dawndie

In our mail on Wednesday was a collection notice addressed to me, for what looked to be a landline phone number in Southern California as I recognized the area code. This collection agency wants almost $900! I am not worried because: --although we lived in SoCal previously, we moved to Ohio in July 1995 (and paid all our utilities, AFAIK. We certainly didn't leave no $900 phone bill ) --Regardless, statute of limitations on an old utility bill is 7 years max --I don't recognize the phone number as one of our old ones --we were never contacted by the actual phone company, just this collection agency purporting to represent the phone company --I check our credit reports every few months and there have never been any weird charges or accounts popping up However, I am worried because: --my name is fairly unique and have never heard of anyone else with the same name. Is someone using my name? --the collection agency might start reporting this on my credit (which has no other blemishes) and wreak havoc until I pay --there's little recourse for a lowly individual against an aggressive collection agency, or without hiring an aggressive attorney I sent a certified letter denying responsibility for the bill and demanding proof that I owe the money. I found a good form letter online; the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act has all these requirements they have to follow, like they can't contact me by phone, only in writing when I request it. Now it's time to wait and keep my fingers crossed

Thanks for everyone's reassurances I'm hoping the letter will be enough to put them off.

I'm completely overwhelmed by the latest update, with the Lupercalia and Carnaval Diabolique additions. So many great scents! I don't want to go through the whole list of every new scent, but the ones I'm interested in are: Svadhinaopatika -- the amber blends are OK on me, not great; they don't seem to last very long, but I love the honey blends and would like to try this Vasakasajja -- I've been really liking the champaca blends lately, so nice and incensey/floral Chintamani-Dhupa -- another incense blend that sounds exotic and romantic and great Khajuraho -- I sniffed last year's at a Meet-n-Sniff and while I thought I would love it, it was a bit underwhelming. All the ingredients sound nice though, so I should try a bottle Parliament of Monsters -- another incense blend. More please! Australian Copperhead -- what a great idea to do so many variations of Snake Oil. I want to try the blends that focus on my favorite BPAL notes, like vanilla or honey or musk, so this one with amber and vanilla sounds nice Death Adder -- same as above, with black coconut and vanilla Temple Viper -- same as above, with sugar cane, frankincense and champaca Western Diamondback -- if this had the leather from Dead Man's Hand or Quincey Morris, I will die! Wild Men -- maybe red amber would be stronger than regular amber? The additional ingredients sound nice In conclusion: I ordered Haloa (before the Yules disappear), Haunted (a GC that I've been wanting forever) and Australian Copperhead

Glasya was discontinued soon after I placed my first order with the Lab. Of course, I received a frimp afterwards and really liked it. When it was Resurrected, hooray! In bottle: strong dark red floral On skin: bubblegum! But that's dragon's blood on me. While most of the Ars Draconis blends are too much for me, the other florals here (especially rose, which I love) calm the DB down Half-hour later: Ah yes, there's why I kept the frimp for over 2 years -- the musk darkens the florals and resins and it's so drop-dead sexy. This one lasts and lasts on me too, it's dreamy In conclusion: While the description sounds way too harsh, this is another surprise blend that impresses and amazes. I'm so glad I finally have a bottle!

In bottle: lemon drops with powdered sugar On skin: lots of lemon mixed with some light florals Half-hour later: mellower citrus, but darker. I don't sniff coconut or vanilla or musk straight-up, or anything outstanding really, but it's a nice blend of the lighter citrus with those heavier notes In conclusion: I keep getting "incense" vibes, really fancy citrus-type incense, like if Trappist Candles made garden incense to go with their verbena candles. Such a lovely blend!

We went out of town for the last week and a half to see family and friends. It's hard to lounge on the forums with dial-up Here were the pros and cons: Pros: --going to Vegas with my parents -- we stayed downtown at the Golden Nugget and didn't set foot on the Strip --seeing friends --giving and getting gifts! Lots of gift cards for this trip Cons: --my sister is getting divorced. I just tried to be there if she wanted to talk, but otherwise be a distraction (my normal dorky self) --another favorite aunt and uncle are getting divorced after 40 years of marriage --I sprained a ligament in my foot while walking through a construction-filled parking lot. Hooray for the emergency room on Christmas Eve and a bonus prescription of Vicodin! --Getting a cold just before coming home --Our return flight was delayed 3.5 hours, and we didn't get home until after midnight on New Year's Day --I remembered to pack the digital camera and battery charger, but not the memory stick so I couldn't take any pictures This lists a lot more cons than pros, but we did have a lot of fun. I return to my job tomorrow, so less worrying about money. I'm glad to be back!

