|| FIRST SNOW OF THE SEASON TODAY! || BUT I'M NOT GOING TO TALK ABOUT THAT ||
I read an article on Jezebel about Dressing Too Young and had a variety of reactions to it, the main one being that I'm definitely one of those adults who a lot of people might think dresses too young for her age. When I was working I had a perfectly appropriate wardrobe for the office, but, yeah, when protocol doesn't demand otherwise, you're likely to find me wearing All-Stars, black skinny jeans, and a shirt that might be totally bland (long sleeved, scoop neck jersey tee from the Gap) or might have a silhouette of Joan Holloway and her cigarette on the front. I'm really okay with this and I doubt it's going to change (My mother, for example, wears matching pantsuits every day, and while that's really totally fine, I would find that to be far too complicated for, say, a day I'm not even leaving the house.). What I do care about is that my outlook on life and countenance aren't too young for my age. Truthfully, sometimes I have to fight against this. I have an innate tendency to say no to suggestions that are meant to be helpful without full consideration; I think this tendency makes me a hater by nature, but I've really been working on being more open and accepting to change and new ideas over the past year, and I think I've had some successes. I want to continue on that trajectory because, yeah, I think acceptance can be a maturity issue.
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Lez Miserable at the New Statesman thinks so: My Problem Lesbian Handshake. I myself do not have handshake issues -- I think I have a fine handshake style that is just firm enough and conveys a genuine sense of greeting, and I don't have a problem with sweaty or damp hands, so, yeah. That said, would lesbians really have such a state of trouble over handshaking that it's truly more ubiquitous for that group than any other? Over the years I've seen numerous articles about "How To Shake Hands With Confidence and Ease" and the like, so if there are articles floating around like that in general, I doubt worries over delivering a proper handshake is restricted to the lesbian population. To be fair, the author doesn't assert that outright, but there's a bit of an undercurrent of implication. The comments are pretty funny, with one poster suggesting the boob honk as an alternative form of greeting; however, he rightly notes that not all males have man boobs. Anyhow, my point really is it's interesting how we sometimes feel isolated or freakish with what we think are specifically demographic problems or concerns, when they truly are ubiquitous to the population as a whole. I think most people hope that they handle greeting others successfully; as well, I'm willing to wager that most people prefer a firm, confident handshake over a limp, creepy grip (It's so disconcerting to get a surprise limp handshake from someone you'd never expect such a thing from, like an uber masculine looking guy or a police officer or whatever.).
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Well, my innards seem to be doing just fine! They don't hurt at all anymore and I'm tolerating all the foods I'm eating (except, so weirdly, Yummy Mummy cereal, which I should have known better than to consume anyway. I mean, honestly, talk about having absolutely no nutritional value!). I can handle about 3/4 of a Lean Cuisine and I'm still relying a lot on Jell-O and tapioca and other soft foods. Mostly it's an issue of poor appetite -- I still don't have my full appetite back. And really that's fine. I'm not going to complain about not wanting to eat, LOL. I mentioned before that the incision was fairly long -- about 10 inches -- and it tends to be rather itchy. But I'm positive that's normal for a healing scar. Accordingly, I spend far more time leaning back on the couch and scratching my belly than I ever have had reason to before, and that includes pregnancy belly.
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Oh God, my knee's a mess and I won't gross you out by telling you all the squicky things it does. Even on narcotic pain management, I'm pretty much in pain all of the time. The pain level just varies day to day. Sometimes I can run some errands that don't involve extensive periods of walking. Sometimes I can't walk at all. Most of the time I walk very slowly; I know my gait must be strange because I have a limp. Today, actually, I started the process of weaning off painkillers in preparation for my surgery on November 4. To start, my PA-C has switched me from oxycodone and acetaminophen to just oxycodone, so the boost of acetaminophen is gone now. Basically I'm cutting my dosage back in a specific prescribed manner, so that when it comes time for the surgery there will be little chance I'll be tolerant of pain meds and end up in agony because I can't get pain relief post-op. I'm starting to organize the household for the time I'll be down following the knee surgery -- I'm pretty sure I've got a housecleaning team lined up and my next tasks are to fully update my calendar through the end of the year and start cooking up dishes that I can freeze for the family (and myself once I'm home). God, you have no idea how excited I am at the prospect of finally (hopefully!) being free of pain and pain management care, and to get physically fit again.
