So Long, Farewell, Auf Wiedersehen, Good Night

Today is my last day and night in my home in Chesterfield, MO.

Most of our belongings are packed up in boxes except for some clothes, toiletries, and a few dishes.

I woke up with such a bittersweet feeling in my heart this morning as I am ready for the next chapter, but I am also very sad to say goodbye to the life we have created here in Missouri.

I was reminded of the song, "So Long, Farewell" from the Sound of Music and how fitting the words of the first verse and chorus are to my feelings today. 

There's a sad sort of clanging from the clock in the hall
And the bells in the steeple too
And up in the nursery an absurd little bird
Is popping out to say, "Cuckoo" (Cuckoo, cuckoo)
Regretfully they tell us but firmly they compel us
To say goodbye to you

So long, farewell, auf Wiedersehen, good night
I hate to go and leave this pretty sight
So long, farewell, auf Wiedersehen, adieu
Adieu, adieu, to yieu and yieu and yieu

I have really enjoyed St. Louis.

As a city, it has brought some really great memories from City Museum to the Arch to Cardinals, Blues, and Rams games.  There's the Art Museum, the Botanical Gardens, and Forest Park.  

Kyle would maybe say that trying all of the food was his favorite part.  When you come from a tiny town in Southeastern New Mexico your choices are Mexican, Mexican, Mexican, Chinese, Mexican, Chili's.  Some of Kyle's favorites have included Pappy's, Bogart's, and the Shaved Duck. (All BBQ joints)

St. Louis as a city provided a ton of fun, but it also allowed me to meet some really great people; people that I will miss very dearly.

St. Louis was our first home as a newly married couple, so I will always have a special place in my heart for it.  

St. Louis was where we got our precious puppy, Mr. Tumnus, and the trailer was his first home too.

I will miss St. Louis, the people, the food, and the sights; but I am also looking forward to our next chapter in Norman, Oklahoma (home of James Garner).

We've been talking for the last month or so about all the things we will not miss about Missouri/our trailer and all the things we will miss about Missouri/our trailer.  

Here's a peek into the things we will not miss:

1.  We both will not miss Missouri driving.  Spend just one day driving in this city and it's surrounding suburbs and you will know exactly what I mean.  It's fascinating how bad they really are and how they all do the same things.  Freaky.

2.  I will not miss the humidity in the summer and how long the winter feels.  Walking outside in the summer and immediately sweating is not my cup of tea.  This desert rat is not made for the humidity.  And in the winter, I feel as though I imagine the Narnians felt when the White Witch made it winter for ages, (but at least I got Christmas).

3.  I will not miss the way my oven is not level and how I can only use two burners on my stove.  

4.  Kyle will not miss hand washing dishes.  He is looking forward to a dishwasher.  He has mentioned it several times.  I told him it would be super funny if we got to our new home and the dishwasher was broken.

5.  I will not miss the trailer park and parking on the street and nearly running over people/kids all the time because the street is so small.

6.  We will both not miss the sound our air conditioner makes when it's on.  It's a high-pitched whistle that truly you don't notice after a while, but when visitors come over and mention it, you can't help but notice all over again.

7.  We will not miss how when the littlest amount of smoke is in the house all of the alarms go off immediately and do not quit until we cover them with a jacket.

8.  I truly will not miss Missouri accents.  For example, forty = farty, short = shart, Lord = Lard, etc.  One time my former boss said, "It makes the patients fell like I sharted them," and that was really the only time that I was glad for a Missouri accent because even though I knew he meant shorted, it's way funnier to think of the boss I didn't like sharting on someone.

And now onto the more positive side, the things we will miss:

1.  We will most definitely, without a doubt miss our home.  It's our first home. It's tiny, it makes weird noises, the kitchen is not level, it smells musty when we get back from a trip; but it was ours and we have had so many wonderful memories in this tiny, little home.

2.  We will miss the people.  This is something I never get used to.  I wish everyone I loved lived in the same place because I always miss the people that I meet in all the places I have lived.

3.  We will miss the city.  It's a great city.  There's so much to see, do, taste, and explore.  It's a wonderful city.

4.  We will miss the proximity of the necessities around us.  We live smack dab in the middle of the mall and another shopping/dining area.  We rarely have to go outside of a 2 mile radius to get anything.

5.  We will miss Trader Joe's!!!!!  Oh my, this one hurts.  There are NO Trader Joe's in the state of Oklahoma.  You better know I will be e-mailing some TJ higher ups to get on the ball about this.

6.  We will miss our favorite restaurants.  There really is a lot of great food in STL.

7.  I will miss the library.  It's seriously right around the corner from my house; so close, I could walk.  I'm glad I will still have a library in Norman though.

8.  I will miss the family that I work for.  Seriously, they are great people, and have been such a blessing to me the last two years.

I'm very sad to go and leave this little home we created, but I'm looking forward to being settled finally and knowing that I am not going to have to move any time soon.

I really loved our little kitchen and the window in it.

There's my crooked oven.  Bless it's heart.

Our living room where we spent most of our time.

I will not miss these gray walls. Looking forward to a new bedroom.

Our little guest room.  So glad my Grandma got to stay here once.

Our first home.  

So long, farewell, auf Wiedersehen, good night, St. Louis!

Xoxo, 

Nicole

 

Hair Tips from a True Hair Dummy

During my brief time in Chesterfield, I have gotten my hair cut at three different salons and by five different stylists.  During my time in Albuquerque, I got my hair cut by numerous different people as I just went and took whoever the salon put me with.  The same happened in Seattle.  And due to small town drama, I've also had my fair share of stylists in Carlsbad.

Over the course of my haircut history, I have been told/asked the same thing (in different ways) by most of the stylists:

1.  You have such healthy, beautiful hair.
2.  I can't believe this is your natural color.
3.  Do you dye your hair?
4.  Did you recently cut your hair short?  No?  Really?!  I'm surprised because most girls who are growing out their hair have such bad damage.
5.  Never dye your hair.  People dye their hair to get your color.
6.  I love your natural color and how much shine your hair has.

My favorite was on Friday when a Paul McCartney look-alike stylist, with a British accent, said to me, "You have nice hair."  I imagined it was actually Paul telling me that so of course in my head I said, "And you sir, have the voice of an angel."

Now, this blog is just meant to be silly.  I by no means think I actually know anything about hair, but when stylists spread out from the Pacific Northwest to the Midwest compliment my hair I can only begin to think that I must be doing something right.  Right?

After my haircut this past Friday I decided to share some of my hair tips with you.  So, basically, I am just going to tell you everything that I do.  Take it or leave it.

1. Go as long as you can without washing your hair.  I usually make it about three days. Shower caps are my best friend. 
2.  When conditioning, put most of the conditioner on the hair that would be in your ponytail and leave it on there while you do other stuff in the shower (soap, shave, sing, etc).
3.  Towel dry gently.
4.  Don't use a blow dryer.
5.  Let your hair drip dry.
6.  Go out into public with wet hair if you must.
7.  Sleep on a satin pillowcase (this I learned from my beautician Grandma).
8.  Brush your hair only when you feel guilty that you haven't in a while.
9.  Never style it with a flat iron, curling iron, or anything with heat. (If you must, maybe once a month, go for it).
10.  Constantly run your fingers through it.
11.  Rarely wear it in a ponytail.  (Seriously, like twice a month).
12.  Just wear it however it lies.
13.  When shampooing, massage your head really well, rinse, and let the rest of the shampoo get the ends of your hair as it's washing out. 
14.  Spray Organix Brazilian Keratin Therapy Shimmering Keratin Oil on damp hair every so often.
15.  Basically, care less about it.