Pantiliners for Sweaty Armpits

'Tis the season to fret over which dresses will and won't show pit stains. Last winter I spotted a simple yet beautiful royal blue sheath dress on sale. Pat on the back for my cost savings but immediate face palm for not knowing if this dress would show sweat. 

Classy for the holidays

Just look at that gorgeous color! How could I resist? I went all year without wearing the beaut. It wasn't until I threw my Third Annual Holiday Crock Pot Party that I had an excuse to wear it.

Yes, Crock Pot Party is exactly what you think it is. I invite a bunch of friends, they bring Crock Pots full of delicious food, there is one Crock Pot for hot cider, we drink, we are merry, and we have a fucking ball. This one was by far my favorite Crock Pot Party. 

Man friend not pictured. 

Leading up to the party I did no sweat prep. I didn't look to see if I had clean stockings without holes, I didn't see if I had a clean slip dress to wear under, and I didn't test the fabric to see how much sweat it could hold before a stain showed. Call me a wild woman.

I did go to hot yoga the morning of the party. This helps ensure I don't sweat for a few hours after. My nerves chill out a bit. 

30 minutes before getting dressed memories of past parties slapped me hard. I was reminded that it gets hot in a house filled with people, when I drink I sweat, and I start to sweat more when interacting with people I haven't seen in a while. HOLY SLOW COOKED MEATBALL WHY DIDN'T I PREPARE?

I called out to my roommate, "Laila! Can you come help me for a moment?" Her boyfriend was in the house so I couldn't quite request what I wanted. "Do you have pantiliners? I want to use them for the pits of my dress." Every so helpful she said, "Yes! And good idea!" No shame in asking.

Not just for your underwear.

I recommend buying a thicker liner. Liners that err on the side of a pad. Do not go cheap on this folks. Cheap liners will crumple up, not stick very well, and ultimately fall on the ground in front of the person you're talking to. I went with the store brand version of Always Xtra Protection line. Look for the purple box in the US. International readers if you have an equivalent let us know in the comments. 

The liners worked but not as well as I hoped. It hedged some sweating but not completely. I could've put new liners in midway through the party and that would've done the trick. 

Through the night I had no major sweat panics. Except for one brief moment. Man friend and I were walking outside when he leaned in to tell me, "There is a stain on your back." I FREAKED OUT internally. I slyly walked through the party trying not to show my back.

Was it a period stain? A sweat stain? I was feeling dewey all over. Oh my god I have a huge sweat stain on my back.

I go to my bathroom to see a small white spot of powdered sugar. I didn't even bother wiping it off. I marched outside and informed man friend that he gave me an unnecessary heart attack and to NEVER do that again.

It's reported to be 81 degrees in LA on Christmas. Bah humbug. 

Disney's Frozen for the Sweaty

It's screener season in Los Angeles. Friends and bosses of friends start receiving films in the mail to consider for awards season. It's a beautiful thing to watch new releases for free from the comfort of your own space. 

Last night the man friend and I watched Frozen at my request. I highly recommend this film to anyone with a soul. I'll warn the music isn't up to Disney classic standards. That said, I loved this film. My HH friends you will relate to this film.

Girl, I know that look.

I choked up when Elsa has her coronation to be queen. She wears gloves to mask her magical powers that torment her. Her hands tremble as she faces the crowd on what's supposed to be a joyous occasion. The anguish that almost paralyzes her is something we can all relate to with HH. How closely the story is tied to her hands is really something sweet for us. 

Also, Olaf is now one of my new favorite Disney characters. He gave me some hearty belly laughs. Thanks, Olaf you're the best. All things cheesy and delightful bring them my way.

More Olaf!

Although I was pumped to watch the film I wasn't the most relaxed to start. It was my last date night for a long while with man friend. We were a little frantic getting together since he completely forgot the actual date he was flying home for Christmas. He had planned for another day in LA while his plane ticket did not. So I rushed home and packed a bag to stay the night. 

I forgot to pack socks. Such an amateur move. How did I forget to pack SOCKS?! I threw on my lounge clothes and a pair of slip on shoes. It should be burned in my memory that when I lounge around I need to wear socks. This isn't a new revelation. I cannot have my feet dangling free. 

