adult life

So, my lovelies, The Woman couldn't make it that Saturday night, and my readiness to Say Something has therefore been thwarted. Heaven help the next person who makes me feel I should, is all I can say. A river of somethings is likely to gush over his or her head.

(Oh dear, that sounded a bit disgusting.)

Anyway! On to other first world moanings on the nature of being an adult. Isn't it hard work? Isn't it? Or are there people to whom this comes naturally? I certainly feel the manual that I should have been given at birth called: Life: operation thereof, has been lost, if I ever had it. My mother was not bossy and a bit untidy herself and I was the absent-minded, dreamy type. I was probably staring out of the window when she tried to teach me stuff. I can, if I really make a huge effort, remember all the stuff you function as an adult. The bills, the servicing of boilers, taxes, vitamins, the cleaning of the washing machine filter, the cholesterol checks, the birthday cards, the visits to the vet. But, if another minor thing intervenes, like, you know, a Job, or a Mood, or if I just see something shiny, it all collapses instantly, leaving me with the uncomfortable feeling that not everything is being taken care of. When I was single, oddly enough, I was more functional. I knew it was all on me, and I had - if not a system - certainly some folders. Now, no. Now, the JB and I look at each other in dismay and say what? I thought you were taking care of that.

Somewhat relatedly, on my apartment, the one recently abandoned by The Hungarians of the Hunted Look: when we (I brought a unflappable male friend, just in case) burst through the door, the place had a messy, suddenly abandoned look, part-Tracy Emin, part-student digs, but there was no damage to speak of, just a little wear and tear. Why they pushed off in this flighty, imprudent, way, I will never know. Interpol? Mafia connections? Just young and dramatic? Anyway, anyway, I am relieved, and oddly enough quite enjoying cleaning the place and making it presentable.

(I put this down to the recent return of Betty, my alter-ego, who appears when I have one of my strange ocular migraines. She likes mundane tasks.)

What was I saying? Yeah. The Hungarians of the Hunted Look left behind enough hair and beauty products to sink a battleship.Which led me to distracting thoughts about feminity: I had not realised how low-maintenance I am. Soap, yes, shampoo, also. Enough make-up to not seriously ill, eh, you know, some clothes, and out the door with my hair wet. How about you? I have heard stories about women who get up at five to dry their hair and put their eyelashes on, but this is all as a fascinating mystery to me. I'd love to hear how it is chez toi. Am I missing something? I wonder, for instance if Products make a difference to my hair which has made the leap from Orange Cocker Spaniel to Richard III since my last haircut:


Yes. Definitely Richard.

Thoughts welcome.
Till later,
x
T

(Sorry about the lack here of anything of any consequence whatsoever. I am working up to explaining where things stand vis-a-vis the adoption, but it requires thought, and, you know how it is, it's rather demoralising not to have Exciting News. Bleah. )

Comments

[a]

Perhaps the Hungarians thought you were going to raise their rent? Or maybe that's how Hungarians just look? My former supervisor is Hungarian, and he always appeared slightly hunted, but I put that down to his issues with women in his life (underlings included - we were all fairly awful 20-somethings and he was used to an all-male situation).

I get up at 5:14...but not for the sake of my appearance. I go for a walk and then I shower and possibly eat breakfast and make lunch and get to work by 7. My hair is wet until 8ish and mostly looks like I never comb it. And I only wear make-up when I have to go to court or out somewhere with friends or sometimes my husband.

[Bionic]

My hair is nearly always dry because I wash it only once a fortnight or so. Yes, that "fortnight" was 100% affected, and I liked it. My hair is very dry, so washing it more often than that leads to Bad Things, like a remarkable resemblance to straw. I do therefore buy very nice conditioner and have lately taken to pouring in quite a bit of some kind of serum I found in the medicine cabinet that seems to be mostly silica. Nice stuff. Living with Sugar means there are always new products to discover and experiment with.

I do own an eyelash curler, mostly kept around to remind my friends of later acquisition dates that I am, in fact, a southern girl. I can't imagine getting up early to use it; that's what the subway is for.

What? Someone has to be the weirdo, and I think it's only fair we take it in turns.

[Valery Valentina]

I've discovered that make up for a Big Party is best done by my hairdresser. She loves to do it, has all the right colours and brushes and whatever it is you need, and makes me look like I didn't know I could. At 15 euro it is cheaper than trying to buy stuff myself, only to discover that it has dried out/crumbled/smells wrong when I want to use it again 18 months later.

