At least I got a good haircut out of the deal.

I don't know about you, but I have a terrible time trying to find a good hairdresser.  Is this something all women go through?  Is it just me?

I decided last week that I needed a haircut. It had been waaaaaay too long.  So I called up the salon I always go to, and asked for an appointment with Karen, the lady I have been going to for years.

"OKAY!  You're all SET!  You have an appointment with Karen on Frideee at noon!!!"  Chirped Kandi the receptionist.  (Yes, her name was Kandi with a 'K' and an 'i'.  I saw her nametag when I went in.)

"Ummm.  Ok.  How much will that be?"  Cringing....afraid to ask...(The fees for the hairdressers at this place increase as they gain more experience.)

"For a haircut with Karen?!!!  Just $90!!"  Kandi with a K and an i is waaaaaay too enthusiastic for my liking. 

Ok, $90?  There's no freakin' way.  For trimming a few split ends?  Nope. I just can't justify it.  Especially when my husband LOST HIS JOB.  Remember?  No way.

So Kandi and I go around and around trying to find a hairdresser that I can go to in which I don't have to mortgage my house to pay for.  We finally settle on Michelle who charges $50.  Still ridiculous, but ok.  It's better than $90.

So I get there on 'Frideee' and check in with Kandi, who, incidentally, is much less animated in person.  She gives me my 'smock' and shows me to the dressing room.  This part always makes me feel uncomfortable.  I would rather just stay in my own clothes, but I don't like confrontations, so I always give in and put on the dumb little shirt.  Anyway, so I'm in this tiny room with the curtain door getting undressed, and my worst nightmare happens. 

Another customer comes up and just WHIPS open my dressing room curtain!  No warning.  No 'hello? anyone in there?'  She just whisks the curtain open.  Holy crap.  Who does this?  When you see a dressing room with the curtain closed, do you ever just open it?  Do you not say something or at the very least look under the curtain scanning for feet? 

So I'm standing there scrambling, trying to cover up my naked-from-the-waist-up self...in all my glory and all my total humiliation, and staring at this woman in horror.  Does she apologize profusely and quickly close the curtain?  Oooooh no.  She wants to CHIT-CHAT.  "Oh!!!  Hi!!!  Are you here for a haircut?  Or the full spa treatment?!  I'm here for a wax and a pedicure!"  Well, goooooood for you.  Now, CLOSE THE DANG CURTAIN.

Anyway. Moving on.

I finally see Michelle.  She brings me back to her station, and ummm...guess what??  HER station is RIGHT NEXT to Karen, my $90 hairdresser's station.  Oh man.  Totally awkward.  What are the chances of this?  I mean there's like 100 stylists in this place.  And I pick the one RIGHT NEXT to Karen?  I smiled at her and mumbled something about my husband losing his job and our lack of money for an expensive haircut.  But she kept GLARING at me.  Like I was cheating on her or something, by going to Michelle.  I wanted to scream, "HELLO?  You charge NINETY BIG ONES for a HAIRCUT.  You HAVE to see how ridiculous that is!"  But I don't.  Remember? The confrontation thing.

Anyway, Michelle seems fine.  Except she's very quiet.  That's ok, I guess.  It would be nice to have a little conversation, but nothing is better than too much I suppose.  The things she did say were a little...irritating though.

For example, when we were at the hair washing basin, she asked me how often I wash my hair.  "Ummm, every day?"  Apparently this was TOTALLY unacceptable.  "You need to cut waaaay back.  Your hair is dry. I would wash it once a week.  That will allow your natural oils to rehydrate the hair shaft"  ONCE A WEEK?  Are you OUT OF YOUR MIND?  My NATURAL OILS?  My hair would totally look like a greasy drippy nasty MESS if I only washed it once a week.  Seriously.  And?  I would probably lose my job.  And?  I would have no friends.  ONCE A WEEK?  Puh-leeaaaze.

And then?  When she was cutting my hair, I asked, "So, ummmm, do you see any gray hair?  Cuz I was thinking it might be time to start foiling."  And she says, "No, I sure don't." 

Ooooooh yeah.  I was thinking of something boastful yet tasteful to say about the fact that I'm in my mid-thirties (yes, 39 IS mid-thirties, thankyouverymuch)  and not graying yet, but she adds, "Although your hair is dull."

DULL??

"Yes, the color is dull."  So, I respond, "But,uuuuh, it's my natural hair.  I don't put color it."

"Your color is still dull.  You may want to foil it anyway."

Okaaaay, then. 

We pretty much sat in silence after that little gem of a comment.  The good part though?  When she was all done?  I LOVED my hair!  Seriously.  She did an AWESOME job.  Whenever I get my hair done, I always hate it when they're done.  I always have to go home and re-do it to decide if I like it or not.  But with Michelle, I LOVED it!  Right away!

So I guess the question is this:  can put up with the humiliation of public near-nudity, glares from Karen, and weird comments from Michelle, all for a $50 haircut?  As awesome as it was? 

Orrrrr, do I take my freakishly dry DULL head of hair elsewhere?

Hmmmm...