2005-09-10
The Cult of Proactiv.
Boom! All of a sudden - it's fall.
Not a lot to report, chickens, other than things that everyone else is reporting on. One eye on the devastating Katrina footage, one on the latest issue of US Weekly (or any of its stunted little $1.99 cousins), because - you know - it's what I do.
For the most part, I'm trying really hard to keep my mouth shut and my opinions to myself about what's happened, and what's still happening, down in New Orleans. It's infuriating to me, for example, that evacuees are being shuttled onto airplanes and not told of their final destination until MIDWAY THROUGH THE FUCKING FLIGHT. That's just part of it. But, again, I'm no political analyst. I'm not poor -- never have been. I can't speak to what made some people stay on despite the enormous dangers. My family was forced to evacuate our home during the Blizzard of '78, and while we were temporarily displaced and dealt with a good deal of damage from our house having been flooded with about 4 feet of the icy Atlantic, we ultimately had a home to return to, and more than adequate resources with which to rebuild. In the grand scheme of things, what I experienced was inconvenience.
I guess I'm just saying that sitting up here in the Northeast, far away from the unfathomable horror of what's happening in New Orleans, having had a relatively comfortable suburban upbringing, I'm spectacularly unqualified to comment on anything, other than the fact that I'm worried sick about Todd's home and kitties. I've done what so many others have done, given to organizations which are rescuing both people and animals, watched the news, prayed, and felt helpless and guilty.
Other things. I'm going to be 35 this Wednesday, and that's just all kinds of fucked up, particularly when you consider that in the past 8 months, I've had more acne flareups than the sum total of my breakouts from 1983 to 1990. Really. When I was fifteen years old I could have rubbed an entire bag of potato chips on my face and still emerge petal-soft and dewey as a spring morn. My first job was at a bakery, where I was immersed in all manner of food-based filth, and I was positively clear-faced.
I've tried everything short of sucking up and going to a damn dermatologist. I did the unthinkable just recently, chickens.
I JOINED THE CULT OF PROACTIV.
Yes. Proactiv. The stuff touted on late-night infomercials by no lesser luminaries than P./Puffy/Diddy/DooWop and that nasty Jessica Simpson creature. I was that desperate.
Now, I didn't want to jump feet-first into the Proactiv baptism font, because I've heard tell that once that first supply of the stuff starts to dwindle, Diddy Puf-n-Stuff and Vanessa "I Had To Stop Being Miss America Because They Found Pictures Of Me With My Tongue Up Another Lady's Ass" Williams will start banging on my door to ensure that I keep an ever-bountiful supply of Proactiv in my bathroom, my gym bag, and the second drawer of my file cabinet at work.
So I did what any sensible person not wanting to don robes for The First Church of Proactiv right off the bat would do -- I bought a "travel size" kit from a very reputable seller on Ebay.
I just got it today. It's evidently enough for me to figure out if it's going to work on the constellation of ZITS all over my chin.
So, yah, stay tuned.
lisamcc at 8:43 p.m.
4 comments so far
Danielle
2005-09-11 12:36:16
At 36, my skin is the worst it's ever been. The HELL????? And I really can't keep my hands off my face when I have a zit, so I've got a lovely plethora of picked-zit scars to add to the beauteousness. You'd think I'd start washing my face at night or something, but that interferes with all my TV watching.
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Jess
2005-09-11 13:46:30
First off all, "Kiss My Face" has this stuff... I can't remember what it's called "Break Out" or something like that. Anyway, it's friggin' AWESOME! Secondly: why did some people stay? Well, from the reports I read, unless you had a car (and many didn't) it was pretty much impossible to leave. Read this article written by a couple of Parmedics who were trapped (once by gunpoint! By the "authorities") in New Orleans. I know it's long, but seriously read it. It maybe be the most fucked thing you'll ever read. http://www.socialistworker.org/2005-2/556/556_04_RealHeroes.shtml
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Lisa
2005-09-11 14:29:07
Understood. And I did read this, and it's undoubtedly disturbing. All I'm trying to say is that while I have very strong feelings about the way things were handled (or rather - not handled), I personally believe that I am not in a position to write about anything other than expressing my own feelings of helplessness, feelings that I don't even think that I'm altogether entitled to.
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Gilgongo
2005-09-13 12:07:53
You're always entitled to your feelings, Lees!
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Stumble It!
