graduation

Today was Catherine's graduation. Hard to believe (cliche) and yet so needed. She is ready to move on to the next phase of life. After the party we hosted ended, headed out to the garage to see if we have low profile chairs for the Sheryl Crow concert on Sunday.
Pic of me in my chair. With new hair cut. Probably should have washed and styled it, but between making kebabs and pasta salad and hemming Catherine's dress...

F.....ing Russians

This is the fourth year of our study abroad program in Krasnoyarsk. Every year things do not go smoothly and every year I think, ok, note to change things next year. And I do, but something new goes wrong. Learned last night that the visa invitation letters will not arrive in time for some students' US departures; or, rather, they can pay for one day visa processing at the consulate in San Francisco, but that service will run them $550 each!!!! I have promised myself that this is it. Never again. Not worth it. Students can go on someone else's program.

Hair

When I was in 7th grade I had my first salon hair cut, thanks to the persistent encouraging by my friend Michelle whose mother was a hair dresser. It was 1977 and I emerged with the Dorothy Hammill cut - see above. I HATED IT. I felt exposed, self-conscious, mortified -- insert other words of shame. The funny thing is it probably looked cute. Anyway, perhaps that is why I have always had a horror of hair salons. I instantly feel worried, inadequate and in danger of an unpleasant shearing. I have always been in awe of friends and their casual mentions of their stylists -- hell, even Craig has a stylist, but in true Mormon fashion she disappears periodically to drop another child. My best friends here in SLC, Val and Ellen, each have their go-to person and they look fab. Me, I go to Great Clips, pay my $13 and am proud that that line in my budget is miniscule. But, I am going grey and so periodically I toy with going to a real salon and getting my hair colored properly. Today I did. And, WOW! what a difference. I went to Val's guy, Stephen, and because I am now 49, and not 12, I could quell my insecurities and go with the flow of talking about my hair, my color, my style....huh? The downside, I was there for three hours; the upside, my hair is amazing!!!!! The color is spectacular, the attention to "building height here and lightening things up there"... well, I no longer look like a lollipop or a q-tip. Many more dollars than 13 later, I am home and happy.