March 16th, 2012 
LeeAnn My Irish grandmother had very unusual expressions. One of my favorites was how when she was grumpy she would say that her hair pulled. When I asked her to explain it once, she said “doesn’t it make you grumpy when someone pulls your hair?”
The thought of someone pulling my hair is pretty descriptive to me. I would be VERY grumpy.
Well, my hair pulls this week. I think lack of sleep has a lot to do with it. I am not sure if it is the time change or just everything on my plate right now, but I have been up by 3:30 or 4:00 am every day this week.
Summer has arrived this week in Savannah – IN MARCH. It has been in the 80s, with lots of pollen and sand gnats.
Plus, drunk college students are piling into Savannah as you read this. Savannah’s St. Patrick’s Day celebration is the second biggest in the country and officials are expecting a record-breaking one million visitors this weekend. The city goes all out.
I am kind of grumpy about that too.
Working downtown and having to maneuver around the party being set up – and also the after effects – is kind of annoying. There is an upside though; it is a very good time of year for those of us who own part of a parking garage in downtown Savannah. Business will be BOOMING this weekend.
St. Patrick’s Day in Savannah reminds me a lot of Princeton Reunions. At one point (and maybe still), Princeton Reunions were the largest annual beer consuming event in the United States. They are really fun when you are in your twenties.
The last Princeton reunion I went to, someone peed on my shoe.
But back to the real reason for my hair pulling: tired + grumpy + warm and humid = a monumental HAIR FIT.
For those of you who read Why Am I Never Happy With My Hair?, you know I have a tortured relationship with my hair.
I am actually amazed that I have been growing it since I wrote that post in September. It is now at a really lovely stage. I had someone stop me on the street and ask me if I was related to this guy:
Ok, not really. If that had happened, I would have been first in line for this year’s St. Baldrick’s party (an annual charity event in Savannah at which people get their head shaved). I feel like it looks like that, though. The only way for me to control it and not look triangular-shaped is to put it behind my ears. That worked great until my ears started sticking out.
My hair problems started early in life.
I didn’t have any until I was about three. My mom tried to hide it by putting “girly” things on my head.
Well, maybe not always girly…
And then it made up for lost time.
The longest I had my hair was when I was a young attorney in Philadelphia.
The other morning when I was in forward fold in yoga, with my hands clasped behind me and I was stretching my shoulders, I thought if only I could reach my hands over my head and to the ground. I was reminded of the Skipper doll I had when I was a kid. Skipper had such loose shoulders that if you spun her arm around, her hair grew by several inches. That is about the only way my hair will ever be this long again.
Philly/New Jersey hair doesn’t work in Savannah, Georgia for a number of reasons. So I went short.
Short hair is addictive. It is so easy, and it looks good when you wake up in the morning.
I am at the point now that I have to “do” my hair before I go to yoga. Seriously, it is that scary looking in the morning. Maybe that is why I have been waking up at 3:30.
Short hair is easy to wash. Or, if you don’t have time, you can wear baseball caps to hide the dirt.
I can’t afford to have long hair as I will lose my huge investment in baseball caps. Many of them already don’t fit on my head anymore.
My poor husband. Ever since I asked him whether he likes my hair better long or short, he acts terrified of me. I couldn’t really hear his response as he ran off. At first I thought it was a cough (something he has being doing a lot of lately), but in retrospect, I am thinking it sounded a lot like “help me.”
Sometimes I worry that my blog posts make it seem that I am constantly successful in my efforts to become a better person. Those of you that know me realize that, while I am trying, I stumble quite a bit. For those of you that don’t know me personally, I thought it might be helpful to show you a battle that I will lose.
In this epic war of me vs. hair, hair is going to win every time. The only question is whether I will make it through the weekend.
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Hysterical! I kept waiting to see a picture of your hair when you wake up! I keep mine behind my ears, which frustrates the heck out of the woman who cuts it. She thinks it looks better falling naturally. But I hate it hanging in my eyes and it does get in the way at yoga for me, too. Good luck to your husband helping you through this! 🙂
Robin – I thought of putting that picture in, but I do not have the courage to do so!!! Have a great weekend!
Let’s see, my hair pulls this week. SPD in Savannah literally turns my stomach. I do not like crowds, I am not fond of seeing young people drinking and puking, and I am not quite sure I even understand the concept of this holiday anyway. I just feel like eating Lucky Charms. In regards to hair…………………………..I have a battle with mine, too. I think that out of all my insecurities, that is my biggest! I used to have this fabulous, curly, long, think hair. That tumor I had, plus the menopause that I was thrown into way too early, has caused me to lose so much hair. If I could wear one of my caps every single day, i would. I think my epic hair war is never going to end. I will lose, too. BUT, I am so glad we have one more thing in common. I happen to love your hair. That is actually one of my favorite things about you! xo
Kel – your hair is still fabulous – in fact everything about you is. And I mean that sincerely. You happen to be drop dead good looking, but the first wonderful thing about you that just knocks people off their feet is your incredible positive energy. People (like me) are drawn to you. I am so sorry that you are having a rough week!! Please let me know if there is anything I can do! xoxo
I love your hair! I have always envied folks with naturally wavy/curly hair. Plus your hair is a beautiful color. Carrot Top has beautiful hair…it is just the crazy eyebrows he has that freak me out. Grow it long enough to put up in a ponytail…that is REALLY easy. Enjoy your weekend!!! Stay away from town.
Thanks Jill!! The ponytail thought is what has kept me going thus far but, at this rate, it will be years before I get there. Unless I am institutionalized in a straight-jacket, I will NEVER make it. : )
You have a good weekend too!!
I feel your pain! I love your hair.
Thank you Jen! I wish I had your hair, actually. Hope you are well!
Another family saying – when my “hair pulled” my Grandpa would suggest that we “go eat wooly worms”, which usually brought me out of my funk.
Love you,
Mama
Mama – we follow the wooly worms rule in this house too – and they are usually in the form of ice cream bars covered in chocolate. Do you have any?? love you!
I have been having problems this week, too. I am not doing well with the time change. There is too much sunlight for me and I am all off kilter. I have enough trouble sleeping so this is just bad for me. Headaches! Wow! Between lack of sleep and the mountains waking up and pollenating, my head has hurt all week. And my hair? Well, I got a good 3 inches whacked off last week. It took me a whole week to decide I kinda do like it now. 🙂 By the way, your hair looks great! Hope you survive this weekend.
Amy – sounds like we are going through some similar things!! I bet your hair looks great – I love getting my hair cut (after the initial shock) – the ease of dealing with less hair, etc. Thanks for the good wishes – and hope you have a great weekend!
Love your hair. Love you.
Thank you my friend – love you too!
You express your battle so well, with lots of chagrin yet equal amounts of wit. I found myself both laughing and nodding my head in sympathy as I read this! I too wished that baldness was a fashion for women in the US. Wouldn’t that save us from so much grief over how we can get our hair to simply conform and leave us be??
Ilegirl – YES!!! Baldness would be so easy! Thanks for visiting and sympathizing!
I love your posts! And I love the short hair on you. It looks great.
Remember “Don’t sweat the small stuff, and its ALL small stuff” 🙂
Hey Amy!! You are so right about the small stuff – thanks for the reminder! Thanks also for the kind comment about the hair – I am back to short now. : )