Military Ball

My unit had it's annual Military Ball yesterday evening. Yes, that made the Ball on a Thursday. Attendance at the Ball earned you a day off the next day. But I don't work for the unit-- I am borrowed military manpower (BMM) and they still had daily operations to conduct on Friday. No biggie. I asked for a late start (0900) so I could try to sleep off the copious amount of booze I knew I would consume at the Ball.

And I did not disappoint. 

I am glad that we took our photo before I got completely hammered. But I wish someone would have told me I looks 105 years old with my shawl on. I would have removed it for the photo. Since no one informed me, I absolutely hate the photo and I won't make the Internet look at it. 

Look at this instead!

Completely hammered I did get though. I made it through the receiving line to greet my Battalion Commander and Battalion Command Sergeant Major sober enough. The grog ceremony was memorable. But after I drank the grog, it was all down hill. I sort of recall dinner. James had ham on his plate and the mashed potatoes were off the hook. That's really all I can say about dinner. 

Me and my battle, Tracy

We had to leave before 2130 (9:30 pm). I told James it was time to go because it was time to vomit and I did not want to vomit at the event venue in a $200 dress. I would much prefer to vomit in the privacy of my own home in Nike shorts and a hoodie. Which is exactly what I did. Oh there was so much vomiting, 

And so much working the next day. 0900 was not late enough. I was pretty much worthless at work today. The Ball was fun though (from my booze hazed recollection). 

Long Hair

My hair is really super long. I mean, kinda ridiculously long. If I wore an unfashionable long jean skirt people would totally think I was a radical Christian woman. Good thing I'd never wear a jean skirt. All my tattoos wouldn't really support the radical Christian image either... what I'm saying is, my hair is long. My hair is long and I give bad analogies. 

I've cut it back a few times. Most recently, in November 2013, I cut nearly 10 inches off. I thought it would be helpful to have shorter hair when I deployed to Egypt. I hated it. I regretted it. I don't think it made anything easier, either. My remorse game was strong.

Almost 2 years later, I am starting to feel the itch to cut my hair shorter again. 

Why? 

Why do I want to do something again that I know I hated before? Well, I'm convinced it was the style that I hated and not the lack of length. I think if I didn't go layer crazy like I did 2 years ago, I would like it more. I don't want to cut it so short that I can't put it in a bun. The ability to have a work bun is important. 

I need a change. Someone talk me out of it if you think it will make me as unhappy has the 2013 hair chopping. 

Mystery Illness Solved Through Science

I just recently got over an absolutely miserable cold. It lasted over 3 weeks and it seemed to go through drastic phases with wildly varying symptoms. When I started having strange new symptoms a week ago, I naturally figured my cold was going to take me through another fun phase. Yay.

New symptoms: itchy eyes, sneezing and extreme snot.

When you look at the symptoms alone, it screams allergic reaction. (Duh.) But since I had been sick for so long with varying ailments, my judgement was clouded and I didn't immediately think it was an allergic reaction. I suffered for about a week before I started to do some scientific research on my problem.

I noted I didn't wake up with these problems. They began in the shower and persisted through out the day. The most intense symptoms were in the shower. To include the snot problem. That was mostly uncontrollable in the shower, which doesn't make you feel like you had a very clean shower.

I started to think about how bad my eyes would itch when I would take a shower at the gym after PT at Ft Campbell. I never solved that mystery. I didn't really even try to solve that, I just accepted it. Now that I'm more hyper vigilant about science and it's happening again with the vengeance of 1,000 angry wasps, I decided to take this experience into consideration. I added this memory to my scientific data that I had collected.

The only thing that these two showering experiences had in common (other than the obvious) was the Herbal Essences shampoo and conditioner. My mom sent me the new Herbal Essences Naked shampoo and conditioner that smells SO GOOD like mint and lavender. But I am so very allergic to it! I must have been allergic to the other Herbal Essences shampoos too, but something about their Naked formula really triggered hate from my body.

 

Now that I know my problem, every time I touch my hair throughout the day, I notice the itchy eyes and sneezing return. And yes, I still am using the shampoo and conditioner even though I know I'm allergic to it. I'm too lazy to go to the FX and buy new stuff-- but I'm going to go tomorrow. I promise.

