Monday, March 06, 2006

Philosophical Waxing (or vacation, Part I)

I've said it at least twice before: no one likes to hear about others' kids, vacations and dreams. But hey, I've shared dreams with you, so why not a little vacation.

Two Fridays ago I went to Durango, Colorado, for my friend J's wedding. J and her college roommate, S, were my best friends for my junior and senior years at Michigan State University. They were the women I had some of my funnest moments ever with. Whether it was "swimming" the Red Cedar River (it's about 18 inches deep), mashing with the same guy (we took turns -- we were kind that way) or holding each other's hair out of the toilet when the party ended, we went through all the usual rites of passage together.

Now one of us lives in New Hampshire, one in Michigan, and one in Colorado. Is there a better excuse for a reunion than a wedding?

Of course, times have changed. S and I both have small children who wake us up early and demand all our waking time. We spent our Durango hours together going for a jog along the Animas River, reading on opposite sides of our hotel room, going to bed early, and sleeping late. It was glorious.



We got to help behind the scenes at the wedding, getting J positioned for her pre-ceremony photos and making her laugh just right for the photographer. S and I were the only representatives of her MSU years. What an honor.

As with all weddings, there was little time to talk to the bride herself. But, like with doula work, I viewed my role as one of witness. I was there to watch and watch over her ceremony, to keep the memory of it in my head and support her with my presence. I had my little camera and got lots of candid shots, the kind photographers are not privy to because they don't have the intimacy with the subjects. I snapped lots of S, J, J's sister and me in the bathroom -- the BATHROOM! -- where J had to wait until her turn to walk down the aisle.



Lest I seem too sentimental and sedate you should know that I did let S -- always the adventurous one -- talk me into one "Girls Gone Wild" moment. She promised that my husband would be okay with it, that I wouldn't mind once I got over the initial shock, that there were somethings worth taking your pants off for. And so it was that I found myself in the spa around the corner for a bikini wax.

Regular readers may recall that just a few weeks ago I mocked waxing. This is why I rarely, in person or in writing, take a strong stand on anything. Life always has a way of making me eat my words. This is also why I tend to be a pretty unmemorable conversationist. I tend to moderate on most issues.

Anyway, the wax. Did it hurt? Yes, but not that badly and certainly not for long. It's like pulling off a [really big and poorly placed] bandaid. Did I go porn-star? Only my spouse knows for sure, but you can surmise from my inclination toward moderation and low pain threshold that a less extreme "shaping" might have more appeal. Would I do it again? Yes. Only because the waxed area remains hair free for longer than shaving and, I'm told, is less itchy and pimply when the hair grows back in. I have something to compare it to, since the wax only went around my bikini area; I had to shave the rest of my upper legs. They were a mess before I even arrived in Florida.



And Florida is the next part of the trip. I'll relay the few details of that leg -- including the injury to my camera that is preventing my showing my gold-medal olympic knitting project -- the next chance I get to post.

I left Durango eager to return, rolling my eyes at S, who'd never had a bikini wax before and was basing all her assurances to me on her one experience getting her eyebrows waxed, and with my next knitting project -- a baby blanket, possibly for J, who according to my sources (i.e. S) was beginning conception efforts within hours of the wedding -- cast on my needles.

5 Comments:

Blogger gnarly nanny said...

excellent entry- i enjoyed reading it muchly. :)

7:38 PM  
Blogger T$ said...

I can't believe you got a bikini wax! I have a pretty high tolerance for pain and have not been able to bring myself to get one. I applaud you.

Can't wait to see your knitting project. I am currently making a purse for Brooke. Up for a stitch and bitch sometime?

9:27 AM  
Blogger doulicia said...

Gnarly -- glad you enjoyed it.

T$ -- Stitch 'n' Bitch sounds excellent.

9:29 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Welcome back! I'm glad you had a good time away. The thought of Florida is making me drool with envy. :)

6:48 PM  
Blogger Dr. Deb said...

Looks like such a pretty town.

8:54 AM  

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