next time, ask . . .

so today . . . i tried to dry my hair with a bathroom wall heater.

i thought i had done such a good job of packing "lightly" this time. i had limited the number of shoes i brought. i didn't bring a bulky bathrobe or slippers. i wore my boots and jacket onto the plane. i didn't even bring shampoo, because i knew my mom would have some! my goal was to get my suitcase zipped up without having to unzip the 3" extension--in case i needed that on the way home. (which i probably will, since i'm sure we will go shopping at some point. in fact, today i bought a dvd . . . ) i felt so proud when i managed to get that suitcase zipped up!

and then diandra said, "do you have room for these two books?" well, what's a mom to say? i was just glad she was bringing books along, so i shoved them in as well. "ta-da!" i thought. "i did it!!"

it felt so good not to have to wrestle a huge, heavy bag through the airport terminal. i just smiled when my dad did NOT say, "WHAT HAVE YOU GOT IN HERE?!?!?!" when he hefted my bag into his car trunk. and i could have carried it downstairs to my room all by myself, if he had let me. i was feeling pretty good . . .

. . . and then, this morning i took a shower.

when i take a shower at my mom's, i always spend a few minutes after i get out standing in front of the electric wall heater. you see, their downstairs bathroom doesn't have an exhaust fan--it has a heater. and when you get out of the shower, it feels sooooo warm and good.

i was enjoying the heat and combing out my wet hair, when it hit me--i did not bring my hair dryer. no wonder i was able to fit everything into my suitcase. no wonder i managed to cram diandra's books in. no wonder i didn't have to unzip the extension. i had left my hair dryer at home . . .

what to do, what to do . . . i do not have the easiest hair to work with and when it air dries, it is even more difficult. i was contemplating my predicament when i felt the warm air from the wall heater blow gently against my legs. hmmm, i thought. warm, blowing air-that's all a hair dryer is, really. so i sat on the furry bathroom rug, put my head close to the heater, and fluffed my hair.

it didn't really work. but at least it didn't catch on fire.

it had seemed like a good idea. i mean, i knew it wouldn't be as powerful as my 1800 watt hair dryer that i LEFT AT HOME, but it thought it would be better than nothing.

it wasn't.

so i got dressed, went upstairs, and told diandra i had left my hair dryer at home. i knew she hadn't brought one either, and so i braced myself for what i was sure was coming next.

"that's ok," she said. "i'll just use grams'."

what?!? "grams doesn't have a hair dryer," i said. my mom's hair is curly and a hair dryer would turn her into an instant frizz-ball.

"i have a hair dryer," she said. "i just don't use it very often."

ok. so i guess the next time i shower, i will be able to dry my hair without a fire extinguisher near by.