Those boots sound great! "Business in front, party in the back" And your job sounds pretty interesting -- everyone complains about politics at their job, and that's actually your job! I'm sure it's frustrating too.

Thanks! The foot is doing fine -- I sprained one of the ligaments that go from the ankle to the toes, so it gets stiff and sore right at the arch. But I'm not wrapping it or icing it anymore, just tolerating. And new job is going fine, and I've already received a paycheck!

RAAAARRRR!!! *stomp stomp* Oh, and I don't think Cordia's story about the Ark of the Covenant Water was there when I posted I thought the Ark was full of sand when Indiana Jones found it? You might want to ask Melody about that

I am just relieved when something is released, limited or otherwise, that I don't *need* or desire, so I don't obsess over buying it. Not that they aren't cute, but that's something that the cats would start trying to get at and claw and chew within, oh, 3 minutes? But to each his own: this is from the person who just ordered a set of Tomorrowland miniatures off disneyshopping.com, because I wanted my very own teeny Autopia car and Omnimover and House of the Future and Peoplemover

I have a job! Woo! This has been a long 2 months, and while I've tried not to accelerate into PANIC!! mode, I can't say I haven't been nervous. This was where I worked before my last job, and they even offered me a raise over what I was making before. Scoreboard! Seriously, I was hoping this would work out, as I liked my job, had a bunch of friends there and it was an easy commute. Now I can shop! I was really trying to keep a lid on my normal splurgey favorites, like candles and incense and shoes, and now I can shop without (much) guilt. Here's what my list is to eventually purchase: --Possets: Santa Fart, plus Luminaria? Madame X? --Long-sleeve BPAL t-shirt --New cute black shoes – babygirlboutique.com had cute ones --Joann fabrics: apron pattern, tape measure, pin cushion/sharpener, fabric pen, iron? I can't find our old one --Stuff-o-rama bracelets --Fred Soll incense --feMaledictions incense, perfume samples --My Lady’s Chamber incense --Reprodepot – Texas tablecloth, Las Vegas buttons, more fabric! --Love & Rockets back issues, Locas in Love (Penny Century issues), subscription? --Mr. Beer -- I haven't made beer in a while, this would be fun to get into again --DVDs: Buffy, Angel, All the President’s Men 30th anniversary edition; Mel Brooks (Young Frankenstein, History of the World) Yes, I keep a list of stuff I want to buy if I had lots of funds. I rotate them so I'm not buying so much at once (i.e., perfume or incense). Who me, materialistic?

Thanks babe! I'll feel more like celebrating when I start getting paychecks rolling in. What's the cliche, "better the devil you know than the devil you don't?" That's kind of how I feel -- while I'm not looking forward to the bureaucracy and hassle of a large law firm (200 attorneys), I know the drill already

Thanks you guys! It'll be weird driving there on Monday, like "where did the last year and a half go? Was it a dream?"

*nods* No job is worth an ulcer, and I'm sure he appreciates your support

Those are awesome!

This is the first of the new Yules that I've tried. In bottle: light creamy flowers On skin: blast of mint, then lots of creamy white flowers. This reminds me a lot of Black Opal, which was nice but ended with a too-sharp floral note (iris?). This is a sophisticated floral along those same lines. Half-hour later: ah, there's that Snow White reminder that many others are getting -- along with the nice florals, ice-creamy vanilla that stays close to the skin, but not overly foody. YUM! In conclusion: this is a stunningly lovely blend, and while I hope Snow White makes a gracious return I'm pleased to have this bottle

I'm getting all screwed up with these three-day Lunacy updates -- I convinced myself it would be live on Monday, and yet when I stumble to the computer on Sunday morning there it is! Not that I'm complaining, heh. Wolf Moon -- I had a bottle of the previous Wolf Moon (the first Lunacy I ever ordered), and while it was nice it ended up a little too men's-cologney on me and I swapped it away. The previous one didn't list any notes, so it may be a completely different blend, but with the pine and juniper it becomes a no-no Lycaon -- this sounds really interesting, a lot like Schwarzer Mond, but I'm a bit concerned about the "blackened" myrrh -- I don't want something to smell burnt on me. All the new Salon scents sound great, just like in Act I. These seem to have a lot of thought put into them. I would like to order imp sets of both eventually, but I'll wait until the job situation sorts out. And the Resurrected scents are still here! I told myself if I was re-employed I would splurge on a bottle of Glasya, but alas, nothing's happened so I thought I would miss it. Now I can order! Plus Glitter! I'll take this as a sign that I should order these while they're here. In conclusion: I'm ordering Carnaval Diabolique, Glasya and Glitter. Yay!

