I’m Going On A Hair Adventure…I Think

I know some Men that are vehemently opposed to their Woman cutting their long hair.
I read the article below and I felt really bad for the writer…I also felt…
…relived for her.
I’d like you to read it if you don’t mind...
http://www.elle.com/Beauty/Hair/Short-Hairstyles-Do-Haircuts-Affect-Your-Love-Life
Do you think he loved her?
Can you stop loving someone in an instant because of a physical change…that can grow back?
Or did he never really love her?

Note…My hair is mine, it shouldn’t be the hair you love about me…it should be me…’cause my hair I will always be changing...

I took a survey on Facebook asking…
When taking a survey the wording is important.
…’Do you think Women with short hair are less attractive than ones with long hair?’
I could have asked…
…’Do you think Women with short hair are more attractive than ones with long hair?'

19 of my friends answered my survey.
14 Women
5 Men
What I got out of the survey was…
…Not all Women can wear short hair, it takes bone structure and a nice skull.
…It takes attitude to wear short hair.
…Some Men don’t want their spouse to look like their mother….and others do.
…And KAT, said…”Tough one. I’m not attracted to women. Besides, I’ve kind of always figured that all women with shout hair were gay…right?
…Long enough to pull is good enough.(The Men really want to pull our hair…I love my Caveman friends.)

I have short hair.

I have short hair because I like short hair on me.

I have short hair because I like to not take 30 minutes getting my hair just right.

I have also said I don’t have great hair, that’s why I keep it short.

My short hair has become a bit of a signature look for me.
I tried to grow it out once and that was a comedy of errors, the stylist errors...

http://behindthebookscover.blogspot.com/2010/12/adventures-of-my-hair.html

Because I have short hair there is nothing for me to hide behind.

I dressed up for ya this time;)

I went to the hair Goddess the other day for a cut and colour…
While in the seat I decided I was going to try and grow it out…on a whim.
…An uncomfortable whim.
I have a vision but don’t know if I can follow through…
I have a specific style I want now, but it will be me enduring painful moments of the hair 'growing out stageS'!
I actually have 2 different styles I’d like to go for, one will take about a year after I get the first to it's proper length.
I left the salon feeling like I looked like a 40 year old mother of three.
I actually don’t know if I can really ‘let my hair go’…I feel most comfortable with short hair.
However getting out of my comfort zone is crucial for me to grow.

Paula Deen

Paula Deen is making the morning show circuit sharing with the world she has Type 2 diabetes.
She is not taking blame for it.
She was diagnosed almost 3 years ago.

Paula’s lively hood is Southern Cooking.
…”You just can’t use enough butter ya'll.”
In her interviews she is saying…
…”I’ve always said moderation.”
In the last 3 years she has continued in her quest to teach people how to cook some of the, albeit delicious, fat laden, artery clogging and…
…potentially diabetes causing Southern dishes.
Diet is one of the causes of Type 2 diabetes.
As is stress…which she seems to be feeling a lot of…now…

So…it’s taken her 3 years to come out with her crushing news.

I have a theory on why she waited...

…And it has to do with her business sense.

She however didn’t see the backlash...of her mistake.

She says it took her 3 years “…to digest her situation(?)…”

I like her choice word “digest”…so fitting.

I believe it took three years to ‘bake up’ a business plan…

…Because the old one wasn’t gonna work anymore.

She…and her sons are being endorsed by a pharmaceutical company, Novo Nordisk.
$,$$$,$$$

Who doesn’t like getting money?

They are donating a…

…“...a certain percentage” to American Diabetes Association.
What is a certain percentage? 1%? 75%?
I’d like to know.

I saw Paula on The Chew yesterday and she was a bit emotional talking about her ‘situation’.
I’m not sure which situation she was upset about though.
That of her diagnosis which she has had 3 years to digest.
...or that of the backlash because she had continued her show even though SHE KNOWS THE FOOD SHE COOKS IS NOT HEALTHY!!! (Moderation my ass.)
She had the boys with her and whenever the questions got tough they changed the subject…
…nice play.

