yes my last name is wait but i don't like it

unfortunately my home has been infested with mold. yuck. end result john and i have to move today. thankfully we have the internet so i have been able to look at a variety of sites to find temporary housing. with in 5 minutes i found an apartment on airbnb. put in all the info, credit car, etc. and now i wait on the owner to accept. after a few hours she finally responded with one question..."apartment won't be ready until 6. is that ok"? i of course immediately responded and now it is up to her to just press the accept button and john and i will have secured a place. but no i am still waiting for her to accept my request.
i hate waiting.
thank you, andrea wait

is it just me?

is it really christmas time?

this may sound silly but it seems like we had thanksgiving and then bam everyone went immediately into Christmas mode. i know many people that on Sunday went out got their trees and have them completely decorated. there is a radio station in sf that is only playing Christmas music. sure the holidays are great but come on it is not even December. i understand the retail mark has to get a jump on shopping but everyone else? i don't understand.
give me two weeks and i will be on board but not today. heck i am still digesting the stuffing, mashed potatoes and chocolate pie.

do you have unresolved conflicts with others?

i have a couple of unresolved issues with people who have been in my life. i am wondering do i do something to make everything ok or do nothing.
my gut, my head and my heart tell me to just let them be. leave those issues alone and keep moving forward with my life. it is not necessary for me to have everything perfect with every person. i can let go of trying to control those areas that i really have no control over...basically what people think of me! and i need to let go of my ego that tries to convince me that i have the power to make everything ok.  even if i make the attempts, it doesn't mean the outcome will be what i am trying to achieve.
it's a hard one for me. the need to be liked. the desire to not have conflict. amazing at 47 years old i am still faced with the challenges had as a teenager. but at least now i can let go of some of that angst and just accept the situations for what they are. it is not important of what others think of me. and it is way more important that i take care of myself.
it is a hard lesson learned that i keep relearning.

makes me feel good

john (my husband) and i just hosted thanksgiving for 8 people in the mountains. it was super fun and required quite a bit of work. from getting the house ready for the guests, to making sure there is enough food/drinks to eventually cleaning up and getting out at the end. thankfully everyone had a wonderful time.
now the weekend is over and i am just flipping through the morning emails. and voila the best email of all has arrived. my husband has sent an email out thanking everyone for coming to our home. and...a special shout out to me.  i can't tell you how good that makes me feel. he wrote that i made the environment warm and welcoming for everyone. that is everything to me.  making people feel good. thank you john for acknowledging me and reminding me about what is important.
i am blessed. thank you.
happy holidays people.

the monday after the holiday

wow what a holiday weekend that was. so fun.
but i have to admit the waistband on my jeans is feeling a tad bit tight.
so?
first, put on the yoga pants with no button or zip in front.
second, i gotta pull myself back together. sure it was super fun eating pies and cookies and raising toast but after a while i crave my regular routine of fruits and vegies.
so i have a plan to kick start myself back into my routine.
i need to up my yoga class intake and decrease my caloric intake.
i think that sounds doable. less pie.more yoga.
i am so ready.

happy holidays.

update

well it is saturday night...bring the weekend to a close. i just checked back at my to do list on what i want to get done and...i would give myself an A. i have a couple things I still want to do but for the most part i knocked it out of the ballpark. i feel pretty good about it all. and of course i still have all day tomorrow.
i know what i gotta do.

the weekend/the holiday

i have to say this has been a successful thanksgiving holiday at the donner house...so far.
sure the dogs have not necessarily gotten along but other than that we adults are in our groove. walks to the park. meals consumed. hot tubbing. pool playing. dog playing. everyone doing their thing when they want to. there's a good flow here.
thank goodness. as the hostess bringing all of this together with all of the personalities can be kind of stressful. in fact right now is the first time that i am really just sitting down on the couch and relaxing with out feeling on. in fact it is almost 1pm and i am still in my pjs. over the past 4 days there has been beds to be set up, meals to be made, dishes to be washed. it's been an on going thing which is fun but exhausting. and on top of that...i think everyone is having a good time. i certainly can be thankful for that.
most of all i am thankful for my husband john who is my perfect team mate. when i go, go, go he can relax and play and then when i crash and burn (like right now) he is busy cleaning up around the kitchen. i am so incredibly thankful for this man in my life.
happy saturday people - hope you don't feel too full.

women, men and food

i went out with a former yoga student now friend for dinner a few days ago. we were talking about life choices that we make and that led us to the topic of dieting and weight. she shared that she been on some kind of diet her entire life. she has tried them all. now when i look at her i see a petite women with a small figure. she on the other hand thinks she needs to lose 20 pounds. wow, that is a lot of weight for a small person. she thinks she just carries her weight well.  at every meal she asks makes a choice to be what she says, good or bad.  i wonder if most women think about. well i already know we are different then men as i doubt men even talk about dieting and weight when they get together.  how many men even think about this topic.  i don't know the answer i just know about the men in my life.

