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serynThis year's lame Christmas presents have become the new year's generosity.
I gave the weird plate thingy to a friend with some homemade caramels last week. Today I gave the lunch boxes (the ones I ranted about) to the coffee woman whose husband does actually take a lunch to work most days and who likes to bring her own lunch because she's a picky vegetarian.
My haircut adventure today went pretty well. I was definitely running in slow gear this morning. I left about 10 minutes later than planned but was still 10 minutes early, so obviously my plans didn't need to have had that much slack.
Can I talk about my haircut?
I normally cut my own hair. I have done so for about 8 years. I have fine, straight, oily hair. It barely holds a curl. It breaks when abused. And I have some bald patches along the forehead from an illness (that's been treated for years now, so the hair's obviously not coming back). I'm also lazy. So on any given day, I'm likely to wash, blot dry, comb, and maybe brush it later if I remember. I'm not interested in something that will only look good in the salon with professional fingers twitching it into place.
However, 90% of stylists look at my hair and say, "You should have layers!" *shudder* If I have layers, then I'd better go see a barber and have one of those men's haircuts because you can see my skin through the bottom fringe of hair all the way around my head. It looks really horrible. And it takes for-freaking-ever to get it to grow out. If I was going to curl it regularly or have a perm, I could see layers being useful, but not otherwise.
Today's stylist looks at my hair, understands that I only put it up because it's in my way, actually hears me when I say I do nothing to it. She says, "I want to leave it all one length, but maybe at a slight angle." Since that's exactly what I do when I cut it, I'm pretty thrilled. Someone gets it.
Weirdly the angle is the opposite one from what I normally use. Instead of being shorter around the face, it's shorter in the back. And not by a lot. Maybe half an inch or so. It slides around when I turn my head, but it doesn't really move much, so all the movement is in the longer front sections. It makes my hair look lusher.
The cut ends were cut in that strange way so it's not actually cut dead-straight, but like beveled a dozen hairs at a time. That means when it grows out it won't look stupid immediately.
So I am pleased with my haircut. She cut like 6 inches off. The front hangs at chin length and the back just covers the hairline at the nape. But it's been blown out and brushed into a gentle curve, so I'm afraid it's going to be slightly too long tomorrow. I'm sure she cut it conservatively for the length I indicated because I was a nervous nelly.
I wasn't, however thrilled with the salon itself. It's one room, there isn't a clear concept as to what you're supposed to do when you enter. So I interrupted by pausing at the door to parse the situation. The owner told me to "sit anywhere" but there were the dryer chairs (the ones where the helmet comes down) and this "bench" that's maybe 12 inches off the ground and squishes down so you're never going to be able to get up again, and the chairs clients are using. That was strange and awkward. I was discomfited by how they seemed to think that situation was my fault. The receptionist person took me to a curtained off area and told me to change into a smock. The other women were wearing smocks over their clothes. So I felt weird and finally asked whether I had understood correctly. She told me, "It's whatever you feel comfortable with." But in that way that implies there is a "right" choice and what I did wasn't it.
The client chairs have those footrests and they're tall enough that one needs to "climb in". Not as high as a bar stool, but like an office chair with the lifter pulled to max. So I knocked the chair over and almost fell getting in. I'm a tiny woman and I felt like Gulliver among the Lilliputians. They don't sweep between clients, though the chair was dusted off, so there wasn't a good spot to set my bag. I was left with the impression that this wasn't a professional salon although the staff was extremely talented.
Great haircut, according to the salon day impressions, but I wish she worked in a better environment.
I also went to lunch and found a really nice place. I had breakfast... poached eggs. Those are vastly improved by someone else making them.
Then I found two furniture stores who both have things I actually like. But I have no idea what I would actually buy. I don't like my dresser. But I don't really like dressers at all. I would like a stylish bed thing, like a headboard/footboard thing but where it has the side rails too. But Simon doesn't like non-wood, doesn't like wood with inset panels (no matter what the panels are made of) and doesn't like footboards at all because it means you can't sit at the end of the bed. It also means the bed is harder to make and you can't stick your feet off the bed. I would really like a new dining table, but mine is durable and functional and we never eat at it anyway.
Several people admired my new haircut today. And I had a great day until Simon came home and said, "Huh? It looks like hair." Now I'm cold and sad and wondering if I shouldn't have spent the money since it doesn't look any better and cutting it myself is free.
I gave the weird plate thingy to a friend with some homemade caramels last week. Today I gave the lunch boxes (the ones I ranted about) to the coffee woman whose husband does actually take a lunch to work most days and who likes to bring her own lunch because she's a picky vegetarian.
My haircut adventure today went pretty well. I was definitely running in slow gear this morning. I left about 10 minutes later than planned but was still 10 minutes early, so obviously my plans didn't need to have had that much slack.
Can I talk about my haircut?
I normally cut my own hair. I have done so for about 8 years. I have fine, straight, oily hair. It barely holds a curl. It breaks when abused. And I have some bald patches along the forehead from an illness (that's been treated for years now, so the hair's obviously not coming back). I'm also lazy. So on any given day, I'm likely to wash, blot dry, comb, and maybe brush it later if I remember. I'm not interested in something that will only look good in the salon with professional fingers twitching it into place.
