Aww, thanx guys. *group hug!* 

Sadly, I came down sick Saturday night so I'll need to take even better care of myself now.    Between that, mother nature and the drama with Mr. Clueless, I've been pretty wiped out. I want to just collapse and be unconscious until it's over, but life isn't going to allow me that kind of luxury.

Today was another CWC. Same routine, same stuff. I suppose I don't mind being stuck in a hair rut as long as said rut is working. I brought a pair of scissors from home to do an S&D during my break.

And yes, the toes are done. hehe A nice, shiny black pedicure is always a lovely finishing touch...even if no one ever sees it. My hands are a different story, of course. Man, do they need work!

As for my room, I still need to dust the top of my armoire. It doesn't look like that's ever been done - it's disgusting up there!    The impending holidays will bring beautiful berry-coloured placemats and table runners in luxe fabrics into the stores, and I need to get a few to put on top of the wood furniture, like my dresser and nightstand, so they don't get ruined.

As for buying something that I've had my eye on, I just ordered a new skirt that should be delivered mid-September.

And as for Mr. Clueless, I've been keeping my distance. Partly to make him understand my resentment of things that he's done and partly to avoid more drama. But also to show him how it feels to be ignored. Detaching...that's what it is.

So that's all for now. It's almost time for my break.

Lisabelle: ((((hugs)))) Men indeed. A man would've known better. This boy, I'm afraid, still has some growing up to do.

Speaking of "the boy," I spoke with him a couple of nights ago, and he'd wondered why I hadn't been around. Hmmm...how does it feel with the shoe on the other foot? It sux having to "repay" his karma like this...I'm pulling away slowly. Unlocking the iron lung that I've been living in for the last 2 years. It's going to be empty as heck without that kid in my life...but I know that I can breathe on my own, and I'll get by. And so will he in his own sorry way, I guess. In all honesty, I don't think that he ever falls in love deeply enough to stay there for very long.  
   
After talking matters over briefly with my 15-year-old cousin, she ordered me to "dump him this minute!" lol Man, when it's that obvious to a 15-year-old, there's a problem.    But younger minds have a way of seeing more clearly through the complicated fog that we adults create around ourselves. She also has the benefit of being removed from the situation, seeing things from the outside rather than being caught up in the emotional aspect within, as I am. If she wouldn't let a boy treat her that way, why the heck should I?? That pretty much settled it for me. I knew that I could rely on her.  

So anyway, hair!!
Yesterday was a clarifying day, as I'm apparently working Wednesday & Thursday mornings now. Fine by me, since it regulates my wash schedule a bit more. I tried a little something different by absent-minded mistake and left the conditioner on under a shower cap while finishing the rest of my shower duties as usual. Typically, on a clarifying day, I rinse the conditioner out after about a minute or so. But there didn't seem to be any harm done from leaving it on longer - au contraire. It seemed less dried out this time around...so maybe I've discovered something awesome. We'll see how it goes next week.
   Today was the typical CWC, Silkening crème, air dry routine. Ran out of my Pantene Full & Thick conditioner, so I'm going to Target after work to replace it with a bottle of Restoratives Breakage Defense (probably). Slowly filtering out the products that I'm not so thrilled about with things that I am. Full & Thick wasn't rich or heavy enough to provide really good conditioning.
   haha Finding the right hair stuff is a lot like finding the right guy.    You have to kiss a lot of frogs...or put them in your hair.    Yeah. Either way, you'll hopefully find exactly the right type that can be your steady constant forever without ever losing its wow factor. The type that wraps your hair in a luxe, golden embrace and makes it feel goddess-like...that does all of the right things and none of the wrong. It's out there somewhere...God willing we find it.

A few other notes...I seem to be shedding quite a bit lately. To the best of my recollection, such a thing didn't happen at this time last year. Factor in the crying spells that seem to strike at random, and I'd call it stress. As I've said before...wake me when this month is over.  

Walkin' away, I saw a side of you
That I knew was there all along
And that someday I'd say goodbye to you
'Cause one right can still make two wrong
Not for each other, not from the start
The difference was day and night
My finest hour, spent here with you in the dark
Was just before I saw the light

It's the people who want love and the people who need love
Who find love on the way
I'll be lookin' for someone 'til I find the right one
Then I won't be walkin' away
                   -Clint Black, Walkin' Away

On pins and needles, Trish, I'm waiting.  

