I like having long hair for playing with and flinging dramatically over my shoulder when the occasion demands it, but it looks so much better when it's up or pulled back, I'm thinking I should cut it.

Enjoy your mental health day, Hec.

Thanks for all of the encouragement. The day actually does seem to be improving a bit. Caffeine is an absolutely wonderful drug.

and I was all, "What's the big deal? I've always been able to read." Which from my perspective, I have--I can't remember a time before I learned.

I vividly remember the first word I read.

I was traveling in Europe after college (this part is a fast-forward) and after a month in English speaking countries and France I got to Italy. I got off the train farily late at night in a pretty dodgy part of Rome. I hadn't been able to connect with the friend I was supposed to stay with, I hadn't really eaten or slept much in about a day and a half, and I was wandering around Termini Station fairly bewildered trying to figure out what the hell to do.

I had studied French in HS and it had deteriorated considerably by then. In France I had been beating myself up for letting it slip, but I very suddenly realized that I had gotten along JUST FINE in French -- here I was lost. In France, if I stared at words for a few seconds they'd start to make at least enough sense for me to get the gist. In Italy I could look at a sign all day and it meant nothing. I looked from sign to sign to sign and had the very trippy experience of seeing letters I knew perfectly well and having them make zero sense.

Suddenly, I flashed on being three or four and sitting in my grandparents claw-foot tub and looking up at the shelf and reading the words "baby powder." I can feel it right now -- surrounded by water, staring at letters and having them make the words "baby powder." Then "Johnson & Johnson" "Mr. Bubbles" "Listerine" (not the green stuff, the brown cylindrical bottle with the big paper wrapper). It was a total eureka moment and it all came rushing back to me in a big noisy train station in Italy nearly two decades later.

It's reason 4,216 Lilty should go to Europe.

I wear it up a lot, esp. in summer, but I like being able to wear it up in so many ways.

I have no idea what my first reading word was. I don't even remember my parents teaching me letters. I just remember full-bore reading from 3 or so.

See, when I'm thinking about cutting my hair, I always think I can do so much with it long, wear it so many ways. But day to day, I'm lucky if I comb it before leaving the house, you know?

t keeps refreshing bank account waiting for wire transfer of loan

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I'm totally in the mood to cut off my hair JZ!style. I love short haircuts but for some reason, I'm never happy with the cut I get. I've had short haircuts from many stylists and I've never been pleased. I think I may just need my hair to be at least chin length and no shorter. It's sad, really.

Cream of Wheat:

Look at my crazy cute niece in the bathing suit her Auntie GC bought for her! [link]

That is a way cute bathing suit an an equally cute baby!

SO CUTE! What a great bathing suit.