Thirty-Two

A year older.

I remember the Coffee Festivals back in Sydney. Crowds of people tasting the finest coffee the world has to offer. $1 a cup and being high on caffine. Those were joyous days oh so long ago. On year we lined up for free milk samples. Everyone got small half litre bottles. Somehow I got a full litre, somebody apparently thought a person of my age requires the extra calcium....

Another year I got there before all my friends and got a free sample bag. When the others came along I got them sample bags too. Everyone got sample lipstick, ground coffee and vouchors. I got ground coffee, vouchours and "Nightly Eye Cream".

Shopping through Harvey Nichols I walk up to a counter of hair gels, creams, etc. The sales girl offers me some free samples that I just couldn't refuse. I did refuse but she gave them to me anyway, she was quite insistant. On walking past a mirror I realised why she insisted. Dry skin, flaky skin, old and wrinkley.

	Yes that does say INDUSTRIAL STRENGTH and DOUBLE DUTY

Narelle, my former college at AMPCO, used to call me "metrosexual" I certainly wasn't on that day. Before I met Lulu I hardly ever moisturised.

These days at my peak (which I confess i'm over) my nightly beauty regime far exceeded that of Lulu's and stood at about 5 steps.

I hope I look this good when I'm sixty-four....