You think YOU'RE having a bad hair day...

Even your worst hair day can't be this bad:

Photo courtesy of MorgueFile.com

Though I've had a few that were close...

The absolute worst was bad not only for the hair itself, but also the timing. TG and I were just about to set off on our Big European Adventure. We had sold the first house we bought (we'd been eating mac-n-cheese casseroles for a year and a half to make the mortgage payments) and decided the absolute best thing we could do with the tidy profit we'd made was to spend six months visiting my relatives in Sweden, and Eurailing around the rest of the continent.

(I know. Not really all that practical of us, considering we didn't have any jobs lined for when we got back. But, hey, "young and stupid" is a valid life phase, right? Besides, we didn't have kids yet, so we were only responsible for ourselves, and figured what the hell.)

Anyhoo, before we set out, I decided curly hair would be easier to take care of while traveling than straight hair. So, naturally, a perm came to mind. I mean, then I wouldn't have to bother with packing a power adapter for my curling iron. Or, yannoh, the curling iron itself. Brilliant, huh?

But I didn't really want to pay a whole lot for the permanent. I wanted to save every penny possible for our Big Adventure.

(You can see where this is heading, can't you? Uh-huh. Pinching pennies on perms is not a wise thing. But, hey, "young and stupid," right?)

So I selflessly chose the local beauty salon that was offering $15 perms. (I know! Stupid, stupid, stupid...)

Have you ever seen a $15 dollar perm? No? Well, you're not going to here, either, because I am no longer young or stupid -- I destroyed all the photographic evidence.

After my hair was totally fried by the perpetrator who went out to smoke a cigarette while the permanent wave solution "set," I went to visit my darling TG at the theater where he worked. Mainly to cry on his shoulder, but also clinging to the fragile hope that it wasn't as bad as I feared.

TG, bless his heart*, was getting the theater in shape for his imminent departure, and thus terribly, horribly, completely busy with all sorts of crap. So when I stepped up onto the stage, tremulous smile on my face, he could be** forgiven for walking right past me with barely a nod and not one iota of recognition on his face.

Yup, folks, that perm was SO HEINOUS my own husband didn't recognize me.

I (of course) burst into tears, which was a totally cliched and girly thing to do, and something I couldn't have prevented even if Gloria Steinem had been standing there shaking her finger in my face.

The tears finally got his attention. Have you ever seen a deer caught in the headlights? But, in spite of his fear, TG stepped manfully up to the plate and told me I was beautiful. Hugged me until I had it under control, offered me his hat, and took me out for ice cream.

And that's why we're still married.

*Anyone from the South knows exactly what this means. For those of you not from below the Mason-Dixon Line, let's just say it's not as complimentary as it sounds, and leave it at that.

**Could be, but wasn't...not before many, many trips to Baskin-Robbins, anyway. Even now, if the subject comes up, he offers to take me out for ice cream. It's almost a Pavlovian response.


What's the worst hair day you've ever had? 

(If you've never had a bad hair day, I'm sorry but I'll be forced to hate you.)

Humpy Turkey Day!

Hi, y'all!

Just popping in to say an early Happy Thanksgiving to my US compatriots. May your turkeys be large and your pies bountiful!

If you're a vegetarian, um...enjoy that tofurkey.

If you don't eat meat OR tofu...well, you can still enjoy look at turkey like this one:

Photo courtesy of MorgueFile.com

It may not be all that tasty, but at least there's a lot of it.

(Hmm...come to think of it, that's what was said about the last turkey I roasted. See, there's something for everyone to be thankful for -- I'm not cooking a turkey this year!)

But enough about turkey. This is Hump Day! I can't let you go without a camel pic:

Photo courtesy of MorgueFile.com

Hoo-boy, get a load of the look on his...um, her...well, its...face. Let that be a reminder to you:

The right attitude will carry you through even when your humps are drooping.

Happy Thanksgiving to those to whom it applies, and Happy Hump Day to all!

