I Need a Haircut

So, this week I decided growing my hair out was so 2001 and made the move to cut it all off - yay!!!

I go to this great salon in Hyde Park, and my stylist, a wonderful woman from Ethiopia, is so funny and warm, the entire experience is great!

She encouraged the move to go short - something kind of fun and funky, but still professional. Plus, I have a lot of really thick hair, so a shorter cut could work better.

Throughout the cut we chatted about this and that. She asked if I was seeing anyone, and I said no, I have better things to do...hahaha.

At the end of the cut, she joked around that now I would have to beat the boys away with a stick and promptly turned to the guy paying for his buzzcut and said, "See, isn't she so cute now?" He agreed (thanks whoever you are), and I turned about 8 shades of red.

The whole salon is really funny and all the stylists joke around. They are from all over, including several different countries and continents. Definitely a good experience.

So, here's the old cut:


And here's the new cut:

Random Musings

Bread withdrawal has made me uncreative, so here's some deep thoughts from me - I know, you're thrilled:



1) Making out with a girlfriend/boyfriend is not acceptable on the bus.



2) Discussing the marginalization of any sort of society/people does not necessarily make one an intelligent human being.



3) Deciding to go for a run in -6 weather is just stupid



4) One of the hazards of owning a cat is the possiblity that he might play with his furry mice toys during the day and one of these said mouse toys may get stuck in the area between the floor and the apartment door resulting in one having to bodily throw oneself against one's apartment door to get in said apartment.

But he's a cutie and I love him...so it's okay:)



5) When your apartment building says that they're "increasing security" by providing new laser-cut, Pentagon-technology keys to the building. Translation: We're providing one key that can't be copied so you're on your own in case of emergency. Plus, we're only replacing the actual keyhole and not the lock, so the door still doesn't really close and the outside door is still unlocked. Oh, and the gate out back? It is totally Pentagon-technology secured...when people actually close it.


Yeah, that's all I got today.

In the words of my older sister: blargh.

Blarghety, blargh, blargh

“Give me yesterday's Bread, this Day's Flesh, and last Year's Cyder.”

Aww, Benjamin Franklin, you're so clever.

But, alas, until Lent is over, my friends, I can have this Day's Flesh (although that phrase is little gross), and last Year's Cyder (mmm...cider), but no yesterday's Bread for me.

That's right folks, I gave up bread for Lent.

Now, before you think this is some sort of twisted way of putting myself on a diet, it's really not!

After attending a beautiful Ash Wednesday service where the homily was on how Lent is a season of self-sacrifice and restraint, I started thinking about what this year's commitment would be.

I know you're saying right now, "But Katy, dear girl, you already gave up DVDs for 30 days, what bigger sacrifice is there for you?"

Let's be honest here, between you and me...I love me some bread. Mmm...bagel....mmm...pizza....mmm, Italian bread. I readily indulge and think nothing of it, carbs forgotten.

But this is less a practice in giving up grains, and more of challenging myself to do without - regardless of what I'm giving up. When I told my friend Little Ms. Bossy about this, she seemed slightly horrified, but wished me good luck - as she ate a roll...hahaha. But I know that is an exercise in thinking daily about what I do and how I can control things in moderation. A time for me to think in different terms about how I live and act. This bread thing is deep people, deep.



So we'll see...one successful week plus one day and counting.



Grant that I may become beautiful in my soul within, and that all my external possessions may be in harmony with my inner self. May I consider the wise to be rich, and may I have such riches as only a person of self-restraint can bear or endure.
~Plato

Splendour in the Grass

What though the radiance

which was once so bright

Be now for ever taken from my sight,

Though nothing can bring back the hour

Of splendour in the grass,

of glory in the flower,

We will grieve not, rather find

Strength in what remains behind;

In the primal sympathy

Which having been must ever be;

In the soothing thoughts that spring

Out of human suffering;

In the faith that looks through death,

In years that bring the philosophic mind.

-William Wordsworth

Ah, Wordsworth...how can I qualify your talent? Your words are amazing and your sentiments timeless. Your ability to capture the emotion and feeling of a moment is unequaled, and for that I love your work. "Splendour in the Grass" is a lasting favorite of mine.

But why, dear readers, did I choose this poem? One praising the virtue of appreciating a moment and not regretting what has come to pass?

Because I am about to say good-bye forever to a very dear friend. One that has been with me for years and seen me through good times and bad. One that has never let me down and has given me countless good memories. One that helped me in grad school and then helped me start my career.

Alas, to mark this sad, sad parting, I have written a good-bye letter that I would like to share with you all to my friend:

Dear 1988 Chevy S-10,

I will miss you so much. I hated you when we first met in 2004. I'm not sure how my grandfather had bought so simple a vehicle. I hated you for not having air-conditioning, power brakes, power steering, or an FM radio. But most of all, you were a manual, and I, a devotee of automatic.

