An angry letter from a reader?

So here's an angry letter I received about the post I wrote about being acne free. Here it is in its entirety:

"We think it is shameful, yes shameful that you are claiming to be acne-free. Zits of America, unite! We decided to come out, in full force, and bring you down a notch; you're all "Miss I'm acne-free!" Going on and on. Please. Therefore, missy, your formerly clear skin? Gone. Gone! We conspired to come out full force, en masse if you will, to be sure that you are one broken out hot mess, and will continue to be if we have anything to do with it--and we do, you bet your sweet bippy, we do. And we are happy happy happy. Yes, that's right. The pimples are in control once again, and don't you forget it. Don't underestimate us, chickie. No matter what you do, what fancy expensive regimen you try, we always come back. So buckle up, buttercup. It's gonna be a "bumpy" ride. We are right under the surface, waiting. Bring it on, lollipop. We can take whatever you can dish out. You might as well "face" it--ha ha. We will always be there for you. Just like your beloved "Friends."



So, um yea...right after I posted how clear my skin was, how wonderful I was doing--BAM! Acne City. Is it hormones? Is it stress? I didn't do anything different, really. I have been drinking a lot of soy tea lattes and I just read that soy is actually terrible for your skin. So I'm cutting out the soy. I stopped using the Vivite (for now). Acne sucks and I HATE it. So what up? Why all the pimples. Oh, the agony!

I'd like to thank the Academy...

For those of you who watch American Idol I finally figured out who Danny Gokey looks like...Robert Downey, Jr.! It came to me as I was watching the red carpet arrivals at the Oscars last night. It has been bugging me and then pow! There it was. Do you agree or am I crazy? I think it's a little freaky actually.

I enjoyed the ceremony this year, actually. I thought Hugh Jackman was great. I loved how the past award winners came out and talked directly to the nominees and got them all teary and googly-eyed and awestruck. I loved Anne Hathaway and Kate Winslet especially. And Angelina's earrings were spectacular--course, her date's not bad either. I thought everyone who should win, did win. Yes, even Sean Penn--probably because he made me laugh at how even he admits how hard it can be to like him. But if you can separate the man from the actor, he deserved it.

At least that's what I hear--I don't see movies the Academy likes to nominate; first off, I have a 3-yr old and a 9-yr old...we either watch Wow Wow Wubzy or iCarly most nights. Secondly, when my honey and I do go to the movies, he will say "Sure honey, let's go see that one about the wrestler, or that one about the Indian kids." Then, when we are actually getting ready to go, he changes his mind. "Wait a minute. It's subtitled? In Hindi?! Yea, that's not gonna happen. I don't care that half the world has seen it and loved it. I hate subtitles. Let's go see that new James Bond. Or how about Mall Cop? That looked really funny." Welcome to my life.

So yea, I heard Sean Penn deserved it. He did look really good in the commercials.

Random thoughts for the day

Random thought #1: I went looking for my computer case the other day and couldn't find it. I looked here, I looked there...nope, nowhere to be seen. So I said to myself, self: ask JP, he seems to know where all the techie stuff is. JP, honey? Where is my computer case? Pause. Well, he says, last time I saw it, it was on Lukey's head. He looks at me.

I look at him blankly. I have no response to that.

Random thought #2: My husband really is the nicest guy around. Not because he gives me stuff or takes me lots of places--cuz we're kind of on hold with all of that with the economy as it is and all that. No, what makes my honey so cool is that when I backed up into a stupid round cement post that had absolutely no business being in my blind spot thank you very much and in my new car dammit, he did not bat an eye--he made sure I was okay, the babe was okay, and said hey, we'll just get it fixed. It's just a car. And that's a quote. Coolness personified.

Random thought #3: Why, oh why, do these poor kids who get all the way through the thousands of people who audition on American Idol and make it to Hollywood, then get all the way through the drama of Hollywood week, then get to their first live TV gig, pick a horrendous song like "Hicktown" or "Everything Little Thing?" Does no one advise these dumb caboodles? This is their ONE SHOT and they give us this? I really do feel sorry for them--because now they have to live with the fact that they were the ones who picked the horrible songs and it is solely their choice. Hello? They've been singing their whole lives and they don't know what to sing? Come on! They will be plagued by "bad song choice" the rest of their lives. I know I wouldn't want to be "that guy." Would you?

Random thought #4: Anya made us a deal: she would not fight with her brother for a whole week and she would in turn get a reward out of the reward drawer. She lasted one night. It was a glorious night, it was it was! He was a dolly, so sweet to be paid attention to by his big sissy la la (that's what he calls her). They played games, read together, ate dinner together, watched a show, snuggled. It was wonderful.

