What a weekend!

The new week is upon us and again we need to put our noses to the grind stone for the next five days. This past weekend though has left me with some awesome memories. Specifically, I tried something new and although it was a bit of a hair raising experience, it had a positive outcome. One of my oldest friends and her new husband were bound to leave our sunny country for wintry Denmark yesterday, where he is from and where they will be living their lives. Prior to their departure they had a little farewell party where her husband introduced us to a Swedish delicacy, of which the main ingredient was fermented herring. Yeah, it sounds horrible, and when you open the can of fish, it hits you with the smell of a thousand mermaid farts. But it ended up tasting MUCH better than it smelled. On a piece of melba toast, you layer the fish, a piece of boiled potato, a couple of slices of red onion and a dollop of cream cheese, and then you chow it down. The combination of tastes and textures work very well together and I ended up having FOUR servings! 

Prior to the farewell party, I had my wash day and I think it was a success, although I still lost more hair than what I'm comfortable with. I'm nine weeks post and I don't know if I'll make it to a full 12 week stretch. I might just cave in at ten weeks. In any event, quick recap of my wash day:

• Prepoo with ORS Olive Oil Hair Masque. I really do love jars. I finished the Masque and was able to scrape out the very last drops. Due to it being so thick I again sprayed my hair with my water and conditioner mix as I applied the masque. I tried to handle my hair as gently as possible. Wrapped my hair in a plastic cap and watched an episode of 2 Broke Girls. 
• Shampooed with ORS Creamy aloe Shampoo. I LOVE how this shampoo makes my hair feel, although I can't use it too much due to it's chelating properties. 
• Used my Protein Feed Moisturizing Conditioner as instant conditioner, detangling in the process. Even though I'm only nine weeks, my new growth feels insane! Which is another reason I might cave to relax sooner than planned. 
• Did a black tea rinse, using 2 tea bags and mixing in some cinnamon. I didn't rinse the tea immediately afterwards. 
• Deep conditioned with my beloved ORS Replenishing Conditioner, applying it on top of the tea that was still in my hair. Wrapped my hair up in a the plastic cap and bonnet and DC's for almost an hour. Rinsed the conditioner and tea simultaneously and my hair felt awesome. I wrapped it up in a T-shirt for about 5-10 minutes to soak up the excess water. 
• Applied my usual leave ins of Avon 3D and Bone Strait and proceeded to rollerset, spritzing my hair with my water and conditioner mix as I went along. Let my hair air dry in the roller and then pinned it up in a off to the side roll, and off I went to the party. 

It's only been my first tea rinse, so I'll see during the course of the week what my shedding situation looks like. The cinnamon was perhaps not the brightest idea, but it did impart a lovely shine to my hair, the different high and low lights shining nicely in the sun. I need to get a moisturizing deep conditioner as soon as possible. Although I LOVE my Replenishing Conditioner, I do not need my hair to experience a protein over load again. So, that's my mission for the next week - find a nice MOISTURIZING deep conditioner with which to alternate my protein DC. 

How was everybody else's weekend? Hang on to the memories y'all. Have a good week everybody!

I feel good, nanananaaaa!!!

Yes, I do!!! Which is a rare thing on a Monday. But my weekend was too damn awesome for the good feelings to not be transferred to this Monday morning. 

Let's recap. 

Friday started with my friend and soul sister's birthday party. It was chilled out and relaxed, while we still had a lot of fun chatting, getting back to basics and playing cards. Whilst there I realized again how lucky I am to have the friends that I do. It's like being enveloped in a down comforter. And Julio's soup was the bomb!!! The night ended at our preferred haunt, Garlic and Flowers, for a night cap with my other soul sister Ashante, and a catalyst for the smile on my face that lasted ALL weekend long. But I am SO not going to jinx this, so this is where I shut up. :-)

Saturday was taken up by the birthday party of the now 2 year old Zen, and we were surrounded by toddlers, which although cute, made me realize exactly how much of a kid I myself am not anymore. Regardless, it was so much fun. A further continuation of spending time with good friends, good food (Chanty, that curry, yummy!!!) and counting one's blessings. 

The rest of the weekend I was absolutely engrossed in the Hunger Games Trilogy. My inner nerd was in the best mood, I finished all 3 books in a matter of days, a full week has not gone by yet since I purchased them. I was transported to another world, and I actually felt as if I experienced the Games myself. I CAN'T WAIT to see the first film. (I avoided seeing it until I read the books. Personal little rule) Now of course, I'm a little sad, I actually FINISHED the whole trilogy. I'm seriously considering reading them all over again, slowly, since I simply devoured them now. 

