New Toys?

Today's one of my unpaid furlough days, so I got to take OC to her orthodontist appointment -- 2 hours to get there, 2 hours to wait, 2 hours to get home. Long day. It's worth the long trip every 4 - 6 weeks as the ortho there charges at least half of what they charge where we live.

Anyway...

Came home, walked into the kitchen and my mind said "ooooh, new toys."

Now, obviously, DH would not leave true toys sitting on the kitchen counter.

What I saw was a gift from one of his suppliers -- a crock full of brand new kitchen tools. You know the kind I mean, the mostly wooden ones -- spoons, stirrers, salad tongs, etc.

I'm wondering if I can convince DH that some of them should come upstairs....

I forgot

to tell you how DH welcomed me home after my trip to Colorado *grin*
I was waiting in baggage claim, back to the airport doors, when "THWACK!!", DH's hand connected soundly, and loudly, with my backside. Not only did the spank echo in the cavernous area, but so did my yelp of surprise. We got quite a few looks *blush*. Then a nice big hug (no kisses cuz I didn't want to spread my icky sick germs).
A totally nice welcome home, considering we generally don't park and go in to the airport, but circle 'til the traveller emerges ready to go home.
And then, he went and got the car so I wouldn't have to drag my crampy, stuffy, coughy, sneezy, tired self through the cold and snow flurries to the car. Sometimes he surprises me with his thoughtfulness.
Because I was sick and suffering from that time of the month, nothing more happened. And then DH left on Monday for Mexico. However, I did make sure that Saturday he got a very big welcome home. Perhaps I'll share later....

MyPersonality.info Badge

Saw this on another blog (don't remember which one). Seems pretty accurate. Explains a lot :D


INFP - The "Dreamer"

INFPs are introspective, private, creative and highly idealistic individuals that have a constant desire to be on a meaningful path. They are driven by their values and seek peace. Empathetic and compassionate, they want to help others and humanity as a whole. INFPs are imaginitive, artistic and often have a talent for language and writing. They can also be described as easygoing, selfless, guarded, adaptable, patient and loyal.

Details

Preferences
Introverted
iNtuition
Feeling
Perceiving

Temperament
NF (Visionary)

INFP
Population
Total: 2%
Male: 1.5%
Female: 2.5%

Primary Function
Introverted Feeling

Secondary Function
Extraverted Intuition

Tertiary Function
Introverted Sensing

Least Function
Extraverted Thinking

About the INFP

Expert Quotes & Links
"To understand Healers, we must understand their idealism as almost boundless and selfless, inspiring them to make extraordinary sacrifices for someone or something they believe in. The Healer is the Prince or Princess of fairytale, the King's Champion or Defender of the Faith..."
- The Portrait of a Healer Idealist (Keirsey)

"INFPs are highly intuitive about people. They rely heavily on their intuitions to guide them, and use their discoveries to constantly search for value in life. They are on a continuous mission to find the truth and meaning underlying things. Every encounter and every piece of knowledge gained gets sifted through the INFP's value system, and is evaluated to see if it has any potential to help the INFP define or refine their own path in life."
- Portrait of an INFP (The Personality Page)

"creative, smart, idealist, loner, attracted to sad things, disorganized, avoidant, can be overwhelmed by unpleasant feelings..."
- INFP Jung Type Descriptions (similarminds.com)

"An INFP's feelings form the foundations of the individual. They are sacred and binding, in the sense that their emergence requires no further justification. An INFP's feelings are often guarded, kept safe from attack and ridicule. Only a few, close confidants are permitted entrance into this domain."
- INFP Profile (INFP Mailing List)

"Highly creative, artistic and spiritual, they can produce wonderful works of art, music and literature. INFPs are natural artists. They will find great satisfaction if they encourage and develop their artistic abilities. That doesn't mean that an INFP has to be a famous writer or painter in order to be content. Simply the act of "creating" will be a fulfilling source of renewal and refreshment to the INFP. An INFP should allow himself or herself some artistic outlet, because it will add enrichment and positive energy to their life."
- INFP Personal Growth (The Personality Page)

