rewind

I'm almost a month in so, I'm still in the honeymoon phase at work. But so far, so good. My supervisor keeps checking in on me...and my dying plant that has rolled with me for over 3 years and 3 different work spaces. The people are extremely friendly. So much so that one morning, I was over by the coffee bar and struck up a conversation with some man, only to find out later on that he was the Prez. I dunno...I made up a rule that I didn't really want to have relationships with too many people at the new spot. (Although, I now work with my son's little league coach and a former coworker from my first job in VA). But my immediate coworkers are cool and, for the most part, younger than the guys that I worked with before. My nextdoor cube neighbor and I are two peas in a pod...we must be, b/c he always manages to wander into my peripheral vision when I'm in deep thought, staring at my computer screen.

But THIS ONE GUY that does all of this hacking, snorting, sneezing, and coughing up a lung is driving me insane with his infectious antics. If I get sick, I'm beating somebody's ass. Put that in a memo and pass it around the office.

Anyway...I'm excited b/c I can finally work with this new software (that I was forbidden to touch at my old job) and I love it. I feel as if I have learned so much in less than a month and I can see myself growing as an engineer. Now, my goal is still to move back home one day but I must soak up as much as I can here and I'm in the process of gathering all of my paperwork so that I can sit for my Profe.ssional Enginee.r's license in April. Truth be told, I just really want to stamp my name on drawings...forget the legalities of it all. But anyway, I must pass in order for it to be on the company's dime, so balls to the wall, ya'll, balls to the wall.

I guess the best way to describe how I'm feeling is to label this as a blindsided blessing. When they first offered me the job, I wasn't sure if I was going to take it, attractive benefits and all. In fact, I believe that I even dropped a couple of tears. Seriously, my heart was set on going back home and running an office. However, when I called the lady in DC (who had yet to write me a formal offer letter...an offer letter that she was supposed to issue me 3 weeks prior), she couldn't even give me a start date for the contract job. The funny thing is, when I told her that I couldn't turn down this new offer, she coincidentally had JUST started writing my offer letter the day before. OoooooKaaaaaayyyyy. And then she said, "Well, what happens if the 3 projects that I'm expecting to start, begin in October? Then, what?" Now, what I look like basing my decisions that determine when and how I'm going to eat on an IF??? So, deuces on that. If ya'll recall, this company interviewed me on a Monday, offered me the job on a Tuesday and asked me to start Wednesday. They were serious.

I still communicate with the lady, but at this moment, I have NO EGGS in that basket.

So now, a week begins and ends in the matter of a blink. I have made it through unemployment without missing a bill or cutting off certian luxuries. Now, I'm able to breathe again...with a decent amount in my ING savings account, while my other funds remained untouched and have increased in value. I have my baby J back with me...healthy and happy. I can stay in my own bed and not have to worry about finding good renters/buyers just yet. Yes, I am happy, blessed, and thankful that God BLEW these doors open. I just have to uphold my end of the bargain and praise Him while pressing forward.

the curly girl wonder diaries - 3 is NOT a charming number

**Sigh**

I've been 100% natural for 3 months. And now presenting my apple ass head...



Ya know, I have to tell the truth. I am having a love-hate relationship with my hair...and this month, el numero tres, has been sprinkled with more hate than love. My wash and gos are taking me longer to style. I never realized how much time exactly until my new job ushered in the morning time crunches. Plus, fall didn't waste anytime and I assume winter will be an early bird as well. This, we must rethink. I have started doing finger coils at night after a cowash. These take me about an hour and a half. I've actually gotten them to last me for 3 days. I could probably go longer if I stopped being so anal about frizz and fuzzies...which are usually kept at bay with my wash and gos. My longest strands are about 3 inches and my shorter strands (the ones that I got tapered when I big chopped) are around an inch. I know what my goal is but I'm not sure if I'll be able to control myself the next time that I take J to the barber...I start twitching everytime I think of a pair of clippers. I miss that fade, mayne! But much like adolescence, I must push through these awkward phases.

And then I went wrong somewhere. I started seeing more broken strands in the shower and it seemed as if I couldn't stop my hair from breaking off. Stressing about it probably didn't help the situation. I dunno...it could also be in my head and ya'll know me to be a little off. I think that my hair may have been over-conditioned...if there's a such thing. It was extremely soft, almost TOO soft. I have a protein conditioner that I started using to get me back on track. So...tomorrow night is spa night. I'm buying a new pair of shears and I'm dusting my ends. I will henna and deep condition my hair and assess the situation afterwards. If I can't stop the breakage, then this will give me an excuse to start over and fade it up...I have all the time in the world to grow hair, I suppose.

Still keeping it simple. I haven't bought any new products outside of the ayurvedic treatments (Am.la, Brah.mi, Shika.kai) that I've begun to use as part of my weekly deep conditioning. I also copped some Vat.ika oil from an indian grocer close to my job. For $2.99, this stuff is the business. My hair feels so silky b/c of it. And really, its just some high-falootin' coconut oil. I have been using this to nurse my hair and so far, so good.

This Month's Mythbuster

I read A LOT of hair blogs and watch A LOT of youtube vids on natural hair. The general consensus is that natural broads like to dance, sing, sex, and play in the rain...now that they don't have to worry about their hair reverting. We've had our share of rainy days here recently. I can't say that I had some overwhelming urge to run out and do sommersaults while its monsooning. Just seems silly to me. If its raining hard, I use an umbrella regardless. I don't like to be cold once I get where I'm going. And if its drizzling...well...I never took off running (for fear of the invasion) when I was relaxed. Then again, I did wear ponytails often. I dunno...I just don't see this as a convincing argument to go natural. But I'm not in the business of converting anybody. Pretty is pretty...relaxed, texlaxed, or natural. I don't care what you do...but if you should come down whith the flu b/c you started moonwalk.ing and electric-boogaloo'ing in the rain while celebrating the natural you, then you deserve it.

Comment of the Month

"Where you going? Lookin' like El Debarge..." - cuz's hubby.



Hmmmm...methinks that I have this year's crossdressing Halloween costume, lol.

Still...growing, I guess...
Curly Girl Wonder aka LB

8



8 years ago, today...



...my BIGGEST worry...



...was that my baby would emerge from the birth canal...



...with a cone-shaped head.



It wasn't cone-shaped, but it was BIG!

Happy Birthday to my lil man, Jalen. This is the first birthday of his that I'll spend without him, but he's coming back on Wednesday! We'll just have to make up for lost time.

Seven was heaven, but I hear that eight is gr-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-eat!