I’m reading that book right now. You know, the one they made that cute little movie out of where everyone seems to be learning the hard way that they shouldn’t be with the person they’re crushing on. It was a gift from my best friend of 16 years. Her token of wisdom (among many) for my foray into the frightening world of singledom. It was also one of the last books she read before she found her Mr. Right.
Not that I’m looking for Mr. Right at this moment mind you. Really, I’d be quite happy with Mr. Let’s Go Camping and Then Watch the Sunrise Together While Drinking Our Coffee or Mr. Let’s Share a Beer and Hotwings While We Get To Know Each Other Better (just make sure that beer isn’t a Bud Light because I’ve got plenty of that in my fridge and I don’t have to put on make up to drink it).
It’s an interesting read this little book. A glimpse into the male mind when it comes to dating. And apparently it’s a glimpse I need, because I’m learning a lot!! For instance, did you know that even though the year is 2010, a girl is not supposed to ask a guy out? Yeah, you heard that right- I find a guy I like, I think “gee, I’d like to go out for a drink and get to know him better some time, I should ask him to do that.” WRONG!!! Apparently this is a turn off for men. They like the pursuit, the chance to catch you. Catch me? Really? I didn’t even realize I was in season! I’m thinking this particular “rule” will be one of the most problematic to me. I’m pretty modern and pretty forward. I don’t like to play games. Honestly, I think they’re irritating and a bunch of BS. If you know me well, you know I don’t sit around and wait for stuff. The way I’ve gotten everything that I have in my life is by going after it. I want something, I figure out what I need to do to get it and then I bust my ass doing it. I don’t sit around waiting for it to come to me! Waiting = wasting in my book. I’m a planner, a doer; I just don’t sit around and wait. I just don’t. That’s REALLY not me. So what then is a girl like me to do? Compromise my ways? I’m kind of touchy about that sort of thing lately…
The co-author of this book is a woman and she’s very much like me in her thinking. She too has gone after all that she’s wanted in her professional life and treated her dating life the same. I’m reading her section, agreeing with all she says and thinking, “Yeah, Liz, so what do we do?” I’m hoping she has an answer that doesn’t mean I have to change my way of thinking, when she says, “But guess what- My way? Has sucked. Hasn’t worked at all.” And all I could think, in a very unladylike fashion, was “Well shit.”
The thing is, I’m not all that girly and I don’t like to follow the girly rules. Don’t get me wrong, I love a cute skirt and a pair of heels like most of the female population- and I take special joy in finding just the right jewelry to go with an outfit. And yes, my toes are always neatly painted. But as a kid I was a tomboy. Growing up I got along better with the guys than the girls. I hung out with my brother and his friends, went hiking, camping and fishing with my family, and was always up a tree somewhere. I didn’t change all that much as I grew older, though I learned how to use makeup (pictures show this to be a LONG learning process) and my female friend circle widened a good deal. Still, I tend to be bawdy in my humor, coarse with my language and strong in my mindset that I can do anything a man can do- and two other things at the same time. I’ve never been the woe-is-me, damsel in distress kinda girl. Um, yeah, screw that. That’s not what my parents raised me to be. I’m a strong willed, opinionated, highly competitive, do-it-yourself kinda girl and I’ve grown into that even more since I’ve gone out into the world on my own. And it serves me well for the most part.
And so it seems to me that this rule is going to pose a problem for me. A big one. It’s not that I don’t think it would be fun to be wooed by a boy. Quite the contrary. I do like the idea of that quite a bit. I just don’t like the idea of sitting around thinking “Gee I hope Joe Schmoe likes me,” sighing and batting my eye lashes and being all wishy-washy WAITING for him to maybe, just maybe, call me. Just the thought of it irritates the bejeezus out of me. And it really annoys me, this whole double standard of how it’s cool for a guy to ask a girl out but not vice versa. This is not the 1940s. Am I seriously going to have to compromise just so that I don’t offend a boy? And do I even want to be with a guy whose ego is so easily bruised? I honestly don’t know.
I am, however, quite curious to know if this really IS how guys are. It’s tempting just to test this theory, since for a while I figure I pretty much won’t care about truly catching a man (are THEY in season?). It brings back out the psychologist in me. I want to do studies, pass out surveys, monitor brain waves and dopamine response, LOL. It also makes me wish I were more like my best friend, who would tease the hell out of any boy who acted so silly. All I know is that I apparently have a LOT to learn about men and have got to decide just how much I am willing to compromise to have one. And right now, the answer to that is “not all that much.”
