Open letters to hairdressers

Hairdressers:

Hey, thanks for making my hair pretty.  Really.  Thanks for assuming I spend time on it and making it all pretty and creating an appearance that will vanish forever once I leave your front doors.  Thank you for spending the time to wash and condition my hair thoroughly.  You've already spent more time on my hair than I have since the last time I cam here (which is longer than the 4-6 weeks you recommended).  Thanks for pretending you don't know that I just wear it in a ponytail everyday between visits.  

Now that that's out of the way...  I have a few grievances.

1.  I'm going to shampoo my hair daily.  Sorry.  It's thin.  I touch it a lot.  I have kids who chew it, play with it, put God only knows what in it.  It's getting washed every day.  This is to prevent small things living in it, small things sticking to it, and to fake a general sense of hygiene to those around me.

2.  Stop selling me stuff and telling me that everything I ever use is horrible for me.  I don't use product.  I don't dye my hair (yet).  I don't always blow dry my hair.  It's in relatively good shape.  I'm going to continue to use whatever shampoo I want.  It changes often from drugstore, Pantene, some coconut oil organic gunk, whatever.  I don't understand that no matter what I respond that I use, it's ALL BAD.  I'm not buying the miracle serum you're trying to sell me.  Give up.

3.  I love that you try to make me look better.  I do.  So, stop trying to point out all my insecurities first.  My hair is thin.  My hairline is high.  My face is round.  You sure you still want bangs?  I know all these things and yes, I want bangs because my hairline is high.  It cuts down on the forehead real estate.  I'm sure, with these great limitations, you can still manage to make me look halfway decent.  

Look, I am one of the lowest maintenance clients ever.  I just want my hair shorter.  I don't care if you layer it, razor cut it, or do whatever it is you do.  I'll rarely complain if I don't like it.  I just don't need a lecture.

kthxbye

Smooth

If you know me at all, you know about my thing with matchbox twenty. My thing doesn't extend to going to their concert in the next state by myself on a weeknight, but if I could have found someone to go with me, I would have. Here's hoping the next leg of the tour hits DC. 

Smooth: The TV Show with Matchbox 20 from Rob Thomas

Goodreads

I made the decision not to blog about the books I read, but I think I may still track them on the site anyway.  I just won't double post them.  If you noticed (or maybe you didn't), I deleted the extra pages of my blog which tracked the totals of books I read over the last 5 years.  I still have the posts so you can still sort by year, but I'm not putting in the work I did before.  

I have cleared out and organized my Goodreads account so it only tracks the books I have read.  I have long ago given up on tracking the books I own or have owned.  That was a lost cause.  You can link up to my account if you have one or follow my account (http://www.goodreads.com/princessapr ).  Honestly, I forgot I had an account, but I noticed more and more people using the website and thought I'd give it more of an effort than I had in the past.

Tidbits

1. Little Miss has decided she wants to be a mom when she grows up.  The other day, she amended this to say she wants to be a mom construction worker.  She goes back to wanting to be a construction worker a lot actually.
2. My office moved last month.  I'm still not quite used to the new routine.  
3. I did not read one book in December.  That felt weird.  I haven't gone a month without reading a book in at least the last 5 years.
4. I just bought Little Miss an autographed Tomie dePaola book.  It's a favorite that we just picked up from the library.  She has a nice little collection of autographed books.  I prize the books where we actually got to meet the authors, but it's nice to have a little something especially while we live in a time where so many great classic children's book authors are still with us.  I'm just sad I didn't stalk Dr. Seuss while I still lived in Massachusetts.  In my defense, I was a child.
5. I'm trying to see how long I can go without cleaning the house.  It's ridiculously scary, but I have absolutely no ambition to do so even though it's kind of driving me insane.  
6. I want to get out of doing something tomorrow, and I'm totally using Little Miss as an excuse.  I hardly ever do this, but I think she'd understand.
7. I've been watching Little Miss with her friends.  It's an odd dynamic.  She'll be a good friend if her back is to the wall, but she doesn't go after friends.  She likes them to come to her.
8. A little boy gave Little Miss a ring at school yesterday.  She wanted to sleep with it.
9. Little Miss got a Hello Kitty board game similar to Trouble.  If it disappears in the night, I have no idea what happened to it.  
10. After having the flu and no appetite for 10 days, I now want to eat everything in sight.  I'm not (yet), but I want to.

