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...)

( continues...) time. And it may be the right thing to do. But it may not be.

I think it may be an interesting dynamic to see Jason try to coach without Eric. I think it may be interesting to see Tami & Julie function on their own. I love how none of the characters are the stereotypes they started looking like and could have been. I love how they grow and change and regress and grow.

Maybe it's not the best episode of the season, but I definitely wasn't disappointed. I just find this whole show so compelling.

edited, 'cause whoops with the talky and the whitefont.

Robin, you need to do what ND, meara, and I are doing this evening: get Erica the Wonder-Hairdresser to make it better!

Damn, now I look crazy...never mind!

Kat, lori, I'm sorry to hear the news. Like others above, I wish the two of you well, separately if being together no longer works for you.

Whitefont whiteout!

Once I take the length off, my hair has a lot of wave. I don't know if this would be flattering to my face, or not:

That's a pretty forgiving haircut, Shrift. It would certainly look good on you. Though I have to note that's considerably shorter than your current length. That's not really a "just above the shoulders cut".

Robin! You should just go to Aimee and Kristin's stylist and tell her you like the length but need a better shape.

Kristin--Yes, I'm going to her FOR SURE when I get my next cut! The question is how much hair I give her to do her magic on. How much does she charge, BTW?

Yeah, I really like that one, shrift, and I definitely think it would work with your face shape.