Purple stripes

I have purple stripes in my hair now. It cost a bit more than I thought it would (but not beyond what I'd guessed at the outside), but that's okay. They're a touch on the dark side, honestly, which is ironic because we bleached those strips of hair first. Oh, and me with blond streaks is freaky. You can really see it in the sunlight, but indoors it's not as evident. My stylist, Marina, was not fully pleased with it -- she wanted it brighter, as had I. She told me to come back in a few weeks after it has faded and she'll put in a brighter shade for free. Can't really beat that. As it stands, I think we're on the right track. Matt says it suits me, and I think he's right. I suspect I'll be keeping this for some time. I'll upload a pic when I have a better one, honest.

In other news, I've been offered loans for school as well as the TA package. I thought a lot about not taking them, but the realization was that while I can make all my bills and pay back most of what I owe Matt on that scholarship alone, it's going to make sending money for the boys and paying for their visits difficult at best. I can't spend all my time working to make up the difference -- I still need time for school and homework and whatnot too. I didn't want to accrue debt, but my kids are counting on me. I can't make trips without the cash, and I really can't bring them over here without it, not to mention plans for next summer with them. Also... it's one thing with being able to pull a lot of hours over the summer. It's another entirely to be doing that during school, and with airfare as high as it is, having to wait two checks to even begin to reserve a flight for myself (not to mention the kids) is crazy.

It just comes down to me slowly pulling things together, something I'm managing to do within the timeline I have. It's a good thing. :)