I was unpleasantly surprised today to find that an entry I wrote yesterday was gone. Actually, it had - thanks to our lovely Internet connection - simply failed to post. While this isn't exactly an odd occurrence, it is incredibly annoying.
One would think (more than one, even) that I would routinely check for this problem. But, in the midst of the 10,000 or so projects I have on my plate at any given time - I tend to take the basics for granted. Once I 'finish' something, I presume that it's actually finished. Guess that'll teach me!
Now that I can see that my skin has gone horribly, horribly wrong, the question is: What am I going to do? There are so many options. But, the answer is very simple.
. . .
I have not got a clue! Is there a 'Skin Care for Dummies' out there?
To start, I need to get rid of the {unmentionable number of} years of neglect - meaning lots of dermabrasion. Also known as carefully sandpapering away the dead skin of a thousand lifetimes. Orbital sander notwithstanding, this is a fine line. As once you see bone you've, pretty much, gone too far.
Assuming I make it through Stage 1 without needing a transfusion and cheekbone reconstruction, I then have to find a way to nourish this (hopefully) new-found younger-looking skin. When my hands and feet turn into leather, I slather them with petroleum jelly, throw on clean white cotton socks and let the moisturizing begin.
Somehow I just don't think that's going to be a good recipe for my face. Not to mention - without a field of cotton, a gin, cards, spinning wheel, and a really big crochet hook - I am probably not gonna find a sock that big.
Frankly, after reading and researching all of the wondrous beauty products on the market, I'm leaning toward making my own skin care products. All-natural ingredients, designed to support what the skin does on its own. I've even found an intriguing book - written by a nutritionist/skin expert - that has a lot of information about how skin works and what it takes to keep it happy. Especially, after 40.
Years ago, when I still had reasonably healthy skin, I owned a book by Diane von Furstenberg that was filled with recipes for gentle, effective skin care. The ingredients were fairly inexpensive, easy to use, and did (as I recall) keep my skin looking healthy. Of course, at 20-something, that's probably not too difficult.
We'll see if the same process works 30 years later.
We (my eyes and I) seem to be operating under the no-good-deed-goes-unpunished aphorism. They don't understand that I need to be able to not merely see - but clearly read - the computer screen. And preferably from a distance that doesn't involve surgical alteration to the length of my arms.
. . .
Don't get me wrong. I love my glasses. (Well, except when I look in the mirror; then, I hate them.) I can see the TV from across the room, and even read street signs. I can read the fine print on the cereal box and even thread a needle. It's great; really.
It's just that I can't - at a comfortable distance - see the screen on my laptop clearly. The top of the bifocals focuses a little too far away; the bottom, a little too close. Meaning I either increase the length of my already-so-long-I-bump-into-everything arms or I have a joint inserted in the middle of my forearm, cuz right now I don't bend that way.
I do have a third option - contacts and readers. The combination works. I can clearly read the print on the monitor without balancing the laptop on my shins or bumping my nose on the screen. But, somehow, putting in contacts and putting on glasses feels a bit like putting lifts in high heels - redundant and ridiculous.
The real kicker? The contacts and readers I had - before I spent a king's ransom on new stuff - managed to do about as well as this new stuff for computer work. Thereby invoking the no-good-deed-goes-unpunished portion of today's entertainment.
But, since I have about 10 hours worth of work to do and no surgeon in sight, I guess I'd best go put the ol' contacts in. {sigh}
First - I was really, really, Really in need of new glasses. If you've ever looked through a pair of binoculars, but didn't quite have the focus right - that's been me for heaven knows how long. I put my new specs on and it was like someone put the world back in focus. It was shocking how much clearer everything suddenly became.
Which leads me to the second problem - everything is so much clearer! You would not believe how smooth and even my skin was this morning. Now? I have blotches all over. And where in the world did all those lines come from?!
I'm thinking this new improved vision was a very, Very, VERY bad idea! Because now I need industrial-strength skin care, Botox, and what is with that hair color? Oh, mercy! I am in deep, deep trouble!
If I thought grocery shopping produced serious sticker-shock, I should have remembered shopping for glasses. There's a heart-stopper if ever I saw one. Especially, when it comes to specialty lenses, like mine.
. . .
I've been putting off getting new glasses for a very long time, now. The prescription on my contacts is just as old and I can't really see out of either. Add in the fact that my glasses are bent, the earpieces are taped on - and you can see it's time to bite the bullet and head to the eye doctor.
