Don't Worry, 'Bout A Thing...

This past week I had a service day and decided to try something other than the regular blow dry, or curls. What did we do? Dreads. Yes, you read that right, dreads, as in dreadlocks, like Bob Marley...but not as gross. After about 3 hours of teasing and twisting and teasing and waxing and teasing and waxing some more, my head was covered in teeny-tiny little dreadlocks. I only left them in for a day for fear of them deciding to become a permanent fixture upon my head. People asked me why I wasn't going to keep them in, "they totally fit you!" I was told through out the day. "You're a chameleon," one of my teachers told me. "You've had so many different styles on your head and you've rocked them all, you seem to be able to make anything work."

Well, why didn't I keep them? As my teacher said, I'm a "chameleon", I change my hair way too much style and color wise to hold onto dreads. I'm just not ready for that kind of commitment!(!!!!) That, and the only way to get rid of them(once they've been on your head for a while and have 'matured' - yes dreads go through a time of maturity - is to shave your head, and that is the last thing I want to do to my poor head of thick locks.)

Anyways, I think I got the dreadlock fever out of my system...for now...
And now I shall share with you my great joy and love of this fantastic and unique style in pictures:

This was just after I took out box braids...they were my 'almost - dreads'

This amazes me!

Attend the Tale of Sweenella Todd...

"Attend the tale of Sweeney Todd. He served a dark and avengeful God!

What happened then, well that's the play,and he wouldn't want us to give it away... "

Saturday night our YG had one of it's events. A large and exaggerated version of the classic game CLUE, where the church was the game board, and the youth were the players. The Leadership Core got to play the house staff, and I was more than happy to be appointed the position of Sweenella Todd, personal Hair and Complexion consultant to the murdered couple...and granddaughter of the Demon Barber himself, Sweeney Todd.

Note: Yes my real grandfather was a Barber, but he was most certainly not a demon Barber...actually he was a pastor, so...yeah. Pretty sure there was no killing going on in his shop...

I was very excited to play this role, and laughed when I found out that my murder weapon was a pair of - get this - safety scissors!!! (And, yes, I was the murderess.)

Seeing as I adore musicals, and enjoy all things pertaining to hair, it would make sense that I would have a fascination with Sweeney Todd.

For just a little taste I suggest you watch this link

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sweeney_Todd

I later went to bed, to tired to shower, and awoke to this....which was nearly as scary.

I laugh in the face of 'danger'! Hahahaha!

"The count down begins at zero..."

That's right my friends, the State Board countdown has ended. Last Saturday, 11/13, I woke up earlier than my normal Saturday earliness and ventured to UHart with my mother. There I met with the 100 other cosmetology students waiting to take the boards. We were the first wave of Board takers that day, waiting for 8:00 to come so we could start. I wasn't really nervous that morning, more excited, and anxious for it to be over. Most of my nerves came out the day before when I pretty much had a breakdown in my theory room and was told to put all my flashcards and study papers away and just relax.

Of course sleep was really just a bad joke. It's not like I really thought of the test I would be taking the next morning. Actually, I was thinking of cutting techniques and color designs and people I could do them on...which was random.

I was pleased to find that not only was I joined by 4 other students from IIC, but 2 or 3 from our plainville branch. Seeing familiar faces puts me in a calmer place. At 8:00 we all sat down and waited for the last few stragglers to find their way in. At about a quarter after we opened our booklets and started to fill in all the little bubbles.

My heart was racing as I examined what I was facing, random facts and questions running through my brain as I tried to remember all my studying from the past 6 weeks. I looked down at the first two pages, each page had only four questions each. Ok, that's not too overwhelming. I read the first question and a smile appeared on my face. I know that!!!

I continued on through the test pausing for only two or three of the questions. Before we had started, one of the proctors had explained how the test was to be filled out, how it was graded, yada-yada-yada. The same sort of spiel that they give before any sort of multiple choice test. They had explained that we had two whole hours to finish, and they would set a timer to go off every hour. "By the time the first alarm rings, you should be on at least question 44. This way you are about half way done."

'Hurried' isn't the word I would use to describe my pace. I made it through the questions very quickly, not rushing. I was able to read the question and have the answer already in my head before I looked at my options. A grin graced my face all throughout the period I was there, a few chuckles even escaped my lips -the proctors probably thought I was crazy, or on drugs...

I had made it to question #1o1 and glanced at my neighbor sitting to the right of me, some dude I'd never seen before. There he sat, leaning over his test, clenching his pencil....staring...

My eyes followed his unwavering gaze, right to question #45.

I looked back at my test.

102.

103.

104...

105.

SEE YA DUDE!

I glanced quickly at all my little bubbles, making sure I had filled them all in, got up and brought my sheets to the front of the room where I handed them in and signed out. I was done!!! and before the first timer went off, before 9:00. I walked out of the room, smiling that I was the third one finished, but only by a minute or two.

The next hour was spent finding our way back to school...we got lost in Hartford...all parts. Then got stuck in the drivethru in a DD just down the road from my school...

My teachers laughed at me when I told them how simple the test had been. "I don't know why I was so worried yesterday!" They know I'm OCD about tests.

Now I wait. I've been told that the results should come on Tuesday or Wednesday. DUNDUNdun...

State of boardom

When I got my state board study sheets four weeks ago I was excited. Excited and overwhelmed. Well, when I got those first three packets I thought I was overwhelmed...little did I know...

A few days ago I got the FINAL state board worksheet, 197 questions. I've finally filled them all out, now onto notecards.

I now have 2 weeks to go, and I'm starting to freak out. My days are filled with worksheets and notecards, sitting for 6hours in a back theory room. And let me tell you, this is excruciating for someone who needs to be doing creative things with their hands nearly 24/7 to be happy.

My teachers told me that if I got bored I was allowed to go on the floor and do practicals, but I never did. Why? Because this scares me. I've just been handed a great deal of information to study, and despite what others tell me (that the test is easy, I'll be fine, "I didn't even study!") I've got it in my head that I have to know this stuff inside out and backwards. At this point I may actually be my own worst enemy. Hyping this up inside my head into an almost do-or-die situation. No one from my school has ever taken the state boards and not passed. The pressure is on, but it really shouldn't be...
Oh my, oh my. The count down begins. Saturday, November 13, 2010. 12 more days...


- Posted from emikel's iPhone -