The puppy under the towel

Last night, I dreamed that I was getting my hair cut and colored in preparation for my brother's wedding. My appointment was at the hair salon my mother used to take me to when I was a child. The hair dresser was a large blond woman who cut my hair, colored it, and combed it out. The cut looked like Cher's hair circa 1968. But she hadn't washed out the dye. When I insisted she do it, she refused. The radio in the salon then got very loud, and no matter what I said to her, I couldn't hear her response. My impression was that she was telling me her business-grounded reasons for not completed my service which, to her mind, were completely reasonable. I argued that washing the dye out of my hair was completely reasonable, that I'd been their patron for 20+ years, and to wash the damn dye out. No luck.

I went to a sink to wash the dye out myself and couldn't find a clean towel. When I did find a towel, there was a squirmy puppy underneath it--wasn't going to use that. I'd end up smelling like puppy. Then I noticed another, clean, folded towel just beyond the puppy, grabbed that, and started to rinse my hair.

So, the lesson is . . . the best way to get something done is to do it yourself? In what world is this news? Maybe the lesson is . . . sometimes you have to look past the puppy.

Photos for a blue night

I'm blue. So it seems like nothing that I want will ever happen. I know I'm being myopic. It's just how I'm feeling tonight. I'll feel better tomorrow, I'm sure. But, for example, if my Green Man story (now on submission at one of your finer fantasy periodicals) ever sees print, you should know that the trees in these photographs were its inspiration. I hope someone buys that story. I really love it far more than I should. ( Limbs behind the cut )

Also:

Dear New Neighbor:

You seemed like a perfectly nice fellow when we met this afternoon. But if you plan on banging around and shaking the building all night long, my good opinion of you is going to be tarnished. Severely. You've made more noise in one evening than the previous owners did in the 6 years they were here.

Knock it off.

Me