Masthead header

Put your straighteners away for the season

I thought I was ahead of the game. Way ahead. Turns out the weather snafooed my plans. Again.

Dan left town yesterday (a 5 hour drive to Rochester, NY…I don’t envy him). And for the first time since we moved, the responsibility of Humphrey’s morning walk fell to me. Instead of trying to get out of bed much earlier than usual to fit the walk in and still be at the bus stop on time, I decided to get a jump on things by showering the night before.

In wintertime my plan is flawless. It leaves me less to do in the morning and guarantees that I do not go outside with wet hair (see Dad, I do listen!). But last night I wasn’t thinking about anything but the absence of the cartoon clouds in the weather forecast. No rain? Excellent. Straight hair it is.

I spent 45 minutes straightening last night and the expected 20 this morning to touch it up before getting dressed and heading out with the dog. My hair was sleek and shiny and STRAIGHT. So off we went. Our 20 minute stroll was lovely. And as we were walking, I thought to myself how nice it is to be out at 6:15 in the morning and not need a sweater to fight off the early morning chill. That should have been my first indicator.

I got back and went up to the bathroom to brush my teeth and I glanced up at myself and my hair looked a little like this:

mehair.jpg

I laughed out loud, grabbed an elastic and put it up in a ponytail, which is what I should have done in the first place. I guess that’s what I get for not looking past the absence of the little cartoon cloud to where the weather channel predicted 64% humidity. I pity the people with really curly hair on a day like this.

So, the trusty straightener has been placed in the drawer, where it will remain, sadly, until sometime after Labour Day.

July 13, 2006 - 11:07 am

Kris - OK. I can TOTALLY relate to this.

I remember my first hair straightener well. It was the summer between grade 11 and grade 12 and I bought myself a $30 metal plated Conair and straightened my hair with it 3-4 times a week for 4 years, until I caved and bought the $120 ceramic model, which I’m still enjoying. I’m fanatical about straightening, to the point that I can’t deal with my hair when it’s curly anymore. It drives me insane. It has to go up.

That being said, it’s been straightened for so many years that it’s kind of given up and the curls have softened into waves, which I can kind of enjoy. Sometimes.

Summer in Ottawa used to be a nightmare for me, but it now remains straight most of the time. Probably has something to do with the 10-degree office in which I spend 80% of my time.

July 13, 2006 - 11:22 am

shannen - This is a good straightener that I’m using that still results in friz. I have ridiculously thick hair that has become more and more curly/wavy over the past few years. I guess when you are trying to tame that kind of beast you are bound to fail now and then.

I don’t think I’ll bother trying to straighten it again. It’ll be a curly Q summer for me!

July 13, 2006 - 1:22 pm

Jen - That is funny! You know Calgary is the exact opposite. It is so dry here that I think any day now my hair is going to start breaking off in pieces.

In a weird way I miss the humidity.

September 28, 2006 - 10:05 am

forgetful.ca » A return to the Villa… - […] The weather was certainly better than it was four years ago.  Last night was brisk and clear, where as on September 27th, 2002, it was pouring rain…and we all know what happens to my hair in the rain and humidity (which is why I’m still surprised that we made it to date two).  And though we noticed a lot in the area had changed over the years (the famed ‘Elbow Room’ is no more, the ‘Fire Station’ has been closed to make room for an attempt at an upscale martini bar and the yummilicious ‘Oh So Good’ has bid farewell to Elgin Street), Pancho Villa hasn’t changed a lick.  The menu is the same, the wait stafff seemed familiar and of all the tables in the place, we were seated right next to the table we first sat at together.  The only thing that really differed was the conversation, with more time was spent reminiscing than getting to know each other this time.  […]

September 28, 2006 - 10:05 am

forgetful.ca » A return to the Villa… - […] The weather was certainly better than it was four years ago.  Last night was brisk and clear, where as on September 27th, 2002, it was pouring rain…and we all know what happens to my hair in the rain and humidity (which is why I’m still surprised that we made it to date two).  And though we noticed a lot in the area had changed over the years (the famed ‘Elbow Room’ is no more, the ‘Fire Station’ has been closed to make room for an attempt at an upscale martini bar and the yummilicious ‘Oh So Good’ has bid farewell to Elgin Street), Pancho Villa hasn’t changed a lick.  The menu is the same, the wait stafff seemed familiar and of all the tables in the place, we were seated right next to the table we first sat at together.  The only thing that really differed was the conversation, with more time was spent reminiscing than getting to know each other this time.  […]

Near beer.

