Finding the Sublime

A few weeks ago, I saw this article on Zite, which was titled the same as this blog post. It was a photography post, and this particular quote inspired me to find sublimeness in my own world: Whereas the beautiful is limited, the sublime is limitless...

So here are a few things that are deliciously wonderful and filled with enough mundane to not be "beautiful":

Knowing all the words to a song you just heard

Perfect humidity for a good hair day

Speeding past a cop

A great night's sleep (or sleeping while its raining)

Our cat putting on a "performance" for us

Screened in porch in a yard of mosquitoes

Eating a delicious pizza after talking it up for half an hour

Having friends over

Getting away with talking in half-sentences/pheromones with someone

Big fuzzy socks after a hot shower

Things I Don't Know How to Do at Age 30

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I'm not expecting to know everything, but I'm becoming more aware of things that I don't know, for instance:

• How to sew - But maybe I can fix this once I take some classes, buy a sewing machine, and buy a house that would fit a sewing machine. I'll consider my first scrunchie a success.

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• How to cook things that smell good. I'm ok with baking, especially cupcakes that have multiple layers of candy like this...

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• Layer clothes and jewelry. My general philosophy is if you have to put something on top of something else, then that first thing wasn't that great in the first place. Like Ritz Crackers and Peanut Butter. No faith in the product itself. Imagine layering shoes for example.
• Effectively use a pistol in a first person shooter. I guess the same goes for real life, but watch out when you see me with a Nerf gun.
• Draw. This is a function of pure non-interestedness. Drawing well takes time to figure out, which I would rather be playing a first person shooter (with an assault rifle) or hanging out laughing with my husband.
• Wearing long nails or nail polish on my fingers. The closest I came was using Sally Hansen's Salon Effects, which are essentially stickers for your fingernails. 
• Troubleshoot the router. If the internet goes down, I take a nap. If it's still down, I'll go shopping until it's back on.
• Fast rap. However, I can fast type took about 30 seconds to type this blog post.
• Remember how long we've been dating. Next year I might think it's six or seven years, which was my answer this year.
• Properly enjoy free time. I think you get good with free time when you have a LOT of it, which I don't compared to some. My Pintrest isn't that great, and my Facebook updates aren't much more than philosophical opinions. Anyone who talks about the hamdogger is a low-level free time spender.

What am I good at? Not much. Right now I'm half way decent at packing, only because this will be my 14th move (I pretend the stuff in boxes is like a game of Tetris).

I know being good at something isn't a function of how old you are, but hopefully in 5 years I'll be better at stuff than I am today. 

:)

Marketing BS and the truth about health

Let me preface this post by saying you should NOT Google skin conditions unless you've got a strong stomach or desire to see gross things.

As some of you know from my previous post that included "zit-hydra monsters," and my ability to temporarily turn into a hippie with green smoothies, I suffer from a variety of dermatological woes. Mainly, my skin is very sensitive to stress, humidity levels, and irritating products.

In 2011, I spent close to $500 on skin products. Hours of research were poured over each purchase, and two things on the list were repeat purchases. Otherwise, most of the items didn't work as advertised. Likely, my skin just doesn't respond to the ingredients as most people's skin does.

This is nothing new. Six or seven years ago, I went to the dermo about a tan circle on my elbow. The doc labeled it as "localized morphea," which happens to some people sometimes for some reasons - all unknown. Today, I question the diagnosis because the information about morphea suggests that the coloring or shape changes over time, which mine hasn't.

Last month, I came across an iodine article (which I can't find, dang it) in my quest to find the right combination of vitamins and antioxidants. It said that there is little known about how the body uses iodine in the tissues, all the blood test measures is what is being circulated through the bloodstream. Similar messages are throughout medical studies germane to psychology, metabolism, and (you guessed it) skin conditions. Because everything is related to everything else, like how hives are an immune system reaction, it's hard to pinpoint what exactly is happening (thus how an individual would react to anything). It's frustrating because you would never be able to prevent a reaction to something unless you tried it, which is why I'm still on a quest to figure out if there is some magical lotion or cream that won't sting the bejeezus out of my skin or leave me high and dry.

So, given that my skin is finicky, my sun exposure is minimal (less than 1 hour a week in the winter and less than 4 hours a week in the summer), and I still get acne when I'm stressed, here is the lineup from 2011:

Soaps and washes:

Cetaphil - Does this stuff do anything? I feel like it just moves dirt and oil around. I'd rather use water.

CeraVe Face Wash - A little stronger than Cetaphil, but not by much. I like bubbles, what can I say? I don't know if I'd buy this again.

I used to use Topix Replenix, which was actually something I got for my husband. I might switch back to this in the summer, when water as a cleanser isn't sufficient.

African Shea Black Soap - This should have been good, but I didn't find the soap's effects to overcome the dark brown trails going down the drain. Dove or Ivory is just as good if you're into bar soap. The Suave perfume free stuff is also OK (even with the irritation and potential toxicity of sodium laureth sulfate).