I did some Internet research and I read that a lot of people are allergic to this new Naked formula Herbal Essences has produced. Some of the complaints I read included raised rashes and itching. I'm glad my biggest complaint is snot. Which is still a pretty big complaint as far as I'm concerned.

Mostly, I'm just happy this isn't yet another phase of my epic cold. It's really over!

And I got to solve the mystery using science... I've become a bit of a scientist since I've been in Egypt. FYI.

9 Inches Lighter

James and I went home to Iowa to see my parents for Thanksgiving. We had a really nice holiday. While I was home, I went shopping with Mom on Black Friday. It's not what you're thinking. We didn't wake up at 0300 to assault Walmart or wait in line outside Best Buy. No, instead we went out around noon and went to Pier 1 Imports and Kohls. The rush of crazy deal seekers had passed by the time we started shopping. I got a super cute yellow purse and a hair cut.

 

I've been wanting to cut my hair for a while. My hair was excessively long. So long that the ends would curl because they rested in my lap when I sat down. Having long hair is really cool looking but it's not really cool to find 2 foot hairs everywhere in the house. I find hair woven into my clothes from the dryer. I find hair floating through the air. I find hair in the refrigerator! It's everywhere.

 

I cut 9 inches of hair off.

 

 

I feel so light without the hair. And for the first few days I really liked it. But now that I've gone back to work and have to wear it in a bun, I regret cutting it so short. I have a tiny ridiculous bun on the back of my head now. I wear a bun way more often than not, so I will be growing my hair back to the excessive length it was.

 

I'm still finding 2 foot long hairs everywhere in the house, but eventually that will pass. And eventually my hair will be really long again and I can bitch about finding it in the fridge and start this vicious cycle all over again.

Wedding Hair

The only occasions I have ever had my hair done professionally have been for my two weddings. And I don't even count the first time anymore since this second updo kicked my old updo's ass all over the place. Hands down.

 

My wedding dress was a reproduction 50's vintage style tea length dress. So I wanted to keep my little retro theme when it came to hair and makeup. I know I do not have any ability to do this. (See my Military Ball photo for the high end of my hair styling skillz.) So I paid an arm and a leg to have a professional at the Planet Hollywood Spa make me beautiful for the day.

 

 

 

I couldn't have asked for a better updo. And my makeup was fabulous. I felt like a movie star.

 

This would be me as a movie star acting with a dinosaur:

 

 

Having this beautiful wedding hair made it an easy decision to ALWAYS have a professional do my hair whenever my dress costs more than $100. That's a special occasion dress price. Since I'm all done with getting married from here on out, that means Military Balls. I can't wait for the next Ball so I can be a beautiful movie star again... but without the dinosaur. Dinosaurs freak me out.

Curlers

Tomorrow is my Battalion's Military Ball. This will be the first Military Ball I have ever attended, even though I have 8 years time in service. Last year I attempted to go to my Ball, but James decided to have last minute extensive oral surgery the day before. (I was so happy.) Needless to say, I had to give those tickets away. This year, there will be no unexpected surgeries and I will get to go... or there will be a homicide on my hands.

Although I want to support my organization, mostly I want an excuse up get all prettied up. And I want to show off how handsome James will look in his dress uniform to all the people I work with. With those 2 desires, comes quite the expense. The tickets, the hotel room, the dress, the shoes, the makeup... all an expense. So I decided to cut 1 expense and do my own hair.

 

Sweet rollers!

I figure curly = fancy. That math sounds about right. Well, after I leave these curlers in my hair over night I will have crazy curly (fancy) hair.

I used to put my hair in rollers like this all the time for school when I was in 7th and 8th grade. Middle school was a weird time for me. I noticed a few big differences between putting my hair in rollers then and now:

1) My hair is incredibly longer.

2) My arms do not fatigue as quickly. Thank you Army.

3) Now I can drink beer while I do this lengthy task.

Here's to hoping everything turns out well when I unroll all 49 of these suckers tomorrow morning!