Straight Hair

So, in response to Anaise (I loved her comments, by the way) I straightened my hair so I could post a picture of it today.

I wore it straight to work. I could not believe all the comments from kids about my hair. I was in the hall at lunch. It was fresh snow from Sunday and I was telling the kids to just walk on the tile because it was very slippery. So I spoke to each class coming in. I was constantly saying thank yous. All the comments were good.

I felt a little silly. And then I explained to the staff when they commented on it. Nancy just laughed, I had already told her and she knew what I was doing.

I am still petulant and very stubborn about some things. :)

Josh took this picture after school. I spent all day keeping my bangs out of my eyes and playing with it. So, this is after a day wearing the style. My cowlick is making its appearance.

My self-portrait this morning. The cowlick is tamed. I ended up taking this picture upside down so I could use the right hand. I am laughing at my own joke.

When Craig came home this evening, he noticed my hair right off and laughed too. I guess if I am going to beat a dead horse, at least it is harmless.

I got in a fight at work

Thursday I got in a fight at work.

The day was going down hill before I ever got to work.

I was cranky and irritated.

Then when I got there, I discovered that I had started. It wasn't a total mess. I had supplies to take care of it. It didn't warrant going home and loosing 45 minutes to take care of it.

I thought, well that explains my bad mood.

I had tried a proactive thing by taking my car to get it washed before work. That did help. Seeing my car with out the salt incrustations (from the salt on the roads to fight the ice) was a mood lifter.

But the start of my cycle canceled that all out.

That day I was assigned to work in the cafeteria. It can get deafening in there at times. Not my favorite lunch responsibility -- in fact my least favorite.

That day, although it was no longer in single digits, the temperature was still at freezing.

The outside door was propped open.

I growled to myself and stood at the far end of the room from the open door. The kids were really not complaining, but I noticed they all were eating with their coats on.

I wanted to close the door. But I didn't know why it was open. Nor was it my place to close it.

One of the lunch ladies poked her head out of the kitchen door (half way to the open door) and told me to close it.

I wanted it closed and so I went with out much resentment.

Barely a minute or two later, a different lunch lady came out of the same kitchen door (again closer to the outside door than I was) and yelled at me -- because of the distance (I might be being kind here)-- to open the door.

I dug in my heals and yelled back that it was cold. She was adamant and I was stubborn. I did go back and open the #*%$ door.

This time I was super annoyed at being ordered about by the kitchen staff; the lunch ladies.

I had lost all logic and was set in petulant mode.

She came back out and yelled across the room again and I yelled back. I nothing intelligent to say, just that it was cold. And I said that over and over.

She came over and said that she didn't appreciate me arguing with her in front of the kids.

I can't really remember what I said back, but it was not the obvious observation that she was doing that exact same thing to me in front of the exact same children.

I did the very high school reaction and ignored her for the rest of the day. I out right refused to even look at her.

My good friend was not there to laugh at me or tease me back into a sane mood.

When I got home, the Ensign was in the mail box waiting for me. I thumbed through it and saw multiple references to choosing our reaction and treating others with love, no matter how they treat you.

By this time, I was acknowledging my childishness and determined to apologize the next day.

Craig came home and I told him. I was able to laugh about it. He asked why I didn't stand up for myself. I just shrugged my shoulders. I was beyond thinking clear - just stuck in resentment. That shuts off my brain. I am never able to think well in an argument.

I had decided that I would inform the kitchen staff that I will never touch their door again. Still not mature -- I know.

The next morning, Craig laughed at me as he left -- not at all malicious. I think he was a bit envious that all I had to deal with was a stupid door dispute. He deals with doctors and staff and much more silly things that happen with 80 people working together.

I started realizing that not touching the door was not the answer.

So, when I got to work, first thing I did was go to the kitchen. There she was with three other lunch ladies. I mentally squared my shoulders and apologized for being childish the day before.

I did say that I wanted to explain my reactions a bit. I said I was in a bad mood when I came to work. And then I explained that I had responded to a request from the kitchen just a minute or two before to close the door. She said that she had not known that. I also mentioned that both she and the other lunch lady were closer to the said door when they came out and ordered me to open/close it. She said that the it would not happen again. The person they were keeping it open for was no longer working.

I said that it would also be nice if they would communicate with me about things that effected me also. I had no idea why it was open, and yet I was the one who was in the room that was most effected. Or at least communicate with the entire staff so that I would not be getting conflicting requests.

I also mentioned getting yelled at in front of the kids.

She said that the other lunch lady knew. I said she did not, because she would never knowingly put me in that position.

I apologized again. I felt better that I said the important things that I wanted her to know. And I left, never hearing her apologize in return. Not one I'm sorry, too.

And as I left, I realized that I had never really expected her to.

As I write this, I am no longer angry or irritated. Just a bit ashamed of myself that I let such a stupid thing sour my day and consume the morning of the next day.

I wish I was better at shrugging off such trivial things.

Sometimes I wonder if I will ever learn.

My hair.

Today I let my hair dry with out any product. Then I realized the time and did a quick spritz and product application. It was a softer version of my wild curls or waves or what ever my hair does.

