driving solo

Most of the forms of travel in which I am completely inexperienced are not popular in the USA: trains, camels, rickshaws, elephants, motorcycles, gondolas, and sled-dogs.

Still, in my first-world life, I have enough experience to be mobile in a variety of ways: buses, bicycles, ships, horses, metros (i.e., subways), and swimming.

The list of transportation forms in which I am highly experienced is small: my own two feet, airplanes, and cars.

Unfortunately, those last two forms are the ones which I also dislike the most. Familiarity breeds contempt, so they say.

Or perhaps simply situations like the one I experienced yesterday:

On the interstate, driving home from a friend's house in NC, I-81 decided to host a 'slow down the traffic' party.

As you can tell from my speedometer, the party was working.

I'm not a big fan of parties on the interstate.

There's only so much Michael Buble and Pringles I can take at speeds of 20mph.

Well, at least the party was for a good cause...*

Cows. I've never ridden a cow either.

Wonder how fast they go?

*disclaimer: I'm not advocating car crashes! Just sayin' I'd rather have traffic for a reason than for no reason...which HAS happened to me before...

A Pictorial Hair History

Ringlets are cute when you're a kid...and when they're short. (age 2)

You can see a bit of a wave, and definitely some unruliness in the bangs...to think, this was my 'family photo session best hair.' (age 10/11)

Yes, definitely had been fighting the curl in this picture: notice the pollyanna style, a recurring theme in this curly girl's desire for control. (age 14)

During my youth, I visited multiple salons seeking "The Perfect, No-Hassle Cut." Obviously, we had trouble finding it.

So, sick of it all, I went for the bob... (age 17)

Deciding the bob didn't quite work for me, I devoted myself to the art of the straightener, even accomplishing this lovely work with bangs during an East Coast spring. (age barely 19)

Despite that one success, my ambitions of gorgeous hair dissolved with every humidity increase (and during Alabama summers, there are plenty of those!). I grew out my bangs, hoping that would cut precious time out of my morning routine. (age 19.5)

The completely fringe-less, long unlayered look was simple...when dreadlocks were in style (age 21)

Maybe sideswept bangs were the answer to the 'big forehead' dilemma! (age 21 and finally starting to accept my curl)

Of course, my hair HAD to be straight for the most important day of my life to that point: college graduation. Unfortunately, I hadn't looked at the rain forecast for the day...I still regret that morning's decision to straighten instead of embrace the curl. (age 22)

And finally, here we are now, almost 3 weeks into the Curly Experiment:

I still like the straight hair look, but I'm growing accustomed to the breeziness and simplicity of curls that seem to be enjoying their freedom.

And I'm determined never to let a hairdresser touch my hair again without proof that he or she is trained in styling curls!

experimentable

A friend sent me a really useful 'beauty blog' a couple weeks back entitled "The Beauty Department." It's a nifty little resource, because the owners are all well-versed in the beauty industry. Despite my dislike for said industry, I respect these ladies because they provide many DIY ideas, tips, and of course, hairstyles. Just the other day, they posted about a hairstyle they had done for some teen star, and since my curls were looking for an excuse to be pulled up this morning (ie, they weren't curling like I wanted!), I gave it a try.

That last picture looks a bit like I got a bob, eh?!

Not quite, but I'll confess, chopping my hair short is something I have been considering. I'm a little hesitant based on past experience...and on Friday, you'll finally be able to see why.

the prize for awaking early

a letter to my better self

Dear better self & your lovely long list of August goals,

I didn't run the Leesburg 10k yesterday. And I have no shame.

Oh, my better self, you are probably asking what happened. Injury? Catastrophe? Traffic?

Sadly, I have no real excuse except laziness. I don't have a training partner. I forgot to register for the race. I couldn't muster up the 'oomph' to train. And then I signed myself up for duties at church...a sort of 'holy excuse' for not racing on a Sunday.

Better self, don't scold. There are other races. I'm thinking of at least one 5k between now and September 30. And of course, there's always the Hot Chocolate 5k/15k in December. We'll get through this. We'll find other race bibs to add to the collection. And don't forget, I did run a 5k in April that didn't even hand out race bibs! So, I haven't really been slacking this year...just this summer.

In the end, better side of me, I think this lapse of relationship over the weekend was a good thing. Maybe the break will help us. Maybe we can start fresh this week. Maybe you could help me find a running partner. Not to be needy or anything...I just think this relationship could progress more effectively with a third wheel. Or maybe you, o better self, could be the third wheel.

Waiting not so anxiously your reply,

The lazy half

In the wild west, there actually isn't much screaming

I finally saw Cowboys & Aliens the other night.

As the movie closed, three things flitted through my mind:

1) Glad I didn’t pay more than $3 for that.

2) Daniel Craig is hot.

3) Daniel Craig is super attractive as a cowboy.

Please note that I previously did confess that Daniel Craig and Harrison Ford were the only reasons I wanted to see this movie. Gore, shoot-outs, aliens…these things just don’t hold much attraction for me. The first two I can see on the evening news, and the last one I had enough of in Sedona, AZ. But cowboy eye-candy? Oh yes, I’ll endure even aliens for that.

Now, for a real review:

Cowboys & Aliens was a great summer flick: lots of action, heroics, some cheesy lines, and of course, use of brain discouraged. It was also a decent Western (from the few Westerns I’ve seen): a conflicted hero, guns, Indians, a cattle baron, horses galloping across plains, and the hero riding into the sunset without the girl. It sucked as an alien movie: a measly three jump scenes (all of which were predictable), oversized and unimaginative (though definitely gross) aliens, more than one survivor, and a Star Wars style monolith. I was happy with that combination though—I went to see the cowboys, not to be scared into gazillions of alien nightmares.

So Cowboys & Aliens was stupid and funny and appealing all at the same time.

And did I mention that Daniel Craig is super hot as a cowboy?