"INFPs never seem to lose their sense of wonder. One might say they see life through rose-colored glasses. It's as though they live at the edge of a looking-glassworld where mundane objects come to life, where flora and fauna take on near-human qualities."
- INFP Profile (TypeLogic)

"Their job must be fun, although not racous, and it must be meaningful to them. They need a strong purpose in their work. They want to be recognized and valued, without undue attention given to them. They may become embarrassed when make the center of attention. As a result, they may undersell their strengths in order to avoid being singled out and made to feel conspicuous. They would rather have their worth be noticed gradually over time."
- INFP - The Dreamer (Lifexplore)

Famous INFPs

Real INFP People
A. A. Milne - author (Winnie the Pooh)
Albert Schweitzer - theologian, musician, physician
Aldous Huxley - English author
Amy Tan - author (The Joy-Luck Club)
Annie Dillard - author (Pilgrim at Tinker Creek)
Audrey Hepburn - actress (Breakfast at Tiffany's)
Dick Clark - television personality
Donna Reed - acress
Fred Rogers - Mister Rogers' Neighborhood
Fred Savage - actor (The Wonder Years)
George Orwell - author, journalist
Helen Keller - deaf/blind author, activist, lecturer
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow - American poet
Isabel Briggs Myers - psychological theorist
J. R. R. Tolkien - writer (Lord of the Rings)
James Herriot - veterinary surgeon, writer
James Taylor - singer-songwriter, guitarist
John - Disciple of Jesus
John F. Kennedy, Jr. - lawyer, journalist, publisher
Laura Ingalls Wilder - author (Little House on the Prairie)
Lisa Kudrow - actress ("Phoebe" on Friends)
Luke - physician, author
Mary - Mother of Jesus
Mia Farrow - actress
Neil Diamond - musician
Peter Jackson - filmmaker (Lord of the Rings
Princess Diana - Princess of Wales
Scott Bakula - actor (Start Trek Enterprise)
Tom Brokaw - television journalist
Virgil - ancient Roman poet
William Shakespeare - English poet and playwright

Fictional INFPs (Characters)
Anne - Anne of Green Gables
Bastian Balthazar Bux - The Neverending Story
Calvin - Calvin and Hobbes
Deanna Troi - Star Trek: The Next Generation
Doctor Julian Bashir - Star Trek: Deep Space 9
Doug Funnie - Doug cartoon
E.T. - E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
Fox Mulder - X-Files
Rocko - Rocko's Modern Life
Tommy Pickles - Rugrats
Wesley Crusher - Star Trek: The Next Generation

INFP Career Matches

INFPs are often happy with the following jobs which tend to match well with the Dreamer/Visionary personality:

Activist
Actor
Architect
Artist
Church Worker
Counselor
Editor
Educational Consultant
Employee Development Specialist
Fashion Designer
Filmmaker
Graphic/Web Designer
Holistic Health Practitioner
Human Resources
Journalist
Legal Mediator
Librarian
Massage Therapist
Minister
Missionary
Musician
Photographer
Physical Therapist
Psychologist/Counselor
Researcher
Social Scientist
Social Worker
Speech Pathologist
Teacher/Professor
Translator/Interpreter
Video Editor
Writer

Sooooo...

... back home, back at work, DH travelling... yep, things are back to normal.

Work's hectic -- lots of lay offs, including my boss. Am really hoping it doesn't reach down to my level. Unlikely, but you never know. The company is struggling and the best way to quickly save money is to let people go. However, I am the only one in my department and the only person in the whole company who does exactly what I do -- so I think they'd be struggling a bit if they got rid of me abruptly. I'm still keeping my fingers and toes crossed :D

Kids are fine. They say they missed me... hmmmm. Maybe. Looking forward to the upcoming holidays. Although everything is going to be low key this year -- losing 15% of my income for 3 months is really hurting.

DH and I got to spend one whole day together -- Sunday -- and then he was off again. Of course, I was sick and miserable and it was that time of the month, so nothing of any real excitement happened. Although DH was happy that my "magic hands" were home -- and I used them :D. I'm hoping he's not too worn out this weekend -- he gets home Saturday night and I really need quality US time. In fact, I've been making sure all the candles are good, burning out the dust that accumulated in the electric fireplace, and cleaning out the whirlpool tub in the hopes that tomorrow night or Sunday I can entice him into some lovin'.

