Again, thanx Juri.  I still haven't spoken to my sister.  That is because if I do, I have to have 2 hours to give her.  She talks a lot when she is drunk...which is all non-working or sleeping hours.  Sigh.  Don't think me mean. I tried to help her.  Me ex was a recovering alcoholic and even he gave up on her after time.  In AA they say 'never say never about a drunk quitting".  He figures never.   Sad..but I cannot change it.

Work:  well, I decided to speak with a colleague who is a level higher than me but a cool guy.  I just needed to vent.  Now he is not in my section (there are 4 toxicology sections) so I figured I was safe.  Gawd.  It turns out he just became an Acting Section Head...which means...well, I spoke of my superiors in the last email...but like me they are evaluation officers...the next step up is a Section Head who oversees the work of all the evaluators.  An Acting Section Head is someone who fills in for a section head because they are away of...say French training (important here in Canada) or maternity or whatever.  So, while this guy is not my boss, he is her equivalent...and I thought I was just talking to a fellow worker who is cool and experienced. 

So, I tell him my woes and he says "As an Acting Section Head..." and my head goes down on the desk and I go "Oh God, I didn't know that!!!!  Oh man!!".  Now I said he was cool.  He just laughed, patted me on the head and said "Relax, nobody could do all that work!!!  But as an Acting Section Head, I can help you." 

Now let me try to explain something else on the short.  I said there are 4 groups of toxicologists.  2 of us review and evaluate new pesticides.  2 evaluate and review old pesticides (the idea being that because our knowledge grows and so our demands become higher, we can relook at older pesticides based on new knowledge in the science field and our goal...but this has only been going on for about 7-10 years...is to re-review all chemicals every 5 years).  Now please understand, I have really over simplified this to keep it short.  Trust me, this is all great for the environment and for our citizens.

Anyway, I am in the area of reviewing and assessing new pesticided as is the colleague I spoke with.  Anyway, he is Acting Section Head for a re-eval area.  He told me that he felt that the re-eval could use learning to document more and that his group had no deadlines as tight as mine so he would offer his whole section (5 evaluators) to help me and he would teach them how to do it the way we do!!!  In other words, he will help me AND improve our system.   I love this guy!!!  He is just too cool.  And smart....gawd I wish I was as smart.  Now I should say this...this does not mean that all of re-eval does not document as well as us.  The second re-eval folks have over 10 years of experience (each person) doing what I do before they went into re-eval.  They are amazing.  It is just that my colleagues section is made of fairly new people who did not do the original reviews.  I should also point out that my colleague is very picky an he is acting for a woman who did what I did for 20 years before the re-eval area was born.    What I am saying...the reviews are all good, just the documentation could be better.

Hair:  I am feeling icky about it but not a surprise I guess.  I have a chest cold...you know...the type where your chest hurts when you breath, lie down, use any energy, etc.  I know I sound like I am sick all the time but remember, I was away from people for 8 months due to my mental health and my immune system is low.  It will get back up there.  Just give it time...an no, I am not taking time off.  I have warned people to stay away from me so I hope not to spread it especially since for the next two weeks only one of the 6 cubicles that surrounds me has anyone in it.  And that is occupied by Mike.  I should tell you all about Mike one day.  He is like the class clown.  He is fun to have next to me.

LOL, he stresses about nothing but I stress about everything.  We have been office mates for 5 years.  I watched him move in with his girl and marry her.  No stress for him.  Work never stresses him.  BUT he was terrified about having a kid.  He wanted one...was just really scared. His wife wanted a pug and he asked me one day to help him find a good pug.  So I started doing that with him but being an ex-vet I asked a lot of questions and discovered he hoped getting a pug would slow his wife down on the idea of a kid.  WhenI realized this, with him sitting next to me, I started to LAUGH.  I mean I laughed so hard everyone in my area heard.  They all asked me what was so funny and I told them I would tell them one day..but not today.  I then turned to Mike and told him "Hon, you are having a baby and getting a pug!!!  Except it!!!"

