Backstreet's Back ALRIGHT!

A dear friend commented "Where have you been?"

Well, readers.... I have been here. On my "backup" computer. And sad. Let's start at the very beginning... a very good place to start.

A few weeks before Thanksgiving, I arrived home from work to a darkish, empty house. I walked in and heard a strange sound coming from the office. Knowing that I had my electric toothbrush plugged into an outlet in the office, I decided it was either that, or a robber with a chainsaw hiding in the closet so the sound was muffled.

I rushed into the room, very concerned by what could have fallen and was now stuck pressed against the toothbrush in its charger making it buzz.

Not the toothbrush.

My amazing, 8 year old computer, in fact. Horrified, I checked my e-mail, facebook, twitter, some blogs and the news.... then decided to turn off the computer.

When BF came home, I dragged him into the office, turned on the computer and said "I think my fan is broken".

His response? "Sorry dear, thats your hard drive. They make that sound just before they die".

Heartbroken, I made a decision to not turn on the computer again until I figured out a way to fully back up everything on it, should that be the last time it lets me turn it on. I began to use my slow 4-year old Vista running laptop as my primary computer because most "fun" things (including blogs) are blocked at...work. Because of the slowness, I mainly used it for e-mail and facebook (which almost always froze the system).

BF decided that it would be nice for the season of presents that was coming up, to gift me a new hard drive and new computer, once everything was backed up onto the hard drive.

WEEKS went by. Hard drive was purchased on Black Friday. Arrived one-point-five weeks later. Another 2 weeks went by before we tried to install it. New computer never purchased. Result? Hard drive NOT compatible with 8 year old computer. Sidebar? 8 year old computers carry mounds of dust inside. It was disgusting and amazing to clean.

While the cover was off of the unit, BF had a genius idea to turn on the computer and see if anything "else" was making a sound.

Well friends, the hard drive was silent. Very much alive, well, happy and dust-free. The FAN on the other hand? Oh that was buzzing like a toothbrush.

BF said "So, what do you want to do now?"

"Well, since you bought me a hard drive for YOU, and no new computer, I want you to get up and find me a new FAN since we could have solved this weeks ago with a $3.00 part".

Sony makes their own parts, in their own sizes, that normal walk-in stores do not carry. Sigh. Another week later, my fan arrived from the online order we had to make after driving to 4 stores.

And I spent the next few hours singing to my computer how much I loved it and how its so much better than BF's computer.

Twinkle lit fireplace pics to come!

The Bathroom Smells Like Mint!

What does your bathroom smell like? Hopefully something artificial. And nice. Seriously.  For the past few days, every time I walk into the bathroom, I smile and smell the refreshing mint that spreads from the shower. 

Basically, its freezing here.  I'm not joking, if any of you out there actually read this and are outside of New England.... it was "50" (but also dark and raining) on Sunday... that was a freak accident.  It hasn't been above 32 degrees in over a week except for that.  And rumor has it, we are expecting a nor'easter this weekend. Awesome.

What this really means to me is my skin is so itchy from the dry changing temperatures.  What is ALSO means is that the hair salon I go to comes out with PAUL MITCHELL TEA TREE GIFT SETS!!!  YES!

For less than the price of ONE tea tree shampoo bottle, I bought shampoo, conditioner and bar soap! 

If you are not aware, tea tree is supposed to help invigorate your skin and hair, with some sort of magical healing properties.  As long as the shower is steaming hot, and the tea tree is minty and refreshing, it feels like you just left a eucalyptus steam room. Anddddddd.... its wonderful.  Its a great cold winter feeling b/c the tea tree makes your scalp tingle which leaves it uber refreshed.

I washed my hair twice the day I bought my first bottle of the year.

Anyway, if you're considering it.... I only recommend the tea tree special.  Its all personal preference, but I hated the lavender and the lemon sage was slightly icky.

SO while I am blocked in my house from the many many feet of snow we're expecting this winter, starving because its inevitable we'll forget to go grocery shopping, knowing the probability Comcast will break and we won't have cable.... I'll turn my minty smelling bathroom into a spa.  And it will be awesome.

Oh... you already have a favorite shampoo/conditioner and you don't care for my recommendation?  No problem.

How about this one?  A Burt's Bees Holiday Grab Bag!  I already bought mine, and it arrived and it was the most fun thing.  Its already awesome to get mail... but a surprise grab bag!?  How fun! When the package arrived, I pulled out the mesh bag and just kept pulling out items.  I received a full size toothpaste (yessssss!), full sized shampoo, conditioner, body lotion, some other stuff I can't remember, 2 bars of different soap, lip gloss and so much more!  Sigh, so amazing. :-)

If not seasonal products/food (we'll miss you DD pumpkin donuts, until we meet again next year), how are you preparing for the holidays?

If you have the December issue of InStyle, flip to page 412.  Bottom left.  THAT is how I plan to prepare for the holidays.  Without the mag?  Its a picture of mini white twinkle lights wrapped around fireplace logs set in the fireplace.... seems to light up the whole fireplace and is so not nearly as much a fire hazard as actually lighting the wood.  I promise to post the "after" pics.... once I, you know, buy the twinkle lights.  Its going to happen within the next 3 days.  Vacuuming out the unused fireplace, with 2 lamps aiming directly into the deep dark crevice was a huge success- not one bug came flying out all mean and hungry like. Win!

Stay tuned!