Dia De Los Doctores

I have so much to say! It's like I can hardly channel my brain to do it. I need to do a breating excercise before I can focus enough to get all this down.

Let's start with Friday.

Friday was the "dia de los doctores" - that's right, Day of the Doctors. I had an 11 am apointment with a new dermatologist. You see, I have eczema, and have had it for years. so I have had a dermatologist or two for a long time. But my dermatologist died, and now I have been having terrible acne for about 17 months. It is the result of a hormone problem that I have (lucky me) and that I will have for life. I take medication, which helps the hormones, but not enough to stop the acne. So after trying EVERY Over the Counter thing (believe me) and spending countless money on cleansers and toners and moisturizers that I don't even get to use, I decided it's time to go to a dermatologist.

So Friday I saw Dr. Soderstrom of Soderstrom Dermatology, S.C. www.skinnews.com- I probably saw him, and another of his doctor's, for 20 minutes maximum. I am so special I got two doctors at once! And it cost $385.00 just for the consultation and then I paid another $124.00 for products (prescription and special made) to use on my face to clear it up. I got a free make-up application of Bare Escentuals "Bare Minerals" all mineral powder make-up. I have seen it before, but like Prescriptives (which I used and got tired of), thought it to be overpriced. But I did learn that cream makeups can cause infection and agitate acne prone skin. Bare Minerals is all powders, even the foundation and concealers.

I have a follow up dermatologist appointment in 3 weeks. In the meantime I will do a hot sulfur soak (Vleminckx solution) that smells like Rotten Eggs. I have to cook it on the stove each night, wearing rubber gloves, and then apply a 30 second warm compress to my face. I do this with the windows open (yes I KNOW It's 25 degrees outside) and the exhaust fan running over the stove. That shit is wicked but it works AWESOME. I also use a special "blue cleanser" for sensitive skin followed by a "light textured moisturizer" and Glycolic pads and Rezamid tinted spot treatment to kill the acne. He recommended the Zeno Device (awesome!) but since it's $250, I am waiting to see if I need it, or to at least raise the cash to buy it! Check it out at www.myzeno.com

Then at 2:30 on Friday I drove the OPPOSITE direction (from peru to Annawan) because I had a dentist appointment, for a routine cleaning and a panoramic x-ray to see what's up with my neverending wisdom teeth. Yep. They are coming out. I only have 3. One is in all the way and is fine, the other is in halfway and is mildly pushing the others... the third one is crooked a bit but still under the gumline. The dentist says "take them all out!" and I say "but what about the one that is in and okay? Why do I have to take it out?!" So now I have to go to the oral surgeon and get them removed, just another Dr. Appointment!

So Friday night I just hung around home and started my first skin treatment. Husband Cleaned the garage and some in the basement. I cleaned up around the house and all that jazz, and went to bed around 12:30am because I had to get up to go to Peru again yesterday (saturday) morning, for a free Glycolic Facial at the Dermatologist Office. First let me tell you, this dermatologist is an EMPIRE. This company must pull in so much money, it isn't even funny. They have a HUGE staff, including plastic and reconstructive surgeons. They handle everything from psoriasis and acne to breast implants, liposuction, and reconstructive surgery. It's unbelievable. They have their OWN SPA in house and they do facials, massages, manicures, and pedicures. They have a huge team of estheticians. They have THEIR OWN skincare line, their own body products line. It's insanity. They have four offices in Illinois, the largest located in Peoria.

So Saturday morning I went to Peru and waited amongst many other people for a free Glycolic Facial. I waited about an hour, but the facial only took about 10 minutes. It felt great. Afterwards I purchased the $60 starter kit for the Bare Minerals Make-up. It's a HUGE great deal, it has 2 foundations, mineral veil, warmth (like a blusher/bronzer) and a face treatment... a DVD for instruction AND all the brushes you need for application (3 total.) The brushes alone run about $28 a piece, and the foundations, warmth, and mineral veil are $20 a piece seperately. SO really it would be cheaper to buy a starter kit each time you run out, instead of new pieces. I will give it a try and see if it helps. I was due for new make-up anyway, and my almay foundation at Wal-Mart is $11, not to mention powder, blush, etc.... so it was cheaper to buy this than to go to Wal-Mart and get everything I needed.

Saturday afternoon I worked around home again, took down Halloween Decorations, put up Thanksgiving Decorations, rearranged the dining room, and vacuumed everywhere. I still have laundry and some dishes left to do.... and I need to clean my closet.

We kept Ava overnight, she was an absolute riot. She is such a big girl already! She's poising herself to crawl, and rolls all over the floor and props herself up like she is going to crawl any minute. She loves loves loves toys, and apparently chewing on her socks. She slept from 9pm till 8:48am, and when she wakes up, she is completely fine lying in the pack n play until you get to her. Which is nice, because when I hear her on the baby monitor, I can get up, take a shower or just wash my face and brush my teeth, let the dogs out, and make a bottle, and THEN go get her, and she is in there giggling and entertaining herself. Such a good baby!

We had Taco Pizza for supper last night and I embroidered a bird on a flour sack towel as the handmade item for my pink and green swap that I send out Monday. Then I started a new hoop on a flour sack towel, and am trying some more complicated stitches. Practice Practice Practice.
evening I think that my sister and I are going to Peru to shop for Christmas. I had better get moving and start laundry and take a shower.

Im all right jack keep your hands off of my stack.

