A Laboring Kind of Holiday

Hi all,
Hope everyone is having a nice relaxing Labor Day weekend! This is the weekend we are supposed to rest and recop from being the hard working Americans (and Canadians, since this holiday originated in our friendly northern neighbor's country!) we are. Well, not in my world, sadly. I'm a construction worker all weekend and in my "breaks" from that I am catching up on all the grading I didn't do over the week. But don't cry for me Argentina, I am still making the most of my three day holiday and have already indulged in some napping on the couch, napping by the pool and just flat out napping! I'm still recovering from my first cold of the season (and I hope last)!

While a full recap of our building adventures will becoming soon (perhaps at the end of this weekend, but no promises!) I have to tell you about my stupid beginning carpenter mistake today. I had been going behind my Dad's work and reinforcing our hurricane clips with additional nails (he had just tacked them up the other day) and after finishing one beam I climbed down from the ladder and went to move it to the next spot when my head exploded with pain. I had stupidly left the hammer on the top step and it came crashing down on my left temple. I am very lucky though, I only have a bruise and small knot to show for it. No blood and thankfully no broken noses or cheekbones! Thank God, especially since I have no insurance until October! Ack. I will not make that mistake again, fo sho!

Friday kicked off the weekend and after I shooed the kids out of my room, I jetted off to the hairdresser's for the first time since April! I have been going to this one particular lady since I was in middle school with the exception of when I was in college and of course this past year while in I was St. Pete. Needless to say she has watched me grow up and the transformation from the girl who always wore her hair in a bun, no bangs to some one who can now wield a blowdrier, flatiron, and do her own hot rollers! Small feats for some, but I was not born with the "can do hair and make up gene" haha. I've been quite bored with my hair and was itching to get back to my curly ways after being sleek and straight for a while, so after some talk about every changing hair as we age and perhaps my need to invest in a new brush we came up with this!
I'm really excited about my "new do" and am looking forward to playing around with some curling brushes, which are just the thing to perk up my naturally wavy mop.

And now, let's get on to the show!

I was very lucky on Friday morning, because my mom had to make a dish for a going away breakfast they were having at her school for one of their teachers. She makes an amazing Grits Casserole that has grits (duh!) eggs, cheese and hot sausage all baked right in. It's one of my favorites and always a treat to have, so she made a mini one for me!I decided to share with my Dad though, so this was my actual breakfast portion.So tasty! I'm so spoiled living at home again right now!

I didn't photograph my lunch since it was a repeat of the black bean pasta I whipped up early in the week and the leftover 1/2 of that peach, literally the same lunch. Check it out here, if you missed out the first time around!

Friday means happy hour for dinner in my parents house and this week was a weird combo.
I indulged in two lovely cranberry vodka cocktails, paired with a tiny piece of fried chicken (my dad brought it home from Publix. Honestly not that great. Sorry Publix!) veggies with ranch dip and some cheese and crackers. At least the veggies and cheese hit the spot. So did the drinks and I promptly passed out on the couch for the rest of the night, like the party animal I am! haha, right.

I did wake up for a little while and had a square of dark chocolate. I've slowly been upping the % of cocoa in my chocolate and this really hit the spot.

Even after sleeping on the couch last night for hours I actually slept in til 9:45 am today. I did wake up at 5:30am (which is close to when I get up for work everyday) and nearly couldn't get back to sleep but I said, hell no, you are sleeping and finally got a few more zzz's in. Good thing too, since a long ass day was looming working on the barn and banging myself up with hammers, you know.

I was chatting with my bestie Jenna on the phone while scrounging up a breakfast of cheese toast and tea and totally flaked on taking a picture. Whoops. It was yummy though and even better to catch up with her for a few mins. Have I mentioned how great it is that all of us 211 girls are teachers now? yeah, we rock!

Lunch similarly was not photographed. I took my camera down to the barn to get some progress pictures for you guys and left it down their during our "lunch break" which is really a shame since I made a lovely lunch of a taco salad, consisting of black beans and a little spicy chicken, plus lettuce, tomatoes, sour cream and hot sauce plus a few tortilla chips for scooping. Yum, wish you could have seen it.

Dad grilled monster burgers up for tonight's dinner. I topped mine with pepperjack cheese, mushrooms and japs in addition to the usual lettuce, tomato and onion. Plus ketchup for dipping and a yummy ear of corn on the side. Not a dinner I would cook for myself, but really good.

I've been sipping on a glass of Skinny Cow Chocolate milk to curb my sweet tooth tonight. I found this when shopping at Walmart last week. I love the Skinny Cow fudgecicles and am enjoying this treat too! Yes, it has a few "funky" ingredients in it, but in moderation I think I'll live! Or at least live well! haha.
Well, I have some labs to grade and then I'm calling it a night. Slamming Saturday night, right? Trust me, a rested night is all I want right now!

Love to all,
~A laborer with the best of em, Jess

PS. I finished The Kite Runner yesterday. It really opened my eye's to the politics of the Middle East. Check it out if you haven't yet, please.