I have had a shitty day.

[TD2K]

I would love to have soft, silky, straight hair..


I wonder how much of this is 'the grass is greener' syndrome? I have fairly straight hair and would like hair with some wave/curl in it. But I read about people with curly hair who would love to have straight hair.

[NancysSummerSip]

men look sexy and distinguished with gray hair...women just look old

[TD2K]

I'll end up with white hair but it will be a full head of hair. I'm one of the very few guys in my department that isn't severely hair challenged

[Miss Tequila]

Jan 19, 2011 10:29:42 GMT -5 TD2K said:

I would love to have soft, silky, straight hair..


I wonder how much of this is 'the grass is greener' syndrome? I have fairly straight hair and would like hair with some wave/curl in it. But I read about people with curly hair who would love to have straight hair.

Probably..but straight, silky hair is also the style so for now I have to fight with mine everyday....I have hair made for the 80's and I am patiently waiting for that style to come back

[The J]

Jan 19, 2011 9:56:36 GMT -5 imawino said:

Oh, I'm absolutely going to start coloring when I get more gray! But I like the natural color of my hair, so I'm good for now.

Your hair is gorgeous

[Miss Tequila]

Jan 19, 2011 10:30:56 GMT -5 TD2K said:

I'll end up with white hair but it will be a full head of hair. I'm one of the very few guys in my department that isn't severely hair challenged

LOL, and that is much more important....gray hair can be colored, but baldness is really hard to overcome and not a look that a lot of guys can carry. I think my husband is very attractive, but he most definitely could not pull off the bald look.

[imawino]

Why thank you, J! You guys are going to swell up my head. (but that doesn't mean you should stop or anything)

[imawino]

::I think my husband is very attractive, but he most definitely could not pull off the bald look. ::

Your hubby is a cutie. My sweetie is losing his hair. He's so sad. I fear he may call Bosley or the Hair Club for Men!

[Miss Tequila]

Jan 19, 2011 10:36:21 GMT -5 imawino said:

::I think my husband is very attractive, but he most definitely could not pull off the bald look. ::

Your hubby is a cutie. My sweetie is losing his hair. He's so sad. I fear he may call Bosley or the Hair Club for Men!

Your sweetie doesn't look like he's losing hair in his pictures? Are you talking a little receding or actually losing? My dh is very shallow so he has already told me that he will be getting hair plugs if it comes to it...judging my the older males in his family, they all seem to have their hair so fingers crossed he's not calling Hair Club for Men, either

[imawino]

Receding and he's getting a bald spot on top. Luckily for him he's taller than most!

[Miss Tequila]

Jan 19, 2011 10:41:32 GMT -5 imawino said:

Receding and he's getting a bald spot on top. Luckily for him he's taller than most!

LOL, that's probably why I didn't notice in the pictures!

[zibazinski]

Df told me last night he was starting to look my Dad did. Balding and grey. Told him that my Dad was the best man I ever knew in the whole wide world and that he shared some of the qualities of my Dad so that there were worse things than turning into my Dad. That being said, if it's only your temples turning grey get that touchup stuff and touch it up between hair times. Have you thought of the Aveda beauty schools? Much less expensive and pretty good hair care.

[swamp]

Jan 19, 2011 10:29:42 GMT -5 TD2K said:

I would love to have soft, silky, straight hair..


I wonder how much of this is 'the grass is greener' syndrome? I have fairly straight hair and would like hair with some wave/curl in it. But I read about people with curly hair who would love to have straight hair.

I had stick straight hair until I have kids. Now it's wavy, actually almost curly, and I have no idea how to handle it. I've always wanted curly hair, and now that I have it, I'm not sure I like it.

And I have absolutely no gray hair either. I go see my beautician once a month to keep the gray out.

[swamp]

Jan 19, 2011 10:36:21 GMT -5 imawino said:

::I think my husband is very attractive, but he most definitely could not pull off the bald look. ::

Your hubby is a cutie. My sweetie is losing his hair. He's so sad. I fear he may call Bosley or the Hair Club for Men!

My sweetie is balding, there is absolutely no way around it. And he's OK with it. I am too. He looks like Charlie Brown.

[Cheesy FL-Vol]

Jan 19, 2011 10:28:14 GMT -5 Miss Tequila said:

Jan 19, 2011 10:17:16 GMT -5 TD2K said:

I'm not going grey so much as straight to white. It started coming in on my temples and it's slowly spreading.

but life's unfair..men look sexy and distinguished with gray hair...women just look old

It's true, and a guy groomed right usually looks hot with a little grey! I HAVE seen women with grey that somehow manage to look really awesome. I always hope to myself that I will look just as good when I see a gal like that! ;D

[NomoreDramaQ1015]

DH didn't like being bald till he watched DD grab a fistful of my hair and yank. Now he is thinking being bald isn't so bad.