However, yesterday she had a friend over for a few hours and that was the end of that. She wanted him to leave them alone, even though they were playing in an open area of the house. And they were playing pet shop...I believe it was called "Animal Crazy"--with his little stuffed animals. And his books. Well, that didn't seem fair to him. He tried to negotiate: let me play, you can keep my stuff. Pretty smart for a 3 yr old, I thought. Her response was to pick him up like a sack of potatoes and toss him back in his playroom. Well, that didn't go over well either--fur started to fly! Mommy got involved and that was the end of the "craziness of the animals" in my house. For now, at least. And that reward? Oh yes, still in the drawer. It appears it will be gathering some dust in there for awhile.

Random thought #5: I have my own personal homeless guy. He's a little guy that hangs out here in Dana Point. He your typical homeless dude: dirty, bearded, talks to himself. But something about him speaks to me. He always hangs out at Ralph's or Taco Bell; if you ask him if he's hungry, he'll say "Yes ma'am." He doesn't panhandle, or beg. When I see him, I will go in and get him food, or give him a food gift card. I think his name is Joe, but no one is really sure. I've been feeding him for years, and I wonder where he goes when it rains or if it's cold. I make sure he uses the money for food, not alcohol. I wasn't born yesterday, ya know.

Our local Starbucks has an inside corner that is very accommodating to the down and out when the weather is rainy and cold--they give them shelter and coffee. I know, shocking, right? Our other local D.P. coffee joint turns them away, so I feel good about giving Starbucks my business. I hope Joe makes it to Starbucks next time it rains.

Random thought #6: One of my very best friend's mom is undergoing surgery today for a skin cancer that was on top of her head that grew down into her skull and brain. She went faithfully every week for a year to her dermatologist and he kept telling her, after he removed the skin cancer, that it was healing, it was infected, take an antibiotic, use this cream, etc. She dutifully did EVERYTHING he said. However, he never followed up with a proper biopsy or CAT-Scan. Now the cancer has grown down into her BRAIN. This poor lady is over 70 and is having to endure a 10-12 hour surgery where they have to invade brain, nerves, and muscles. Her chances of survival are okay-ish, but with no side effects? Slim at best. Hope and pray.

We are all very worried and are saying tons of prayers. My hope for anyone who reads this is that you learn from this and forward this to your friends and loved ones. Don't put all your faith in your doctor--ask questions!! Remember, the law of averages applies to doctors too--meaning that most doctors are just average. Be your own advocate. Trust your instincts. Don't worry about upsetting your doctor--who cares? Find another one. Get second, third opinions. Research on your own. Life is too precious.

OK. I'm done. Have a nice day.

Awesome Anya!

So my girl has finally done it...she is the K-Notable Knight of the Week! So what the heck does that mean? After 5 looonng months of school and what's that....(oh God, math) 20 or so weeks (minus 1 or 2 for vaca) of checking her teacher's website hopefully every Monday morning--and then looking at me with those big, beautiful hazel eyes full of sadness and dejection when she DIDN'T get it....she got it! And what does getting it entail? A free Jamba Juice, a free Ruby's Diner Kid's Meal, and a free round of miniature golf or go-cart racing at a local place. And the envy of all the other kids in the class who haven't gotten all that cool stuff yet.

Why is this week different from all other weeks, you ask? Well, she has been kicking some serious tushy on every one of her spelling tests (100+ every week); 90+ on vocab; 90+ on math; and on and on. The only dark cloud is Spanish (C+) but Lukey told her he would help her with that. He does watch "DORA" you know.

People tell he he's gifted?

My little 3 yr old son, Lukas, cried out in frustration today because he couldn't put together his, of course, Transformer. I knew this because he told me. To quote, "Mommy, I'm FRUSTRATED because this Transformer is too DIFFICULT. Why do DIFFICULT things have to be so TERRIBLY FRUSTRATING?" Hmmm...I know my little man is, you know, what's the word? Um...I don't know--well, clearly he's waaaayyy more succinct than I am. Smart, yea, that's it.

So I decided to follow him around today and write down all the big words (well, big for me). Here follows a list of Lukey's favorite multi-syllabic (is that a word?) words: disgusting (really, his favorite word), favorite, cornucopia, transformation and transformers, the above mentioned terribly and its cousin terrible, frustrated and frustrating, difficult, coffeemaker, quesadilla, possible and impossible, autobots and decepticons (if you have young boys, you know what I'm sayin')...I'm sure there's more. I'll be back...

(Later) Okay here we go: hysterical, interesting, expensive, exhausted, accidentally, and actually. As in "Mom, I didn't actually mean to accidentally spill milk on your expensive Louis Vuitton handbag. Isn't that hysterically interesting?"

Don't even ask if I'm exhausted. I have a 3 yr old boy. (And we won't discuss the word idiot right now.)

Yea, it's a gift.

I'm in BLISS!

