Sounds Good

The lobster/chocolate breakfast
My friend Claire’s birthday had my family enjoying remnants of a 6-pound Papadeaux lobster and Lir Irish chocolates for breakfast. She wasn’t even there, but we toasted her.
It’s always a long story with Claire. I fast-foward to the part where she’s generous with the leftovers, so they don’t tempt her later. We ate large on our spring break but to our credit, we walked or tried The Bar exercise routine daily.
And I was looking fierce, with a spa-day facial massage, make up application and sassy hairdo by Beth, Michelle and Daphne, the Ladies of Beau Visage in Nederland. They did amazing things to me and I looked great for the fair, a seder meal and Le Grand Bal.
Readers, you may not have missed me, because I left columns to run during my week off. I missed you, so here’s more on what I did:
Ate
Panda has a new raspberry licorice with all natural ingredients, like carrot juice, that is so superior to what we are used to. It’s how they like it in Finland. The regular flavor looks a bit like road material, but is soft and subtle molasses flavor.

Treated my feet
Gehwol has been the stuff for feet since 1882, when the Westphalia family couldn’t have imagined the sexy foot wear women would be wearing in 2010. Eucalyptus, rosemary, mint, wheat, lavender and avocado are some of the “real” goods in the various creams and remedies in this line. Active ingredients such as camphor, ginger and oat extract and menthol are in there, too. The foot salve for cracked skin feels amazing and the hand cream simply feels different, somehow better, when it goes on. I have seen two people recently with heels so cracked they seemed a different color and I read a novel of a girl in a snowy clime whose mother rubbed her hands daily to prevent bleeding. I’d love to hand these folks a tube. The company has a bamboo and sugar scrub that sounds transforming. Hand cream with tapioca starch, of all things, reads Gerlan on the label.

Decorated myself
Orna Lalo’s face is partially obscured by a cucumber eye mask in her PR shot, but her beauty is seen in Lalo Treasures, flora and fauna inspired jewelry that has never made resin look so good. The very breath of spring is molded, by Bulgarian family women, into coral blooms, statement rings and hair décor that looks as though something flittery has just landed on your locks. I love her version of bangles that resemble India’s glass bangles. Mine come in orange and magenta dot and floral patterns that also put me in the mind of ‘70s pop art my sister sported.

Read up
• I turned directly to the art department of “College in a Nutskull,” a funny spiral filled with Professor Anders Henriksson’s findings of what students have actually turned in on essays and exams. Funny, funny stuff for teachers and others. Here’s the artistic answers:
Fresco was a popular snack food supplied by the church.
Degas specialized in belly dancers.
Too Loose Latreck could be found at work in cafes and brassieres throughout Paris.
Diego Rivera lived with Frito the Mexican Lady

• Blaine Loomer describes work personalities you may deal with using terms such as The Rooster, who sits on the fence and crows about himself and The Point Shaver. You always owe him one. I don’t want to say the name of the book here. I’ll call it “Corporate BS,” though Loomer spells out, and sorts out, the BS. I agree that there are a lot of negative people out in workplaces who can make everyone miserable. I’m sticking with the suggestion of having a positive attitude and hoping it rubs off on others.
ddoiron@panews.com