To top it off it was hot in his apartment. I immediately questioned if the heater was on. It was not. I then asked if we could open the door to let in fresh air. Fresh air was not making its way in quickly enough. Feet were dripping wet. I sat with my legs crossed hoping my pants would mop up the sweat. I became uncomfortable. I flopped around trying to find the perfect sweat wicking position. He was none the wiser of my droplets but I feared him finding out.

My body must have been radiating heat because asked if he should open a window. FOR THE LOVE OF GOD YES. There was a nice cross breeze that moved through the stuffy apartment. Finally, I was able to kick my legs out across the couch and focus on the film. My sweating subsided. They were still clammy but they were manageable and less embarrassing. 

When we started chatting after the film the sweating started up again. A fun reminder that I can't always have complete control. I had a similar takeaway from watching Frozen.

I'm planning to have "SOCKS" tattooed on my arm real soon. 

Death to Insecurity

Tacos, Bud Light Lime-a-Ritas, and my best friends were exactly what the soul ordered last night. 

The last day in Zion my emotions got the best of me taking me on a roller coaster of god know's what. Luckily I was able to summon my "LA Family" for a dinner to catch up. Our core group of five helps keep me grounded, provides a safe space to say what's really on my mind, and allows me to be off-the-wall silly. We were long overdue for a family dinner without lovers/significant others. 

Cozy at Russell's place with slow cooked carnitas tacos (veggie tacos for Lena) we dished, laughed, and I shared my crazy brain thoughts. It felt good to get outside of my head and say exactly what was on my mind. Side bar: Bud Light Lime-a-Ritas are stupidly delicious not to mention cheap too. Those little punches of delicious alcohol might have helped propel words out of my mouth. 

Later that night, I'm not quite sure how it came up, but we got on the topic of tarot reading. Russell has a deck handy for readings. Very eager for clarity I volunteered myself for the first reading. I meditated on my confidence. At my first therapy appointment last month I brought it up as a key concern and it shows through my blog posts.

What do I need to do to move confidently in (romantic) relationships?

Hot damn you guys. The cards knew what was up. The reading is not meant to predict the future. You can't ask the cards a yes or no question. You have to be ready to go on a journey with the cards. It confirmed my fears and gave me the confidence to move forward.

In these cards I see hope and hilarity.  No really.

The funniest moment came when Russell said, "This next card shows how you view your present state or what you think of yourself." Quickly I said, "Watch it's going to be the death card." It wasn't the death card but it was The Tower card that shows people jumping out of a burning tower. I laughed right out loud. It's true that I feel like my life is in utter chaos. Look at the picture above. You can't help but laugh at the over dramatization. 

I ended on a high note. I got the Death Card. I was alarmed at first too, but as Russ explained it's a death to a part of me. Death to my insecurity. Good things are on their way folks.
Russ continued to read my friend's cards individually. It was a great experience to help understand which each one of us is battling with. The cards really helped us put into words what we're feeling, and how we want to move forward. 

I am very energized. Have you ever had a reading? Have you had a bad reading?

Winter Getaway: Zion National Park

Overdue for a weekend getaway a friend of mine was kind enough to host me and some pals at his parent's vacation home in Springdale, Utah. Just a hop, skip, and a jump from Zion National Park the house is a perfect getaway offering both adventure and relaxation.

This was my fourth trek out to this wondrous, beautiful, jaw dropping, magical place. I wasn't dead set on conquering Angel's Landing (done it) or ruining my knees on Observation Point (been there). My agenda was simple: drink whiskey, eat a lot of cheese dip, hike a bit at a steady pace, laugh a lot, and shut my brain off. 

Some of those things did happen, some did not, and some adventure in between fell upon us. Quite literally, keep reading. My carpool didn't make it to the house until 3am. After seven hours on the road I was acting like caged animal. After hugs and hallelujahs of finally making it we crashed. All cozy in my bed I somehow woke up just four hours later. It was about 10:30 am and by some miracle we had the energy to go hiking.

Winter presents some hazards at the Emerald Pools.

We made our way to the Emerald Pools to find out the trail was mostly frozen over and chained off. Being confident and stupid I went over the chain to investigate. It was no joke. The trail had no wiggle room for hikers without an ice pick. A few years prior we had managed to hike around the ice. 

