I Am Dragana

Chapter Six

Liz and I get to have some fun for the next couple of days before I leave for DC. There is much to do in Houston and I was told that I would need to pack for a deployment, oh joy, oh joy.

Work based shopping then real shopping. Liz and I are born on the same day and we just turned 31. We just lie and say we are 29 to strange men. Hey, I have people thinking I am a college coed. No honey, I did not have the traditional college experience. Try the Air Force Academy, that's tough.

"OK Liz, since the lovely FBI nor anyone telling me what to pack; I am going on what I needed for my last deployment to Afghanistan and what I used. Stop one, tampons and medicine."

Liz saw me picking up the super plus kind, Aleve, Tums, and Imodium. The tums are needed especially if you eat the meals rejected by the enemy.

Next is travel items such as containers, grabbed a few of them. Liz pointed out skin care products. "I will never again complain about the Texas sun after being in Afghanistan. You fry all of the time. Someone made a bet that you could not fry an egg in a jeep and the egg fried."

"Dragana, why are you getting kid's tooth paste?"

"It's one of the few pleasant tasting things in your mouth."

Everything that was bought was considered sport grade and friendly for the heat. I also grabbed some canned food which becomes gold.

The bill from Target, $176.90.

Liz saw the bill,"Damn, I never spent that much in here even when it's black Friday."

I just shook my head. "It's a damn good thing it's pay day. My bank account is not going to love me for this."

Once we were done in Target, there were a few things in Academy of Sports and REI that I needed to get. Now the fun shopping begins with hair, massage, waxing, facials, manicures, and pedicures."

Liz did her usual stacked Bob that is ultra short. I had to opt for my shoulder blade cut. "Dragana, is is all that practical to have your hair that long?"

"For me it is. I learned the hard way that shorter is high maintenance which is the last thing I want. Besides, if it gets too long I can always get a hold of a pair of scissors and hack off what is needed and have it fixed when I get home. My hair is always in a bun so no one notices the hack job."

I think I made Liz cringe. Liz is a girly girl while I am. Waxing hurts like hell but you have long term results. The place that Liz and I make spa dates, Tranquility knows the two of us by first name. Connie knows I came over here when Yugoslavia was Bengals attacked and the Serbs being treated like monsters. The rest of the world sided against us and the Serbians basically had their backs against the wall. When the waxing starts, me swearing in Serbian starts. If and when I have children, I plan on cursing out my husband in Serbian in the delivery room.

Now the pain is over it is massage, facial, body wrap and nearly pass out. Liz and I are always in the same room together when we have all of our treatments and Liz laughs at my antics.

"Liz, I don't laugh at you when you can't walk after having a Brazilian done." The Brazilian bikini wax job makes looking good in a bikini oh so good. You need a good bikini and several of them when you live in Texas. It's damn hot. The down side, it is the world's most painful wax job.

I had to go conservative with the manicure while Liz went all out in a punk look. "Haha, I get the better manicure this time Dragana. I still don't understand why you go all out with pedicures."

"It's a source of expression and to be bold. When I was deployed, the women would all get together and see who had the best pedicure. It's always covered by socks except when you go to use the shower. So that is why I am going with gold and black bears in honor of the Bruins games I will be missing. My brother has promised me to record them all for me while I am gone."