Impromptu Field Trip

Every once in a while, you have a few spare moments to yourself when you say, "What the heck? I'm going to do something for myself." If you happen to be able to help someone else in the process, well... Yay!
One of my classmates at massage school was looking for another practice buddy, so I volunteered myself. She's in the Western Massage program, so it'd be different than the Shiatsu that I get in class. So, on Monday morning she contacted me to say she'd got the practice room rented for the afternoon before I'd need to be home for my boys.
It was a great change to have Swedish massage! Not that I don't love Shiatsu, I really do, but it's very intense. It was also nice to get a taste of what it is I'll be doing eventually when I start the Western part of my training.
It didn't take very long, so I had some extra time to myself. Since it's the last week of school for the guys, I won't have many more chances like this, so I snagged it. I went to Opitz Outlet.
I don't know the story of Optiz, but they have brand new clothes, some designer, at deep discounts. I saw a pair of shoes I really liked, but they were $44.00. I couldn't see spending that much. No, really. I'm cheap. One of the best pairs of shoes I ever had (lasted for three years of nearly daily wear) I got at Payless for a dollar.
Anyway, my husband and I are going to a wedding for one of my childhood friends this month and I decided to be on a mission for a dress to wear to the wedding. Wedding guest attire can be tricky. You want to look nice, appropriate and still not pull focus - which, since I have fuchsia hair, is already a challenge for me. Also, my husband's class reunion is at the end of this summer, double duty for this dress. I found several designer dresses that I liked, but even at the outlet prices, they were out of my budget. Time to look off the designer rack... Sigh.
Well, I found a few along the back wall of dresses and saw several more that I liked. I had it down to three when I stumbled across a DKNY sheath number with a tropical orchid digital print on the front, black on the back. The front was just colorful enough to suit me, but not so much so as to be distracting from the bride and her bridesmaids. It'll be lightweight enough for the outdoor wedding, easy enough to dance in when the time comes. I think it'll pack nicely, so that when we go to Maine for my husband's reunion, it'll be carefree. Yay, reunion attire! Oh, I forgot to mention, it was $27.00. Ka-CHING! 70% off the retail price.
If you're in the Minneapolis area and in the market for something spiffy for a special occasion, might I suggest Opitz Outlet on Excelsior Blvd.? I might. In fact, I will.

Studying...

Oh, yeah. That studying thing. I have my first Physiology quiz on Tuesday and an Anatomy quiz on Thursday. I spent all of Mother's Day weekend studying and this weekend has been spent making  Physiology flashcards and testing myself on them. I've got to the point where I know them all and now that I've made it to that point, I'm going to stop looking at them. I have to step away or my brain will explode.
Of course, I have yet to make flash cards for Anatomy. That'll have to be later tonight. I have a DVD that goes along with my Anatomy book and I' think I'll watch that before I make any cards. It may be that's all I need is to watch the DVD. Otherwise, I'm off to make the donuts... er, flashcards.
I'm having a hard time in my Traditional Chinese Medicine class. It's really hard being a skeptic. There are certain things you "just have to accept" and my first instinct is to say, "no, I don't." So I'm treating it as a bit of anthropology. I'm trying to look at it as learning a new language and culture, one that I don't have to integrate myself into, but would like to understand from a cultural point of view. It's not easy, especially when I know my instructor, who's a really nice guy and good at explaining things, is gung ho about it. But I know I'm not the only one in my class who just accepts things on account of because. A couple of my classmates are struggling with it as well.
I was almost to a point where I thought I should switch my certification to strictly Western massage, but we've started practicing Shiatsu on clients and, wouldn't you know it, I'm really good at it. I already have repeat clients! If I could just take the Shiatsu without the TCM, I'd be golden, but I should have some background in where the modality comes from, so there you have it.
On the creative front, I've been working on quilting a baby quilt (I'm about halfway through) and I worked a bit on my sampler quilt, as well.
I've done smashingly well in the thrifting department, scoring 20-30% off of the last two purchases I've made. After I did my banking and grocery shopping on Friday, I thought very briefly of going to the Goodwill between the Festival Foods and my house, but it didn't feel right. Then I decided to hit the Savers. I was feeling drawn to it like the proverbial moth. The last time I had been there, I found a lovely long skirt and I felt I would find another. I did indeed. I found two. And some leggings and a couple pairs of knit pants I can wear to school. Then I went to the back corner where they have some craft items. I almost didn't go back there, but am I glad I did! I found doll parts and faces! No, you don't understand. I've been looking for these vintage faces for ages. They're the type that my grandma used to make these really crazy fun fur tissue box covers. I have some fun fur that I've wanted to use to make one, but I couldn't find any faces like the old ones. I hit the doll face jackpot.
Then, when I went to check out, the lady in front of me had used a coupon and it was left on the counter. The clerk asked if it was mine and I said no, it was the previous lady's. She gave me the 20% off for being honest!
Well, I've taken a long enough break from studying. I'd better get back to it.