LeighMo's bit of heaven (or hell)

We live in the ghetto. We joke about it a lot; the buildings are older (70's two story row apartments) and were allowed to fall into disrepair before a new dude bought and took it over, and he is slowly and steadily trying to improve. He cleaned up tons of junk, mows the grass, has put in bids to replace things, and dutifully comes around to take care of little things here and there.

In truth, though, it really isn't that bad. We sit on our deck overlooking a small creek and watch ducks and raccoons play. It is fairly quiet, because the only people who come back here and people who live here and nobody wants to bring company over because the places are so jangy.

The one downside (other than being ghetto) is my downstairs neighbors. The woman can't talk below shrieking; she screams at the boyfriend, the kid, but talks to her 14 year old pit bull like its a baby. Last week they fought from the backyard all the way through their apartment, finally spilling out into the parking lot (which happens to be under our bedroom window). He told me later about the nose she split open punching him, getting locked out of the house, every day there is something to set her off and he just can't figure out how to not set her off anymore (classic case of emotional abuse in addition to the battering.) He can't leave because she works and he watches the kid to save on daycare, and he doesn't go anywhere because she gets mad if he leaves the house. Or has people visit him (I think that is what started the last big fight).

She's up early today; 9 am and she is outside, screaming already. I hope she has to work today; if not, they fists will be flying by noon. It is sad, I hate watching people in these situations, but I know how hard it is to see the reality of something and come to terms with the truth of it.

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My hair needs doing. The bottom half is a washed out black, and the roots are brownish with some light sunbleaching going on at the scalp. Not so attractive, I assure you. I'm conflicted; I like it black and it doesn't look totally fake, but I really want to do something kind of out there, like bright blood red or pink. In order to do that, though, I would have to bleach out the black, thereby frying my hair, and adding dye on top of it, which would render it to putty. I could cut it short, but it grows too fast to maintain it properly. Ach. When I get bored the first thing I change is my hair, and there is plenty of boring around here since I'm getting zero work coming in.

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I have a friend (we'll call Alice). Alice is very hairy. She shaves twice a day. She has to pluck chest hair. And now she thinks she's noticing a stash coming in. She knows she can't shave it, and nair makes her break out in hives and does nothing to take the unwanted hair away. What should she do? Any less abrasive remedies for unwanted hair that I can pass on to Alice?
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I didn't make it home for Liv's birthday, but she had a great day nonetheless. I talked to her on the phone four times, and hopefully she got my card and the pictures I sent her (a few of her and I together). My mom took this one of her over the weekend while Liv stayed with her; this is her birthday present: