Unmitigated

Another Hair Post

Is it just me, or do I spend an inordinate amount of time blogging about my hair?

Wait.

Don't answer that.

It's just that my hair can set my mood for the day. For the next month really. For a couple years, I had what I thought was a cute little boy-cut. SOOOO easy to care for, what a charm. I looked in the mirror and thought, "Okay. Cute. Short is appropriate for a woman my age."

Then I saw a picture of myself. It was from BlogHer 2009, at this awesome Italian restaurant in Chicago, with an incredible group of amazing people: Vodka Mom, Stiletto Mom, Sprite's Keeper, Literal Dan, Jennieology, and more! Of course we had a great time, the food was delicious, the dessert was to-die-for, and the waiter took pictures for us. I think it's on Facebook somewhere. I don't want to see it again.

Because my first thought was, who's the cross-dresser, and he could sure use some hair and make-up tips!

Oh. My. God. That's. ME.

 

 

 

So, I've been growing my hair out for a while now. And I got over the whole silly "woman my age" thing. Yesterday, I met some friends for lunch in the same suburb where John Paul (stylist) and his wife Pam (colorist) work their genius. I needed to schedule appointments with both, so I stopped in. The receptionist said the magic words, "Are you available this afternoon?"

Seriously, my heart leapt. Yes! I am available. I love haircut and/or color days because I feel so pretty when I leave there. And both John and Pam are fun to be with. Funny and sweet and sarcastic and witty. I'm drooling here. It's embarrassing.

As I was getting ready to leave with my new cut yesterday, John asked about my daughter's wedding, "Are you going to wear your hair up?"

I wanted to cry. People, I am nearing 50, and have never once worn an up-do. Never. So the answer is a resounding, "Yes, I will be wearing an up-do, and we'll need a trial! We get to do it twice! to see how it goes! and he'll make recommendations! because he's the best there is at what he does! (really. He has two Tiffany Awards, that's like the Oscars for hair stylists)!"

Anybody want to bet on how many times you hear about this before the wedding in November?

An Open Letter to the Bloggess

Among her many ventures, Jenny Lawson, A.K.A. The Bloggess, co-blogs for the Houston Chronicle at a site called Good Mom/Bad Mom. After I read this post, I decided to write her this letter. SInce there are thousands of chronic pain sufferers out there, I am sharing it here. If you live within 100 miles of Detroit, and need a compassionate, wonderful pain specialist, please consider Drs. Rosenberg and Kimpson at Prizm Pain Management. I think they saved my life.

This is not a sponsored post. I am not a doctor. Find a good one.

Hi Jenny. I just read your GoodMom/BadMom post about the emergency room and the opiates the doc gave you. I have been taking them for a while now for chronic back pain, so if ever you have any questions, please feel free to email me, because I won't think you are loony. I've been there.

A good pain management doctor NEVER gives up. There are ALWAYS other things they can try. My first pain doc was a complete asshole, and after I quit him, I was afraid to see another one for years. The guy I see now? I will remember this man and his staff in my will. They get the whole Pokemon collection, even the limited edition Mew-Two. I'm not even kidding.

Some advice: Opiates will make you really constipated if you don't counteract with something. Docs usually say Colace, which is a stool softener, but I've found that the best thing is lots of bran/fiber, and Activia yogurt, which at my house is now called "poop yogurt" as in: "I need to go to the store for some more poop yogurt. I hope they have peach this time!"

Also, don't wait until the pain is unbearable! Opiates work best as a preventative of terrible pain. I know you were surprised, but it's true...if the pain is bad, there is no "buzz" from the pain meds. If there's a "buzz" it probably means you are over-medicated.

On the plus side, they are appetite killers. I am never hungry. Never. So, if I can keep myself away from the Jelly Belly jelly beans, I can keep my weight decent with very little effort on my part! Woohoo!

I hope it's okay with you, I am also going to post this as an Open Letter to The Bloggess on my blog. This is important shit. People with chronic pain need to know that there is hope for them, too.

 

Lots and lots of love,

Mary

Things in My Head

It's Sunday morning, and as usual you people have not kept up your end of the bargain. Seven new posts in my reader. Do you know how quickly I can plow through seven new posts?

Exactly.

It's the sort of thing that makes me add new subscriptions, only that has about a 50% success rate. Still, here are some folks who are 100% awesome that are not in my sidebar, because I am epically lazy.

The Didactic Pirate - I didn't even know Stanley Tucci taught English at the college level, but there you go. I think DP would hate it if I called him sweet, as well as funny, but I'm going to do it anyway.

See? Stanley Tucci. At least, Stanley Tucci during Movember. In Bizarro World, where IPR is a big engineering school in upstate YN. That link up there goes to one of my favorite posts, but read more. You'll want to stay.

Musings From the Big Pink - If you recognize the title of Homemaker Man's blog as a reference to The Band, you have taken the first step in appreciating this blogger. He doesn't look like anyone I know. Mostly because he looks like this:

Another Movember picture, this time showcasing one very manly Chewbacca-style mustache. I imagine the ammo belt was uncomfortable. Homemaker Man is involved in a humor blog-off right now, and so far, he's blown the competition right out of the water.

Steam Me Up, Kid - Julie Andrews with laser breasts? And a cucumber? Becky is my new best friend. Unless I need to have chemo, that is. Then I am totally relying on the Kindle to keep me company.

The Suniverse - I actually got to meet this blogger, when Bossy came through town on her (No) Book Tour last summer. She was just as funny in person. She writes what everyone is thinking, just doesn't say out loud. She is also the co-host of this:

The perfect photo competition for those of us who haven't got the cash to spring for Photoshop. That's the next post...

You're welcome.

 

 

 

RTT: An Alternative to Real Work

Surely by now, you all know who Keely is...

I could be putting away all the Christmas decorations. Or, I could write a Random Tuesday post...which one will require several trips up-and-down the basement stairs?

I think you know the answer to that question.

I have been selling books on Half.com which is part of eBay. So far, I have sold $100 worth of old books, a few text books, a few otherwise. The campus bookstore generally gives you $5-10 for a used textbook, then re-sells it for $60-70. I have sold texts fro $20-25 meaning BOTH parties get a great deal.

And I fully intend to use the fundage to supply my Kindle habit.

Yesterday, the other departmental part-timer and I showed up for work, not having been informed that Monday was the official holiday for New Year's Day. We released ourselves on our own recognizance around 10:30, having decided that support staff works better when there is someone to support.

On any given day, I find a reason to be on the borderline of a rant about our education system. God forbid someone should actually ask my opinion on the topic. I might explode.

There is a car "parked" in front of a house around the corner from me. It is a POS, and has been parked in the same spot for nearly two months. I suspect it may be a stolen vehicle, but if I call the cops about it and it turns out it belongs to some neighbor kid, I'll feel like a jerk for reporting it. I don't really want a kid to get a ticket just because he can't afford to repair his car...what do I do? Conversely, what if there's a body in the trunk? All suggestions will be entertained.

Oh my God, I am feeling the urge to dust. Send help.

Busy, Busy, Busy

Connie Chung had a pedicure last night, and couldn't keep from doing a little networking when she was done...