'Splainin'

So Alert Readers have raised some good questions recently, and since I should be working on my last paper of the semester (I have two pages!), I thought I'd go ahead and respond here.

1. What does marathon running have to do with toenail loss?
I probably blog more about my toenails than I ought to, but I guess I've never exactly explained what happens. So if you run long distances, one of the potential side effects is what they call black toenails, or runner's toenails. Well-fitting shoes can help prevent this (make sure you have a thumb-width of room in the toe box!), but some people just seem to be prone to subungual hematomas, which is the technical term for what happens when you develop a bruise under a nail. The swelling causes pressure, and sometimes the nail loosens and comes off. It's a bummer... but they do grow back.

2. What is a facial like?
I've had two now, with the same girl at the beauty college, so I can only speak from very limited experience. Mine were quite long--about an hour and 15 minutes--and I lay on my back the whole time, wrapped up in sheets and a blanket. Basically, it felt like a series of substances being applied to and then removed from my face, with a close inspection under a bright light after the initial cleansing. At one point, she applied a masque and put me under a steamer while she massaged my arms and hands. After that, the masque came off and she used an electrotherapy wand to dilate my pores before performing extractions. That hurt a LOT! Then there was another substance and more electrotherapy to re-constrict the pores and kill bacteria. She applied more substances, and finished up with some sort of pressure point massage. Other than the extractions, it was really quite pleasant; as with the massage, I felt very cared for. I did break out a little bit in the next day or two, but the spots seemed to dry up and heal very quickly. I would do these weekly if I could afford the time and money.

3. What is an iron pour?
Remember when I did this at Bowling Green? This was pretty much the same thing, only inside instead of outside, and thus much smokier! Students make molds they want to cast, and then they're all lined up and filled with molten iron (the molds, not the students...). It's very exciting; there's just something about glowing liquid metal, and the accidental sparks and spills, that I find completely irresistible.

I think that's it for the questions, but please remind me if I've missed anything. Or, you know, submit more questions. For a year in college, I actually wrote an advice column for the school paper. I like answering other people's questions.

Here are my post-pedicure toes, which are pretty happy. She seems to have rounded the corners of the nails, though, which seems like trouble. I hope it doesn't prove to be so.