#33 Visits

 I remember Nana, my grandmother, used to always talk about friends "visiting". Friends would stop over for an hour or two, maybe have a Dr. Pepper and Mint Milano cookies and "visit".  Aunt Jean used to visit; Nana and I would visit Aunt Jean, we all visited Grandma--it definitely was an old people family thing in my life. But in the last day I've had two visits (three if you count going over to Jessie's on Saturday)!

My new-to-me car needs a resident parking sticker for Tel Aviv. The application is online but is in Hebrew and Google Translate is only mostly helpful. So I did something new...I asked a new friend for help. I met Anita back when we we free at a small gathering--she speaks fluent Hebrew and I asked if she and I could meet up so I could complete the parking application. She popped over last night, helped me with two Hebrew forms and stayed for a little visit. Can I also say I'm super grateful to live within a half kilometer of 5 very lovely ladies I work with? The visiting and popping over is super easy when everyone is so close.

The second "visit" was while I was running through the park this afternoon. All of a sudden a woman on a bike was smiling up at me from her bike. It was woman I met in the gym named Shackar in person a few times way back when we were free and now see in online gym sessions all the time. She is super nice--she even looks out for me during gym classes. We are in a lot of Zoom classes together--I'd say at least 3 or 4 a week. One time I got frustrated in a Zoom class because a trainer didn't explain well enough and he didn't notice that I was lost and Shackar got his attention and told him I needed the instructions in English. 

So there in Hayarkon Park I stopped running and we had a quick visit. I'm sure she has no idea how much it meant to me that she took the time to say hi. I know somebody in Tel Aviv! It's like being in Boise and running into somebody I know from Bogus Basin at Java--a lovely sense of belonging. Delightful!

P.S. She recognized me by my pink hair!

                                       

The left one was my attempt at a picture of the back of my head; the right one doesn't look as pink but was take by some nice guy sitting at the bus stop near my house when I got home.

#227: My hair isn't falling out!

Last winter I noticed that the pigtails I put my hair into for skiing getting thinner, seemingly by the week. As the spring semester rolled on, I was astonished at how much hair was falling out of my head. Every time I touched my hair more than a few strands would come out in my fingers.

My yearly lab results were way low this year and my doctor wasn't sure why until I told her my hair was falling out. The debate was over: stress.

I think most of the stress was coming from my job and unfortunately I didn't get a whole lot, or maybe any better at managing it during the rest of the year. One reason is that I'm not good at saying no, so I wasn't sure [read: wasn't willing to] what to say no to.

After a summer in Ireland, despite the incredibly stressful 28 days of MAET; a relaxing trip to England; a laid back rest in St. Andrews, Scotland; changing schools; having only 2 preps this year; a visit to San Diego and a sail through San Diego harbor all apparently relaxed me enough to save my hair!

My hair dresser assured me during my cut last week that way, way WAY less hair is falling out compared to the beginning of summer. Not only that, but new hair is coming in!  WooHoo!

Now to keep relaxed....

#222: Life lessons through vanity!

Let me preface this by saying: I know I'm vain. Luckily, God meets me where I am.

When I was a kid I had super long hair and super thick hair that was tortuous for my mother to comb because my head was so sensitive. Thus, she had it all cut off somewheres around 8 or 9 years old. I looked like a boy. I hated it. I remember someone in a store coming up to me and telling my mother what a cute boy she had. I vowed to never have short hair again once I had control over my own hair.

And so I didn't and I haven't. I have more or less always been on a crusade to grown my hair out long because in my head I'm just this close to looking like Jennifer Aniston.

When I was looking at my Ireland pictures this summer, however, I realized that my hair is always pulled back because it's either annoying or it doesn't look down. I was sometimes embarrassed about how my hair looked. I shared this with my hair dresser today and we decided to do something different and cut it short.

The moral of the story:

• When I let go of trying to look like someone else (which, by the way, was not working), I discovered the perfect length hair for me. It looks great.
• I asked for other people's [read: experts] help. I'd thought I wanted to go brunette but asked what covers up gray the best: blonde. 
• I followed the advice of an expert (see picture).
• After my appointment, I felt like a million bucks! Caring about Putting effort into how I look is a subset of taking care of myself. Yes, I can get obsessive, but there is an element of basic care-for-myself-ness that is reflected in putting some effort into how I look. 
• Once again I am reminded that everything I need is right here now. Right. Here. Now. I don't need to go off and get a makeover or have totally different hair or clothes or nails or extensions or botox or whatever to be happy. Everything I need to be happy, joyous and free is within me, in my life. 

#119: Washing my hair!

I went to check in with the doctor today about my finger.  Two cool things about this:

1. I got to see the picture of my hand!  This is the first bone I've ever broken or fractured.  I asked for a copy of the picture but was turned down.
2. The best part is that I can take off the splint to wash my hair!!!  One handed hair washing is not so easy, and only nominally effective.