Gypsy

My skin and hair have always been super oily. My hair needs washing every other day and my makeup was prone to going shiny in an hour.

Recently, I was put on a medication and its drying me out. My face is flaky and tight feeling, the skin on my hands is so dry that it tears easily, and I'm ALWAYS thirsty.

I don't really know how to care for dry skin. Mine is no longer oily. Any pointers? Drug store moisturizers that actually work? How long before it starts to affect my hair?

My family tends to be on the larger side. And most of the women have body issues of some type or another and we tend to start them early.

My neice (who is 9) is interested in strength. Shes a bit of a tomboy and wants to be strong. I'm encouraging this in hopes of heading off the body hatred. I'm hoping to teach her a healthy version of control.

My question is what would be a good begining routine for a 9 year old child that doesn't require equipment. I've agreed to do it with her, as we have similar bodytypes. (She one of those childeren that do all their growing early and shes already a little over 5 feet tall. Shes broad shouldered for her height and I have no reason to think that will change as she gets older. She hasn't started the growth spurt that comes with puberty yet.)

Any suggestions or ideas are welcome.

How do your symptoms show and how do you cope? I'm simply curious and looking for things that I haven't thought of.

I have the inability to pay attention. I have to reduce the amount of things I'm working on, which sometimes slows me down. I have set patterns on when I do what that prob resembles OCD. I'm only allowed three projects at a time. And I can't shut my house or car door without the keys being in my hand. (And I am still capable of loosing them anyway.)

I have the hyper form. So I fidget and sorta dance in place a lot. I work a job that allows that. I have trouble sleeping. So I use weight lifting for the physical. I build Sims 2 style buildings in my head instead of counting sheep, layout, decorations and all. That sometimes turns into storytelling, but thats ok since the point is to mute the constant mental chatter.

I have no concept of time. I use a timer for things like chores and leave ten mins early to get somewhere.

I also have a hard time with numbers in any form. Math nearly kept me from graduating and I can't hold phone numbers. Like a numerical form of dyslexia. I haven't found a way around it yet. Any ideas?

I lack social skills. I have trouble reading people. I rely a lot on body language and work hard to appear harmless to avoid looking like a complete crazy. Also, under the same heading, I have trouble comprehending speech. It sorta blurs into sound. I imply that I'm hard of hearing because its easier than explaining. My own words will fail me. Sometimes they don't come out in the right order (even when the thought itself is worded correctly), I skip words or don't finish a sentence, or I lose common everyday words and the thought won't translate. So I use hand gestures to help myself be understood. I'm working on ASL signs that work for the hearing population too. (Oddly, my verbal skills fail in the handful of Spanish I have, too.)

I'm sound sensitive. Some people can't stand to be touched or handle bright light. I can't take loud sound. I live in the country and enjoy the silence. Listening to music helps distract me from the little sounds. The few concerts I've been to were physically painful.

I don't have much concept of visual distance. I tend to touch objects and people as I pass them to make sure I don't go plowing into them. I make huge detours around strangers and any space that looks remotely smallish. I can't label a mile, but I can still make my car stop on a dollar. (Its just too old to stop on a dime anymore.)

And there are more, but these are the main ones. Also, this getting long.

I have Adult ADHD. I was diagnosed at ten, but only started treatment this year. (I'm now in my late twenties.)

Housework is one of the areas I have trouble with. Its boring and doesn't hold my attention. I tend to get distracted easily by things I prefer to be doing. And most of the time, tasks never get completed.

I'm currently using a timer. I also don't have a sense of time, and housework can easily feel like its taking forever, so I avoid it. Its easier to start if I know I've only got to work at this task for 15 mins. I'm getting better, but I still have days when nothing actually gets completed.

I was thinking of assigning a point value to each task. At the end of the week the points go towards eating out. I consider that a treat and don't get to do it often. Since I always manage to complete some type of task, there will be some points at the end of each week. The amount of points would dictate what type of resturant I could eat at.

