The Mane Thing Is To See Hair Happy

The morning welcomed me with a few interesting news: my dear friend Joelle decided to rock an awesome new haircut which she read from other cancer patients that would help during the chemo process.  She threw a party, invited her friends over, and then "OFF WITH HER HAIR". (ok, I made that last line up, but in my imagination she said it like the Red Queen in Alice in Wonderland)

Now, this decision of letting go of long, luscious locks can be very tough. We seem to have an internal Samson Complex. You see, when you're a gal sometimes hair can either "make" you, or "destroy" you (self-confidence-wise).

Bad hair days can feel like the universe is conspiring against you, and humidity or water can make one react like  Margaret Hamilton's witchy character. However, with Joelle, as a result, she looked BADASS.


I remembered the thrill and fear that came with my [public] hair donation for kids with cancer. My wedding is coming up, so losing inches of hair seems to make some people panic. Thank God my family and close friends cheered me on along with the kids who organized the event. The same thing happened for Joelle. :)

This also reminded me that one must really admire a woman who has the ovaries to let go of her long hair to focus on her treatment process, as if saying "Challenge accepted, #@$%.". That, right there, are some solid ovaries. (pardon my French)

That really made my morning, which inspired me to go for T-Day #3 über early. I decided to use my neighborhood as my track. I have a cute little park nearby, and  it is not disgustingly humid at the crack of dawn.

I will say that my little exercise turned into an obstacle course as I had to focus on not sliding on the pavement like a baseball player reaching home base. The uneven sidewalks with tree roots protruding, the piles of dog... let's just call it natural fertilizer, and the occasional potholes made it all very interesting!

After my mild run, I came home to realize that my brain was not craving my usual cup of coffee. You see, in any normal day I am half awake as I go through my AM routine. I get up, shower, change, and then I have my coffee before I do anything else, including having any contact with the human race. It's really for their safety. My brain is a zombie, and that first cup of joe is a juicy brain waiting to be consumed. Gross, I know, but it's the result of watching The Walking Dead.

Anyway, once I have caffeine in my system the world is wonderful, the sun shines bright, birds sing, unicorns gallop on rainbows, and everyone dances their way to work. Are you wondering what happens when I don't have my AM coffee? Simply put: HELL. Mayhem. The Apocalypse. (All nicely blended for your enjoyment!)

The point is (yes, my ADD brain does get to it, eventually), that I am now starting to understand why my marathon goddesses have changed their diets to very healthy ones: your body needs it. Chances are that I won't drop that delicious dark chocolate bar [EVER], but I will slowly integrate healthier alternatives to my meals and snacks. (But we'll talk about that later.)

Speaking of food, a shiitake risotto is calling me.
Ci vediamo, amici!
-B