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I really like this lotion. I personally cannot detect any scent. I asked Rick to smell it straight out of the bottle and he couldn’t smell anything either.  If it is scented, its scented so lightly that I cannot detect any scent.  This is fine by me because then it does not interfere with my chosen perfumes and scents.

Chef’s talk about “mouth feel” and I want to refer to that because this lotion has a “hand feel” or smoothness to it that makes you think of slathering on something smooth and creamy into your skin.  The simply texture of it is lovely.  It does not leave a greasy residue or any residue for that matter.  Within ten minutes or so you cannot tell you put any lotion on.  I do not have skin issues, no extreme dryness etc.  I am your average lotion user who goes to lotion to relieve the occasional lackluster feel my skin gets from long day’s in the heat of Florida. 

The only suggestion I would make to Vaeline is that they do not print such tiny text on the bottle with such a difficult to read color. I had to strain my otherwise normal eyesight to read what it said on the back.

New technology?  Really….it’s hard to tell.  It’s just a nice unscented non-greasy lotion if you ask me.  All that other hype…I can’t tell. My skin feels the same using this as any other Vaseline product.  Perhaps you have to have some major skin issues to give this product the true test of its abilities.  It has made my skin soft and in the week since I’ve been using it I have noticed the small bumps on my elbows, etc. are gone.  Smooth and soft now.  Thanks for that Vaseline.  I really do like the fact that I can slather it on my feet and within five minutes I can walk across my tile floor and not fall on my behind in a slick trip. (ie: it really soaks in and leaves no grease behind) That’s a plus because now I’m using it more on the soles of my feet!

(note: I received this item through the Amazon Vine™. program to review.)

Let me start this by saying that Rick knows about this friendship, he approves and I am a strong believer that if Rick and Greg were in the same room I would quickly get pushed off to the side so they could talk fishing and smoke together.  I’d become the afterthought and I rather like the idea of Rick and Greg meeting one day so that Rick gets to know the person I know so well.  But this entry is not about Rick, but I can’t write it without saying Thank you to him for getting me and allowing me to be me. I love you tenfold for that.  And I’m pretty sure that Greg thinks you’re cool too because you make me immensely happy.

So….this is the entry about Greg.

He calls me Kripsy.  He’s done it forever.  He told me the other night when I didn’t want to bug him by calling back late… “I’m not sure you ever once bugged me” and it made me realize that in 10+ years of friendship we’ve never had one falling out and I sure hope I’ve never once bugged him because he’s never once bugged me either man.

I’ve been wanting to blog about my friend Greg forever!  Yes forever.  I write this blog post a thousand times in my head and I never get it right and I’m pretty sure I won’t get it right here.  I have a friend named Greg. Greg and I have been friends since the late summer of 1998.  That means that we’ve been friends for 11 years.  When I met him my son was 5 years old.  My son will soon be 17. yah “I KNOW!!” (said in my best Craig Ferguson imitation)

Greg and I met online in a chat room. In other words, Greg and I have never met.  Yah we think it’s all weird too and so does everyone else pretty much.  We’re weird, its ok.  I cannot for the life of me recall which chatroom and really it no longer matters.  Greg was there for me when my ex-husband was cheating on me and leaving our bed at 4 in the morning lying to me about going to work early, often just leaving before 4 a.m. and explaining or saying nothing, leaving me lying in the dark feeling rejected and miserable.  When I met Greg, he too was going through a breakup.  Oh we were a sad state of affairs each night hashing through out simliar pain with one another, but we’ve both gotten past the past and the current lives are fantastic…we’re having much more fun sharing the happy stuff, trust me.

In the years since we met, we’ve both been through a lot of ups and downs and right now, we both happen to be in very very good places.  He has a new girlfriend and he’s deliriously happy right now.  THAT makes me happy because I’ve been gushing to him for years now about just how much I love my husband.  However, when I first met Rick and I was gushingly happy and faling in love and Greg wasn’t in that place he was still super happy for me and how happy I was.  That’s a true test of a friendship….when your friend is happy when you’re happy even if their own life is in the shitter.

