Journal Entries
I have been remiss...
Posted Apr 18, 2003
After she saw the picture of my new haircut, Amy+ informed me that I forgot to mention that I got new glasses.
So I'll mention it right now:
I got new glasses last week. 
Better now?
Oh, you want details?
Ok, if you insist.
The eye
checked my eyes and said the distance vision was only slightly worse, but the near vision needed to be bumped up a good bit. No wonder I was having so much trouble refocusing when I would do some kind of close work for a long time, then look at something in the distance - I think it would take me at least 5-10 minutes to be able to focus again, even *with* my old glasses.
They're the flexon type frame, again. Looked at a bunch of different frames, but I've been spoiled by glasses that are so lightweight and require so little adjustment to be comfortable. Of course they're lots more expensive, but if I'm going to be stuck with these frames for the next two years (insurance only helps out on the cost that often), I want to make sure they're something I can live with for two years, instead of something I'll hate after a few weeks.
I found a bunch of my old eyeglasses in a drawer and dropped them off at a Lions Club eyeglass box in the grocery store the other day - been meaning to do that for years, but when I'd locate my old glasses, they didn't seem to have a drop off box available for some reason, and when I'd notice that they had a drop off box, I couldn't locate the glasses. Finally managed to coordinate things and get rid of the old glasses.
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Latest reply: Apr 18, 2003
I got a haircut!
Posted Apr 17, 2003
Actually, I got them *all* cut.
I went to my hairdresser tonight and told her I wanted something different. She seemed to have a lot of fun with my hair.
First the wash, of course...
Then snip, snip, snip. That took care of about 3 inches. 
Then she layered it all over.
Then she decided it needed to be about an inch shorter 
, so she did it all again.
Then she took a razorcomb to the ends.
Next there was the gel and the blow dryer with the diffuser on it...
I'll *never* be able to get it to look like this on my own!
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Latest reply: Apr 17, 2003
Back down to earth...
Posted Apr 14, 2003
So after the fashion show, I came home and fixed the toilet... So much for the glamarous life of a runway model! 
Then today I moved the remainder of the wood that was left out back into the garage. It's not like I need it now that the weather has warmed up a bit, but it's good to get that mess off the patio for the warm weather and it'll be all ready for next fall.
There goes the nail polish though.
*sigh*
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Latest reply: Apr 14, 2003
It's what I wear to all my fashion shows...
Posted Apr 14, 2003
I was in a fashion show this past weekend. 
Don't look so shocked. There's a women's chain in the US that has "fashion shows" in the stores about once every 6 months, sometimes more often, and they ask every customer who comes in during the month or so before the date of the show if they'd like to be in it. They like having "real women" as models because they carry all sizes of women's clothing and it's good for business for all sizes of women to see that they can look good in the store's clothes. I'd done the same type of modeling in high school (ok, so it was only one time), and it sounded like fun. Besides, they give every "model" a 30% discount on any purchases made the day of the fashion show, which is a pretty good incentive to do it.
Took me forever to talk Shorty into doing it with me, but then she saw this beautiful prom dress that she wanted to try on, even if she didn't have a date for the prom (yet.. but who knows what might happen?), so she agreed to do it, finally.
I didn't know what to wear in the show... but then the lady in charge of the fashion show came across this gorgeous white chiffon skirt, and then happened to see a beautiful white lace top that was completely beaded and sequined. We picked out a couple more outfits to try on, but the white one was the first I tried, and it was so pretty that I didn't bother to try on anything else. When else would I ever get to wear such a fancy gorgeous outfit?
Needed shoes to wear with it, too. The first pair they put me in were way too high in the heels, especially considering that they were platforms. I felt like I was going to break an ankle! So they found another pair - this time a strappy sandal with about a 2 inch heel. Much better.
