Moving On Up and Swarms

So, Friday was my first day on "the clinic floor." That means I was not in the aforementioned stifling back classroom but in the Salon part of the school where we take real clients. At the end of the day, my feet were killing me. You know they say when you're in real pain, your mind is on another level. I dont know about that, but I was wondering what the hell all those Scandinavian people and nurses are talking about when they say that clogs are the absolute best for standing for long periods of time. I have very strong feet and by the end of the day it felt as if someone had struck the balls of my feet with a hammer. I may have to start wearing those exposed spring sneaker things. Kidding, kidding! I'd rather die.
I started the day orienting myself to my new station and buying containers for dirty and clean implements. We have to comply with WA state sanitation laws for salons. Never have I seen any of the precautions taken in a real salon but, I suppose thats why we have such a terrible louse problem here in the states. Not all of you know that I came home from Pakistan with a killer case of lice. Im not sure what was worse, the itching or the shame. I was in Spokane for the week (insult to injury)that I realized I had them, so I had to sterilize my dad's house as well as all my clothes and my furniature at home. Plus my sister (bless her, I know she wanted to hurl) spent hours going through my dense hair with a fine tooth comb and picking out NITS!!! NITS!! I was beside myself. Come to think of it, I am quite sure the shame was worse than the itching. Curse those dirty Pakistani kids. Really though, you almost cant avoid it there, all the kids have it and they were all over me. My head itches thinking about it.
I digress.
My station is by the windows which is awesome. I get better light and I can look outside and watch the rain, the gay street life and the transients...gee, that doesnt actually sound that good. Oh well, the glass must remain half full. I think Im also the only one who dosent have to share a station. They know I'm grown and took pity on me, I know it. And i really appreciate it. I dont think I could take it. Then I practiced fingerwaves for about an hour. Not easy. Ms V came over and helped me. The hair just submits to her in a way I cant explain. Her hands know the shape of the ocean waves without looking and carve them into that stiff wighair with a force as mysterious as the lunar tides.
We each have to work in dispensary about once a week. Thats where you sanitize everyone's implements and portion out product, mix color and sign out ovens and irons for whatever services a person is doing. Its mainly for loss prevention which doesnt work that well since the last flat iron was taken last week. They had over 100 as of three quarters ago. Thats just rediculous.
While youre on the floor, you have to have every second of your time accounted for. When you start and when you finish you have to be checked on by an instructor and signed in and out of the service. Its very childish and VERY hard for me to remember to do, but I know why its needed. People will really just sit around and do nothing if not forced to do otherwise.
I had strongarmed two friends, Baby T and Angie who both wanted haircuts, to come in Friday so I would have something to do. They both did. It was awesome. I also experienced my first appointment running late. Baby T got stuck in traffic. Ms Christina, the amazingly incompentant and soft voiced receptionist who runs the front desk had scheduled T at one and Angie at 2 even though I was there from 9 to 5. I could do her job better with one hand tied behind my back and a tequila hangover. Nonetheless, Angie was patient and waited 45 mins for me to finish T's hair. Baby T just needed a trim but, she has this gorgeous Native and Black hair that is really soft, curly and huge. I tried to press as much of the curl out as I could with my blow drier but it wasnt easy. It took me a long time to get through it and cut it evenly so that when the curly peices are straight and vice versae that theyll all be the same length.
Angie has the exact opposite hair. Fine, low density and blonde. Like baby hair. In fact, when Ms Dolores was going through the cut checking my work she said something like "see how its thinner through this area.." pointing out a thinner area in her crown. Angie says "am I balding?" probably hoping to be reassured and not realizing that she was barking up the wrong tree for comfort, Ms Dolores said "Yes. " With absolutely no drama exaggeration or particular feeling about it. Just yes. Too much.
I gave Angie a solid form with fringe (bangs) and Ms Dolores went through and tipped it for depth, movement and subtle layers. Tipping is a texturizing technique involving only the very tips of the shears. It takes a lot of precision and I think all three of us were glad that she was doing it for me. Angie looked adorable with bangs and even though she was so freaked out by all the wigheads that she couldnt keep her head still unless she closed her eyes, I think she had a good time and liked the cut.
Now, I have to take a moment to speak on something unrelated to my beautiful experience. Truth be told, I could probably tie it in but it would seem stilted. I'd rather just dive right in. Agreed? Great.
On thursday I drove my Mother sister and adored Aunt Joycie (of the Bev Hills Silverman clan, my mom's brother's wife) to friend's Bruce and Karen Barnbaum's house just outside of Granite falls WA. The drive was fine. I drove because my sister has terrible night vision, and neither she nor my mom can find their way out of a paper bag. In fact we discussed the massive anxiety that is caused for them when they have to find their way out of strange Doctor's office bathrooms. I think I sprang out of my Dad's head like Athena. Anyway, I knew that the Barnbaums have dogs, and I told Karen that if I didnt come that it was probably because I couldnt take the canine componant. The eating with all the dogs under the table, the hair, the barking, you name it; I can't take it. So we turn right into their driveway and as we come closer in to the house, dogs come running at the car like Mom's Camry was a headstrong sheep who bolted out of the herd. We were swarmed. Bruce and Karen have, I think, 6 dogs and Krissi had brought her dog Dusty (aptly named) who outweighs me and counts for at least 2 dogs itself. My stomach was in knots. Underneath all the dislike for dog refuse, like hair and drool, I really am afraid that theyll bite me. I still think that is reasonable. I do. And the barking is scary. So I did what any sane person would do and refused to get out of the car. I couldnt do it. My feet were frozen to the pedals. The dogs were coming up to the window and looking in at me and barking. Looking in! They were that tall. I dont like to be swarmed by anything. Sharks, mosquitos, Klansmen, screaming Japanese fans, Dogs, whatever. Bruce and Karen saw how scared I was and it still took them about 20 minutes to put a few of them away in the basement so that I would get out of the car. I think they thought I was being unreasonable. I dont think they even see the dogs as dogs anymore. I know that happens to people. Anthropomorphism is a powerful force. Their house is amazingly beautiful. An all wood a frame with tall tall windows looking out into the woods and the south side of mount pilchuck. We went for a short woodswalk where I got many mosquito bites, curse the urban miniskirt.
We had a really nice dinner, of course they had let the dogs out by then but they were calmer. It was still weird to see all these huge animals sleeping all over the floor and on the chairs while we were all sitting around eating. A dormant swarm.
A lot of other great stuff happened this week, I got headshots taken for dance. Theyre good. Jim Garner, the best photographer in seattle. I chuzpahed my way into a gig as an assistant to the woman who did our makeup for the shots, she's awesome. That was pretty exciting. Ill be working a wedding with her in september I think. I have another blog entry started that Ill be working on this week. More about dad. Stay tuned.
SWAK vtothev