It’s hard for me to write about Greg without wanting to get sappy and philosophical.  I mostly want to get across that he’s been there for me and chose to be my friend when I was an absolute mess.  When I had no direction, no focus, no mental clarity and on and on and on.  Greg was there.  He listened and he and I formed a friendship despite my misgivings.  Sure, he’s not perfect.  Oh man is he not perfect.  He’s had his own struggles in differentw ways.  (mostly all those women who don’t love him back even half as much as he loves them! Stupid bitches!!)

I’ve gone through my share of online friendships….some of which have made it, one of which burned out like a massive blaze in a giant forest full of gasoline trees and another that is lukewarm on it’s best days which are fewer and farther between’er.  Greg and I have remained friends.  Good friends.  He really taught me what friendship was about…(him and Carla that is..) and I have him to thank for eleven years of him hanging in there while I grew up, branched out, took chances, remarried, enrolled in college and generally got my shit together. And every time I reach a goal or find success, it is Greg that is happiest for me and it is Greg’s approval that matters because he knows how far I’ve come and so his congrats mean the world.

Greg paints.  Sometimes that’s the only definition of who and what Greg is that’s necessary.  He doesn’t just paint in my opinion he creates art.  Everything about Greg screams artist and while I was initially fascinated by that, I now see how much it can also be a double edged blade.  In this photo my favorite painting is the girl in the upper left. I’m sure that anyone who’s read it long enough has seen that image before. I adore it…he was painting it when we met and it just tugs at my heart when I see it. I don’t know why he painted it or who it is…it’s not me…but it resonates within me and makes my ribcage hum when I see it.  I consider it “my” painting and that’s the best kind of art.  And no he didn’t paint it for me…and I’m pretty sure he’s sick of hearing me gush over that one painting.  (I do love a lot of his others…)

Greg is always being told he look’s like the “white snoop dogg” and I can’t say that’s far off, except I don’t know snoop dogg and I do know Greg.  Greg looks like Greg to me.  Greg is honest, upfront, crazy, thinks off the wall things and generally makes me laugh. I love his voicemails and the way he answers his phone all crazy saying anything that comes to mind. “Hello Jello Pudding line, we can’t help it if you have the runs”.  Just one example of thousands. 

Recently it occurred to me that Greg has always been there.  Always.  I can’t remember a “before Greg” anymore. I recently broke down and told him how I felt. I stumbled through it all and I don’t even remember what I said but at some point I do recall saying “I have a brother but I don’t have a brother..”.

Greg  let me babble on and on…..and he didn’t say much. He knows me. He knows I’m no good with emotional diatribes.  And at the end of that above sentence I said something like “I want to print out your picture and put it on my desk and when people ask me who that is I want to say “That’s my brother Greg” and then brag about how you paint and play drums and write poetry and come up with great fiction story ideas and and and…”

A few days later I called Greg to check in on his newfound paradise/love situation and he said “Hey sis what’s up?”  and it…gosh I’m writing this and I can’t even find words to tell you….but tears immediately flew down my face and I answered with as calm a voice as possible “not too much, how are you today?” or some such other normal response…I can’t even recallw hat I said…I only know that some gaping hole in my heart mended over.  We’ve been friends for ten years, he’s been my brother for a few weeks.  It matters to me.  I can’t stop thinking back to that moment.  Someone got it…got what it is to muddle through life not feeling like you belong.  I’ve often told Greg he has a lovely familly…but it makes sense because Greg is an amazing person.  He’s good to a fault..so good that people don’t seem to know what to do with all of it.  It’s like being handed a priceless hummel figurine and not knowing how to handle it.

This is the shot he texted to me one day a few weeks ago.  It cracked me up because it’s the crazy Greg I know and consider a brother.

One day I broke down over the phone with Greg (hey we’ve never met in person…..did I mention that shit? lol) about how Rick and I couldn’t have babies and why and everything that was happening and how I felt and he designed a tattoo for me based upon that conversation.  You can go see it and much more here. 