To that end, I have been doing some online pricing. It appears that the 30-day multifocals I have been desperately wanting are not going to happen, unless we suddenly hit the lottery. But the deals out there on eyeglasses are pretty good.
The fact that I am seriously near-sighted, need bifocals, and have an astigmatism in my left eye shouldn't make a difference. Right!? Oh, yeah! It's gonna be expensive.
It's really strange. When Mark and I got together, it was just the two of us - for almost 3 years. We were good at just-the-two-of-us. Then, the children descended.
. . .
Eventually, we got really good at being just-the-four-of-us. Okay, maybe not really good - but, hey, nobody died and we're still together. But, starting in 2007, the kids started to disappear. First Frankie; then Michael. We were back to just-the-two-of-us and, although sad at first, we got good at it again.
Over the last 18 months or so, we've had one kid move in and out and in again. It really changes the dynamics - and floor space - when you add a third body (and personality) to the mix. He's been here for about 10 months now and we've adapted, as much as we're going to. Then, last night -- he left.
Granted, it's not a permanent move; he just went to spend the weekend with his older brother. But - Wow! It's quiet in here! And he's not even that noisy. If the room were bigger and you couldn't see him - constantly - out of the corner of your eye, you probably wouldn't even know he was here.
So how does the presence, or lack thereof, of one not-so-noisy person make the whole place seem different? I don't know, but I'll be glad when he gets home on Sunday. The silence is deafening!
It doesn't happen often, but when it does - it happens the minute I walk out the door !
I'm talking about rain in Arizona. That wonderful weather that blows in about this time every year; when the heat and the humidity vie for Most-Supreme-Misery-Maker. Rarely is there a clear winner.
It's probably my fault - not the rain, the getting-rained-on. I knew we were out of cigarettes and I knew there was a storm coming. Just didn't get my behind up and out in time. Which really sucks!
Cuz my shoes get squishy. Cuz my glasses get all spotty. Cuz I really, really hate showering with my clothes on!
The video is from March. I was a little distracted today - wringing out my feet!
Unable to sleep, I was catching up on the news on my phone. I was also trying to be still and quiet so that Mark could sleep. This wasn't much of a problem with Yahoo! News/ Opinions - although I'd like to know where all of my regular columnists went. Then, I hit Humor at Creators.com.
. . . Read More ?
It started with Peter McKay, whom I've mentioned before. His painting post made me grin; the deck awning story had me softly chuckling. My funny bone was itching and twitching, but I was still in control. And Mark was still asleep. Whew!
Then I made a near-fatal error - I started reading Bruce Cameron. 'Tom the Caveman' was amusing; the 'Teenage Boat' touched a chord. If I had stopped there, I'd have been fine. But - No! - I had to continue!
Having never mastered the fine art of moderation, I moved on to 'Feng Shui' and the beginning of the end. Between Larry, the tiger, the dragon, and the in-laws, I was starting to stifle some serious laughter. The bed was beginning to shake; the tears were making it difficult to finish the story and regain a little self-control. But, eventually, I made it and Mark was still asleep.
The '3-D Printer' was the final blow. The bed was bouncing, the tears were flowing. Images of cellphone cases were circling hysterically in my brain and I couldn't stop giggling. Silently, uncontrollably giggling.
All I can say is: it is physically painful to hold back that much laughter. Thank heaven I waited until today to read 'My Father the Dog Trainer.' I'd have killed myself!
Periodically, I go shopping for printer ink. It's not that we do a great deal of printing, but we've been using the same cartridges for a very long time. And, if you use something like the Xerox Phaser (108R00724) ink sticks, you know -- aw, heck! I gotta go there.
Which is more deadly - color or black-and-white? Does the wide-beam setting print legal-size, or just burn through a ream like, well like a Phaser through paper? Do you need a concealed-copy permit, for working after hours?
"Set phasers on copy - and good luck. Kirk out."1
1 - With apologies to Star Trek IV and Xerox, who I'm sure, has heard them all. (I just couldn't resist.)
Well, June is finally gone! Hooray! It came in badly and did not go out with a whimper. Never, in recent memory, has one month wreaked so much havoc - from start to finish. July just has to be better. Right?!
. . .
For starters, this month looks to be a food fest, which is just fine with me. I love the seasonal goodies flooding the stores right now. Fresh fruits and veggies are always the top of my grocery list.
