How cold was it?

The pool at my gym had been closed for two weeks for resurfacing and such, and recently reopened during a chilly week in Northern California. I was looking forward to resuming my aqua exercise regimen yesterday but it turns out the water in a big pool takes a long time to reheat. The class toughed it out but it was so cold!

How cold?

1) The lifeguards were bribing us not to get into any trouble that would force them into the unpleasantly crisp water.

2) Even the 300 pound guy was shivering.

3) For the first time ever, I wished someone would pee in the pool.

(Just kidding about the first two.)

Happy end of 2013!

The Great Nail Polish Swindle

Since I did not get my first manicure until I was in my 30s (where I intend to stay, for future reference), I had no idea the difficulty of holding on to the right shade of polish once you find it. Having experienced the heartbreak of discovering a great color at a salon, not making a note of it, and being unable to find it again, I've taken to buying the shades I like whenever I find them.

My tastes have been pretty consistent over the years so I thought I was set for the foreseeable future. Hard lesson #1: Nail polish doesn't last forever. It gets thick and eventually unusable. Harder lesson #2: Polish makers (OPI, I'm talking to you!) are evil. They regularly discontinue your favorite ridiculously named flavors (St. Petersburgundy and Toffee Treat, for instance), and you can never purchase them again. Then you have to find a new suitable shade which will also be summarily removed from the shelves and off of my once beautifully polished fingernails.

Why does no one tell you these things before it's too late?

Vocabulary Words for November

replete - a terrific underused adjective that means 1) abounding or 2) satiated, having had plenty to eat.
Happy Thanksgiving, everybody!