I love it.  It depicts everything I was saying and feeling and I don’t know how he did it but it makes perfectly good sense to me and..Rick wants to get it on his arm and I want it on my leg.

                                                            
When I got my little writing gig, I tested the waters by telling Greg first…..he wrote back:

Sweet!!

Congrats Kripsy,
 
I think you will excel in that setting. good4U!!!

I think King has a new book coming out b4 xmass.

Im very proud of you Kripsy, you have come a long way since we first met and that my friend I think is awesome.

party on Kripsy!!!

g

That email mattered…a lot.

This is my favorite photo of Greg…chillin’ with a cup of coffee….because this is who I know him to be.  If you don’t have a Greg in your life…a surrogate friend willing to take on the job of being your brother because you so desperately are lacking one…..you are not as lucky as me.  I have a biological brother, I haven’t seen him since 2001 and he barely uttered a hello to me.  He’s 36 and I don’t know him, his choice.  But I finally have no reason to want for one…..I have one.  Hey look it’s my brother Greg. He paints and shit….er..he paints shit…er….I mean he can paint shit….I mean he’s an artist and he’s my friend.  He’s cool so you should commence being jealous now that you don’t have a Greg.

Today Barns and Noble announced their new foray into the ebook reader. The “nook”. The “nook” looks much like a crossbreed of Sony and Kindle and with no new features aside from the nifty lower touch screen that looks a tad bit inbred by the iPhone. It’s the new “mutt” on the ebook reader streets.

When I purchased my Sony ebook reader (rather when my lovely husband bought it for me), back on November 1, 2006 I loved the entire idea of ebook readers and everything they stood for. I especially loved that I could buy e-books for far less than actual books. I have however just not morphed over to it like I had intended or hoped or thought I would.I still have that first Sony ebook reader and it still works fine, albeit not with the new google books feature that Sony offers now and with less than desirable battery life. (2 days is just not enough!)

Today when “nook” was announced it made me think back over my experiences as an ebook reader user/owner. I originally wanted one to read my school resource materials on. That didn’t pan out because to date there is no ebook reader that will allow multilayered pdf files to be read successfully. (ie: textbooks)

Today out of curiosity I chose one product to do some book market research. I chose the popular “Sookie Stackhouse 8-volume Set”.

Here’s what my research tells me about the current pricing of this set of books.

Actual books (ie: paperbacks you can hold and touch and keep even if a device dies, is stolen, stops working, etc.)

Borders 57.53

Barnes and Noble 37.38

Amazon 36.97

Walmart 32.00

Now…lets say you want those same 8 books in e-book format.

Sony e-book store 49.95

Barnes & Noble e-books for “nook” 51.13

Amazon Kindle ebooks 29.90

Hey the kindle price is pretty sweet. Too bad I don’t own one of each e-book type available eh…so I can get the best price. Oh wait, that would involve a considerable investment upfront.

However for about 7 bucks more just on amazon actual book vs ebook versions it’s a drop in the hat to own the actual books versus a computer file I cannot lend to anyone or sell later. Seems my best investment lately has been in ACTUAL PAPER BOOKS. I can spend 32 bucks at Walmart for this set of books and then go trade them in at the used bookstore and get some MORE books to read or I can keep them and sell them on EBAY and still make back some of my cash. Anyone up for buying an ebook from me? Oh wait…non-transferrable and I can only possible lend one to you on the “nook” for 14 days and only once to one friend. Lame. If I buy this set of actual books my entire family can read them. More bang for my book bucks I say.

I wanted an ebook reader so so bad I waited for years for one to come out. And now…they are pricing ebooks so high that it’s just not worth it to me. Incidentally never in my life did I ever think I’d be buying books from walmart to get the best pricing.

Incidentally Borders…we all know that your prices are sky high sometimes just because you offer those 40% off coupons and can’t go down the broke canal over an item like this. With my coupon I could buy that set for 34.44 and then earn back dividends later for being a good Borders customer. But…seriously…having said all of this..why is it that every single damned time I see that new pink Sony ebook reader I want to touch it and put it in my purse and keep it? I mean….i’ve been down this route. Sony…your marketing..it does a number on my real page turning heart everytime. I love everything about reading…but all of this price gouging and differences and ebooks now being more expensive than REAL books that kill trees and cost more to make…c’mon what the hell already?

