My period gives me super strength

I always thought it was the other way around, that when my old friend comes a-calling I should move as little as possible. Shouldn't I be, as ladies were in the Victorian era, overcome with the vapors and swoon against a couch? No, not so. Well, if I have really bad cramps I do prefer to take a painkiller and lay down until it seizes, but if I feel relatively okay I actually feel better than I do during my non-period days. I just came from working out and I can tell you, I have so much more strength than I normally do it's amazing. I could jog on the treadmill at a much higher speed than usual and what's more I could consistently keep that speed without getting tired. When it came time for some strength training I was also more energetic than normal. No cramps whatsoever. I have heard that the best time to work out is during your period because for some reason it's more effective during that time, but I didn't know that you also have more strength. Why is this? It's not like this during PMS when I'm cranky and more fatigued. You would think that I would be at my peak then when I have all that angst to take out.
The before stage is by far the worst part of the whole cycle. I hate it when my stomach and boobs start hurting and swelling and my mood is volatile at best and I look like a beached whale.
No, the best part of the month is actually during the period. I feel like I could lift a car.
There's an added bonus too. Since men find feminine hygiene products more threatening than a riled-up rattlesnake, I have something to tease my partner with for 5 days. Doesn't matter how little blood is on it, it gives them the hebe-jeebes every time. Naturally I can't speak for all men, but I know that mine finds them incredibly offensive and cringes at the sight of them. I think that men should experience having their period just once, maybe then they wouldn't be so adverse to buying sanitary pads at the grocery store. I know that there are plenty of men out there who don't find this a big deal at all but mine isn't one of them. He'll do it alright, but he usually gripes a little bit about it, "I don't know what you want!" and will sometimes call me from the store to ask something like "You want those ultra thin ones with wings or the thicker ones???"
I have to give him credit for the effort, although I do think he might be more at ease if I asked him to buy me wart remover or hemorrhoid cream.

I'm craving the deep blue sea

I know there something almost shameful about sun and sand vacations these days, at least in certain circles. These days it's trendier to visit places like India or Africa. It's almost regarded as intellectually retarded to want to spend your holiday on a beach. It's more noble to visit some place full of history, and walk up and down narrow streets in search of historical landmarks. And although there's a lot to be said for this type of vacation, I'm not ashamed to admit that my favourite type of vacation has always been and always will be on the beach. Literally on the beach. Last year I went to Greece for a week and stayed in a hotel that was located 50 meters from the ocean, and I loved every minute of it. Well, the only snag was that there was always such strong currents that you weren't allowed to swim most days.
I've backpacked through Europe and have done my share of walking around cities on narrow, dirty streets, and as interesting as may be, it's not really what I consider relaxation and time to contemplate. It's not my thing. My thing is living right on the beach where I can smell, see and hear the ocean all the time. For me there's something magical about the ocean. I'm not bored spending the whole day at the beach as long as I have a book, a parasol and something cold to drink. When we got hungry on the beach in Greece, we could easily walk to one of the marvelous restaurants close by and get a couple of stuffed pitas and some cold beer. It doesn't get much better than that in my opinion. Sitting under a parasol right in front of the water with a pita stuffed with grilled chicken, juicy Greek tomatoes and tzatziki sauce and a cold beer, and just watching the waves come crashing in. As long as every day isn't the same I'm good. As long as there are other things to vary the beach with, such as exploring the scenery or taking a boat ride somewhere.
I'm feeling nostalgic about last year's trip right now because it's summer and what I really want is to be by the sea, and preferably where the is sun too. I'd even settle for going to Turkey as long as it meant some beach time.

