Yep, the hair saga continues

I've contemplated again and again if I should continue the hair cut story, as it could be laborious, but this is too good not to share.

No overbooking this time at the respected salon. Instead, I got my haircut and I am pleased with the outcome. Granted, I look like Amelia Earhart, but she was quite a style guru back in the day, so I don't mind. Getting there however was quite an ordeal. In fact, it took over 3 hours from start to finish, and I didn't get my hair colored or styled, just cut. There are few things you don't want to hear your hair stylist say, and I think I heard all of them during my visit.
You have a lot of hair!
I just can't get this shorter!
I've never done this haircut before.
Does this pull?
Your hair really is curly.
Can I get some assistance?

At the end of the time period it takes most of us to watch a full length movie and have dinner, the stylist began to straighten my hair. It was much easier said than done. She must have tried to straighten my bangs 3 or 4 times, each time adding more smoothing product. At the beginning of the fifth attempt, I offered her a solution, "You don't have to keep trying. My bangs are quite wavy and difficult to control." She nodded with relief, but wasn't yet done with the straightener. She began making her way around my head, straightening her version of the haircut I asked for. This time it did take out my natural wave, and by the end I looked like a page boy. Again, I interjected, "I'm just going to wear this haircut wavy so don't worry about straightening it." She looked at me surprised. But it totally made sense to me as I stared at my page boy self with my bangs poking straight out due to the previous treatment and a stubborn a cow lick. Again, I saw relief from the stylist. She knew the straightening couldn't make it better.

I left, leaving a tip, and saying thank you. As I walked the streets of downtown, I caught my reflection in every reflective surface, the H&M windows, the McDonald's red neon sign, the office building's metallic address in huge numbers, making the haircut inescapable, even for one minute. I caught the train, went home, took a shower, and let the wave back in my hair. It was then that I realized the 3 hours had been partially well spent.

Photos requested:

Before and After (aka Amelia!)

Opinion

There are many differing opinions in the fashion world and everyone has their own tastes, but I believe I have found one opinion that is indisputable. It is the opinion that a mock turtleneck/silk casual shirt with a suit,

is never going to look better than and is not a suitable substitute for a classic collar shirt/tie with a suit.

You know what's really good?

Cinnamon Toast Crunch mixed with Corn Flakes.
Have you ever tried mixing cereals? Some concoctions can be quite tasty.

I was supposed to get a haircut

At 8:00am this morning I got on the metro, traveled to the salon, heard my name called, and stood in surprised silence as they told me they'd overbooked appointments while offering me a certificate for a free haircut because of the mistake. I'll admit, I was a bit disappointed... okay, a lot disappointed. I said a few, lame, in-the-moment-of-annoyance things, one of which included, "This type of thing wouldn't have happened if we didn't live in a big city." When my husband appropriately responded, "Yeah, and we wouldn't be able to go to any of the neat, free, renowned museums around here either." I got the gist.

We ended up making the most of our trip, walking to the tidal basin, enjoying the cherry blossoms in the pleasant weather without the crowds of people. It was a great time.

And with that, I share a few little things like the cherry blossoms that add to life, even when someone overbooks and you're the one they bump.

Chocolate bunny (never had one before until this year)

New $7 skirt (screamin' deal)

National Gallery of Art (for free)

This is some good stuff

About a month ago, my sister posted about reading Roald Dahl's autobiographical stories in Boy and Going Solo, and I thank her for it. I followed her advice and took a break from my current read and read them both. Delightful I say. So here I am, telling you to go and read them too. Then write something down in your journal, or a place where you jot things down, about a good memory you've of your childhood. It will make you smile now and for years to come.

Quality Soundtrack

My first tape player was a hand-me-down from my oldest sister. My first stereo was a Sony CD player that had been used to near it's limits by another sister. My first Walkman, a gift I inherited from my dad. My first iTunes experience was enjoyed using my mom's computer. The fact is, I've never myself bought any music-enjoying technology. But I am a big fan of good music of all kinds.

It's been a few days now since receiving an mp3 player, and I am enjoying it more than I thought I would. When I walk, I subconsciously walk to the beat, and when it changes, my walking pattern changes. When I run, I run to the beat, and sometimes it's way too fast for my muscles and lungs, but I can't help but feel it. Today I think I even skipped to the beat a couple of times.

