Emerson’s broken arm results in great hair day

Rep. Jo Ann Emerson (R-Mo.) has visited a hair salon nearly every day this month for a shampoo, and she recently learned to zip a zipper one-handed.

It’s all part of adjusting to life with a broken left arm, which requires that Emerson keep her arm bent in a cast against her torso all the time.

“I don’t even have a great story about what happened to me,” she told ITK on Wednesday, “I just slipped on the ice on my way home from the bakery one night a few weeks ago with a box of cupcakes. The cupcakes were fine [after the fall], but my arm wasn’t.”

As for the near-daily trips to a salon to have her hair washed and blown out, Emerson said, “My husband asked me what our bank balance was, and I told him, ‘Less than you think.’ ” For what it’s worth, Emerson’s hair looks great these days.

But good hair days come at a cost. “I’m a really independent person,” Emerson explained, “So relying on people for help all the time is a complete anathema to me.” The long legislative days don’t help either, she said.

Nevertheless, the lawmaker said she would be making an appearance at Wednesday night’s Congressional Press Club Foundation dinner, “and I’ll stay as long as I can.” With that kind of attitude, there’s little doubt that Emerson will be 100 percent by the time the softball season begins this summer.

ITK wishes Emerson a speedy recovery.

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