See, Susan, I"m not talking comfy. I'm not even talking "I bought my whole wardrobe at REI". That can be a thing. Even if it's not quite my thing. I'm talking it's Saturday night, you're out dancing, looking to meet the laaaaydeeez...and you're wearing a t-shirt that has faded into illegibility over a long sleeved t-shirt that has holes in it, over some jeans that haven't been washed in a week, and a pair of tevas. And bedhead. I don't care how hot your piercings and tatoos are (cause yes, I like your piercings and tattoos), that's not a "I got dressed up to go out and care about my appearance" look. Even if it IS a carefully tailored look, it's when you're trying to look like you aren't trying...it just....ahhhhh.

See, that's not my going out look. I go for "casual but I still care." Like, nice jeans and a shirt that clings enough to show off the good curves and drapes enough to hide the bad ones.

Well, when you're Queen of Everything, you can provide wardrobe consultants for the fashion-inept, right? And make it like in Narnia where your best clothes were also the ones that felt best to wear?

Of course! That's an entire separate section in my Take Over The World plans.

Even if it IS a carefully tailored look, it's when you're trying to look like you aren't trying...it just....ahhhhh.

Yes. It bugs me almost as much as the women who spend more time than me putting on makeup for a "natural" look that A) doesn't look very natural, and B) makes them think they have a license to sneer at those of us who prefer dramatic eyeliner and lipstick.

Ha, that's straight out of a How I Met Your Mother episode!

I'm not sure "straight" applies in this example.

Portland, where they issue the flannel, Birks, golden retriever, and Subaru at the border?

You misspelled "Vermont."

I'm talking it's Saturday night, you're out dancing, looking to meet the laaaaydeeez...and you're wearing a t-shirt that has faded into illegibility over a long sleeved t-shirt that has holes in it, over some jeans that haven't been washed in a week, and a pair of tevas. And bedhead.

You just described my entire neighborhood. Which -- remember when I took you to the adult bookstore and the (meager) leather shop? That's the neighborhood that I moved to when I moved in with The Boy.

Which is fitting.

ION, I am back from the doctor. I have De Quervain's Tenosynovitis. He's treating it initially with one of those decreasing-dose steroid packs (6 pills the first day, 5 the second, etc.), along with putting ice on my wrist and using a brace (which I have been doing). If it isn't markedly better by the 30th, then I get a cortisone shot.

Those damned steroid packs give me the munchies like I'm a big old pothead. But if they help, then bring it on.

He also prescribed 2 weeks worth of Ativan for me without any quarrel, when I explained how I've finished tapering off my Zoloft, and, although I know it's normal, I'm having MASSIVE mood swings and panic attacks.

And, finally, ever since I got over the recent Really Bad Cold(TM), I've had a lingering cough and intermittent tight chest that gets MUCH worse with exertion. I asked my doctor if my asthma had returned, and he said that it's not *chronic* asthma making a return; it's post-infection asthma, which I didn't even know existed.

It's more common with pneumonia, but he said it's not unheard of after a bad cold, especially since we're still in the middle of bad allergy season. So he gave me an albuterol inhaler to use before I exercise, and said that the asthma should be gone within a couple of weeks. t edit The steroids should help with the asthma, too.

I am LOADED with drugs now. Woo hoo!

Well, Jilli, it's especially prevalent among the dykes. The whole crunchier granola hipster grunge dirty hippy I don't comb my hair I'm cool because I pay someone to cut my hair to make it look like my hair hasn't been cut in six months kinda look. All that jazz. What can I say. We were in Portland, where it's even MORE so, and me and my J-Crew-East-Coast self were mourning the culture shock. I was all "Where's my dykes who look slick and fierce and like to hang out with fancy gay men who want nice things and fancy drinks??"

Which leads straight (eta, anticipating Frank -- okay, fine, DIRECTLY) to the image of the CUTEST EVAR!!1! dyke couple I saw on Valencia Street on Saturday, just after parting from Suela and Perkins. It was hotter than blazes, and they were both done up in high '50s stylish white trash drag:

• The shorter, slenderer woman had what looked like a Louise Brooks bob all gelled and slicked back with the bangs combed up and back for a mini-pomp, no makeup at all, a light blue cotton button-down shirt, and dark blue dungarees. She looked like the prettiest, toughest little badass gas station grease monkey you've ever seen.

• Her tall and curvealicious partner was in a denim halter top, denim wiggle skirt, and denim anklestrap wedges, with bright red lips, cat-eye liner, and masses of black hair swept up and adorned with five or six white silk flowers.

They were arm in arm, looking gorgeous and knowing it, and heads were turning in admiration all up and down the block.

In short, meara needs to pack up all her dress-up clothes and come down to SF for a visit, stat.

um that sounds hot. Maybe I should move up to SF. I wait, they were lesbians, they probably wouldn't be into me then. Oh well.

Crazy morning. Teleconference just got bumped 15 min. Now waiting. Sigh.

Nrgh. JZ - I've seen that couple around before. And "nrgh" is pretty much my reaction, every time.

Part of the reason why I'm so looking forward to the MSI concert this Friday is seeing what sartorial shenanigans the babygoths will get up to. The MCR concert trended a little gothy-industrial - I'm hoping this one will trend more gothy-punk.

(The memory of the babybat at the 2nd MCR concert who was OFFENDED that I had the same armwarmers as her - an OLDER person? Wearing HER armwarmers?? - still makes me cackle.)

(The memory of the babybat at the 2nd MCR concert who was OFFENDED that I had the same armwarmers as her - an OLDER person? Wearing HER armwarmers?? - still makes me cackle.)

Oh BLESS. I would have been so very tempted to pinch her wan little cheeks.

augh I have to call a plumber augh!