:(

I had my hair trimmed for the first time in three years today. I'm in mourning. My hair seems absurdly short now, though it's still past my waist--it was nearly to my knees before, but the ends were getting really ugly and dead. Now my goal is to get it to that length while still keeping the ends as healthy as possible. It still hurts though. I'm kind of proud of my long hair. I remember reading in Gregory of Tours' History of the Franks about how there were a few Frankish noblemen who chose death rather than have their hair cut, and I'm kind of sympathizing with them right now.

Luckily my hair grows quickly, so hopefully it'll be nice and long again soon. My mother just rolls her eyes and says only I could feel that waist-length hair was hideously short.

Ugh

I'm having a bit of a bad day. I'm getting all sorts of conflicting information on how to take a year's leave of absence from school, but need to make my decision soon, and the stress and magnitude of the decision and all the unexpected problems with what should be a simple process that keep cropping up is leaving me a bit rattled and emotional and run-down. It's just compounding a lot of issues at once, and I'm finding it all a bit too much to handle. I just checked my phone's clock to find out I've been sitting on a bench at school crying for two hours straight. It makes me feel daft, which just makes me a bit more miserable. Oh well. I was happy this morning, so I know I'll pull myself together and cheer up. The wind rustling and roaring in the dead palm fronds above my head is noisy in a comfortable susurrus sort of way, and I like the feel of the cool air and the warm stone bench I'm perched on. I also finished "Snow-Walker" today at last, and am eager to begin reading "The Robots of Dawn", although that will have to wait until I'm back at the apartment because I left it in my room. Also, I walked out of my Nutrition exam this morning feeling a lot better than I had when I walked in, which is a good thing.

So I'll gather my scattered nerves and thoughts and emotions together and carefully put them all back into their labeled compartments and drawers and then lock up and go out to get something to eat and something to read. That should help immensely.

I've Lost My Library Card!

I don't know how it happened! I really don't! But I went to the public library to return books today, and picked up three more, and then was suddenly struck with the awful revelation:

My library card is not in my wallet. Nor is it in my jeans pocket. Nor is it in my school backpack. It is GONE.

The library will hold my books for me for three days. I have to find my library card in three days. This is extremely annoying. My library card is like an extension of myself; it's as though I was just about to get a manicure when suddenly I realize my hand has disappeared. Except I never get manicures, ever. But whatever.

I'm going to poke around my sock drawer and bookshelves and empty all my coat pockets. Hopefully that card turns up. If not . . . ugh, that doesn't bear thinking about! :(