Day Four: What it's Really Like to Paint your Toes

Melanie and I.
Approximately 26 years
of friendship and counting!

Whose idea was it to post every day for thirty days?!  Oy.  Thankfully, hardly anyone is reading these posts, if anyone at all, so I don't have to worry too much about being witty or clever or incredibly interesting.  Thirty days in the life of Lori Jean.  Meh.  Well, at least I find it interesting and it makes me happy.  That's all that matters.  Yesterday was a good day and last night was a good night.  I got a great deal done at work and that felt fantastic.  I strongly dislike leaving for a trip knowing there is shit on my desk that should have gotten done.  On the way home from work, I returned the book on CD I had checked out for Mom and Dad (with a late fee that only totaled 20 cents - for me, this is a miracle).  After I got home, I gave the kitties their treats, fed the fish, and headed out for another satisfying run/walk.  Melanie came over shortly after that.  After we talked for a bit, and she suffered through me modeling the clothes I bought for the trip (I've always admired and valued her honesty - blunt, but never hurtful), we painted our toes and watched Delivery Man with Vince Vaughn.  I opted for a light, bright fuchsia pink that will go nicely with my new swimming suit, and Melanie chose one of my favorites, "Cute as a Button".  Fascinating, right?  Of course it is!  Freshly painted toes is essential to preparing for a vacation.

 

I've also included a picture of our supplies, or tools, if you will.  I think it is an excellent picture.  Okay, I am lying.  I think it's an absolutely atrocious picture.  But I'm including it, anyway.  Why?  Well, because that's what they looked like.  They weren't lightly brushed with a cool vintage or retro wash.  They weren't perfectly aligned or asymmetrical as the sun softly illuminated them.  They were just sitting there, looking just like they do in the picture.  Just like the picture of Melanie and I, above.  That's what we looked like sitting on the couch laughing and talking, enjoying one another's company.  I think we look pretty darn cute, by the way; but, I digress.  I love pictures.  I love taking them, editing them, applying Photoshop actions, cropping them, and especially, getting them just right.  I would say I am pretty good at it.  I can get a little carried away, however, with the "getting them just right" part.  I made the decision that for this blog I would only post pictures I had taken with my new Fujifilm Instax Mini 8 Instant Film Camera.  When I snap a shot with the Instax I get exactly what I see when I look through the lens.  I get what the moment really looked like, not the way I want it to look or the way I think others will appreciate or approve of; just like removing alcohol from the picture allows me to experience what life is really like without the buzzy haze.  No more taking forty pictures to get the perfect "selfie" (ugh - I cringe every time I hear that word.  It's almost as bad as "kudos" and "pic" - the list goes on and on.).  No spending hours editing and cropping.  I think this is going to be good for me.