Happenings along the way ♡

Thursday, February 23, 2012

The Whole of the Law by James

Whole of the Law (Yo La Tengo)

Music by James - Whole of the Law by Yo La Tengo

Sunday, February 12, 2012

I entered the hair salon around 3:30 p.m. and was anxious to leave quickly. Eric was sitting in a chair staring at his phone with his assistant in the room. It was excellent timing because I was the only client. We could breeze through the process without interruptions. Eric says that it will be a few minutes before we get started. I sit and wait as he keeps making calls and lists a dozen or so people that are on his DNR (do not reply) list. Most of the clients he was passing over to his assistant. He was making fun of most of the requests that he was collecting online. He would name each online request and talk in a silly voice as he stated their needs from broken hair to severe hair color.

Eric finally tells me to go to the chair, and he will be there in few seconds. He begins to mix the hair color. It appears he is going to get started, but he walks across the room. He needs to order some products before tomorrow. He starts talking on the phone and inquires as to the cost and ETA of the products. It is almost 4:00 p.m., and he had been on the phone for about 15 minutes. He finally walks over and starts to work on my hair but then the phone rings again and his assistant hands him the phone. Good chance he has Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. He begins a task but will walk away and do something else. When he finally starts to put the product on my hair a new client enters the salon. This is going to be another distraction.Eric handles the next client with kid gloves. He had done her hair months ago but then she switched to another hair dresser and had returned to him to do a color correction. She is a beautiful woman as she lets her hair down. Her hair is a mess with black roots and various shades of blonde. The client is uncertain about what color she wants. They finally agree on a color, and he begins the color process. The client tells Eric that she is pregnant after he starts applying the color. Hair color processes take about 30 minutes. I sit for over an hour with color. He has agreed to give me the Brazilian Blowout after the color is complete.

The assistant washes my hair and then he comes over and puts the Brazilian on the bottom layer of my hair. He puts on a heavy duty mask because he is leary of the ingredients in the Brazilian product. The bottle says no formaldehyde but we both know that tests have proved otherwise. Whatever is in it has a distinct odor with fumes. I ask if the hair should be dried, but he says it does not matter. He goes back to the pregnant client. She is afraid when she sees him wearing a mask. He finally puts the rest of the mixture on my hair and lets me sit. I know from experience that the next step is using a flat iron that will activate the product. Eric says he needs to finish the other client because she is pregnant. She had already left the room once and said she needed air. I wait while he washes and dries the clients hair. During the drying process, the client does not like her color, and Eric volunteers to take her back to the bowl and add some highlights. He proceeds with more color, and I wait with the Brazilian blowout product on my hair. I do not want to complain, but the Brazilian fumes were burning my eyes and I searched for a Kleenex for my teary eyes.

The former assistant had called earlier and said she had broken up with her boyfriend. Eric told her to come over for coffee. Eric is around 35 and Michelle is about 20. There is a lot of sexual tension between the two of them. Michelle recently got size "C" breast augmentation and Eric was giving all the details at the time of her surgery. She proudly raised her shirt to show me the improvement. Now he is telling her to leave her boyfriend in an authoritative voice. I do not trust his motive.

Several times Eric's girlfriend calls and asks when he is coming home. He keeps being extremely evasive with her and even mentions that he is doing the Brazilian on me. She calls back and threatens to come to the salon. He hands the phone to his former assistant Michelle.when he sees that his girlfriend is calling. I am sure the girlfriend must be irritated that the twenty something assistant is answering Eric's cell phone instead of Eric. Eric has trouble concentrating on hair because he wants to know all about Michelle and details of the breakup. I doubt he is just a consultant and friend.

Eric finally comes to my chair. Out of the blue he makes a comment about spending $3000 that day. I foolishly ask what he is talking about, and he walks away abruptly. He returns with a ring box and opens the box. Inside the box is a beautiful engagement ring. He says his client was wearing the ring, but the relationship did not work. Apparently he bought the ring from the client for $3,000 instead of the original $10,000. I tell him that it will be a tremendous mistake to tell the girlfriend how he acquired the ring. The other client agrees and says if he gives the rejected ring to his girlfriend it will amount to grave "juju". We all laugh because we are sure of the result. He says he never intends to marry the girlfriend who he has a child with, but the ring will make her happy. He says, "Who cares where the ring comes from". He is thinking like a practical male; not a romantic female.

