Baby, It's Effin' C O L D Outside!

Seriously? SERIOUSLY? It was 19 degrees out this morning. Nashville is NOT supposed to be this cold. This is like bullshit Chicago cold, and my dear bloggo-buddies, I DID NOT leave Chicago because of it's balmy fucking weather.

I left Chicago in January of 2005. I had my kitties tucked in the back seat along with as many plants as I could haul in my car (they all died, by the way). I left on January 25th and had already dug my car out of 12+ inches of snow four times. As I was heading out on I-94, it started to snow. I rolled my window down and flipped Chicago the finger. You can take your lake-effect freezing temperatures and shove them up your ice-cold butt, Illinois.

This rant comes on the heels of some new information: that I will be heading overseas in January. Oh, the joy that is my life. I HATE going to China in the winter. It's even more depressing than it already is. Dirty and cold is less tolerable than dirty and hot, in my opinion. Some might argue this point with me, but I'd tell them to go spend 8 hours in an unheated factory and then decide.

I have been able to avoid this scenario for the last couple of years. I've been able to travel in March and April when the weather is more predictable. Perhaps wet, but not cold. Not this year, oh-budget-conscious-friends. I gotta go when they tell me to go and January it is. Mother-effer. I am NOT looking forward to the weirdness that is the Chinese (and perhaps other cultures, I'm not sure) way of dealing with the cold. I don't think they believe in heat. I know that many areas lack the resources to heat their establishments and I get that. In some cultures, they believe that multiple people in a room with heat will make everyone sick as hell. There is some merit to this theory, but germs live in the cold and heat, folks. I was in a meeting in a high-rise building in Hong Kong in January several years ago. The room was small and the window was WIDE open. It was below freezing outside. I closed the window (I'm the customer, I can do that). I left the room, came back and the window was open again. I closed it. This little back and forth went on a few more times before I closed the window, turned around and said, "I'm freezing my ass off. If any of you open that window one more time, I'm outta here." It stayed shut. However, a small room in Hong Kong does not compare to a 50,000 square foot factory showroom that doesn't even HAVE heat. Standing on a concrete floor for 8 hours does not a happy Thirty-Something Bride make.

It is SO hard to pack and know what to wear. I have to look somewhat "professional" so it's not like I can wear some ski pants and call it a day (I have contemplated this). Lots of times I go directly from an airport to a factory and back to an airport all in one day so it's not like dressing for the tundra can be easily accomplished. Also note that winter gear is bulky and heavy and I have to pack for about a month and be able to transport all my own luggage (including laptop roller/paperwork) solo.

On top of all this bullshit, I have what's called Raynaud's Syndrome. Basically, it's a response to extreme cold. Blood vessels in the hands and feet appear to overreact to cold temperatures or stress. With Raynaud's, arteries to your fingers and toes go into what's called vasospasm. This narrows your vessels dramatically and temporarily limits blood supply. Over time, these same small arteries may also thicken slightly, further limiting blood flow. The result is that affected skin turns a pale and dusky blue color due to the lack of blood flow to the area. Once the spasms go away and blood returns to the area, the tissue turns bright red before returning to a normal color. When all this lovely stuff happens - it HURTS. The tips of my fingers/toes start to feel like they've fallen asleep. Then they go completely numb. Where the vessels have clamped shut and the blood stops flowing is where the pain is as the blood start to pool and cause pressure. When the vessels finally open up (gotta get them WARM!) the blood rushes in and that hurts too. It sucks.

So instead of investing in what I would like to buy the lovely holiday season:

Hello over-the-knee Stuart Weitzman. *le swoon*

I'm trying to figure out a decent pair of WARM boots that won't weigh a ton and look somewhat cute and can be yanked on and off at airports without have to completely undress myself.

These are kinda cute and have an elastic stretchy thing on the back. I think these would be an easy on-off boot.
These have a bit of a groovy factor to them, but not sure how warm they would really be. I like the stacked heel though - puddles.

These Sketchers look delish and zip on the side.
These are on the cheaper side and still cute and potentially warm.

Anyone got any suggestions for warm boots? UGG Boots are out, just so ya know. I refuse to pay $200 for giant slippers. Warm, yes. Practical in any sense of the word - no.

P.S. All the boot pics are from Zappos. I'm a VIP member. LOVE them.

Randomness

Source

I've got a few things on my mind that maintain no cohesiveness whatsoever.

1. I realize that I have not finished the budgeting recaps. I'm waiting to get my pictures to recap all the other ooey-gooey love stuff and how the day went. I should have those pretty darn soon.

