Oh, I was just thinking I need to recycle my bottles, but I am thinking I will make a garden border out of them.

My friend did it, and it looks pretty neat.

I sure wish hydrangeas were cheaper; they are so pretty and I have a harsh lust for them. Sigh.

So, I am still running my business, but I am going to have to get a job with a steady paycheck that allows me to still work on my editing/writing. My depression is getting a little better -- I applied to two Nordstrom jobs today -- an esthetision and a makeup artist. I was a makeup artist for Lancome in grad school and the ad has been up for 3 weeks, and they keep posting it.

Wish me luck -- we need more income. Central AC is broken, and the AC is both of our cars isn't working.

And I LOOOOVE makeup, and I'm a kick-ass makeup artist. I's be weird to work outside the house full-time again, but we gotta get some more dough.

That sounds like a full day, smonster. Is your sister moving to New Orleans or just around her current area?

And I LOOOOVE makeup, and I'm a kick-ass makeup artist.

Fun! I pretty much have never worn makeup. I tried a couple times but didn't recognize the person in the mirror and looked older to myself. I've thought about it a bit lately because living here I have to wear sunscreen products on my face and hands in particular my chest because the skin there is so sensitive.

I have to go to the dermatologist and likely have a troublesome spot right smack in the middle of my upper chest removed. Almost every thing I wear has a V or scooped neck line and it is right there staring at me. I couldn't care less about my face wrinkles, but I am going to be most unhappy to have a scar in the middle of my exposed cleavage. Stupid random vanity.

I don't think guys really want to "keep it light"

Does that mean no one wants to "keep it light", or just men don't ever want to?

Either way, I think going into it saying "Well, if you turn out to be that special someone, we can take it up a notch, but I'm not looking for special right now" does no one any benefit.

Either way, I think going into it saying "Well, if you turn out to be that special someone, we can take it up a notch, but I'm not looking for special right now" does no one any benefit.

That's basically what I meant.

What's the best way to differentiate themselves from people who are looking for relationships right now? How else should smonster know this isn't worth a gamble, since her motivation is different, and human nature's predisposition to hang on to "special someone" (as in, "that could be me! it will be me!" or "why wasn't it me????") would lead me to not even bring it up.

What's important, for me (since I'm not ever looking for a relationship) is that the guy not gamble anything on the chance that he changes my mind. Anything could happen in the future, but if me saying "well, sure, if you're Prince Charming" runs a high risk of hurting him now or later, I'm not going to say it--and I don't owe it to him either.

DH and I were completely and absolutely not interested in a relationship when we first dated. He was graduating and I was grieving. Not even remotely interested. That was more than 25 years ago.

That's the problem, isn't it? DH was not interested in a relationship either when we met. Sometimes, we don't know what we want.

Just think how pissed we'd be at someone for effectively leading smonster on, if really they were...not feeling a relationship and hadn't been from the start--no mark against her, it's just who they are. This is important to her, and I think she should have all the information up front to make relationship decisions. If she wants to take the gamble, fine. But at least she knows she's gambling, and has a better idea of the odds.

I agree completely. It just seems a whole lot of people I know in long term relationships weren't looking for that to happen at the beginning.