Yeah some people just become sympathy vacuums. They always have a “woe is me” mentality and want a ton of comforting when nothing is really wrong. (I was raised by one of these and it’s draining!)

Holy shit I didn’t realize the epicurean boards were the reason my knives were getting dull!

I’m sure there are many good grassy knolls on his golf courses

On your way to a world that others might have missed

My brain thought it was a light bulb wrapped in masking tape

And it’s too early for that dress.

It’s what I use in a pinch, and actually it’s great for removing mineral sunscreen, but I find it’s harder to wash off than other oil cleansers.

Bob Dylan - Hurricane (which actually became a movie starring Denzel Washington in 1999).

The 5th Dimension were amazing. I really like Wedding Bell Blues and Stoned Soul Picnic, but Age of Aquarius is such an instantly recognizable song across generations :)

I mean, I’m not enduring anything. I think of it as general upkeep, not too dissimilar to flossing or working out. It keeps my skin healthy and young and unless I’m really busy or in a rush, I don’t mind doing it.

Specifically: I’m 43 years old and nobody ever believes me about that. Most people put me in me early thirties (last year someone guessed late twenties and I thought she was just trying to flatter me but she was dead serious!). My skin doesn’t show my age. I have some fine lines but no deep wrinkles, my skintone is even and the few sunspots I had have faded, and my skin has a healthy glow.

I’ve always looked youthful but now my skin looks younger and healthier than it did 5 years ago.

Yup, especially the Main Line. Traffic on 202, 30, and 476 will get a lot worse I expect.

Yup! Eye makeup (especially liner & mascara) is made to stay where you put it, so it takes time to remove! And similar with mineral sunscreen.

It’s not necessarily complicated, just tedious. Lots of steps. If I wear mineral sunscreen plus makeup, then my evening routine is:

• Remove eye makeup (cold cream): 2 minutes
• Remove face/neck makeup and sunscreen (oil-based cleanser): 5 minutes
• Wash face, neck, and chest (gentle cleanser): 1 minute
• Skincare for face, neck, and chest (3 toners, 1 serum, 1 moisturizer, lip mask; allowing minimum 60 second drydown in between steps): 8 minutes
• (Every other night) Anti-aging (sandwiching tretinoin with rich moisturizer): 6 minutes

So roughly 15-20 minutes every night just for skin.

Plus about 10 minutes in the morning for my most basic AM skincare (not including sunscreen or makeup).

But my skin looks great!

I’m interested to see what happens. If this doesn’t pass, my closest line will be shut down.

Yeah, any product claiming that is a product I don’t buy.

Cold cream is the only thing I’ve found that really will remove all of my makeup, and it still requires patiently rubbing it into my eye makeup and wiping carefully (especially the eyelashes!) several times to be sure it’s fully gone. And then comes cleanser and the rest of my skincare.

I’m sorry to hear you’re having a rough time today Lady. Depression sucks 🤍

Hopefully this pic of my parents’ floof monster will put a smile on your face!

Hey, I think you replied to me by mistake :)

(And I don’t think therapy can help, by the way. How’s a person supposed to resolve trust issues when you’re paying them to talk to you? And yea I’ve been.)

This is such a weird take. You’re not paying the therapist to be your yes-man, you’re paying them to challenge your thinking and teach you new ways to view, think through, and react to a situation. Essentially you’re there to learn new skills, kind of like hiring a tutor to help you with math class. Plus it can be helpful to have an objective point of view.

That said, some therapists suck and some just won’t be a good match for you, so the process of finding one can be really frustrating. And if you’re not open to therapy then it’s pretty much a waste of time.

I’m sorry for all you’re going through. It sounds like your folks are wrapped up in their own stuff and aren’t recognizing that you need to be supported through this change.

I sing the alphabet in French.