Her son Bobby, has a new show…’Not Your Mamas Meals’ on the Food Network.
Lighter, healthier versions of his Mothers recipes!
$$$,$$$

Jamie, also has a new show coming out in several months.
$$$,$$$

She has fooled the world for the last 3 years and NOT taken blame for her situation.
She can say, “Genes” all she want’s. If she was anything but a White Woman I would take that into consideration…
Paula Deen can’t take responsibility for her actions…and now she’s going to profit from it.

The Possession Of BrownNut

First off I love my Daughter, BrownNut.
We have a better than average Mother/Daughter relationship.
She’s 10.

I don’t know what happened to her today though.

I will sound like a Mother with no compassion in this blog...

Note…My Children are early risers and school doesn’t start till 8:30. I let them watch T.V till 7:30, then it gets turned off. They have 45 minutes to eat and get dressed before I drive them to school.

They know they have school. It’s not like I just dropped a bomb on them although they act like it.

I start my count down just like every other morning…

…”40 minutes!”

…”30 minutes!”

And so on and so on…

Then at the 4 minute mark I say…

…”Shoes and socks!”

This AM however something went awry…and continued through out the day.

BrownNut came to me this morning with complaints of an earache. She’s a bit dramatic at the thought of something that hurts. Her scale of pain is that of someone who has never felt real physical pain.
I tell her I’ll take her to school and if it still hurts later to see the school nurse.

So I’m at the 4 minute mark and I have no idea what BrownNut is doing and I haven’t seen her since she left the table.
I yell up the stairs to see what’s going on.
She then greets me at the top of the stairs with a seriously bad attitude.
…She list’s off a bunch of things she’s doing that have nothing to do with her getting ready to go to school. She has a lot to complete in 4 minutes.
This is not normal behavior for her…it’s usually my LittleGuy that gives me a hard time.

I am trying to raise independent, self-sufficient, good, empathetic people.
…That take responsibility for their actions.
I will help them when they ask. They are 7, 8 and 10…they are capable of a great deal.

It’s time to leave…she’s still nowhere in site…
...I can hear her saying… “Mom just doesn't understand.”
She’s right, I don’t.
…I tell them…
…”Aight! Lets get this fashizzle on the road.”

She knows I’m frustrated.

I get in my MiniVan and my boys follow suit.
Nothing…I have no idea what she is doing.
Garage door open I turn on my ignition.
I wait 3 minutes.
We are already running late.
I hate being late, it’s disrespectful.
I honk my horn.
A couple minutes later she runs out all distressed.
…”It’s all your fault Mom!”
I’m not sure what I did.

I drop them off and get home.
I get a call from the school nurse at 8:35.
I tell her that I won’t be able to make back for another 30 minutes and that I will bring BrownNut some Tylenol.
I get there and give her the Tylenol and tell her I’ll make an appointment with the Doc.
She goes back to class.
I get a 1:00 appointment for her and pick her up from school a little after 12:00.
She’s surprised to see me and says she’s fine.
I tell her it was the Tylenol probably but we are gonna have her ear checked out anyway.
She hims and haws.

She asks me on the way if it’s gonna hurt. I’m taking her in for an earache…
…I tell her it won’t hurt.

Note…I am not a Mom that takes their Child to the Doctor at a drop of a hat. I believe most things, like earaches work themselves out…and their is an over abundance of antibiotics dished out just to put over reactive Mothers at peace.

I honestly didn’t WANT or think she NEEDED to go to the Doctor but sometimes I have to cover my ass.

We get to her appointment and the Tech notices that BrownNut hasn’t had her flu shot.

Note…This is my ass here. My Ex had mentioned that the Children hadn’t had their flu shots the other day. His job entails dealing with natural disasters, to include outbreaks of viruses and such…he’s a bit of a stickler.
…And please don’t get into vaccines with me.

Then I make a terrible mistake, or what can be viewed as one…I have my side though.

I tell them we should take care of the flu shot too.

