Is this a sign of middle age crisis?

I'm just trying to help the economy by spending my money.

After all is said and done, spending $100 on yourself is an excellent way to treat yourself and feel good. That's cheap when one considers how much we spend on other unnecessary junk and how much psychologists charge per hour.

Enjoy away, and do that more often!

We agree at last ci. I'm in favour as well.

It is proper Christian etiquette for ladies to smell nice.

I was studying a picture of the Venus of Willendorf the other day and it struck me how much she must have stunk. Especially during heatwaves. What our brothers must have had to put up with doesn't bear thinking about.

It is no wonder they dreamed up Christian theology.

Flaubert went to Egypt with a pal to try out Kouchuck Hamen, the famed lady of easy virtue at the time, and the verdict was PHWOOAARR! And that was in modern times on a Darwinian perspective. Cutting edge one might say if one was to be scientific. They had floorboards. Gus got a spinter in his arse off one of them.

It was thought that prettying them up was progress so that they all smelt warm and scenty and damp and all spread out on the counterpane relaxed and all and with all their pores open and wrinkles smoothed out. A compilation of Mozart's slow movements on the surround sound.

Stendhal said that the Book of Etiquette was the most important book of the 18th century. Now you know why. And he knew all about scientists and philosophers and learned tomes. And that's a Christian book.

I just hope they all don't get like Poppea Sabina or Madame de Pompadour because those two weren't affordable so what a few million can do I can't imagine and even at these lowly levels they have Mr Paulson looking haunted and casting about for a solution.

Your $100 dollar limit seems a bit parsimonious to me though when it comes to ladies treats and them feeling good. Is it a safety valve type of thing.

I wonder what these ladies think about that but I did notice you said it was "cheap". I told you that you're a male chauvinist pig. $100?? Sheesh!!

That's duck's arse tight with an insult tossed casually in. Have you been indulging yourself or something?

It's only about 70 quid.

Well, thanks. So I went out and spent another $80 for good measure. I needed more body lotion (the one thing I didn't buy in the prior week). I went in and the woman convinced me to buy the huge tub of body cream - should last a year and a huge savings rather than buying smaller containers. And they threw in a smaller lotion to carry in my car or for the office.

And to top it off - they invited me back next week for a free facial and makeup. I asked if it was complementary - the woman said yes, well they hope it will lead to customers buying more product. Guess they have me pegged - any way I'll go for the facial. I figure there isn't much else I can buy.

There's an ad on our screens that says that for £2 a month ($3) you can buy an abandoned dog a little love and comfort. Or for a bit more a kid in Africa a drink of clean water and a carrot.

I'll send the kid some of my miracle lotion.

This is either too much, or not enough information.

I figured I had to touch my body now - just to see how soft it is - but I am at work and in order to get a good feel - I might get in trouble.

Quite honestly though, I love the feel of my skin when it feels real soft (not in a sexual way) and my face has been surprising more soft. I haven't used the body lotion long enough to determine and like I said before if I start rubbing my body, I could get in trouble.

Well get somebody else to rub it.

Spendi, what's with the "Christian ladies" all the time? What about the rest
of us who are not Christian?

Linkat, pamper yourself, you've had some rough months in the past and
deserve to splurge and indulge. In the end, everyone in your family and surrounding will benefit from it.

Then I'd be in even more trouble.

Would it be better to have another woman rub it or a man? Which would be less likely to get me into trouble?

That's true - I will swear and yell much less if I feel soft and supple. I am rubbing the "free" smaller body lotion I received right now on my hands. They feel nice and I smell great!

Its called ginger souffle by the way - even sounds expensive. I'll even share some with my less fortunate co-workers. Does that count as charity?

That depends. If it was me there would be no trouble unless sinking by infinitessimal degrees into a bottomless vortex of self-indulgent sensual pleasure presents a problem for you. Isn't it something of that nature that the adverts for those lotions vaguely promise?

All I would need do is pretend I was the Queen of Sheba's personal body servant and what could go wrong?

Oh, you're a Christian Cal. You needn't bother your head about that. I know about these things.

Well I mean legally here at work - I could get in trouble for sexual harrassment.

I never grass Link. (I think think "stool pigeon" is American for "grass".

What I mean is I wouldn't call the cops. No chance.

Only if you volunteer to rub it into your co-workers skin