Sunday, September 25, 2016

This way / that way up

Why did nobody tell me? All these years I've been squinting, blind as a bat without my specs, at bottles in the shower, trying to see which was shampoo and which was conditioner. Then today, in Banbury Morrisons, Kath revealed that the shampoos all have their lids at the top and the conditioners have them at the bottom. Well blow me down, so they do! Well at least she told me before I lose all my hair I suppose.

We've moved up to near the tramway moorings ready to catch a train home tomorrow to go to (yet another) funeral. While I'm home I can pick up some more tools to attack some of the rust spots on Herbie's roof. It's always the roof of a boat that's first to need repainting - all that exposure to the elements and then the influence of roof "furniture" like the feet of our solar panel. Speaking of which, even though it is late September, were still getting quite a few amp hours from our one panel, probably between thirty five and forty five today. However, we have signalled the start of Autumn by lighting the coal stove for the first time tonight. But I still hold that September is one of the best months to go boating. The weather is generally good and the canals are not too busy.

Last night we walked up to the Reindeer Inn, which as far as I remember was recommended to us by Oakie, who never lets us down in that respect. A fine old Inn it is too, incorporating the famous Globe Room where Ollie Cromwell is said to have planned the battle of Edgehill. We got chatting to a chap who was celebrating the arrival of his Decree Absolute with a bottle of bubbly. The start of a new life for him I suppose, and he did have a lovely new girlfriend (fiancée?) who seemed to suit him fine. Apparently his ex wife was quite happy about it all too. It's a funny old world.

7 comments:

Rick said...

That's all very well about shampoo and conditioner, but what about shower gel?

Marilyn, nb Waka Huia said...

You can obviate any confusion by not using shampoo, conditioner or shower gel at all. I promise you won't be whiffy - just wash your hair as you usually do but without any 'product' - a good hard scalp massage does the trick. If you really need to feel that it's clean, then use about a tablespoon of bicarbonate of soda to wash it with (feels very strange and gritty, but feels SO clean when rinsed off), and rinse with a handful of apple cider vinegar, then rinse that out.
Replace shower gel with a good hard exfoliating scrub all over with the flannel.
I haven't used shampoo, conditioner or shower gel for almost three years - gave them up when a friend was recovering from ovarian cancer and wanted to use baby shampoo on her newly growing back hair. We looked at the ingredients and discovered there was more unpronouncable stuff in that than in adult shampoo - and the latter has so many things I couldn't say or recognise. Back home to look up on the net how to wash and condition hair more naturally, and found the baking soda and apple cider vinegar; then read that it was possible to retrain the body not to have to constantly replace the oils we strip from it every time we suds ourselves up. I now use the bicarb and vinegar if I've been doing something particularly grubby - the boat's engine oil change seems to spread all over me ...
And just think of the money saved! I can buy more chardonnay, but Neil, you could probably buy another guitar or a dulcimer!
Cheers, Marilyn

Oakie said...

Looks like U will B @ the Canal Day Neil. I will look U up on Sunday morning as busy boating p.m

Oakie said...

Looks like U will B @ the Canal Day Neil. I will look U up on Sunday morning as busy boating p.m

Herbie Neil said...

Marilyn, Yes, I get all that. Actually I never use conditioner, which is why I need to see which bottle is which, and I only use shampoo periodically, preferring plain water and sometimes a bit of pure soap. As a result my hair is a lot less oily than it was when I was shampooing every morning. I,m also a fan of a good scrub with a flannel but I do use some hypoallergenic shower gel sometimes to soothe my skin.

Having said all that, I am not always convinced by the " its natural it must be good for you'" theory. Strychnine, Bella Donna, snake venom, Formica acid, and ricin and hundreds more nasty things are all natural products after all. And I wouldn't mind betting that if an analytical chemist analysed what was in cider vinegar you would have another list of long names, perhaps no more or no less harmful that what is in some shampoos. My problem is that I am too frequently poisoning myself with the alcohol in the cider itself!

Anyhow, each to his own

Herbie Neil said...

Oakie, very sad to say you we won't be at the canal day, unless by some chance we come by car. Herbie will be back at Cropredy by then. Have a good one.

Marilyn, nb Waka Huia said...

Hi Neil and Kath,
Just heard back re apple cider vinegar from a guy who makes his own in NZ - ingredients are honey, apples and water - sounds pretty natural to me ...
Cheers, Marilyn