Oh, and where did I go with my sibs? We went to Aspen, Colorado. I really like Aspen. We went 4 years ago, right after Dad died, stayed at the St. Regis and just really enjoyed the area. We went a little bit later this year, so Independence Pass was closed. But there really wasn't that much snow on the ground, and the beautiful weather while we were there reduced it even further. We went to Glenwood Springs -- hiked up a hill to see where Doc Holliday is buried and took a tour of the Glenwood Caverns. Even went back a second day to go on some of the rides up at the caverns. Really had a fun time. Here's a picture of the view from my room.

Some things were difficult about the trip -- I really didn't feel like I could be myself. I do not share the same religious or political beliefs as my siblings. And religion and politics were frequent topics of discussion. I just listened, not wanting to open a can of worms. And then trying to get a little posting, etc. done -- angling the computer so it would be less obvious what I was doing. Oh, and hiding my tattoo under a t-shirt when we went to the spa and sat in the hot tub and pool. It would have ended up as 3 against 1 and I just wasn't up to it. Did share with my sister what happened between DH and me back in February. I had never told any of my family about it -- nothing any of them could of done and it just would have increased stress levels when dealing with them.

We're supposed to get together annually. Three years ago we went to the Eagle/Vail area and just didn't like it as much. I'm hoping next time we get together there are ocean and beaches involved. After all those years of living on the West Coast, actually near the coast, I'm more than ready for a beach vacation. We'll see. We try to find places where no one of us has to travel a lot more than any other -- and we all live in different states.

Other stuff -- since Blogrolling isn't working, I've switched to the Blogger blog listing. I know there's a lot there, but with the help of iGoogle and the Google Reader, I really am able to keep up with them all. I'm following Greenwoman's advice, starring the ones I want to reread and/or comment on. I'm hit and miss with Twittering, but I am following more Twitters and enjoying it.

Tomorrow I need to clean up in the bedroom, shower, shave and just have everything all nice for DH when he gets home. He called me "honey" twice on the phone today -- he doesn't do pet names often, so I'm hoping it means he misses me.

Hope to post some more tomorrow... We'll see :)

Aaaachoooo!

Yep, that's right, I'm on vacation and I'm sick.

I don't think I ever fully got over the cold or whatever it was that I had during physical. Then there was the travelling on Wednesday, and yesterday we went out and definitely overexerted ourselves. We are at a high altitude here, and what did we do yesterday -- hiked up a hill to see a historical cemetery and then went on a cave tour where we had to climb up over 100 steps to get out of the cave. Lots and lots of labored breathing. I live basically at sea-level so this has been tough. The labored breathing pulled muscles in my back.

Oh, and to top it off, I've hardly slept. I cannot get comfortable enough to sleep through the night, and when I woke up too early this morning I couldn't get back to sleep because congestion that had come on during the night made it impossible to breathe through my nose. And I have a really hard time falling asleep while breathing through my mouth.

Managed to drag my sorry ass out of bed, determined I was getting a sinus infection, took the cold medicine I brought (I always travel as prepared as possible) then joined my sibs downstairs for breakfast before heading out again for the day. Went back to the cave area and went on a coaster ride -- too fun. Then headed back to the hotel for massages, oxygen, jacuzzi and pool time. We are all just wiped out. After the spa, a quiet dinner, then I holed up in our room while everyone else went for a walk -- just not feeling well enough. When they came back, I joined them at a firepit for s'mores and hot cider. It's been a pretty relaxing day -- just wish I felt better.

And, I don't know if it's the altitude or the congestion, but my benign positional vertigo seems to have returned as well. I really don't like feeling dizzy at every movement. Plus it has turned into that time of the month. I'm just a walking mess right now.

Besides the illness and lack of sleep, we've been having a good time. The weather has been gorgeous -- although I think all of us would have liked a little more snow. Tomorrow, a little shopping in the morning, lunch at an awarding winning bbq restaurant then 1st airport of the day. I won't get home until after 9pm tomorrow night. DH plans to pick me up. Maybe while shopping I'll find a new implement to take home... hmmmm :)

Sunday will be a rest and recuperate day. Hope I can get past this cold before work on Monday.

