Diva

I feel the need to shout the praises of this device, and it's just not something I'm terribly comfortable with discussing on my other blog. My husband reads that one and he's already told me in no uncertain terms he does NOT want to hear anything about how this thing works or what it is at all.

But anyway. I got a Diva Cup. I've been hearing about them for quite awhile now, mostly in relation to buying one before Y2k in case tampons are no longer available, or crazy fringe environmentalist extremists. It sounded really gross and inconvenient and possibly uncomfortable and I was quite happy to buy feminine hygiene products every month and throw them in the landfill thankyouverymuch. I just wasn't ready.

Now I have kids, I'm more comfortable with my body, I'm trying to stick to a better budget, and also trying to get a little more green. I read about it again and while I was still skeptical, I took a leap of faith and bought one. It was $36.99 at Central Market and since I won't have to buy anything else ever, it will pay for itself pretty quickly and then begin to save me money.

I had serious reservations and questions about this thing.

Can I actually get it inserted properly? Will it be uncomfortable? Will it leak? Will it really gross me out and not be worth using?

There's definitely a learning curve to putting it in and taking it out. Read the directions. They're pretty specific and good. It took me a few tries and then when I thought I had it right, I walked around a few minutes and then went to sit down at my desk and it was poking and pinching. No good. It's supposed to pop open and if it doesn't, the suction will getcha. I almost gave up on it, but then I'd have wasted my $37 so I tried again, and got the hang of it. And damn, I love it.

This is my second month of using it and I have not had even one tiny bit of leakage at all. The only problem is making sure I lock the bathroom door so that my kids don't bust in and demand way more information than I want to give out at their tender ages. But if they do come in, or if I'm in a public restroom or something, it doesn't have to be emptied every time you pee. I really hate trying to pee with a tampon because the string gets wet and feels gross. This is great because nothing sticks out and it's all contained.

I was surprised by how little actually collects in there, considering when I would have leaks previously it felt like it made a huge mess. It holds half an ounce at a time, which is WAY more space than is needed.

Anyway... I don't usually rave on and on about products, but I feel like it took me longer to get used to it because it's not like I can just start asking people if they have trouble removing and emptying stuff out of their crotches. So if there was a question you had about it, feel free to ask. :) Public service to anyone who might need it. I'm glad I decided to try it out- it makes me feel really happy on so many levels.

Cynical. Can He? Can Anyone?

A couple people know who I am over here, I think, but not many, and I like it that way. That's the whole point of the pink apartment, right? I don't want to write political stuff on my regular blog because I can't change anyone's mind, and likely nobody is going to change mine, and most of my readers are friends or acquaintances in real life and it just makes things too awkward.

I am realizing more and more that I am even more apathetic than I thought when it comes to politics. I mean, I have views. And I think it's safe to say that there is probably no candidate on the planet who is going to line up with my views 100% of the time. Most of you could probably say the same thing- either you vote for the lesser evil, or you vote for the guy you like better, and you say you would like him even more if he would just do this one thing, or just NOT do this other thing.

Really, the best I can say about ANY candidate is "well, he might." I'm not watching the inauguration tomorrow. I just don't care. And I feel sort of beat down and guilty that I don't, like it's my civic duty to care. Maybe it is, and I'm a horrible person. But I wouldn't have watched it no matter who won the election. It's not about my approval or disapproval of the person holding the office- it's my disbelief that any person in the office can make any real change at all.

I'm glad for people who are so excited about the outcome of this election that they weep happy tears. But I just don't get it. For the last eight years, people who backed the president said all sorts of things- whether they be true or giant rationalizations is not the point. People who hated the president said all sorts of things too. For the next four/eight years, the same thing will happen. If it doesn't get better, they'll say, "it's leftover Bush- we didn't shave our crotch fast enough". If it does get better, there will be gloating. And other things will get worse, because that is the way of it. Focus on one thing and you lose ground in other areas.

I just don't have faith that the next four years are going to be that different. And I would feel this way no matter who we were inaugurating tomorrow. It's not about that- I think he'll do the best job he can, the same as anybody else would. I just don't know that anybody can really do enough.