Trisha: Quote:

We'll sure try. 

Tanai: Quote:

Thanx. 

Quote:

Lucky. Just keep rubbing it in. 

And my sunburn seems to have gone away for the most part. With makeup, no one should ever know. Oh, and if it makes you feel any better, I'm back up to 117. 

Hair: The usual CWC routine again this morning. I have leave-in crème on the length and VO5 shine spray on the ends.
    After a slight change of plans,  my hair will be worn in a half-up for the show tonight instead of in an updo. Not sure if I'll braid the sides or flip the half-ponytail, but I have plenty of time to decide.
    At the moment, it's down and held back in the front with a slim, satin headband.

Nails: A new, blue manicure. My little gesture of acknowledgement to guy friend, T, who will be attending tonight. The color is OPI's Yoga To Get This Blue.

Music: Yep, tonight's the night. My first professional gig with my first actual band. Am I nervous? Not really. If I am at all, it's only because people that I know will be watching. If we were playing to strangers, I could care less. 

During Tuesday's practice, it became apparent to me just how casual a gig tonight would be. Due to time constraints, we will only be playing 11 of the 16 songs in the opera and we won't be airing the video segments. It's a very stripped down effort in a small pub.
    At first, I almost relinquished the corset idea, but Baby Sister opposed: "Nooo! I want you to wear it!"    So I'm still wearing it...as part of a more casual ensemble.

Skin Nightmares: Despite my best efforts, I woke up this morning with my chest badly broken out and a few new blemishes on my face & neck. I probably should have expected nothing less. Fortunately, I'm more than used to compensating for such things, so no one should be able to tell tonight. My makeup box hides some of my worst secrets.

Other: Man, I'm tired and that's not a good sign.    I wish I'd gotten more sleep last night. My relatives from WA came over last night for a BBQ and I had to find & print directions to the pub for everyone. After finding out who all would be attending, bidding everyone goodnight and going through my night routine, I was 2 hours late getting to bed. Then, for whatever reason, I woke up an hour early this morning. So, about 5 hours total. 

Anyway, only 2 or 3 hours left at the office before I have to rush home, get ready and try to maybe find something to eat before dad & I head out to set up. On with the show...

Thanx, all! 

The Show: Had its good and bad points. While the band was setting up, Baby Sister and I went to hand out flyers to people around the campus, inviting them to see the show. This led to us taking a walk through the woods to a keg surrounded by inebriated students (friends of hers) who were planning to show up at the venue.
    Our sound guys were idiot college kids who didn't have a clue what real music should sound like. Lizard was nervous and forgot some of the lyrics, and his mic kept dying. John 3:16 fell into his old habits, ending one of the songs too soon, speeding several of them up and playing too loud in general. Baby sister was flat the entire time. No one could hear themselves, nor could we hear much of anyone else, but we heard the drums loud and clear. 
    I forgot to put earplugs in before going onstage so in addition to not being able to hear myself, I was deafened by the drums and amps. Quite a few times, I had to plug one ear just to make sure my voice remembered what it was supposed to be doing (it did). So professional. 
    The whole time, I wanted to just get through the next song until it was all over. And when it was, I hugged Baby Sister when we left the stage, then ran to the table where my family was sitting to hug everybody there, then over to where my buddy, T, was standing and hugged him, saying, "Thank God it's over!"

It wasn't a complete disaster though. We did finish the set and my mother said that not only could she hear me when I sang, but that I was loud. And strangely enough, I wasn't the least bit nervous. It was cool looking out into the audience and seeing people I knew. My family, friends and a few bandmates all got to meet my friend, T. And while the sound guys and the rest of the band were tearing down, I walked off campus with T so he could show me his new car. He drove me back to the venue before heading home. Mad props to him for driving so far out of his way to see a sucky 45 minute show. 

After hanging out with a few of my bandmates in the student center for a bit, dad & I went home.

Hair: Well, last night wasn't its best. The weather was terribly humid, so I was a frizzball. Yes, we natural straighties get frizz too. And the VO5 shine spray I'd used made my hair dry, sticky and difficult to detangle.    When I got home and took my hair down from the flipped half-up, the roots were pretty greasy too.

This morning, a WTC was quite necessary. I actually used warm water today...as warm as I felt comfortable putting on my hair. And I rinsed out the final conditioner with cool/air temperature water.
    While the honey-infused treatment was sitting in my hair, I whipped up some scrambled eggs for breakfast for the first time in years. Excellent source of hair nourishment.
    When everything else was done, I used the detangling leave-in crème and vegetable oil on the ends, length and underside of my hair for extra moisture. I had to use vegetable oil because I somehow lost my bottle of EVOO.    It made my hair nasty & greasy, so I wove it into a braid. Out of sight, out of mind.

One thing I've noticed since last weekend's trim is that my braid looks thicker all the way down instead of tapering off thinly at the end.
    Last night, my mother's best friend commented that my hair had gotten really long.    Pretty cool considering I'd just lost an inch and a half at the bottom.

Other: Well, today was payday and once again, it didn't cover my debts.    Something's gotta give.

In the meantime, it's almost time for me to close up the office and pick up my father from his work. He's saving an Arby's French dip sandwich for me there while he fills out paperwork. Yays.