He's Just Not That Into You
From House to Home
I have had a few requests (honestly, I am always shocked that you people read this thing) for an update and some pics of the new place.
I’ve done a lot to my little house since I took possession back in mid-July and moved in mid-August. And by I what I really mean is WE- the we being my fabulous family. Two and a half months of cleaning, painting, landscaping, electrical work… it’s really been quite a transformation and I couldn't have done it without them.
Indoors we clea
ned till things sparkled, installed two new ceiling fans, a zillion smoke alarms and lots of security features (when your step-dad is a retired cop and your dad lives in the big city of St. Louis, you never need to worry about people breaking into your home! You also have people doing background checks on all of your neighbors, LOL). The back entrance was scrubbed and brightened up with a coat of paint by my dad’s girlfriend Kate. My kitchen was scrubbed, cabinets scoured and new cute contact paper put in all shelves and drawers by my mom. Dad and Mike secured the house from top to bottom, fixed windows and doors, and did wiring. The front porch was revamped- stinky carpeting removed and old glue scraped away, new carpet cut and put down- mom, Mike and dad all get thanks for this! Dad sanded my entry door until I could open and close it without having to kick it (and reinforced the part of my door that I had injured with said kicking- although this removes some of the ghetto charm, LOL). The old Hartman lake house daybed completed the porch, making it my favorite place for reading in the evenings. Tech work in the form of internet security was done by my little brother, who along with his wife Haley, also put together my new bathroom cabinet and helped with the hanging of fans. A myriad of boxes unpacked and furniture was moved and put together by everyone, including my adorable children.
The living room, and connecting walk 
in closet, were my babies. Formerly dark and paneled and pretty darned ugly (sorry Theo!), they are now a relaxing shade of blue (called Zen) with “cotton white” trim and décor that reflects my sense of style more than any room I’ve ever owned. With a set of dark brown vintage couches, a gorgeous Japanese botanical style area rug, mission style coffee table and entertainment center set, and two bookcases which I refinished in a deep chocolate brown on either side of the fireplace, the room looks exactly as I wanted it to- and of that I’m pretty darned proud! Perhaps one of my favorite parts of the room is the fireplace area because all the pieces on that wall are ones I put a lot of hard work into. The bookcases, formerly a dark green, came from my sister-in-law’s Great Aunt Jewel’s estate. I refinished them to match my furniture and gave them some new hardware and a nice coat of beeswax polish to make them shine a bit. The mirror above my fireplace came from a local antique store. It was formerly a dresser mirror, very big, old and heavy and in need of some serious TLC. But an afternoon spent with some light sandpaper, refinishing oil and beeswax polish made it look gorgeous- and well worth the $30 I spent on it. Hanging it was a bit more than I had bargained for (did I mention that thing is insanely heavy?! And my fireplace mantle is high and I am short!), but I’m a stubborn chick and eventually, after much very unladylike cursing and sweating, I got it hung and leveled to my satisfaction. My mantle is now decorated with a bunch of different nature/botanical style pieces, and the look is carried on throughout the entire room. I’m in the process of adding some black and white prints of the kids to make it a true family room. This room is definitely my favorite because it is so very representative of me.
Attached to the living room is my little walk in closet. I was told the room was designed to be a second bathroom, started back in the 70’s when that part of the house was added on, but then never finished. It does in fact have the rough in for plumbing, which I’ve capped off in poor man’s style- duct tape. I painted over the 40 year old drywall with a bright white, hung 
some additional shelving and added in some bookshelves for all my stuff. Eventually I plan to put down some carpeting on that sub-floor, so that it no longer gets my feet all dirty each day when I get my clothes out! But for now it serves as a fantastic walk in closet, which makes up for the fact that my bedroom is the only one without its own closet.
Outdoors we pruned trees and 
shrubs, removed scrub trees and a mountain of weeds (this was more work than you could ever imagine and involved MANY days of labor by my entire family, especially my dad and step-dad), installed some fencing to keep the kids in and the weirdos out, set up the patio furniture and installed lighting along the walkway, and put in a stone patio area with fire pit.
So after all this hard work, and having
lived here for a month and a half now, my little house is finally starting to feel like a home. I’m looking forward to hosting a housewarming party soon (better get to planning!), though I’m a bit disappointed with the fact that it seems the weather has gotten too cool for an outdoor party. Never the less, I’m going to make it happen. Maybe I’ll even bake a cake. Hope to see you all there. :)
On a side note, there appears to be a limit to the number of pics I can post to each blog entry. So I don't get to post all the "my family working" shots that I wanted to (and so what you get this time is the most recent project- fence and fire pit). But trust me, they busted their rears!!!!