[kinetickid]

Jan 19, 2011 6:44:44 GMT -5 @angel33 said:

I needed a new coil pack/spark plugs. My engine was misfiring. That was $375. Then I guess you are supposed to replace the timing belt at 100K and I didn't. I have close to 129K on my van. that was $800. Then my transmission needed to be flushed, that was $134. They also flushed my breaks and power steerings. I know some people don't believe in flushing the fluids. I don't know what to believe. I didn't want to take the chance of not doing it and it causing major damage or something.

Are spark plugs in your engine readily accessible? In our car, for example, two of them require removing the intake manifold in order to change them. The result: high labor cost to change spark plugs, and they pretty much have to be done at a pro shop instead of in our garage at home.

If they're readily accessible, then you could take them to an ASE-certified shop and save some money. Spark plugs are NOT one of those things that needs to be done at a dealership. A regular shop might charge $80/hour whereas your dealership might charge $110/hour (you can call and ask for their labor rates).

Also, is this the second time the spark plugs have been changed in your car? They almost never go 129K miles.

Re: Transmission flush. There are a couple approaches. I do believe in flushes, but NOT that power vacuum flush. Not only does it cost more money, but it can actually cause some damage. Seriously, all you probably need is someone to unscrew the plug and let the stuff drain. Then fill it up with clean stuff. Should be no more than $30.

In short, none of this stuff is stuff that has to be done at the dealership. Find an ASE certified shop and use them. I bet you could easily save a few hundred bucks.

Also, this stuff is all MAINTENANCE, not repairs. How much do you budget for auto maintenance each month?

[Apple]

Jan 19, 2011 10:29:42 GMT -5 TD2K said:

I would love to have soft, silky, straight hair..


I wonder how much of this is 'the grass is greener' syndrome? I have fairly straight hair and would like hair with some wave/curl in it. But I read about people with curly hair who would love to have straight hair.

I had straight hair until about 13 and then puberty hit and I got the family curse of curly hair. Same thing is happening with my son right now. So, I've had both naturally and most days I would much rather have nice straight hair then the curly/wavy mess I have now. I straightened it every day in HS and after, but once I had my son I gave that morning ritual up. Took a few years before I could find a hair gel that kept it from getting frizzy, until then I just wanted to shave it. Now I just wish I could have my old, straight hair back, but I've learned to deal....

[Chocolate Lover]

Apple, you actually found something to combat the frizzies? I like my curls but hate the frizzies.

[kinetickid]

Jan 19, 2011 12:47:07 GMT -5 Apple said:

Jan 19, 2011 10:29:42 GMT -5 TD2K said:

I would love to have soft, silky, straight hair..


I wonder how much of this is 'the grass is greener' syndrome? I have fairly straight hair and would like hair with some wave/curl in it. But I read about people with curly hair who would love to have straight hair.

I had straight hair until about 13 and then puberty hit and I got the family curse of curly hair. Same thing is happening with my son right now. So, I've had both naturally and most days I would much rather have nice straight hair then the curly/wavy mess I have now. I straightened it every day in HS and after, but once I had my son I gave that morning ritual up. Took a few years before I could find a hair gel that kept it from getting frizzy, until then I just wanted to shave it. Now I just wish I could have my old, straight hair back, but I've learned to deal....

Me, too. My hair was relatively straight (but thick) as a youngster, but got curly/wavy/frizzy as I got older.

Apple, visit www.makeupalley.com/product/ It's a great site to help you find make-up and hair products. Everything is reviewed by actual people, so you will get honest-to-goodness reviews.

[kinetickid]

Jan 19, 2011 12:51:18 GMT -5 Chocolate Lover said:

Apple, you actually found something to combat the frizzies? I like my curls but hate the frizzies.

This stuff works great for me, and it's cheap, too ($6): www.makeupalley.com/product/showreview.asp/ItemId=104370/Coconut-Milk-Anti-Breakage-Serum/Organix/Treatments

[Apple]

KK--thanks for the link, I'll have to check it out soon (when I'm not at work). Every time I find something they discontinue it, but the SunSilk leave-in conditioner works on most days, but there are some that end in frizz no matter what. I pretty much just need to make sure I don't touch it once it's dry--other than to break up the strands from the hair stuff so it doesn't look like it's pasted on my head (and only finger comb it right after a shower).

[Chocolate Lover]

I'll check it out too, thanks!

[zibazinski]

I get keratin treatments and it's worth every cent.

[Deleted]

Jan 19, 2011 10:05:46 GMT -5 Miss Tequila said:

Jan 19, 2011 9:56:36 GMT -5 imawino said:

Oh, I'm absolutely going to start coloring when I get more gray! But I like the natural color of my hair, so I'm good for now.

I LOVE the color of your hair...me, I went gray very early (found the first gray at 19) so if I didn't color my hair I would look 59 instead of 39...sigh...