But ohhh see it’s pretty….its pink and it would fit in my new purse. Or…er…I could go blow $199 on some books with legs on them. (ha…Keith…books with legs! hahaha) Ebook readers don’t save time, money…(as evidenced above) just space.

< -----there's the rather blah "Nook" from B&N

Sometimes I feel lucky….especially when I read stories like this one. I have been afforded the ability to move on..lick my wounds and live a new life. I’m lucky. I won’t soon forgt Sheryl. My heart breaks for her daughter. Just so heartbreaking and sad.

A few weeks ago I read a blog entry on I believe kristyk.org about the dentist. It may have been MONTHS….probably was.  It may have been soemone else’s blog..might have been.  Either way, iIt made me cringe because I have had so so many dental nightmares during my childhood.  My mother used to berrate me for each and any dental issue that was descovered at the dentist.  Going became punishment no matter what.  Even if I had no cavaties, I was admonished for the cost of being seen.  It was as if my mother was always inconvenienced by my mere existance and reliance upon her for anything monetary or emotional.  Why’d she ever have me? 

So back to my original thought, upon reading that blog entry I realized I haven’t gone..in so long that I could not recall when I went last.  And for the past 5 years I have been paying for dental coverage at my job. The last time I went they yanked a tooth because ex-husband had no dental coverage because…well I can’t recall but it was probably because he had no job or had a crap one or lost one or got fired or …yah….that old life stuff…*sigh*  It was pre-meeting Rick for sure.  And Rick and I have been together since Jan of ’03.  It’s now October of ’09. 

BLANK STARE INSERTED HERE 

I finally went.   Yesterday.  $66 later I have clean teeth and the realization that I’ll probably end up spending a ton of money on dental bills for the next few months and then again in about 5 to 7 years when I have to crown up every tooth I have. 

Why?  Because I have tons of old school metal fillings and they cause teeth to “buckle” or rather “BREAK” due to heat/cold differences in the mouth, etc. 

I was momentarily alarmed as I watched each and every one of my own teeth be paraded across a tv monitor located above my head.  I reminded myself that I’m no longer a child and there’s no longer a big fat meanie bitch in the room who will berate me on the drive home.  I berated myself momentarily for not going 5 years ago. Let me reitterate I gave up $1500 worth of dental procedures for each year I’ve worked at my job.  Can you say $6k worth of work…..pissed away due to childhood trama? 

Crazy eh? 

So..now my teeth are clean..they’ve been scraped on two quadrants and the other two are scheduled for next Friday.  Yes this is how I spend my day’s off now…sitting in a dental chair watching tooth parades and country music while some lady trys not to frown whilst looking into the cavern that is my mouth. 

After leaving the dentists office with some pretty damn expensive flouride rinse and two appointment cards for dates in October….my teeth feel raw and my gums are mortified that I had the nerve to allow someone to scrape them.  But…I conquered yet another long held fear and for that…I treated myself to coffee and a new book.  (not that I ever need an excuse!)  Today I got a TEXT MESSAGE from the dentist asking me if I’d like a text msg appointment reminder.  That dentists office is fantastic!  They have the latest technologies and everything in there is high tech.  And then when I leave…I get a text msg from my dentist.  (who was a girl by the way!)  If you reside in St Pete and need a good dentist…drop me an email at poeticalgirlAThotmail.com and I’ll tell you where to go to get a queen’s treatment. 

I’m proud of myself for finally facing it and going there and sitting through it and …and well all of it.  This month I might be blogging dentistry a lot due the costs I will incur….so if you haven’t gone to the dentist in forever….I might guilt you into it, encourage you into it or just make you sit with a BLANK STARE yourself.  I’m sharing because while it’s daunting what I’ve not done to assist my dental health…it feels good to be DOING SOMETHING now.  However, I may have to obtain a part time job if I want to really smile about all of this properly.