New Hair for Me, New Shoes for Tom

I couldn't take it anymore and got my hair cut off again the way it was since, oh, I graduated from high school up until 2 years ago or so. Yay, less hair. Yah, more spikes. I really, really like it. It doesn't look quite as awesome as it did just after the cut since I was stupid and wandering around getting overheated, but, yay! Awesome! I think I'm just going to be one of those women who has short hair for most of her life - famous examples that come to mind are Julie Andrews and Judi Dench and, really, I could be in far, far worse company. (Also, I can I be M when I grow up?)  Hilariously, the stylist and her supervisor both commented "yeah, that looks more like it fits you" when the cut was done.

I rode the bus to the South Loop to the Paul Mitchell school (yay, cheap cut!) Unfortunately there was a bus back-up and I would up standing in the sun for about 30 or 40 minutes without sunscreen (because I'm stupid and didn't wear any and couldn't bear to keep my cardigan on), but I got there eventually. Then, like an idiot, I walked around after the cut. And very nearly passed out and/or threw up by the time I made it to a nice, air conditioned Best Buy with a nice quiet ladies room in which I rested for probably close to 30 minutes before walking a few more blocks to a shopping center so Tom could meet me with the car when he got finished with work.
One day out from therapy and I already failed this week's assignment: "DON'T OVER-DO IT!" Heh. Hopefully pointing at my head and repeating "but, pixie cuteness!!!!" will get us past that issue...

The plan was to go to REI with our member's 20% off coupon to get Tom some Vibram Five-Finger shoes that we looked at over the weekend. Alas, they were sold out of his size. Fortunately, my girly need to go to Ulta for hair gunk (and lord was that a long, confusing, aggravating process for me and my cheap ass) put us next to another shoe store that happened to have the very shoes he wanted which you can see on his adorable feet below.
To top it all off, we had a tasty, tasty dinner at the California Pizza Kitchen. I may need to sleep for the next two days, but I have awesome pixie punk hair and Tom has wicked cool toe-shoes (of which I am slightly jealous).

Memories...

Five years ago today I had been in Egypt working on a dig for about a month. One of my friends snapped this picture of me. It's one of my very favorites.  We had all decided at one point that this one have to be the author photo for my first book.

Things that have changed:

• I have more hair and more of it is gray
• I don't smoke anymore
• Those pants totally don't fit anymore.
• The friend who took the photo left the field and is now a nurse.
• I've left the field and need a nurse.
• I doubt I'll have a first book.

Things that are the same:

• I still own all three of the shirts I'm wearing and still wear them on occasion.
• I'm still snarky as hell.
• I still occasionally wear bandanas to cover up crazy hair.
• I still love Egypt and want to go back.

Yay, haircut!

I got my hair cut today.  I went with a slightly shaggier/more texturized bob and short bangs again.  I really like it - it's a bit more fun to play with than my usual sleek bob.  I did miss styling wax and stuff from when I had super short hair - being able to run your hands through your hair, muss it up, and have it look cute was fun.  Plus I really like my hairdresser, which is a first and also very nice.

Also, my neck is hair-free again.  Thank god.  I have no idea how anyone copes with a mullet aside from looking like crap on toast.

Our plants seem to be settling in well.

I attempted crocheting in the car on the way to the salon - my bag pattern is pretty auto-pilot, so I can chat and work.  I don't think it's the best idea for me - I got a tiny bit motion sick and so put it away.  Oh well, fortunately I usually like staring out the windows on road trips, so if I have to pull a long haul in the car anytime soon (I really, really hope not) I won't be too miserable.

Shopping IS Therapy, Dammit

Today I slept most of the day due to the exhaustion of the most recent skirmish in the mouse wars.  I had actually set an alarm for 11 AM, figuring that would give me more than enough sleep.  I woke up, was still really stiff and hurty, and so decided to read and stretch a bit in bed before getting up.  The next thing I knew, Oreo was barking and wagging his tail in my face because Tom was home from work.  Sigh...

Anyway, I had been wanting some fusible interfacing for some projects I want to work on and Tom had wanted to go to a Home Depot to poke around, so we set off.

I scored my fusible interfacing (at a discount, because the instruction sheet had left marks on the interfacing) drooled over fabric, grabbed some canvas tape, and a bias tape maker.  Serious fabric drooling.  I should just get over my cheapness in not being willing to pay $8/yard for pretty quilting cottons, but then again, if I did that, we'd be even more poor than we are and be buried in fat quarters or single yards fabric useful only for making bags and pillows and stuff. Mmm, bags...

Ahem.

Anyway, we also dropped by a Best Buy, because the stupid vermin had chewed through the cord on the motion sensor for the Wii.  Shows you how much Wii we've been playing.  We also (after much wandering and annoyance) discovered that Lego Indiana Jones has finally dropped in price.  Sweet!!!!  As it seems to also be good for my motor skills, all the better!

Then we went to Home Depot and wandered around the nurseries.  We now have baby sweet basil, mint, rosemary, lavender, and Italian parsley nestled happily in a trough planter and smelling delicious.  The aloe has been replanted in the pseudo-Predynastic pot.  And our seedlings of oregano, curly parsley, and lavender seem to be doing well despite early depredations by the vermin.  The papyrus plant seems to be doing okay as well.

I am very excited by our little garden - I've never done much with plants before, so I'm having fun pestering Tom with questions.  I'm also looking for either  some better options or tricks in iCal for reminders so I will remember watering and other household chores (this has become a major problem for me).  And I'm looking forward to cooking with fresh herbs, figuring out good drying methods, and making sachets.  

Therefore, I am in an extra good mood this evening, despite the lateness of this post. Tomorrow I get to go for a haircut, which will make life even better as I'm currently getting uncomfortably close to a mullet in the back (I cannot stand hair on my neck anymore).   Better, a friend is taking me, thus sparing Tom from having to hang around a girly salon for an hour. He gets to stay home and play Wii.  :P

Punk-topus

Punk-topus
Originally uploaded by Tine V.

Wheee! This punk-topus brightened my day. Great colors + crazy hair + piercing + cuteness = happy!

Segi

Segi
Originally uploaded by knittingdreams

Again, we find an example of the "Shoveling Ferret will like" natural law at work:
- crazy hair
- crochet
- cute
- animal
- accessory
- sweet face

He's absolutely adorable!

Tree Spirit

Tree Spirit
Originally uploaded by Angry Angel

This cute guy appeals to many of my likes: fantastic creatures, cute things, and crazy hair, especially crazy blue-green hair (anyone who knew me my Freshman year in college can definitely attest to the blue-green hair part). I love the additions of fuzziness as well as the earthy colors for this inquisitive Tree Sprite.

Go check out Angry Angel's flickr stream too - there are some other fabulous creations to be admired!