Books Read Analysis

I started tracking my books read on this blog in 2008.  Five years later, I decided to do some minor analysis.

I read the following books per year:
2008 - 62 (average 5.17)
2009 - 48 (average 4.00)
2010 - 78  (average 6.50)
2011 - 57 (average 4.75)
2012 - 74 (average 6.17)

I read the following books, on average, per month:
January - 4
February - 4
March - 3.8
April - 4
May - 7.8
June - 4.6
July - 6.8
August - 7.4
September - 7.2
October - 4.8
November - 4
December - 5.4

The months in which I read the most varies from July, September, December, October, and August through the last five years.  Of course, these numbers are skewed a bit due to speed reading a few series - some of which were shorter stories.  Also, this month's book club book is a bit longer than usual so it's going to take me all of the month and then some to read it so I have logged nothing for December and may have very little next January as well.

I know people with children say they don't have time to read, but I make time - and I have no real time-consuming hobbies.  I read during lunch and after Little Miss falls asleep (which is no later than 9PM).  I read the most during the week between 9PM and midnight.  I read the least when new tv is on.  Interesting to see if there are any trends.

This coincides with my attempt to get back on track with Good Reads (goodreads.com/princessapr).  I hope to be more active than last time which shouldn't be difficult.  I have included the books I've listed on this blog, but I think it'll be nicer to be able to go somewhere with more uniform and correct links. 

12/12/12 12:12

Just a tidbit.  I'm tickled that it is 12/12/12 and the last of the sequential dates I'll ever see.  

As one who was married on 10/10, these things amuse me to no end - though in no way make it easier to remember things as I have forgotten our anniversary date many years in a row now.

Roared Their Terrible Roars...

I saw a little boy who looked just like this picture. He was SOOOOOO cute. I wouldn't stop gushing over him. This is humorous because I've gotten over a bout of baby fever, too. Either way, he was adorable. Also, if I ever have a baby boy, he's totally going to be Max one day. More on Halloween at a later time - once I've loaded all my photos. Perhaps tonight.

I like Pina Coladas...

Mom and I were talking about Escape (the Pina Colada song) earlier this month.  I said I liked it, but the couple bothers me.  I mean, they are basically a bunch of cheaters.  So, she wanted to know what I meant.  I explained the song and then played the song to her.  Still, I suppose it shouldn't surprise me that she only liked the catchy chorus and had no idea what the song is about at all. 

The Mindset List for the Class of 2016

A friend posted this link on Facebook. I've posted an excerpt of it below. It fascinates me every year but more so this year for some reason. Maybe it's because I don't feel as old as I am - which I guess is a good thing. I'm not caught up on age, but there are moments when I realize more book characters and tv characters are younger, and not older, than I am. It's kind of a weird transition. Regardless, I'll leave that kind of pondering for another time.

The Mindset List for the Class of 2016

For this generation of entering college students, born in 1994, Kurt Cobain, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, Richard Nixon and John Wayne Gacy have always been dead.