my husband on occasion will say he wants to lose weight and will have a plan for it but i don't think he sits down at a meal and thinks about if he is going to be good or bad. i certainly don't remember my brothers or my father ever talking about weight. my mom would on occasion talk about my dad's stomach but when he sat down at a meal he never once said oh i am not going to eat that tonight. whatever was served he ate and then some. food was on the table and they ate.

how do we gals get like this?

things i would like to accomplish over this holiday weekend

just off the top of my head...
have some real meals that my guests enjoy (i am normally not a big cook so i never know how this will turn out)
not super stuff myself on things
and if i am feeling that way getting in some kind of movement to at least feel ok with the above
perhaps a bikram class (kind of tentative about this as i never know what to expect from taking class up here - having to do with the school and the level of my current yoga class...i have only taken one class this month)
take yoga at squaw - the lulu lemon thing
knit the scarf for wickie
read books, magazine, kindle
keep the flow fun for everyone at the house
gotta call my mom
be grateful. be thankful. and do those two things again.
make john laugh.
check out danielle's emails
look into pinterest (i know work things but in a good way)
nice brisk walk
play with the two dogs
watch little bit - macy's day parade, national dog show
hot tub
pool, ping pong
running up and down the stairs
i think those are all doable
happy thanksgiving.

st. anthony...can you help me find something?

O Holy St. Anthony, gentlest of Saints, your love for God 

and Charity for His creatures made you worthy, when on
earth, to possess miraculous powers. Miracles waited on
your word, which you were ever ready to speak for those in
trouble or anxiety. Encouraged by this thought, I implore
of you to obtain for me my necklace that was a gift from Rebecca. 

O gentle and loving St. Anthony, whose heart was ever full 

of human sympathy, whisper my petition into the ears of the 

The answer to my prayer may require a miracle. Even so, you are the saint of Miracles.
Sweet Infant Jesus, who loved to be folded in your arms, and
the gratitude of my heart will ever be yours.
Thank you.

ahhhh

saturday night.

john's in tahoe.

i 'm flying solo in sf.

so what does this mean for a 47 year old gal on a rainy saturday night?

chinese food in bed.

lifetime christmas movies on tv.

happy place.

happy happy place.

saturday night's alright by me.

manifest

someone recently told me i am good at manifesting what i want.
here goes...
coffee.
i prepared the coffee machine so all my husband needs to do is go push the on button.
he is walking around.
just went outside.
back in now.
come on - push that button.
maybe if i just am still. close my eyes and evision it.
here we go again.
nada.
he walked down the hall but stopped in the kitchen.
close but not close enough.
let me try again.
i am going to evision it .
he is not drinking coffee this week so this is not on his list of morning things.
but maybe he will think of me.
he's in the kitchen. he can do it. i am waiting for that coffee machine sound.
i may have to get out of bed to do it. i don't want to.
come on john. push that button.
ok i am going to do a count down from 60 in my mind.
nothing.
ok time to make it happen for myself.

happy monday people.

saturday night's alrigjht by me

john's in tahoe.
i 'm flying solo in sf.
so what does this mean for a 47 year old gal on a rainy saturday night?
chinese food in bed.
lifetime christmas movies on tv.
happy place.
happy happy place.

friday turned out to be pretty nice.

ended the work week on such a great note. yesterday i met with my yoga student danielle who laid out a business marketing plan...by brand, areas to branch out in, social media and how to use them, marketing campaigns, and so much more. wow, i got some good ideas. and she is going to stay in regular contact to help me out.
two hours later i was off to the twilight movie. glad to have seen it early. pretty people. fun saga. kind of happy it is over.
ended the day meeting a otential client. god hired. start after thanksgiving. how nice to go into the holiday knowing i have booked work.
i have much to be thankful for.  thank you.
oh and the picture? just a reminder of a great visit john and i had with his mom cis.
happy saturday.
namaste.

meant to be

this morning, on his way out the door, my husband said he loves reading my reviews on yelp and is so happy that i have really found my calling. that gave me such a good feeling. then immediately after that i got the following email.

