The dubious hair change - Yay or Nay?

On Thursday Griffin had his Grade 1 interview. Which went great.

Between that and collecting Quinn to take him to collect his spectacle prescription and to get them fitted, we had some time and I suddenly decided to get my hair done.

Stupid impulsive decision!

Firstly my usual hairdresser was busy so I just took whoever was there. Then I said I wanted somethign fun like highlights. My hair was a nice rich reddish colour before:


Then I said to keep the length and make it more layered...

The result... TERRIBLE... I look like a diseased skunk:


I resisted the temptation to recolour the whole lot that same night, and just tied it up for work on Friday. On Saturday I washed it and let it dry normally (on Thurs I had been for a run and then to yoga and then had a hot bath so it was not ideal circumstances)

This is what it looks like now...

So what's the verdict, colour over or leave as is??

Quinn - email & chat

We set up an email account for Quinn (mainly so he can communicate with R), and I emailed him the following to get things started:

Quote:Hello Quinn. This is an email from Mommy. Write back. Bye

I got this independent and unsupervised response:

Quote:

from Quinn Weideman to Jane Weideman date 17 May 2008 10:34 subject Re: Hello Quinn hollo mommy can wehave some sweets from bum bums

LMAO I think he gets it

Ok, now we have tried the chat function... he is a pretty strange boy...

Quote:

me: hello Sent at 11:07 on Saturday me: hello Quinn what are you doing? Sent at 11:09 on Saturday quinn.weideman: i am making farts on the chear with my bum Sent at 11:39 on Saturday me: sis you are a pig Sent at 11:45 on Saturday quinn.weideman: you are a fart fase me: please don't be rude to me. quinn.weideman: okay me: thanks fjfjfhfhdfhfhfkjfhkhdjd ititity8o5uyydregx vxfggxd ncrfvfjfhfutrfhcfhcnmvrvhfgvh Sent at 11:48 on Saturday quinn.weideman: m ,mcvklm,mvlfmv,cn kcbv v,nfv, m v.,czj/vm mc.;/kb;.xcv,v .cvm,x.cmvl;,f.v, f;v./,dfl;,v;flv;f,v;,c .lkgvbf;g.lf me: no man stop being annoying write proper stuff quinn.weideman: sxfhcnfyvn,fttfn,vjgcnbk..n, ncnvkhsvkfgkhfkvhkdvhkjfshvkdhkglfhkgnvfk vjfhkfhkhkghfkvnmcnvmkhvmfhgkrhgkhrfihrk ghrighrjhgikrhgrehgkrhgirhgjjkgkhrgjhrkghier ghirgjkhregjkihjkfhgiregirey itrthirytiryeity rityiryt me: want to go ride bikes? quinn.weideman: okay me: okay to go ride bikes? around the common? please??? quinn.weideman: NO WAYES me: come on it's nice and warm outside and you have a party later... Sent at 11:54 on Saturday quinn.weideman: No it is not warm outside Sent at 11:56 on Saturday quinn.weideman: heres a fakt gsfjehfjdgf uqhfjdfhkdhfuywhfjhfusrhfjdhfhj hfjfudyhfjhgjhgjfhgjfhgjfhg Sent at 11:58 on Saturday quinn.weideman: qwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnm,. me: no quinn don't keep doing that only use it for real messages else I will turn it off quinn.weideman: okayyyyyyy anser please me: answer what? quinn.weideman: anser my bbum me: STOP BEING RUDE quinn.weideman: okay

I can see the teenage years are going to be colourful. Yoh.

Look what I can do!

The Scorpion pose or 'Vrischika-asana'

http://www.santosha.com/asanas/scorpion.html

This has been the very hardest pose for me to achieve in yoga. It took me 9 years to feel confident enough to even try it, and now after 10 years of doing yoga I can actually do it without feeling like I am going to collapse & break my neck. I used to think I needed a paramedic on standby just to attempt it

(Thanks to Quinn for the photos. I was feeling very blah and emo earlier, and some fooling around made me feel better. Then I decided to try this and asked Q to take photos so I could see what I look like).

It takes loads of mental strength & will power (because it's scary to attempt it) and, a lot of arm & shoulder girdle strength.

Ultimately it should be done away from a wall and with feet resting on head... maybe in a another 10 years...

Cranberries Day

"I Still Do"

I'm not ready for this,
Though I thought I would be.
I can't see the future,
Though I thought I could see.

I don't want to leave you,
Even though I have to.
I don't want to love you.
Oh, I still do.

Need some time to find myself.
I wanna live within.

Can I go my own way?
Can I pray my own way?
I don't want to leave you.
Oh, I need you.