After Relief Society, a sweet, older lady (probably late 80s or early 90s) came up to me and said that I was much prettier with curly hair.

Two weeks ago, I had straightened it.

I said it was fun to change up the style and straighten it sometimes.

I thought, this sweet, old lady is not so sweet today.

She kept on about how she likes curly hair. Really, that is lovely. She has straight hair and she gets a perm.

I smiled, kept my sense of humor with me as a shield and went to find my family.

I told Craig, and he immediately said, I like it both ways -- straight and curly. I felt better.

It reminded me of a lady back in Oregon who said that it just hurt her heart when I straightened my hair.

My question is this: What does it matter to other people how I style my hair? It is mine! My head! My hair! It is totally up to me what I do with it!

I suppose I have a few opinions about other people's hair, but I have no business to start telling them how they should style it.

Isn't that a personal choice, based upon the mood of the day or the time you have to fuss?

I think next week I will straighten it.

Piano tuner

We bought an old, used, cheap (for a piano) piano at the beginning of our marriage. Craig always wanted to have a piano, and I did too. Neither of us play. But we didn't worry about that.

I put Josh in lessons in first grade, and then Boaz when he reached first grade. I figured, you have to be able to read before you can take lessons. :)

The boys have complained, but I tell them they have to because I am their mom. Craig says they have to because he is their dad, so really it is hopeless to complain.

Before our last move, we knew the piano was out of tune. But we knew the move was coming. Then Christmas came and went. Then, the lovely piano developed a buzz. A very annoying buzz. My boys began begging me to call the tuner.

So, I called the tuner that was recommended by Josh's teacher. He is a very nice man and knew his stuff. He has been tuning for over 35 years.

He had to come twice. Once to fix the buzzing sound, and once to tune.

He tore the piano apart looking for the source of the irritation. I was awed, and a bit scared, as I saw him take panels and the entire hammer apparatus out of the piano. I learned more about pianos that I ever thought possible just watching the process.

Here are some of the panels that were removed.

Here is the panel-less, hollow piano. There are a few hammers, but a whole section was lifted out. I think the piano looks a bit naked.

The wonderful thing is that now it sounds so much better. It was definitely worth it, and I am a bit embarrassed I let it get so bad.

But I have referred three people to him in two weeks. Not too bad. :)

And the boys enjoy practicing more because it sounds so much better.

Behind on Christmas

I am behind on posting about Christmas.

I haven't downloaded my camera in over a month. That is a bad thing. But I realize I have some cute pictures that need to be saved, and so here I go.

The boys wanted and X Box 360 for Christmas. That was all they talked about. Craig saw an opportunity.

He took an old broken down box out of the garage and gave it to the boys and said, "Merry Christmas. Here is your x box." He thought it was hysterical. They boys, not so much.

They clarified by saying, "No, and X Box 360."

Craig took the box, found a sharpie and wrote a big 360 on it. Still the boys were not amused. They said, "A gaming console." Craig refused to understand.

This went on for about a month.

Boaz brought his Christmas wish list home from school. There was only one thing listed, X Box 360. I posted it on the fridge.

The Wii had gone out and it is no longer playing games. Although we can still get Netflix on it, so we have kept it hooked up.

Here is a picture of Boaz and Josh when they knew it was somewhere in the pile of presents.

(Something is weird with Boaz's teeth in this picture, and I can't remember what it was.)

Opening the actual X Box

There it is on the stack of opened presents.

The frenzy is over, and the tree looks sad. Boaz got the old guitar tuned and a soft case. Josh got The Lord of the Rings, they both got blankets from Grandma Joey, they got pajama bottoms and new underwear. And of course, the chocolate on the piano bench. Mostly, it was about the X Box.

They were happy, and that is all that matters. :)

New Year

Just after the new year I saw a coupon for blog books. I got enthused. I looked at my postings last year and excluded the two comments left by a blogger phishing for readers. I ordered my new book. :)

This will make five blog books -- one for each year I have been blogging. I tell myself it is my journal. Craig thinks the books are great. As I was reading past books, I left them out and found Boaz reading them too.

I have been thinking that I need to go back and do past years. Starting with the year I got my digital camera for Christmas. I'm not even sure which year that is.

When our storage unit was broken into, one of the things that was stolen was all the pictures of Boaz that I never got around to putting in his scrap book. My blog books have taken over the scrap book phase I was in. But I am wondering how to get all those baby photos back. I think I have the negatives -- but where do I get prints from old negatives now days? And I am having trouble getting excited about going through all those negatives.

There are so many things to do. I didn't get my Christmas quilt done this year -- I have five blocks done and I should be quilting this morning. Instead I washed floors and vacuumed. While vacuuming, I sucked up a sock from under my bed, and spent more than 30 minutes tearing apart my vacuum trying to figure out how to get that stupid sock out. I am now much more intimately acquainted with my vacuum.

The boys have cleaned their bathrooms and done their animal chores. Boaz's friend just came over to play.

So I guess it is time to start quilting again. I am determined to get this quilt done before June. I also have three baby quilts to get done. Two little boys are already here and a girl is making her appearance the middle of February. Time to get going for sure.