On to the next! We knew Watchman Trail was a good easy hike that was mostly in the sun. Despite feeling like hell I kept a fast pace. I suppose I just wanted to get it over with. Once we got to the end of the trail I could feel my energy levels plummeting. My body was giving me a huge bitch slap for treating it so poorly. 

On this trail I broke into a sweat despite it being about 30 degrees out. I was wearing two pairs of pants to keep warm, and despite my clever layering feared I might be bleeding through. No period stains just sweat, hoorah!

As soon as we returned to the house I retreated while everyone else drank and played games. So proud my FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) didn't take over. I slept for three hours until I was awoken with an abrupt knocking on my door. "The restaurant closes in an hour! We gotta go!" I bolted out of bed and threw on shoes and out the door we went. 

Here's where things went wrong. I didn't eat lunch. I went straight to napland. NEVER do that folks. Hunger pangs gripped at my intestines so tight that the sound, smell, and sight of food was repulsive. Twice I excused myself anticipating projectile vomit. Luckily it didn't happen.

My friends being awesome made a stop for saltines and ginger ale. My diet helped me lose four pounds over the weekend! Was it worth it? Not really. As I didn't get to drink that whiskey I wanted.

The next morning feeling a bit more refreshed I looked out the window to see snow! It snowed ALL 
DAY LONG. The gang bundled up and PLAYED. We threw snowballs, we attempted to build a few snow men, and we gawked at the winter wonderland around us. SoCal natives in total awe. 

Zion experienced 15 inches of snowfall in a 24 hour period making it the second heaviest snowfall since 1894. 

My goodness, just look at how plush it is. Not only was it absolutely majestic outside my appetite was back in full swing. Hello flavor! We didn't get on the road as quickly as we liked considering we had to dig and push our cars out of the snow. A special thanks to the neighbors who stopped to help pull us out of the tiniest hill that kept us from the main road. 

Thanks for the help! See ya next time, Zion. 

Is it a bit cold where you are? Might I suggest the game ...Things and Celebrity. These simple games kept our group entertained for hours indoors. Being the sober person on the trip I can attest these games will make you laugh.

Going to Church

The fear of God was very real part of my youth. Not only was I afraid of being condemned to hell for my transgressions but I feared hand holding during worship. Church has never felt like a comfortable atmosphere for me. 

One of my dear friends managed to get me in a church over the weekend. I'm not a religious person. I go to yoga and consider myself like tooootally spiritual and stuff, but saviors and saints aren't really my thing. Luckily we weren't there to hear a sermon but to hear him sing. 

I've known Eric since our first day of high school. We met in Spanish class. A very gregarious fellow we hit it off right away. I was really fascinated by him as he moved through campus making his presence known. I always wanted to be noticed but didn't have the confidence to make moves. I think Eric and I fell into the same social circles in the long run because frankly we were painfully unhip. Two nerds who dropped some weight over the years and grew into our adult looks. Essentially we look good now so suck it popular kids. 

Eric has been the only person to get me into a church in the last few years. Sadly for his mother's funeral three years ago, and a fundraiser for a local hospice group this past Sunday honoring his mom. 

The sanctuary he performed in was really beautiful. I hadn't been inside since I was a teen. I'd forgotten how the architecture of a Catholic church can overwhelm you. It may be some mind trickery but I can see how people feel the presence of God. Then I was flooded of memories of being utterly paralyzed with discomfort during Catholic mass in our awkward pimply teen years. 

I think I see God in the rafters.

Taking a deep breath I remembered I didn't have to be subject to that anymore. Furthermore, as an adult I know the power of choice and owning my sweatiness. I'm sure if Jesus is the man they say he is– you know hanging out with hookers– he would've been (would be?) fine with abnormal perspiration. If I were to go to church today I don't think I'd be nearly as uncomfortable as in my youth. The memories though are forever cemented in my memory. 

Going to a Catholic high school meant that a few times out of the year I would be forced to attend mass. Imagine it, a church crammed with about 800 hormonal teenagers. The church was built long ago with no air conditioning. The place would get real toasty. There I am in a hot box essentially, nervous because I'm a teen looking to fit in, and my hyperhidrosis is out of control. I would be swimming in sweat. SO UNCOMFORTABLE.