1. They should keep their eyes open for Justin Bieber or Dakota Fanning at freshman orientation.
2. They have always lived in cyberspace, addicted to a new generation of “electronic narcotics.”
3. The Biblical sources of terms such as “Forbidden Fruit,” “The writing on the wall,” “Good Samaritan,” and “The Promised Land” are unknown to most of them.
4. Michael Jackson’s family, not the Kennedys, constitutes “American Royalty.”
5. If they miss The Daily Show, they can always get their news on YouTube. 
6. Their lives have been measured in the fundamental particles of life: bits, bytes, and bauds.
7. Robert De Niro is thought of as Greg Focker's long-suffering father-in-law, not as Vito Corleone or Jimmy Conway.
8. Bill Clinton is a senior statesman of whose presidency they have little knowledge.
9. They have never seen an airplane “ticket.”
10. On TV and in films, the ditzy dumb blonde female generally has been replaced by a couple of Dumb and Dumber males.
11. The paradox "too big to fail" has been, for their generation, what "we had to destroy the village in order to save it" was for their grandparents'.
12. For most of their lives, maintaining relations between the U.S. and the rest of the world has been a woman’s job in the State Department.
13. They can’t picture people actually carrying luggage through airports rather than rolling it.
14. There has always been football in Jacksonville but never in Los Angeles.
15. Having grown up with MP3s and iPods, they never listen to music on the car radio and really have no use for radio at all.
16. Since they've been born, the United States has measured progress by a 2 percent jump in unemployment and a 16 cent rise in the price of a first class postage stamp.
17. Benjamin Braddock, having given up both a career in plastics and a relationship with Mrs. Robinson, could be their grandfather.
18. Their folks have never gazed with pride on a new set of bound encyclopedias on the bookshelf.
19. The Green Bay Packers have always celebrated with the Lambeau Leap.
20. Exposed bra straps have always been a fashion statement, not a wardrobe malfunction to be corrected quietly by well-meaning friends.
21. A significant percentage of them will enter college already displaying some hearing loss.
22. The Real World has always stopped being polite and started getting real on MTV.
23. Women have always piloted war planes and space shuttles.
24. White House security has never felt it necessary to wear rubber gloves when gay groups have visited.
25. They have lived in an era of instant stardom and self-proclaimed celebrities, famous for being famous.
26. Having made the acquaintance of Furby at an early age, they have expected their toy friends to do ever more unpredictable things.
27. Outdated icons with images of floppy discs for “save,” a telephone for “phone,” and a snail mail envelope for “mail” have oddly decorated their tablets and smart phone screens.
28. Star Wars has always been just a film, not a defense strategy.
29. They have had to incessantly remind their parents not to refer to their CDs and DVDs as “tapes.”
30. There have always been blue M&Ms, but no tan ones.’
31. Along with online viewbooks, parents have always been able to check the crime stats for the colleges their kids have selected.
32. Newt Gingrich has always been a key figure in politics, trying to change the way America thinks about everything.
33. They have come to political consciousness during a time of increasing doubts about America’s future.
34. Billy Graham is as familiar to them as Otto Graham was to their parents.
35. Probably the most tribal generation in history, they despise being separated from contact with their similar-aged friends. 
36. Stephen Breyer has always been an Associate Justice on the U.S. Supreme Court.
37. Martin Lawrence has always been banned from hosting Saturday Night Live.
38. Slavery has always been unconstitutional in Mississippi, and Southern Baptists have always been apologizing for supporting it in the first place.
39. The Metropolitan Opera House in New York has always translated operas on seatback screens.
40. A bit of the late Gene Roddenberry, creator of Star Trek, has always existed in space.
41. Good music programmers are rock stars to the women of this generation, just as guitar players were for their mothers.
42. Gene therapy has always been an available treatment.
43. They were too young to enjoy the 1994 World Series, but then no one else got to enjoy it either.
44. The folks have always been able to grab an Aleve when the kids started giving them a migraine.
45. While the iconic TV series for their older siblings was the sci-fi show Lost, for them it’s Breaking Bad, a gritty crime story motivated by desperate economic circumstances.
46. Simba has always had trouble waiting to be King.
47. Before they purchase an assigned textbook, they will investigate whether it is available for rent or purchase as an e-book.
48. They grew up, somehow, without the benefits of Romper Room.
49. There has always been a World Trade Organization.
50. L.L. Bean hunting shoes have always been known as just plain Bean Boots.
51. They have always been able to see Starz on Direct TV.
52. Ice skating competitions have always been jumping matches.
53. There has always been a Santa Clause.
54. NBC has never shown A Wonderful Life more than twice during the holidays.
55. Mr. Burns has replaced J.R.Ewing as the most shot-at man on American television.
56. They have always enjoyed school and summer camp memories with a digital yearbook.
57. Herr Schindler has always had a List; Mr. Spielberg has always had an Oscar.
58. Selena's fans have always been in mourning.
59. They know many established film stars by their voices on computer-animated blockbusters.
60. History has always had its own channel.
61. Thousands have always been gathering for “million-man” demonstrations in Washington, D.C.
62. Television and film dramas have always risked being pulled because the story line was too close to the headlines from which they were ”ripped.”
63. TheTwilight Zone involves vampires, not Rod Serling.
64. Robert Osborne has always been introducing Hollywood history on TCM.
65. Little Caesar has always been proclaiming “Pizza Pizza.”
66. They have no recollection of when Arianna Huffington was a conservative.
67. Chronic Fatigue Syndrome has always been officially recognized with clinical guidelines.
68. They watch television everywhere but on a television.
69. Pulp Fiction’s meal of a "Royale with Cheese" and an “Amos and Andy milkshake” has little or no resonance with them.
70. Point-and-shoot cameras are soooooo last millennium.
71. Despite being preferred urban gathering places, two-thirds of the independent bookstores in the United States have closed for good during their lifetimes.
72. Astronauts have always spent well over a year in a single space flight.
73. Lou Gehrig's record for most consecutive baseball games played has never stood in their lifetimes.
74. Genomes of living things have always been sequenced.
75. The Sistine Chapel ceiling has always been brighter and cleaner.

