Too true, Truds. I am a delicate fucking flower.

ION, International Male changed its name to Undergear. I haven't looked at an International Male in yonks. There's a cock in my eye!! ARGH.

Also, the underwear names are awesome. I like Priape and Candyman, but by fave by far is MANZONE. I hear it in this booming movie announcer voice, in asscaps: MANZONE. (Much like my favorite all-time men's cologne name: GRAVEL.)

(Dan and I are going to a houseparty for one of his friend who never had a slumber party as a girl, so her bday is going to be a grown-up slumber party. Not naughty, AFAIK, just pajamas, and Dan wants some scurrilous ones.

I think Undergear is either too boring or too scurrilous, but there are three (!) choices for grown-up men's footies, including velour. However, I am warning him that if he actually makes an appearence in men's footies, I may never have sex with him again.

Heh. Tep, you think you're being a smartass, but that would be an EXCELLENT choice! I am totally thinking hilarious labels.

Hey, the talk of finishing wine reminds me! So, I would like to have an occasional glass of wine, maybe with dinner. Pete doesn't like a lot of wines. (This may have something to do with my habit of choosing wine by the label, and YES, I did like the wine from Cupcake Vineyard, what?)

Anyway, what should I know about keeping an open bottle of wine good for a couple of days? I need bottle-stoppers, yes?

I had no energy or motivation to cook dinner, but I made some scrambled tofu and a salad rather than getting junk food. I really need to remember more often on nights like this that real food doesn't really need to take all that much effort.

Erin, there's some fairly awesome flannel and/or fleece at fabric stores, and drawstring pants are wicked easy.

Erin-- I am super good (and love) making ribbon roses if you need a hand!

I suggest Love My Goat red. What's better for a wedding than a love-themed bottle???

That winery is so near to me. I do not like that wine, though.

I do, Erin. (Heh.)

(double heh). I am just tickled pink and green by actually having conversation with another Erin. I mean, i know that it was statistically a very popular name round about when i was born, but i never knew another Erin growing up. I think there was another Erin in my first high school, but we were two years apart so there wasn't any overlap in classes. I felt like a special name-snowflake until very recently when i actually saw stats.

Ok, it's a little confusing sometimes when i pop in and see the wedding conversation, knowing that i am entirely single, but still pretty darned awesome.

Erin, on my old porch I used wine bottles as suncatchers, and collected all the shapes and colors of glass I could. Oh the hardship of sampling those diverse wines.

I couldn't afford schmancy centerpieces at my parents' 50th anniversary bash. I ran around the house scooping up vases, perfume bottles, china dogs, whatever had a touch of gold on it. We had some tin candy boxes, and pretty paper and fabric covered boxes, and I put a box on each table and stuck in a few photographs of Mom and Dad and their friends over the years. The photos were a huge hit. You could do heart-shaped boxes of all kinds, or wrap boxes in wide purple and green ribbon, and put a box of pictures on the tables for guests to look at.

It's going to be so pretty--and so will you!

Hivemind question.

OK, so I'm trying to get a bead on an answer to "how much would it take to make you take the job" in anticipation that tomorrow goes swimmingly. I've looked at a dozen websites for cost of living comparissons. The range is HUGE! Saying that CA is more expensive by a factor of 15%-80%! um. HUGE differences. What the heck do I go with?

Also, is there a good guideline for ballpark of what take home pay is? I've got 30% for non-retirement deductions. Is that about par for state, fed, FICA, health insurance, medicare, SS, etc?

Also, the underwear names are awesome. I like Priape and Candyman, but by fave by far is MANZONE. I hear it in this booming movie announcer voice, in asscaps: MANZONE. (Much like my favorite all-time men's cologne name: GRAVEL.)

My personal favorite so far (of the 638 underwear choices) is Male Power® D-Ring Rip Off Thong

The D-Ring Rip-Off Thong is a risqué look. Made with soft faux leather for the ultimate comfort, this thong has D-ring styling on the front for a bondage-inspired look. The front panel is removable for easy access.