My first boyfriend presented me an engagement ring after spending time in the military. It would not have been my first choice. Finally, I asked where he got it. He had purchased it from someone that had a breakup. I never liked the ring, and we eventually broke up. Most women would like to think the ring was exceptional and not a discount deal.

An old man walks into the salon, and wants to sharpen all the hairdresser tools. He tells Eric that if he does not use him that Eric will eventually call him back. He says other people that sharpen scissors rarely have success.

Eric's cell phone keeps ringing and every time it rings the assistant hands the phone to Eric. He takes every call regardless of what he is doing.Eric stops drying the client's hair, so he can talk about his weekly grocery bill. He declares that no more than $150 should be spent a week on groceries at Walmart. Meanwhile, Michelle goes from crying to laughing. The new assistant announces that she had a baby at 16 and recently dumped the baby's father after 4 1/2 years. How much drama could be involved in a tiny salon? Michelle quickly recovers as she discusses a potential new boyfriend that owns a private jet. I think of someone like a single Jerry Jones and wonder how this young girl ran into someone that wealthy. She does not know where she will stay for the night since the break up with her boyfriend. Eric volunteers his couch although I doubt this will fly with Eric's girlfriend. He says that they have trouble getting along but that sex is fantastic. I hope that he does not give any more details. I do not think anyone in the room wants to hear more stories.

Is there no end to this madness? How many diversions can occur? This has to be one of the most ill managed salons. He does admirable work, but it takes him hours to accomplish a task. He finally wanted to know when I got there. I told him 3:30, and now it was 8 pm. He said, "That's pretty lousy".

There is a category on my yearly evaluation at work concerning accountability and time management. Eric would fail in these evaluated areas. Did he ever think about people using their work time to come get their hair done? He seems to be extremely immature with his clients. He only worries about how things effect him.

Eric asks what I am going to do for dinner. I planned on going to the restaurant next door to the salon. He says, "Don't bother going there it closed last week." I laugh out loud as I anxiously walk out the door.

Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Silver Springs

Stevie was a colorful character and best known for her contributions to Fleetwood Mac. The song Silver Springs written by Stevie Nicks was a favorite of mine years ago. I understood that it was linked to the relationship of Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham who were both in Fleetwood Mac. My friend Cali sang most weekend nights at a Mexican Restaurant and I asked if she would add the song Silver Springs to her set list. She faithfully sang it during her third set. She had an ability to sound like the artist and I enjoyed hearing her sing that song.

Silver Springs was written by Stevie Nicks after her relationship with Lindsey Buckingham ended.

The meaning of the song is apparent and his rebuttal song was Go Your On Way. Stevie makes it clear in the song that she doesn't want to know about his new love. She says she hopes that everytime he hears the song that he will be haunted by her. Apparently the two had trouble discussing their relationship but had no trouble expressing it in music. When you watch their interaction in the song you can see the sexual tension even though they have broken up. It is obvious that the feelings are still there.

Stevie and Lindsey went to high school and college together but both later dropped out of college. They had some rough years with a lack of money. Nicks' parents told her they would support her if she would move back home but not if she stayed in LA. She did not give up and finally got signed to Fleetwood Mac. She later wrote the song Silver Springs and thought of the name after passing a highway exit sign while traveling in Maryland. It has been mentioned that she used Silver Springs as an alias when traveling. She thought the song would be on the album Rumours but it was on the B side of Go Your Own Way. The audience enjoyed the interaction between the two musicians as they tried to express their feelings with various songs that they each had written about their lengthy relationship. In one performance Stevie started to cry at the end of Silver Springs and Lindsay had to finish the song. If you have suffered a heartbreak you can easily get lost in the music and sympathize with her pain.

Stevie's trail of relationships did not stop with Lindsey. She eventually had an affair with Mick Fleetwood and after breaking up with him he married Stevie's best friend named Sara. The song Sara came out of that relationship. There is even a line in the song that refers to another relationship with Don Henley. 'When you build your house, call me home" is thought to be a message to him.

Songs that are built on emotion or experiences are very powerful. Musicians write the best songs after a romantic breakup or some other life changing experience. Does love really leave an imprint on your heart? Can love live with success? Beautiful songs produced by Stevie Nicks are intriguing and symbolic. I hope she found love.