I quickly memorized the part of mass where you hold hands and say the Lord's prayer. KILL ME. Getting up in the middle of mass to go to the bathroom was my classic move. It was also a bold move considering I could have had a major butt sweat stain. Once I faked being sick to avoid the whole ordeal entirely, and another time wore gloves despite it being about 65-70 degrees out. A not so tactful classmate called me out on it, and I will forever remember my friend piping up on my behalf saying that I was trying to moisturize my hands. What a good friend to make up a lie for me because she saw the look of fear come over me.

I'm curious how others have dealt with this within their own church, synagogue, mosque, temple, or wherever one practices their faith. If you have a story about your experience please share! 

Tumblr, Baking Soda Remedy, & Labeling

If you haven't ventured into the Tumblr world I encourage you to go dabble. Dip your toe in. Start with a quick "hyperhidrosis" tag search. You'll find a plethora of young users reaching out for help or at least a little understanding and acceptance. It's quite magical. I thank the powers that be everyday that I didn't have social media in high school BUT this is kind of awesome.

Here's a message you might find interesting I received on Tumblr:

Wow it just occurred to me to look for a hyperhydrosis tag on Tumblr and found your blog :) It's so nice to see that I'm not alone with this shit (which for me is a curse mostly because of social expectations about 'hygiene' and people assuming sweating means I'm nervous...).  

Anyway, two things that are in my mind:   

1) After experimenting with lots of kinds of deodorants a few years ago I found that putting Soda Bicarbonate powder on my armpits totally vanishes any sweat odor. It works wonders for me.

via Etsy

This is great to hear! I've never attempted to use Soda Bicarbonate or baking soda. I used it recently with my shingles disaster and it worked wonders to relieve itching. Hoorah for a natural remedy and not to mention dirt cheap. All deodorants have curbed my odor in my armpits. However baking soda might be something to consider for my groin (smelly hoohah, ugh), and perhaps my feet. 

Quick Baking Soda Remedies

2) Would you (or your followers) consider hyperhidrosis a disability? Because in a social context it does mean a lot of handicap and embarrassment, also makes some everyday activities more difficult or dangerous to do (eg. handling knives). I'm curious about the views of other people living with this condition.

What are your thoughts? We want to hear from you.

We all agree hyperhidrosis can be crippling. There are examples of people unable to perform their job due to hyperhidrosis who were then able to collect disability insurance. I know this to be true because I was denied disability insurance after having ETS surgery because of said examples. That's a post for another day.

My personal opinion, please by all means disagree in the comments, is if we consider hyperhidrosis a disability we're doing ourselves a disservice. We a creating a crutch for sufferers to fall on instead of empowering each other. We are fully capable of taking care of ourselves with HH. My daily functions are not put to a halt because of HH. They might be compromised. That said, I don't think we can fall in the ranks of those who need special assistance to get by. 

Instead of drawing attention to hyperhidrosis as a disability I would rather we draw attention to HH in general. Educating teachers, doctors, and employers that someone with HH is not excessively sweating because they're nervous or have poor hygiene we're simply being.

What do you have to say?

My Special Skill: Vivid Dreaming

As of late my dreams have been coming to fruition or they've been a foreshadowing of something similar to come. Being a very vivid dreamer has it's hilarious moments but lately I've been a bit startled. A few dreams about work have become reality. Including people being fired and problems with my paycheck. Not exactly uplifting.

Tis the season for panicky dreams.

I stayed the night at the man friend's on Friday. It's not unusual for me to wake up in a minor panic at his place. I drool. This was different. In my dream he found out about my hyperhidrosis on the internet. Midway in I woke myself up and stared at him snoring. He was not about to pop the HH question. 

In the dream I repeatedly asked if he had found my blog and if that was what gave me away. I never found his source. He had a book in his hand, with his finger bookmarking a specific section. The book perhaps described HH and he put the puzzle together himself. He matter-of-factly asked, "Do you have hyperhidrosis?" Then proceeded to say he could find anything on the internet. A topic we've talked about in real life.

Clearly I'm still paranoid about my hyperhidrosis and frankly people finding this blog. I'm confident to say if he asked me I wouldn't panic. I have visions of the topic coming up organically. He's only grabbed for my sweaty feet once and I pulled away. There has been no reason just yet to describe HH. I am not as ashamed or nervous as I once was. It's a process coming to terms with this awkward condition. I just want to break the news as opposed to someone finding my "secret." 