Oh yeah, and then a little hair update. I could touch up, so now it's scheduled for this coming weekend at 14weeks post. My NG is driving me a little crazy, so last night I dry DC'd with Pantene Repair and Protect mask for almost 2 hours, then washed with my Avon Moisturizing Shampoo, detangled with Tresseme Moisturizing Conditioner and rinsed, Quick protein Treatment with ORS Olive Oil Intense Repair Masque (which STILL gives no slip and makes my hair feel a little hard, I officially DON'T like this product) and then after rinsing that conditioned again with Pantene smooth and Silky Moisturizing Conditioner while I finished the rest of my shower duties, lol. I then put in Avon 3D Rescue Leave-in Treatment, mixed with ORS Glossing Polisher serum and proceeded to roller set whilst watching True Blood and spritzing my hair with a mix of water, a TINY bit of Aussie Mega Moisture Conditioner and a TEENSY bit of glycerin as I went along. I let my hair airdry in the rollers for about two hours before taking the dryer to them on the mild setting, as it was getting late and I refuse to sleep with rollers, it's too painful and distracting. My roots are WAY thick, so although my hair felt soft coming out of the rollers, I prefer it to be manageable, so I flat ironed (one pass) and wrapped and went to bed. This morning my hair is actually BEHAVING and I am having the best day so far. It feels soft and it's bouncy. I need to look for cute pins though, as much as I'm loving my retention, I need bigger clips now for my protective styles, which is awesome!!! 

Yes, it might just be hair, but it's also a woman's crown and these days, I'm actually liking my own. :-)

Pub Quiz

A little tradition has developed in my circle, that of a Pub Quiz Night every Thursday night. Due to LOGISTICS we have not been able to enjoy this little ritual for two weeks! And I'm having some withdrawal symptoms. Two weeks!!

Here's the deal. There was an awesome venue where the quiz nights were held. They served awesome cocktails, the ambiance was fabulous and we all liked it there! Now the venue has changed. Not the biggest deal on earth, except that other events often coincide and thus class with our beloved ritual. Which is again the case. Some hypnotist is performing and thus NO QUIZ NIGHT. My gray matter already feels a little dull, it would have been nice to be challenged and to spark things up again.

Speaking of which - in the past we used to have nights of playing 30 Seconds, which does not happen anymore. Yes, we still have sporadic poker nights, but I miss the intellectual stimulation and hilarity and frivolity that went hand in hand with 30 Seconds. Essentially, Quiz night ended up being the solution and NOW logistics are messing with us. And it's no fun at all!

BRING BACK THE CONSISTENCY OF MY THURSDAYS!

Status Quo

I have a friend. Years ago I described her as a good friend, in fact we've been friends since the 4th grade. We literally grew up together. We graduated high school together and we even went on to law school at the same time, albeit at different universities.

Then there came a time that I felt that she didn't appreciate me as a friend. I felt that I was the one calling her up all the time, whilst not receiving a phone call in return the next week. I felt that my ideas were never good enough, because we always ended up doing what she wanted. (Granted, she was the only one with a car at the time, but damn it, even the girl in the back seat would like a choice in the matter once in a while) I felt that I was doing all the work, that she wasn't putting in any effort into the relationship, and slowly but surely I started forming a new circle of friends and spent less and less time with her.

And so the years went by and times changed even more. Now she's married with two beautiful daughters and although I'm engaged, I'm nowhere near the domesticated wife and mother that she has become.(Irony, she's still a career woman as well. But yeah, my point is that my life is more than just my work and my home.) I have no regrets, and I certainly do not wish that I had her life, great as it might be.

As the years went by, I actually forgot why we drifted apart in the first place (I felt neglected in our friendship) and put it on the fact that our lives are solar systems apart. Today, I start to wonder, am I perhaps doing the same thing to other friends that I perceived her doing to me? Even back then, our lives were already very different, so did she "neglect" me because she had other priorities and I didn't see it? And am I now neglecting people due to a shift in my priorities? Do they feel neglected? Is the status quo reasonable? I do not regret where am in my life, and I do not regret who I am and how I got here. I'm just wondering if I'm doing the right thing, right now, regarding my relationships.

Tomorrow my doubts may be gone, like the fog before the sun. But today they're plaguing me.

No self respect!

Well, once again, I experienced disappointment in the human condition. Last night, me and Ashantè were at the monthly stand up comedy show, and the first half was awesome. There is some serious talent in this town. However, the evening was spoiled by a freaking pick pocket who stole Ashantè's phone right out of her handbag, whilst it was hanging across her shoulder. This a-hole is "good", she didn't even feel the meddling into her handbag.

What pisses me off is the fact that there are people in this world that have no innate pride and no self respect, and thus they steal from another. We work for what we have, why in the hell can't you, Mr Thief? Why can't you get your lazy ass off the ground and get a job? Why can't you set goals for yourself and then work towards them? Why, if you want a smart phone so badly, can't you SAVE some money and then buy your own? Why in the HELL do you have to steal it from someone who has WORKED for it??

You know what Mr Thief, that is exactly why WE will end up running this place and why YOU will be on welfare for the rest of your life. You are a leech on society, you're an insect, you are worth less than the roaches in your very dirty kitchen. (And your kitchen will be filthy because you have no pride!) So, do the rest of us a favor and drop dead. I hope your dick rots off.