No blue hair here, just blue-hair hours.

I have been burning the midnight oil this week, and I not-so-secretly love it.
{Though I did conk out last night - Friday night - at an embarrassingly old-lady-like time. I don't even care if you scoff!}

It's been worth it, because I've been having some really, really great marathon conversations.

In other news, I can't wait to write tomorrow to give my progress with The (New) New Regime! The Lifestyle Change has seriously been made!

Hoot of the night owl.

Just because I've always been fascinated by vampires doesn't mean I should be an insomniac, does it?

Well, it certainly seems that way.

I've been going through one of my Bouts of Sleeplessness again, but this time it's because I'm feeling inspired.

I can't get my brain - or my body - to slow down.

I want to read.
I want to write.
I want to clean.
I want to exercise.
I want to take up cooking.
I want to dance around the house.

I'm like a kid with ADD for Pete's sake!

Take these past few days for example.
I already have 20.5 hours in at work and right now, instead of being dog-tired as I know I should be, I am feeling hyper. I almost wish I could hop on the Air Climber and bang out half an hour - and kick the ass of this morning's measly 15 minutes I did half asleep, but I'm afraid that when I do actually crash, it'll end up keeping up.

It's a vicious, vicious thing methinks.

I've always been a night owl, even when I was a little girl. Yet another trait inherited from Mommalah - it joins gnarly feet, searing wit and all-around fabulousness ... naturally.

Finally sleep, or I was so out I had a terrible dream about my hair. Or lack thereof.

Last night, it was lights out promptly at 10 p.m.
Actually got under the covers at 9:30 to curl up with "On the Road with Bob Dylan" by Larry "Ratso" Sloman.
Took a sleep aid at quarter to 10, and that was it.

Nine hours later, I was jostled awake by my alarm, which very rarely happens.
It was glorious.
Sometimes my body just needs to shut itself down during one of these insomniac cycles, and I totally live for those nights.
Especially considering that, if I can remember them, I have some pretty far-out dreams.

I fully know that one of the worst stories someone could tell another person (aside from a detailed birth or something) is a dream. Unless it directly involves someone, who the F cares, right?

Having said that, it isn't stopping me from sharing my dream:

I was standing on the sidelines of a football game in Alabama, I think, with a friend. It was so bloody hot. I had my hair up in a ponytail and decided to give myself a trim during a break in play. Took the scissors and SNIP!

I tried to clip my hair back on to be "fashionable," but it wouldn't work so I asked my friend to help and he was staring at me, aghast.

"I think you need to look in the mirror," he said and pointed to this huge gold-gilded mirror that just happened to be hanging from the punter's practice net.

I kept running my fingers through my hair, which suddenly felt like a buzz cut hairdo - which is exactly what I somehow had done to myself.

I was horrified and began running around frantic, because seriously, we all know damn well that a women's hair is her crowning glory, or whatever way the saying goes.

So I run across the field in search of my mother, who is the only person who can make it right, but I have no idea where she is in this Alabama town, I just have to follow instinct.

BEEEEP - just a I was about to have a heart attack in the middle of a brick-housed neighborhood, my alarm goes off and damned if I don't run straight to the bathroom to check my hair.

It was all accounted for, thank God.
But I sure as hell kept checking on it all day today.
And was very wary of anyone using scissors in my vicinity.

Some things I love, in random order.

I love the rainbow array of my stilettos.
(introducing my newest addition: canary!)
I'm sure my back will hate me 20 years (or less) down the line, but damned if my legs don't love me right now.
What is more powerful than a sassy pair of leopard pumps? Or patent black? Or or or?
Nothing, my friend.
N o t h i n g!


I love that I can totally dress down on production day Tuesdays, since I am chained to my desk until the cows come home. I was so uber comfy today that I had to take a photo of my outfit this morn:

It consisted of:
- Jeans that are getting too big on me (yay!).
- A gray thermal shirt.
- My fabulously soft red cardigan cable-knit sweater.
- My Uggs which I know now I cannot live without, and consider them probably the most worth-it Christmas gift ever.
- A fleece leopard-print scarf since it was chilly in the morn.
- And natch, my bookish spectacles.

I love blue PaperMate pens and the pewter pen box I got as a gift from a friend. It's inscribed with a quote from one Ernest Hemingway:
"The writer must write what he has to say. Not speak it."

And I especially love Mint ChapStick. I have one at work, on my desk at home, on my nightstand, in the bathroom and in my purse. It's safe to say, since I am always within at least five feet of the green stick of minty goodness,
"Hello. My name is Nikki and I'm addicted to Mint ChapStick."

And I super, duper love when it's time for bed.
Ciao!

Guilt free Friday.

Today was the first day I didn't do some sort of morning exercise in ages.

For 11 of these 20 days of February, I've walked, done a yoga routine from SELF magazine or spent some time on my Air Climber.

Not too shabby methinks, which is exactly why I didn't feel guilty staying in bed late (and late for me lately is 7 a.m.) - it was everything I knew it would be. I just listened to my body when it said, "Not today, sister. It's too damn cold to get out of bed."

(Now if only my shivering-in-the-freezing-cold-office self would be so smart and get under those same covers toute suite ... )

"Sleeping in" was everything I knew it could be!
Plus, I didn't let the fact that I decided to be a slug this morning derail the rest of the day, and made sure to stick to my eating healthy habits.

I even pushed through a massive chocolate craving! Quite superhuman strength for me I tell you!


I've come a long way since the beginning of January, and that's worth a few snoozes here and there.

Now if you'll excuse me, I have a down comforter with my name on it!