THE HUMIDITY IS KILLING MY SOUL

Now that the weather is finally warming up i can finally stop complaining about being cold, - though its only supposed to be a high of 66 tomorrow. the 4th of june? what is up with that?? - and move on to complaining about the dew point.

So yeah, there is this front that is moving from west to east and its supposed to bring rain and nutrients to make the flowers grow, keep the soil fertile and stuff. You know, be good for the enviroment. Well its not making me happy. Its like, i guess the ecosystem gets to be pretty but what about me? Psht. I really am not enjoying how everything is feeling tacky. Gross.

Clammy is not the business folks.

Which brings me to my next topic. For the past two weeks i've been conducting an experiment of sorts. I've been wearing my hair natural.

There hasn't been a relaxer on my head in over ten years (the exact number is 11) and while i have been released from the bondage of the creamy crack - i still rock my hair in a straightened style. My doobie game is unfadeable. Letting the coif out in its natural glory is a look that infrequently sport. Its a shame but i really only wear my hair out when i'm on vacation, or i'm slumming. Or, on the infrequent occasions where the two intersect, both.

That picture was taken two years ago on a trip to mexico. Ignore the psychotic smile, its my hair i'm trying to illustrate.You can't really see it but i'm rocking the curly fro, tamed by an artfully tied scarf. So easy. No worries about getting my hair wet, or the occasional downpour. Sidenote: look at that tan! Let me tell you, that was the BEST tan i've ever had. I was glowing. I'm on a mission to get that brown again this summer.

But yeah where was i?

Oh yeah so I'm embarrassed to admit that i've always considered my straightened hair professional, but my curly hair...more like playtime. My conditioning has been conditioned. Don't blame me, blame the man!

Anyway, two sundays ago, i stepped out of the shower and did NOT feel like doing my hair. I thought of the two to three hours i would have to spend on it and felt sick to my stomach.

Looking in the slightly foggy bathroom mirror a tempest arose in my breast and i said "why not!?" So motivated by a potent mixture of laziness and rebellion, i decided my hair's fate on a whim. I proceeded to slather on some leave in conditioner, jumped back and kissed myself(no narciss-o), and walked out feeling slightly liberated.

Well that's all good for a Sunday when nobody has to see you, but what about Monday? What about work? What about snide remarks? I have worn my hair natural to work in the past, but it was always short lived. The comments have always left me self conscious, no matter how much i have pretended they didn't.

Things like:

"oh wow your hair it's...cute"

"hey chaka!"

"is that yours?"

"can i touch it?"

So after a day or so of this, i'm back to my normal smooth and shiny style. Blending in is better than being a spectacle. Besides, assimilation feels so good sometimes, like a --

Nevermind that.

But for the past few weeks i've been bucking the trend. Applaud me. Big and curly every day and i'm kind of liking it! I feel very Tracee Ellis Ross-esque. (LOVE her. she is super hot. Wanna be like her when i grow up.) The only thing is the humidity! A little humidity is good. It keeps my hair moist and my curls hydrated. But a lot of humidity (like today) and my hair becomes short on curl and long on frizz. Hello sideshow bob! Not a sexy look by any means.

Oh and another thing. My hair shrinks up SO much when its in its natural state. Like crazy short. It looks like i cut it. But even with my length "gone" I am enjoying this styling break. Of course it just means that i am now obsessed with products for natural hair - there's so much to choose from! Jojoba oil, sweet almond oil, anita grant products, jane carter solution.. my mind is going absolutely nuts with the possibilities. Whole foods and health food stores are my new weakness. I am in LOVE with coconut oil. Since incorporating it into my regimen my hair has never felt softer or stronger. Plus I'm doing something I NEVER would do if i was still wearing my hair pressed out - oiling my scalp everyday! Old school style. Only the coconut oil is much lighter and absorbent than that heavy grease my mom used to use on me back in the day (tcb what!) my scalp feels good and my hair smells gauguin's dreams. The good ones.

I just realized this entry took a decidedly girlish turn. Sorry about that. I mean i *am* woman hear me roar and all that stuff... but i didn't mean to be so loud.

Anyway.

So I have discovered the joys of the early morning stretch and i'm really not sure how it was that i was NOT doing this all the time. Stretching was left to my pilates sessions or as a warm up for some kind of vigorous workout, but never as a "workout" in itself. Well let me tell you. Every morning when i wake up i do a series of stretches that not only wake up my body, but my mind. Its fantastic. Neck, arms, legs, waist... when i'm done i feel as loose as a goose. Flexibility is the bomb.

Gotan Project - Triptico (my current stretching music)