when i was a kid i really wanted long hair. i mean, down to my hips long hair. my mother perpetually tortured me with above the shoulder short hair, justifying it with, "but it's so cute that way!" i hated it. so i dreamt of long hair.

i was out of my friggin mind.

now i have longer hair, to the bottom of my shoulders length hair. it is this thick, curly, heavy mass. more specifically, a curly when it feels like it mass. everyone loves it: my husband, the kids, my friends. no one wants me to cut it, they all like it long and want it longer. me? i am ready to shave my head.

this stuff is everywhere. it's almost always in my face. putting it up doesn't help much. not only do i look ridiculous, but even if i DO manage to find something that will actually confine it (i did mention it was thick, right?), it usually manages to slip out of its bonds pretty quickly. so i am constantly trying to brush the hair out of my face. i get mouthfuls of it when i kiss my husband if i am not careful. we're both brushing it out of the way CONSTANTLY when we make love. when i lay down to sleep, i have take the time to position my hair to avoid annoying either of us.

did i mention it is curly? curliness however, which i admit is the one thing i love about my hair, is relative. if i shower and then do nothing, the weight of my hair pulls all the curl out of the top. i get a small kind of wave at the bottom, resulting in a fluffy triangle shape on my head. i had this problem in high school all the time. it has gotten better over the years: the base of the triangle isn't as wide as it used to be for the most part. probably because it is longer and pulling the curl out lower. to avoid the triangle, i must sleep on it wet, just right. 6 hours later it is still slightly damp, but generally curly. sometimes this is an agreeable kind of curly, other times this is a tangled mass kind of curly.

add to all this we now have 105 degree weather, and not only is it just a general annoyance, it is HOT.

i have suggested getting it cut, to be met with a resounding "nooooooooo!" from family and friends, with the exception of my mother who still thinks it would be cute super short. anything other than a trim would get me disowned. so, until i decide i don't care if they all disown me, i do whatever i can to work with it. headbands, ponytail holders, hair clips, scrunchies, whatever i can find that will work. all of which straighten the good curliness. or break.

hair like this gives an all new meaning to having a bad hair day.