I read Sassy for the longest time. I cut up a bunch of magazines to do collages and got rid of the rest.

I bought it at the grocery store every month and when I finally decided to get a subscription (don't know why I waited) that was when Sassy got sold and turned into a Seventeen clone. I think I started reading about issue 4 or 5 (maybe I don't know now). It introduced me to a whole world I had no idea that existed and I remember looking at the fashions and wishing I had enough guts to try something new. I never did, it was easier to hide by dressing really plain. I did go crazy and buy the t s hirt with Neil the art director on it.

I even learned what Goth was really and not just seeing peopel dressed in black and wondering. I thought it was cool and related but didn't try to enter the subculture.

The few times I stepped out of my comfort zone and tried to dress differently I got teased by my so called "best friend" or found out about unflattering comments said and just never tried again.

I feel like such shit right now, I have to share this bit. Tonight's swim hurt. I have cramps, my muscles and tendons are doing all sorts of weird shit, and until halfway in, every stroke, every kick was an act of will. But I busted my ass anyway and got reasonable times. Only one 60s lap. When I finished the last lap and popped up, Corey, the lifeguard/instructor looked me straight in the eye and said "Excellent!" and then turned to his students and told them "She just swam 108 lengths without stopping. Quit your whining." (They are early teens, the tough love routine works with them.)

As I was leaving, he told me he could tell I was having an off night, but that I rallied the last half. I'll take it where I can get it. And it cracks me up that they know me so well. Hell, when I frequent the other Ys when mine is open, I get asked by the front desk where I've been.

Good job on being healthy, Hec. Keep that up.

Trying. As Scrappy, Connie, DXM, Sail and Laura will attest, getting up on 50 is a whole new world of decrepitude. Your knees get...squishy.

Not looking forward to the colonoscopy which the doctor tried to sell as the male equivalent of a mammogram. "Like breast cancer, colon cancer is very treatable but you have to catch it early..."

That's how its effectiveness as a hair-growth dealie was discovered -- it was prescribed as an oral medication for (IIRC) angina, or some cardiac thing, and one of the side effects was notable hair growth.

Wait, it was taken orally?

AFAIK. People took minoxidil as a pill (tablet, whatever) for the angina (or high blood pressure, whatever) and some grew hair in unwanted places. Apparently it was more than just random, and the manufacturer decided to see if would work as a topical hair growth dealie.

Corey, the lifeguard/instructor looked me straight in the eye and said "Excellent!" and then turned to his students and told them "She just swam 108 lengths without stopping. Quit your whining."

Nice! Not just your neighborhood, but all the humans in your orbit seem to be exuding the good will.

Well, the Y is neighborhood too, but..yeah. I'm leading a charmed life when it comes to community now. I lurves it.

Though I also have a thingie (thingie - for every time Cass doesn't know the actual noun) of Latisse because my stepmom got some and decided she really didn't care to use it. Mine.

Lucky, lucky girl. I'm still not willing to plunk down the money for Latisse, but that's mostly due to unemployment.

Not looking forward to the colonoscopy

Yeah, it's not super fun, but (and you've probably heard this before) the actual procedure is really no big (I mean, for the patient - not much you can do), it's the prep the night before that is not so fun. I actually really enjoyed whatever drug it was they used to happy me up before the actual scoping. And the doc was a little late, so I think I got a little extra. Barely remember the procedure itself. So, there's my anecdotal experience for you.

My eyelashes hit my glasses when I wear any of that lengthening mascara. I didn't know short eyelashes were really an issue for anyone until I saw the latisse commercials. And then I was like, FINALLY. GENETICS DEALT ME A GOOD HAND.

Product rec: Dior Iconic Mascara. I loves it.

Also NARS Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in Damned. Which sounds very Jilli. It is velvety without gunking up in the corners.