My wallet being as it is, it would have to be flat, and not real big. I can't use Burt's Bees for some reason; I think it's the lanolin. Makes my lips peel.

Ginger, I'm sorry your guts remain in turmoil. I hope it gets better soon.

I'm allergic to lanolin. I was using "Udderly Smooth", in the so-attractive holstein-patterned tub. It's great stuff for those who can use it--light, whipped, and it really does moisturize beautifully.

But after using it for a couple of years, it suddenly gave me a rash and the rash went bad quickly, so no more of that.

Burt's Bees has started putting out lanolin-free products, so there are some I can use. I got nothing that would fit in your wallet though, Zen. A pencil sounds like the best idea.

Ginger, ease-ma to your poor guts.

Sometimes between the food and the cosmetic ingredients I feel like I spend half my life reading teeny print on the sides of packaging.

Ginger, I hope you feel better soon.

Ginger, Harvey sends his best purr vibes to your innards.

Dear new house manager type person who just applied for the supervisor job:

Yeah, I can actually in fact tell the difference between someone trying to draw me into bad-mouthing a co-worker and someone who is asking an experienced employee about the best strategies for handling certain behaviors. Guess who is going to have a conversation with the Regional Director about those subtle differences?

Good luck with that job app. No love, Me

Sometimes I'm a little concerned about that training, WS. I had a few attendants here that seemed to think that meant "Ask a million questions when your client bruises her knee."(Because I'm pale, I can have a big bruise without a big incident) I know their hearts were in the right place and stuff, but somehow, I'm sure that was not intended by the trainers.

velvet matte lip pencils by NARS

Looooove these!

Sometimes I'm a little concerned about that training, WS. I had a few attendants here that seemed to think that meant "Ask a million questions when your client bruises her knee."(Because I'm pale, I can have a big bruise without a big incident) I know their hearts were in the right place and stuff, but somehow, I'm sure that was not intended by the trainers.

I figure someone who can answer, "Dude, where'd you get that bruise?" with a "Fuck, I dunno. You know me, I bruise like a banana," is quite capable of reporting abuse accurately, so my obligation is to not ignore the bruise. Basically I am satisfied to ask, and then respect whatever answer. I have a different obligation to people who aren't really sure what bruises, bananas, or abuse really are (or might understand but cannot articulate their understanding). And then there is the CYA aspect of it. I hate coming in to work at a location for the first time in a few days to find someone who can't talk has some unexplained injury that is obviously not new, but no other staff person has documented it. A nice "he came in from work with a bunch of dirt on the knee of his pants leg and when he got in the shower, this writer saw a bruise on his knee," or something works. But when you don't have that, trouble starts.

This child abuse training would have made far more sense if it were for people who actually work with children. I don't. I mean, once in a while I'll have a student who's 17, or sometimes a homeschooled 16-year-old taking college courses, but for the most part, my students are at least 18. Most of this training focused on pretty small kids. There were barely any scenarios that even involved teenagers.