Dear Life...
Dear Life,
You almost had me there for a minute. Almost.
Things have definitely been challenging these last few weeks (or rather, MORE challenging). Take acclimating to being a single mom, all that fun divorce stuff, and a house that won’t sell, add in an accident that totaled my car, a vomiting child, and a raging migraine all within a 24-hour time span and you left me feeling pretty damned defeated. I’ll admit, I did an awful lot of crying.
You really truly did almost have me there. For a while I was caught up in myself, letting things pull me down into the depths of despair. You left me feeling vulnerable, afraid, unsure of myself and what to do, wondering if I really could handle it all. But my family and friends were there to support me. They were there, rallying around me, reminding me of the things I had so quickly forgotten- that I’m not the kind of girl who gives in to self-pity. I’m not the kind of girl who lets life stand in my way- if I can’t do something one way, I’ll just find another. I’m not the girl who gives up when the going gets tough. I never ever have been. I’m stubborn and I take pride in my ability to persevere, no matter what life throws my way- and believe me, it’s thrown me some serious stuff. But as my best friend reminded me earlier this week, “You always come through all of the shit that is thrown at you with a shovel in your hands and a smile on your face.” And that’s what I’d almost forgotten. That I can do this, because I’ve ALWAYS done this.
Nothing ever seems to have come my way easily. That’s not a complaint- though I will admit to complaining plenty at the time! Rather, it’s a good thing, because it means I’ve had to bust my ass for everything I have. And while to some that might not seem to be a good thing, I know deep down that it is my struggles that have made me strong. It’s all the stuff I’ve had to endure, had to work for, had to suffer through, which have made me able to handle things now when life’s even tougher. And it’s the fact that no matter what, I’ve always made it through with a smart-ass attitude and a smile on my face. Always.
Yep, world, you almost had me. I almost forgot who I was. But now that I remember, watch out, because I’m not taking your shit anymore- at least not without my smile and my shovel.
Love and kisses,
Stacy
Inquiring Mind...
I go back and forth between what I want to put in my blog. Should I just stick to the cheery, upbeat, funny stuff or tell it how it really is? I find myself writing entries, only to never publish them because I care far too much about what the world thinks of me. It’s funny, because really the only people who read this thing are my family and a select group of friends and I should know they won’t judge… but still…
And so I am curious. Should I stick to the little stuff or simply throw it all out there, opinions be damned? Should I let you see my vulnerable side (that’s a tough one for me) or just continue to show the smart-assed, strong woman side? If you know the train wreck that is my life, see that I am not that strong, know that it’s not that easy, will you think differently of me?
Post here. Message me. Email me. Let me know. I am curious.
I Ate a Cookie... and Life's a Bitch
I sat in on a conversation recently where some friends were complaining about the fact that so many people post random, pointless things as their status messages on Facebook. They talk about what they ate for breakfast or post song lyrics as they come to mind. I kept my mouth shut during this conversation and didn’t say a word.
The fact of the matter is I’m one of THOSE people. It’s not that I have nothing deep to say- I just follow the rule that if you don’t want the entire world to know it, you don’t post it on Facebook. Most of my personal life falls into this category. I’m a highly private person in that regard and prefer to keep certain aspects of my life open to only my closest friends. The fact that I posted at all on Facebook that I was getting a divorce was a HUGE deviation from the norm for me. Yet, I felt it needed to be done and FB was the easiest way to tell a good number of people without repeating the same thing over and over and dealing with the emotion that comes with it.
What I wanted to say to these friends of mine having their Facebook status convo was that, at least in my case, often the more pointless my status, the more likely it is that something big is going on in my life. Perhaps I want to stay in touch with the world, hear words of encouragement or things that will make me laugh, but I don’t want to admit that this particular day has been an emotional hell for me and that that is why I am reaching out. My life is not peachy and things are not easy, though my statuses may be easy going. It’s just that this part of my life is private and shared with the few people in it that I truly trust.
In truth, I also post about the trivial because posting anything other than that lately seems only to encourage people to dislike me and what I am saying. I am the one who filed for divorce, so on days when I’m feeling not so grand and I happen to post about it, it often garners the private response that I have no right to complain or feel as I do, because the choice to end my marriage was my own. In turn, should I happen to have the gall to post about some personal success or moment of happiness, I hear that I am rubbing it in his face. Honestly people, I’m just living my life as best I can. I find myself having a hard time dealing with the fact that people are so quick to judge without ever asking my side of the story. Not that I would be quick to share if they did.