Am I ready for this?
Did I think I would be?
Can I see the future?
No, I can't see.

I don't want to leave you,
Even though I have to.
I don't want to love you.
Oh, I still do.

Ah, la la da da da.
Ah, I still do.

Ah, la la da da da.
Ah, I still do.

"Not Sorry"

Keep on looking through the window again,

But I'm not sorry if I do insult you.
I'm sad, not sorry, 'bout the way that things went,
And you'll be happy and I'll be forsakin' thee.

I swore I'd never feel like this again,
But you're so selfish, you don't see
What you're doing to me,
I keep on looking through the window again.
No I'm not sorry if I do insult you.
No-o-o, I'm not sorry if I do insult you.

You told me lies, and I sighed, and I sighed, and I sighed.
'Cause you lied, lied, and I cried, yes I cried, yes, I cry, I cry, I try again.

I realize, as he sighed, and he sighed and he sighed.
'Cause you lied, lied, and I cried, yes I cried, yes, I cry, I cry, I try again.

Keep on looking through the window again,
But I'm not sorry if I do insult you.
I'm sad, not sorry, 'bout the way that things went,
And you'll be happy and I'll be forsakin' thee.

I swore I'd never feel like this again,
But you're so selfish,
You don't see what you're doing to me,
I keep on looking through the window again.
No I'm not sorry if I do detest you.
No-o-o, I'm not sorry if I do detest you.

You told me lies, and I sighed, and I sighed, and I sighed.
'Cause you lied, lied, and I cried, yes I cried, yes, I cry, I cry, I try again.

I realize, as he sighed, and he sighed and he sighed.
'Cause you lied, lied, and I cried, yes I cried, yes, I cry, I cry, I try again.

Keep on looking through the window again.
Keep on looking through the window again...

"Empty"

Something has left my life,
And I don't know where it went to, ah, ha, ha.
Somebody caused me strife,
And it's not what I was seeking.

Didn't you see me, didn't you hear me?
Didn't you see me standing there, ah, ha, ha?
Why did you turn out the lights?
Did you know that I was sleeping?

Say a prayer for me,
Help me to feel the strenght, I did.
My identity, has it been taken?
Is my heart breakin' on me?

All my plans fell thought my hands,
They fell thought my hands on me.
All my dreams it suddenly seems,
It suddenly seems,
Empty

"No Need To Argue"

There's no need to argue anymore.
I gave all I could, but it left me so sore.
And the thing that makes me mad,
Is the one thing that I had,

I knew, I knew,
I'd lose you.
You'll always be special to me,
Special to me, to me.

And I remember all the things we once shared,
Watching T.V. movies on the living room armchair.
But they say it will work out fine.
Was it all a waste of time.

'Cause I knew, I knew,
I'd lose you.
You'll always be special to me,
Special to me, to me.

Will I forget in time, ah,
You said I was on your mind?
There's no need to argue,
No need to argue anymore.
There's no need to argue anymore.

"Daffodil Lament"

Holding on, that's what I do since I met you.
And it won't be long. Would you notice if I left you?
And it's fine for some 'cause you're not the one,
You're not the one there...
There... there... there... there... there...

All night long, laid on my pillow,
These things are wrong.
I can't sleep here!

So lovely, so lovely, so lovely.

I have decided to leave you forever.
I have decided to start things from here.
Thunder and lightning won't change,
What I'm feeling and the daffodils look lovely today,
And the daffodils look lovely today,
Look lovely today.

Ooh, in your eyes I can see the disguise.
Ooh, in your eyes I can see the dismay.
Has anyone seen lightning?
Has anyone looked lovely?
And the daffodils look lovely today,
And the daffodils look lovely today,
Look lovely today...

"Linger"

If you, if you could return, don't let it burn, don't let it fade.

I'm sure I'm not being rude, but it's just your attitude,
It's tearing me apart, It's ruining everything.

I swore, I swore I would be true, and honey, so did you.
Were you lying all the time? Was it just a game to you?

But I'm in so deep. You know I'm such a fool for you.
You got me wrapped around your finger, ah, ha, ha.
Do you have to let it linger? Do you have to, do you have to,
Do you have to let it linger?

Oh, I thought the world of you.
I thought nothing could go wrong,
But I was wrong. I was wrong.
If you, if you could get by, trying not to lie,
Things wouldn't be so confused and I wouldn't feel so used,
But you always really knew, I just wanna be with you.

But I'm in so deep. You know I'm such a fool for you.
You got me wrapped around your finger, ah, ha, ha.
Do you have to let it linger? Do you have to, do you have to,
Do you have to let it linger?

"Disappointment"

A disappointment.
Oh, you shouldn't have done,
You couldn't have done,
You wouldn't have done the things you did then.