I never thought one of the things I would miss most after becoming pregnant would be beer.  But then I guess I’ve never really had to miss out on a spring and summer (i.e. patio season) before.  And there’s not much else like a cold beer on a hot Friday afternoon on the patio…or the deck, or at the cottage, etc. 

So Dan came up with a plan.  While shopping for our Tuesday date night dinner, he picked up some near beer and chilled the glasses we would drink it from.  You’d be surprised how good it tasted.  I mean, it wasn’t a Moosehead or a Hoegaarden (my favourites), but it was tasty.  And frosty.  And beery.  And exactly what I needed.

dining-9751.jpeg

At a time when you have to give up some of the more fun things in life (granted it’s totally worth it in the end), it’s nice to know that there are people out there that work hard to give you some options…near beer, decaf coffee, virgin cocktails, herbal tea… 

Now, if only someone could come up with a pain-free substitute for the labour and delivery part of the pregnancy. That would be genius.

Happy Birthday Brett!

Our brother Brett is 12 today … hard to believe!

Watch the mail Brett – we are late b-day present senders, but we *are* b-day present senders 😉

Baretta

Forgetful.ca assumes no responsibility for the age accuracy of this photo. Actual Brett may be larger and/or older than depicted. Consult a physician about any other medications you may be taking before Bretting. In the event of Brett, locate the nearest emergency exit and calmly leave the building. Brett at your own risk.

A site worth mentioning.

If you have any interest in food and all the health benefits that come with eating certain foods, then you may want to take a gander at whfoods.com.  The ‘w and h’ stand for ‘world’s healthiest’ and this website lists them all…practically.

I came across this site about a year ago and have been a faithful whfooder ever since.  I admit that my (almost) daily visits to this site have fueled my obsession with eating healthy.  Learning that something was good for me became reason enough to add it to my weekly menu.  A perfect example is fish.  I’ve never been a fan of fish, or any seafood for that matter, but the health benefits make it worth it to me.

The section that I frequent most often is the A-Z list.  This list is amazingly complete and you can find almost anything you are looking for, provided it has health benefits.  If you are trying to convince yourself that a chili cheese dog or a slice of chocolate cake are good for you and are hoping to find them listed somewhere on this site, think again.

For each item on the list, you can find out the quantity of nutrients per serving listed in chart form, as well as a history of the food, a description, how to select an store it and of course, how to enjoy it. 

The charts are my favourite.  For example, last night we ate:

aparagus.bmp

cod.bmp

corn.bmp

Now, if I could only cut out the ice cream and cookie portion of the meal…

 

July 12, 2006 - 8:50 am

Brad B - This site is excellent. Very informative. Thanx 🙂

July 12, 2006 - 12:59 pm

Kris - I’ve been using this site for a long time…it’s great. Someone recommended it to me last year when I was trying to figure out how to incorporate whole grains into my daily diet and it was a big help. Looks like a tasty dinner!

Three cheers for bulgur wheat!

Kipling and Red Paperclips.

Remember the guy who started out with a red paperclip to trade, with the eventual goal of trading up to a house?

Well, he’s found his house. On main street in Kipling, SK, the last of my home towns. My jaw is still on the ground.

Read all about this strange turn of events in the history of the earth at the paperclip guy’s blog.

Most interestingly, he is promising to throw the biggest housewarming party that Saskatchewan has ever seen on Labor Day Weekend. In Kipling. Look out.

July 10, 2006 - 12:27 pm

Shannen - Shoot. We’re busy that weekend. Maybe he’ll postpone for us. I mean a party of 1,140 is one thing, but a party of 1,142 and a half is where it’s at.

Will the Kipling Motor Inn be able to handle the overflow??

July 10, 2006 - 3:38 pm

Jen - When you first sent me the link Dan it took me a few reads to figure out what is actually going on. This is so friggin bizarre! I am curious to know how many people will show up to this party, seeing as how he invited the whole world. Funny that it’s getting all this media attention. Kipling gets put on the map for the strangest things!

July 10, 2006 - 3:39 pm

Jen - Gotch will be there for sure

hahahah