I knew when I finally made my decision that it came with consequences. I weighed each and every one time and time again. I knew that I would have to accept that there would be those who would never care to hear my side of the story, even if I offered it up to them. That there would be those who now hated me simply on principal. Even those who I had loved would be lost to me. I knew I would be the bad guy in all of this, because I was the one who petitioned. I knew that was the sacrifice I would make. I went in eyes open. Know this when you judge me and my decision. It wasn’t made lightly.
My friends say I care too much about what other people think and they are absolutely right. This is how I have always been and I’m not sure I will change all that much, though I am trying. So much of the time I don’t say what I want, because I spend too much time worrying about how it will affect everyone else. What if something I say upsets someone? What if they think poorly of me based on what I thought at some random time on some random day? What if my happiness makes someone else unhappy? I take it all to heart and probably always will. It’s in my nature. It’s also part of what ruined my marriage. My friends tell me it is not my job to keep everyone else happy- but it is a hard habit to break. I have lived that way my entire life. So ponder this… if I, who hate conflict and care too much about what others think, knew there would be drama, knew people would hate me, knew people would hurt… why would I do it? Why did I ask for a divorce? It begs the question, is there another side to the story? I say this not because I want to shift blame. I don’t wish to give details, nor do I want you to take sides. I only want you to stop and consider all this for a moment before you choose to think poorly of me for posting that I had a good day.
And so it is, just as it was in my own parents’ marriage and divorce- what goes on behind closed doors stays that way and no one is the wiser. There are days that I long to shout to those who disapprove of my decision, “But you don’t understand! You don’t KNOW!!!” But just as I lived my marriage, so too do I handle my divorce- quietly, any not-so-pretty details kept under wraps, polite and friendly smile to the world. I post my pointless, mundane statuses on Facebook to hide the emotions now, just as I always have. It avoids conflict. Keeps things civil. To let any of it spill out would cause too much drama and more hurt, and really there is no point in that. And so I sit there quietly and let people judge me. Let them say I shouldn’t be happy or shouldn’t be sad. Or find me ridiculous for posting that I ate a cookie.
But it WAS a good cookie.
Moving Right Along
I've been working on my rental house for a while and little by little, I'm getting things done and making it my own. My family has been a fabulous help. Friends too. We spent last weekend cleaning and painting and doing all sorts of handiwork. By Monday night (I took the day off work to finish painting and such), the dark paneled living room, which offended my senses by totally sucking up every bit of sunlight that came through the windows, was painted a relaxing shade of blue/green/gray called Zen with white trim. I'm proud to say you really can hardly tell it's the same room, especially after Christine and I set up the furniture. Now I just need to find my cream colored curtains (which I had hanging in my house in Rockford 7 years ago but are now somewhere buried in my Abercorn house, sigh) and paint the two big bookshelves that I got from my sister in law's great aunt, which I think will finish off the fireplace end of the room quite nicely.
This weekend my mom and step-dad come back to help me pack up more of my Abercorn house things, a job which is daunting both physically and emotionally for oh so many reasons. Living in two residences at once is confusing and frustrating, especially since I'm still not quite sure when I can move out of Abercorn and into Poplar. My goal is to be completely moved by the time Zan starts school mid-August so that he is going through as little transition at one time as possible. I think that's possible.
As for the Abercorn house, it's officially on the market- sign in the front yard and all that jazz. Disappointingly, we had to list it at less than what we paid for it six years ago- and we finished the basement after that! Financially we'll be taking a big hit, but after looking at how long all the other houses in our neighborhood sat on the market at higher prices before finally selling (and having dropped their own prices down considerably), we decided our only option was to undercut the current sellers from the get-go. So on top of all that we've been doing on the Poplar house, we've been cleaning and readying the Abercorn house for sale. Having spent until 9:30pm tonight scrubbing the walls and other surfaces, I can easily say I'm ready for even just one night where I do nothing!!! Not seeing that in my future any time soon though, LOL. That's okay, all that hard work just keeps me busy and helps me get through this a bit easier.
And now, a little less conversation...
BE
FORE- My living room- dark paneling made the room look SOO dark and closed in!! I bought samples of the four blues you see on the far wall and settled on the one second from the left. I then settled in to the task of taping and priming and painting... it took MUCH longer than I expected. But then again, I've always been horrible at estimating how long it will take to get something done.