Face moisturizers:

Neocutis Biorestorative Cream with Psp - Smells faintly like plastic, but this moisturizer is very nice to my skin. I've never had a reaction to it, and I'll likely buy it again. I like to use this over sunscreen or at night.

NIA24 Sun Damage Prevention 100% Mineral Sunscreen - I've consistently used this for two years and my skin loves it. It doesn't moisturize, but I usually layer this under other products. I've tried the trial kit from this brand, and the other products don't impress me that much. Of course, I only noticed a difference in my skin from using this after about two months (it takes a long time for my skin to look better from something). I'm allergic to most sunscreens (anything that ends in "-zone"), as in, they sting before I get into the sun. 

Perricone MD Face Finishing Moisturizer - This stings if I use it on my whole face, maybe because of the amount of Vitamin C (asorbic acid) in it. My plan is to use this as an eye cream, because it doesn't bother my crows feet one bit. My mom had a similar reaction, and our skin is very different, so it was probably designed for someone who is resistant to having acid on their face.

Clarins UV Plus Day Screen High Protection SPF 40 - My goal was to find an alternative to the NIA that would moisturize. No such luck. This stuff doesn't sink in, so I get a nice mineral sheen after using this. I didn't react to it though, so I might recommend it for sensitive skin; however, it is more expensive than NIA, so nevermind.

Aveeno Smart Essentials Nighttime Moisture Infusion - I bought this from Target because I thought this would be a nice, low-cost way to supplement my moisturizing routine. What a load! There is technically moisture in the product, but no infusion with the skin. It sits on top of your skin and comes off in little balls. Not sure what they were going for here, except to get my money.

Body Moisturizers:

VaniCream - There are loads of people who like this product, and I can't understand why. I got through about half of the product before I just threw it away. It wasn't even good for layering (which is how I use up some of the crap products I buy).

Tree Shea Body Butter - You need something cheap to use after a shower? This stuff would be good in the summer time, since it's rather light. 

Kiehl's Creme de Corps Body Moisturizer - Holy grail of all body moisturizers. If you are as dry as the Sahara, or like taking hot showers, Kiehl's will not disappoint. Of course, you will also pay an arm and a leg. I was disappointed that they basically redid the formula for the "lightweight" version to make it "light," as it didn't have the same effect as the original. 

Serum:

Peter Thomas Roth Viz-1000 - This is the only serum I use, and it's because it allows my skin to absorb even more moisture than just on its own. I've since bought hyaluronic acid in bulk instead of sticking to a particular brand, as the ingredients are the same in each product.

Other:

Clarisonic Mia - I use this off and on, depending on if my skin looks dull or extra sweaty. It's a great product, and I would recommend it to other folks if they want a squeaky clean type of feel to their skin. It's also rechargeable, so you don't need a circulation of batteries going to your bathroom.

Neutrogena Healthy Skin Anti-Wrinkle/Anti-Blemish Treatment - Benzyol peroxide be damned! It breaks me out all over in a red rash. This Neutrogena product, on the other hand, uses a gentler salicylic acid and retinol. Plus it comes in an opaque tube, preserving the light-sensitive Vitamin A. So yes, now Liz Lemon can have a buddy that gets both wrinkles AND zits. :)

Hopefully this helps someone. I am still questing, and would love to hear if anyone else has had a similar experience or some better products to try.

Mansion Apartment Shack House (M.A.S.H.) - What will you live in when you grow up?

We are moving. I've already moved a dozen times or so, so it's not a big deal. What WILL be a big deal is moving into a house like a real adult would own. Since I used to trash most of the stuff that wouldn't fit into my car (and I may well do this again), this leaves the new house incredibly bare (or perfect for a trampoline and a pair of skates).

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Sometime around 2003, I idly dreamed of being an interior designer. Of course I skipped to the good part where I was making millions designing rooms for people who had incredible amounts of money. Since I had no plan or money, all of my decorating attempts at this point have been C- at best. In fact, I vaguely knew what furniture belonged in what room, which is surprising given my mom ordered Southern Living and other room-project-magazines during the entirety of my life.

Using the term "design" loosely, I came up with rooms that included:
A swing under my loft. Typing on a computer is a little weird at first, but now they have these mechanisms.

Presenting, the Hawaii Chair, that allows you to perfect your abs at the office.  Photo credit

Rope lights, a cheaper cousin of the neon sign.

Catwoman costume and cats are separate. Photo credit

Sheets. Do you remember sheet forts when you were a kid? They are inspiring like how this is inspiring.

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Spray painted picture frames.

Cat furniture.

Fake ivy leaves.

Well, I didn't decorate with cat furniture per se, but it was one of the bigger pieces of furniture in the living room. 

Anyway, I'm not sure what I'll do with the rooms in the new house. I have briefly considered something with pink and zebra, but I just don't have that kind of commitment. I mean, zebra rugs can be over $350, and that's not great considering it got a 3/5 star rating. Then there are creepy furniture and rug stores you can go to where you're not allowed to actually sit on the furniture and everything is "on sale for a limited time only."

