A Tangled Mess!

I use a curling brush.

Is this embarrassing to admit? I'm not sure. I just know I'm in the minority. I've used one since...not sure when. I just know that in Jr.high or whenever I started curling my hair that my Mom gave me a curling brush instead of a curling iron. I think she thought it reduced the odds of burning myself, and she was probably right. As a result, I cannot properly use a curling iron to this day. I always get those little kink marks at the end regardless of my efforts and the advice of others.

I've used a curling brush so long I can use it with my eyes closed. In my sleep. But, apparently not while reading.

Yesterday I was curling my hair after my shower while reading. There had been a newspaper sitting on the floor that Brad had been reading, in his "library", and the article caught my eye while I was drying my hair so I began reading. I continued reading while curling my hair.

I got my hair stuck.

Caught.

Tangled.

Severely.

This has happened on occasion before. Within 30 seconds the problem is usually resolved. This was not a 30 second resolution situation.

Did I mention my hair was stuck. Caught. Tangled. Severely! I unplugged the curling brush so it would begin to cool down and started to attempt to pull out my hair. Nothing. I think I was still fairly calm at this point. But 5 minutes later, when I wasn't much farther then I was 5 minutes prior, I began to panic.

I began to think of solutions. Pulling. Cutting...I've been wanting shorter hair but one clump on the back left hand side of my head was never my vision. I debated eliciting the help of my four year old. That is when I knew I was desperate.

I ran to check the clock, with curling iron brush attached to my head. Baileigh was due off the school bus in fifteen minutes. Yes, that means that I'm getting my morning shower at 3:20. It had been a busy day with two sick kids and a lot of laundry and housecleaning. So a 3:20 shower was an accomplishment.

I had 15 minutes to resolve this situation. I needed help. My arms were getting numb from holding them up over my head. My scalp was hurting from the pulling. The hair that I had managed to free was nappy and looked like a cheap toy baby doll's hair after many brushings by a two year old. That was the part that was already free...I could only imagine what the hair still caught was going to look like.

I debated going out to the bus stop and asking my neighbor to help. But it's usually the Dad. With 3 sons. I didn't think he would be much help. Also, did I ever mention that I'm naked at this point...so that would mean maneuvering clothes over my head with one hand and pulling a cord through sleeves, neck, etc. I debated throwing on a robe and driving to my friend who has helped in other crisis situations (and this was turning into a crisis!) but that would mean loading up my napping child with one arm. Not happening.

At this point the curling brush had completely cooled off and so I was better able to maneuver the brush around and pull hair out, strand by strand. Twenty minutes after this entire thing started I was free. Minus a lot of hair on the back left side of my head and with a throbbing head ache and exhausted arms. But free.

My hair looked like a large birds nest. I wet the damaged area and combed it flat and dried it quickly. Put it up. Dressed. Ran to the bus.

Maybe I should start wearing my hair completely straight. Or stop reading.