AFTER- Even though these pics are taken at about 1am (when Christine and I finished moving furniture), I still feel like the room is brighter! I want to get back over there on a really sunny day and take some good natural light pics.
I'm proud to say that I did all the painting and prep work in this room by myself, save the last half of the trim work, which Christine came over to help me with (even though she hates painting- how's that for a friend?! Awesome). The room is definitely a labor of love for me, but I think having done this myself is what makes me like it even more. :)
I have two [currently green] tall bookshelf units that I want to paint a deep chocolate brown to match my furniture- you know, in my spare time, LOL. They will be centered in the space that is on either side of the fireplace.
I also have curtains that will be put up and lots of decorative stuff. Yay, living room!!
I have taken a ton more pics of the entire moving and renovating process and am still deciding what to post. Stay tuned family... :)
Changes
...a rambling blog entry...
My life is going through a good deal of change right now as I transition from a relationship that lasted nearly 17 years, including ten years of marriage and two beautiful children, to that of a single woman and single mother. I'm not sure how much I will share on my blog about my marriage and the end of it... those who know me best know I'm a very private person and the details of this seem like something that should remain between Scott and me alone.
I will, however, post about my life and what I'm doing, how I'm doing and how I'm growing- perhaps more for myself than anything else. I like the idea of keeping a record, something for me to look at as the year draws to an end and see what I have accomplished in my new life. I know that it won't always be easy- in fact, I'm guessing for the first few years I'll be put to the test more often than not. But I'm confident that I can handle whatever comes my way.
I've never been alone before. Never lived alone. This will be a whole next experience for me. Exciting and frightening all at once. I am definitely marveling at my new-found independence and the personal growth it will mean for me. I am in the process of fixing up a little rental house for the kids and me to live in. It gives me purpose and a place to channel my energy and emotion. And, as things look more and more as I want them to, I know I will really start to feel good about it and I hope it will begin to feel like home to me.
Tonight, since the kids are at my dad's for one more night, I headed over to do a little work in the yard. I've always loved the outdoors and working in the yard is what I call my "Zen activity." It helps calm and center me and brings me peace when I'm overly stressed. I love the sounds and the smells and the breeze... could do without the spiders, mosquitoes and 90% humidity, but beggars can't be choosers. Tonight I tackled the front yard. The yard in general is pretty weedy (this is an understatement...). The previous tenants moved out a few months back and though the landlord has mowed regularly, there are still all those weeds that decide they would like nothing better than to take over your yard if you turn your back for more than 30 seconds. And, because the yard is full of so many beautiful shade trees, it is also full of little offshoot saplings which have decided to give it a go in my yard.
Thus, I loaded up my gardening tools and my massive wheelbarrow into my car, headed over and set to work. It was hot and I was covered in dirt and sweat and smushed mosquitoes by the time the sun started setting, but all that didn't matter one bit. I can already see a real difference- gone are all the self-planted mulberry trees which were growing up in the shrubbery and the pine tree. The lily beds are all cleaned out of weeds and are now ready for a few additions which I'll take from my garden at the marital house and then mulch up nicely. I started cleaning out the side beds by the driveway too (though I found some giant spiders and a little patch of poison ivy- both of which slowed my progress by causing me to stop working for a bit) and got about half way down the side of the house. There is a massive overgrowth of mint on the street facing end of the house which I will have to thin- and perhaps have a girls' night mojito party with. But once that's done, it'll be completely clear for planting. I've never transplanted mid-summer before, so it should be interesting.
The backyard will be my next outdoor project. It's a really nice size and full of big shade trees- something my newly built subdivision house didn't have and I've missed dreadfully. It will allow the kids to play outside so much more than the old house ever did. It too is weed and sapling filled. Plus, it has this weird round little garden type thing in the middle which isn't so much a garden anymore but rather a circle of really HUGE weeds. I'm thinking perhaps of turning it into a fire pit area. It would be nice to be able to sit out in the evening and look up at the stars or roast marshmallows with the kids. We shall see. I'm full of ideas, but not of funding, LOL.
On top of yard work, I also have permission (and some funding) from my landlord to do some painting. The living room is a dark paneled wood and I'm itching to brighten it up. Same with the enclosed porch, which just calls for the old Hartman daybed and me with a book on a rainy day. I figure that I can do painting on my free evenings when it's too darned hot to be outside.
More than anything I know that these projects will be good for me. They'll give me purpose and keep me busy. I'm taking pictures of everything as I go along so that I can really see all I've accomplished. They're probably not exciting to anyone but me (and maybe my parents, lol), so I won't post them all that often- just often enough to give you a little peek into my new life.