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My mood has been mostly positive and happy for quite a long time now. The only blip on the radar was right after I got out of the hospital -- I admit I felt a bit down and scared as hell about the state of my body. Plus, they didn't have two of my essential medications in liquid/IV form while I was in the hospital, so while they did their best to substitute equivalent meds, it wasn't the same and I definitely felt the effects of not having those essential meds for seven days. But the good thing is that I was able to logically recognize that I was having a physical/chemical reaction, that it would be okay, and that I still had the choice to think positively and to be pro-active. And I was successful in getting things done, making appointments, and completing a lot of tasks and housework (well, housework as much as my energy would allow). So, yeah, my mood is good! I'm excited for Halloween, I've got a new book to read, I'm starting to think seriously about what the best timing would be for possibly putting out some résumés (I'm thinking January might be a good goal; I want to get all the knee stuff behind me and over with before turning my attention to possible employment.).
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Okay, as a person who's played in a subculture since 1987, I have no problem with anyone claiming their label and wearing it with pride. But I have to admit that Luke O'Neil's guest article at Slate.com, Yeah, I'm a Hipster. You Should Thank Me For It, doesn't convince me that I ought to thank him for his apparently illustrious cultural position. Best line out of the entire article: "I literally remember the 90s." *FACEDESK* So? I literally remember the 70s -- should I be thanked for being a Gen Xer? I'm not convinced that remembering -- literally! -- either the 90s or the 70s is cause for adulation. If you remember the 20s? Then we'll talk. If, like my grandmother did (1899-2003), you have lived in three separate decades and can avail me of what would undoubtedly be an incredibly unique historical retrospective from that position, then I might want to take your hand and thank you for sharing your memories.
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I think I've mentioned I hang out a bit at Makeup Alley; specifically, I like the nail care board. Basically it's completely blithe conversations about nail polish and lots of pictures of what polish someone is wearing on that particular day (it's called NOTD, which stands for nail of the day). I sometimes post pictures -- most of you all know how I love images in general. So on my down time, I read, I surf online, I watch TV (It's nice to be getting back into some of my favorite shows again; currently I'm catching up on Suits, Downton Abbey, and Homeland.), I blog, and because I sleep very little, I have time to do my nails ... a lot. So the nail board is doing theme weeks and I'm kind of participating where I can. Like, if the theme is nail art, I skip that. I'm not big on nail art and I don't know how to do it anyway. But orange week? Yeah, I can do that. Here's my current mani:
Milquetoast by CrowsToes
My tips need to be filed and the length of my nails aren't quite even yet, but I'm being patient with this mindless past time because it's really just all in good fun (some people on the board are super serious about their manicures and nail polish collections, but I'm actively trying to avoid becoming obsessive about anything at all, so I am on the more relaxed side of things -- I'll wear a mani for a week if it holds up and I don't feel compelled to change my polish daily or to match my polish to my outfit or anything like that.).
---
Lez Miserable at the New Statesman thinks so: My Problem Lesbian Handshake. I myself do not have handshake issues -- I think I have a fine handshake style that is just firm enough and conveys a genuine sense of greeting, and I don't have a problem with sweaty or damp hands, so, yeah. That said, would lesbians really have such a state of trouble over handshaking that it's truly more ubiquitous for that group than any other? Over the years I've seen numerous articles about "How To Shake Hands With Confidence and Ease" and the like, so if there are articles floating around like that in general, I doubt worries over delivering a proper handshake is restricted to the lesbian population. To be fair, the author doesn't assert that outright, but there's a bit of an undercurrent of implication. The comments are pretty funny, with one poster suggesting the boob honk as an alternative form of greeting; however, he rightly notes that not all males have man boobs. Anyhow, my point really is it's interesting how we sometimes feel isolated or freakish with what we think are specifically demographic problems or concerns, when they truly are ubiquitous to the population as a whole. I think most people hope that they handle greeting others successfully; as well, I'm willing to wager that most people prefer a firm, confident handshake over a limp, creepy grip (It's so disconcerting to get a surprise limp handshake from someone you'd never expect such a thing from, like an uber masculine looking guy or a police officer or whatever.).