But July brings even more to enjoy. Firing up the grill and dusting off those summer recipes is what it's all about. This is a month for celebrating ~ Baked Beans, Culinary Arts, Ice Cream, Hot Dogs, and Blueberries.
If those aren't enough, take a look at the first seven days of July:
National Gingersnap Day
National Anisette Day
National Chocolate Wafer Day
National Barbecued Spareribs Day
National Apple Turnover Day
National Fried Chicken Day
National Strawberry Sundae Day, and Chocolate Day
Okay - that did it! I'm off to the store for turnovers, baked beans, and fried chicken! Oh, and a pint of ice cream and blueberries. And some gingersnaps and ribs. And, in anticipation of the end of the month - lollipops, milk chocolate, and cheesecake!
And some stretchy sweatpants. And an exercise machine. This could get veddy, veddy bad.
What does it mean when you dream about bow ties? Seriously! I had the oddest dream about Mark buying a matching shirt and bow tie - in champagne-on-white stripes, no less. In the dream, he was so proud and I was just . . .
To begin with, I've always (no offense intended) thought that bow ties were just a little nerdy. With the exception of a really snazzy tux, they just don't scream stud. I mean look at Orville Redenbacher! (Okay, not a fair example.)
In an attempt to update my attitude, I went searching for Men in Bow Ties. I found some pictures at the late, great Berkley Magazine that did not make me giggle and cry "Nerd!" In fact, some of the looks were terrific and I can see, now, how bow ties could be a great deal of fun. Especially the not-so-rigid styles.
Still can't quite see one on Mark. But maybe that's just me. And my odd little dream.
Normally, by June 13, we are in the triple-digits and hiding in our
air-conditioned homes. We expect it; we prepare ourselves for it; we
know it's coming. But this year - brrrr!
Yesterday was actually so cool that we had to turn off the air and close
the windows to keep a little heat in. Rather than our usual summer togs
- as little clothes as is legal - we had to find the sweats and sweaters
we'd already packed away for the season. It was really odd.
Odd - but very welcome. Wonder if it might last another day? More,
please, Mother Nature!
While checking my website keywords, crawl errors, SEO, and all those
other wonderful things that webmasters are wont to do, I ran across a
post from over two years ago. It looked, sarcastically, at a news story
on budgeting.
(Sadly, I didn't link to the story, so I have no idea where I found it.)
Now that our country is setting such a fine example, ... Who am I
kidding? The government always lives off its credit cards. But,
it's never a bad time to think about living within one's means, as they
used to say.
Well, unless you have a blank check from China. In which case, never
mind.
As I am seriously reluctant to visit doctors, dentists, and other poke-and-prod purveyors of bad news, I have been trying to self-determine why I have a serious pain in my left side. My definition of serious: constant localized discomfort that NSAIDs, vitamin C, and time haven't helped. Not to mention, it's an odd pain.
. . .
Muscle pull? Been there, done that - a lot, actually. In my experience, I wouldn't be able to lift my arms, turn, move, and/or, basically, dress myself. As I have not been forced to run around naked or have Mark dress me, I'll eliminate that one.
Back out of alignment? This is always a fun one - leading to pains in places that, at first blush, have nothing to do with the location of the problem. Nothing like chest pains to get your attention. But, adjusting my 'spinal attitude' hasn't really helped. Guess we have to eliminate this one.
Bruised rib? (See Muscle Pull) Although the mid-rib area of my left side is occasionally tender to the touch and I do have some minor, occasional issues with movement, I can probably eliminate that one, too. The pain is just not, for lack of a better word, right.
Not happy with where this is leading. I'm starting to see a doctor visit in my future.
Lung problem? Hmmmm? Not so sure. I've had pneumonia, bronchitis, and pleuresy (some more than once) - and this just doesn't feel like how I remember those pains. Which could be selective amnesia, truth be told.
And yet - Can't take a full breath without pain. Smoking just upsets everything. Coughing is something to be avoided, at all costs.
Soooo!? We have interesting options: infection, inflammation, or the big C. Frankly, I'm leaning toward some sort of allergy-related complication, after my recent 2 week bout of something. Either way, it looks like it's time to call the doctor.
I was looking at some of the "best anti wrinkle cream" sites and got caught up reading a quite funny debate over one particular product. Never actually did find what I was looking for. But I had a great time, anyway.
