Laura

Today is mostly made of good things. *content*

I received the swap items from someone else in one of my swaps (http://www.swap-bot.com/ - yes, I'm easily amused). I got my copy of cadhla's latest CD, and am now giving it a first listen. (I love my brain, but sometimes it is disconcertingly fond of past patterns. It protested very very thoroughly on "River Lies" because it doesn't sound like just a studio copy of exactly the sound from the previous CD. Silly brain.) I got my catalog from the Vermont Country Store. This would normally not make the list - it was greeted with a sigh, and a "well, I did order from them, I suppose I should expect to be on their mailing list" - except that then I opened it and saw several things I want. I'll wait and think about it, but even if I don't buy, I enjoyed browsing. And I might buy.

Shopping was nice too: I found the sugar-free oreos, which turn out to also be within acceptable fat limits for my diet. I have not had oreos in years. I don't think I'll suddenly start eating them all the time, but it is nice to be able to have them now and again, at least. The herbal mint tea I bought tasted nice to me, which is always nice and not always guaranteed. And (on a less surprising, but still useful, level) I also got the pads I need to put on the dining chairs. We're going to move them into the hardwood floor area, and I'd rather not plow furrows in it. (The table will be on a rug. Not, alas, a well-proportioned one for it, but I could not find one in the stores that I liked well enough to get it, so for now this will do.)

Tomorrow the movers bring over the writing desk and the entertainment center, and a few other items, but those are the two with the deepest emotional resonance for me. They will also be very useful to us, replacing two inferior pieces of furniture (seriously: one was particleboard shelves) that we had been using and I hadn't bothered replacing because they were working. Pfeh.

And bpal has so far been nice to me. Testing more scents today. I can't decide if I like them, but neither triggered my allergies or the "omigod get it off" reflex (that's rare, but it can be hit), or even the "well this will make a humorous entry" reaction.

Gennivre is citrus mint with a powder cast to it; I get a slightly different scent each time I sniff. I can't decide if I love it or not, but I like it, at least. I must remember it is quite strong at first, though. It tames down nice but when it first went on I thought I wasn't going to get much more testing in because it scented my entire vicinity. I try to test with small amounts so that they are mostly there when I put my nose near my arm, but this one said, "excuse me? you want to ignore ME? I do NOT think so." It's still very there but no longer a cloud about me, but must remember that (not to mention that it soon dies back, else I'll think I've applied enough and be wrong).

Midnight on the Midway is harder; it has a woody smell to it on my skin, more than anything. I assume that's what others who are better sniffers than I have identified as nag champa, "kinda sandalwood and vanilla" although it's mostly the wood on me. At times the vanilla or floral scents rise and once or twice it smelled a bit like patchouli. And a tiny hint of something powdery but not quite baby powder. I'm not sure what to think of it; I don't love it, but I don't dislike it, and it's such an odd scent as far as waffling back and forth that I'm still trying to peg my reaction.

In a bit I'll test a couple more scents. And then I will take my bath and get all of them off me, as smelling like a perfume testing zone, although it is the immediate goal, is not really a great long-term hobby.