I laughed when he told me people think he's weird. Maybe that was a good opportunity. You're weird? Well check this out...

My friend recently told me to look for progress, not perfection. This dream was simply a reminder that I still have a ways to go. 

How soon have you told someone about your HH?

Friday Roundup

Who is ready to paaaaaaaaarty? Me neither. Actually, I am jonesin for a stiff fancy whisky drink assembled by a hot LA mixologist. Whisky in moderation of course because 1) hangovers suck at 27, and 2) I want to keep the sweat in check tonight. Leave the sweat for after drinks yaknowwhatImsaying?. I'm super lusty for my date tonight. Things are going well with this fella (first mentioned here). Knock knock on the internet wood things continue to progress with him.

Here are some things I like on the web this week:

Muppets Most Wanted Trailer

YAYAYAYAYA!

Lissie - Further Away (Romance Police)

This is my girl power jam. If you're a Stevie Nicks fan you'll dig Lissie.

Apartment Therapy's DIY Holiday Guide

I'm eager to bust out my sewing machine. Great DIY inspriration.

12 Things Everyone Should Know Going Into Their 10s

There has been an avalanche of listing articles top ten this, twenty things you should know that. 

This was refreshing. 

But seriously, can we put a moratorium on lists?

And in case you were wondering, this here post doesn't fall in that category.

Crispy Ginger Beef Recipe

Hold the peppers!

Martha Stewart Holiday Cocktail Guide

Cheers Y'all!

ETS Surgery Side Effects

By and large, the post that generates the most traffic to the blog is My Experience with ETS Surgery. You want to know what's up! I get it. I'm a real life example of the surgery working and not working.

My message remains consistent: 

Think twice before having the surgery and question everything your surgeon tells you. 

Think about it.

The original post is rather lengthy. If you're thinking of having the surgery I highly recommend reading the entire post and shooting me an email with any follow up questions you might have. Take off the rose colored glasses, this surgery has it's pitfalls that come along with the glorious feeling of dry hands.

Side Effects of Endoscopic Thoracic Sympathectomy

Warm food or drink induced sweat: 
The back of my neck and chest sweats when I eat fast, or when I drink/eat anything warm.

Spicy food induced sweat: 
My face sweats when I eat anything spicy. I used to eat spicy food boldly now I eat it with a bit of concern. My face takes on a slick glossy glow. It's a different kind of sweat. Let me emphasize this, it's my entire face that is sweating. It's a bummer constantly asking to hold the peppers or asking if salsa can come on the side. Mexican, Thai, Korean, BBQ... it can get tricky.

Boob sweat: 
My boobs sweat a lot more. Changing bras in the summer time is something I've become used to. Constantly checking to see if I have an underboob stain on my shirt is nothing foreign. I've had more than one experience of a girlfriend of mine grabbing a necklace I'm wearing and getting a bit of sweat on their hands. Strange that's happened more than once.

DRIPPING body sweat: 
I can't walk down the street or up a flight of stairs without breaking a sweat. LAYERS all the time. When I lay out at the pool I am constantly jumping in the water. Sweat? No, no that's pool water. Oh, you're not convinced? Time to jump in again. 

Now that its winter I experience this less but I also haven't been walking around the town much. Two recent examples of dripping sweat: 

One) I walked less than half a mile to a neighborhood restaurant. My entire back was dripping and my boobs were quite damp. A trip to the bathroom and some calming breaths I was able to stop the sweating. If you're a city dweller who loves walking this surgery is going to cause you troubles. 

Two) I was enjoying game night at a friends. I had a hot cider, some heavy foods, and it was a bit stuffy in the room. That reads as a combination for disaster. A friend and I were beginning to catch up and all of a sudden I started dripping sweat. She couldn't notice since it was on my body but I was very uncomfortable. So uncomfortable it compromised our conversation. I wasn't engaged and slightly panicky. 

I cannot emphasize this enough. DRIPPING sweat. Large beads of sweat. My body would sweat before but now instead of my hands dripping my body is. Mostly my back, chest and legs. 

Sweaty knees: 
When I go for a run or hike I have really weird lines of sweat running down. No one else has legs that look like this. If I'm in a setting that's 65+ degrees just sitting my legs are much sweatier than before the surgery. 