I have been reading all the fabulous reviews of your service and I think you may be just what I need. I am a stay at home mom who suffers from chronic fatigue/fibromyalgia with a little depression sprinkled on top. I am also a major treasure hunter/thrifter (which doesn't help my situation). Since I've gotten sick, I have not been able to manage the "stuff" as effectively and our house is unmanageable, tripping over things, etc. not only can I not manage it day to day like this, but i'm concerned about what it's teaching the kids. Basically, I want to drastically scale down so that it is more manageable on a day to day basis and create organize what is left. I have attempted this task on many occasions and only get so far before it becomes just too overwhelming. Honestly, I've also been too embarrassed by our mess to reach out for help

you can feel the person's pain and desire for a different life.

so today i get to meet her and hopefully get her back on the road to a somewhat organized/decluttered life. this is so up my alley. i am lucky to get to do what i do.

happy friday.

it is that time of year

as we approach the holidays and the nearing of the end of the year, it can bring on a time of reflection of what has passed. and i am so grateful for the life i have but that really is made because of the people in it. thank you. i am loved and i love you right back. these are the people that come to mind who have really supported me this past year. one more time. thank you.

john
mom
cis
sam
rebecca
my clients - both in the organizing and in the yoga world
prana del mar and the amazing staff
katite and raj
katherine and the riley family
the entire pinney family
my yoga guests
the president and the first lady
yoga and all the people connected to yoga - teachers, students...so many have been so supportive of me
strangers who smile back when i smile at them
the fun and interesting people i meet while doing laundry
liz, anthony, poet and kingston
susan
my cousin jp
nicoll
rafi
the ladies who work at walgreens on lombard st.
eric and tom at peets coffee
some of the people i meet while doing laundry
people with dogs who let me pet them
the ladies at both nail salons on chestnut and on stanyan
me

it is because of these people that i get up every day to face the world. i am so grateful.
love, andrea

little by little

went to meet my ongoing and currently only client today. always nice to have her business but in the back of my head i thought, starting my own business is tough. i should just go and get a regular job with a regular pay check and regular benefits. blah. blah. blah.
but then the universe started to answer my request for help...

- after 3 hours of relatively easy work, my client asked would it be ok to book me for two appointments in the same week.
- checked my email and i got an inquiry about helping someone pack up a home for moving.
- on Facebook a former yoga student messaged me that she had been thinking about my organizing business and had some ideas to market me for new business. we are meeting on friday to discuss them. she also posted a link to my yelp page and shared with her fb friends that if someone needed help organizing that i was the person to go to!

it is hard to keep the faith but i know i must.
little by little the work will come.

as i was just reading this an email came in from a yoga student that attended the maui retreat  in march. he wants to go to another retreat and wanted suggestions. yeah one, ME! now i don't know if he will come to mind but hey it sure felt good to see that email this morning.

wow, i know i was given my last name "WAIT" for a reason. sometimes i just have to wait.
happy wednesday people.

food

i just realized that i have not written about food experiments, supplements or any of my dieting thoughts in a while. so today is the day.
i have begun taking the supplements i wrote about i think last week. this is the first time i really have made an effort to take vitamins on a regular basis. so far so good on that front. don't feel different but i suspect that must take time. now part of the supplements program is that i don't have to change my diet in order to lose weight. i am putting that theory to the test.
in the past couple of weeks i have had a lot going on...house guests to entertain, a husband's birthday to celebrate, halloween...awe all know what that means. yes, eating more and eating more of the foods i don't typically eat.
today i am back to my norm. at this very moment i am enjoying a home cooked meal of eggs and avocado and...a delicious beet juice prepared by my husband. delish. yes, this works better for me but boy i had fun.
happy tuesday.

back to the drawing board

it is monday morning, 7:14 a.m. most people are performing their morning ritual getting ready for work. me? i am wondering where my next jobs are coming from and how am i going to get them. now if i had no work scheduled today and had future jobs lines up then i could just take this as a doing my chores kind of day - clean the house, do the laundry, etc. but this week is different. i have completed all my jobs and only have one appointment set with an ongoing client. ugh.
stay positive. keep the faith.
happy monday people.

the power of communication

in the last couple days i have come across two different scenarios that have shown me how important clear communication is in the overall dynamics of a relationship. 

in the first scenario, i chose to not say anything about a situation so as to protect an individual from judgement of others. the end result was i instead have been judged and incorrectly i may add.

in the second scenario, i chose to what i thought was clearly communicate my intention only to find that the other person had a completely different understanding of the situation. i assumed they understood what i was saying and i was wrong. 

so that is my goal for this week ahead...i am going to work on my communicating skills. say what i mean. mean what i say. that sounds like a good place to start. 

days in a row

today brings to an end a consecutive row of organizing work days.
as each job and client is different i tend to experience a variety of emotions.
1. i am thrilled that someone has found me.
2. i am relieved i can make money.
3. i am nervous about meeting them.
4. i hope i know what i am doing.
5. i am nervous about taking on the job and doing it well.
6. i am so tired after this organizing session.
7. i hope i can get this all done.
8. i am so good.
9. wow this place looks good.
10. damn i am too good. i finished that job too fast.
11. oh god who is going to be my next client?

just got back from my morning job. wham bam done. where do i fall on my list? #11. besides my one on going client, i have completed everyone of my jobs. i need all new clients.
ok, time for me to keep the faith and believe new jobs will come. in the meantime it is time to focus on my websites, getting a newsletter together and getting my next year's retreat off the ground.

