To do or do not

Last year at this time, I had no idea of the joys I had ahead.  Baby grandboy born last week, the second daughter expecting her first in the spring and my son and his lovely girlfriend have announced they will wed!  This, my friends, was quite the Thanksgiving! 

I am watching out my window this morning and boy, its taking a turn out there.  Things are getting that gray, cold, fuzzy look and the trees are bare.  While I know what’s ahead, I can’t help but take in this day and be distracted for a time.   

There are things I should be doing.   I hear myself say “I’ll do that later” throughout the day.  While that is fine, there is a slight problem in delaying housework and things can really get more unpleasant, can’t they?   Although I have tried for over 30 years, this house won’t care for itself. 

My second problem is, I am married to a do-er.  He knows things that need to be done and just does them.  He plans his day and makes a mental “to do” and tackles it.  I usually have no idea what that plan is, but, he gets up busy and crashes in his recliner, and up to the moment his eyes close,  busy.  We have this unspoken agreement and he clears off the dinner dishes.  He doesn’t do them, mind you, but he clears it all away.   

I go to the couch and select what we will spend the next hour watching on television.  Sometimes, it has already been selected and is underway as we do have our favorite shows and some of them are disturbing in the mediocrity, to be honest.   It’s only an hour because he will be asleep in his chair within that hour.  My hubs has always amazed me in that he can walk in to a room and within five seconds be totally engrossed in a show.  He does not like political shows or debates about the economy, so we stay away from CNN.  But, it also amazes me how quickly he can be asleep in that chair. 

Here’s another thing about the hubs and television.  He can remember actresses from commercials or bit parts fifteen years ago.  “What’s she been on?” is a recurring question.  Then, within moments he’ll pull out some obscure show or commercial.  Notice I said actresses.  He never asks about males.  Never.  I pointed this out to him last week; he denies.  Of course, now on his list is to notice an actor from eons ago so he can ask me where we have seen him before.

My review of WEN

I told you all that I was trying a new “infomercial” shampoo. A few weeks ago I ordered WEN cleanser by Chaz Dean from QVC. The promise is that it will make your hair different – better different. So, I thought, what the heck? I’ll try it.

First, it is not cheap. Far from cheap. You can sometimes stumble upon a QVC special and it will be slightly discounted or available on what they call “Easy Pay” which breaks it down into 3 or so payments. I am a HUGE fan of Easy Pay. Anyway, it is expensive for the difference.

Is there a difference? It is really kind of hard to tell. I can say that my hair behaves really well. It blows dry like a dream and is super easy to style. It is soft. It is shiny. It has quite a bit of body. It is not growing any new hair in, but that wasn’t one of the promises! Durn. Anyway, I could maybe get this same result if I was using other products but I have to say, it may be subtle, but, I do think my hair seems better. The other thing is that my scalp feels better. Sometimes it felt quite dry, and itchy, so I like that it feels better.

Another plus is that my hair now holds the style all day. I don’t touch my hair from the time I dry it until maybe bedtime…if then. That’s also new. My hair is pretty fine and even with “product” in my hair, would be pretty flat at the end of the day for sure but often after just a couple hours.

Now for the shocker. I am not one for a face washing routine, so this next benefit is a good one for me…I wash my face with it, including taking off any left-over mascara, when the cleanser is still in my hands from doing my hair. There is no sting, it rinses off cleanly and no mascara left.

The deal is, there isn’t any detergent in the WEN system…it’s really not “shampoo” as is a cream cleanser. It does feel quite a bit like conditioner and it doesn’t lather. It takes a LOT and then a LOT of rinsing, but I have been able to dial it way back , since I have been using it for several weeks. If you do not use enough, do not rinse enough, you are not going to enjoy the product!  I also, on most days, don’t cleanse twice. I can’t imagine how much faster I would go through a large bottle if I had long hair and cleansed twice.

Daughter #1 tried the cleanser while visiting, and didn’t think there was a change. She was easy on the amount she used. Now, she is one that has not spent a lot of time fussing with her hair over the years…a wash and wear gal. Aside from blow drying, and hitting her hair with the straightener to get it smooth, she’s not investing in hair. She’s got great hair, which is quickly changing color as she is in her child bearing years. I would love to encourage her to try the cleanser for an extended period but I know her…she’s too frugal. She is so funny. Wears the same clear mascara I introduced her to in her early teen years because she has black eyelashes so what’s the point? That’s my girl. I do wonder if it would restore her natural color though, which is one of the benefits discussed in the presentation of the product.

Daughter #2 is using the cleanser – I shared mine with her. She likes her hair products and I thought this might be just the thing for her. I haven’t gotten a good sense of how she feels about it yet and she just cut her long hair back to her more favored short style. I am not sure short styles show the impact of the benefits as much as long, but her hair looks great.

My final verdict is if you enjoy a good, quality cleanse of your hair, leaving it soft, easy to style and shiny, then you should think about trying WEN. You have to commit to it and be ready to invest some shocking funds. Okay, that’s not quite true but it is expensive. If you are a hair girl, though, and can let go of lather, it’s great. If your hair isn’t a big deal to you, like you think “Eh, baby shampoo works.” or something along those lines, you might be disappointed in the cost versus the benefit.

We have a newly elected young mayor in my small town.  She brings an incredible resume, a generous heart, a big smile and a determination that is infectious.  During her campaign, she has energized believers and challenged prejudices.  She won her race with dignity and brought people into the arena that have not previously participated. She facilitated the weaving of those people into the fiber of a political cloth made up of the “same old, same old” to give new life to some pretty worn out duds.  

I went to the party last night for this newly elected bright star and arrived just in time to hear her declared the winner, the finish line crossed.  She was surrounded by those who believe in her, who trust her, who converted to her.  As a young woman who has some friends in some very high places, she was present in a group of high school friends, both old and new, who campaigned with vigor, and she was equally present in the center of the party patriarchs.    

But, to me, the one who observes, I watched her dad tear up as he hugged his girl.  Her mom beamed with pride...they didn’t know for the longest time that I was even there...which made it perfect for me.  (I tried to find her mom just after arriving but have you ever been a short person, looking for a short person, in a crowded room?) Those moments will be forever in my memory.  I watched her older brother, who holds a forever place in my heart, give her a victory high five and then, and this is it folks, step back, pull her to him and kiss her on the cheek.  It warmed me to my very center.   

One last thing... I have dipped my toe into the murkiness of political waters, holding the beach towel as others frolicked.  It was definitely fringe involvement, but it was fun last night to catch eyes as people passed me, no doubt wondering why I was there, who I was or what I had in mind.  To see the “Who is that?” question cross their face, as they were sure they knew me from somewhere, cracked me up.   To those of you who know me well, you have to know I took pleasure in those awkward, uncomfortable moments.  Being at a political event is much like being in a lunchroom at high school, you have to eat, but where do you sit?