And we could've been happy.
What a piteous thing,
A hideous thing was tainted by the rest,
But it won't get any harder,
And I hope you'll find your way again.

And it won't get any higher,
And it all boils down to what you did,
Then...

In the night we fight, I fled, you're right.
It was exactly then, it was exactly then,
I decided, decided, decided, decide. Oh, that threw you out.

In the night we fight, I fled, you're right.
It was exactly then, it was exactly then,
I decided, decided, decided, decided. Mmm... Mmmm...

But it won't be any harder,
And I hope you'll find your way again.
And it won't get any higher,
And it all boils down to what you did

----------------

I don't think it's going to happen any more.

You took my thoughts from me.
Now I want nothing more.
And did you think you could just take it all away?

I don't think it's happ'ning, this is what I say.
Leave me alone, leave me alone,
Leave me alone 'cause I found it all.

Oops I did it again - gave G another Haircut

I can't remember last time poor Griffin got taken to an actual hairdresser... I think he did get taken at least once in the past year though (I hope), but otherwise somehow I just never get around to it, and then I suddenly realise his hair is really long (although it looks good like that and is in fashion atm) and then go at it right then and there myself.

I trimmed it in Nov last year:


Then in January I hacked at it, and didn't think I'd done a very good job.

I swore I would take him to a hair dresser next time...

But er, ja, well. I did it again!



I think I am getting better!

Spider Revisit

Last night there was another huge spider in our house, like the last one

We have established that they are Rain Spiders, aka the Huntsman spider.

I think this one was slightly smaller, so not the same spider, but ANOTHER one... and this one was in the boy's bedroom. So I couldn't just leave it, I had to get it outside.

I have recently been blabbing about how I am not really scared of anything... well I am going to have to revise that, because although I am not scared of spiders in pictures, or even in real life - over THERE - and especially outside, it turns out I am actually terrified of the thought of them ON me, or even interacting with them at all. It's the movement which scares me the most especially when they get riled. They behave very threateningly. Well these BIG ones do anyway.

Rationally, I thought I would just get a long stick, pick it up on the end of the stick, and carry it outside... But in reality every time the stick got close, the spider would rear up, and I would scream. Not like a little squawk, but a sustained horror movie ripper of a scream, with running on the spot and general idiotic freaking out. *blush* (Think scary movie type stuff)

Quinn was laughing his ass off at me, although I could see he felt the same. I kept explaining to him how I was being totally silly but couldn't help it, and I was apologising to the spider too.I kept telling myself to stop doing it, but it kept happening!

The freaking spider was well aware of us, and as we walked around the room strategising it was following us with its (many) eyes, and would change the orientation of its reared position to be able to strike which ever direction we were in. YIKES.

Then Quinn told me they can run fast...implying it would just run down the stick and get me in no time. Flip! I must have prodded the thing about 10 times, and yelled and bounced around after each time, until the spider must have been either terrified itself, or just very p'ed off. Probably both.

Then Quinn told me I must 'phone daddy' to come sort it out. And I thought, dammit I CAN and WILL do this. I need to be able to do this. (Aside: He often acts MORE terrified of stuff like this than me anyway)

So I changed my strategy, and decided to put a bin over it, to try to get it to fall in and then cover the bin etc. By this time the spider was in the middle of the room, and not by the pelmet any more.

Quinn had had enough at this point and was also scared/hamming it up, and leapt into his cupboard slamming the door behind him to hide away, leaving me to handle spider on my own... Griffin had come through from the lounge to see who was being murdered (judging from the screaming), and joined in on the action.

Finally, I tried to place the bin over the spider, but he ran away too fast and I missed 'him'!

I screamed, ran on the spot and flapped some more, and then decided to do the stick prod again. He was getting close to the bed and I wanted him back in the corner of the room. Well, next time I touched him he abseiled down from ceiling to floor in like 2 seconds (I swear I could hear the Mission Impossible theme playing softly!).

As he approached the ground, my brain and body clicked into gear, and time slowed down (think The Matrix) and as he hit the ground I slammed the bin over him (about 95% sure that he was actually under there, and hadn't escaped under the bed!).

Some more flapping, whooping, and indecision ensued, and we finally found something to slide underneath (a Lego base board). I did this carefully, imagining the spider either sneaking through the tiny gap of the lifted side of the bin or being squashed by the board etc.

Then I picked it up gingerly and we marched outside. A debate followed as to what to do next, and we decided to throw it down at the edge of the driveway, so we could get proof that we did actually have the spider in there. I stood back threw it down and sure enough spider scuttled out and climbed up the side of the bin. I do believe he shook his fist at me too. ;)

I gave the bin a prod and he scurried off into the bushes.

