Since high school I’ve been using VO5 Hot Oil Treatments. I’m always amazed that in the fickle world of drugstore beauty products that they still sell them. Not only that, the packaging hasn’t even changed much over the past 20 years since I bought them for the first time.

Last night as I was trying to run a brush though my brittle, tangled mop, I determined it was time for a treatment. I didn’t have any.
I’d just been puttering outside in the sweltering heat and was sweaty and filthy. There was no way I was going out to get some. Then it suddenly dawned on me that I could just use olive oil. After all, I use it to make bath salts and sugar scrubs, why not use it in my hair. So, I went to the kitchen, poured about a quarter cup of olive oil and heated it for a few seconds in the microwave. Then used it just as I would have with the VO5 tube.

Well, lo and behold, it worked.

I know, I haven’t exactly made a world altering, scientific breakthrough here, and I’m sure there are lots of people who have though of this long before me. Plus, with a unit price of about $2.00, buying the commercial treatment wasn’t exactly breaking the bank. I do, however, prefer the idea of using olive oil when I consider the ingredients in VO5. To be honest, I don’t know much about cocotrimonium chloride, hydroxyethylcellulose, niacinamide, panthenol, phytantriol or methylparaben, but I’m probably better off without them.

I’m sure I’ve mentioned this before, but I find that one of the best things about being part of a book club is exposure to books I would have never picked up on my own. This was the case with FlashForward. I’d actually never even heard of it. I guess it was a pretty big deal though, a short lived television series of the same name was loosely based on it earlier this year.

The story begins during a two minute loss of consciousness around the world where many people saw a glimpse of the future 21 years later. The suspected cause was an experiment by an international team of scientists at a Swiss research facility. The story primarily focuses those scientists and their family and friends who were most affected by the visions. The most obvious themes were explored. Is the future immutable? If you knew what the future held and didn’t like it, would you try to change it. There was also some discussion about the ethics of research, along with the personal politics that existed within their scientific community.

This book had a little something for everyone: mystery, romance, philosophy and geekery. I was particularly fond of it because time travel is one of my favourite fictional subjects. I always think of it more from a historical perspective though – going back in time rather than forward. Obviously, it’s easier to imagine being part of events that have already happened rather than trying to predict the future. It was thought provoking to think of it from another perspective.

And speaking of time travel…

We saw this last week on the 427.

I’ve seen DeLoreans before but never both on the road and equipped to go back to the future!

Year after year, I find myself out-voted 3-1 in our household dog ownership debate. Instead, I will express my love of dogs though found art.

Jeremy spotted this at a thrift store – an act I’m sure he now regrets because I brought it home. It now hangs in our hallway.

According to the writing on the back, his name was George. I think he looks stately.