But we came together you and I, like a pegasus. Through hours at the Cub Foods parking lot and in the neighborhood, I learned how to lift the clutch and not kill the engine. I learned that taking off in 3rd was not necessarily a good idea - especially with the emergency brake on. And I learned that you and I could get along no matter our differences.

You came with me to Bloomington, when I only barely knew how to drive you. Parallel parking brought some frustration and inappropriate language, but you always kept going. You taught me that jumper cables can be a girl's best friend and that 4 people can fit on a bench seat. You hauled furniture, wine glasses, people, a piano, theater sets, and helped me bring home a brand-new kitty.

You travelled well, and when it was time to move to Texas, you were game. You lasted 17 hours of father-daughter bonding and got us safely the width of the United States. I learned quickly that I missed air-conditioning in a state where humidity is the most common pasttime. You put up with crazy Houston police and multiple trips to the opera. You withstood the taunts of the snobby security card who said you weren't good enough to park in front of the upscale apartment building.

You went with me to DC and stood by me through the tears, anger, and disappointment. You made countless trips to Target and Goodwill and helped some great people move new places. You bonded with others as your battery was changed and a new radio installed and let me change all of your lights. You withstood snow, ice, and annoying neighbors.

Alas, dear one, I couldn't take you to Chicago. I will miss you and your great chrome shifter and "I (heart) Wood" sticker and your leopard print seats. Saying good-bye to you is like saying good-bye to a family member and you will always be my first car. You taught me the value of driving a manual and now I can never go back.

But most of all, I'll miss the times we had together and hope that your next owner loves you as much as I do.

Love,

Katy

An Ode to Pepperoni Pizza Combos

I remember the day I discovered you
Spying you from afar
I was on my way to Chicago
My mom yelling "Get in the car"

I can't believe I didn't know you
Until the age of 25
But since my first bite of you
I've never felt more alive

Chips be damned and Fritos
You are dead to me
I have never been so happy
As with a bag of Combos at my knee

Despite my will of iron
I eat you way too quick
I'd never be without you
If I had that option to pick

I can't buy you in Chicago
You're very hard to find
But please be assured, my Combos
You're never far from my mind

Some Super Tuesday Cuteness

Awesome picture of Sugar thanks to this guy

Frailty thy name is Woman

No, don't let the title fool you...I haven't had a husband die only to replace him with his brother while my son sees visions and slowly goes crazy...silly people.

No, my inability to commit comes in several ways: failure to commit to blogging often, failure to commit to more than one date with any one given person (ahh, the stories), and failure to commit to changing this behavior. I joke around all the time with my family & friends about this fear of commitment like it's a fun little quirk of habit. My concern of late is that this is less a quirk and more of a consistent personality trait: no relationship more than a few months, living in a city no longer than a year, changing jobs after one year, constantly changing my hair, re-arranging furniture every few months, etc., etc. Now, David Beckham has these same obsessive behaviors - including having to vacuum the rug in exact straight lines - but as I'm not being paid millions a year to play soccer and take my shirt off for advertising, I have this niggling thought that we're really both not in the same boat.

Having come to the conclusion that no one will pay me to keep on having commitment problems, I've come up with a series of goals that I may or may not commit to:)

1) Living in Chicago minimum of two years: Only one year and six months to go - deep breath in and out, phewwwww...
2) Leaving my furniture alone until my birthday: Only three more months...three more months
3) Not messing with my hair until it grows at least 14 inches: This may not work - I'm cheap and that's a lot of shampoo...buuuttt...less haircuts...hmm...
4) Not handing my business card out to cute strangers: Done and done...note to self - no longer carry business cards

That said, I am firmly committed to several things that I can pride myself on:
1) Sugar - my cute, cuddly, chubby cat has my lifelong commitment - how could I not?
2) Supporting various causes - I feel strongly about donating to many organizations that are working for a better world including the WWF and CARE
3) Speaking French - I attend class twice a week and move up a level every five weeks - I've now been doing that since September and can't imagine not going
4) Movie trivia - Please, everyone has a hobby
5) Working in the arts - bringing you music, one dollar at a time
6) Friends and family - because really, your life is better with me in it...hahahahaha...just kidding:)

Now before you think I'm pulling a Britney Spears and committing my self to a psych ward, I'm actually just reflecting on a series of events in the past few weeks. I'm getting better at committing, though - I mean after all, I've been a member of Netflix since 2004.

...

January 30 day goal update: I SUCCESSFULLY purchased 0 DVDs in the month of January. To celebrate, I bought the 1st season of The Tudors on February 1st - WITH a coupon. Booyah. But I've learned something - I don't have to always give in to the need to buy, buy, buy. Stronger, baby, stronger:)

February 30 day goal: Write a card or letter to someone everyday - friend or family. I happen to still love snail mail and I hope to share that with others. I've got my Chinese New Year/Cary Grant stamps ready to go - Bon chance a moi!!