Hello, it's really good to be back again! It's been a long time, hasn't it? I think the last time I was here speaking to you was back in 2010. And I think it's no coincidence that the topic of that episode was procrastination and perfectionism. I'm not going to bore you with a bunch of apologies and explanations; I think it's better to just dive right in with a new conversation. But before you listen, you're going to need some background context. So here's what I think it will be helpful for you to know as you go in to listening to the conversation. You're going to hear me and my mom. And we are at my sister's house in Santa Barbara, California. It's early in the morning. In fact, I think we were meeting in the kitchen to get our first cup of coffee and we were still in our pajamas! The night before, I had burned my arm really bad * when I was trying to make a cup of tea. And it wasn't a serious burn; I didn't have to go to the doctor, but it was super painful. So in the conversation, you're going to hear how my mom tried to help me and whether or not she was successful. So if you're ready, let's get the ball rolling and get right into the conversation! Conversation Transcript Mom: How's your arm? Lori: Oh my gosh! That aloe vera stuff is freaking witch-doctor voodoo magic. M: I'm so glad! Really! L: Seriously. Seriously, look! [Lori displays her burn] You can see...you can barely see it. M: Well, I told you what the lady had told me about her leg... L: Yeah. M: ...and I've never tried it because I've never had a burn like that, but I mean, any port in a storm , it's all we had. L: Yeah. Seriously, it hurt so...when I went in to you it hurt so bad. I was...really... M: I know, I could tell you were almost losing it . L: I was almost going to cry. If I didn't know that crying just doesn't help I would have been crying...and M: Well, that never stops me! [laughs L: The very second you put on it was like, "Aah, relief, relief, oh!" And then it felt so much better than the ice -- it didn't hurt at all. And I'm not going to lie , as I lay there at night it started hurting again... M: You could feel it, yeah L: ... but it wasn't so bad; it was still painful enough [but] I could deal with it ...And then when I, at one point in the night I woke up and realized, "Oh, it just doesn't hurt." M: Oh my gosh! L: Then I woke up again and realized the bandage had come off, and it had come off and the pieces [of aloe vera} were lying in the bed! And yeah, it still feels tender but... M: Oh my gosh... L: ..I really can't believe it... I am sold on the value of aloe vera. M: I am too. Oh, [walking over to the kitchen window] she [Lori's sister] keeps that big...it's this big plant right out here, you can see it...see that red thing...you can where I cut the leaves off... L: OK, yeah. M: So if you ever need any... L: And that's, really...well, any time that I tried to use it before, what I had done, is just cut the leaf and then I'd squeezed out the juice and just rubbed the juice on, but this was actually putting the cool flesh of the plant against the burn... M: It...I wouldn't have known to do that if that lady hadn't told me about her leg... L: Yeah, me neither. M: And I just thought, "Well, pfft, let's t ry it" you know, so... L: And I know they do sell...umm...in Holland I had seen special bandages that are, like, these gel bandages that are specifically for burns that you put on, and those supposedly work really well. M: Well, they actually sell the bottles of the gel, I don't know, there might be other stuff in it, and I don't know if it works. But I remember I tried to fly with one of those bottles of that gel one time...they [the airport security] had to, like, have me open it up and they had to sniff it. This was before 9/11! Can you imagine now? L: OK, wow. Now they would have taken it...maybe if...It would have had to have been under three ounces. M: This was a big bottle. L: OK, yeah. M: Well cool! That's awesome. L: Well, thanks for the tip...I'm so glad Clonie [nickname of Lori's sister] had that plant... M: Oh, me too! L: ...Because it would have been a long night . Final Words Before I sign off, I just want to remind you that you can find the transcript and the vocabulary notes on the website. Go to http://betteratenglish.com/001 and that's where you'll find it. While you're there you can also find ways to get in touch with me if you want to, or leave a voice message, or any of those things that might be fun to do. Until next time, have fun learning English! Bye!