---
Well, my innards seem to be doing just fine! They don't hurt at all anymore and I'm tolerating all the foods I'm eating (except, so weirdly, Yummy Mummy cereal, which I should have known better than to consume anyway. I mean, honestly, talk about having absolutely no nutritional value!). I can handle about 3/4 of a Lean Cuisine and I'm still relying a lot on Jell-O and tapioca and other soft foods. Mostly it's an issue of poor appetite -- I still don't have my full appetite back. And really that's fine. I'm not going to complain about not wanting to eat, LOL. I mentioned before that the incision was fairly long -- about 10 inches -- and it tends to be rather itchy. But I'm positive that's normal for a healing scar. Accordingly, I spend far more time leaning back on the couch and scratching my belly than I ever have had reason to before, and that includes pregnancy belly.
---
Oh God, my knee's a mess and I won't gross you out by telling you all the squicky things it does. Even on narcotic pain management, I'm pretty much in pain all of the time. The pain level just varies day to day. Sometimes I can run some errands that don't involve extensive periods of walking. Sometimes I can't walk at all. Most of the time I walk very slowly; I know my gait must be strange because I have a limp. Today, actually, I started the process of weaning off painkillers in preparation for my surgery on November 4. To start, my PA-C has switched me from oxycodone and acetaminophen to just oxycodone, so the boost of acetaminophen is gone now. Basically I'm cutting my dosage back in a specific prescribed manner, so that when it comes time for the surgery there will be little chance I'll be tolerant of pain meds and end up in agony because I can't get pain relief post-op. I'm starting to organize the household for the time I'll be down following the knee surgery -- I'm pretty sure I've got a housecleaning team lined up and my next tasks are to fully update my calendar through the end of the year and start cooking up dishes that I can freeze for the family (and myself once I'm home). God, you have no idea how excited I am at the prospect of finally (hopefully!) being free of pain and pain management care, and to get physically fit again.
---
My mood has been mostly positive and happy for quite a long time now. The only blip on the radar was right after I got out of the hospital -- I admit I felt a bit down and scared as hell about the state of my body. Plus, they didn't have two of my essential medications in liquid/IV form while I was in the hospital, so while they did their best to substitute equivalent meds, it wasn't the same and I definitely felt the effects of not having those essential meds for seven days. But the good thing is that I was able to logically recognize that I was having a physical/chemical reaction, that it would be okay, and that I still had the choice to think positively and to be pro-active. And I was successful in getting things done, making appointments, and completing a lot of tasks and housework (well, housework as much as my energy would allow). So, yeah, my mood is good! I'm excited for Halloween, I've got a new book to read, I'm starting to think seriously about what the best timing would be for possibly putting out some résumés (I'm thinking January might be a good goal; I want to get all the knee stuff behind me and over with before turning my attention to possible employment.).
---
Okay, as a person who's played in a subculture since 1987, I have no problem with anyone claiming their label and wearing it with pride. But I have to admit that Luke O'Neil's guest article at Slate.com, Yeah, I'm a Hipster. You Should Thank Me For It, doesn't convince me that I ought to thank him for his apparently illustrious cultural position. Best line out of the entire article: "I literally remember the 90s." *FACEDESK* So? I literally remember the 70s -- should I be thanked for being a Gen Xer? I'm not convinced that remembering -- literally! -- either the 90s or the 70s is cause for adulation. If you remember the 20s? Then we'll talk. If, like my grandmother did (1899-2003), you have lived in three separate decades and can avail me of what would undoubtedly be an incredibly unique historical retrospective from that position, then I might want to take your hand and thank you for sharing your memories.
---
I think I've mentioned I hang out a bit at Makeup Alley; specifically, I like the nail care board. Basically it's completely blithe conversations about nail polish and lots of pictures of what polish someone is wearing on that particular day (it's called NOTD, which stands for nail of the day). I sometimes post pictures -- most of you all know how I love images in general. So on my down time, I read, I surf online, I watch TV (It's nice to be getting back into some of my favorite shows again; currently I'm catching up on Suits, Downton Abbey, and Homeland.), I blog, and because I sleep very little, I have time to do my nails ... a lot. So the nail board is doing theme weeks and I'm kind of participating where I can. Like, if the theme is nail art, I skip that. I'm not big on nail art and I don't know how to do it anyway. But orange week? Yeah, I can do that. Here's my current mani:
Milquetoast by CrowsToes
My tips need to be filed and the length of my nails aren't quite even yet, but I'm being patient with this mindless past time because it's really just all in good fun (some people on the board are super serious about their manicures and nail polish collections, but I'm actively trying to avoid becoming obsessive about anything at all, so I am on the more relaxed side of things -- I'll wear a mani for a week if it holds up and I don't feel compelled to change my polish daily or to match my polish to my outfit or anything like that.).