Day 7 - The Broken Blow Dryer

Welp, it happened!  My blow dryer officially crapped out on me.  It had been underperforming for quite some time, but I eventually came to the end of my rapidly fraying rope.  Two mornings in a row, before work, I was blowing drying my hair, and the dryer would just stop.  My head would still be flipped upside down.  The hair was not even close to being dry yet.  And I certainly hadn't started my cool down.  Yes, I cool my hair down after I blow it dry with high heat.  I was told once that by blowing the cool air on your head upside after you blow it dry would help keep volume.  I thought for a while that technique was working, but now I am not so sure.  I have become a creature of habit, so I just continue cooling the hair down.  It's funny, too, because if you know me, volume (in my hair) is not exactly a regular occurrence either.  I have to work incredibly hard to get any sort of volume in my straight, fine, blond locks.  And lots and lots of Big & Sexy Hair spray! 

I stopped at Wal-Mart one day after work (which was an adventure in and of itself) to pick up a new blow dryer.  I had originally planned on going to a beauty supply store on the way home, but I was rudely reminded that it had closed, and in it's place stood a vacant building with "For Rent" signs in the window.  That sucked.  So in Wal-Mart, I am walking around aimlessly trying to find the overhead sign that read "Hair Supplies."  BINGO!  Walking down the aisle I came across one type of blow dryer - for $48.99!  FOR A BLOW DRYER???  You've got to be kidding me?!  Unless this blow dryer came with it's own personal hairstylist that would take a round brush to my hair each and every time I used it, then there was no way in hell I was going to pay that amount.  And at Wal-Mart??  No thank you.  I would rather drive to work with the car windows down and dry my hair that way (it might be hard with these sub-freezing temps, but again, a sacrifice I was willing to make to avoid spending nearly $50 on a gizmo that generated hot air).

I looked at the aisle next to this aisle hoping to find more options.  Nothing.  I turned back, and for a moment thought my fate was failing me and that the $50 blow dryer was my only option.   And then - there it was - the blow dryer mecca!  There were dozens of blow dryers (right across from the original one - had I just turned around the first time).  There were blow dryers as cheap at $14, and of course the $50 ones.  From what I could tell, they provided the same thing - hot air, warm air, cold air, 1875 watts, and attachments for various styling methods.  How, then, could one cost so much more than another?  I didn't want to purchase the cheapest one for fear that it would break mid-dry.  I certainly couldn't justify spend $50 either.  So I went with a middle-of-the-road, $23 blow dryer.  So far, so good.

It's amazing how the little things add up so quickly.  $11 face lotion (which is cheap), $9 mascara (also cheap), $20 hair spray (a little much, but totally worth it), a $65 hair cut (no comment).  The list goes on and on.  Maintaining a certain level of "put-togetherness" is quite costly for women.  Men have no idea how good they have it.  Sure they may have those little expenses every once in a while, but the amount of time, energy and money that goes into a woman's routine grossly outnumbers their's.  So the next time a woman takes a little longer (or a lot longer) than you to get ready, recognize that she is a) doing it for you, and b) taking advantage of those investments that she made prior.  You may be annoyed because you are waiting, but be glad that she isn't wasting all the money for nothing!