muted

hair, hair!!

i don't consider myself to be a vain person so i'm a bit startled to hear the following thought while getting ready this morning :

it doesn't look like it's THAT cold outside so gloves should be sufficient when cleaning off your car. don't wear a hat - you'll mess up your hair.

i'm still not used to the bathroom being on a different floor than the bedroom so getting ready takes a little bit longer than it should because i have to go up and down the stairs a few times. whenever i pass a window facing the back of the house, i look out at the driveway. damn, the car belonging to one of the ladies who lives downstairs is still there. she cleaned it off a while ago but she hasn't left yet which means she could come outside at any time. i really don't want an audience when i back my car out of our driveway (which stretches beside the house) because i've had to stop, pull forward and re-adjust my approach each time prior.

i'm finally ready and, after a few more anxious driveway checks, i say "screw it" and leave the house.

i can see that i have enough room to back up, turn around and drive forward down the driveway. i breathe a sigh of relief and begin cleaning off my car. someone yells "excuse me!" and i immediately think it's the lady whose car is in the driveway. i figure that maybe she is trying to make up for ducking around the corner of the house the other day without saying "hello" when i exited kim's car upon parking it in the street. maybe she wants to engage in proper introductions this time.

i turn around. i'm wrong. a different lady is standing all the way in the street next to a dog.

"do you know whose dog this is?!" she shouts.

"no!" i yell back, shaking my head in case she can't hear me. i guess i could tell her that i'm quite new to the neighborhood but i figure it wouldn't help her mission much.

i enter my car and start thinking. what if that dog was actually her dog? maybe she has incredible eyesight, saw my amazing hair, and decided to pull the old "pretend your own dog is a stray dog in order to meet the new neighbor with the gorgeous hair" trick. who could blame her, really? ;)