.  Advice to the single man.  Keep your stalking to yourself.   It just makes you all that less creepy.  It's the unspoken secret within the single world.  We must save face.  Google is a tool, not a megaphone!