It's amazing how new highlights, freshly manicured nails, dyed eyebrows, and very expensive make-up can make a person feel like Grace Kelly. *Sigh* I like it. I spent most of the morning at the salon today. My stylist, Janie, is lovely. Such a beautiful woman. She had breast cancer and beat it. She's adopted. She used a private investigator once to find her birth parents. She needed to know her medical history so she contacted them. She said they were both good people, but she just talks to them from time to time. Anyway, she is moving to a really nice salon in Quartz Hill next week, so I'm going to go there from now on. It's a spa, as well, so I'm going to get facials, massages, and my pedicure/manicures there, too. It sounds heavenly.

I have never had my eyebrows dyed before, but I wanted to see if it would add a little definition to my tired eyes, so I got it done. I like it. When the dye was penetrating it looked REALLY dark, but it washed out well.

I am so, so excited. Kakenya is coming! I'm going to LA to see her on Wednesday. Amy Argetsinger is going to be there, too. I don't think the Washington Post is going to write another article on her anytime soon. Maybe in another couple of years... Relief. We won't have to pose for any pictures for a while.

I have had the flu or a tummy virus or something really bad this week. I started feeling sick on Wednesday at school. I went straight home and got into bed around 1 in the afternoon. I got up at 5:30 and puked. It was awful. Then I drank some pepto and took some ibuprofen. I could feel the fever coming on. I didn't eat anything and went to bed again. I slept until 6 the next morning, then dragged myself up. I started getting ready for school. Got totally dressed, got through the initial 2 minutes of my 15 minute beauty routine, felt completely light-headed, sat down, dry heaved a little, called in sick to work. I was so, so sick. I felt awful. Anyway, work was not happy. They called me at 7:30 and asked me if I would be in tomorrow so I could give the standardized tests we've been taking all week. I was upset because I thought they didn't really think I was sick. I hate that. If I'm not sick, I say so. Every other day I have taken off has been for personal necessity, and I have said so. Then, the one time I'm ill they decide they want to bug me. I slept and sweated all day long. Ick. No food. Minimal drink. Slept all night, no interruption. I took my temperature twice. The first time it was 97, the second time it was 100.5.

Got up the next morning, went to work. Everyone was like, "Wow! You look really casual! We never see you in jeans!" One lady even told me that I am: "Always dressed to the nines." I was like, "I'm sick as a dog! I'm not wearing a suit today!" Jesus. Wear sneakers to work and cause a commotion. Anybody going to ask me if I feel better? No. Because everyone thought I was out shopping or something.

Anyway, my stomach is still crazy. I can't eat a damn thing. My lower back hurts, too, so I think I have a virus or infection or something. I'm going to the doctor as soon as I can get a bloody appointment.

I wore one of my super-cute size 8 Ann Taylor Loft skirts today. Two random men smiled at me and said "Good Morning" when I was at the bank. I don't usually get that out of the blue. My cute bank boy wasn't there today. I was sad. He goes to my gym. I stared at him for like 5 minutes before I realized where I knew him from. My bank! Then I realized that there was a mirror in front of us and he could totally see me staring at him in it. So I looked at his ass for the rest of his 20-minute run. Yummy.

I think Manal is going to come see me in early September!!!! I hope so. That will be perfect because I will be off of work at that time. We can hang out at some swank LA hotel (Hyatt Regency isn't bad ;) ) and swim and drink colorful umbrella drinks.

Did you guys know that I wrote a whole bunch of amazon.com reviews back in the day? If you go to my name on amazon.com under the wishlist section, I think it will link up to all the crazy reviews I wrote. I basically only wrote about stuff I liked, so it's all gushing and unoriginal. But they're lengthy! Ha ha ha.

My tax return added up to $722.00. I was like SWEET! Almost as good as the two grand I got for Christmas gifts. My credit card debt is going down a lot faster than I originally calculated. After I get this stuff down, I'm going to buy some property. Valerie just bought a house up here near me. I still didn't have my license when she was ready to buy, so she went ahead and did it. That's cool. I will sell this one for her when she is ready to cash out.

I'm looking forward to my next real estate interview on Tuesday. Hopefully it goes well and I don't have to run out of the room, clutching my stomach in agony because of sick-killer-stomach-virus.