Upper back sweat: 
My upper back never used to sweat outside of the norm. Now racerback tank tops are my best friend. I also have a good collection of cotton dresses that I can wear under my dresses. Bare upper back anything is rarely found in my wardrobe. 

Slower heart rate: 
My heart rate is slower. This is more of a positive for the longevity of my heart. 

Considering all the above my hands do not sweat. I cannot deny that having sweat free hands has really changed my life, but I do not live sweat free. It is important to me to share these side effects with you because I was naive and misinformed going into my surgery. 

Why Mention Hyperhidrosis on Your Online Dating Profile?

For better or worse my dating life is fueled by the internet. Seriously, what is wrong with people? Does no one in Los Angeles ask people out anymore? Wait a second. What's wrong with me? Before I tumble down that rabbit hole I want to talk about writing online dating profiles.

Even Martha is cool with online dating.

Out of pure curiosity I searched "Hyperhidrosis" on OKCupid. There weren't many profiles that mentioned it but I was a little dismayed by the ones that did. I so desperately wanted to reach out and say, "STOP. Take that off immediately!" 

I refrained as I'm not expert. Although, I have had two relationships develop from online dating and a sleuth of first and second dates. I've been around the internet block.

Always ask yourself, what would Martha do?

To Mention or Not to Mention HH?

Pro

You're being your true authentic self. While writing the perfect profile you are compelled to mention that you suffer from hyperhidrosis. Perhaps within the narrative about yourself it organically comes out. The reader has learned a new fact about you. They know what they're getting into.

Pro

You might find another person with hyperhidrosis who matches your personality. You understand each other on a sweaty level. When you go to the movies together you sit in peace knowing the other won't go for a hand grab.

Con

You sound guarded. By mentioning "my hands sweat profusely" it really reads, "I told you that I sweat. You can't judge me. You know exactly what you're signing up for." Sorry dude, you sound like you have some emotional walls to tear down and I don't know if I'm willing to help with that. 

Con

Are you over sharing? Did you mention hyperhidrosis AND how awful it can be when your underwear is soggy from merely walking around the mall? I've just blocked your profile. Everyone, no really everyone, has something their insecure about. It doesn't need to be the first thing out of our mouths.  

Con

You might find another person with hyperhidrosis who doesn't match your personality. Just because someone has hyperhidrosis doesn't mean they're your match. Hyperhidrosis has shaped my existence but I am not defined by HH. We all have values, interests, and aspirations in life. Explore those first to see if your partner is a match. 

Would I ever mention HH in my own profile? No. 

Resources for crafting an online profile:

7 tips to create an online dating profile that works
6 Online Dating Mistakes to Avoid
How To Write a Good Online Profile

Outfit Trends for Your Sweaty Armpits and Feet

There are a few trends over the last year I have been absolutely smitten with. Any outfit that I can sweat freely in deserves a gold medal. Thank you to the designers, stylists, and fashionistas that have embraced these looks. Little do they know they're helping us out in a major way. 

The Classic Denim Shirt

Miley has some respectable moments.

Since my pre-teen years I've been rocking the denim shirt. Sometimes left open over another shirt, a short sleeved version can be worn over a sun dress in the summer, or a dark denim shirt rocked on its own. I recommend investing in a good quality dark denim shirt that allows for a bit of sweat. Often thick enough so sweat won't show through just like your favorite pair of jeans.

Shop denim shirts:

• Madewell - $69.50
• JC Penny - $18.99
• Banana Republic - $79.50

Booties/ Ankle Boots

Simply adorable.

There is nothing worse than sloshing around in shoes. My sweaty feet rejoice in how easy it is to find socks in all shapes in sizes allowing me to wear fancier footwear. But my toes are beyond grateful for the ankle bootie. My entire foot is covered saving me the embracement of visible foot sweat, and I can wear them day to evening.

Shop booties:

• TOMS - $84.00
• O'Neill - $70.00
• Target - $27.99

Color Block Dresses

I am so in love with Vince Camuto right now.

Is this real? Is this really happening? There is a dress that is not just black that will allow my pits to sweat on constant stream? Shut up. With black color blocks under the arms these dresses are often intended to create a slimming silhouette. For us that means we can wear a dress with a pop of color without keeping our arms glued to our sides. Throw your damn hands up.

Shop color block dresses:

• Vince Camuto - $84.99
• ModCloth - $52.99
• Old Navy - $19.00

What are some staples in your closet? Favorite places to shop?

