Hurricane Irene

This is my first hurricane. I'm not sure what to expect. The center is coming soon. There's been wind and rain all day. I don't know what to expect once it really moves over us. Right now it's like a Tropical Storm, which is what the last hurricanes have become before blowing through here. I've only lived on the East Coast for 4 1/2 years, so all this is new to me.

I was sort of excited about the hurricane. I know...I know....really??? How can I be excited about a hurricane. It has already caused 5 deaths here in Virginia! It's downgraded down from a category 3 to a 2...I'm not sure what it's at now. It seems to change minute by minute.

It's my husband's 50th birthday too. I hurriedly baked a cake from scratch thinking that the power would go out. It didn't. We have already had our cake and he opened gifts. Now it's time to cook dinner. Seems like a normal day other than we can't venture outside.

Moved my hair blog

I created a new blog.... http://authenticallygoinggray.blogspot.com/ for blogging on my gray experience.

My hair...my journey...week 2

Ok...so just rinsing my hair isn't working.  I'm back to using my non sulfate cleansing product (still not shampoo though).  I decided that I'll tackle one journey at a time.  That, and the fact that I'm training for a half marathon, which causes my head to sweat has caused me to abandon the No Poo idea.  Right now as I'm typing after a 3 mile morning run, I can feel the sweat dripping.  Can't wait to wash it.  

My roots are coming in slowly.  Funny how when I was coloring them, they seemed to grow in so fast, but now it's like watching a pot boil.  I like what I'm seeing though.  My gray is glistening white.  I have a lot of dark too.  It's still not easy to determine what percentage of white I have, but I do like that it's like my mom had as far as the shade of grey being more white.  I still think I'll be more dark than white though...for now.  I was thinking that I'm glad I'm doing this now rather than waiting until I'm in the 70s as my mom did.  As much as I love it when people can't believe I'm a grandmother and can't believe that I'm 53, I'm looking forward to people not making a fuss over it.  I sometimes feel funny when others my own age compare themselves.  With my natural hair, maybe I'll look closer to my age. 

So far.....

  

Starting my journey...my hair...

I know that I have made this decision before and not stuck with it, but this time I am hoping to stick to it.  I am sick and tired of dying my hair.  I don't like how it feels and I can't stand how the color fades out and looks so brittle. I think I'm ready.

And so I start this journey.  Of course I can't just stop coloring my hair. I have to make it more interesting.  I've also been playing around with the no shampoo...or No Poo...idea that I've been reading about.  I'm on day 3 of only 'washing' with hot shower water.  My hair really feels nice.  It feels thicker already.  I have naturally curly hair that tends to be slightly frizzy and it's now not as frizzy.  It's not oily either.  I'm also training for a half marathon, so this No Poo will really be put to the test.  My plan is to journal this journey with words and pictures.

So, now it starts.  I have a little over 1/2 inch of root growth.  It's hard to tell, but I think my hair is about 25% gray....wait, I just looked with a mirror and wow...I didn't know that I had that much grey in the back too.  So, let's say somewhere between 10-40% depending on where you look.  It's really hard to tell, though, because I'm comparing it to the dyed hair.  I have been coloring my hair close to my natural, so that may help the transition some. 

My husband reminded me that I've made this decision before and ended up going back to dying my hair.  Maybe I wasn't ready then, but maybe I'm ready now.  I also had a hair dresser (that I don't go to anymore) try to help in my transition and my hair looks like it was dyed with black shoe polish.  I gave up going grey and began coloring it myself.

I was a hairdresser for 7 years in my 20s, but never had the opportunity to help a woman go grey.  

So...her I go...wish me luck...picture journal to come later....

Panties...and the riding up problem that us women have

 

So...I have been a faithful Victoria Secret panty wearer for years now, but I've also been plagued with the uncomfortable riding up issue that most of us women have to deal with on a regular basis.  It's not a sexy or pretty site to see a woman reaching up to pull and tug at her panty.  I was on a mission to free my mind from the constant fear that my panty would inevitably become a thick version of a thong. 

 

My first purchase fail miserably!  Being gullible by their packaging promising to "NEVER RIDE UP," I purchase two packages of 5 for $19.00 to learn later that you really do get what you pay for.  I can't tell you the brand because the panties are not marked with a label anywhere, but I bought them at Macy's while shopping with my very patient husband.  I was so looking forward to a day without any tugging and pulling and the moment I pulled them on, I knew that these panties would not ride up....just as advertised.  The reason that they don't ride up is because the leg opening is vise grip tight. These are the most uncomfortable panties that I've ever worn.  Being a trooper though, I wore this brand for about two weeks before switching back to my VS panties while searching the internet for a better alternative.

I'd seen Soma's Vanishing Edge brand in my other searches, but we don't have a store that sells them close by.  I decided to take advantage of their by 7 for $35 promotion and ordered online.  When they came in the mail, I immediately tried on a pair and was very impressed.  At work the next day I had one less thing to think about.  These panties are so comfortable that I forgot about them and there was absolutely no pulling or tugging.  The only thing...and this is not an issue for me...while pulling them on, the stay put rubbery substance can cling and it does take a little patience to get them where you want them.  Once in place though...it's a perfect fit that stays in place without cutting off circulation as those other panties did.   I was so impressed that I ordered more from qvc at an even better price.  I will now be able to get rid of the vice grip panties and eventually replace all my VS panties.   

I learned something about my family today

How I wish I could talk to my mom about what I learned today from my brothers.  I'd have so many questions that I never did ask her.

My mother told me that I was 2 when my dad left our home.  All this time I knew I was 2 years when he left...then today's conversation changed what I knew.  My older brother, Gary, who is 7 years older than me posted some old family pictures on  Facebook and we were talking about one picture in particular.  My mom was pregnant with me in the picture so it was 1957 and I noticed how happy everyone looked. That prompted me to ask my brother about what he thinks happened in the two years after. That's when I learned that my dad left that same year when Gary was seven years old.  Wait...if Gary was seven, I was under a year old!?  I did believe Gary, but I called Larry, my other older brother who is 15 years older than me and he told me he was 15 1/2 years old when dad left...their memories matched up.

All this time I thought I was 2 years old, but I was about 2 months old! No wonder I have never felt abandoned by my dad.  I just never had all the benefits of having a dad.  I was never daddy's little girl. I didn't have the same self image that I may have had having a father in my life. I didn't have a daddy to tell me that I was pretty or nice or whatever.  In my early relationships (my first marriage included) I sot out more controlling men.  Was this due to the need of a father in my life?  I'm not sure.  My husband now is not a controlling man, so I have outgrown that need I guess.

Interesting day.  Larry asked me why am I rehashing this.  I only know that now, I know something that I didn't know yesterday.

Shamrock Half

Sunday is the Shamrock Half.  I am so excited!  Can't wait!!!