Cutting my own hair

January 3rd, 2010 . Posted in Me, What I did the other day | 4 Comments »

This was my canvas, my starting point

One of my winter resolutions was to let my hair grow until 2010.  It got so long that it gave me the opportunity to try something I’ve always wanted to do: cut my own hair with scissors.  I’ve cut it with clippers several times, but there’s no risk in buzzing your hair down to one length.  With scissors, I knew the stakes were high.  Plus, there was no way I was going to pay 7 or 8 dollars (or possibly even MORE) for a haircut.  That’s crazy talk.

Small, eh?

That's what she said

My first obstacle was scissors.  I don’t have any regular scissors, so I had to use these, which I think are called cuticle scissors.  All I know is they are small.  They are probably a big reason that cutting my hair took so long, about 45 minutes.  All in all, though, I don’t think 45 minutes is that bad, considering I had never done it before.

Now comes the exciting part.

On New Year’s Eve I got home from work and started cutting my hair.  I didn’t really know what to do, so I just figured I’d start at the top.  I grabbed a chunk and cut it.  That gave me a good start, so I cut the top and sides.  After about 15 minutes I realized that without trying, I had created something beautiful — a sweet mullet.

The mullet was truly awesome.  I looked so cool that I knew I had to keep it for at least a day.  Friday, January 1st, I went to work with a mullet, expecting laughs, smiles, and hearty claps on the back.  Fanfare.  For the most part, that’s what I got.  But all was not well.  No fewer than three people made the worst comment I could imagine: “It actually kind of suits you.”  WHAT?  I knew then that the mullet could not last.

Making a mullet look good

That night I got home and resumed work on my hair.  All that was left was the back, but that was by far the hardest part.  I didn’t have a convenient extra mirror, so I was forced to pick up a door mirror to look at the back of my head, then put it down and go by memory and feel.  Then I would pick up the mirror again to inspect my work and make any corrections.  After about 30 minutes I was able to clean up the edges with a beard trimmer and I was done.  I think I did a good job!  At work on Saturday about half the people I told about it refused to believe that I did it myself, which was quite a compliment, but also frustrating.  I honestly don’t know how it turned out so well, considering my haphazard approach, but it’s a technically perfect haircut.  I also think it looks reasonably cool and will only get better as it grows out.

All done!

Cutting my own hair was a lot of fun, and I don’t see any reason not to do so again in several months when I decide I need another haircut.

Several more photos below.  These are all clickable for larger versions, if you’re so inclined.

I was pleasantly surprised

You're right, it does look just as good from the side

I honestly feel like it toed the line between ultra stupid and ultra cool

Much tamer, but I'm not complaining

I'm not wearing a shirt because I had literally JUST finished cutting it, I swear

Match candle

December 29th, 2009 . Posted in Interesting bits | No Comments »

Last night I was getting ready for bed and decided to light this candle.  I was having trouble because the wick was so short, and wound up dropping the first match inside.  I grabbed another match and it slipped from my fingers just after I lit it.  It fell down like you see in the picture and continued to burn.  Matches usually only burn for 10 or 15 seconds, but this one kept on burning.  I figured it was drawing up the wax and burning it, the way a wick does.  At that point I was pretty sleepy, but I wanted to see how long it would burn, so I wound up staying awake for another hour waiting for it to burn out until I finally gave up and went to sleep.  I didn’t have the heart to blow it out.  Today I was able to replicate the feat several times, but none lasted more than a few minutes.

The shortest, most precious day of the year

December 21st, 2009 . Posted in Interesting bits, Me | 4 Comments »

Today is the winter solstice and the first official day of winter (here in the U.S. anyway).  Inexplicably, (that’s right, science, suck it!) the winter solstice is also the shortest day of the year.  That means that every minute means more today.  (Sure it has the same number of actual minutes as any other day, but I’m in denial about that.)  When you have less of something, its value increases.

There are fewer people born on December 21 than any other day (don’t get me started on leap year, which is a myth).  People born on the winter solstice have a special birthright; their candles burn briefly but brightly, giving the world a rare and unique glow.  They are the physical embodiment of a fleeting, magical moment in time.

Here’s a fact: I don’t know anyone else whose birthday is today.  That’s right!  And I know hundreds of people!  What are the odds of that?  I’d tell you, but math is irrelevant on the winter solstice.  Something to do with the cosmos.

The winter solstice is a great day for achievements.  You could be the only person in the Guinness Book of World Records to set a record on December 21.  It’s also a great day for mistakes, because a brand new day is just around the corner.  And if you’re going to live each day like it’s your last, today is a great day to start because it will soon be over, sooner than you can even imagine.

So live it up today.  It’s the shortest, most precious day of the year.

The Preward system

December 18th, 2009 . Posted in Interesting bits | 2 Comments »

When I have a paper or test coming up, I usually wait until the last minute to study or write.  Even then, I need some kind of motivation to get started, so I think of a reward for myself, usually some kind of snack.  But even that doesn’t usually work, so I go ahead and give myself the reward and call it a “preward.”

I started the reward system a few years ago, buying Naked® smoothies for myself to drink if I got up in time for class.  That usually worked, but when it came time for tests and papers, it just wasn’t enough.  The preward system saved the day.  Plus, it was a way for me to get a reward for my efforts despite the fact that by the time I finish my papers, there is usually just enough time to grab a couple hours of sleep before class.

Now that school is over for a while, I need to find something else to p/reward myself for, because I love snacks.

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