but for now...time to enjoy this pretty day.
happy saturday.

fun day friday

i don't have much to say on this pretty friday morning.
working today. actually worked yesterday and will work tomorrow. that feels good.
it's friday. that is always good.
got plans to go to the movies with my husband
vegetable box came today. john mumbled something about getting a different box company while he was going through this weeks vegetable assortment.
that is pretty much the extent of my morning thoughts.
happy friday.

seriously

lately i keep thinking of a something my dad used to say to me. he said "you never complain".
and today i was all set to go into a giant rant about family and relationships and things being unfair but thankfully my husband talked me off the ledge. so unimportant.
instead i am going to revel in the enjoyment of completing an awesome job for a young family.
nothing like doing something you enjoy and doing something you love to turn that attitude around.
ahhh....i feel much better.
thank you to my husband.
thank you to rebecca.
thank you to samantha.
and thank you to nicoll - not only for helping me do a great job today but for being a comforting ear.
i am going to enjoy this feeling.
namaste.

election day

i am writing this post on the morning of election day.
i am watching the news and the bobble heads are stressing me out.
they are acting as if romney will clearly win.
i hope president obama wins the race.
when i go to post this tomorrow...
i hope the president will remain in office.
time to turn off the tv and start the day.

well we all know how that turned out.
obama won.
phew.

i am rethinking a post

i have a caveat to saturday's post about my inability to keep up a good beauty regiment. there is an exception. every once in a while i get in a groove of wanting to look good. this theory holds true for manicures as well. i basically get in a groove of a beauty maintenance. i keep the regiment going for a while and then i hit the wall and i'm back to my good old self. of course i always look somewhat put together but there is definitely a difference between the "polished" andrea and the "day to day" andrea.
today's look - day to day andrea.

they have arrived

the supplements that aid in weight loss have arrived. no extra exercise. no change in diet. just take these supplements and the weight will come off. they are made from plants and berries and are said to be important to our overall health...everything from acai to raspberries.
we shall see...
of course knowing that this was going to start on monday, i used the weekend to go to town...candy, cake, more candy. you get the idea.
i have now just stepped on the scale and now my starting weight.
let the games begin...60 days.
i will keep you posted.

now 2 hours later since original post...
i am so putting this plan to the test...i started off day one with two pieces of cake. hey they said "you don't have to change your diet"!
secondly, i just looked up when next season of biggest loser starts (my friend rebecca has been wondering when that would be so i finally just looked at their website for her) and the date is january 6 which i believe is in about 60 days from now. that is funny to me.

ok happy monday people.

it really takes a small amount of effort

this past weekend i have had my mother in law visiting and my husband's birthday. this means going out and about doing fun things in fun places. and as a result i am compelled to make an effort at improving my daily appearance. truthfully it doesn't take much. a wash and dry of the hair. a pretty routine formula of make-up. and a pulled together outfit. voila...i do look better. and from that i get compliments "wow, you look great". "your skin looks so nice". and i agree. i do look better.
however the bottom line is i am lazy in regards to that particular effort. it really only comes out on special occasions. and my husband is that special occasion.
tomorrow it is back to the hair in the ponytail/bun/not sure what to call it hairstyle. leftover black eye liner make up will hang around the eyes. and i will pretty much wear the same outfit for the next 3-4 days. oh and the hair is lucky if it gets washed again by thursday.
but for this sunny sunday. i look pretty oh so pretty...
happy birthday to my favorite husband.

funny thing about feeling good

it is typically only when we feel like crap that we notice how we feel.
but for right this very moment i am oh so grateful to feel normal. no headache. no stomach ache. no digestive problems. just everything moving along smoothly.
thank you.

i like it when

i like having a home environment that looks neat and pretty.
first this means that every surface of the house needs to be cleaned from floor to counter top in every room of the house.
definitely all trash cans are emptied.
then we must have all my pretty things perfectly placed in their perfect spots.
definitely folded clean towels hanging in the bathroom.
the perfect set is now staged.
finally add a dash of pretty lights and the scent of a yummy burning candle.
ahhhhh...heaven.

the drop by

i don't do well with the drop by visitor. sure there are a few friends (sam, rebecca, elena) who that rule doesn't apply to but for everyone else i need a little warning. i need the option to say "now is not a good time and let's pick another day". another option...instead of dropping by my place why don't you invite people to your place?
typically when i'm in my house i have a list of things i like to do. if that list is done, well even more of a reason to not want people over. selfish? probably.
you would think having 4 older siblings that i could go with the flow a little more easily. nope.  in fact i am the youngest and am separated from my siblings by several years...3, 6, 7 and 8 years. by the time i was 14 i was the only kid left at home. hmmm is this the reason? i don't know. am i going to change? probably not.
time for me to retreat to my girl cave. good night.