Yeah don't think I'll try illegal drugs. Anything mind altering works differently for me than for the average bear. I mentioned that Tramadol has zero side effect for me. Nobody else I know who has used it says that. On the other hand opiates are absolute poison to me. Nausau, heachaches. I was given a percoset after surgery, almost killed me - dizziness, extreme headache extreme sickness. Much worse than waking up from the surgery. Codeine, not quite as bad, bus really really bad. Vicodin -not as bad as codeine, but still miserable. And whatever they used to knock me out, they later told me it took twice the dose they normally use before I went under. Pot is supposed to be pretty mild, but I can't take smoking anything. Can't even stand too close to grills. Maybe I'll try pot brownies someday, now that it is semi-legal in this state, but part of me wonders if I'll have some type of atypical reaction to that too.

If you do, Typo, eat 1/2 one at first and wait an hour. I have had a few that knocked me on my ASS.

I'm a smoker, but friends of mine bought a vaporizer because neither of them smoke cigarettes, but they like to smoke pot occasionally. I tried it and you think that you are just sucking air, and wasted money, but then -- hello!

ION, my sleep schedule- I am turning it around! This is the 5th day of going to bed between 9pm and 12, and waking between 4:30 and 6am. (OK, yesterday, I woke up at 10.)

But I fall asleep in about 20 minutes! WTF?! And wake up with no alarm. It is a fucking miracle. (Not really joking.)

I love the raven wreath! (Although for some reason the word "wreath" looks wrong to me this morning.)

I slept too late to get to the morning services at synagogue, and I know that I'll be feeling too dizzy from fasting to drive to the afternoon services. Oh well. Guess I needed the sleep.

Dammit, Hil. I'm sorry you missed services.

But I also don't want to head into the less-sunlight, cold part of the year and not be able to pull out of what feels like the beginning of a slide into depression.

I think it's awesome that you are being proactive about this. I'm giving October the side eye myself and may be buying myself a blue light for my birthday.

And I'll be honest -- I wish it were legal

Word, sister. NSAIDs don't do shit for my joint pain, but weed knocks it right out. And I'm also at the point where I'd rather smoke than drink. The latter messes with my stomach and my sleep. Vaporizers are cool, aren't they? I tried one in California with a friend who had a prescription.

If you do, Typo, eat 1/2 one at first and wait an hour. I have had a few that knocked me on my ASS.

Ahahahaha. Once ate Space Cake in Amsterdam, and then we got impatient and smoked, too. Suddenly I realized I'd been rolling the same joint for twenty minutes.

WTF, sj?

Okay, let's talk wedding makeup. Best cry-proof mascara recommendations were Blinc and Diorshow, right? What about lipstick that won't budge? I have terrible luck with lipstick.

WTF, sj?

I don't know. On the complete opposite note, I just received a lovely note from one of my mother's cousins with a picture of me with her granddaughter, thanking me for my visit, and encouraging TCG and I to visit as often as possible.

Teppy, my everyday won't budge lipstick is the covergirl that comes in the two tubes, but I also really like the MAC version.

Is that the Outlast, sj? That's good stuff.

My other really old-school regular lipstick trick is to apply a coat of lipstick, blot lightly, then LIGHTLY powder over it. Then apply a second coat. Works wonders.

First, you want to start with a primer. That'll even everything out, and make everything stay better. If you don't have any, and don't want to spring for a bottle, drop me your addy -- I have a shitton of Smashbox primer samples.

Lipstick -- you'll want a long-wearing lippie. Yves St. Laurent Glossy Stain is pricy, but worth it. Lancome's La Laque Fever is also outstanding.

Is that the Outlast, sj? That's good stuff.

Yes. It's the best drugstore one I have found. For my wedding I used a brownish color and layered a regular red lipstick over it, and it lasted pretty well. If I use straight red, it never fails to turn hot pink after a couple of hours.