And may your humps stay perky. ;)

A Hump Day Winner! (And some really pretty eyelashes.)

Know why this camel is so happy?

Because she's* pleased to announce the winner of the signed Diane Henders book! (If you missed my interview with Diane, click here to read it.)

Without further ado, the winner is...

Carol Kilgore!!!

If you haven't yet visited Carol at her blog, Under the Tiki Hut, you're missing out on a treat. While you're there, check out her book, In Name Only, another treat. A yummy, romantically suspenseful treat. Mmmm.

Carol, you can email Diane at diane(at)dianehenders(dot)com to see about collecting your prize. Just tell her which of her books prefer. Personally, I recommend Never Say Spy. It's fast-paced, funny, and sexy -- a combo I happen to find irresistible.

That's it from me today, folks. I'm buried over here in my reality for the next little while, and I have to keep shoveling. But I wish you all a HAPPY HUMP DAY!

Oh, wait...the question. Question, question, question...um, what's your favorite day of the week? 

*No, I'm not sure that's a girl camel, but I figured I had a 50-50 shot at being right. Besides, just look at those eyelashes. They belong on a girl. ;)

Na-NOT!

[I originally posted this on the blog two years ago. Since it still applies, I thought I'd share it again. I figure a lot of you haven't seen it yet, anyway, so I don't feel too guilty about the rerun. Plus, I changed the pictures, so it's kind of different. A little. Sort of. Oh, heck, work with me here...]

If you're at all involved in the online writing community, you already know about NaNoWriMo, affectionately truncated to NaNo.  Basically, you sign up to write a whole novel between November 1 and November 30. Lots of my writing buddies have attempted this. Some have even succeeded.

I have never even tried. Let me tell you why.

The Top Ten Reasons I Say No-No to NaNo

10. The temptation to cheat would be too great. I just know as soon as I slipped behind on my daily word count goal, I'd dip into something I've already written, doctor it up a bit, and cram it in to make it fit. And cheating would be wrong.

9. I've never really written a "first draft." By which I mean: I fiddle with the parts I've already written all the way through, so by the time I reach "The End," I'm probably on about draft 25 of the early chapters.

8. I'm too competitive. If my friends who are participating were to tell me they'd written 2000 words for the day, I'd have to write 2001. (I know. It's a sickness.)

7. I may be *cough* ever-so-slightly contrary. If somebody is telling me I have to do something, I can usually find a way not to. Which explains why I haven't yet read Twilight or seen Titanic. Too many people told me I "just had to!" 

6. I'm too superstitious. I know, deep down, as soon as I commit to writing a whole novel in a month,something will happen to keep it from happening. My computer will blow up. I'll come down withbubonic plague. There will be a rare November blizzard, and I will be shoveling out until Christmas. The Zombie Apocalypse will descend, and my brain will be eaten. Take your pick. 

Possibly even with zombie pirates!!! (morgueFiles.com)

5. November zips by fast enough as it is. I can't afford to age any faster than I already am.

4. Turkey coma. I will eat so much on Thanksgiving that my brain won't be functional until the first week of December.

Yes, I will eat turkey, despite the dirty looks. Lots and lots of turkey. (morgueFiles.com)

3. I like to get the laundry done during my daily writing time. We don't have enough clothing to get me through NaNo.

Not my real washer. Though some days it feels like it.  (morgueFiles.com)

2. If I were to manage to write a whole novel in a month, how would I ever live up to it with future novels? Say I were to take six weeks for the next one? or seven? or even eight? Think how inadequate I would feel. Who needs to feel inadequate? 

And the #1 REASON I'm not doing NaNo? Because I know I'd never be able to keep up with regular blog posts if I did. Either writing mine or reading the ones I follow. Yes, dear readers, it's a huge sacrifice, but I'm DOING IT FOR YOU. :)


So, are you NaNo-ing this year? How's it working out for you? 

P.S. The winner of Diane Henders' book will be announced soon!