2. Christmas is a mere 18 days away. Holy effin' hell. I am SO behind. One of our neighbors has this electronic Christmas Countdown thing in their front yard. They put it up the day after Thanksgiving and it counts down the days, hours, minutes and seconds until Christmas in big red lights. I have to drive by it every day. That sign mocks me.

3. Why aren't the red Serrano peppers I need available anywhere? I have been to 4 grocery stores (including the K&S Mercado Internationale) and cannot find red ones, only green. WTF? Is there a "season" for the red ones?

4. I have a severe case of Blog Envy. It's true. There is a bridal blogger out there who I love. Everyone loves her. She's new on the scene and I'm super happy for her blogging success. However, the bitch refuses to follow me. I stalk her blog. I leave comments. I do all the things a fellow blogger should do and nothing. NOTHING. Why does this bother me? Because I want really cool people to like me. It's true. I'll admit it. We all do, right? The whole, "I don't care what other people think" is bunch of bullshit because if that were true, we'd all be getting married in sweats after The Top Chef finale. OK, well maybe that's a bit of an exaggeration, but you get my drift.

But seriously, why won't she follow me? Why doesn't she comment? I feel we are slightly similar in our styles and approaches, yet I get no love. None at all. I follow 80 bazillion blogs. I don't comment half as much as I should, especially to those who are regular Thirty-Something Bride readers (shout outs to A Los Angeles Love, Sarah Elizabeth, A Bride in Boots and Big Spoon, Little Spoon who always give me comment love). However, when I get into Google Reader, I get lost in the DIY blogosphere and the next thing I know, it's midnight and The Candyman gets pissed if I stay up too late and leave the lights on, etc. I can't help it - I get distracted by the likes of Design*Sponge, Poppytalk and iDIY.

It makes me sad (and slightly irritated) that I have this evil blog envy. Why cannot I just love what I have (like all you loverly followers!) and not what I don't have? Hm. Perhaps that was just an "aha" moment.

Dear Venetian Nail Spa,

It has come to my attention that you suck. Yes, you. Voted Nashville's number one nail spa? Whatever. You suck. Here is why you suck:

1. I was there last the day before my wedding. I told you I was getting married. Yet, you proceeded to give me probably the worst nail tech and worst pedicure ever. She cut my nails too short. That made the polish hard to put on and she got it all over my skin. I made her re-do it, which she did not like. Too fucking bad, bitch. I'm getting married.

2. Her version of a foot massage (part of the Venetian pedicure/manicure for $47) was to move her hands up and down my leg aimlessly while she chatted in Vietnamese to the tech sitting next to her. THAT tech was going to town on her massage. I was more than jealous.

3. I went back today for the same mani/pedi. I wasn't feeling myself and wanted to indulge and relax. The pedicure wasn't too bad until he put the polish on. Normally, I wear really light colors. I went dark in honor of Fall. My nails were filed crooked (which is incredibly obvious with the dark color) and there is blood red polish on my skin.

4. They stuck me at a manicure table with my hands in those heated oven mitt things for 20 minutes! Four (yes FOUR) different techs came by and said, "I'll be right with you." Yeah, OK.

5. The tech who did my hands got irritated when I gave her my personal nail file to use (which I have been doing for the last 2 years). I have a glass one and it works better on my nails. It doesn't tear them up like the ones they use. And she got irritated with me?

6. She got polish on my skin too and didn't even try to get it off. My cuticles look like a hack-saw attacked them. How did I leave with more hang nails than when I walked in?

7. I barely gave her a 15% tip. WHY? Because it sucked.

I have given this place so many chances and they just treat you like crap. You try to complain and they just yell at you, heave huge sighs and acquiesce begrudgingly. I've never complained myself, but I've seen many exchanges there over the course of the 3 years I've been going there. I never wanted to deal with it, especially today.

I am a great tipper - upwards of 30% because I've been in the service industry and know that living off tips is hard damn work. I'm a regular there, but they act like they don't know me. God forbid Nicole Kidman walks in for the first time and they act like she's their new fucking best friend. But, no more. I am done. The whole mani/pedi thing is supposed to be a treat for me, an escape where I can happily read Us Magazine and find out exactly how fat K-Fed has become (my GOD, the boy is HUGE!).

I refuse to be treated like cattle - to be ushered in and out - only to find I've been prodded and branded with a new plastic tag as an earring. Screw that.

With Regards,
The Thirty-Something Bride

P.S. Any local folks know a good place for relaxing, indulgent mani/pedi's for UNDER $50?