Mission Accomplished!!!

Sorry Mr Spider. But we ARE scared of you, so please stay outside.

I feel proud of myself for doing it, but also rather silly. But it was kind of 'fun' in a way. I guess in the way that roller-coasters are terrifying but also fun.

Never a dull moment here!

I chose a sick tree....

The Parable of the Tree

A man lived in the Great Plains, many years ago. He had only one source of wood for all his needs: a beautiful large oak tree growing behind his cottage. Anyone passing by could see that this was truly a beautiful tree, and of course it was an oak tree so it must be strong. It would protect him from the prairie's storms and provide shade from the sun.

This man was very happy about his tree. It was really all he had ever wanted to meet his many needs. It was large enough to provide firewood from its fallen branches, its many limbs could be cut as he needed them for building furniture. The man was very happy.

One day the man decided to make a chair, so he took his saw and went out to his tree. He climbed onto one of the lower limbs and began to saw it off. As his saw bit into the wood, the man got a funny feeling. Something just didn't seem right. As he finished sawing the limb suddenly snapped as if it were brittle, shooting splinters into the man's eyes. He was surprised and hurt, but he managed to clear his eyes and slid down to where the limb had dropped to the ground.

He looked at the end where he had made his cut and to his amazement he saw not the solid, gleaming bands of a healthy oak, but a pithy, brittle mass riddled with holes. The limb would not serve for furniture - no way. And the man realized that something was amiss. He began having suspicions about his beautiful tree.

The next day the man tried again, for life presses on, and he really needed a chair. So he climbed again to another limb, and began cutting. And again, just as he was about to complete his task, the limb shattered and sprayed him with sharp splinters. This time he was prepared, and managed to turn his head, but the splinters were sharp and they hurt him nonetheless. Again he climbed down, and discovered the same pithy, brittle mass.

With this the man realized that his precious tree was not well. It was diseased. It was infested with an insect, the prairie oak flea, which was known to cripple trees, but not to kill them.

As the disease progressed, the man realized that he was not getting from his tree the things he counted on for his safety and comfort. The leaves became thin and scattered, and the tree could not provide the shade that he needed from the hot sun. When storms came, instead of the sheltering buffer he had hoped for, the tree would yield its weakened limbs to the winds and they crashed down on his cottage roof. Once a limb broke right through in the midst of a storm and the man spent a cold wet night waiting for daylight so he could close the hole.

But still, the man loved his tree. It was a beautiful tree. And it was an oak. It was HIS oak. "I love my tree," said the man. "I know it has a disease, but I love the tree nonetheless. I chose to build my home in its shelter and I am committed to staying with it."

One day a passing wagon stopped, and the man in the wagon asked, "Why do you stay under this sick tree? It's causing you so much pain, and there are things you need that it doesn't give you?"

"Oh, no," said the man. " I love my tree. It's the disease that I hate. The tree is still a beautiful tree, and it is my life."

"But look," said the man in the wagon. "Its wood is rotten. Its shade is useless. It harms you in storms when it should shelter you. And you have no furniture because its wood is brittle and pithy."

"Oh, no," said the man. "You must learn to separate the disease from the tree. Otherwise you'll become embittered."

"Well," said the man in the wagon, "if the disease is separate, then where is the tree without the disease? I don't see a healthy tree standing next to a disease. All I see is a pithy, bug-eaten tree that can barely stand on its own. If your tree is such a good provider, why is that you have so little, and what you have is patched and leaking?"

The man thought for a while, and then said, "You know, maybe you are right. No matter how much I say I love that tree, it will never give me the things I need from it. I guess you're right. The TREE and the DISEASE are all the same thing. I don't have a tree and a disease. I have a DISEASED TREE. And the longer I hang out under this tree, the longer I'm going to live without the shade and the wind shelter and the furniture that I need, and the more likely I'm going to be conked on the head by a falling limb. Maybe I need to start looking for another tree that can give me what I need..."

The man thought about it, and a little later he decided to look around for another place to have his home. And the man found a spot, even better than the one he had been living in, with a healthy maple growing nearby.

He hated to think of building his home all over again, but he was, at heart, a courageous man, and he decided to try. In a few months he had a new home, shaded in the summer, shielded from the wind, safe during storms, and he was able to build beautiful furniture for his study. He lived there, mostly happily, writing to his many friends who also had problem trees.

His old tree continued to grow in its same spot, and continued dropping limbs during every storm, just as before.
-------------------

At first I loved my tree. I thought I had a happy & healthy tree, then I hoped I had a healthy tree, but my tree is sick and keeps getting sicker. My tree is dangerous and is not good for me. I need to move away from it; before it destroys me.