That's enough for this rambling entry. It's already going on and on, offending my literary senses, LOL.
A Wrinkle In Time... and one on my forehead too.
This has been kind of a crazy year for me. I'm not sure whether it has been stress, kids, too much sun or simply getting older (because let's face it, I'm not in my 20s anymore), but I noticed a while back that my forehead is starting to get ... gasp!... wrinkles.
Now I'd like to say, being a staunch feminist, that I could give a rat's ass about whether or not I'm starting to show signs of age. But, quite honestly, I'm a woman and it's ingrained into us pretty much from birth to care about how we look- and I am no different. I fall prey to vanity and comparing what is in the mirror to what is in the media. At the same time, I'm also pretty damned honest in that department. If you ask me, I will tell you my age (I see nothing wrong with being 31), my dress size (I'm actually quite pleased with it right now), my height and weight (the former of which is shorter than you might think- hidden 95% of the time by my love for heels and the latter has bounced about throughout my life- topping the scale at over 200lbs- a fact which very few people know), even my bra size (though I'm not about to post that on here!!). I will admit to dying my hair (darker most of the time- I find people take me more seriously), wearing contacts, wearing undergarments that suck me in and push me up when need be, and knowing how to hide acne, injury and serious under eye circles with the right kinds of makeup. But, while I fall prey to vanity and giving in to fit the media's view of women, I also openly admit to my faults (though I certainly don't like to call them that). I feel like if we as women remain honest, if nothing else but with each other, then perhaps with time we can help change the idea of beauty to one less nipped, tucked and airbrushed and into something more natural.
And so that brings me to today's blog. The first one I've written in a LONG time. But, as I've always said- empowerment through honesty. So here goes... my foray into the world of anti-aging products.
I ran into Walgreens today to pick up my normal face wash. I was actually in a hurry to get home, but Walgreens has a way of tempting me always to buy more than I should. I found myself before that wall of facial care products, overwhelmed with all that was in front of me. A myriad of creams, gels and sprays to help you fix every possible facial ailment (even ones you hadn't even considered UNTIL NOW that you might have). Ingredients I can't even begin to pronounce (or spell, so I'm not even trying). And suddenly there I saw them- the anti-wrinkle creams. I steeled myself up, knowing that I might as well take a look. After all, I had seen those little wrinkles beginning to form within the frown lines of my forehead. And the big ones that go where my smile lines are at my mouth (though I'm not necessarily in a hurry to get rid of those). Perhaps some preventative maintenance is what I need- or so that was the thought running through my head as I continued my perusal.
I stared for far too long, reading labels of the miracles each item could work- yes, I DO look tired (two kids and a full time job will do that to you)... hmm, I'm sure I could stand to be revitalized... rejuvenated, most definitely... shrink my pores and reduce fine lines and wrinkles- ooh, I want that!! ... collagen, retin-A, microdermibrasion, vitamin this and that and the other... oh my! It was more than enough to make my head spin.
Fortunately, I spotted a clerk nearby who appeared to be somewhere in the age range of my own mother- and when you don't have your mom with you to help, someone else's mom will have to do. Plus, she had wrinkles, so I figured she was no stranger to my dilemma. And so I wandered up to her, clueless deer in the headlights look in my eyes and, like the little lost child, asked her, "Please help!" She asked what I needed and I admitted pitifully, "I need help picking wrinkle cream!!" She found this quite funny and had a good laugh (with me,not at me!). I lucked out in asking her though, as it seems she had already tried quite a few of the creams on the shelf and, being both the clerk for the cosmetics section and a consumer, she knew all about what each one did and the research. She told me quite honestly which ones worked and which ones weren't worth the fancy packaging they came in. When we finally settled on something, she set me up with a $5 coupon and a $15 rebate- reduce wrinkles AND cost! Score one for Walgreens!
And so I spent my small fortune on two tiny tubes of miracle gel and headed off home to my little wrinkle producers. I gave the products, some system by Neutrogena which claims to be "a breakthrough anti-aging technology using the power of bioelectricity" (the fact that spell check doesn't even think that's a word makes me giggle), a try this evening. It didn't seem to be anything overly unusual. But, according to the box, in four weeks I will see positively electrifying results in my skin. Hmm... is electrifying really a good thing? Should I be frightened?
So, should you happen to see me in four weeks or more, feel free to point out my wrinkles and comment on their (hopefully reduced) size... at your own risk of course.
