Thanks for the tip on the skirt - I'm still waiting for mine, but I will be prepared  when wash time comes around!

Congrats on making diamond.  You snuck in here this morning and made those last  couple posts to put you over the top - I've been checking and checking, waiting for this special moment just for you!

Poor Trisha. *sigh* Welcome to my world.

Aside from being exposed at a very young age to smoky bars (one of the many joys of being a musician's kid), and having grandparents who smoked, my current boyfriend also smokes. 
    My tolerance for it now is pretty much gone...especially after my grandmother recently died from cancer. So I totally sympathize.

Unfortunately, I can tell you from first hand experience that, for a non-smoker, there are NO good points to living with someone who does smoke.
    People who don't smoke choose not to for a reason(or many), and when they live with someone who does, they are confronted face to face with those reasons. Have you talked to your sister about this?
    My guesses are a.) it doesn't bother her  b.) she believes that he will eventually quit or c.) she's deluding herself and knows it.

Anyway, I suppose the good news for you is that you don't smoke, your husband doesn't smoke....and you will only have to tolerate your BIL's chain smoking while he & your sister are in town.
   
It's a putrid stench, I know, and it can be very difficult to remove. Just be wary of how much time you actually do spend with them. If they notice that your visits with them aren't very long, it might clue them into how much his smoking really bothers you. I don't spend very much time around any of my boyfriend's family for that very reason.

Ultimately, you have to remember: you can influence people, but you can't change them. The only person you have control over, really, is yourself.    Stay strong.

Hair
Okay...so I'm thinking of going back to washing every morning.  *sigh*  I'm remembering that, back in the early 90's when I had waist length hair, I used to wash every morning.  My hair wasn't damaged by it; no split ends, no evident damage, etc.  Why should now be different?  I think I miss the squeak (we've talked about the squeak before) of cleanness.  I also like the way my hair looks and feels freshly "laundered".  So, yeah, every day washing again.  Or...just whenever,  ya know?  *shrug* 

I'm also feel myself being lured to try Herbal Essence products, thanks to the temptations of someone whom I will not mention.  CURSE YOU, ANGELSPUN!!!     But new products will have to wait for payday, which is this Friday.  I think I'll go check out their website and dream a little dream....

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Honey, I've known you're crazy for quite a while now--that's why I like you so much!!    

Hair
I made the decision to return to every day washing.  (gee, i made it sound like an official proclamation or something!  *snort*)  Still happy with the Tre Semme shampoo.  But I'm not so sure about the Jason conditioner and I'll probably switch back to the Tre Semme conditioner with tomorrow morning's wash.  My hair likes cones and I have a feeling it's the Jason condish that's making my ends a leeeetle tangly.  Can't have that!  Haven't decided about trying the Herbal Essence line.  I may stick with TS, I don't know.  Argh, too many decisions!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  

Other
(warning:  contains talk about veins and needles)
Didn't have a very good morning.  Had an 8:20 appointment at my (new) doctor's office to have blood drawn for my ca125.  This was my first visit for this specific item, as I had been using a different lab for the past 3 years.  I have small, shy veins that don't like to have needles stuck in them, no, no, no.  So I point out to the phlebotomist (sp?) that others usually have good luck using my left arm, right in the middle of the bend. Well, of course, the gal can't find it.  She has to call for the other phleb. to help.  Phleb #2 can't find the "good" vein either...Oh, she tried and must have either nicked the vein or just missed it...because I bled a bit when she pulled out the needle.  Sooo, they give up and phleb #2 ends up taking blood from the underside of my wrist.  Yeesh.  I've had blood drawn from that spot a couple of times before and, while it doesn't really hurt any more than the other spots, it just sort of internally freaks me out.  When I finally got back to work and took off the cotton balls with band aids, that poor little vein on the underside of my wrist was all swollen, and bruised.  The swelling has finally gone down but I'm going to have a doozy of a bruise for a while.  And why does peeling off those stupid band aids hurt more than the needles?!?!  It's not enough that they hurt you with the needles, oh no!  They have to add insult to injury and slap on a band aid that peels off hair and the first two layers of skin when you try to remove it!!!  

Then!  Oh yes, there's more, kiddies, you may as well get a bowl of popcorn and something to drink because we're going to be here a while...  

One of the chores done by my department is laser printing billing statements for students.  I work for a university--I've mentioned that before, haven't I?  Yeah.  So there's a day shift, me; a night shift, middle aged guy; and a weekend shift, idiot boy.  I call him "boy" because, even though he's in his mid-30's, he's definitely NOT a man.  Anyway...middle aged guy had a wisdom tooth pulled and idiot boy has to cover for him, last night and tonight (God help us all).  We had a billing run last night, and there's another one tonight.  Two different billing cycles, two very different pre-printed forms to be used, two different boxes, two different sticky notes written by Yours Truly directing idiot boy to use *these* forms for Monday night and *these* forms for Tuesday night.  Even with all that, did he still use the wrong forms?  You'd better believe it.  So after the bad time at the doctor's office I get to the office and have to reprint 3,500 pieces of paper because idiot boy is too busy playing online poker than to do his job.  *sigh*  I could have killed him...still haven't quite talked myself out of doing just that.  

But I got the bills reprinted by 11:15 and I'm at least calmer now and in a better mood.  I just wonder what he'll screw up tonight............?  grrrrr

(((((hugs))))))

I just hate it when the "specialists" can't find the vein for a blood draw.  Sheeesh - it's their job!  I am fortunate that I don't have to have regular blood draws, but I do donate blood on a regular basis.  I don't have the easiest veins to find, and I am pretty patient when they need to try 2 or 3 times, but I draw the line at 3.  If they can't do it in 3 attempts I figure it just is not meant to be.  (A trick I have learned is to wrap yourself in a warm blanket, or try squeezing a bottle of warm water.  The veins are easier to find and your blood pumps faster when you are warm).

and as for "idiot boy"..... I deal with these kinds all day long doing software support.  The stories I can tell....  ...

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YES!!  In fact, I am wearing it today.    I will probably make some adjustments to the waist to shorten it a bit (ah, the frustrations of being short), but it will most certainly become a regular part of my wardrobe.

Here's a plug for my sister's handbag sites: 

eBags - they have handbags, backpacks and luggage
6pm  - they have handbags and shoes

My sister is a buyer for these sites.  I have ordered from them many times - they are quick to ship and customer service is excellent.  Returns are not a hassle.

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I'm not.    I'm going to spend it working, both at home and at my 2nd job. Be glad you're not me! 

Have Suave and VO5 actually worked for you in the past?    I used both up until I was a teenager, and you couldn't pay me to go back! In my experience, the only things worth washing with the cheap stuff are horses, cars, sinks and tubs. But definitely not human hair. 
    You probably think that my opinion is biased because I use HE every day, but I really think it would be the wisest investment. I say that out of experience, believe me. The fragrances are addictive, the leave-in's are awesome now that they've been reformulated, and HE really doesn't cost that much. I was blowing all kinds of $$ on Pantene before, so I was also looking for something less expensive.

Anyway, I'm not trying to sway your opinion too much...just letting you know what I've experienced personally. If the cheap stuff works better for you, though, I'd stick with it, by all means. But beware the ammonia content!