Day of the show: Since I'm going to be wearing strappy sandals, I decided to paint my toenails. If I'm doing my toenails, better do the fingernails to match. Messed up one nail and have to start over on it 3 times. Finally get two coats of polish to dry instead of smudging. Arrive at the store early enough to change, and make sure makeup and hair looks ok. We were given final instructions to take our time instead of racing through the aisles (Why do they call it a runway if you're not supposed to run? ), and, which places to stop for a moment and turn so everyone can see all sides of our outfit.
Music started, the salesperson who organized the show started announcing each "model" and told about her outfit, and we were off!
Lots of "real women" models there - 24 of us all together. All shapes, sizes, and ages. But everyone looked good. Attitude goes a long way towards making a woman look beautiful. It was definitely fun, too.
Everyone loved it... I was the last "model" in the show, and as everyone knows it's the last model who traditionally wears the bridal gown. I was thinking my outfit looked more like the mother of the bride, considering my age, but it *was* white, so I guess it was like a bridal gown, after all... And in actuality, some of the salespeople said that particular outfit has been looked at by some customers for use as a bridal gown.
I didn't buy that outfit, but Shorty bought her dress with some birthday money... I had my eye on some nice cool summer shorts and tops, so I bought those.
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Latest reply: Apr 14, 2003
Driving lessons
Posted Apr 14, 2003
I'm teaching Shorty+ to drive. Nerve wracking? Oh yeah, of course it is. But she's doing really well. The state of Pennsylvania gives all kids who get their learner's permit a little book to record how much time they've spent behind the wheel since they're required to put in at least 50 hours during the 6 months between when they get their learner's permit and when they're allowed to take their driving test. We started on the afternoon of April 3rd, after she passed her learner's permit test.
Problem is, I don't know where they're finding the kinds of roads they're talking about in that little book.
First off they want you to spend 2 *hours* going over the systems and controls in the car with your kid. Two *hours*?!?? I think we've spent about 15 minutes, grand total. If we go over all the controls in the other cars with her (she drives the old car), and go over how to change a tire, plus make her wash all the cars, we might have 2 hours covered. On to the next lesson... parking lot time at 15 mph or less, 3 hours. Ok, we did that... or close to 3 hours, I think.
Then on to neighborhood driving, and on lightly traveled roads, maximum speed of 35 mph, minimum of 6 hours. Sounds easy enough to find roads like that. Except that the neighborhoods are full of cars parked out on the street with not quite enough room for two cars to pass between them, and kids playing in the street, and with all the little curves and stops, it's hard to ever build your speed up to 35 mph safely. So we were off, out to other "lightly traveled roads". Except that the other lightly traveled roads around here are either so incredibly narrow that two cars can barely fit on them, with *no* shoulder before dropping off into a ditch that those were really scary for a new driver, not to mention the mom trying to teach her kid to drive. So we moved up to slightly more heavily traveled roads, but they're not consistent with the speed limits (anywhere from 25 mph -which would be fine - on up to 45 mph, which means most other drivers push you if you're driving less than 5mph over the speed limit) and in order to stay on roads with speeds under 35 mph, we'd have to switch drivers about every half mile or less. No way. The next lesson involves moving up to roads that have speeds up to 40 mph. Hmmm... doing that already, and then some, since PennDOT seems to have so much fun changing the speed limits on the roads every half mile or so. Oh well... guess we'll just sort of use the book for recording time, since it's no good at all for what's to be covered in each "lesson", including things like lane changes, parking in parking lots, and 3 point turns - they've been coming up, long before they're supposed to be covered in the lessons.
Thought we were going to get a chance to drive in snow since it snowed one day last week, but it had all melted off the roads by the time school was over for the day. Since she'll probably get her license in October, it doesn't look like we'll get a chance to do snow, but it's been raining a lot, so she's had to deal with rain slicked roads, at least.
Just another 5 months and about 2-1/2 weeks of this to go to meet the 6 month requirement, even though she'll have the 50 hours covered by the end of May since she's already put in over 12-1/2 hours in the last 11 days.
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Latest reply: Apr 14, 2003
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