Angel, you are very lucky that you can get away with 8-10 weeks between your colorings...I don't consider that high maintenance at all...I can only go 4 to 5 weeks between coloring or my roots show bigtime...I love that my hair grows so quickly (I'm more apt to try a different style because I know it will grow right out), but it sucks that I have to stay on top of it like I do. Double edged sword

Actually, I am supposed to go get my roots touched up at 4 or 5 weeks, but I just ignore it until the 8 week mark. But, I do usually color it so close to my natural color that the roots aren't completely horrible (If I squint and don't look directly at them then I can pretend that they are not noticeable.)
I just know it is really expensive to get my hair done so I only do it 8-10 weeks.
DH doesn't complain about the cost, but I just feel guilty.

[Deleted]

Jan 19, 2011 12:45:11 GMT -5 @kinetickid said:

Jan 19, 2011 6:44:44 GMT -5 @angel33 said:

I needed a new coil pack/spark plugs. My engine was misfiring. That was $375. Then I guess you are supposed to replace the timing belt at 100K and I didn't. I have close to 129K on my van. that was $800. Then my transmission needed to be flushed, that was $134. They also flushed my breaks and power steerings. I know some people don't believe in flushing the fluids. I don't know what to believe. I didn't want to take the chance of not doing it and it causing major damage or something.

Are spark plugs in your engine readily accessible? In our car, for example, two of them require removing the intake manifold in order to change them. The result: high labor cost to change spark plugs, and they pretty much have to be done at a pro shop instead of in our garage at home.

If they're readily accessible, then you could take them to an ASE-certified shop and save some money. Spark plugs are NOT one of those things that needs to be done at a dealership. A regular shop might charge $80/hour whereas your dealership might charge $110/hour (you can call and ask for their labor rates).

Also, is this the second time the spark plugs have been changed in your car? They almost never go 129K miles.

Re: Transmission flush. There are a couple approaches. I do believe in flushes, but NOT that power vacuum flush. Not only does it cost more money, but it can actually cause some damage. Seriously, all you probably need is someone to unscrew the plug and let the stuff drain. Then fill it up with clean stuff. Should be no more than $30.

In short, none of this stuff is stuff that has to be done at the dealership. Find an ASE certified shop and use them. I bet you could easily save a few hundred bucks.

Also, this stuff is all MAINTENANCE, not repairs. How much do you budget for auto maintenance each month?

Sorry I am not a YM'er. I don't have categories for my budget. I don't have a written budget. I had enough money in savings plus some to cover it. I still have money in savings. I could take that money to get my hair done, but I decided to wait until pay day so I don't have to bother with transferring the money.

I am not trying to be snarky or anything. I just don't write out my monthly/yearly budget and I don't do spreadsheets.

Yes, all of the things ARE maintenance, but when you add them up all together they do add up to be a lot. So I guess I just worded it wrong. It just happened to be that they all needed to be done at the same time. I don't know a lot about cars. I get my oil changed like I am supposed to and I get the maintenance done when they tell me to.
Also, I don't trust just any mechanic to work on my car. I prefer the dealership to work on them because they are certified to work on Hondas. I am sure other mechanics could do it, but it makes me feel too uneasy to consider it. Plus I live in an area that is very anti-foreign car. I would just prefer the dealership to work on it.

[suzwantstobefree]

This message has been deleted.

[Deleted]

About the spark plugs. I bought the van brand new in 2002. This is the first time I have changed the spark plugs. I don't know how long they last, I just know that the ones that were in there were bad. My van was misfiring. So yeah, it is maintenance, but where they are located, it is difficult to get to them. Basically for them to change my spark plugs, change my timing belt and water pump, they had to tear my engine apart. So maybe it is maintenance, but to me when they have to take my engine apart and put it back together to change things...it seems like a repair.
Like I said, I don't know a lot about cars and engines. If I would have known that I needed to change the timing belt at 100K miles I would have done it then (still a $800 cost even if I would have done it then). But I don't know too many people that actually reads their entire car manual. They told me when everything else needed to be done verbally, but no one mentioned the timing belt until this past Monday.

[suzwantstobefree]

This message has been deleted.

[Deleted]

Jan 19, 2011 18:16:25 GMT -5 @suzwantstobefree said:

Angel, it is really important to change the timing belt before it breaks. It could cause you to replace your engine otherwise. I think they made a good recommendation based on your mileage to change it at this point. Besides that, you don't want to be stranded on the side of the road with the "boogers". LOL

I know it sounds like a lot of money, but it is also a really labor intensive repair. Unfortunanetly, when you get to the 100's you have to spend some money on repairs! Luckily, your car is paid off so you aren't spending $400 or $500 a month on car payments.

Oh I have no problem getting the repairs/maintenance done. Like I mentioned above, I always get my oil changed when they tell me to. I get my fluids changed when they tell me to. I follow the maintenance schedule that they printed out for me, and I never saw the timing belt on there. I would have done it at 100K if I would have seen it and known. Yes, it is an expensive maintenance, but I also plan on driving this car for a couple more years. I will keep it until it dies...or if I get a really good full time job I will probably trade it in.