Before and After - B.B. Skin Cream

Well hello ladies! 'Tis been a little while since I've made a post on this blog thing. But, figured that now is as good a time as any, since it's the Spring Equinox. (I'm feeling a bit youthful and full of hope on this first day of Spring!) What I want to tell you about in this here blog post thingy are these new B.B. Creams that I've heard about, and been so lucky to try out since I'm part of this community they call BzzAgent.com. (What this means is that I'm a BzzAgent, and you can be too. Just head over to their site and sign up. It's free :) So back to the cream. Now I know what you're a 'thinkin...ain't nothin' gonna help this face 'a mine, cept a nice bourbon cocktail and winning the lottery. Well, I'd agree for the most part - but, these here creams make my wrinkles feel so soft. And at least they even out my skin tones and age spots. Okay, okay...I don't really have age spots. I like to call them beauty marks and wisdom points. Anywho - what I liked the most about this B.B. cream that a company named Garnier makes (pronounced the same way as bustier, those things we wore when we worked in the Burlesque clubs) was the nice, fresh smell and the smooth feel of it as it went on over my skin. I usually have to put on some cold cream, and pancake makeup. Well not anymore! This stuff is an all in one. This makes it so much easier for me now, since I'm more of a one-step gal these days. I just don't care to go through all the fuss anymore, so I toss this tube in my pocketbook and I'm off to the races! So what are you waiting for? Get to the drugstore to pick yourself up a tube. No more jars of creams, and pancake makeup necessary. It's a miracle skin perfector. (I got those fancy last words from their Web site thingy, and if you click on the link you can order it right there and they'll mail it to you. ) You're welcome.

Tis' the Season

Well the Holidays are upon us once again, and I've got the tree up in all of its' glory.

I decided that I needed to experience my first Black Friday (ever) and boy oh boy, was I in for a treat! One of my favorite stores is Target. You can get pretty much anything you need from here--practically speaking. Plus...I signed up for their 5% back, on each purchase, debit card. And...I'm glad I did.

So, it was Thanksgiving Eve and I vowed to wake up in the wee hours of Friday morn...and put on my girdle for some roll your sleeves up, and get down to biz'ness type of shopping. And then it happened.
I didn't get up till 8AM. (Minus feeding the cat at 2AM and then again at 5AM) So, I admit--I wasn't trying to set any records with my Black Friday attendance.

I finally made it to Target at 8:30AM to find absolutely ZERO shopping carts and nay a parking space in sight. I succumbed to parking on the side of Target and schlepping myself 1/2 a mile (what? it felt like that to me!) to the front door.

Most of the "doorbuster items were either totally gone or barely available," but I did manage to pick myself up a couple of those DVD movies, an iTunes gift card, and a 1/2 off christmas tree with the lights already on it! (finally, I don't have to string those damned things round and round my tree anymore) And then...the line. I spent almost a damned hour in that line that snaked up and down the aisles proceeding the registers. (don't think you can fool this lady...nuh uh! I know why you had us do that. So as to make a few more extra dollars, in hopes that we'd add some make-up, and snacks and what-nots that lurk in each aisle) Though, I will admit. I did add in some mascara and conditioner to my cart from a couple of those aisles. (DAMN IT!)

But all said...it was worth the experience. I got my $197 worth of purchases for around $70. Not too shabby!!

Now I'm off to deck the halls; and rock around the Christmas tree.

Happy Holidays!

Attention Shoppers...I have PMS (this is short for keep your distance)

Take it from Ruthie and Gloria--green stamps were the way to go. Just get what you need and then go home...we are living in some "return to basics" times.

Is it just my imagination or are women getting more and more checked out as they shop? Remember the days of old...where Ruthie and Gloria would head out to do their shopping and then courteously wait while the clerk would dole out their earned allotment of S&H green stamps--and in a civilized manner--head back home to diligently lick and stick them on their sheets to turn in to the catalog for their deals?

Those were the days!

Now, it's one for all and all for one. May the bitchiest bitch win--as she scores her deal--regardless of who she has to trample over for it.

Yesterday, I decided to kill some time and head in to our local TJ Maxx store--where you allegedly get the max for the minimum (what? that's what their commercial says); and I should have suited up in full on battle gear. It was a nuthouse. And, mostly women.

I really couldn't believe my eyes. And common courtesy? Out the window completely. These were grown women acting like emaciated wildlife; and hungry for a kill. I found myself ducking down aisles where nobody else was just to get a moment of peace. And, just as I had found my moment of peace--in the most perfect spot--designed for just ONE person. Yep! You guessed it.

"Excuse me."

So I kindly look up from the rack to see another woman waiting with entitlement and that "move out of my way" look--and to avoid a total eruption of my PMS--I obliged her and forced myself practically into the rack of clothes to let her by.

Now. For a moment, I actually had this thought. "That wasn't so bad. All I had to do was interrupt my shopping and move aside real quick to let her by."

And, then. Much to my dismay...she stops. Right in the very spot I had been standing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
WTF??? I thought very quickly to myself...who does this?
So I cleverly said, "Oh, I thought you actually wanted by me so that is why I moved."
And her reply...
"Well, I did and then I saw something on the rack."

Where the hell do these people come from? Do they crawl out from under a rock? Did they just never learn common courtesy? All of these questions were swarming through my mind. Meanwhile...I just moved on and shook my head in disgust. Was it really necessary for her to see that very piece of clothing on that sale rack--at that very moment? Or could she maybe have waited...ohhhh...like 30 seconds or so for me to move on from MY spot?!!

