Ray's House of Love Vol III

Ulta is like that, at nearly all the locations. This is a job the girls who didn't do so well in school, but who mastered face-painting until they no longer resemble themselves at all, can do. In my experience, there's a definite bias against older women who are not clearly all about fashion, style, makeup, hair, etc. I'm treated very differently than my quite-polished realtor acquaintance.

They don't seem to get the goal of some women of our generation: That we want our makeup to enhance our natural look, not look like porcelain dolls.

I didn't discover high-quality makeup until a few years ago, when The Kid could afford it. She said it was eye-opening how much better it was than the stuff she, and I, bought at the drugstore. She went with me and we got me foundation and better eyeliners, plus a concealer which is so much better than anything I'd been using.

Once you identify products you like, you can screw the store and its idiot doll-girls and buy online. Tip: keep very specific track of the products you like while you still have the packaging. It's too easy to mess up and buy something with a similar name. At those prices, who can afford mistakes?

When I try to look like I'm polished, I pull my hair back and use a good barrette. It's not a "style" per se, but it controls the hair, which seems to be part of what a hair style is all about.

Maryn, who sometimes passes for a well-to-do suburban housewife

Among the many things about Kid Two which can make a mother grow white hairs is her inconsistent level of preparedness. Her city will also be buried in snow, with winds up to 60 mph, and she drives 45 minutes each way to work. I know her emergency supplies consist of jumper cables in a grocery bag. Period. No flashlight, no shoes she can walk a good ways in, no blanket or hat or food...

Yesterday I emailed her suggesting she go grocery shopping for herself, since that'll be more unpleasant after the snow, and while she was at it, setting aside supplies x, y, and z, buying what she needs, to put in the car when she drives in today. I reminded her I used to know a man who spent slightly more than two very miserable days stuck on the highway Kid Two travels during and after a blizzard.

No reply. I can't tell if she's just busy, doing her too-frequent read-but-no-response, or if she resents me telling her what to do. This parenting gig, it's not for sissies!

Maryn, hoping she'll be okay

We have a whopping three inches of snow, and I'm still staying home because to go out needlessly is to spend money. Although I do intend to shovel because I'd rather do that than get on the treadmill.

I did hear from Kid Two, finally. Her work closed at 4:00 and she was in a long line to exit the parking garage. She emailed when she got home, her drive slowed due to road conditions. She is now safely ensconced in her apartment with adequate groceries and good reading material. Her plan is to sew, finishing a coat she's making for herself.

Maryn, who had several sewing projects languishing

We shoveled, but only because we're expecting it to remain pretty cold, with no likelihood of our snow melting. It was only about 3 or 4 inches, easy work.

Maryn, where it's 15F

Some kind of sick freak, our Sassy!

I have a bunch of errands to run all in one general area. One of them includes picking up my good leather writing notebook, which I'd brought to critique group for more than a decade but lost, I knew not where. Apparently it languished in the lost and found until they were closing the coffee shop, at which point a manager fished it out of the trash and took it home, thinking he'd keep it. Then he saw the members list inside and a critiqued work suggesting which member's notebook it was, and he called.

Decent of him--he could have had himself a nice leather notebook--but I can't help wondering why in the two years or so since I lost it, nobody ever once opened it to see if there might be identifying information in it.

Maryn, examining the gift horse's mouth

I was griping last night to Mr. Maryn about this, and we each had a story to share about an important thing lost--a driver's license and a checkbook--which had our name and address right on it, at a time when we were listed in the local phone book. Neither of the businesses where they'd been mislaid or found even tried to reach us.

I don't know about him, but I never shopped there again. I spent hours backtracking, when they could have just picked up the phone.

Maryn, holder of grudges

I forget if I shared here some recent excellent customer service I received. I took my car in for an oil change and its annual inspection, which it failed so badly they would not let me drive it home. (Silly me, I would have wanted to steer.) They would have it ready by noon the next day or call me. Their courtesy car brought me home.

Next day, Mr. Maryn drops me off around 12:15 and leaves to run errands nearby, and the car is not ready. They forgot to call. But they did something which is unusual in the world of customer service.

• 1. They accepted complete responsibility.
• 2. They agreed they'd made a mistake.
• 3. The person who erred apologized, personally and to my face.
• 4. They had the courtesy car take me home again.
• 5. When the repairs were done, they delivered the car to my house.

I was blown away at what good customer service that was. I expected I'd have to get another ride out there, at the least.

Maryn, who's been there for years without this level of service

Aw, nuts! At two I was on the NY thruway.

Maryn, in hotel

I don't know how people deal with the stress of jobs which disappear so they need new ones. We were extremely lucky with our decision to live more simply so I could be a stay-at-home mom while Mr. Maryn made himself indispensable at work. Lots of people were laid off over the years as the company was sold and restructured multiple times, but never him.

We are back home. A bad return trip in terms of the weather for the first third and the last, although the middle was clear and dry. Now we'll just stay in for a time. Someone needs to shovel, which is probably me.

Maryn, head shoveler

Do you know what he has? Did you start him on the BRAT diet? Most GI stuff takes care of itself unless he's so sick he can't keep liquids down and gets dehydrated.

Poor baby!

Maryn, sipping tea still, because the thermal mug was out

B for bananas
R for cooked rice, plain pasta, soda crackers, toast and other simple white-flour carbohydrates
A for applesauce and Popsicles
T for hot tea or other clear liquids like bouillon, chicken noodle soup, clear juices, etc.

Avoid all dairy products; all fats and oils (butter, mayonnaise, peanut butter); fiber like whole grains, fruits, and vegetables; and spices except for salt to taste. This gets boring but will help calm the digestive tract, no matter which end of it is in greater distress.

But if he's not hungry, he'll be okay with not eating for several days. It's not like he's emaciated or otherwise at risk.

Tell him we hope he's feeling better soon.

Maryn, not hugging a sick guy