cough cough

I'm home sick today, little bit of a cough, no real sore throat just cough that makes the rest of me hurt :-( I debated going to work today but at 5 am who really feels good enough to go to work? So, I'm home and I'm glad. However, I feel guilty about using a day of sick leave. I have LOTS of sick leave, over 5 weeks, but all I think about is that I have to save that up in case...one day...I decide to have kids. Contrary to what I would ever believe, the US Federal govt. does NOT give you maternity leave, nada. You have to use your own sick leave or take leave without pay. So here I am sick, should probably not be at work, and I feel bad for trying to get better because I'm stealing a day from myself that years from now I might need...crazy. There's plans to pass a new law that allows parental leave, something like 4 weeks for maternity leave, but who knows when that will happen. Until then I feel the need to hoard my sick leave for the future possibility of kids.

I'm going to sit on the couch and relax and try to at least enjoy not being at work :-)

it doesn't take much...

...to make my day sometimes. Monday when I was leaving work I walked past the valet parking office of my building and waved goodbye to the security guards and the parking gentlemen that I see most days. This one gentleman in particular always says hello, calls me young lady and asks how I'm going. Yesterday he asked if I was going to watch football that night. I said probably not but my husband was. He gave me this look like, "you are married!?" Then he said something about thinking I wasn't old enough, saying I couldn't be that far out of high school. Now, I am not one of those women that feels like I look old or needs to be told I look good for my age or something, but there was something about the way this man said it, that was sweet and very complimentary. I see him most days and he always has a smile on his face and asks how I am and really means it. I honestly do not even know his name. After walking by every day and starting to say hi, good morning and the usual pleasantries we started to have a little hello/goodbye relationship going on. There is one other gentleman that is in the booth every morning. If he sees me walking by he gets this big smile and waves really big and mimes good morning. Again, don't even know this guys name but I make sure to look for him every morning because if I see him and he waves hello, there's just something so nice about that gesture that it makes me smile every time. I think they have a job where most people don't stop to say hi and wait to listen about how their day is going, so when someone does, they really appreciate it. And even though I work in an office all day where I see people and we talk and know a little about each other's lives, it's not the same-these guys are just sweet, kind people. It's the little things sometimes that can make your day.

shopping!

So, taking advantage of my day off today [thank you Federal govt] I went shopping. First to the Value Village thrift store to look for jean clothing. Added bonus, all Federal holidays are 1/2 price day at these thrift stores. VAP and are attending a "Jarty" aka, Jean Party after Thanksgiving. The premise is that you wear all denim. VAP does not own any jeans, so I had to buy him a whole outfit- jean pants, denim shirt, and sweet denim jacket. He's going to have the whole "Canadian tuxedo" going on. I just got myself a jean jacket. Not sure if I'd wear it anywhere but this party, but hey, it was only $2.50.

I wanted to buy myself another pair of jeans- new, not at the thrift store, so I headed to Arundel Mills. You could tell it was a holiday b/c the parking lot was pretty full. I don't want to think about what that place is going to look like when the holidays get closer. I can't really complain though because I pretty much always go shopping the day after Thanksgiving. While on the hunt for jeans I got distracted and started trying on just about anything. I think I experience the whole range of shopping emotions- happy to sad/depressed. How is it that the size you wear in one store is so completely different than another store? One store can make you feel good about yourself and then another can totally crush that. Besides the size issue, why is it so hard to find a pair of pants that fit right? Even in the same store trying on the exact same jeans I literally wore into the store that I've had for a few years- the new pair I tried on, didn't fit the same. Ugh. I feel the same way about bathing suits. Why can't I find a bathing suit bottom that fits as well as my underwear. No butt cheeks hanging out, not super low cut, just comfortable and covers all the right stuff.

All complaining aside, I did find a pair of jeans I could live with, and for $30! And...I found a new suit for work. I'm super happy about that, I haven't bought a suit since 2005 and I needed a new one. This one is actually separates that all match and are interchangeable which is sweet. I have a jacket and then either a skirt, or a dress. And it all looks flattering on me :-) Now I just need some place to wear it...