My beautiful Daughter that I love with all my heart becomes possessed.
I don’t know where she went but the Child in front of me was NOT my Child.
She starts pleading with me like she’s on the way to the guillotine.
…”I DON’T WANT IT IN MY LEG! IT WILL HURT!”
…”PLEASE MOM NO, I DON’T WANT A SHOT!”
…"BUT IT’S GONNA HURT!”
…”YOU DON’T UNDERSTAND!”
The Tech tells her it’s not going in her leg but in her shoulder…
…”NO! NOT THERE EITHER!"
She went on and on and on and on.
She has over reacted in the past, this is not new. Her reaction is off the charts this time though.
The tech suggest he get someone to help out.
While he’s out of the room I try my best to reason with her. I swear by all the Gods one thing I don’t get is unreasonableness. It’s just a shot, a tiny one.
I continue trying to reason with her to no avail.

I’m at my wits end.

He comes back with help…and I can see people have started gathering at the door. She was screaming at the top of her lungs...
She is freaking out and will not let anyone near her.
It took 3 people to hold her down.

Some of you will read this and perhaps think that because I told her it wouldn’t hurt and then surprise she’s gonna get a shot that I am to blame for her reaction.
I argue that in the past she has had fair warning to prepare and STILL freaked out.
When the Doctor said after this event had taken place that at her 11 year check up she would need 2 shots I could see her brain working itself up in another frenzy.

I could have said, no we will do it later, but then she will get it in her head that this is something we can compromise on…I encourage my Children to find compromise in situations…to include when I say no to something.

Her ear was fine by the way.

I took her to IHop and we had a good long talk and it seems pancakes are equal to an exorcism.
When I dropped her off at school we had mended our tear.

As I wrote this and re-read it I feel dreadful about how I handled the the whole morning and afternoon.
…well not the morning.

Keeping My Perspective In Check

Everyone has one of those days that you feel the Universe is out to get you…
I had fair warning when the Universe sent me this E-mail…

Did you know, kristin, that it's perfectly OK, even highly ideal, to claim all is well amongst doubt and confusion? To be happy in spite of challenges? To laugh at problems? Dance without a partner? Sing without a rhyme? Talk to inanimate objects? 

Oddly, most don't. 

You so rock, 
    The Universe
Habits worth cultivating, kristin. Go for it.

I wondered what is in store for my day and I cringed while reading it…

…I read it like this…

Hey sweet heart you better find a coupon for some lube today cause it’s gonna feel like someone is raping you in the ass.

Crass I know but I had a feeling when I woke I was going to need my sense of humor and keep my perspective in check.

Blagghhhhhhhhh!!! FUCK!

My really cool MiniVan has been making some odd noises.
My smart phone has been acting stupid…it has been crashing either daily or several times a day.
My right wrist felt like it had been hit by a hammer.
I wonder should I go on?
Nah…that will be my focus.

Titanium by David Guetta and Sia comes on…
Titanium…I’m gonna have to let nothing get me down.
I have litteral titanium in me…let’s go with the flow.

My Children were fabulous as they got ready for school.
I dropped them off and I had not ONE problem in the Piss ad Drop line…I was happily amazed.

Keep the focus on the positive…
Then my phone crashed AGAIN…

…but my ride…I had to take it in…
I pack up my MacBook and think I can get some work done while I am waiting, crossing my fingers that a simple oil change will be the answer all the while knowing it won’t.
First a trip to Chick Fil A to get my delicious diet Arnold Palmer to keep me company then off drive to the dealership...sense of humor on my sleeve and smile on my face…
I’m scared, nervous and ready to get raped hear bad news.

…and bad news it was.
My Ride needed new break pads, the transmission needed a boost to it’s self-esteem (remember, I knew some fasizzle was seriously wrong) and other shit too…

It’s gonna be hours and there is no way I am gonna sit in the dealership waiting…so I catch a ride home.
On the way I home I just wanted to cry…so much going on and most of it is out of my fucked up hands.
I had to focus on what I COULD fix.
When I get home I realize much to my dismay I had forgotten my delicious beverage at the dealership.
Could I take more?!

