Kiss and Make-Up

So this is about make-up, not kissing. Entirely PG-rated, so don't get your panties (er, boxers... doubt there's any male readers here, though) in a wad.

I am about to profess something that I've never really declared publicly until today. Sure, any look in my bathroom cabinet and you have all the evidence you need... a growing collection of black-capped vials of delicious mineral make-up and brushes with bristles so wonderful you're convinced they're made from a material outside of this harsh, harsh world.

Yep, that's right. This girl, who cut her make-up wearing teeth on Mary Kay at the age of eleven - the brand of cosmetics my mother has been successfully selling for years - has been a proud Bare Escentuals wearing fool since January 2005. I only know the date because we were in Texas on a spur-of-the-moment MLK Jr. Weekend trip to visit Cliff's best friend Aaron who was, at the time, camped out in Texarkana with his family. On a day-trip to Dallas, we hit the mall - and there, I made the blissfully timed decision to do one of those "half-face" makeovers in a tiny shop selling - what do you know - Bare Escentuals.

I walked out of that store with a half-face of make-up revolution and the starter foundation kit.

And now? I'm that person.

Not immediately, but steadily, I have ventured from just-face to then-cheeks, now-eyes and yahoo... lips! The lips have it! I feel like that perfect blend between scientist and artist when I apply my BE; it's like somehow this make-up company gets that I am both right and left-brained. That I am a person who demands there be a "Both" option along with "Mathematical" and "Musical" when prompted with "You are more...". That steps and processes... mixed right along with free expression and creativity - are me to a T.

I only share this now because I may have done some serious online-shopping on an e-mail exclusive sale they were having today... maybe. Any guesses as to what I might have gotten from below?

SOLD!

To another guy at work!

Who knew we'd end up loving Lampo that much more for being not only the source of our latest car buy and financial investment, but also the tool that helped Cliff sell the Jimmy off, today?! He posted on the work forums yesterday and got the first bite later in the morning. Sure enough, he let the guy test drive it a bit this morning and when he got back, Cliff said goodbye to his beloved red sports utility vehicle and hello to a pocket full of cash. I guess in a company of 230-some employees with a culture and philosophies like it has, it's not hard to wheel and deal in the business of buying and selling a good, reliable, and inexpensive vehicle.

Can't say we're not a little sad, but when Cliff put his tags on the Jeep for the last time tonight, it was hard to not also be sublimely happy at the same time. In a week and a half, we upgraded six years, gained 40,000 miles, and have everything to show for it.

And besides, it's not like Cliff can't just stroll up beside the ol' Jimmy in the parking lot at work anytime a wave of nostalgia comes over him...

P.S. This picture is from nearly two years ago, and was the night we purchased our kayaks and strapped 'em to the top of Cliff's car the first of many times. Good, good memories.

Our New Baby

Okay, so maybe it's less like a baby and more like a child.
And no, not the human sort nor the animal kind.

Today... we bought a car. Crazy!

Nothing fancy, but an incredibly reliable and well taken-care-of black 2001 Jeep Cherokee Sport with 94,500 miles, good mpg, and well... it's a Jeep.

And as we've put away for a new (to us) car over the last couple of months (knowing Cliff's '94 GMC Jimmy would someday need a new home) Cliff has only kept saying, "man, I'd love to have a Jeep again" (he had two Cherokees as a teenager). And guess what type of car I wanted when I was a teenager, but never got? A Jeep Cherokee. So, it's kind of like a dream car - only our version of a dream is probably different than others. Why? Because we paid with cash and saved a couple of hundred bucks off the market value - thanks to a sympathetic and kind fellow Lamponian selling the car.

The funny thing is, we haven't been looking all that hard or seriously. But this morning at 8:43, a Lampo Forum post was sent to Cliff's e-mail and there she was... in all her beauty.

We've traded phone calls back and forth all day, both Cliff and I and the seller. Cliff made the final decision on the buy sometime this afternoon (after taking a test spin). We drive her home, tomorrow and she'll join the ranks of our other 2001er, my little Honda Civic.

Now, we'll take our stab at selling a car for the first time. I have to admit that'll be a little sad, especially when I think about Cliff picking me up for the first time for our first date, and then our first kiss and all our roadtrips to Cleveland and to the beach in that great little SUV. Oh, the memories.

Anyone in the market for a well-loved Jimmy? Sigh.

Instead of a black lab, we got a black SUV. I guess that'll have to do for now...