I keep whining to well, anyone who will listen, about the lack of great customer service that exists anymore, especially with large companies. It doesn't surprise me in the least that companies like MACY's, TARGET, and HOME DEPOT are all cutting jobs--I dislike going in to those places specifically because I have to stand there looking around, never finding a soul to help me. Maybe that's why WAL-MART is doing to so well? There's always someone around, even to the point of bugging!

Well today I was pleasantly surprised to be proven wrong. I had ordered a few products I couldn't live without (of course) from BLISS, the uberspa and skincare catalogue. I love that they pick and choose all the cool stuff out there, have their own amazing line (well, two really: Bliss and Remede), and even have niche stuff you won't find anywhere else. Plus undercover clothes to flatter, jewelry, shoes, make-up, etc. Some of it is pricey, but they do have a lot of sets and sales. And, they give you 10% during your birthday month, if you go to their site and sign up for that. So...

I placed my order online. Couldn't get the promotion code to take for free shipping. Realized I placed the order on February 1--one day after my birthday month. Argh! So I went to the Contact Us button, fired off a nice but to the point email and went about my busy day.

So today I get a very nice email from their Customer Service department that not only are they giving me 10% off my entire order but they are also upgrading my 2-day shipping to overnight at their expense. How cool (and rare) is that?

Now that is what I call Customer Service! Remember, one unhappy customer tells ten. But only one happy customer will usually tell another. Well, I hope at least I get a few of you to check out www.blissworld.com and check out some of their stuff. Or go to their amazing SPAs--wow! My friend Judy and I went to the one in the W Hotel in San Fransisco 2 years ago and I still dream about it!

Have fun!

Disneyland joy

Went to Disneyland on Saturday with the kiddles instead of going on our date night. Which was cool. At first. Poor JP had taken Lukas on Thursday for Daddy-Lukey time; then he took Anya on Friday for Daddy-Anya time. By the time we got to Saturday and they begged to go, well, what can I say, the man has the patience of a saint. So we went.

Now let me preface this entry by saying that I am not a crowd person--never have been, never will be. Especially when it's hot. Or dark. Or stinky. Disneyland, as most of you all know, can, at various times, qualify for all of the above. Happy happy joy joy. But I kept telling myself, Rachel, just go to your happy place--this is for the kids. Just look at their shiny happy faces. Except...

A day at Disneyland would not be complete for our family unless Anya cries at least once. She always cries at Disneyland! The Happiest Place on Earth!! My poor baby. She just gets so overwhelmed--which restaurant to eat at, which ride to wait in line at, she has a stomachache, her feet hurt, she wants to go home, no! she wants to stay, she's too cold, she's too hot--OMG. And it's usually my fault, because I AM THE MOTHER. But of course. (Mom, I am apologizing to you now for all the bratty shit I did when I was a kid and you thought, just wait til you have your own kid you little brat! You'll see. Because I am now wishing that upon my daughter and I know it's just starting. We haven't even hit teenager joy yet.) I know it's fatigue and she's still my little love, of course. It's just that the crying only happens when I am present. So, yea, I guess I'm just that much of a bitch.

And Lukas has to have a few temper tantrums because he doesn't understand that sugar is not a food group; or he doesn't want to have his pull-up changed because he has "mushy tushy," his term for when his diaper is so wet it's like a wedgie; or he's tired and wants to be carried which I just can't do anymore (he's 32 lbs.!) and he has to either walk or go in the rented stroller and he refuses and I say no and he cries "I just want my momma!" and we threaten fine go on daddy's shoulders or in the stroller or we leave, and so he stands stock-still and points his finger and screams "NO I JUST WANT MY MOMMA" and so we go to leave and he stops and says sweetly with a smile "I love you momma--can we go on Autopia? I want to drive like a crazy man!" Life with a 3 yr old I guess. Overstimulation city. Mostly we just laugh and keep a sense of humor about it all. He is just so cute. At least he loves me, bitch that I apparently am.

Poor Anya though...as we were making our way back through Downtown Disney around 7:30pm, it was dark, crowded, smoky--I'm trying to keep track of Lukey, people are drinking and partying, there's loud music playing--just not my scene. She says "Mommy, just be happy, okay? Aren't you having a good time?" Haaaa...well, no, dear, I say, it's like this. My feet hurt, my back is killing me, we just spent $50 on crap food you wouldn't even eat and then cried about because you're still hungry, Lukey just had a temper tantrum at the LEGO store, and I'm trying to navigate my way through a bunch of drunk louts in the dark. Yea, I'm having a blast! Well, that was IT for her. The tears just spilled. I get the worst mother award for sure. Apparently sarcasm does not play well with the teary 9--year old crowd. Who knew?

It all worked out in the end though. Once we got safely to our car, both kids crashed within 30 seconds. We got home fine, both slept well all night--oh yea, and the kids slept well too.

And I'm working on my sarcasm. I think I have it down pretty well, don't you?