My question is how many points should I assign each task. Some bother me more than others. I enjoy washing laundry, but it often doesn't get put up. I hate dishes, but get a sense of accomplishment from doing the floors. And I ignored the yard work this past winter and now have a HUGE task ahead that is nearly overwhelming.

I understand that cleaning before little messes turn into big messes would work better, but it honestly doesn't turn out that way for me. Its more like: "I need to declutter the table. Why is the photo album here? What was I doing with it? Oh look at the baby picture, how cute! Is that one of Mom in here?" And the table still needs decluttering an hour later after I've gone through the photo album and wandered of in search of a particular picture I may or may not actually have.

I'm sorry. I seem to have rambled a bit.

I'm using it for adult ADHD. It's cheaper than Adderall (which I did well on, I just can't afford it). Clonidine makes me feel very drunk. Like stumbling, slurring, taking off your glasses to see better drunk. I can't work like that.

The instructions say to take one a day (I'm on 0.1mg, if it matters). but doesn't say when. Can I take it at night before bed and it still work right?

I was diagnosed at ten. But I'm just now getting treatment, since I got worse with age. I have tons of coping skills, but don't know much about the medication options. I've googled Clonidine, but it doesn't really answer my question and the doctor's office is being unhelpful.

If I'm honest, I'm morbidly obese. I still have definable joints and have very little trouble getting around, but I weight at least 130lbs too many. After recent issues with blood sugar, I'm working on it. I've started using resistance bands to work my arms and in only a month I'm able to see results. I'd use the resistance bands on my legs, but that's where most of my strength is and I'm worried I'll break them. I do walk at least a mile three days out of seven. I'm knock-kneed (opposite of being bow-legged) and running is damaging to my knee joints, so not really an option. I'm not seeing any results other than more energy in general. I'd like to see physical changes, too.

I'd like to know about other types of exercise to work my legs, back, and midsection. I take on muscle easily and I'm not afraid of bulk. I'm not really worried with my weight, its the inches that bother me. I don't have the kind of budget that allows for a gym membership. And buying weights would require saving up. (I'm living paycheck to paycheck.) Any links or even detailed descriptions of anything I could do would be helpful.

I'm also working on my diet. But I'd like to do this without making a major overhaul of the way I eat, since it isn't exactly bad. But any tips on sticking to a low carb diet when they make up the majority of what you eat (it helps stretch a meal further), would also be appreciated.

Please share your thoughts on a disagreement between a friend (who has a three year old son) and myself (who has no children). I work in a place where I come in contact with small children. I consider it rude not to acknowledge them. It helps that I honestly like children, and enjoy conversations with them.

After getting a dressing down from the mother of an overweight child for greeting her son with "Hi, Pumpkin!" (a common local endearment), a friend and I got into a conversation about the proper way to address a child.

She says that I should greet them with an endearment like "Sweetie" that emphasizes that their behavior is most important. The idea is that sooner or later calling them things like "cutie" will make them think that I only value their appearance. I say that it honestly doesn't matter as long as I immediately follow it with a question about their behavior. "Are you being good?"

I want to know your thoughts. Am I damaging a child's sense of self by calling them cutie, as opposed to sweetie? And if so, can I get away with calling them by the local endearments like pumpkin and sweet pea, instead?

I am not looking to convert, nor do I wish to convert others. I am a believer that does not currently participate in any organized religion. I was raised as a Christian Methodist, but have walked away from the church a few years ago.

I am very curious about other religions and cultures. And I've been considering participating in Ramadan. However,there is no local Muslim (or else it consists of only a family or two) and I have no one to ask my questions of. So please educate me.

When is the next Ramadan? (I'm under the impression that Muslim holy days do not follow the Gregorian Calendar.) What are the rules and customs? And is there anything else I need to know?