Why I am hooked on the Sims

I first discovered this game in 2004 when I played the Xbox version of it, and I soon became obsessed. I would come home from work in the afternoon, pour myself a glass of Fresca and sit down on the couch and enter the world of the Sims. I created many towns and I think my choice of names varied along the lines of Freakwille, Loonyville, Murderville and the default, and more sane, Pleasantview.
So, what was it that got me so hooked? Apart from addictive personality that is.
Well, here's why:

I have been writing about large households since I was 8, the Sims gave me the opportunity to fulfill what has always been in my head. It was a chance to come as close as I could possibly come to re-creating my fantasies. There has always been something so fascinating about a large house filled with different characters, all with their own quirks and oddities and taken straight from reality or from my own imagination.

The game allows you to live vicariously through your Sims. I often create a Linda character and then have her pursue a career in journalism. As long as you continue to improve on your skills and work hard, you advance on the job pretty quickly. You can go from being a Papergirl to being a Freelance Writer in just a week. How often does this happen in real life? It's awesome, and that's only the beginning. If you persist you can even become Editor-In-Chief. How great is this! Yes, granted, it would be better if it was actually real, but Sims 3 is a great way to kick back in the evening and escape reality.

You can get the man of your dreams if you just persist. On the Sims there are no such things as people turning you down because they think you're fat or ugly. Well, not on the Sims 3 at least. In the Sims 2, you got to choose different preferences in a partner. If your Sim prefers voluptuous blonds who are good at cooking, he/she will automatically have more chemistry with such a person. I keep waiting for that add-on to be available for Sims 3 because I thought this was a fun thing. Bottom line though, you can create the person that you have a crush on in real life and make romance blossom between you two. You could go to bed with Brad Pitt if you wanted, not that this is something I particularly desire, but you catch my drift.

You can wreak any havoc you want and screw with the Sim's lives. I have one very good friend who would make this her singular goal if she played this game. For me, I'm generally good to the Sims I like and mean to the ones I don't. I like creating Sims that are easy and who like to sleep around. This is in fact one of the life goals you can choose. Heartbreaker - Your Sim wants to be the girlfriend/boyfriend of at least 20 Sims. This gives you cart blanche to let your Sim woo like mad and quite frankly, be a real slut. What does it say about me that I love this? I feel like a pervert when I'm sitting there watching them get it on. Or "woohoo", as it's called in the Sims.
Not only can you turn your Sim into a slut/manwhore, but you can also create drama with jealousy scenes and even wild fist fights. You can have your Sims slap each other around, spit on each other, yell, throw water, and eventually really fight.
Occasionally, I like creating silly stereotypes and making them act just like I would expect them to.

One of the biggest draws for me: There are ghosts! When a Sims die, he comes back in the form of a ghost who forever wander the grounds where he died. They come out at midnight, accompanied by a spooky tune. I have yet to see any other ghosts than those that have died of old age in the Sims 3. Apparently, the way a Sim die determines the colour of the ghost. If they die of old age their ghosts are gray, if they die of fire they become red. There are ways to kill your Sim. You can starve them to death, drown them, at least in the Sims 2, and lock them in a room with a stove and refrigerator and take away all their food skills. Eventually the Sim will start a fire while trying to cook, and will perish in the flames. Lately I've become too soft though. I don't like killing Sims anymore, unless I really dislike that certain Sim.

You can also design houses and decorate them. If you use Motherlode you can increase your household funds until you're a millionaire and then you can buy whatever you wish. Imagine being able to go into a furniture store and fully furnish a new house for free. You can furnish to your heart's desire.

If you're feeling crabby, take your frustrations out on a disliked Sim. If it's a mean Sim who just rubs you the wrong way, punish him/her by making them pee their pants or something. That devastates a Sim. They find it incredibly humiliating. You can play God. You can do whatever you want to your Sims and get away with it. You're in total control, and really, how rarely do we human beings ever get to be in total control of our own lives?

So, although this game is a total nuisance since it takes up time that could be spent on more productive things. Just because I have been singing this game's praises doesn't mean that I don't realize that it's a waste of time and that it will lead to nothing. But, sometimes we don't have to take life so seriously, do we?

So, although the Sims is a nuisance since it takes up valuable time that could be spent on more productive things, I am hooked.