Thank you

Thank you all so very much for your kind compliments. I'm very pleased The Haircut turned out so well, after years of apprehension. It's so light! I can swish my hair around! It looks cute!

It is true I can no longer do a true Princess Leia

but I never have gotten around to that by now; it's ridiculous to think I will in the next 5 years. Not to mention that my stature more closely resembles Darth Vader than it does Carrie Fisher's petite Leia (there is no jiggling in the Empire!)
But I can wash it and it dries in under an hour!

Small miracles, my friends.

Who is this woman and why is she posting on my blog?

Before
After

I had no idea I had curly hair.

Hair Anxiety

I'm finally going to do it. I made an appointment for a haircut, on Saturday.

It's a place that'll do the donation to Locks of Love; if I'm going to cut off a foot & a half, someone might as well get some use out of it.

I really shouldn't be so apprehensive about such a transitory thing. It's just... I've had long hair forever, and that really isn't an exaggeration, as I have never cut it. Oh, I trim it now and then so it's not so straggly, but the only major cut I ever got was for bangs when I was 11 or so. And that wasn't really all that major.

For someone who doesn't give much of a care about how she looks, I seem to be startlingly vain about my hair. I was trying to explain why to the Love Monkey. For one, it's the only source of random complements I really ever get. Damn, it's pretty shallow that I care about that but it's nice, okay? -- almost especially because it's various strangers on the street. I don't get many compliments. I'm not ever winning any beauty contests and never have.

Another part of it is more personal, in that it immediately identifies me as FEMALE to anyone (from behind. From in front, there's no doubt at all, which I guess an be a mixed blessing). I've had a lot of trouble finding my own space for feeling female, as I don't really fit into any of the archetype woman categories. I don't always get along with other women very well, and I don't know why; maybe I don't think in quite the same way. It bleeds into all those feelings of inadequacy and poor self-image and all that crap. So frequently at the base of my fear is a declaration that dammit, at least I HAVE GOOD HAIR.

Aaaand yet another Terry Pratchett reference enters my life, via Agnes Nitt, who was: 'Tired of being seen as just another overweight girl with "a nice personality and good hair" '.

And so, it's really past time for some kind of change. I'm just steeling myself so I don't do something ridiculous like burst into tears. I have no idea even what kind of haircut to ask for. I will throw myself upon their mercy and hope for the best and not too much hairspray, as it gives me a headache. Meanwhile I am rocking the Little House On the Prairie look for as long as I'm able.

Die, mosquitos, DIE

An extremely wet June followed by really hot weather (someone flicked the summer switch here. It's been 95 degrees for the last 3 days. I'm not complaining, I'm so happy to see solid sunshine for more than a day) seems to have bred a pack of monster killer mosquitos this year. I think I have about 20 bites now but I've stopped counting.

Just going outside to water the plants for 5 minutes I got 6 more tonight. And 3 more just sitting here inside; they must've snuck in when I had the door open.

Yeah, I'm a wimp, I don't know how to handle my mosquitos like seasoned midwesterners. But please can I STOP ITCHING ALREADY?

Did I mention...

that I also took a wirework class a couple months ago? Because you know, I just have NOTHING to fill my spare time.



The first is quartz chips; the second various stuff. Guess I wanted to do the wire equivalent of a scrappy quilt.

I'm making earrings and I DON'T EVEN HAVE PIERCED EARS. I am in trouble now.

Another random picture

I got a new peony at the farmer's market. Yeah, I know, retail therapy, blah blah.

But isn't she pretty?

More changes at work. I am doubtful, but I'll try them, and maybe it will help some of the problems. My intentions are to take this opportunity to learn the current programming methodologies and go in the developer direction. I have become cynical and disenchanted with testing jobs, as it appears (based on my own experience and observation), that the vast majority of companies don't value it much at all, and it's the first thing to go. I certainly don't get paid as well and the only upward direction is management. So screw it, at least this will give me more options. I was long partially hostile towards XP since the first project I worked with an XP team didn't feel the need for non-developer QA at ALL, and it was one of the biggest messes I've ever seen. And unfortunately had to take part in. But the Agile work we've been doing is a vast improvement over waterfall and some of the best work I've ever done.

Sorry, technical crap jargon probably most people don't care about. And you shouldn't feel too bad for me, since I am still employed and it's truly still a nice situation. Let's say that when the apocalypso comes my only useful skills will be in knitting. It's lovely to feel something tangible under your fingers after all you do is poke at electricity all day. Wire is even more solid. And shinier.