Face The Truth

I had an interesting conversation with a client yesterday about the injectable beauty treatment Botox. She asked me how I felt about Botox and if I had "experimented' with it. I gave her my opinion and she then told me an interesting thing. She went on to tell me about a very good friend of hers who is trained in a highly specialized discipline called Micro Expression Recognition. She explained how these people are experts in facial recognition and can read your true emotions by studying the facial expressions of the face. Interesting enough, right?

She told me that her friend told her she would NEVER let her get Botox because it would, "ruin her marriage".

Now I was intrigued.

Her friend, she said, believes that in order to communicate with a spouse, the expressions of the face are crucial to giving and receiving emotion. Botox, when injected into the face, 'freezes' expression lines, giving some a motionless face in certain areas. Long since favored by women everywhere to reduce wrinkles, Botox's popularity is by no means waning. In fact it's gathering momentum and Botox injections are becoming so commonplace that women are holding "parties" with their friends to get their injections.

 Are millions of women putting their marriages in jeopardy all for the sake of beauty? A quick check on the subject proves that my client's friend's theory has some scientific weight to it. THIS article goes on to say that Botox does "impair the ability to process the emotional content of language, and may diminish the quality of the emotional experience", but it also states that the media has "overstated" the results of this study and that more investigation is needed.

I say that anything is fine in moderation. So if you think your marriage is in trouble because of your injectable fillers, I've got news for you: there's more to it than meets the eye...no matter if the eye has tell tale "crows feet" or not. It may be time for you to face the truth about your marriage.

A Joke For The Graduate

Reaching the end of a job interview, the Human Resources Officer asks a young engineer fresh out of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, "And what starting salary are you looking for?" 

The engineer replies, "In the region of $125,000 a year, depending on the benefits package." 
The interviewer inquires, "Well, what would you say to a package of five weeks vacation, 14 paid holidays, full medical and dental, company matching retirement fund to 50% of salary, and a company car leased every two years, say, a red Corvette?" 

The engineer sits up straight and says, "Wow! Are you kidding?" The interviewer replies, "Yeah, but you started it."


http://www.laughfactory.com/jokes/technology-jokes

I Was Just Thinking.....

• Green, Green, Grass: My Guy has become obsessed with our lawn. I'm so glad he is because it looks like a carpet of Emerald. We were sitting out in our screened-in porch yesterday morning discussing the beauty of our backyard. I can honestly say that right now, our yard has that "pristine" look that as a homeowner, you covet. My Guy spends most of his free time out there with his helpers and the benefits are obvious. Good thing too, because a week from Saturday, we will have over 75-100 people stomping all over the perfect gorgeousness for Frack's graduation party. 

• Love: What does love go to do with it? Lately my outlook on love has been tested. Thank God it's not my love, but some very good friends of mine have hit a rough patch in their marriages. I can only listen and be a friend and try to surmise that it's just a "rough patch", but I'm not sure. People grow and change and sometimes they don't grow and change together. I'd like to think that I'm helping by just listening. Marital discord was one of the hardest personal challenges I've ever faced. Looking back it was the worst and best thing that ever happened to me, but I'm a believer in good, old-fashioned love. When things like this happen around me, it challenges that belief. Maybe love really is just a second hand emotion. 

• Family: I had a great weekend. My baby boy Frack graduated from high school and I couldn't have been prouder. The ceremony was outside on a picture perfect Friday night, the boys all wore white tuxedos and the girls wore white dresses and it was absolutely beautiful. I didn't cry or get emotional because this was a joyous day. I don't feel sad. I'm excited and proud for what lies ahead for him. He's really becoming a man right before my eyes and I'm beginning to see a new sense of responsibility emerging in him. Frick was home and it was nice to have the family unit together for the celebration. Yes, life is good in the Daily Dandy household right now. I'm hoping it lasts.  

• Binge Watching: "Orange is the New Black" is back! Season 2's episodes started June 6th on NetFlix and all 13 episodes now are available for viewing. If you haven't seen this show, you are really missing out on a great one. What makes it so great? It's different. In a TV line up full of cookie cutter cop, lawyer, hospital and crime scene shows, this one tackles a new subject matter, life in a woman's prison, with addicting precision. If you aren't playing in the NetFlix game you need to start. "House of Cards" another NetFlix original series is, by far, the BEST SHOW ON TELEVISION. Don't say I didn't let you in on that. 

Congrats To My Boy

You did it! I can hardly believe it.

