I hate to be brand loyal. I’m just not usually that kid of girl. I feel like there should be equal opportunity in consumerism. The thing is, when it comes to computers, I keep buying Dell. I have a Dell laptop, a Dell bureau pc (as the desktop is called in other parts of the world), and an older Dell I used to use as a server. I also have my old Mac, but I’m almost ashamed to admit how old it actually is. I’m not even sure it could run the current OS, even though when I got it back ’98, it was top of the line and then some.

As for clothing and food and even gas, I’m all about who has the best product in the here and now. OK, I do have particular soaps and face products I prefer, but even then I can be swayed if something better happens along. The one thing I think I like to be “brand” loyal to is a man. If I am in a relationship, I am absolutely not looking around the next bend in the road to see who might be walking by. I’m in it for what it is and that’s that. Brand loyal, so to speak.

As of today, I am beginning a juice fast. I am convinced that my sudden skin problems stem from too many toxins in my system. I want to get everything clean and happy inside my body.

I had Star Fruit juice for breakfast and lunch. It is delightful. Simply delightful. I’m a fan, for sure. It tastes like a banana apple smoothie with just a hint of berry. Plus, since the tree in the backyard is positively heavy with ripe fruit, it is also free.

For supper I juiced celery, cabbage, tomatoes, carrots, some lettuce, and a tiny yellow apple from one of our trees out back. Certainly, this supper does not give the satisfaction of chewing and savoring. Nonetheless, it is tasty and fresh.

I do anticipate I will battle cravings and the desire to nibble. I have not decided how long I will juice yet. I’m reading articles and journals to determine my best option.

Wish me luck.

I get headaches. If there is a classification for a type of headache; I’ve had it. I can pretty much tell what kinds of meds, if any, I need to take based on where the headache has originated and how severe it is.

Tension, sinus, migraine: I know them all. I actually get them a lot less often these days. I think it has to do with being done with the classes I was taking right up through this past July. Also, I’m out of the marital house and taking some time off from the workforce (just for a little while). I have needed to allow myself a lower-stress lifestyle for some time now. My body is trying to thank me.

I am not one to keep strong pain killers around the house. I use the most minimal therapy possible for my aches and pain. In fact, I have headaches that can often be lessened by drinking a cup of coffee. If you are someone who is looking for frequent headache, muscle, or osteoarthritis relief; then you know what I mean. You can choose to spend your life doped up, or you can search for remedies that allow you to both ease the pain AND be present in your daily life. I’m not into living in a fog.

So, if you have any herbal or alternative tips for headache and pain relief, send them my way.

I got a message on MySpace yesterday that turned out to be from someone I worked with a long, long time ago. I was working as the assistant to the VP of market research and he was contracted to develop some human resources software for the company. Talk about a blast from the past.

This is exactly why I love the internet, though. I have a hard time imagining not having contact tools at hand like the ones available online. It should not be so hard for me to believe, since a mere 10 years ago most houses weren’t even wired for the net. If you wanted to locate someone, you looked in the phone books at the library or you called information and had the operator sift through the listings in a given city.

I also wrote a lot of letters to people I did know how to find to see if they had current addresses for old friends. Getting a letter returned to sender was a common thing, since often addresses I had were so old nobody living there knew who I was.

We’re spoiled now.