Uncle Tom's Cabin: A Review

My sister gave me this book for Christmas. It's a classic, and I can see why. It's important for everyone to read a book that "so aroused readers that Abraham Lincoln is said to have told Stowe her work had been a catalyst for the Civil War." It's an excellent way for someone like me, who has a hard time connecting all of the history dots when just reading a textbook, to learn about history. But what's more is that one of the major themes Uncle Tom's Cabin deals with is man vs. every darn thing out there while still managing to find faith in something to keep going. Now I'm not about to suggest that the trials we experience today are like unto what slaves had to suffer, but what I am going to say is that we all experience hard times and we can all learn from Uncle Tom and how he deals with what life gives him.

tag -eriffic II

I've been tagged to suggest six things everyone should accomplish/do before they turn 18:

Before I give my suggestions, I find it uncanny that on the back of the Reese's Puffs cereal box there are some great, and I mean awesome, suggestions for this very tag. Click on the photo to enlarge and read them all!

And now for mine:
1. Learn to be nice to everyone in high school, even the people that it may not be cool to be nice to.
2. Practice typing with Mavis Beacon (to prepare for the many papers you'll write in college).
3. Learn to budget/write a check/pay a tip.
4. Learn to drive a manual transmission car.
5. Do well on your standardized tests.
6. Make hugging your mom and dad a frequent activity.

We went to Amish Country to get our car fixed

This past weekend, we went up to Pennsylvania Amish/Dutch country to experience the simple life; unfortunately, however, this weekend was far from simple. Perhaps the pouring rain that accompanied us the 100+ miles to our Bed & Breakfast was a sign of the future, but we failed to get the message, and moved forward. We arrived at the Ellemaker House after dark, and while making our way to Bravo's pizza for some dinner, saw a horse and buggy in the parking lot. Our short visit was going to be pretty cool.

Enjoying the Ellemaker House

The horse and buggy makes a quick stop

We woke up the next morning, ate some breakfast, and with map in hand, the insider scoop from our B&B innkeeper, and a positive outlook - as it was still raining and didn't look like it was going to stop any time soon - we made our way to our car (which is actually a small truck). We hopped in the truck, and just like we've done for the past 3+ years, depressed the brake, fastened our seat belt, and activated the ignition. But the truck didn't respond like it has done for the past 3+ years, the engine would turn over but nothing would catch. At that time, we did what everyone else in our shoes would do, we just kept turning the key, hoping, that somehow, turning that key several times and in longer intervals was exactly what the car needed. It wasn't. Needless to say, after talking with several people about the problem - one of which was my dad, who, living out west, correctly diagnosed the problem by listening to my explanation and the engine over the phone - we knew we had to take it into a mechanic. It seems that all mechanics in Gap, Pennsylvania close at noon, and if they don't, they don't answer their phone, so you have to walk over to their building, enter the garage, then ask to see the boss. This boss said that Steve could check out our truck, and boy, are we thankful to 18-year-old Steve. He was our pal for a good portion of Saturday. He taught us a lot about car engines and didn't mind standing out in the rain while he diagnosed the problem. "How old's this truck?" he asked, "'Cause these spark plug wires need to be replaced. They have difficulty running in this humidity." The truck was fixed at 3pm and we headed home. While driving home, filled with the relief that we weren't going to be stuck in Pennsylvania until Monday, we reiterated the two points that had kept us semi-positive throughout the ordeal: 1) at least we had seen some horse and buggies on Friday night, and 2) thank goodness our B&B happened to be on the same street as an auto parts shop and three mechanics, one of which was open after 12noon on Saturday.

Sitting in the lobby of Anderson's Truck & Car Repair

The truck is fixed and we're ready to go home

A snack to relish

Once, while attending an event in a large convention center, I got really hungry and needed something to eat quite urgently. I could feel the creepings of the hunger headache. I didn't want to spend my hard earned cash on the overpriced $9 hot dog, or $7 popcorn, so I took some complimentary relish packets from the condiments booth and started consuming. After about the third relish packet, a friend from work, who I had no idea would be attending the same event, tapped me on the shoulder to say hello. I turned around with the empty relish packets in one hand and the waiting-to-be-eaten packets in the other. I tried to overcompensate for what I had in my hands by acting suave as I talked with the friend. That's what you get when a near-hypoglycemic Ashley meets a mega-frugal Ashley and then I eat relish packets. And it wasn't worth it, I still got the headache because relish is like eating pickled air.

About 5 months later I got overly hungry at the national zoo. I decided to skip the condiments booth and buy a regular Snickers bar for $2.