We have waited for today for a long time. We have dreamed about it, discussed it and fantasized about how it would be. It's finally here and after tonite, it will be a lifetime memory.

You should be proud of your accomplishments.
You should enjoy this time. Be smart and safe.
Take a moment tonite to stop and take it all in...then make a memory of that moment. You only get this opportunity once.

Tonite you walk on that podium a boy but you leave a man. A man who has accomplished great things and will go on to accomplish much more.

I am proud of you, my son. So proud of who you are becoming and I want you to know that I love you more than life itself. Congrats to you and to your classmates. You did it!

Goin' To The Chapel

Wedded bliss. A celebration of love. Weddings are a huge day in the life of two people who pledge to unite in love forever. Guest come and wish the couple well with toasts that bestow wisdom and blessings. It is a cause for celebration and a memory for the ages. Yes, marriage can be a great send off to the rest of your life.

But what if it's not what you thought it was going to be? What happens when-you know- like you know deep in the pit of your soul- that the decision to marry is not right? And you confide your fears to people you love and trust, listen to their advice, then convince yourself that you are doing it for all the right reasons. Because you convince yourself that you can't get out of it. Then what? Do you then become a statistic? And the "how long is this gonna last?" pool begins amongst your closest allies. Sorry, but we all saw this coming a mile away.

What happens when you cry, like a lot? And you are really not into the whole planning thing and you start drinking, like a lot, and lounging on the sofa way too long and sort of give up. It's probably a warning sign that this "wedding thing" is not for you. Is there pressure from your partner? From your family? Financial obligations involved in the wedding? I'm thinking you gotta play the "in the long run" game. What stings now will soon heal. And believe me-you are not the first one to feel this way. I looked this whole phenomenon up today and the best quote I read was, "If you have to ask the question, 'Should I be getting married?', I think you know what the answer is."

Weddings are not for the faint of heart and quite possibly not for you.

At this time.....

George Jung SPRUNG!

Remember back in September I wrote about one of my favorite movies.."Blow"...here? The reality of the story based on George Jung's life was that after serving 20 years in prison, the 71 year old Jung was to be released from prison this Thanksgiving day, 2014.

I awoke this am to my BFF texting me that TMZ.com was reporting that the tittle character in the movie "Blow", George Jung was RELEASED yesterday! I could hardly believe it, but it's true. According to the celebrity gossip site TMZ.com, Jung was released early for "reasons unknown".

Word has it Jung will be released to a half way house in California, where he will begin his transition  back into society. As someone who had followed this story from the beginning, I'm happy for George and I wish him luck on the outside. They say a leopard never changes it's spots, so if that's true let's hope Boston George has changed his spots by now. The alternative is is to BLOW his chance at freedom.

Now That's A Fire!

It was a great weekend here, but Sat night was a bit chilly. It got down to the high 50's in some areas and we had invited some friends over for a cookout. After we had feasted on just about every grillable delicacy imaginable, we retired to the fire pit for some fun not knowing if the cooler temps would keep us at bay. The fire pit pictured above is almost identical to ours and every seat was taken as we piled on the wood to create the heat that would allow us to enjoy the elements. It did not disappoint. It was perfect fire pit weather and everyone enjoyed the relaxing vibe and great conversation.

I love a nice fire and My Guy and I really love our fire pit. We labored a bit over the decision to make it natural gas or wood burning and I'm so glad we went old school. I'm a pyro, by nature, and My Guy laughs at me when I pile on the wood and stir and stoke the fire like it's a bowl of homemade soup. He enjoys stacking the wood and keeping it supplied and he's even added a bluetooth device that plays Pandora from his phone that sets the mood and keeps us all entertained.

The interesting thing about a fire is that it brings out the good in people. My kids love to sit out there with their friends and sometimes they will even invite us! It's amazing, the things the kids will talk about when we are sitting around the fire, and some of our best memories have been made out there. I've had heart to heart talks with some people and we've even solved a few problems and dreamed some big dreams while sitting out back at the fire pit. It's also the ideal place to create a perfect s'more. We have gotten to be  s'more connoisseur's, as we have tried them every way possible. 
(QUICK TIP*the smaller the marshmallow, the better the toast and the better the "ooze" when you eat it. The big marshmallows look amazing and aren't bad, but they are really messy and take longer to toast all the way through) 

Fire is good, and I'm happy to be able to enjoy a night under the stars with the hum of the crickets, a roaring fire and the people I love. I ask you, what could be better than that?