He has a 3 month old daugher, still no pug.  LOL.  A month ago he and his wife asked me to look into a good pug for them to get.  Today Mike came and told me his wife wants a second child as soon as possible.  I had my hands on the keyboard looking for a pug and stopped and said "Pug or not?"  He said l "Do you think if she gets the pug..."  I started typing again and said "Sooner or later you will have 2 kids and a pug."  He said "Ya, I guess".  Now don't take that wrong, he LOVES the kid and dogs.   He asked me if I thought, well you get it    So cute.  Jealous.  But he makes me smile.  I like to smile.  No, no interest, he is like a kid brother to me.

Well, a pug would not be my choice...but the woman wants what she wants!!!

Hair:  thought it was doing okay.  I woke up at 2 am last night (morning) and could not get back to sleep so at 2:45 I got up and did the 30 minutes of animal chores.  That left me free until 4:00 to do anything with regard to getting ready for work (did some house cleaning inbetween).  At 4 I went and washed my face, brushed my teeth, moisturized my face and then I let my hair down from my satin sox....OMG, hair was SOOO greasy.  Into the shower I went!!

I think this is what happened.  I mentioned before I love the Body Shop cocoa butter.  Well, I was running out and I called to check on getting some (I have to drive 100 km out of my way for it!!) and was stunned to find that it was now $22 for 6.0 oz!!!  Heck, when I started buying it 2 years ago it was $14!!!.  So, as you all know, I am not doing great financially for now...I had to bow out and turned to what I had in my own house.  Well, I had pure cocoa butter and 28 000 IU vitamin E, so I combined the two and found it better (and cheaper) than the Body Shop stuff I love so much!!! Now the problem is that is is kinda greasy (but the skin takes it in within 5 minutes and smells so great....umm chocolate cravings).  I think that last night I moisturized and immediately combed my hair (during that ritual I tend to run my free hand down my hair after I comb...don't ask me why) and then I spent the time gathering it between my two hands into a pony tail to put on the satin sox.  In short, I think I over greased my hair by accident!!!!!  Lesson learned!!!

About the Body Shop.  It was bought by a new company recently (I think Lauriel?).  I loved their cream (and it has not changed) but I refuse to pay that much money for a body cream when I have found a combination that works just as well for less!!!!!  I also love the cocoa butter body wash...but it has gone up way too much too.  Just not sure how to compensate for that.  ALSO, because I do not have a man in my life to rub cream into the skin on my back, I loved the coconut oil spray that I could just spray on my back...which is discontinued.   I guess I am back to my boycott of the Body Shop though.

You wonder why I boycotted it?  Very fair question.  Remember what I do for a living.  Anything that touches a human MUST be tested and approved by the gov't (well at least in the 'civilized' world).  That means the pesticides I do, the prescription drugs I used to do, the house house cleaners you use, the foods you eat...I mean everything.  Body Shop made me mad because they said they did not test on animals.  That was true...but only because they used things OTHER companies had had tested on animals and then approved by the gov't. 

Now, don't get me wrong...I love that they did not create new things that had to be tested and kill animals...I mean...how many animals have to die before we figure out a good moisturizer or cleaner or whatever!!  Understand that while my job does involve companies sacrficing animals...I want no more sacrifice than is REQUIRED.  There are GREAT cosmetic things out there...no more animals need to be sacrificed.  But the Body Shop implied that the ingredients in their recipes for poos, conditioners, etc, had never been animal tested, while the truth was...all the ingredients had been tested previously...at another companies expense!!  True,THEY did not animal test.  It made me mad.  If you aren't following...how would you like to use a moisturizer all over your body that might be a carcinogen, cause reproductive problems, liver failure, etc...in order to save about 100 (in total) rats, mice  and bunnies..and I hate to admit it...about 20 dogs.  Believe me...I would save them all if I could...but then we would all die.  That is reality.

Anyway, Body Shop was the first and now every where does it so I stopped boycotting them...but now I think I am boycotting them for the prices they are charging!!!  Heck, an almost 100% increase in 2 years!!!  Figured out my moisturizer...guess I will have to find another body shampoo though!!  No ideas...anyone got one?

JD

I use to use Body Shop, but they got really exspensive.  Eww they got bought by Loreal?  Well the owner of Body Shop just died so that answers that eh?  I've been to Loreal head office and found that they have lots of brands under there belt and it's all the same stuff just in different packages. 

JD,I hope you feel better soon,girl!!!  Take care of yourself!!!

Get well soon!