Monday, November 7, 2011

Mad Max

Carla & Jeff

Max looking for a toy

More Pugs

Olive (a friend) and Max (in red)

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Layla

All American Food and the Chase

James is the pickiest eater of the family. The family always based our food choices on restaurants where he would go. There were only a hand full of restaurants that he would consider like Cheesecake Factory. Even if it was some ones birthday we would consult him. I cannot talk about James because I have my own hang ups with food.

The problem with the picky eater may lie a little deeper than what meets the eye. I have friends that have jokes about what I will and will not eat. First I do not eat Thai food. I know it comes in ratings of spicy. No thanks, I pass. I also was introduced to a popular Mediterranean restaurant. I did not know what any of the foods were, could not recognize any resemblance to familiar items, and had to pass on most foods even though a buffet. When someone claps their hands at hummus I do a double take. I cringe at the color, consistency, and I have to be honest that I have no clue what it tastes like. Then there is sushi. Someone recently tried to organize an excursion to a sushi restaurant. Yikes I do not eat raw fish. The idea actually seems a bit petrifying. Even though I am not a vegetarian I do not like to see fish hooked and have a slow death. The idea of someone hitting a fish over the head to knock them out gives me nightmares. When I visited Minneapolis in May I was bombarded by all types of Walleye fish burgers and salads. Just the name is enough to make you gag. I pictured a fish with a big eye looking at me on top of a hamburger bun. I do like Mexican food and it is abundant in Texas. When it comes to food in general just give me all American food. While watching Hugh Hefner's Girls Next Door reality show the girls were eating at Hugh's former girlfriend's house in Colorado. When Barbi Benton's chef started passing out food Bridget cringed at the unusual salad and said she just wanted all American food. Yes I do have something in common with those girls.

I think the problem started when I was a child. My mother insisted I drink milk. I did not like the taste then and I do not like the taste now. My mother would put the glass on the table and I would eat really slowly and hope that she would walk away. When she left the room I ran to the sink and poured the milk out. When she served me boiled okra that had so many seeds it was nauseating to look at she would make me sit for long periods of time hoping I would finish my food. I was a stubborn little kid and it's hard to make someone choke down slimy okra. I sometimes let it slide down my throat but it was not a pleasant experience. My parents thought no food should be wasted even if it was disgusting.

It is tricky having kids and making sure they eat what is healthy. I had trouble insisting on vegetables when I am not too fond of them. I made an attempt to offer the food groups and two of them liked milk. One son has not liked it since birth which created a special bond among us.

I never realized until recently that there is a support group for picky eaters. Some people eat only a handful of items. It is called SED (Selective Eating Disorder). I wonder if my parents would have felt guilty if they had known about this? Foods can be eliminated based on texture or aroma? Also a contributing factor can be color. That would cover two foods I dislike. The texture of okra is intolerable as is the color of hummus. Somehow I doubt my parents would have allowed me to participate.

Recently we were offered an incentive program through our insurance at work. If you exhibit one of the five diseases and follow the requirements of talking to a counselor three times you get $100. Is that unusual that you will be paid for an illness rather than staying healthy, exercising, and eating right? Is your information really private? What if we go to another employer and he has access to one of our diseases? Since when did employees get rewarded for poor health?

I did enjoy the night James and I waited for In-N-Out Burger for an hour in Frisco after it had been open a few days. We got in lines of three rows of cars and waited to get in the bigger line that would take us to the window for payment and receipt of food. Burgers are definitely on my acceptable food list but the experience was what we were going for. It was not really about the burger but was about the feeling you get when you get through the line and actually have the food in your possession. Oh yes the burger was great but we got so much out of the achievement before we got there.

I saw a sign for Krispy Kreme donuts. I haven't had one in years. I thought about how amazing it would be to taste one. Sometimes after it is consumed you regret it but the act of anticipation is joy.

I was recently asked by a friend why I had waited for over an hour for the iPhone 4S. Who wants to wait for something to be delivered weeks later? We are a "now" society that wants immediate results. I'm a librarian that wants my articles within minutes. The same idea applies to waiting for a new iPhone, restaurant, concert, movie, or club. It is an exciting experience and is about meeting the people and going through the slight inconvenience with the group. I loved watching the Apple employees run around the line cheering and showing such enthusiasm. The pastries that they served were delicious. When I reached the entrance of the store and was waiting to go in it was like heaven. Even though I had nothing in my hands I had not given up and was about to receive my gift. Like so many things in life the chase may be better than the reward.