Though the idea of you with short hair is freaking me out.

I'm probably just getting a trim, but I guess it'll depend on how adventurous I'm feeling when I get to the salon.

And it was a great conversation! The SO really liked you.

And I really liked him! (And, uh, that cool chick with him....you know, the one with the cool hair....) (Actually, you had just gotten a kickass haircut before you were in town, b/c we took a picture of it: [link] .)

Teppy, are you taking Tylenol or Ibuprofen? They usually help sore throat pain for me, at least somewhat.

Ibuprofen had helped Monday and Tuesday, but did nothing yesterday. However, the pain seems to be markedly less today -- that is, swallowing hurts, but in an annoying way, not an oh-dear-god-why-did-I-eat-broken-glass way.

Teppy, I feel like I ought to go on a salt run for you. When I had a raging sore throat at the mini-F2F in Cleveland, procuring salt was difficult--I mean, I didn't want to find a supermarket and buy a whole box of salt to use a teaspoon to gargle with, and I felt bad stealing a saltshaker from a restaurant. So Teppy, who was driving, ran through a drive-through at my behest to ask for salt packets, then decided to actually go inside instead.

Hee! Good times!

I'm thinking about growing my hair out a bit (which means I'll have to start wearing a cap while swimming), and then seeing if I can find a decent sylist who can do something that I like that won't be my same basic hairstyle I've had for about 25-30 years. But, I'm picky--I want a style I can mess with for an occasion, but can also just wash-dry-and-go (no product or curling needed) for everyday. And, now that my face is thinning down, I have to factor that into the style as well.

I am about to change hair-cutters as I don't feel I can justify the expense of mine anymore, but twice in 3 years I have gone into her and said "I like this about my hair, I don't like this and I want a change" Both times she came up with a whole new style that I loved.

I love that second one, shrift. I've only seen your face in f2f photos, but you're very pretty. I suspect you could wear most styles.

Kat best to you and Lori. With the staying out of it, but hoping you both find happiness apart if you can't find it together.

Well, we love you both, want you both to be happy, and will stay out of it.

I skipped to the end after reading this because I want to point and nod vigorously at it. I'm very sorry to hear about the break-up but wish you both all the best.

My hair is a mess, and I don't know what to do about it. It hasn't been cut in several months and is a shapeless almost-shoulder-length semi-layered mop. I was going to go in soon, since I think I am now mended enough to sit long enough for a haircut. However, several people have told me they like it longer, so now I'm thinking maybe I'll just leave it a while longer and grow it back out and see what that looks like.

I love that second one, shrift. I've only seen your face in f2f photos, but you're very pretty. I suspect you could wear most styles.

Aw, thanks. Unfortunately, shopping has been something of a self-image disaster this week, so I'm not feeling terribly confident.

Okay, FNL: First off, Tyra's storyline is painful and upsetting. I cried at the photographing bruises. And what an actor that plays Landry. His scene trying to tell Tami about it, with his eyes all full? Heartwrenching.

I still love how organic everything feels. How Tami dealing with Tyra affects how she feels about the move. Where they each are in their headspaces. It may be manipulated, but it doesn't feel manipulative, you know? Which is not how I feel with most shows. I'm looking at you, BSG.

Okay, next, I know I'm coming at this from a completely emotional perspective, because my family totally did the same thing, but I can so empathize with everyone in the Taylor family. When I was in the fifth grade, my dad lost his job. Steel mill, lots of layoffs. For a while we didn't notice, my mom & I, because the company put him up well, gave good severance, set him up with an agency and an office to jobhunt. So he would get up in the morning, get dressed in his suit, and go to work. As far as we were concerned, you know?

Then when he actually got a job, a great one, mom & I just cried. We were supposed to be so happy for him and us, and we were, but the reality of moving, making a new life, was just overwhelming. So what happened was, we stayed in that town for over a year, so my sister could graduate from high school. I finished out sixth grade, letting me be big man on campus for a while, then not the youngest at the new school, which went 6-8 instead of junior high.

She graduated as valedictorian, had a boyfriend (son of the minister) and a lot of ties to the community. I was able to transition easier as well, and took the opportunity to transform myself, too. Then she went off to college and we moved, after taking some time to sell the house.

But that meant that for all that time, my dad drove down to the new job (about four hours away) every week and saw us on the weekends. First he drove back to us, and then as we got our house there, we drove to him. Part of my love of the road comes from that time, as well as my strong relationship with my mom. It was so formative for me.

But somehow, I hadn't thought about it much until Tami's declaration was a gut punch to me. And whammo. Not only did I have to see things from Julie's point of view, but I also had to see them from Tami's, and from Eric's. The amount that both my parents sacrificed for us kids, I don't think I'll ever fully realize.

Anyway, I came to read the posts and people were all, "But they can't, 'cause their relationship will change." And that's true, but my gut reaction was, no it won't, they'll be fine, my folks were fine. But I'm sure it did for them, I just didn't know it.

The SO & I have spent extended periods of time apart, and even now, next week he'll be gone. It's tough enough for me without him. I can't imagine trying to raise two teenage daughters like that.

Our friends who are caring for their son with a rare genetic disorder (it's Jacob Treebeard for those of you who remember the pleas for him in Apocalypse from years ago.) are doing that right now. One is in northern Ohio with their other son for two weeks while the other is in Cinci with JT caring for his medical needs. He's recovering from bone marrow replacement, so his immune system is weak and he can't be with his brother. Then the parents swap off. They've been doing it for six months. It's just such a difficult thing.

Whew. Okay, that was a serious tangent. But that's what I love about this show. It relates so strongly to real life issues and not just relationships, but interactions.

That is to say, I'm glad Tami took a stand. I think their relationship can stand it. I also think the show can hold up no matter what. And there will be damage either way. If Eric leaves his dream for his family, that's going to be knowledge they all have, all the (continued...)