Hours later it’s ready to get picked up and Kat drives me…F7 on the way sends me a text…
…’Do you need me to pick up the Goats?”
Me…’….Are you psychic?!!!!!!’
I hadn’t told anyone about my tangible, expensive problems.
…and then I thought about it…who had I told?
Oh Yeah!!! I was supposed to meet the girls at the gym, we had scheduled a 10am hot tub meeting(?) smack talk session which I knew I wasn’t gonna make so I had sent F1 a text saying I had to take my ride in…
…I wonder how much smack was spoken about me?

…back at the dealership…
$$$$$
The cashier says to me…
…"do you qualify for any of these discounts?"
Me…”Would you be so kind to give me the Military discount? I have 3 of those ID cards;)”
Her…”Yeah, no problem.”
The discount shaved a significant amount of $ off my bill but…
...I should be floating because the money I used to have is no longer weighing me down…no new shoes for months!!!

I was grateful to her and honest about the ID cards. She figured it this way…
…"you drive them around don’t you?”

On the way home my phone is still being an asshole and it’s a serious problem for me…
To T-Mobile I go…

I don’t want/cant afford a new phone.
I’m keeping a positive attitude
The very nice guy that works there sits down with me and has a look at my piece of shit phone. It won’t do a damn thing. It’s frozen again.
He tells me the good news…
…”I think we can fix it by wiping it clean. You will loose everything but your contacts.”
Me…”All right”
…as he fixes my phone we chat and he pulls up my account to see how much a new phone would be if it can’t be fixed. As he looks at my account he says to me…
…”We have a new plan. It’s the same one you have now but $20 cheaper…”
Me…”Sign me up for that fashizzle!”
We talk about Angry Birds and how I have 24 golden eggs…I’m so proud of my retarded mentally slow achievement.

My phone has been de-bitchified is fixed. My bill will be less per month and I am again grateful.
I have lost ALL my Golden Eggs though.

My lube for the day was perspective and a sense of humor.
The people that helped me were kind…had I carried a chip on my shoulder it could have gone a different direction.
…but no…
I pretended all was well.
I was happy even though I was challenged.
I did a gig.
I laughed at my problems.
…and yes I did talk to inanimate objects.

Laura

I had a dream about Laura last night. (I’ll get to my dream towards the end.)

She was one of my dearest friends from High School.

I was 15 and she was 16…I would sleep over at her house and, sorry Mom’s, we would sneak out of her house and head to Orlando to hit Nightclubs and Raves. We would dance the night away to the bass of techno music…"House music all night long"…and had crazy amounts of fun. We were lucky to never really get into any serious trouble.

We were in a singing and dancing group called the Ten Tones. Since Facebook we are all still close and I actually get to see my singing friends from time to time.
She was one grade ahead of me and graduated a year earlier…

When High School ends often people find themselves in different places and they move on…That’s what happened to us.
We kept in touch though and when I got married she and another dear friend sang at my wedding.

Our lives went in very different directions and I tried to write about it in a very fictional way awhile back…I was unable to finish my short story though because, well, the ending loomed ahead of me like a wrecking ball aimed at my heart.
http://behindthebookscover.blogspot.com/2011/01/dancer-part-one-ish.html
http://behindthebookscover.blogspot.com/2011/01/dancer-part-two-ish.html

Laura isn’t with us anymore.
I feel her loss everyday.
She left this planet in the saddest most tragic way.

Laura was talented and beautiful…
She could act.
She could dance.
She was smart.
Her voice was...angelic.
She had everything going for her.

I found out a year after she passed that she had died.
It was during a very difficult time in My life…My world had turned upside down.
Her Mother and many of you might not know but I kept Her in my heart and My thoughts since.
Thoughts of Laura helped me.

I knew I needed to be ok alone because I had Friends and Family, I wasn’t lonely…I let them know when I was in need.
I realized that love sometimes has to come in different forms and not from a Man or a Woman…it had to come from Me Loving who I am and am to be.
I also came to the conclusion that although my talents were/are not as great as Hers I needed to learn to embrace them, not be afraid of them and share them.

Laura is a driving force in My life for Me to be more than am. To change peoples lives, perspectives and help them live happier is one of My many goals.