It all started because I was trying to find some information on Acetyl Hexapeptide-3. This ingredient is showing up in a lot of creams. Naturally, I wanted to know what it was and if it could do what it claimed.
After lots of searching, I ran across a forum discussion that seemed to really know what was going on. Then, I got down to the last few posts where 2 people were convinced that a third was only complaining, because her products didn't use this peptide. From there is just devolved into hysteria.
Must say, it's been a long time since I laughed that hard. Unfortunately, I still don't know if Acetyl Hexapeptide-3 actually works.
It is entirely possible that I watch entirely too much SyFy Channel.
I offer that observation, based on my reaction to seeing the Roto-Rooter Truck sitting in our parking lot yesterday. Did I think: "Oh, no! Plumbing problems!"? Nope.
The first thought to enter my little sci-fi-soaked brain was "Oooh! Ghosts!"
For those of you who share our addiction to this channel, you'll understand. Those of you with normal lives, won't get it. But that's okay.
While not actively pursuing a memory upgrade for our two computers, I do
keep my eye out for a great sale.
The only problem - so far - is I keep getting distracted by all of the
other ... {ooh, shiny!!}
Ummm. Where was I? Oh, yes - great deals.
I wasn't actually looking to upgrade any of our software. It works,
though some of it is about 8 years old. Then, I tripped over a deal I
couldn't refuse.
A utility that we have on all of our computers, for less than we paid 7
years ago. Just can't ignore ... {squirrel!}
National Scoop-the-Poop Week ~ April 25-May 1,
2010
Straw Hat Month
So, I guess my month is pretty darn full: Throw on my Straw Hat, turn on
some great Jazz, Decorate a Humorous Award for my favorite International
Twit(s), and avoid the poop that hasn't been scooped. Gonna be a great
time!
Hope your month is equally spectacular!
With many thanks to Brownielocks.com who offers amazing, validated holiday and observance information.
Years ago ... I hate it when a thought starts that way; nearly as bad as "When I was your age...". But, like it or not, it was years ago.
It was the 70s and I had a job bussing tables at a cafeteria that butted up to a beauty salon. The glass door near the kitchen let the stylists come in to have lunch - or bug the help. They were a little nuts and it was rarely dull.
. . .
The joke and prank ring-leader was rebuilding a woodie wagon (a bit like the picture, if memory serves ). He was planning to attach long-armed convex mirrors and - for some reason - had them in the salon. With him, who knew?
One day, there was a knock at the salon door and an impish, bearded face appeared in the glass. Grinning and babbling about nothing in particular, he kept looking down at my feet. Being young and naive, I had no idea what was going on - at first.
Eventually I figured it out. Suffice it to say, just the site of one of those mirrors can still make me laugh - after 35 years.
I have made every effort to not mention a certain Republican from Alaska on these pages. Personally, I believe that this Alaskan gets enough press, without my little blog adding to the mix. Yet, sometimes the best laid plans of mice and happy little bloggers are thwarted.
. . .
The reality (pun intended) is that there is just too much to see (and hear) of this former-politician. Especially, too much in the political arena. Didn't we quit, give up, walk away? or was that just a great fake-out, designed to find new ways to keep that voice {shudders} filling sound-bites until 2012?
Now, we're facing a series of televised postcards from Alaska? Don't get me wrong. I realize that it is a beautiful state and probably well worth exploring. But, come on!
Isn't there anyone else? Couldn't this Tina-Fey-wannabe just stay home, take care of the kids, protect the wolves, and, I don't know, stop painting bullseyes on those who disagree with public displays of political insanity?
I don't know about you, but for us this has been one incredibly long
month. Twenty-eight little days have dragged on forever.
Usually, February flies by so quickly that I end up, on the 28th,
wondering where it went and why I didn't get anything done. Not this
year. I wonder if that means the whole of 2010 is going to last for
about a decade in my mind.
Hmmm?! That might not be so bad. Maybe I'll get the closets organized
and the morons chased out of the Senate and the mending done and the
bathroom painted and the ironing addressed and the kitchen cupboards
reorganized and world hunger ended and the DVDs alphabetized and the
novel finished (or started) and the Middle East crisis resolved and an
organizer ordered and my hair color changed and the carpets shampooed
and the windows washed and the ...
Aw heck. Maybe I'll just have another cup of coffee and hope that March
doesn't last 60 days.
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