I'm Hot and Uncomfortable

I started seeing someone. It feels weird to say that as we've only been on a handful of dates. "Seeing someone" sounds serious, but there is really no other way to describe what we're doing. We are seeing each other.

Now that I've written this it will fall apart quickly.

From what I can tell he's a good guy that has my sense of humor. I get a sense that I can talk to him about my hyperhidrosis when the time is right. We'll see where things go. 

I had a big confidence break through with him last night. We were in the throws of making out when I became way too hot [insert tasteless joke]. My body was becoming damp and his hands were all over me. He was more or less mopping up my perspiration with his hands. I wonder what he thought of it. I'll never know. I did know though that if we had continued for much longer beads of sweat would have trickled down. The fear of splashes on his hands came over me. 

I must not let that happen. Just yet.

I took control of the situation though. I pulled away subtly, smiled, fanned myself and said, "Hey. I'm really warm, a little sweaty, and kind of uncomfortable. I think I've hit my limit for the night." We starred at each other for a moment. "Sorry, I'm just uncomfortable. Not because of you though. I'm just warm." We starred some more. There was no judgement in his eyes thank god. 

I then diverted the conversation to when we'd see each other next. Everything was peachy king. I did not begin to sweat more out of fear. I didn't panic because I felt bad about stopping the smooches. It was what it was. I went from uncomfortable to comfortable. 

Speak up. It's OK.

Thanks Nick from New Girl for helping me tell this tale.

Goodbye Summer, You Weren't So Bad

Fall is upon us. I can hardly get out of bed in the morning, after all the sun is not even ready for the day at 6:30 am. It's near impossible to emerge from my cozy covers when it's pitch black out. As I drifted off to bed last night without sweaty feet I realized it's been a while since I had to put on socks at bed time to soak up the dampness. It was truly a mild summer.

Look at that nerd geeking out over Chardonnay at the beach in November. 

Was it a mild summer or was I just boring? I played it safe this year. I avoided bars and drank cooler beverages. My social life was filled with familiar faces and places avoiding unexpected scenarios. I went to the beach only once, and I sought out shade whenever possible. Is this what growing up is like? Making a concious effort to make sure I'm comfortable? Maybe.

If You Get Caught In A Heat Wave - Sara's Adult Minded Tips (Even If It Is a Bit Too Late)

1. Stay in the shade. 

Don't worry about getting a tan. You're only going to get wrinkles, sun damage, and a sweat stain out of it. Tell the sun to take a hike.  

2. Drink ice water. 

This one you've heard before but it really does help keep your insides cool and our fucked up internal thermostats in check.  

3. Avoid hard liquor. 

Getting drunk really quick is fun when you're 19, pounding shots of flavored vodka to get the courage to dance on tables. Then you wake up the next morning and see your pit stains tagged all over Facebook. Drink slow and drink less hard liquor so that you wake up worry free. 

An almanac could tell me the highs and lows of Los Angeles. But who has time for that?! I'll say the sun scorched a little less leaving me a touch more dry, AND I took extra caution to manage my sweat. A splendid combination. 

Although I am embracing my favorite time of year with a full heart I can't say that summer was all that awful. I could use another beach day. 

How did everyone else cope with summer? Confidence peaking with cool breezes?

Cate Blanchett's Superb Sweaty Performance

Actors are beautiful. A great majority of them. They exude grace and beauty that can stop you dead in your tracks. Living in LA it's happened to me. Even actors that are not the typical definition of beautiful tend to have something about them. Louis CK being a prime example. 

Woody. A total boss.

Over the weekend I caught Blue Jasmine the latest Woody Allen film. Cate Blanchett despite playing an unhinged whack-a-doo she is gorgeous in this film. I know by industry standards she is respected as a beautiful talented woman, but she wasn't on my radar much. She was just there floating around aimlessly in my memory bank labeled as "that one actress who's been in that one film." Until I saw Blue Jasmine.

Woody Allen has made some of my favorite films including Annie Hall (complexities of relationships) and Match Point (sexy suspenseful drama). The man writes and directs a damn good script. His directing style appears effortlessly distinctive and recognizable across all genres of film. The dialogue he writes for Blue Jasmine reminds me how clever Woody is. He creates an environment that engrosses you where you can't stop talking about it hours after the film. Woody, you're fabulous.