My dream last night…
Laura and I were working at some shop. A lady came in all distressed and out of sorts…I couldn’t figure out a solution to her problem and I told Laura. Laura helped my find the answer we needed…
In my dream I could see the sadness in Laura’s eyes, that desperate loneliness…I wanted to invite her for Christmas but in my dream I knew she wouldn’t be able to make it…because I knew she was just in my heart, helping me help someone else.

I woke up sad and I wanted to tell her how she had helped me when I needed it most.

I turned my computer on, and as the tears still stream down my face as I type, I think of her…she’s still here.

Her memory and story push me forward and when I stumble she’s there to pick me up.

I wish I had been there for Her, like she is for Me now.

Things to do

Name off all the people you love
Enter your day with positive thoughts
Validate your self worth daily
Eat a piece of chocolate
Read ferociously

Stop blaming others
Take time to love who you are
Open a door for a stranger
Plant your feet firmly and stand up for yourself

Learn something new
Invite truth into your life
Vent to a friend but know your audience
Inspire yourself to push your limits
Nap once in awhile
Give someone a hug

Live life like there is no tomorrow
Own your mistakes
Visualize yourself better and more than you are
Instigate love all around you
Natural beauty is the most beautiful you
Gather the strength you need to tackle that difficult moment in life

Allow yourself to feel the grass under your feet
Nay-sayers need not apply for a place in your life
Dare yourself to run a little farther

Don’t put someone down to bring yourself up
Ride a bike without a helmet and feel like a child again
Express yourself 
Apologize if you hurt someone
Matter to someone
Ignorance is not bliss
Nice people are not weak people
Grieve your losses

How To Rape Walgreens

…The title is not for you to get in your panties in a wad but due to todays economy pinching pennies is something we all should do…
…And I’m gonna help you…and as always I like to put my absurd Un-Holy twist on things.

In general it’s cheaper to buy ‘health like goods’ at drug stores than your local grocery store.
Toothpaste, makeup, cough medicine and feminine hygiene products and such.

Note…I HATE how they call them feminine HYGIENE products…like we are dirty…Oh, some of us are dirty alright but we shower regularly.

I love Walgreens.
I love their inserts.
I love Walgreens reward system.
I love coupons.

When you get your insert for Walgreens sales peruse it vigilantly and have your coupons ready to compare.
If you look closely Nivea body wash is…
Normally $5.oo each
On sale for 2 for $7.oo, or $3.50 each. If you cut out your coupon (I had 1 coupon for each of these product)
I got mine for $2.50 each…
…Plus I received a $2.oo coupon for my next purchase on almost ANYTHING in Walgreens. It’s kinda like Kohls cash for those of you that shop at Kohls you will know what I’m talking about.

 We women need Tampons once a month, well, most of us do.
This is easy math…this fashizzle doesn’t go bad…
Normally $5.28 each
On Sale 2 for $8.oo, or $4.oo each
I had a coupon for each box…
$1.oo off
So my two glorious boxes of tampons came to…
$3.oo a box each= $6.oo
….And I received $2.00 Register Rewards…

When doing this kind of thing make sure you only buy what you will use and compare advertisements from other stores.

My total savings on things I NEEDED and USE…
Walgreens coupons: $2.55
Walgreens advertised sales: $31.81
My own coupons: 45.25
I spent a total of $44.61 cash, molah, bucks…
My Rewards cash I got back was $19.00

Some little secrets you need to know…

Walgreens doesn’t double coupons…most grocery stores do, so do the math and read the advertisements.

Lets say you have 10 products and you have 10 coupons…AND you are getting ready to use some of your register rewards (think of it as a coupon, a ‘jack’ of a coupon…a free for all…)
You may not use more coupons than you have products…but if it’s worth your while pick up a pack of gum for yourself and a Chapstick if ya have to. Then you would have it all covered.
Does that make sense?

If you are gonna use your rewards cash let’s say it’s $4.oo
…and the item you are buying is $2.50 you will not get back $1.50

One last thing…those retired people with nothing but time on their hands will clean off the shelves if something is a really good deal…
…shop early...
Shop smart!