Took lots of pictures -- maybe I'll get some posted here or over on my other blog.

In response to John's comment

"Hope things are going well between you and DH. Just between the two of us, never thought of taking a lover in the past when marriage seemed doomed?

Things are okay -- still nowhere near enough spankings, sex, or just plain intimacy as far as I'm concerned, but no blowups, major or minor, either. Not my libido or energy level, but his (although between my crazy work load the past several months, his travels and life in general, I suppose it's not too surprising).

Taking a lover? Nope never a serious thought of doing so. Why? Oh so many reasons.

First, we lived for a long while as what I would call more roommates with benefits than as husband and wife. We slept in the same bed, had sex (uh, yeah, 3 kids), but other than that just never seemed to be on the same page relationship wise. Having kids changed my body (negatively) and took up a lot of my time and energy, plus working and trying to keep house -- I certainly didn't feel attractive to myself or to my husband, so why would I think anyone else would find me so. And I basically just closed myself off emotionally. And although it's never been diagnosed, I do believe that off and on over the years I have suffered from mild depression -- much less now than ever before.

Second, it's not in my nature. Even when things have been at their worse, I can't even imagine myself having an affair. When I am fantasizing about someone other than DH , I am not me (if that even makes sense) or I am an alternate reality me where I am not married to DH. Just can't seriously see myself taking that kind of risk. Seeing myself just walk away, yes; cheating, no. And really what made me stay was not an undying love, but lack of energy (depression), complacency (this is just how it is), not seeing how I could ever find anything better (self-esteem issues), not wanting to be alone, and worrying about finances and taking care of the kids.

Third, while I may fantasize about wild and crazy casual sexual encounters, I don't think that I can really do that. I truly am more of relationship sort of person -- there has to be connection beyond the purely physical. Plus, I never go anywhere where I might even meet someone -- I don't even put myself in a situation where DH might question my fidelity. We go out together or with friends -- I don't think I've ever even been to a bar by myself. Even when I was single, I was always with friends. Never been a party girl. I do realize that the internet could make it easier to find a potential lover, but since I'm not looking, I don't 'look'.

We have discussed open marriages/polyamory. And while I think I am more than capable of loving more than one person, keeping our marriage primary, and following whatever rules we would lay out, DH doesn't trust himself to follow any rules and would take it as the freedom to do whatever he wanted, with whomever, with no regard for our marriage, me or the 'rules'. So we don't even discuss it anymore.

Anyway. So I have stayed, not strayed, and things have improved. Are we perfect? Yeah, right, you've seen us on all the talk shows advising everyone on how to have the perfect marriage, haven't you? Hah. It's still pretty close to one day at a time, with some better than others. I just stay hopeful, and keep working on my communication skills. He's not a mind reader... yet *grin*

So, John, is that enough of an answer, do you need more, or do you have more questions?

Let me know.

Safely Arrived

Well, I have joined up with my siblings and we are all settling into the luxurious life, for the next few days. Not used to having anyone else opening my doors, carrying my bags, etc. But I'll get used to it :D

Thank you everyone who left comments for LOL Day. I will personally respond to each one as soon as possible -- only had a 1/2 hour of computer time last night and spent that delurking myself on several blogs.

It's not going to be easy posting or keeping up with reading while on vacay with the sibs -- a little to easy for them to see my blog title and the subject matter of all the blogs I like to read. Oh well, I'll do what I can. I tried at the airport, but apparently their service was down. Terribly frustrating as I had a 3.5 hour layover.

Hoping the kidlets survive 4 days home with DH. I've advised everyone to be on their best behavior, but apparently already irritation has started *sigh*

Gotta say, it is beautiful here. Mountains are snowy, hotel is beautiful and it's even snowing right now. I really miss mountains.

Anyway, later all.

