My dad shaved his beard once and we all freaked out and he grew it back. But he was kinda making my mother look like a cradle-robber.

Apart from those scenarios (I once pressured a BF into growing back his beard, not just in part because we looked like underaged boys snogging) where it's TOTALLY OBVIOUS WHAT'S RIGHT, it's nobody's business.

But I'm really touchy about my hair. I hate when other people imply I should be wearing it any other way, even if they're doing something as harmless as complimenting a past look. I'm not entirely sure why. But it's my fiefdom, and I'm possessive as hell.

Steph, if you were me, that would be just one headache. But you don't want to be me, so I may be projecting.

Beets! I need a nice beet recipe to take for a business pot luck this evening. The main dish is going to be a pot pie of some variety, so I thought beets would make a colorful, nutritious side dish...but I have no interesting recipes.

My favourite beet recipe:

chop up a bunch of cooked beets and toss with this dressing:

2 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp lemon juice
1 clove of garlic, minced
1 tsp cumin
salt and pepper to taste

Mmmm. Beets. I have all those ingredients!

I can accept him liking the longer hair, that's cool. It's when he tries to talk me out of cutting my hair or acts like I'm kicking kittens that I get annoyed.

Steph, if you were me, that would be just one headache. But you don't want to be me, so I may be projecting.

I don't know that you're projecting; I've been suspecting for a while that it's one long headache that recedes and then comes back with a vengeance.

Holy gender roles, Batman, er, Connie. Also, people trip out when I cut my hair like it's Jo March's "One beauty", though I personally feel hotter when it's sassy and spiked...my hair is just the wrong consistency for that whole fairy-princess thing. I tried. It didn't happen. Let it go. Like "fetch," ION, I actually dig my new water-pik, and I think I might want to make mad clarified-butter love with Anthony Bourdain(Those aren't related thoughts, although I love it when people have pretty teeth.) I used to be vegetarian...we should do it. Because it's wrong.(/Faith) What is it with me and the cocky assholes? It's like I can't get wet for anybody till I find out their boss thinks they are a total prick.(Well, okay, Charlie Sheen's not in my spank bank...yet.) Although emotions in that case may be mixed...I've read Chuck Lorre's name spoken in vain in enough screenwriter blogs that he may actually be that big of an asshole. But, dude, given that? What did you think would happen? Not that my man KO gets a pass there...he's a smart fella, been in the business a long damn time...the policy shouldn't have to read "You, Keith Olbermann, Cornell '81, may not contribute to Gabrielle Giffords, ever." I miss him, but, you know, get real.

I can never keep longer hair off my face. It has occasionally been long enough to put into sort of a pony tail, but I have Teflon hair, so in 15 minutes it's back in my face again.

As I've probably mentioned, my hair was never cut until I was 12. My mother braided it every morning and it was never in my way. My father made us cut it because he said I was too old for long hair. Admittedly, once I didn't have someone to braid it, I probably would have felt differently about it. My mother still has my braids.

My father made us cut it because he said I was too old for long hair.

That seems weird. Most girls have longer hair as they get into their teens.

That seems weird.

Of course it was weird. It was my father.

Of course it was weird. It was my father.

I've actually heard of a number of stories where mothers and fathers have enforced haircuts on girls entering their teens largely because they have conflicted feelings about the girl's burgeoning sexuality. Fathers who don't like to see their little girl becoming sexualized, mothers who feel threatened/upstaged by their daughter's arriving womanhood.