Are Ya'll dead out there? I am picturing a bunch of zombies sitting at computers, their skin all rotting and hanging off, their fingers positioned on the mouse. And of course in the background, Thriller by Michael Jackson is playing, and the zombies are kinda jammin out while they read the blog.

Are you all Zombies? Am I that Boring?

Last night I went to a surprise Mary Kay Party. Why was it a surprise, you ask? Because while I was at work, my cell phone rang at 7:30 and it was my friends Anya and Jamie and it looks like everyone forgot about Jamie's Mary Kay party. So I left work, called husband from the parking lot, and said "put a piece of spaghetti pizza in the microwave for me" and then flew home. When I walked in the door he was standing there with the pizza and I was like "I have to pee" and flew to the bathroom, threw on jeans instead of my skirt, different shoes, and then brushed my teeth, and went to the living room where husband was sitting with remote in one hand and pizza in the other. Gave him a kiss and went up the street to Jamie's with pizza in hand.

I am allergic to Mary Kay foundation. I never used to be, about 12 years ago I had no issues with it, but about 3 years ago I bought some (kinda out of obligation to the consultant as she bought Pampered Chef from me) and I broke out so so so badly for an entire week I about died. As soon as I stopped wearing it, my face cleared up and healed. So I didn't put anything on my face last night. But I did buy their makeup brush set and the Satin Lips Mask and Balm Set. I already have the original (not the peach) Satin Hands set, someone bought it for me as a gift, although I can't remember who or when (bad bad Meagan!)

I want to try the timewise moisturizers. I currently use aveeno or almay, because they are all natural and don't make me break out. I have a dermatologist appointment on Friday (tomorrow) for my messed up skin (hormones!) and I will ask her there what she thinks of their products. I am afraid that there will be something similar in their formula as to what is in their foundation. I don't want to break out worse. But I did try some timewise on my arm and I was pleased. I don't like the daytime moisture because it smells bad (it's the sunscreen they tell me) but I wear moisturizer with sunscreen right now and it smells fine, very clean and natural. I hate moisturizers that have a smell, especially something floral, because they make me break out. So depending on what the dermatologist says, I am considering Getting the Timewise Moisturizer and the Timewise Night Solution to try.

I was a little upset at the party because I really just wanted blush. That was my goal. But when you buy the blush ($10!) you have to buy the compact to put it in, or you just have this loose little thing of blush with no lid. They were trying to promote their big compact to me, but it was like $62.50 and I am like "how am I gonna spend $62.50 on a compact just because I want blush?" and then after I had placed my order I saw in her basket of goodies that there was a SMALL COMPACT that costs $8 that you can put blush or eyeshadow in. And I was likewhy would they not tell me that? What the hell? So anyway, no blush for me. They could have totally made a sale but they screwed it up. And instead of giving me the prices of just the compact, they would give me the prices of the compact completely filled. And I was like ALL I WANT IS BLUSH! Well then they had this cool pink and black travel rollup bag, that EVERYONE coveted, and of course you can't GET it unless you spend like $200 in a special set of makeup or skin care, OR If you have a $200 party with 1 booking. Fuck that, right? So I get on eBay today, There's like 8 of them, all at $12-20. Yeah. So that's how I will be getting my travel rollup bag. Resourceful.

It's party fever up in here. Last month I got invited to a Tupperware Party and TWO Longaberger Parties. This month I got invited to a Tupperware Party, a Mary Kay Party, a Home and Garden Party, a Lingerie Party, AND I am hosting a Girls' Night Out Party that I have had planned for like 6 months. AND all of those parties occur between November 1st and November 16th. Now tell me, how does one purchase from all of those parties and still have money for Christmas presents.... and Husband and I each have birthdays in November, and are hosting Thanksgiving, so that's an expense also. Whew! It's just not right! I think I am going to have to decline the Home and Garden Party, and the Lingerie Party. I will attend Anya's Tupperware (I know what I want) and I already attended the Mary Kay.... so that will make things bearable. And my party should deliver free goodies to me... but what I have to worry about is buying food and drinks, plus it is Technology in Healthcare week next week so I have to make 3 dozen cookies.... PLUS I have bills to pay. Jeez! Luckily I bought all of husband's birthday presents early this year.... that should help since I have that out of the way. But I am feeling like my head is in a vice to try to stretch all the cash out to cover bills.... especially when we have TWO $85 license plate renewals due the end of November. Plus out house insurance policy just got renewed, PLUS I just mailed a check for car insurance. Does it EVER End? Good LORD that's alot of money!

So I can't wait for the weekend. First of all, I have to balance checkbooks again. And I have swaps to work on AND I have lots of picking up to do around home and lots of laundry. We think Boyd's Colon Polyp is back, and both dogs need their nails trimmed (we can't do Hadley's, it takes three people to hold him down.) So I need to see when amongst all these expenses we can schedule a vet appointment that we can actually PAY for. Someone needs to take down the halloween decorations. Someone needs to move the treadmill. Someone needs to get that damn table our of my kitchen. Someone needs to carry totes of decorations back to the attic. Someone needs to clean my closet and husband's too. Luckily someone has tomorrow off, but unfortunately someone also has a dermatologist appointment AND a dentist appointment to get a cleaning and xrays of the potentially impacted wisdom tooth. It's like I have "no plans" for the weekend, but I couldn't BE any more busier!

You might not hear much from me. So go visit my renter the Rock Bitch over at Clusterfook. She's worth a few looks!