Cate's performance as Jasmine is phenomenal. Beyond her beauty I wanted to share that she sweats in Blue Jasmine! Go get your ticket now. I perk up anytime I see any sort of pit stain on screen. 

Girl, you lookin' damp.

The downside is the wet rings under her arms are from pure anxiety and Xanax induced side effects. She's not one of us. Regardless I appreciate Woody including this as part of her character. I would be interested to see how it's denoted in the script.  Jasmine's emotional breakdown is a full body experience. Watching a beautiful woman sweat through an expensive silk dress makes me smile. I've been there. Although my dress was probably polyester. And depending on how you look at it you might be comforted by Jasmine, "Well at least when I sweat through my dress I wasn't a complete train wreck."

Keep sweatin' Hollywood. 

Louis CK, He Gets It

Have you seen this?

Immediately after watching I wanted to post here about it's simplicity and profoundness. No words came to me though. All I could think was, "Man, Louis CK... he GETS it. Am I right?!"

Then I saw this post from Yoga Dork, by Kelly Barrett. 

Kelly recalls her yoga training after watching the clip:

I think the biggest lessons we all learned in that [yoga] training were about ourselves—how we experience pain, loss, frustration, boredom, joy—and how we work through those moments by actually experiencing them, not avoiding them. And most of all, I think we learned how it’s actually a beautiful thing to experience all of that. 

 ...

It’s not reasonable to expect we can all live without cell phones and really that isn’t the point. But what yoga gives us the chance to do is to spend more time hanging out with ourselves. It gives us the chance to question if we’re reaching for our phones for something we already have inside us.

Exactly, Kelly. 

Taking in the sunset right before yoga class... with my phone.
Whoops.
Namaste.

Read the full post, On Putting Your Phone Away and Being With Yourself. 

Cold, Refreshing Ice Cream

Saturday was beautiful with cool breezes, scattered clouds, and a radiant sun. Intense heat seems to be behind us. Sincere happiness washed over me. I desperately embraced it considering I was nursing a a wine hangover. Can I get a hallelujah?! 

To make the afternoon even sweeter I hazily stumbled in to the newly opened Sweet Rose Creamery in Santa Monica. In big sunglasses and clothes from the night before I'm sure I was a sight for sore eyes. My friends have been touting Sweet Rose's gourmet flavors like Sweet Corn and Salted Carmel. For about a month I followed the stages to the grand opening on Eater LA with great anticipation. 

Ta da! Salted Carmel & Caffe Luxxe

For a hyperhidrosis sufferer the cold sensation of ice cream oozing down the core of your body is so satisfying. Holding a cold cup of your favorite flavor might even ease the sweat of your hands. A cone may be a little more difficult to manage potentially causing the dough to crumble. Hell with the cone! We don't really need those extra carbs anyway. 

The service at Sweet Rose was welcoming. They were excited to finally have their doors open and were ready to answer any questions we had. Clean white walls coupled with small splashes of color, and beautiful steel ice cream barrels the shop is a delightful addition to the neighborhood. Despite the service and scenery being everything I had hoped for I chose the absolute wrong flavors for my hangover pallet. Two scoops of Caffe Luxxe Coffee and Salted Carmel were an explosion of intense flavor that did not agree with me. If I was five I probably would've sobbed from flavor frustration. I continued to eat it hoping my taste buds would adjust. I nearly ate the entire two scoops-- I paid $5.50 for it after all, but was not sold on the taste. 

I'll go back to Sweet Rose no doubt about it. Next time I'll ask to try a few more flavors before diving in. Another lesson learned.

How was your weekend? Any refreshing lessons to share?

Friday Roundup

Happy Friday! Looking for something to read over the weekend? No? I don't blame you. I too just want to shut off.

Come Monday morning if you're desperate for some interesting content easily clickable on the world wide web, here are a few things that caught my attention this week:

Sad Desk Lunch

I'm not alone!

101 Cookbooks - Orange Pan-glazed Tempeh Recipe

Drool city. Trying to incorporate more soy in to my diet.

How Yoga Helps You Fake It Until You Make It
Namaste!

How to Get Flat Abs, Have Amazing Sex and Rule the World in 8 Easy Steps.
It's not what you think.