Good Hair

They say you learn something new every day.  Today was mind blowing for me!  See, I don't know very many (read: any) black people whose hair I can touch (or who I'm willing so ask) so it has always been a mystery to me.  Chris Rock was on Oprah today talking about his new movie Good Hair, which is about exposing what black hair is really like... interesting.  JUST as interesting was how little Oprah and Chris knew about 'white' hair.  Listen, I live in Colorado... how else was I going to learn about this? From Mo Betta Braids & Things?  Wait... they have a website now??  Wow!  And moved to a new location.  Good for them!  Probably less scary now.  (Sorry for the tangent, just a little inside info for the college peeps.)

Things I learned about 'black' hair (in general):

• Black hair is all the same, the only reason it looks different on different people is the different things they do to it.  Like use relaxer or braid it OR get a weave.
• If the hair is natural then it is a fro or a "jerry curl" (think Michael Jackson in the 80's)
• If it's straight then it's been "Permed" (chemically relaxed using 'creamy crack') or it's a weave (extentions... ouch)
• The relaxer burns!!!  And it's used on kids!
• A perm means chemically straightened... not: get curly hair, like white hair.
• Cheap, ugly wigs can cost $1000!!!  They have to be washed and styled every two weeks and tightened every 6 weeks!  
• A decent weave costs around $5000!!!!  And I thought I was getting ripped when I paid $120 for partial highlights... gee!  Some spend 40 to 50 THOUSAND dollars a year on their hair!
• The hair comes from India.  Another totally crazy story in itself.  People being robbed of their hair in the name of false gods... or medical malpractice.
• It's a $9 Billion business
• Black people don't think they have good hair and want "Good Hair"
• Even if it's permed and then straightened, they can't do that forever, it'll break off from being damaged.  Eventually it'll have to be left natural or put in braids.
• DON'T touch a black woman's hair.

Some things black people don't realize about white people (and find shocking)

• That no one has their natural hair color and many can't remember their natural color
• The 'blondes' aren't natural (haha!)
• Everyone wants thick/er hair
• How white people could have a bad hair day

I always thought black hair was so cool, I never realized how out of control it is and how much they do just to style it.  I also learned that I should be more thankful of my good hair : )

My Nemesis

The guy, my nemesis, lives in my neighborhood. He drives a bright blue suped up subaru with a special muffler that is SO loud! He has an intake on his car, so it wheezes when he shifts. He doesn't know how to drive a stick shift, because I can HEAR when he shifts and it makes no sense. You know, like he's not slow, but not using the full potential, ya know? It makes me SO angry every time I hear it. He comes and goes about 20 times a day. Sometimes he leaves and literally, like 3 minutes later he is back... several times a day, and it's a regular trip he makes. I have never wanted to actually shoot someone until now! I've been calling him my nemesis for at least 9 months now. I know where he lives, I know his license plate #, I know he is at least 30, well on his way to 40 years old! And not even from trying to find out, it's because he is around ALL the time. I want to slash his tires or vandalize his car. I think all these things every time I hear his car. I can hear it from anywhere in my house, I know the sound of HIS car. I can pick it out from any other car on the road, even other loud cars. It makes me burn inside every. time.


A few weeks ago I tried changing my attitude. Every time I heard his car I thought about being patient and not caring about him or his car. It worked... for a little while. Today, I want to shoot him. Just to get his attention and tell him to SHUT UP.


I've thought about going around to my neighbors, asking them to sign a petition or something. Then, we would give it to him and he would know we all hate him! Yeah. I bet that would work.


Maybe his car will just break down... from all the wear and tear. Maybe he'll wreck it.


This is not me! I would NEVER, repeat, NEVER shoot anyone. It conjures up so much anger in me! I just. need. him. to. go. away. forever.

Have you seen this car? Do you have a BB gun I could borrow?

Rollin'

Colby is 5 months and one week old today and decided it was time to (finally) try rolling from his back to front!  Rolling doesn't seem like a super exciting milestone, but it's kinda one of the first things a baby does besides smile and laugh, but it's so cute!  When they roll from front to back they get this really surprised look on their face like, WHAT JUST HAPPENED?!? or, WHERE AM I??  Funny stuff.  And when they roll from back to front it's gotta be for something good, like a plastic link, or a piece of paper... cause going this way is a LOT of work!  When Colby rolled up on to his stomach today he looked so proud, awww!  I probably looked so proud to  :)

Here he is just laying there... typical

wait... there he goes!

errrrr...

eeeeeee...

woah!

steady

aaaand, we're good!

YAY!

Houston?

Every blog needs a first post.  If you'll notice, I've been around since October of LAST year, yet no blogs.  Maybe its the perfectionist in me (just a tiny one) and maybe its the procrastinator, who can know it, but for some reason I couldn't get myself to pick a name (OH the pressure!) and just start writing!  Today, on the eve of my 5 year wedding anniversary (!!!) I've been thinking, and I noticed that I do a lot of thinking.  It could be because I'm a stay at home mom of a 2 1/2 year old and a 5 month old but I don't get a lot of adult interaction and I'm realizing that the things I notice and think about come and go.  So if for no other reason than free therapy here I am!  (Hello interweb!)

I also hope to keep my dear, sweet out-of-state friends and family up to date with my life and have some documentation of these crazy young kid/mom years (which I'm sure I will look back on and think... oh, precious years... right?)  I figured I could just start a diary, but the non-committal, tiny perfectionist in me has a problem with my inconsistent handwriting, but that's as far as it goes, I swear.  But that is so 1991 and I'm not into scrap booking.

So, in going with the theme, I leave you with a quote:

"Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind."  - Dr. Seuss