Gathering of the Sistas with Dem Sistalocs!

Yep, so the ladies of the Bay Area with 'dem Sistalocs met in Old Sacramento at Joe's Crabshack.
I'll let the other ladies make comments about the gathering...I want to talk about the food I ordered!

I ordered a cup of New England Clam Chowder to start - Yummy! The Clam Chowder got up
and walked out of my cup...I remember dishing out a spoonful - maybe I had one of those big pot spoons...I just know the Clam Chowder didn't last long...(hmm.. that's an old phrase!)

My entre' was called Joe's Steam Pot, it comprised of: Crab Legs, Shrimp, Andouille Sausage, Corn on the Cob and New Red Potatoes...steamed together in a net, tossed on a circular plate trough, secret Emeril seasonings "BAMMED" on top of the food. (BTW: Comment to Emeril is to add flava to the story...I don't know if the seasoning was really Emeril...but the seasoning was finga-licking good not KFC but more lip-smacking, Zataran type of seasonings!)

I was very hungry and the food was so good! I started off with the knife and fork (proper eating etiquette) after using the crab cracker and that goofy small fork on one of the crab legs, I had to trade up to cracking the crab legs with my teeth, using my fingers to fish out the crab, used the fork to slice the red potatoes, ate the potatoes with my fingers, corn on the cob - str8 finger food. Shrimp: had to peel with the fingers and nails, sausage was consumed like the corn - str8 finger food - bite and release uneaten sausage to the plate! I was up to my elbows in crab, crab leg shells, empty cob of corn, shrimp casing/shell. No crab leg or claw was untouched... Gotta a little upset b'cuz the body of the crab was missing in the plate trough. You think I've never had crab before the way I was consuming that entre!

The atmosphere in the place made you feel so comfortable that you could consume food as if you were at home, in your favorite "eating" clothes in your favorite chair in front of your television set, licking your fingers and making all those "eating" sounds YOU are not suppose to make when you eat in public...then again, I was VERY hungry and when you are hungry EVERYthing taste good and all food must be consumed as unlady-like as possible!

Oh, yeah...the Sistalocks looked good during this eating frenzy...no crab in 'da locs!

Lexxus

Introducing...

Lexus Prefect! I love that name. It's derived from the movie: Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy.

So...I had my sisterlocks installed October 2006! I've had chemical free hair for over 10 years. It's pretty much took that much time to wean myself from braids and hairweaves. I thought it was time I took my natural hair in hand...literally in hand, and do something with it besides hiding under OPH!

Perm Horror - I have a war wound from a perm incident. I've given myself a purple heart. My hairdresser at the time left the chemical in my hair too long...specifically on one side of my head. To this day, I've been left with a bald spot - my people have left the village and are not coming back -- maybe, I could entice new people with redevelopment? I also asked the hairdresser to clip my ends. I had worn a weave-a-diva style for a while and I knew my ends needed cutting...she would not cut my hair because it was "so long"...can you believe it -- a hairdresser who refused to cut/trim your hair??? Go-figure! I kicked this woman to the curb shortly thereafter, I was tired of the late appointments, waiting all day to get my hair done, the smoking (not just cigarettes), brothas selling wears stolen from department stores -- there was a nice set of queen size sheets that rolled through the shop one Saturday...I digress.

The horrors of being in your 20's - so glad that phase in life is over! I started 2-strand twisting of my hair. Learned how to do it myself after my natural hair stylist had an asthma attack and was out of commission for 3-weeks! I also go annoyed with the spaces she left at the top of my head. I preferred smaller twist at the top and most times my natural stylist was not hearing me. Therefore, I took the matter in my own hands (literally -- again) and started twisting myself the way I wanted them done. I walked into the shop one day to show off my work...it's hard getting love at a hair shop! I mean positive reinforcement that you have the process down and YES your hair is tight and YES I see how you wanted the twists put in at the top of your head! I guess since I was rolling up all in her shop showing off my work and trying to make a statement...I guess, one wouldn't give up any LOVE to a sista! LOL

I loved twist-outs - that's the: "It's time to wash my hair, hence let me wear my hair out for a week before washing." My favorite twist-out opportunnities were when I would go in for my washing, hair all out and wild and those permie chicks would ask my stylist "I want my hair like that!" and she would say: "Can't do it, your hair needs to be natural - no chemicals!" I LOVED it! Then the goofy industry (probably motivated by permies) manufactured kinky hair you could braid or weave in...sigh -- microwave society is annoying!

My next favorite natural style was: Straw sets! My stylist and myself perfected the process! I loved this style for the ringlet type of curls the set would leave behind. I didn't like the brown gel it was quite drying to my hair but AVEDA Brilliant Retexturizing Gel worked wonders. Not drying and no brown gel flakes...white ones...lol

Last favorite style: Press N Curl - I would wear this style approximately twice a year. It was a look that I could show-off the length of my hair. I noticed how I was looked at differently when my hair was "straight" men, specifically, would render their: "did I ask for your opinion" opinion wishing I would keep my hair straight....SIGH...my response was swift, sharp, unrelenting. I even had props...a bucket of water would hang over my head with a rope attached so the water would revert the pressed straight hair to wonderfully kinky hair! Oh, the drama, tears and wailing -- the bucket of water torture would get them everytime - never seen men come so unglued (lol).

While my hair was growing from a "major perm cut-out, leave me alone, I can't stand you anymore - whacked CHEMICALS"...I went to Vegas with a male friend...I didn't expect nor planned for rainy weather -- we all know press n curl does not work in the rain...we got caught in a downpour and my hair SHRUNK - all the way back...I mean back to slavery...I didn't have a scarf or hat to cover my hair. I was so unexperienced at managing my natural hair. Needless, to say the weekend was a bust, my attitude was horrible. When my bff picked us up (hella late)from the airport...there was so much tension in the car you could cut it with a knife, served to 12 people with seconds! Sigh...my natural hair stylist advised the following: "the longer your hair gets the less shrinkage from water... you need to be patient." She was right, years after that experience the hair shrinkage from water/moisture was less due to longer length. Hmmm....a hat/beret always had room in my handbag...just in case...lol

Sisterlocks - I followed my consultant's advise and did the "right" things to my hair before my installation. I had my natural hair stylist cut the ends - we had a yearly ritual of cutting 1-2 inches, trims every 6-weeks...I made sure my hair was shaped into my signature bob, color tight and attitude ready. I've been researching Sisterlocks for 5 years prior to getting them done. I had planned to lock my hair at a significant b-day - one of my friends stated "why wait?" Had my consultation, made an appointment and the rest is history. Two 12-hour days of watching movies, talking and laughing. I found out my consultant is a crafter like myself! My hair is starting to look more like locks, but I do have straight ends from the press n curl I would wear occassionally...I'm looking forward to trimming those ends back at the one year mark.

And that is an introduction of Sisterlocks and me...

Lexxus