Copyright© 2012 Beloit College
Mindset List is a registered trademark

Big Warm Fuzzy Thoughts

This isn't a gratitude post or even a big thank you post, but it's kind of a combination of all the good things I was thinking this morning. Not many mornings start by thinking positive thoughts.

1. Thinking back to when I was pregnant, I thought it was incredibly thoughtful for people to give up seats, hold doors, let me ahead of them in line.  I still get this a lot, and I think it's also because I'm three apples high.
2. I love people who let the woman with the toddler holder herself between her legs go in front of them in the restroom.  Anybody with a potty-training toddler knows how crucial this is.
3. My Starbucks app wasn't installed this morning and taking forever to re-install and load.  In the meantime, I was just prepared to pay cash.  However, the woman next to me offered to cover my breakfast and drink.  I thanked her, but I could cover $3 - if I couldn't, I don't belong in Starbucks to begin with.
4. The other Starbucks note is that, in my technology-challenged state, Starbucks said they could work with me if anything ever happened to my app.  I had the cash so it wasn't a huge deal.  I don't need my little star that badly.  (If you go to Starbucks 15 times, it tracks on the app or your Starbucks card and you get a free drink.)  Still, I love the employees of that location.  They're very sweet.  The Starbucks by my apartment also gets some credit for seeing us run in there with a toddler holding herself and opening the bathroom door ahead of time for us.
5. I love that Buzz Bakery has Splashdown every Wednesday and Sundays where they have a bubble machine, beach balls and cheap food for the kids.  It also has a bar, but I wasn't there for Happy Hour and forgot that it has a bar.  I did buy a Thin Mint Rice Krispie Treat though.  The kid has really enjoyed herself, and it's a nice local thing to do with her.

That's all for now.  I think it's so easy to complain and whine that it's easy to not take the time to be happy or thankful or grateful.  I'll be back to my miserable self soon, I'm sure.

Hilarious Game

So, you print out these sheets. There are instructions on how to make it all fancy on card stock and purchasing a container for all the cards, but the game is simple. You pick a small group of friends and hand out the white cards. Then, you choose a black card. Everyone picks the funniest, most clever answer out of his or her white card choices.  Hilarity ensues.

You can see an example here. It explains visually what I cannot with words.

Hope There's No Confusion

I saw A Million Shades of Gray today at the elementary school book fair. I hope no one gets it confused with Fifty Shades of Grey. Or thinks that if fifty shades yields that kind of book, that one million shades must be off the hook. 

For those who don't know about one or both of the books, one has this summary from Publishers Weekly:

...shows that truth has as many shades of gray as an elephant in this emotionally taut survival story, set in war-torn South Vietnam. After American troops leave his village, Y’Tin, his family, and his neighbors are left to fend off their enemies themselves. But Y’Tin’s mind isn’t on war. It’s on his pet elephant, Lady, and his dreams of opening an elephant-training school. His hopes vanish when North Vietnamese soldiers devastate his small village (Y’Tin helps dig a mass grave at one point). Y’Tin manages to escape into the jungle with a friend, where he reunites with Lady, but separated from family and friends, his thoughts grow dark. As the days go by, he becomes angrier and less trusting, wondering “if he would ever feel safe again or if safety was gone from his life forever.”

Illustrating the wisdom of Y’Tin’s father’s words—“The jungle changes a man”—Kadohata delves deep into the soul of her protagonist while making a faraway place and the stark consequences of war seem very near. Y’Tin’s inner conflicts and changing perception of the world will haunt readers.

