Whose Business Is It?

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I was listening to Byron Katie’s audiobook  Loving What Is  and really got into it. One thing she said that got me is when we are thinking of shoulds and shouldn’ts, we are often worrying about things that are often not our business. There are things that are your business, my business and God’s business. I should worry about my business. I can’t stop every thought, but I can decide whose business it is and try to let it just be their business.

It’s not that I even care too much about other people’s business. A lot of times I care about how other people feel about me. Know what? That’s not my business! I can’t change them or their view. I can only live my life to make myself the best person I feel I need to be and do what makes me feel better. I know who I have to answer to at the end of the day and at the end of my life. Most of the people who I have been worried about in the past are not in those two categories so ultimately I don’t need to worry so much about what they think!

It’s a pretty liberating thought when you really consider it. While very liberating, it is also very difficult. We’re not wired that way. Well, not most of us anyway. I wasn’t. I was raised by a baby-boomer who wanted me to behave 85% of the time. She enjoyed my impropriety 10% of the time and then the other 5% of the time she was confused by it.

I am trying to do my hardest to live my life with it my business. I do wish people approved of my business, but I can’t live for others. I tried. I really did. It caused me to marry the wrong man and then to live in pain and tears for years due to that wrong and fateful decision. Why? Because I was living someone else’s business.

So whose business is it? It’s Amy’s business! And I’m living it intentionally now.

(If you have lived for others, I urge you to check out Byron Katie. It’s very good. Read  her book or listen to her audiobook Loving What Is.)

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Eyewear Savings

As we get older, things start falling apart. Fact of life. Not a nice one, but still we need to face it. I recently went to the eye doctor and my vision has changed slightly yet again. Guess what that means! Time for a change in eyewear! So my insurance says I can get contacts or glasses. I want both. But I really can’t afford full price. But I am a smart shopper! There are ways to afford it, people! I know a lot of people just slap down the full price or do without. Ridiculous! I don’t get that concept at all. With the internet, there is no reason to do that ever! And I do mean EVER!

If you know about the kind of glasses you like and can measure, go to http://www.coastal.com and you can get FREE glasses. Yes, I said FREE. You do have to pay the shipping and handling fee, but it is like $10. So what could cost $300 compared to $10? Ummm…what do you think? I’m thinking $10 ain’t so bad. And I have used this place before. They are reputable. They are good. I’m wearing the glasses right now and LOVE them! You have to use the coupon code: freefirstpair.

So, my insurance is going to buy my contacts. I wear CooperVision Frequency 55 contacts. No, they’re not the typical contacts. But I love them. They fit well and don’t roll up. But they’re not priced too differently than any other contacts out there. So I am getting these through insurance at the doctor’s office because that is what I have to do. But as I was doing my research, I found some interesting information. I checked http://www.1800contacts.com and they wanted $33.99 a box for my brand of contacts. That is crazy. So I did some more looking. I found http://www.contactlensking.com and guess what! The same contacts cost $12.95 a box. Yep! A savings of $20 a box and free shipping! 

People, don’t just pay retail for expensive items! Do some comparisons first. Maybe you have money to smack down on stuff like this. I don’t. And frankly, even if I did, I don’t like being screwed over. Why on earth would I want to pay an extra $40 ($20 x 2) plus shipping to 1800contacts?! It’s easy to look online to compare prices. I went to Google and just typed in “compare contact lens prices” and that is how easy it was.

Mi Vida Freakin Loca

The other day I wasn’t feeling well. I had a doctor’s appointment. I had just taken a shower and was drying off and the phone rang. I had missed work the night before with illness and I had a feeling it was work calling to see if I was coming in that night. If I don’t answer their calls quickly, they will call again. And again. And again. It’s easier to just answer and deal with it.

But I couldn’t find the phone and I was still drying, which meant I was without clothing, just my soggy towel. I ran downstairs and found the missing phone and sat down to make the obligatory call to work and told them I assumed if I wasn’t dead that yes, I would be there that night. I told them I had to go because I was getting ready for the doctor’s appointment I had.

Well, about that time more chaos ensues in my house. Now remember, I am still sitting there with my soggy towel. All of a sudden I hear what I call Leaf Blower Man outside. He is very close. Like right outside my damned window close! My cat loves to check Leaf Blower Man out to see what craziness he is up to daily. Turns out he was on my back patio blowing damned leaves like a damned tornado AT my sliding glass door. This creates a frenzy for my neurotic cat. She then tries to attack the leaves through the glass. She almost gave herself a damned concussion because she popped the door so hard. And she did it more than once. I don’t know if he was doing it as a game or if he was totally freaking oblivious. All I know is she is jumping around like a Mexican jumping bean and the blinds are swinging at a precarious and frenetic rate and I’m sitting there in only a  soggy towel. It wasn’t a pretty site and my anxiety level was through the roof. What if she knocked the blinds down? OMG this was embarrassment waiting to happen!

I sat there praying God would either make her realize hitting the glass wasn’t working, knock her out, or she would become bored with the whole leaf game. The latter happened. She got bored!  The blinds quit swinging. The Leaf Blower Man finally stopped. And I was able to get dressed! It’s a wonder my blood pressure wasn’t through the roof when I went to the doctor but it was fine. And this is mi vida freakin loca!

My Cat Is a Food Snob and a Critic

Chloe. The adorable looking cat is now a food snob and a critic. She used to like the store brand cat food just fine. Then I got a coupon for a free bag of food. Gee, thanks, Friskies! I wonder if they put Kitty Crack in those bags. Now if my precious one doesn’t have those dang Grillers, I get the “look”. And lemme tell ya, that look says a lot. I can just hear my darling saying, “What? You expect me to eat store brand food? What’s wrong with you?!” It got so bad that I opened a can of tuna earlier just to appease her. That made Soleil happy, but Chloe? Ha! She wants Grillers! Now! I told her she was just gonna have to wait til in the morning when I come home from work. She’s not happy. She squeaked at me and walked away.

I guess I’m in the doghouse until I buy that poor starving cat the right food!

This is Chloe the Cat who is not happy with me.

This is sweet Soleil who is just kinda blase’ about the whole thing.

Today Is NOT My Day

I got off work at 7am this morning and decided to run into the grocery store for a couple of things. So I do my shopping. I had my handy-dandy coupons. She scanned them and missed one. I didn’t feel like arguing. I am tired. I want to go home. I have to be back at work at 7pm tonight.

I head out to the parking lot. I walk carefully with my cart behind the parked cars and not in the middle of the aisle. I’m trying to be a good pedestrian. It’s probably 7:30 at this point. Some woman comes flying through the parking lot and cutting across the parking spaces and decided she wants to come down where I’m walking. I am still off to the side to stay safe. So she goes past me and I need to cross to the other side where my car is parked. She had stopped and suddenly throws her car in reverse as I am walking behind it. I jumped and yelled a few curse words. So she decided to pull forward and park in another spot and not run me over after all. She gets out and yells, “Sorry to have scared you!’ as she runs into the store. I was speechless. After a full minute, speech came back. I wanted to run into that store and find her and tell her I wasn’t sorry I was shaking the snot out of her.

I then just get in the car and go to the light to turn left. I turn onto the main road and have to take an immediate left so I get into the turning lane. Well a car coming from the opposite direction decides he wants in the turning lane, too. He starts merging into the lane a little to close for my comfort and almost takes my bumper off. Again, more curse words. This time hand gestures were involved.

When I finally made it into my parking spot I just sat there for a moment trying to see if I had really made it home alive or not. I had to write this out because it’s just so crazy. I am heading to bed now because I have to be back at work in 10 hrs.