Purge.

I clean a little differently than most people. I've had this "difference of opinion" since I was young. I was about 8 or so and my pastor was coming over to the house to visit, so naturally, my mother told me to go clean my room. I pranced off on my merry little way to my room, turned on the radio and began cleaning my underwear drawer. I mean, my underwear and socks were mixed together! Some of my socks weren't even matched any more, the horror! I was plugging along, I had emptied my whole underwear and sock drawer and was beginning to put things back in. My day of the week underwear was now in order, white socks were with white socks, purple socks were with purple socks (I was eight, the 80s had just ended, cut me some slack alright?) and then my mom walks in. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!?" she shrieked. I don't remember my reply but it probably would have had the effect of "cleaning, duh!" because I couldn't understand what she was freaking out about. I proudly showed her my vast accomplishments in cleaning the underwear drawer and she said "Do you honestly think Pastor is going to look in your underwear drawer?" At the age of 8, I was perfectly contempt with cleaning my underwear drawer and didn't see her point. At 28 (ohmygosh, has it really been twenty years?), I see her point, but still find satisfaction in cleaning my underwear drawer.

I've been staying at my mom's house the past two weeks and I still have tons of stuff here. In fact, there's boxes EVERYWHERE because I had to move stuff out of one location and had no where to put there. There's a small path to my bed and cleaning and relocating those boxes would be the easiest thing. However, something larger was weighing on my mind. Under my bathroom sink. I have been thinking about it non-stop for a week and how I need to go through the things down there and clean up. So tonight I finally did it and it was ridiculous how much I threw out. There was stuff that had been there since we moved in when I was in high school. I found two shoulder pads (not matching, naturally), FIVE curling irons, all in varying sizes, a hair product for every color I have had (red, blonde, brown) and about twenty different makeup/bath product bags. I got rid of all of the above, except the curling irons. I did, however, check to make sure they all work. I don't even want to admit how much I put in the trash can or even begin to think how much money just went in the trash can, but I feel SO much better that I know it is cleaned. I feel like it's the 2010 version of my underwear drawer. Anyone is welcome to come look at my new under the bathroom sink cabinets but I'm not sure it's that exciting!

Not having to drive 6 hours to the Valley! (But is still kind of peeved that Hurricane Alex has but a severe cramp in her plans)

And waiters who can tell that you've had a bad so they go the extra mile, like bringing you a happy hour drink 10 minutes before it starts. :D

Today I thankful for five year old hands that can fit into tiny spaces that yours can't!

Sleeping with your dog and have her muzzle to get closer to you.

Impromptu family time. Watching little kids watch fireworks like it's the first time.

Traveling down roads you've never been down before. Literally, not figuratively. :D

To complain or not complain...

I've had a few rants in my head today, but instead I'm going to save them and hopefully forget about them.

Instead, today I am thankful everything I needed to buy being on sale. I went to the Adidas outlet to buy new shoes for tour. Last year, I started buying two pairs and alternating between them each day. I learned that a) my feet don't hurt as much, b) they don't smell as bad, c) they last longer! So I had my mind set on doing that as well this year. However, since I'm not getting older, I'm not so much concerned with how they look, but how they feel, how they fit and if they're actually the right type of shoe for the activity I'm doing (scary, I know!) So it took me over an hour to decide on TENNIS SHOES! Am I crazy or what? So as I was down to choosing between three pairs (out of the eight pairs that I tried on) the salesman said, you know, anything with a red sticker is an extra 25% off? My top two picks had red stickers and instantly, my choice was made! So I began shopping for tour clothes, you know, clothing that won't melt to your body when your out in the sun all day. Everything I picked up had a red sticker! I ended up paying a little over two hundred dollars for two pairs of shoes, 4 workout tank tops, 4 pairs of shorts and two long sleeve shirts. How awesome is that? I know it's a lot of money, but heck, I was buying shorts for $3.71 and that's no joke! I am so grateful that everything was on sale today! I just won't eat during tour. :D Oh wait, that's right, I get peanut butter and jelly everyday for free! ;)