Happy Monday: Motivation

Mondays can really suck, right? In all this new business planning, I've thought about what my working hours would be. I feel like I need to set a schedule, just so I can have something to hold me accountable to the job. I'm a sucker for long weekends - travel out on Thursday, come back in on Monday. It's funny that when I do the math, it only leaves me Tuesday and Wednesday to work. Talk about a two day workweek and five day weekend. I don't think that will work too well. Exact working hours will soon be determined, as I should be about to officially go public with the business. Yay!

So, for those of us who have to do this thing called work (whatever kind it may be) on Mondays, I'm going to try to post a little something to motivate me through the week. These little happies will vary - anything from a small something I actually get to a big something I hope to one day get.

You know how us Southerners like things big. Big hair. Big trucks. Big dreams. Here's my big dream:

Source: http://www.automobilemag.com/features/lists/0704_2007_porsche_911_cabriolet/index.html

Ever since the good ol' days of Beverly Hills, 90210, I've wanted a Porsche. Dylan was my dream man, and he had a dream car. Then, I got my beloved Ava. People started telling me about German cars, German engineers, German everything, and how awesome it is. I've got to tell you: you can't beat the reliability of a Honda, but there really is something about driving a German car that make my heart smile. Maybe it's my engineer's brain? The controls in the car just make sense to me. (Sorry, Allie the Acura, but I still get confused about how to unlock the doors.)

When Black Velveteen got totaled, I seriously considered buying a Porsche. I found the Cayman, which was around $50,000 for the base model. Definitely more than I wanted to spend on a car, but I also had a hefty down payment from my insurance money and I was working three jobs. Also, the Acura I was looking at was going to be close to that price. I didn't go so far as to test drive, as building and pricing were all I needed to do to realize that beauty was going to cost way more than $50K!

Since one of my jobs was a bartender, I did not want to be driving a Porsche to work, and have my customers realize it was my car. And, I figured people would think I was a real asshole for buying one. So, I didn't. And I decided to wait until later for my dream car.

When I started massage school, one of our homework assignments was to make a collage of things that motivated us to follow through with the program and career. I never got that far in the course due to other reasons that even a Porsche couldn't cure, but that collage was going to have this car front and center on it.

I know it's frivolous, and I could be spending that amount of money on much more important things, but what can I say? I have a thing for pretty, black, German, cars.

I've got the "I Wants"

A husband: From a feminist standpoint, I don't need a husband, it's just that I'm good at traditional wife-y things and I like the company. And I've decided that it's time to get married when I boo-hoo through the Kardashian Wedding that plays a lot on E!. As I told my cousin yesterday, they're good to have around when I have multiple crises going on at the same time so I can delegate to him.

A baby: 'Cause babies make the world right. You can't be upset around a baby because they will sense that and scream until you calm down. And they're just so sweet, it takes a lot to get upset when a baby is around.

Decent health insurance: It's not right when the amount of money I spent on my healthcare this year has totaled what I could comfortably live on for a year. Granted, I've been sick. But, really?!? My accountant gasped when I told her the number (and she's pretty stoic about that kind of stuff).

A new car: 'Cause Ava ain't cuttin' it anymore. Acura RDX in that white color, please and thank you.

A BlackBerry: I am turning into a tech junkie. And I am learning how easy it will be to stay connected as I go out and accomplish things. (Hopefully.)

My boutique to get going: I've gotta keep Roxy's memory alive in a way that doesn't make me sad. And I need something to do that's creative and challenging. If I don't have a husband or a baby, all I have is myself to wake up for, and that's getting old.

Vera Bradley, "Hope Garden": It's pretty :) Send me your email and I'll send you my wish list.

Sanity: With all that I've been through, it's amazing I've still got some in me. Sometimes, though, I think I'm running on empty. Of course, maybe I don't and I'm just crazy enough to fake it. That sounds like a better explanation.

I'm whiling my time waiting for this wish list to be filled, thinking about drinking a good ol' vodka tonic, Mackey Style. (That's a whole 'nother post.)

Vodka Tonic (Mackey Style)

You need:
16 oz. cup (preferably clear plastic)
Ice
Vodka
Tonic Water
Lime juice
Limes (sliced, duh!)

Directions:
Fill cup with ice
Pour a single shot of vodka
Fill with tonic
Add lots of lime juice and lots of lime slices, to taste, of course

My beloved Ava

Dear Ava,
When you came into my life that late April Saturday in 2008, the day of the Alison Krauss and Robert Plant concert, I was so excited. I immediately began daydreaming about the hypothetical trips to the beach, to Auburn, and the countless days we would enjoy together bouncing around Birmingham, soaking up the sun.

My beloved Accord, Black Velveteen, had been taken away from me too soon by some crazy teenager without a driver's license and insurance. I was really counting on her being my rock for getting me around town for another few years.

I drove my uncle's Pathfinder around for a few weeks, pondering what I would get to replace Black Velveteen, and those Audis really caught my eye. I test drove an Acura because I promised myself when I got Black Velveteen my next car would be an Acura. But I just couldn't bring myself to spend THAT MUCH on a car with all that computer stuff I didn't even knew existed, much less, would ever need.

When I saw you, I knew you were THE ONE.

But when the dealership started keeping us apart for days, and eventually weeks, at a time, I began to get concerned.

I want you to know it's not your fault. The people who created you left too much to go wrong.

I will miss our too few trips to Auburn. I was really looking forward to breathing that fresh Auburn air this fall with you.

I will miss "going topless" with you whenever the weather permitted.

But I will not miss having you break down hours away from your doctor and having you towed away from me, leaving me stranded and having to rely on taxis to get me around. Or having you randomly break down and have to go to the doctor during the most perfect convertible weather of the season.

I want you to know, if I could trust you would stay well, I might consider keeping you a while longer, but seeing as how you have depreciated so much in the past year, I think our time was borrowed, at best.

Farewell, dear Ava. It's been good for the most part, but not enough.

Loves Your Mommy,
Girl Sunday