Monday, 12 March 2012

Photo Safari

Yesterday was the day: my youngest niece was invited to joins us at a Photo Safari. It was entertaining, a little educational, came with duck-feeding (not sure if this is allowed though) and the feeling that my niece will more likely remember the golden statue as "The Golden Man" and not as Johann Strauss. The parenthesis was Strauss, I needed an excuse to finish the safari at the Café Dommayer where Johann Strauss played his public debut, a waltz, for sure!

The weather could have been nicer, but at least it stayed dry. A few hours later, when we left my sisters place, my youngest niece was jumping up and down in front of the television set, playing with the WII. She loves to move! Mr Paula and I got tired just from watching her. Such a bundle of energy. Apropos energy: This song revives my energies in an instant. So cheerful! Parks and Recreation Theme Song And even more cheerful with the cast.


No familiar guys.

One cute anecdote: we sat down for lunch. A woman next to us was drinking a cup of coffee and reading newspapers. Half an hour later the woman was still sitting there and my niece leanded over towards us and whispered "the woman is still here, she just had one cup of coffee, why doesn't she leave".
It is true, the former Café had turned into a Café-Restaurant, which means much shorter durations of stays compared to typical Caféhaus-visitors, who sit for hours over a cup of coffee, sometimes just a "Kleiner Schwarzer" (Espresso).
I laughed at explained her that we are the ones who behave oddly, because the real Caféhaus-visitor never visit a Café to satisfy his /her hunger like we do, but to spend hours at the Café. Being alone, but reading the newspapers in company, just like the women next to us did.

The Photo Safari might be the beginning of a new series, a bicycle-safari later this year, might be fun, too!

PS: the hedgehogs had to go, it's spring! (even when the photos try to convince you otherwise)

Saturday, 10 March 2012

A Short Update on Short Hair

Yes, he did use a round-brush for a perfect fine-tuning with the scissors on the dry hair. Having worn my beanie over the last 24 hours, I am assured, this haircut does not need a round brush to look good. Actually that's the point where I distinguish a good hairstylist from a poor hairstylist: the very moment he picked up the round brush, he paused, looked at me and said "you are not going to need this, I just want to fine-tune the cut. You will just dry your hair and be done".

Ruppitsch knows what it takes to tame my hair: scissors and the boldness or should I call it dauntlessness? - to thin out the hair to such an extent, that my hair can fall in shape. Not all women are fans of thinning out the haircut. I used to loathe it when the hairstylist started reducing my hair with that special scissor, that cuts away half of the volume. My mother - with her love for back-combing - calls those hairstylists "hair-haters" because they would thin out the haircut, she thinks they envy the volume of our hair. If it's hair-envy, so be it, it's what my hair needs.

Too bad I did not take my camera with me, the chopped hair on the floor would have been worth some google-hits. (chopped hair on the floor and on capes turns out to be one of the top-hits for my blog. *gg*)

It has been 20 years since I first opened the door to that tiny salon for the first time and it has been 10 years since my last haircut at that salon. I want to write more about that salon and how it feels to return to the hairstylist that has been the first salon outside your home-district.

Hm, this update turns out to be not that short at all.

But not today. I need to get a rest, because tomorrow it's the day:
Tomorrow is photo-safari time with my younges niece. She does not really know what to expect and having scrapped half the evening I guess I have a plan. Lets hope for friendly weather!

Now lets see what you have to say. I mean I have been teasing you with my hair-issues far too long and intense for you to remain quiet now that I arrived at my final destination.

In case you wonder why this posting lacks excitement: I AM really happy with the new haircut. The reason why this posting might not exactly express my feelings, is the 4-hour-hike up AND around the Leopoldsberg earlier today and a little lack of sleep (speaking of which ...).
For your information: We did not have to leave Vienna to walk this hike. The whole trail was within the limits of the city of Vienna. You just have to love this city.
This is spring! Voices of birds in the air and tiny yellow and purple flowers in bloom.
I am tired! Good night xo

PS: Please excuse me for not showing my face this time, but after an face turned downwards on the massage bed, my face is a mess.

No compensation has been received.

Thursday, 8 March 2012

A Look Back

Can you guess today's post-theme from this screenshot?
Yes, we are back to hair!
In anticipation of the new haircut to come by tomorrow, I just took this "Before" picture, where I am NOT looking towards the camera, with all the hair brushed in front of my face but looking sideways:
I am surprised how nicely my hair behaves, since I have not brushed it a single time for the last 10 hours. Kerastase 'Bain de Whatever' is the secret. Plus 'Bain the etc Conditioner' and 'Ciment Thermique'. Amazing, how THREE products in a row won't weigh your hair down.

Don't get me wrong: This is not a bad haircut. My hairstylist did not do a bad job, two weeks ago. But it is not the haircut I want. What turns this into a bad haircut plus my hairstylist into a bad hairstylist, because I asked for a haircut that would not allow me to wear a ponytail.
*Beginning of thoughts in hair seen from the back*

Hello ?! Did my hair grow like insane since Feb. 24? I can tell you, It did not. mmmh. But nice strands anyway! Now that's what I call a bunch of thick hair – could someone please tell the annoying Lady.

*End of thoughts on hair seen from the back*


Sooooo. Tomorrow is the day. Again, another day. Another appointment at another salon. But what tradition and history to find at that salon! I started going there 20 years ago. TWENTY. I am old, I am sexy and the hairstylist is cool and I am one of his oldest customers. We are cool friends, really cool. (Please picture Liz Lemon aka Tina Fey saying the last sentence while wiggeling with her shoulders and waist in a more than silly way. Though it could be Leslie Knope aka Amy Poehler*). Yes, excitement it is.

See you in 24 hours (+/-), with a new, definitely shorter haircut. Which should be it about all the hair for some time around here.

xo, Paula

*I know, the aka is meant to be the other way round, but this way round seems more suitable to me.