There were several on the list that annoy me. Smoking….Hate it. I don’t allow it in my house for any reason. I don’t even own an ash tray When I started the traditionally-male, blue collar-job I’ve held for nearly thirty years, a lot of the guys I worked with chewed “smokeless tobacco”, & they were always spitting all over. This is SOOOOOOOOOOOOO gross! My elderly dad spits in public. It’s a habit we have not been able to convince him to drop, no matter how much we all beg, whine, nag, or threaten. Open-mouthed chewing….or talking with one’s mouth full. I was out to dinner with a guy I’d been dating for some time, & he talked to me with a mouth full of food. I don’t know why I’d never noticed before, but it completely grossed me out. Later, when we were alone, I didn’t even want him to kiss me. I kept seeing him with his mouth open, &….(shudder).

My favorite make-up is a line made for 40+ women by the eternally gorgeous Lauren Hutton. I love this stuff. I’ve never had problems with breakouts, make-up settling into wrinkles & caking up, discoloring, etc. It’s easy to take off, too. I’ve never had problems with the delivery system. Take a look at the face disc; contour, blush, etc. in one place. Each item can be replaced, so if you use one item up (like the lip balm) but have plenty of contour & so on, you just send away for the lip balm & pop it into place. You don’t have to replace the entire system. Lauren Hutton has great sales on new products & periodic free-shipping deals. http://www.laurenhutton.com/?cid=GooglePPC&jkId=8a8ae4cc1a30c9d9011a3a25… However, before you buy the face disc, or anything else from Lauren Hutton, except for individual brushes or replacement items from the face disc, check out the Lauren Hutton section at HSN. “Systems”, such as the all-in-one Face Disc or “Passport to South Pacific” with co-ordinating contour, concealer, etc. do tend to be cheaper there (though the selection at HSN is constantly changing & is never as good as at Lauren Hutton’s site). I used to use the make-up for older women from Revlon called Vital Radiance. I loved the face primer & the foundation, though I thought the shiny eye colors too young for me. I was heartbroken when Revlon stopped making it, & scoured sales bins at Walgreens & Target to buy up all the foundation in my color.

I didn’t like it, either. It seemed kind of “high school prom” dress to me (well, like the prom dresses worn when I was a teen); too fluffy & young for a gorgeous, fit woman like our First Lady. I noticed, as did someone on one of the news channels, that the President had stepped on the skirt.

What impressed me more than all the pictures of their clothes was the photo of them helping out at a food bank. Their parents have gone up a notch in my (admittedly already high) admiration of them because they involved the kids in charitable work. I think it’s good to involve kids in charitable work as soon as they understand what’s going on. Each year, I buy a shopping bag full of books for the Toys for Tots barrel at my favorite mall. Most years, I dragged along my neice or nephew to help me pick out age-appropriate books. Last year, I started out my four-year old great niece, taking her to the bookstore to help me choose “little girl” books. Bravo to the Obamas for raising considerate, helpful children.

“Do the best you can.”

Thanks, Kermie. That was great.

I’ve worn glasses since I was in second grade. I’ve never worn contacts; the thought of poking little things into my eyes makes me queasy. I can’t even watch someone else put lenses in. Ugh! When I got into my mid-forties, my eye doctor recommended reading glasses as well as “distance” glasses. What a pain in the tuchis they were! When I wanted to read at home, I’d left the reading glasses at work, & vice-versa. Getting a pair for work didn’t help much; when I needed them at the computer I’d left them in one of the labs. I spent several years trying to keep track of four pairs of glasses; two for reading, two for distance (one of them special safety glasses I’m required to wear at work). None of them ever seemed to be where I needed them. I finally got “fed up” & when I went in for my eye check-up, I asked for bifocals. I got blended lenses & I was able to get used to them in a few hours. Since then, I’m down to two pairs; one safety, & one “dress-up”. No, I don’t cut back to just my safety glasses. I’m required to have plastic guards on the sides, so my safety glasses are too dorky to wear in public.

When I was in high school, I could sit on my hair. It was very thick & stick-straight. I could braid it, or let it hang. I hung on to it because men rotating through my life liked long hair. I got over that silliness in my early thirties, when I had it cut to shoulder length. For the last fifteen years I’ve gone to a cranky though funny hairdresser who does her best to keep my hair under control. It’s fortunately still thick, & unfortunately still tangles very easily. She cuts & styles, & twice a year, perms my hair into a much more versatile style. I do have layers, & not all cut by Mayme. I have some breakage caused by the hardhat I’m required to wear at work. Several years ago, my sister convinced me that coloring my own hair was a mistake, & now I let my hairdresser do that, too. The first time she colored my hair, she asked, “You like being a red-head? What shade do you like?” I told her that I wanted to be a red that made other women look at me & think, “I bet she lies about her age, too.” I get a lot of compliments on my hair, & until they stop, I’m going to be a red-headed curly top.

As usual, I’ll be at work, schlepping around in what’s predicted to be 8 degree weather & dealing with the inevitable drunk partiers that manage to find their way onto plant grounds, wondering where their turn-off disappeared to.

I agree with M. Starr. mondo jackson, I’m praying….in Hebrew…that G*d heals whatever in your heart makes you so hateful. Shalom

I dumped my major cards except for American Express. I have to pay the whole bill every month, so I don’t get silly with it. I never had a debit card; I insisted on getting one that can only be used at ATMs (I felt they were safer, since clerks rarely look at the signatures on debit cards). As of last year, my bank has refused to issue ATM-only cards, so I have a debit card. Actually, I’m using that more often.

I agree! 3 bloody degrees!!

The adults in my family exchange names; only my Dad & the kids not old enough to vote get presents from everyone. I have to buy a toy for my great-nephew, then I’m done. Oh, I got him some clothes, but a two-year-old doesn’t understand the concept of clothing as a gift. Besides, buying toys gives me a chance to hang out in a toy store & see all the cool stuff that didn’t exist when I was a kid!

I am Jewish, but for me, nothing beats “It’s a Wonderful Life”. Just because I’m single doesn’t mean I don’t have my own traditions. Mine is to gather up everything I need for wrapping gifts, a pot of tea, & some kind of snack, then plug “It’s a Wonderful Life” into the DVD player. I spend an evening wrapping, noshing, & wiping away tears (no matter how often I watch it, it makes me cry). Since I wrap on the floor (more room), it means I end up spending a lot of time chasing tape & ribbon when the cats decide they’re toys, or convincing one or the other that the pretty paper was not for them to lounge on.

I’m working, too. Three cheers for holiday pay!