I have an older lab mix who takes her time when eating. It may take her all day to eat 2 1/2 cups of dry dog food. And now that the temps are in the 100s (F), she'll sometimes wait until the late afternoon to eat. (It isn't a tooth problem, she's always been the type to take her time.) The problem is that, since she is an outdoor dog, ants sometimes get her food before she's had a chance to finish it. Does anyone know of a non-toxic way I can keep the ants out of her food dish?

What is tea time, when does it occur? And what is the difference between that and high tea? I have been reading a bit too much lately and have gotten curious. I have a vague idea, but lets pretend I don't, in case I'm wrong. So, please, educate the American.

I'm planning a somewhat informal wedding on minimum wage, with nearly no current savings. I've decided it would be nice to have an outdoor wedding in the local park. I was wondering if it would be very tacky of me to ask the guests to bring a covered dish and have a potluck reception. It would save me on food costs and everyone would have at least one thing they'd like to eat. I'd supply plates, utensils, drinks, and, of course, cake.

I'm looking for ways to curl my hair with no heat. Sleeping in rollers is easiest. I know there's a certain pattern they're supposed to go in, but I can't remember what they are. Does anyone know? Or perhaps other ways of curling it with no heat?

Diabeties of both types runs in my family on both sides. I have been having slightly elevated blood sugar for a while now, and due to my family history, it's cause for concern.

I have been told by the Health Department (not a Diabetic Specialist) to start keeping a food diary and blood sugar record, in hopes of finding a pattern. The problem is that I wasn't told when to check my blood sugar. Before and after every meal? Once a day? Three times a week?

And also, if they now keep the machines behind the counter at the Pharmacy, do I need a doctor note to obtain one?

Down there? No matter how much I try, I always seem to leave behind a bit of stubble. Shaving cream burns, I don't have a problem with bar soaps. And I don't have the pain tolerance to wax that area. I've heard of baby oil, but that seems like a good way to go through a lot of razors. Anyone got any suggestions?

I've inherited an almost entire china set.They're in very nice condition and I'd like to keep them that way. They came packed in newspaper, which will eventually transfer the print. Can I pack them in colored tissue paper, or will it transfer the dye?

I know this is is in the wrong category, but I don't know where else to put it. I'm sorry.

I've been invited to a costume party and since I simply adore the way they look, I thought of going as a belly dancer. The problem is that I'm a fairly large girl and I'm simply not comfortable exposing my stomache. If there is a top out there that will cover my mid-section, what would it be called?

My grandmother (who I don't get to see often since we live so far apart) has hinted around that she'd like a shawl to wear to church. She says that the church is too liberal with the air conditioning and not liberal enough with the heater. I think she's just at that age where she's cold most mornings anyway.

Anyhow, I'd like to make her something (I crochet, btw) that she can brag about and the other women of her circle of friends can be envious of. I am limited to cotton, acrylic, and a synthetic wool blend, locally. I can only get my yarn from the offerings of Wal-Mart. But they don't offer the quality I want. So I have very little experience with the textures of different yarns. I've decided to hunt some online.

I want to know what is the softest, warmest yarn, that will tolerate hand-washing, that you can think of?

My boyfriend is bi-polar. (Honestly, diagnosed and everything. So please no making fun.) I love being with him and most of the time he can maintain an "up". But when the "down" comes, it's unexpected and I still don't have clue about his triggers. (I know, from experience, that people with depression have triggers. I'm not sure if bi-polar is similar. Someone clear that up please?)

I can't help feeling that I've caused it, even when I know I haven't. He gets quiet and won't talk to me, and being a girl, I need talk. I don't know how to handle the "downs". Anyone out there in a similar situation got any suggestions for me?

I'm looking to get out of fast food and into something I enjoy. I'm good with voices. I can pick up any accent if I hear it often enough. I have a slight natural Southern accent, that I'm trying to learn to drop. I do a very good impersonation of a telemarketer. Any ideas?