*pauses for a moment while Ziggy Stardust plays on the radio*

Ok, so yesterday was a slightly more involved hair day than usual. Roots were very greasy for whatever reason, so I ended up washing all of my hair once, then doing a CWC, so the roots got washed twice. I totally should've done a heavy EVOO treatment the night before but was too tired and it was too late. At least, that's my excuse.  
   Anyway, from there on, it was the usual routine. My hair stayed in one braid all day...well, kind of. There were a lot of pieces that fell out, but I didn't bother re-braiding or anything. Just left it while I washed my car and power walked, then took it down for bed.
   On the health front, I should note that my junk food strike voluntarily ended a few days ago. I should probably only do them a week at a time and then reward myself at the end, as I used to. Going 2 weeks at a time is asking a bit much when one is PMS-ing.    I have stuck to power walking nightly, however. After tomorrow night, I'll take it down to every other night, and hopefully not be so tired.

Today was a WTC - washed all of my hair with Pantene Full & Thick shampoo (totally should've done a heavy EVOO treatment last night - whoops), then left a conditioning treatment on for an hour. This was the honey/EVOO/aloe/Pantene treatment that I whip up sometimes. Anyway, rinsed that out after an hour, ran the Silkening crème through the length and let it all air dry. I combed it out during my break at work and noticed that something (possibly the treatment?) had left the middle and underside sections of my hair pretty greasy toward the scalp. Strange...it's never done that before.  

I'll be braiding it all when I get home anyway. Hopefully do a S&D before then. The right side of my hair is finally starting to look less awful with the S&D's. I guess it will be an ongoing process.
   Oh yeah, and tomorrow is measure day. Huzzah.

So someone else asked me today why I always wear black. Tee-hee.    With as often as I get asked this question, you'd think that I'd have a plethera of witty responses poised and ready. Yet when it actually happens, I draw a blank. I do need to get better at this because the comedic potential is huge.
   In any case, my response to this particular gentleman was, "It's my favourite colour," followed with a fake, cheesy smile. ---->  However, this young chap was bold enough to openly suspect that it was goth-related. So I rewarded his acuteness with honesty.    He seemed surprised by this.

Anyway, definitely some things to get through and look forward to this weekend. But I suppose the thing to remember is that 1.) I'll live through it, and 2.) once I live through it, I'll never have to do so again. Part of it is going to be very tough, but I have survived far worse. Wish me luck.

This, this is our new song
Just like the last one
A total waste of time,
My iron lung
      -Radiohead, My Iron Lung

Wow. I swear, the amount of support on this site is overwhelming. I'm touched. 
*group hug!!*

And lol Lisabelle...you and your emoticons.    I needed that.

Indeed, it was not a pleasant thing to have to do, but life isn't always pleasant. In fact, in my experience, it rarely is. We do what we must.

So today was a clarifying day. Clarifying wash, white vinegar rinse, another clarifying wash, then condition. Again, I left the conditioner in under a cap while finishing the rest of my shower, and again, my hair came out less dry than usual. I guess this will become part of the clarifying "tradition."
    No leave-in's as usual for a clarifying day. Just air dried and braided.

When I arrived at work and started finger combing my hair (it gets blown around a bit from the a/c in my car), my mother made a comment about how I always play with my hair and she wondered how it wouldn't be constantly greasy...especially given the fact that I wear hand lotion all the time (even though I wasn't wearing any at the time). Then she theorized that since my hair got so oily during the day as it is, perhaps it just didn't matter...or that the bottom could be as oily as the top with my fingers passing through it so much. Oy, that woman.

Anyway, as much as I hate admitting this, the thought of cutting all of my hair off has crossed my mind several times. Many times, actually...whenever I feel distressed and hopeless about its current condition. I know that such thoughts are not uncommon among longhairs, of course, and I would certainly never act upon them. Don't want to disappoint the fans, ya know.      One of my co-workers has done all but threaten my life if I ever cut my hair...so I guess I'll just have to tough it out.

So one day later, my oh-so-fabulous black manicure is beginning to chip already. Grrrr! I am never buying Express Finish again.    Thus continues the quest for the world's most awesome black nail polish. In the mean time, thank God for fine tipped Sharpies.

On the health front, I am now power walking every other night, and I'm going to see about doing ab work on those "off" nights. Weight is still slowly tapering off.
    My cold seems to be gone - as yet, I'm left with sore throats in the morning, but I can still sing, so it's all good. Honey lemon cough drops are my friends. 

Alright, I have about an hour left here before I must jet off to the bank, and then to Robeks...I've got a mad craving for an açai bowl.

Ohmygod, SO HAVE I!!!  I was (and am) going to mention something in my journal, but you bringing it up is kind of bizarre. 

*hugs* about the ending relationship with the boy.  That which does not kill us makes us stronger...or some such rot.