Boise Weekend Recap

1. Excellent driving time -- 4.25 hours -- and no speeding ticket
2. Tom read 2/3 of Harry Potter Book 2, all of 3, and 200 pages of 4
3. Mom and Dad got lost on the way to the hotel
4. Uncle Alan had the flu
5. My little brother can swim all by himself in the pool
6. But he swallowed a lot of water and got kinda sick
7. We listened to some great live music
8. We took a walk by the beautiful riverside
9. The bar gave us 3 free drinks
10. Ate breakfast at an adorable cafe called The Egg Factory
11. Met a very friendly dog who drove a taxi
12. Visited with loved ones
13. Enjoyed our mini-getaway

Doing Nothing

Since the performances last week, I have had a break from ballet and apparently that translates to my brain as a break from everything. I haven't done my hair or put on an ounce of make-up all week. I haven't done any laundry or cleaned up one mess. Yesterday I finally caved and emptied the dishwasher so it could be loaded again. And today I am going to TRY and get the laundry done. And tomorrow I'm going to TRY and do some grocery shopping. I have a ladies luncheon on Sunday, for which I'm making Gourmet Mac and Cheese and I am completely unprepared.

But can I just say ...

There are few things as liberating as giving the finger to society's expecations. I can understand why people become social deviants; it's very freeing. Successful women are expected to do everything; career, school, babies, marriage -- and all the while look fabulous, eat healthy, face smiling. Unfortunately the desire to maintain societal norms plagues even the most open-minded of us. However, this week, I've said, "No thank you" and gone all natural. My face is perfectly clean. My hair has no hair spray, no back combing. When I go to sleep at night I look exactly how I will look in the morning. I've never wanted to be one of those women. You know, the women that can't just pick up and go because they have to put their face on. I mean, I may look less attractive without makeup on, but that's my face; my real, honest-to-goodness face, as nature intended. And I'm not afraid to show it to the world ... or my husband. I'm not saying that I'm not a fan of makeup. I am. I love the stuff. And I enjoy spending hours getting ready and making myself up to the nines. It's just that occasionally I like to feel simple, to live simple, to take 10 more minutes to read instead of primping my hair. I challenge all of you to give it a try. Let your beautiful self out -- uninhibited by colors and concoctions. And say hello to the mirror.

Hair Everywhere

If you have seen me in the recent present -- you may have realized that my hair is long now. It is approximately 7 inches from the top of my butt crack. I'm enjoying the length; lots of fun things to do with my hair these days AND I have a fantastic blow dryer that makes drying a breeze (ha ha).

But I must admit -- sometimes I hate the hairs themselves. Individual hairs are beginning to invade everything. Once the hair has left the mother ship it is free to roam about the house, the bed, or Tom's undershirts, or socks, or the sink, or the shower wall, or the washing machine, and on and on. I am not going bald. In fact, if all the hairs I find everyday were still on my head, I would not be able to lift it. When we lay in bed Tom has to pat my head in order to keep hairs out of his mouth/eyes/nose. And now all these free hairs are starting to gross me out. It's as if we two are microscopic beings living on a hair brush.

However. I must press forward. 7 inches to the butt crack (which is my end goal (ha ha)); that will probably take me until the end of the summer, or longer. We'll see which comes first: the butt crack or a hair cut.

Personal Grooming

Do you remember in 'Clueless' when Josh asks Cher "Do you know how many hours a day you spend grooming yourself?" This is an interesting question I am asking myself. A brief list of some things I do on some days:

1. apply makeup
2. shower
3. blow dry hair
4. brush hair
5. do hair (i.e. ponytail, curling, waving, you know 'doing')
6. paint nails
7. file nails
8. trim nails
9. get a pedicure
10. whiten teeth
11. brush teeth
12. wash face
13. moisturize using anti-aging cream
14. get dressed
15. put on lotion
16. shave various areas
17. pluck eyebrows
18. wear perfume
19. wear jewelry
20. sleep
21. pop zits
22. use nose strips
23. dye hair
24. trim hair
25. use hairthings like headbands/scarves
26. curl eyelashes
27. pumice heels

Doesn't that sound ridiculous? I mean, I don't do all that shit every day, but goddamn; that seems like an awful lot. I'll have to think of something I can cut out...maybe the sleep. Sometimes I hate being a high-maintenance low-maintenance-appearing female.

Rollers, Rollers, Rollers

Some of you out there may think that hot rollers are a thing of the past. You are wrong. In fact, hot rollers are one of the most fantastic hair devices ever created. If your hair is long, you simply wrap it up via rollers and then 20 minutes later, your hair is voluminous and wavy. And while your hair is wrapped up, you have plenty of time to apply makeup, brush and floss teeth, pick out clothing, eat, and a variety of other prep activities.

I, however, after our failed attempt to move to China, find myself without hot rollers. So I went to THE store (that being Target) and perused their selection. Many different styles, many claiming 'ionic conditioning' and so on. Some heat in "5 minutes or less" and some have fancy clips. After extensive deliberation I chose a set with only large and medium sized rollers with heated clips, thinking they would be great.

They are not. I hate them. I returned them. The search continues...

Pick Your Pick

I think it's time for me to start using anti-aging/anti-wrinkle/SPF moisturizer. I'm 25. It's never too early to start delaying looking old. Lately I've noticed a few little dark spots (possibly *gasp* age spots) around my eyes and on the apples of my cheeks. I must confess, I have some bad face-care habits. See confession:

• I only wash my face when I shower
• I only shower every couple of days (no, I don't stink...)
• I touch/squish/pick my face too much
• I am hard on my eye skin (i.e., I use a q-tip daily to remove mascara leftovers)
• I smile a lot - not necessarily "bad" but it does make wrinkles
• I don't moisturize my neck, which is now getting a few wrinkles

Of course, I'm not a complete idiot. I do lots of things to protect my skin as well.

• I wear sunglasses religiously to fight crows feet
• I moisturize
• I use sensitive skin face wash
• I use blackhead removing nose strips
• I stay out of the sun and I use SPF 50 sunscreen
• I'm Asian

I'm not 100% high maintenance, and I'm not necessarily sold on the idea of perpetually looking 20. I am, however, a fan of taking good care of my face - as it is something people have to look at. Everyone hates the idea of looking old before their time, which explains all the drastic treatments and procedures we've got, but I say "all things within reason," including looking young. When I'm old, I know I'll have wrinkles and age spots and my hair will go gray. But that's okay because I have a plan; whether I dye my hair or keep it gray, I'm going to grow it long long long and then pile it on top of my aged head in a huge ass bun- you know, for dramatic effect. Whatever my face looks like (age 30 or 90) the bun should detract attention.

Shampoo and Conditioner

I use several different shampoos and conditioners throughout the year. I use up one type so I can switch to another and so on. However, I absolutely love my newest "try-on." It's from Herbal Essences - titled "Long Term Relationship." Supposedly, it will keep my long hair healthier and stronger by preventing breakage as well as making it smell super fantastic. BUT the best part by far is the instructions on the back. Who knew that shampoo and conditioner could be so witty? Its wit is what makes me want to keep using it (perhaps even after the bottle is empty) just so I can keep giggling to myself in the shower. Following is the script written on the back of the conditioner bottle:

"I'll give you a Rapunzel complex. With a fusion of red raspberry and satin our love grows longer. I'll give your length the strength against breakage and split ends. You've got longer hair to love. And I've got more love to give. How long will you go without touching it?"

Run out immediately and purchase the correct product line for your hair type and/or hair desires. Or, simply go to the website http://www.herbalessences.com/us/default.jsp and get lost in the wit of hair products.