Drifting

• After one of the warmest winters with the least precipitation on record, the other shoe has finally dropped. The predicted snow, which finally began around 4am Tuesday, dropped well over an inch by the time I was dressing for work at 7:15am. By 7:30, my campus had closed, giving me an unexpected day off. This is only the second time in my almost 10 years here that staff did not have to report due to weather. As I write this at home in the afternoon to post here when I can get back to my computer, we are predicted to get anywhere 5-10 inches by the time this storm end at 6pm Wednesday (should kill Valentine's Day!). In addition to the accumulation, afternoon temperature increases will lay down a layer of ice and sleet. This will make me crazy because of the difficulty of keeping the treacherous staircase to my apartment clear enough to navigate without fear of breaking my neck. But it makes me happy in that I live in a small town which is easily navigable for short distances by car and the entire town on foot, should need be. The convenience of such a small town in such circumstances was made abundantly clear to me during the great blizzard of 1993. I love this town. Update: Well, I got a second unexpected day off on Wednesday. Seems the ice didn't show up until after midnight and by morning there was at least an inch of ice on top of the 6-7 inches of snow that got topped off in the morning by another inch or two. It took me from 7am until 3pm to get my stairs navigable and my car out of its thick shell of ice. And with temperatures in the single digits, it was slow progress all the way. But they tell me it will be in the high 40s to low 50s within the next two weeks. If this is how winter is going to be, I can take it.
• I've never heard of this happening to anyone else, but I am having a major skin emergency from sampling some makeup. After hearing and/or reading numerous endorsements from IRL and online friends about Bare Minerals makeup, I finally broke down and bought some to try. I first tried the eye shadow and, although it seemed a bit sloppy to use, I liked how it went on and how it looked. In fact, I was so pleased that I decided to try the foundation. After moisturizing heavily due to my dry skin, I dusted on the foundation as the directions indicated. It went on fine and covered well but my face very quickly felt as if I had used pancake or Kabuki makeup. Despite the weird feeling, I wore it all day and then raced home to wash my face as quickly as I could. After some discussion with BM devotees, I decided to try again. So that Friday night, I put it on again to go to the Grill. By Monday morning, I had three gigantic eruptions on my face. And not pimple-type eruptions but huge bumps that are more reminiscent of boils than pimples or even hives. I immediately assumed it had to be the makeup since I am using the same old facial cleanser and moisturizer as always. And a trip to the dermatologist comfirmed my suspicions. It's not an allergy, though. It's just not the right kind of makeup for me. The doctor told me that I should never use powder foundation, only liquid, because it just gets into my pores and clogs them beyond all repair. A week and a half later, I still have them. They hurt, they don't come to a head, and they are extremely unsightly. I've taken to promising the makeup gods that I'll never again use anything other than L'Oreal or Lancome liquids if these horrible bumps will just go away.
• While the makeup purchase seems to have been a disaster, another recent purchase has proven to be a stunning and massive success. In fact, it has made me feel (if not look) at least 10 years younger. That great buy is my new mattress set. It is the perfect level of firmness with exactly the right amount of padding. I have been well-rested, with no back or shoulder pain (which were an every day annoyance), since it was delivered on Saturday. And all that at such a great savings. It's amazing what I saved buying from a regional manufacturer whose quality is equal to but whose prices are much, much lower than the national manufacturers due to less invested in marketing and logistical costs. Best $500 I ever spent.
• On the romance front, I had no plans for Valentine's Day. First, that's because it fell in the middle of the week during a blizzard/ice storm. And second, I'm not in what I'd consider a "romance" with any of the men I'm currently seeing. If I had to categorize these relationships, I'd probably characterize them as "friends with benefits." I don't want to be in love but I do want to be with people who I like and with whom I can have a satisfying sexual experience without the drama of romance. If I've learned nothing else recently, I've certainly learned that, in order for me to be mentally and emotionally healthy, I need to be sexually satisfied. Right now, I am. At least, I am mostly. I am certainly open to more and wish some of them would be a bit more adventurous, but I am content. Mo has been appearing regularly the last few weeks. Ron is flying north to see me the next two weekends. And Lee and I are still operating on pure pheromones when he's in town. And, honestly, he's the one I need a regular dose of because he's the one, so far, who has been most open to my suggestions to make things more interesting. I don't think I've shocked him yet but I also haven't suggested some of my more unonventional ideas either. Perhaps I will at some point, but I'm also keeping the channels open in order to catch the right vibe from anyone else I may come across. I'm liking being so adventurous (while always being safe in every way) and I wish I'd known and acted on this part of me long before I did. It would have changed a lot of things about my life if I had. I don't have regrets but I do wonder how different things would have been. Ah well! At least I have figured it out. And my lack of desire for marriage finally makes complete sense to me, if not anyone else. I am not a naturally monogomous person and will never find happiness by limiting my sexual options as most people seem to need to do. My friendships fulfill my emotional needs and the lack of commitment to one person at the expense of all others satisfies my mental need for freedom and adventure. I am essentially selfish when it comes to sex and the relationships that come with it. I'm finally comfortable with acknowledging that. And so, with that affirmation, I wish myself--and you, my bloggy friends--a belated happy Valentine's Day.