The other has this summary:

When literature student Anastasia Steele goes to interview young entrepreneur Christian Grey, she encounters a man who is beautiful, brilliant, and intimidating. The unworldly, innocent Ana is startled to realize she wants this man and, despite his enigmatic reserve, finds she is desperate to get close to him.

Unable to resist Ana’s quiet beauty, wit, and independent spirit, Grey admits he wants her, too—but on his own terms. Shocked yet thrilled by Grey’s singular erotic tastes, Ana hesitates. For all the trappings of success—his multinational businesses, his vast wealth, his loving family—Grey is a man tormented by demons and consumed by the need to control. When the couple embarks on a daring, passionately physical affair, Ana discovers Christian Grey’s secrets and explores her own dark desires.

Slightly different. Though I haven't read either so I'm not an expert.

Doctor Who Gripe

I've been watching Doctor Who since earlier this year.  I've watched all the episodes from the Ninth Doctor to the last episode through Netflix Instant Play.  For fun, I started recording the BBC America episodes and rewatching when time and inclination allows.  I've noticed that the tv versions cut out full minutes of footage which sometimes isn't noticeable and sometimes is.  So, now I don't know if I should even watch the show when it's back on television.  

Yes, I know that's ridiculous.  We all know I'm going to watch when it's back on television and then again when it hits Netflix.  Still, it's annoying.

KYLE CHANDLER

Heck, if anybody deserves an all-caps title, it's my favorite actor in the world, Kyle Chandler. GQ just gave him 2011 GQ Coach of the Year as part of its Men of the Year issue (for his portrayal of Coach Eric Taylor on Friday Night Lights). Super 8, right in time for my birthday.

What If...

I don't want to give away any television spoilers (you can click here if you want to know limited details, but there is a show that is doing an episode with an alternate reality. The premise is based off the question "What if this big event hadn't happened?"

So, Entertainment Weekly asked its staff the same question and the writers came up with their own list of What If moments like "What if Picard had remained a Borg?" on Star Trek: The Next Generation or "What if Jack had died at the end of the first season as planned?" on Lost.

Are there any What If scenarios in your favorite tv shows that you would like to see?

Entertainment Weekly did hit on my big TV wish:  I wish Zack hadn't gotten mixed up with Gormogon on Bones. My second wish would be that Tim Riggins hadn't lived with ferret guy who cooked his own meth or the Riggins brothers never had a chop shop (and poor Canadian Taylor Kitsch never had to say the word "chop shop" in his Canadian, poor Texas accented voice) or, wish of all wishes, Tyra and Landry never killed that guy.  

And now I must go watch Friday Night Lights...

Friday Story

So, a man accidentally threw away his wife's engagement ring. Then, with Waste Management's help, dug through a lot of trash to find it. You can read the entire story here. Do please click on the link because the first comment is my favorite. "Let's be honest here - did he really have a choice? LOL" Seriously, I think Husband would dig through 9 tons of garbage over listening to me nag, yell, and scold him for the rest of his life.

Cupcake Vodka?

I am sure my best friend, Grey Goose has nothing to fear, but I read Cupcake vodka is coming to America. It comes in different flavors and there are drink recipes. The apple one seems like a good idea for Thanksgiving, but it also sounds kind of gross. Either way, it seems like the cupcake gimmick isn't as strong as it was years ago, but I guess with the popularity of the whipped cream vodka, this was bound to happen. Anybody hear anything about it? Think it's worth trying?

#2 - And That Ain't Bad

I'm paraphrasing my favorite line from a Jennifer Aniston vehicle.  It was just announced that Arlington is the No. 2 city in America. I'm not sure what the competition or even how the other cities ranked, but it makes me happy. I liked the criteria used - from green space to schools to culture. I know I enjoy living in Arlington and try to take advantage of all this area has to offer.

New Alternative

I get very tired of sandwiches even though I love them.  However, I tried the new Thomas' Bagel Thins.  They're 110 calories and just a little different from plain sandwich bread.  I do not recommend them for PB&J, but they work well with lunch meat and cheese.

Have you recently discovered a product?

Mark Your Calendars - September 19

September 19th is International Talk Like a Pirate Day. Last year, it fell on the weekend which was unfortunate because, every year, I see a man dressed like a pirate. He's usually in Ballston heading towards the Metro. I hope I see him this year and he hasn't moved or lost his sense of fun. It would make for a fun Monday morning.