Thank you!! I think you have a lot of company.

Of course Jez skews young, and that's awesome! It's a big reason why I love it.

Okay.

Having lived through this era, I am truly mystified by the worship these days for Patti Smith. She certainly had some fame back in the day, but she was always punk lite. Always.

I worked in journalism for years. Newsrooms are bastions of pure, ugly sexism.

You probably won't go through menopause proper for 15 years. Peri menopause begins much earlier, and sadly, has many of the worst symptoms. You can alleviate them with the Pill, if you can take it. Good luck!

Clarification: I would wet a little toilet paper or paper towels, they put just a bit of vinegar on it. Worked great for me, but I didn't take the vinegar beyond the outside area.

Peri menopause is damn near as bad.

I'm done. But I had period like yours. just streaming out of me.

Your mom sounds great!

It gets better. I promise. So much better.

Sooooo bad!!! Hydrocortisone cream really helped.

I've been told about it over and over and experienced it myself right toward the end of my periods. I had a cleaning system that helped a lot!! I used wipes after urinating and bowel movements, and I wiped with vinegar on toilet paper several times a day. It helped. I would also stand in the shower twice a day and…

Stuff you need to know about menopause (but remember, every single woman is different, and your results will vary):

Levi's tyrranized women in the 79s and 80s. Even the "women's" jeans were cut for the full on hipless. I still believe they just put new tags on men's jeans and sold them to women.

You've had a lot of responses on this. I'll show myself out.

I followed your suit. It's vile. I think it's harassment as well.

I left the job not long after that. The boss, who by then was in his late 40s, was fired by 2001. He has never had another job. He always made cracks about his wife's limited intelligence, but he'd be homeless without her earnings.

Many years ago, at a company I have long since left, I somehow ended up the de facto organizer of carry ins. I didn't really mind, as the good was invariably good.

Agreed. And a very perceptive Frenchwoman said once after one of these episodes, "This is really about keeping the focus on Americans, isn't it?" I thought it over and agreed.