Love Our Lurkers Day 2008

Hey, there, all my lurkers... it's that day of the year when I expressly post just to say "Thank You" for continuing to stop by, and by doing so, giving me a reason to keep writing. I know posts have been few and far between lately, and certainly light on sex and spankings when I do manage to get something up. And because of this, I am especially grateful that you do keep checking this blog and leaving the occasional comment.

Please, I beg, take the time today to leave me a comment or send me an email -- let me know you've been by, tell me what you like about my blog, give suggestions, ask questions. I promise I will respond (I have 4 days of vacation coming up that involve hours in planes and in airports -- lots of time to write).

Don't forget to stop by My Bottom Smarts and leave a note for Bonnie -- she's the one who coordinates this every year. I plan to pay MBS a visit and leave a comment :)

Hang on a minute....

Gotta find the dustrags, broom and polish. Man, look at all the dust, cobwebs, dead bugs and dried leaves that have made their way into here...
*dust dust wipe wipe cough cough ack sneeze sweep sweep polish*
Amazing how much gunk builds up when you ignore something for a while.

To be fair, there hasn't been a lot happening to really write about, and even when I felt like jotting something down, time and energy (or lack thereof) conspired against me.

Hope everyone enjoyed Halloween -- I was working. And not that you're interested but here's how my past week went:

Saturday 10-25 took DH to the airport as he was off to Europe again

Sunday took it easy

Monday off to work, didn't leave 'til after 6pm as we were prepping for physical inventory

Tuesday repeat of Monday

Wednesday into Thursday -- up at 7am to get the kidlets to school, then lazed around all day, trying to rest since I would be up all night at work (yes, you read that right, all night); left home at 430pm dropping off kids along the way; got to work about 6pm expecting tags to start printing around 9pm but the &#%&$#&($ new operating system screwed that all up and we didn't start printing until 2am which is when the first count teams arrived. T was supposed to be in bed in her hotel room at that time so I could leave at 10am when she came back. Didn't work out that way -- I left at 6pm Thursday night (24 hours after arriving at work), getting home at 7pm (36 hours after I left). First thing I did after arriving home to my empty house was strip out of the clothes I'd been wearing for over 24 hours. And I didn't put anything else on, but wandered around completely nude while I heated up some food in the microwave and then crawled into bed. I fell asleep around 8pm, woke up around 930pm, fell asleep again after 11pm.

Friday -- Happy Halloween (for everybody else). Up at 6pm, showered and off to work, picking up bagels along the way. Got to work about 8am. Work, work, work until the VP finally tells me to leave about 8pm. I was not about to argue. Got home around 9pm, just in time to share some pizza with the kids, check out YC's haul and comment on how pretty she looked in her snow princess costume. Finally fell asleep around 11pm.

Saturday -- up at 3am because I had to be at work at 430am. More work and struggle, lots of griping (ok, bitching) from the guys out in the warehouse. So did not want to hear them -- at least they were getting some nice over- and double-time for all the extra hours they were working. I'm salaried -- my paycheck does not represent all the hours I put in (although my boss the VP has granted me another day off with pay). VP finally told me to leave at 8pm, leaving only 3 people still there (VP, T and manager). Apparently manager was able to leave at 1045pm, while VP and T ended up staying 'til 630am Sunday -- and all because of the new operating system.

Forgot to mention that I had a nasty cold all through this (still do in fact). Spent most of Sunday in bed, resting, dozing, sleeping. I am still just wiped.

But back to regular hours this week. Thank goodness. I even have Friday off (unpaid, mandatory furlough day). DH is also taking the day off and he mentioned something about dressing up... Gonna need some clarification on how exactly he wants me to dress up... Hopefully it will lead to something fun and juicy to psot here :)

And then next week, I work 2 days, then have 3 vacation days. I am heading to .... for 4 days with my sister and 2 brothers. It's a semi-tradition since our dad died. It will be nice to get away for a few days. Maybe after I'll spill the details, but here's some general infor to pique your curiousity -- mountains (so cold and possibly snowy), tourist town, 5 star hotel with fantastic spa (sis and I have already planned a spa day). I hope I come back well rested and relaxed.

Oh, DH and I have had some us time, just not near enough as far as I'm concerned. Maybe I'll get some of the written down for posting...