And all I can think of is this...Please ladies, personal space and courtesy goes a long way when we're all subject to PMS at any random moment. We must get it together and stop being bitchy to one another--this world needs us to get along and help it. Not check out in a daze and go shopping.

Just Sayin'.

Resolving to Succumb...

“Man’s partial good resolutions that always succumb to ingrained habit are like the cleaning, scrubbing and adorning that we practice on Sundays and feast days. We always get dirty again, to be sure, but such a partial cleaning process has the advantage of upholding the principle of cleanliness.”
--Goethe

Hellllur there! Bon- Jor- No to twenty-10.

It's 4 days into this new year of the new decade and I'm already exhausted. Phew! I've thought and thought and thought about what it is that I need to resolve to do in this new year, of the new decade. You know...setting goals and what have you. And to be honest--I've had my fill of reading blogs and seeing television segments on morning shows that have "guru's" of motivation who are giving all of their "tips." My head actually hurts with all the blah, blah, blah from them. I really am EXHAUSTED.

And then it happened! Voila...I stumble on to a blog to find this quote and I think the sky opened up on this typical Seattle, rainy and dreary first Monday of the year. The above quote, which has lead me to FINALLY lock in on what it is I aim to do--succumb to my ingrained habits. You heard me. I figure...why not get ahead of my sub-conscience and beat it to the punch! I'll end up achieving just what my ingrained habits allow me to achieve.

That's all.

It isn’t what you eat honey, it’s whats eating you

Oh hell no! I'm raisin' up the fist on this biz'ness of lettin' life eat me...I wanna take a big ass bite out of life and savor the flavor while I'm at it!

Have you ever wished you could channel your inner big ol' black woman and whop some ass? Well sugar, me too!!!

Why is it that we have to give the courtesy nod to things that just piss us the hell off? And act like nothin' is botherin' us? Right about now, I need me some Madea time...to just get a few things off my chest and get some "ol black lady wisdom."

Gurllll, today was a hella day at work. My boss was irritatin' the shit outta me all the while; I'm not tryin' to have no chitty chats with her. I just wanted her to get up out my face!

Next thing I know...the phone rang and it was the client on the other end of the phone. Somehow, the conversation got off track of the work I was doin' for the project the client needed and it turned into a lecture from the client on how I needed to handle my boss. She's a tellin' me to be safe, keep people happy, that's just the way it is, blah, blah, blah. Girl...ain't none-a ya'll tellin' me somethin' I done already know.
Sides--where does this get me? Other than 6 feet under.

Unh Uh, it ain't time for this female to go there...

Child, please! You just let me be and let me get my job did. And keep yourself on up outta my face! Or I'll have to be tempted to bust a cap in yo' ass. Madea ain't playin' round with your silly asses!

Keep on Keepin' on

Alas, as Sunday comes to a close I start to wind down my "live my life for me" weekend attitude and crawl back into my "workin' for a livin" weekday ways...ugh!

And it begs the question, what for? We all go to work, make our alloted market rate pay, get bent over by our gov'ment and taxed on every sodding thing they can put their grubby paws on and then get up and do it all over again. WTF is wrong with this picture, besides everything?!

Seriously. Whatever happened to having summers off and convening in the 7-11 parking lot?

Now we've all resorted to Facebook and sleeping pills to get us through life. (Tylenol PM or whatever generic store brand for those who don't have health insurance and have to pay out the ass for medical care) I don't know about you, but I've got my eyes on this whole thing "focker!" And something smells really foul and effed up!

In the meantime, we just have to swallow that bitter pill, keep bending over and as Gladys Hardy brilliantly says, "Keep on Keepin' on honey."

~Bid Adieu til' next time peeps

Meet my Alter-Ego: An Old, Matter-Of-Fact, Shaggy Woman

Welcome to my matter-of-fact, opinionated, old, shaggy blog. This is the first of what will hopefully be an ongoing dialog; through the eyes of wise, old, shaggy, matter-of-fact, no non-sense women.


The purpose of this is to take me out of myself--and put me into a character I often times feel I can relate to--in order to express my musings. This character is commonly identified by my alter ego as a: wise, old, shaggy, matter-of-fact, no non-sense woman.

So let me begin by a providing a definition of Pragmatic, as defined by Merriam-Webster:

Main Entry: prag·mat·ic
Pronunciation: \prag-ˈma-tik\
Variant(s): prag·mat·i·cal \-ti-kəl\
Function: adjective
Etymology: Latin pragmaticus skilled in law or business, from Greek pragmatikos, from pragmat-, pragma deed, from prassein to do — more at practical
Date: 1616
1archaic a (1): busy (2): officious b: opinionated2: relating to matters of fact or practical affairs often to the exclusion of intellectual or artistic matters : practical as opposed to idealistic 3: relating to or being in accordance with philosophical pragmatism
— pragmatic noun

Interesting no? I find it almost humorous (in a satirical manner of course) that there is an example of how to use the word pragmatic in a sentence relating to...pragmatic men and social morality. Digressing aside, I find it brilliant none-the-less! Now...to find a definition that uses an example of pragmatic women and common sense!

Now let me provide a partial definition of Rag, as it relates to this blog, and as defined by Merriam-Webster:

                                                                    Main Entry: rag

Pronunciation: \ˈrag\
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English ragge, from Old English *ragg, from Old Norse rǫgg tuft, shagginess
Date: 14th century

So there you have it ladies and gentleman! The definition of the blog, compliments of Merriam-Webster. A matter-of-fact, old shaggy blog.

That's it for today's post...more to chew on later.