My Chi.

Standing in the well-lit and almost clinical aisles of Target, Stacey and I faced a wall of torture devices that double as hair straightners, curlers, wavers and crimpers.   My straightner and I have shared a love/hate affair that has lasted about a year.  Now, though, my Conair love has decided to shut down every twenty minutes leaving me with a head full of half-fluffy, half-smooth locks.  

It's time to move on.

But, to what?

"There are so many," I said, my mouth hanging slightly open as I looked at the wall of appliances.  "And I'd like one that actually, I dunno, works!"

"This one's pink," Stacey pulled one from the wall and looked at it.

"Oh, I like pink!   And I really need a good one.  I don't care to pay a lot for one if it'll actually straigten my hair!"

"Oh," said a voice from my right.  "You need a 'Chi'."  A pretty girl with bloodshot eyes interrupted our conversation with helpful advice.   "It's the best straightner ever!"  

Sure enough, the pink hair appliance in Stacey's hot little hand was, in fact a "Chi" - and it cost $149.99.

"But it's only $149.99!"  I whined to Harry later that day as he ate his Chicken Biscuit from Tudor's (a blatent bribe from yours truly).  And, with a little coaxing and more than a little pouting, we ended up at the Huntington Mall looking at tiny hair straighteners that were pink, black, purple, bling'd , graffitti'd and, my fave, a Wee Chi (which sounded more like a bathroom issue than a ceramic iron). 

"Which one do you want?"  he asked, edging toward the door.  

"I dunno - the pink 'BLING' one is cool..."

"Okay, get that one."

"But didn't one of them come with something?  Like heat protector or something?"

"Yeah,"  Harry nodded.  "Get that one."

Since he was being no help, I picked up each box, trying to figure out why the plain black one was ten to tweny smackeroos cheaper than the other ones of prettier color scheme. A nice sales associate finally moseyed up and explained that not only was the black one cheaper (coming in at a respectable $119.99) but it came with a bottle of hair silk treatment and heat protector, too.

Sold.

I handed over my dad's hard-earned $50 (Happy B-day to me!!!) and Harry's hard-used American Express and clutched my new purchase to my chest with visions of smooth hair and perfect flipped ends dancing in my head.

And, as soon as I figure out how to harness my new Chi, I, too, shall be the possessor of that ancient Chinese secret - straight hair!