What Happens in Arkansas Stays in Arkansas....

It's gone. All of it... But I'm getting ahead of myself.

I really only have three things to say, hence the three horribly formed paragraphs below...

I said goodbye to the family today, around nine-thirty this morning (they came for a very short visit to see some of the church sights -but I'll post more on that later). They were headed home and I was headed to Arkansas for one of my orthodontics appointments. Well, the drive was fine. Nice and hot. I grunged down for the drive as Sheldon lacks an AC, and thankfully I didn't sweat at all through the entire drive! Amazing what something little can do. But then... now I wish I had picked something else to wear. Something a little more... shielded... Anyway. In my stupidity I played a game. One must have something to entertain ones self when driving across states. The game was "Lets see how tan we can get Julia's left arm until it turns crisp and red..." Well that wasn't exactly what I was aiming for. I usually don't tan, and the occurrence today merely proved that further. I don't tan. Really I don't. I simply burn tomato red and suffer the entire week after. Nothing I look forward to. Well, I had forgotten this simple tan-less fact and tried it out anyway. I wanted to see if I could make my arm any more darker than the other. My last trip proved a slight success when I noted that my right arm was only a slight shade lighter. Anyway. Boredom and lack of company got to me. I gave in and played the stupid game. Now, needless to say, I have a very bright red (-and I do mean RED. Against my pale skin it looks very obvious) cover that stretches from right under my chin down to the knuckles in my hand. My whole upper-left side... Ouch. It really hurts.

Oh but I have good news! My orthodontics informed me that I am now on month 21 of 24. (that is to say my teeth have progress to that equivalence. I haven't really had them in for so long. Wait. ...maybe I have. Has it really been that long?) My only instructions were to ware my rubber bands (now Jaguar instead of a Sea-Lion, which means that the bands are bigger and harder to handle, but will be a big leap in my progress for a perfect smile) for twenty-one hours a day -and nothing less! -and also to chew gum. Lots and lots of gum. (I'm not a gum chewer. And it makes it even more awkward to have to chew it when your mouth is clamped shut with thick bands. But doctors orders. I guess I'll have to go and get some.) So yes, I'll have to wear these thick bands for seven weeks, and then I'll go in and, IF all has gone well, I should be getting my braces off then (not all of my braces just the front of the top row and some of the bottom row) and then, IF all goes well, they'll take the rest of them off two weeks later, fit me for a retainer that I'll have for the rest of my life pretty much, and then they'll send me on my way. (On my way to Idaho!) So, in sum, I should have my braces totally off by late October. Hopefully. If all goes well...

...Okay, so for my next piece of news. ...It's gone. All of it. I've wanted to do it for months now, its really been getting in my way and what with the hot weather and all, it just seemed to be slowing me down... Well, as much as the thing can. ...I cut my hair, or rather, I had my hair cut. All of it. I mean, I'm no Patrick Stewart or anyone, but it definitely looks different. To be honest I didn't think I'd like it. As soon as the scissors touched my hair and I shut my eyes. Oh please! Please, Father. Please let me like it! I suddenly felt the urge to jump to my feet and bolt for the door. What was I doing?! My hair! My long, dishwater hair! What had I done? I felt silly when I had to swallow the lump in my throat at the fact that I would no longer have my hair. No longer have that big mess of strings hanging down my back. No longer struggle forever to try and straighten it. No longer waste so much product on keeping the nest clean... I should be happy. I shouldn't feel sad. Regardless. I still was. It was strange, feeling the tips of my hair brush against my shoulder whenever I turned my head to see the road behind me. I was in shock every time I brushed my hand through my hair only to find that mid-way, there was nothing for my fingers to find. Nothing. It was gone. Sitting in a trash can in an Arkansas salon, shoved in the corner of a supermarket. *Sigh* ...And yet, I think I like it. No, I do. At least, I think I do. I guess I'll have to wait for someone else to see it before I let my own opinion out. But, even if I discover that I actually do hate the thing, there's really nothing I can do. What's done is done. *Sigh* Oh well. Depending on my developing opinion and the opinion of my hosts, I may post pictures later. Or I might not...