The Weather always wins from the Hair Product. I can put any amount of curl conditioner, but if it freezes outside my hair is straight as Richard III.

When a warm drizzly rain hits in summer I can turn into a poodle, just to compensate...

And on adult life: right now I'm in some kind of 'niche' where time stands still. People don't expect me to do anything or go anywhere, or arrange things. I get compliments for everyday things (even for getting bigger!)
It will probably be over soon, and I guess that is just as well, I would get lazy!!

So sorry for the lack of exciting news. I think it is one of the big 'disappointments' of adult life: as a kid I used to think that I would *just arrange* everything the right way when I would be big enough. I guess that I didn't know yet about bureaucracy/procedures/red tape or that you do not automatically outgrow procrastination.
(And I still Hate internet banking!)

hugs

[Valery Valentina]

wait, what; an eyelash curler?!? is that something real? and if you use it in the metro don't you end up with zig zag eyelashes? doesn't it need power?
I should go to sleep, I know, rather than ask silly questions...

[Dr Spouse]

Oh the boring and demoralising waits. We are only too familiar with them. We sympathise.

[Twangypearl]

Thank you, Dr Spouse. You do indeed know.

As for the eyelash curler, yes, it is real, and looks like an instrument of torture. Wouldn't it be fun to run into Bionic doing a little morning curling on the subway? That'd make my day. :)

[Andie]

Am sorry for the lack of news. I hope you hear something soon.

Well, chez moi, we never wear make up. I have even stopped wearing make up to occasions such as job interviews (when men do, I might start again). I find it quite a struggle to find professional clothes but on weekends I am just a hippie farm girl so low maintenance.

Like Bionic, I don't wash my hair that often, but I do use expensive organic shampoo and conditioner. I have very long adn thick hair, and it is a chore. Of course, I then have no idea how to style the hair, either.

[Womb For Improvement]

I constantly, smugly, remind the husband how low maintenance I am as I get ready in ten minutes and he doesn't have to do that hanging out outside changing rooms in shops for me. He grudgingly agrees and then I wonder if he would prefer someone a little more ... glamorous. Oh well, he's stuck with me now.

Glad the Hungarians have just disappeared rather than digging in and refusing to pay rent.

I still await the adoption update (im)patiently.

[bunny]

I heard they finally found your body, Richard, and that you weren't actually as deformed as Shakespeare told us! So that must be some comfort.

I also used to be self-sufficient and am now totally dependent on my spouse for a lot of things. Oops. I hope he doesn't leave me for someone cheerful.

You wear makeup, and are therefore totally GLAMOROUS in my book. I am with you on the wet hair... I am fortunate to have a friend who is always getting expensive haircuts and buying cosmetics. Often at first she'll look great, and I'll think why don't I make any effort? And then the salon wears off and she looks...well... not great. And I think thank god I don't bother. Extremely helpful.

[Dr Spouse]

I just thought I'd check back here after you commented on my blog and see if there was anything new. But there wasn't, so I'll comment on the Personal Grooming.

Hair: less manageable than I'd like. I think it's getting dryer as I get older, and less easy to comb, but also more curly which I don't dislike. I have had a couple of irritating conversations with people who are Convinced It's All Down To Pregnancy. Well yes I suppose technically I have had a few pregnancies, but I think it's age.

Makeup: for some reason a few years ago I had a revelation and decided to learn how to do makeup. Youtube tutorials, thank you very much. I even got a box to put all my makeup in in the downstairs loo, for my birthday. Turns out Mummy putting on makeup is highly amusing to babies.

Would it be very wrong to let him play with makeup?

Eyelash curlers: no thanks.

[Adele]

It's the hair that would have gotten me.

Ah, adulthood. Isn't it funny how easy it all seemed as a child? As if you'd arrive in the country of being grown up and everything would be instantly organized/collated/in control. My own experience is not so much, either. I have a filing system that merely grows. I never get to actually organize it. I just stuff papers into folders willy nilly, until I can't close the drawer. And then? I buy a new filing cabinet. (Truly).

I would say that my grooming is on a par with yours. I've always been fascinated by the women in airports who have clearly been flying all night, whose primary impulse is to hit the bathroom with their makeup case. Brushing teeth is about energy as I can muster.