Perfect for my Addams family room...I will take the whole set! Photo credit

I could get a real designer, but if I had that kind of money, I would retire.

Ah, first world problems...

Cool Stuff that Should Be Made in the Future

Forget the 1949 cartoon on the "House of Tomorrow" with its automatic sandwich maker. We need real products right now. Here's a list, in no particular order, of things I think we should have today or at least this year:

Women's wrinkle free shirts under $60 - ... That aren't muumuus.

Red nose cream - To transform you from Rudolph to Prancer!

Mood recorders - Is there an app for this?

Condiment deathmatches - My money is on BBQ sauce, but I know any white sauce (including salad cream) will win.

Salad cream? Hell yeah!

Teleport machines

Clothes that wash themselves - We want the clothes to also dry and fold themselves, but inventions follow a cycle of iterations.

Super absorbent movie theater seats - Just kidding. I think they are made this way naturally.

Personal zombie entourage - Wait, isn't that redundant?

Equal pay for equal work

Alerts for dropped calls - Who hasn't said half of their life story before realizing they were cut off half a minute ago?

High water pressure in all buildings - Anything less is unacceptable.

I'll take one of each, but one is actually better than nothing.

Oedipus Complex & Breaking the Cycle

Trolling through my usual blogs, Jezebel, Love Maegan, and Penelope Trunk, I was expecting some light reading since it was the holidays. However, Penelope Trunk is rarely a "light read." This week there was a picture of a giant bruise on her bare hip under the words, "I am at a hotel. I think I'm dying. I have a bruise from where the Farmer slammed me into our bed post."


Cue record scratching noise. I read the rest of the post, which was a highly descriptive account of her abusive spousal relationship. It bothered me so much that I read all of the comments, like I was expecting for some big reveal to the story I ingested. Nothing. 


I like reading Penelope Trunk's blog, as her opinions are well researched, but slightly controversial. I found her blog when I was devouring content about Tim Ferris' book, "4 Hour Body," another well researched book about minimum effort/maximum benefit. One afternoon I read most of her blog, discovering that she has Asperger's, a horrible childhood, and some very deep rooted issues. Her writing is refreshing though, as she points out her limitations and how it affects everyday tasks like going to the DMV without incident, for example.


I couldn't understand how she could be in a relationship where the safety of her children was at stake (in my mind, it's not ok for kids to see grown ups take something out on other people). The last line of the entry, "That’s why I can’t leave. I want someone to miss me." boggles me. Is it the Asperger's? 


Are we destined to follow our parents' footsteps? I sure as hell hope you have more free will than that. But I constantly see old college acquaintances in shotgun weddings, live the single-parent life, or work at the local Applebee's for a career. 


Growing up, my parents fought. Mom got out when it got bad, to which I'm forever grateful. Later, I realized that most people are attracted to people who are like their parents. Would this mean that I'd be in an abusive relationship? Would I find someone full of charm who would later turn out to be hateful? I looked hard for these things in all of my dates. I didn't marry someone until we had dated for six years, just to be sure, because I wouldn't want that to happen to my future kids. 


Do we have free will, can we make a deliberate decision not to repeat a negative cycle? I hope that I have the clarity to see the beginnings of a bad situation, because I've spent most days thinking about how bad situations begin. Before dating my husband, my mind was in another place, and had no self awareness, therefore it was hard to improve anything about myself. Worse, I didn't realize I had no self awareness. Maybe this is where Penelope is - she has an inkling about why things are the way they are, but feels no control in the situation. No one gives you feedback these days (unless you consider internet comments).


Maybe we all can change, but it takes the right set of variables. I hope Penelope and her kids can find these.

Let's Talk About Razors

Ever since I decided to take a razor onto my own legs (that fateful day at 11 years old), I've been looking for a better and easier way to remove hair. In fact, I wrote a poem about it when I was in high school, which I can't find at the moment. But back to being 11... I decided to take matters into my own hands after Mom refused to let me try razors. It was intense, and I spontaneously started wearing (neon green) knee socks to cover the finished product (my first attempt resulted mainly in shin carnage). After almost 20 years of practice, I can safely say that I've discovered a few arteries in my ankles, and rushing is a bad thing, despite tools or products to prevent "accidents".

A recent study at Gillette Venus found that 30% of women use men's razors for their own shaving needs. Why? Could it be the toddler-spoon handles they use for the women's version? Women's refill cartridges are over $2 a piece whereas men's are less? Aversion to moisturizing strips, which the women's variety carries extra? Apathy?

Conversely, do dudes use women's razors? What would be the real benefit?

To me, it comes down to the bottom line - price. Three blades is three blades, any way you slice it. I have used shaving cream, conditioner, and good ole' water to get the job done without a problem. Issues with nicks, which is what the ladies' version is supposedly preventing, can be avoided if not trying to finish in 3 seconds.

I've provided a survey on the right, should you care to weigh in on such hairy matters...