I'm taking a little break from sewing -- yesterday I made pillows for the living room sleeper sofa (Ugliest in the World, but it's nice to have a queen-size sleeper). We hide it under a cheapy slipcover. Today I'm working on finally finishing a sleepshirt with bacon and eggs fabric. Today's the perfect day to sew as we got a huge cold snap, or ARCTIC BLAST OH NO EVERYBODY PANIC according to the local news channels. I feel sorry for the saps who have to shlep out in the cold just to stand there for the "live spots," but then I laugh and laugh as they're trying to fill time and describe how cold it is Ooh, look at the ice I'm holding! Brr! But it's been snowing most of the day which is unusual for here. Grass and roofs are covered, but the streets seem fine. I made mushroom soup which was good

I bet that was riveting television! One of our big freeway interchanges is called the High-Five, which is 5 layers of on-ramps and off-ramps stacked on top of each other. One station had a guy and camera outside reporting from the High-Five, I guess hoping for an ICY PLUNGE OF DEATH!!

Yeah, I'd report her to the mods -- it's been 2 weeks since her last communication and her assurance that it was going to be sent that day. And I don't think reporting her is being bitchy -- from what I understand, the mods will make sure she's not able to swap on the forums until this problem is resolved. You're not demanding she be banned or anything.

OK, here's the Texas guy for the (adopted) Texas gal! In bottle: sour, acrid juice of some kind On skin: yum, there's that Dead Man's Hand leather that I love love love The black leather blends (DeSade, Whip, etc.) are too processed and "city" for me, if that makes any sense. This leather is warm and well-worn. This is sweeter than DMH (which seems watery and clear to me, if I had to visualize), which must be the additional fruity pear. I'm almost moaning, this smells so nice. Half-hour later: creamier with the smooth vanilla nearby In conclusion: hands-down my favorite of the OotD series -- the few others I've tried have been very floral and feminine, even drug-addled Dr. Seward. This is more masculine, but something I would happily wear on a daily basis. LOVE!

In bottle: grape cough syrup On skin: quick blast of floral, then lots of grapey winey goodness. Not just sweet fruit, but my favorite boozy undertone (like Bordello, Madrid, Red Queen, etc.) Half-hour later: stronger dustier florals come out -- myrrh smells "dusty" to me, and I can pick out the powdery lilac. If I sniff real close I get the dark grapes, but the diffused cloud around me are these pretty florals with an alcoholic tinge In conclusion: I was a bit nervous about the proliferation of florals, but I should know by now that it's going to be so well-blended that I shouldn't worry. Another interesting boozy blend!

This was the 2nd week of unemployment; I have several resumes sent out, and a placement service sent me to another law firm where I've gone through a couple of interviews and will hopefully hear something on Monday or Tuesday. I know it's funky timing with the holidays coming up, so I'm trying to relax while waiting. In the meantime, I've actually completed a project: I reupholstered the dining room chairs. It's not a huge deal, because they're rattan and basically consist of a seat cushion and an attached back. Here they were before: The seat cushions on a couple chairs were really wearing through. Here they are now: You can't see the fabric well, but it's coffee brown with light green and blue circles. It reminded me of our funky lamp from Pier 1 that DH hardwired into the ceiling (which has a green center, but it looks yellow/orange in the picture). While we're in the dining room, I'll give you a tour. Here are the souvenir plates recently acquired in estate sales; Darkitysnark motivated me to hang them up where they can look swell: We have Six Flags Over Texas, Disneyland, Ohio, Hawaii, New Mexico, Hollywood, California, Wyoming, New York City, New Orleans, Victoria BC, Winchester Mystery House, Tennessee and Kentucky. I have an Arkansas one too, I need to get another plate hanger. Well, that's the tour of the dining room!

I love reprodepot.com fabrics too -- I buy them, and then don't want to cut them up, I like them so much And the reupholstering 'tweren't nothing. I can barely sew in a straight line, with the help of pins to guide me along. It's like baking, not an exact science. I heard a decorator/designer talking today, he said if a thing in your house isn't important and doesn't mean anything important, it shouldn't be there. So put everything out there!

I'm agreeing -- we have a few Fleetwood Mac albums/CDs, but for the Lindsey Buckingham songs. She's OK singing in the background, but her voice has seriously gotten more weird and glottal over the years. BUT! On my list of people I want to be, if I had the superpower of time travel and possession, is her in the '70s -- Cocaine! California rock star! Sleeping with all your bandmates!