10 August 2010

an Excerpt



from Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close 
by Jonathan Safran Foer


"I hope that one day you will have the experience of doing something you do not understand for someone you love.
-Your Father"

Update

I called the Tom's Hotline and Cameron answered the phone.  He was very nice and helpful.  He apologized for my sore armpits and sent me a sensitive skin formula to try out.  I must say I am apprehensive, but he assured me there are very sensitive ingredients for very sensitive people like me.  So now we are waiting until the cool cucumber-berry stick comes in the mail.  Let's hope this one works.

05 August 2010

This might make you as uncomfortable as it made me.


I love to buy, use, make, and do things the natural way.  I am a proactive all-things-organic seeker and love to try out new natural products, if it's not too expensively natural.  Well, the other day Mum so generously fed my organic-hungry appetite and took me to the store to buy new toiletries.  I got a shampoo and conditioner made of carrots and Tom's Brand toothpaste and deodorant.  My roommate Becca jumped on the anti-anti-perspirant train a while ago and it struck a chord with me.  Anti-perspirant contains aluminum in an extracted, chemical, processed, inorganic form.  From my understanding, the body absorbs it and prevents sweating.  Well, it's natural for your body to sweat, and in fact a natural continual way to release toxins, so why not sweat.  We, however, still don't have to smell.  So I got apricot scented Tom's deodorant.  When I used it, my armpits felt all tingly, in a good way like when you brush your teeth and get the minty fresh feel and taste.  As I continued using it days later, the tingle became more like a burn but I thought it was the all natural goodies battling my odor-making-bacteria.  Yesterday morning, I come to find out that it wasn't just the odor being burned away, it was my skin!  I was looking in the mirror while putting my hair up and noticed my armpits were bright red!  And the skin was peeling away from the center forming a ring showing where the deodorant had been.  The all-natural deodorant was alive and eating my armpits.  Not good.  My faith has been slightly shaken due to this experience.  I'm back to the old lady speedstick and probably going to get cancer.  But my armpits do feel better.  Any suggestions out there?