However, 90% of stylists look at my hair and say, "You should have layers!" *shudder* If I have layers, then I'd better go see a barber and have one of those men's haircuts because you can see my skin through the bottom fringe of hair all the way around my head. It looks really horrible. And it takes for-freaking-ever to get it to grow out. If I was going to curl it regularly or have a perm, I could see layers being useful, but not otherwise.
Today's stylist looks at my hair, understands that I only put it up because it's in my way, actually hears me when I say I do nothing to it. She says, "I want to leave it all one length, but maybe at a slight angle." Since that's exactly what I do when I cut it, I'm pretty thrilled. Someone gets it.
Weirdly the angle is the opposite one from what I normally use. Instead of being shorter around the face, it's shorter in the back. And not by a lot. Maybe half an inch or so. It slides around when I turn my head, but it doesn't really move much, so all the movement is in the longer front sections. It makes my hair look lusher.
The cut ends were cut in that strange way so it's not actually cut dead-straight, but like beveled a dozen hairs at a time. That means when it grows out it won't look stupid immediately.
So I am pleased with my haircut. She cut like 6 inches off. The front hangs at chin length and the back just covers the hairline at the nape. But it's been blown out and brushed into a gentle curve, so I'm afraid it's going to be slightly too long tomorrow. I'm sure she cut it conservatively for the length I indicated because I was a nervous nelly.
I wasn't, however thrilled with the salon itself. It's one room, there isn't a clear concept as to what you're supposed to do when you enter. So I interrupted by pausing at the door to parse the situation. The owner told me to "sit anywhere" but there were the dryer chairs (the ones where the helmet comes down) and this "bench" that's maybe 12 inches off the ground and squishes down so you're never going to be able to get up again, and the chairs clients are using. That was strange and awkward. I was discomfited by how they seemed to think that situation was my fault. The receptionist person took me to a curtained off area and told me to change into a smock. The other women were wearing smocks over their clothes. So I felt weird and finally asked whether I had understood correctly. She told me, "It's whatever you feel comfortable with." But in that way that implies there is a "right" choice and what I did wasn't it.
The client chairs have those footrests and they're tall enough that one needs to "climb in". Not as high as a bar stool, but like an office chair with the lifter pulled to max. So I knocked the chair over and almost fell getting in. I'm a tiny woman and I felt like Gulliver among the Lilliputians. They don't sweep between clients, though the chair was dusted off, so there wasn't a good spot to set my bag. I was left with the impression that this wasn't a professional salon although the staff was extremely talented.
Great haircut, according to the salon day impressions, but I wish she worked in a better environment.
I also went to lunch and found a really nice place. I had breakfast... poached eggs. Those are vastly improved by someone else making them.
Then I found two furniture stores who both have things I actually like. But I have no idea what I would actually buy. I don't like my dresser. But I don't really like dressers at all. I would like a stylish bed thing, like a headboard/footboard thing but where it has the side rails too. But Simon doesn't like non-wood, doesn't like wood with inset panels (no matter what the panels are made of) and doesn't like footboards at all because it means you can't sit at the end of the bed. It also means the bed is harder to make and you can't stick your feet off the bed. I would really like a new dining table, but mine is durable and functional and we never eat at it anyway.
Several people admired my new haircut today. And I had a great day until Simon came home and said, "Huh? It looks like hair." Now I'm cold and sad and wondering if I shouldn't have spent the money since it doesn't look any better and cutting it myself is free.
no subject
Date: 2011-01-08 05:29 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-01-08 06:05 am (UTC)I went from hair that needed to be moved to fasten a bra to hair that's chin length. Everyone else noticed. And, frankly, they're the ones who care what I look like.
I stopped by the gym on my way home from the library to show it off to the people working the desk (and because they haven't seen me in my New Year pants that really show off my Jared-from-Subway improvements.) And got hugely praised. The librarians all stopped what they were doing to say my new hair looked great.
I'm not sure why no one notices your changes, but it is a good use for shallow friends. :-)
no subject
Date: 2011-01-08 03:51 pm (UTC)But really, yay for the new cut. :)
no subject
Date: 2011-01-08 07:19 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-01-09 04:36 am (UTC)Sorry about your mom losing her vocation for health reasons.
It's been my experience that most "spa" type salons offer smocks. It makes sense if you're doing facials or something. And it makes sense to offer one to everybody who comes in because there is that psychological manipulation aspect that once you've given up your own clothes (just the top half, but still) you've already conceded and are more likely to accept the professional advice. It also means that any hair that gets under the cape (and I did get a cape over top of the smock during the cut) doesn't itch me for the rest of the day. But I had to pull something over my new hair immediately. It seems pretty likely that the stylists don't dust people off very well. They didn't take good care in any other aspect of cleanliness. (The receptionist quite clearly stated, "These are the clean smocks hanging up, they go in this *points* bin when you're done.")
There was a window seat. It was just still covered in holiday decorations. I know the weird part of the situation came because the client chairs were in the front and one must walk past them to get to the desk where the "receptionist" is, thus ensuring that someone else must do the actual reception.
My hair looks pretty good today too, even after I washed it and combed it myself.
no subject
Date: 2011-01-09 01:33 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-01-09 04:21 am (UTC)He did say, this morning, that it was a good idea to spend money on something that made me happy. There wasn't any complaint about the specific amount of money either. I figured I should get someone actually good, so I went to someone recommended at a high-priced salon in the frou-frou district. If my mother had spent $65 on a haircut, tipped the stylist, and bought some salon shampoo, taken herself out for a fancy lunch, and shopped for (even just looking like I did) multi-thousands of dollars in furniture, my father would have been really incensed. Even in cost-adjusted money.
And thanks for loving my hair even without pictures!
no subject
Date: 2011-01-09 04:29 am (UTC)I do love your hair, even w/o photos, because I can picture it perfectly. And 6 inches, especially with a new person was very brave!
no subject
Date: 2011-01-09 04:48 am (UTC)I wanted my hair short. It had been that length because that's where the floor is when I bend over. And you (
I had long hair when I was a child because all girls did. I cut it when I was in middle school because my mother had picked me up by the hair and physically carted me off for punishment for some unknown infraction that had more to do with her being drunk than my actual behavior. After then I wanted to be able to fight back. But there wasn't any way I was going to get judo lessons or anything, so I cut my hair and forced myself to eat more. I wanted to make whoever tried to pick me up work for it with myself having no handle and being a lot heavier than I looked due to increased density. Later, when I moved out, I started growing my hair again, to prove I was "free". When I realized in late 2009 that I was having trouble losing weight because I was still afraid of people taking my choices away from me, I realized I wasn't ready to go back to being lightweight and long-haired. Obviously I'm not really expecting this to be the magic cure for why I can't seem to lose a freaking pound no matter how much time I spend at the gym, but I do expect it to help keep me from undermining myself when I'm not looking.
no subject
Date: 2011-01-09 12:54 pm (UTC)>>>Obviously I'm not really expecting this to be the magic cure for why I can't seem to lose a freaking pound no matter how much time I spend at the gym, but I do expect it to help keep me from undermining myself when I'm not looking.<<<
I dunno ... sometimes an action such as you did is exactly what is needed to move forward.
no subject
Date: 2011-01-09 06:28 pm (UTC)----
Last night I was talking about this with someone else and said, "After the gum surgery, I just wasn't as afraid of the hair stylist." That was part of the reason for doing this now even though I hadn't reached the magic goal post where the fancy haircut was the reward. (I got halfway, from 212 to 206 in 8 months.... but entirely through the auspices of a liquid diet for a week.)
I lost 15 pounds starting a year ago without doing much exercising at all just by knowing I'd been using my weight to make myself an immovable force--- which made it possible to stop drinking soda and juice in excess and to make better choices. Then in April, I took up actually exercising and have been getting stronger and thinner without improving the number on the scale.
I have every intention of taking some sort of defensive martial art. I started with tai chi while I was getting fit enough, but it doesn't make me feel safer.
It had not been possible to lose any weight before I was conscious of why I had wanted to be heavy. There really was a major psychological obstruction. Forward progress after the late 2009 epiphany has been steady, if somewhat tangential. Not expecting it to be a magic solution to the problem means that I won't be disappointed if progress remains slow and steady.
no subject
Date: 2011-01-10 01:48 pm (UTC)I now weigh 20 pounds more than when I met the hubster. I've lost about 15 pounds in 1 1/2 years, first by cutting out a ton of preservative laden food and the last 5 pounds by simply returning to being conscious of when I am "ten minutes from feeling full" like I had always been. The last 5 just came off over the holidays. When I topped out the 15 pounds heavier than I am now few people noticed it and I couldn't talk about it because when you go from "so thin" you don't get to complain about being weight that is uncomfortable on you if you still look "not fat" to others. And I pretty much do not mention what my weight actually is because I look about 15-20 lighter than I am due to heavy/dense bones (that was always my and my mum's guess) and build and I tired of people calling me a liar. :P~
I'd like to lose 10 more because I remember that weight as being my most healthy feeling, but I know that weight also had some muscle in it of which I have none now and clearly not the motivation to acquire it so that may not happen due to my lazy factor. ;-)
no subject
Date: 2011-01-10 09:35 pm (UTC)I don't think it's any less of a problem. Yours probably isn't either. Might even be worse because you can't get support from friends for your efforts.
I really like having more muscle especially in my arms and shoulders. A lot of things are easier for me because of it. I can take the stairs instead of the elevator when doing laundry, for example. But yes, it is non-trivial to get there.
I suspect your "healthier" feeling at the 10 pounds lighter had more to do with your strength and activity levels than the number on the scale, so I hope that you can find a balance that suits your body and your life.
no subject
Date: 2011-01-10 10:08 pm (UTC)I am certain the 10 lbs. lighter is about healthier muscle/fat over the number on the scale. But I still see that number as a goal. The only damn way I'll get to it is to increase muscle mass. ~wwaahhhhhhh~ I wanna remain sedentary. La!