Friday, August 10, 2012

#106. or, I should of got the gel

  Recently, my barber moved away. His name was Sal. I used to go to a different place but one time I couldn't get a walk-in appointment there, so I wandered up the street, hitting every place until I found someone willing to cut my hair on short notice. That's how I ended up at Sal's.

  Sal was a dudes barber. It didn't matter when you wandered in, there was always a spot on the couch to read the paper as you waited, while Sal fired out hair cuts, 10 minutes at a time. Unless of course, you went on seniors day. Then the place was busy as hell. But any other day, was fine. Once I even saw an old straight razor on the counter. I always thought that I would ask him for a shave one day with the straight razor, but I never worked up the balls.

   I can't remember ever getting a haircut there without him being on his cell phone talking to someone in an Arabic language but it didn't matter, we didn't have to chat.  It was the only place I know where I was a regular and as I'd sit myself into the chair, he would ask if I wanted the usual and as I'd nod, he'd slip the appropriate fitting onto the clipper and get to work.  

  ..........but he moved away and I needed a haircut.

  So yesterday, after doing a crop tour, I thought I'd just try a walk-in at the place that I used to go to. As luck would have it, there was an open spot and they took my in straight away. It wasn't the familiar, easy-as-she-goes, hair cut I was used to. Honestly, I was a little apprehensive. My hair stylist was an attractive young woman and that was pleasant. She asked if using the clippers was fine, and it was, but I couldn't remember what number attachment I usually had and we had to experiment a bit to figure that out. We chatted about the weather, and vacations, and the wicked ass mosquito's that seem to have descended upon us in the last week. It didn't take her long to finish. Granted, I don't have a lot of material to work with these days but she did a fine job. Then, she asked if I wanted any gel. I said it was fine, and I thanked her and we went to pay.

   .........but that was a mistake.

  I sat on the street in my truck, with my head on the steering wheel thinking, why wouldn't I get the gel? Firstly, if you put your trust in a good looking young woman to make you more attractive, and she suggests that a dob of gel might aid in that effort, why not take her up on it? What have you got to lose? Second, I'm not exactly sure just how much longer I'm going to have enough hair to schmeer a bit of hair gel into. It's not like I use it everyday but occasionally, I do use the gel. More often than not, when I have the gel in my hair, I feel pretty darned stylish and good about myself. Why wouldn't I get the gel? Lastly, when we went to pay, turns out that I had been one haircut away from the free one on the places loyalty plan and I got the haircut for free. FREE! But by then it was too late to say, "hey, on second though, hit me up with a little gel."
So I left, satisfied with my new haircut but disappointed that I didn't get the gel. Why wouldn't I get the gel? 

  The gel is a little like life. Why not take advantage of the little things?  The things that seem inconsequential, but if you follow through on them, they might just make you feel better about yourself. Make you feel like you're the full meal deal. Master of your universe. Passing it up is like getting an ice cream sundae and saying, "hold the cherry." It's still an ice cream sundae, but it's not a complete ice cream sundae. Yesterday the gel way my cherry, and I passed it up. That's been bothering me a bit. Plus, you just never know when the whole shebang is going to be for free. I'm going to try to take more advantage of little things like that.

  .............This morning, first thing, I used a little dab of hair gel. Today my ice cream sundae is complete. I'm headed out to meet the day with confidence. Just maybe, if I'm lucky, I might come across a handful of sprinkles. And I'll use them! Cause I'm awesome that way.


 This week I'm entered, once again, at Dude Write. I invite you to visit the site, read the posts, and leave a few comments. But most importantly, come back to vote on you favorite three. Check it out here

48 comments:

  1. I normally just buzz my own hair but occasionally I like to go to a stylist. There's nothing like an attractive woman running her finger through my hair. And I always let them use the gel! They usually know best and I leave with a new air of confidence about me!

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    1. I can't say I've ever cut my own hair. Maybe when there's so little left that I just have to shave it down to the wood.

      ....as long as I never try to go with the comb-over!

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    2. Oh my lord the comb over. Do those men think they are hiding something? I've been doing my part to encourage these self conscious men trying to hide their baldness by explaining that they're not really losing their hair, it's just growing in different spots...like their nose, ears and ass cracks...yet still they comb over. Just shave it and be done with it, already!

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    3. don't even get me started on all the places I've got to shave these days that were never a problem in the past! And I promise, no comb over. :)

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  2. We have a place out here towards the Boston area calls Knockouts. It's like Hooters with scissors. I've been there once and I in fact got the gel. They asked me if I wanted the back of my neck rounded or squared...that blew my mind. I've never had anyone ask me that so I left it up to her.

    On a normal basis though, the Trophy cuts my hair and I save 20 bucks.

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    1. we don't have anything like that in our little town......wonder if I could make some money if I opened a shop like that? But I don't think it would be quite the same with man-boobs.

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  3. I hate it when I go into Perfect Look for a haircut and they ask me what I want. Like your sign suggests, I want you to make me look perfect. And I want you to do it for under fifteen bucks. Am I asking for too much?

    And I usually say no to the gel. Don't want to be confused with that Bieber kid.

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    1. You know, the first time I looked at your picture I thought if it wasn't for the awesome hat, you'd be a dead ringer for that Canadian, teenage, pop music icon.

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  4. Feel a bit like I am intruding on a total guy moment here, but I LOVE the analogy - I think in analogies most of the time. Hair gel and life. This is so so true. I am learning more and more, take that chance, go down that side road, say that thing you're scared our of your mind to say. It really is the little things in life that make it the best.

    On the flip side of all this 'attractive woman cutting my hair' dude talk - I once had a pedicure done by a male....BEST PEDICURE/FOOT MASSAGE I EVER had. So yeah - I get it, guys. :)

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    1. Oh and, don't think I am going to let you forget about a post WITH pictures of 80s Ken. Can't wait to see that hair! Ha ha!

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    2. I'm still trying to think about how I can mix some old pictures into a post.

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    3. GGGAAAA! I can't let someone else touch my toes! Even if it WAS a hot, sexy, naked woman! Even when that hot, sexy, naked woman is my wife.

      ........um, there's no other naked women in my life.

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  5. I'm a self buzzer as well, no guard is how I roll.
    I save money on haircuts and shampoo for better things like food and beer, ha.
    Time was I enjoyed a stylist having a go at my head.

    WG

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    1. I don't suspect that I'm all that far away from extra beer money myself.

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  6. Like CLR said, intruding on a Dude moment and all...

    I'm lazy... and cheap. And I mostly don't give a crap about my hair. So I get it cut maybe once a year and when I do, I have to argue with whoever is cutting it. "Yes, cut it off to my ears. Really, I don't care. Yes, it's 'healthy' as far as dead cells go, but really, just cut it off." One time I actually got up from the chair, grabbed some scissors, and chopped off a foot of my own hair. "Now fix it."

    As for your awesome analogy, it's well... awesome. Life is short and we need all the gel and cherries we can get. Just so long as we remember which one goes in our mouths.

    ReplyDelete
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    1. ......because there's nothing worse than a mouthful of sticky gel!

      HOLY! you're bad-ass in that chair! I always worry that each haircut might be my last. But then, maybe that's reason to be bad-ass? Next time, I'm getting lightning bolts shaved in.......or, maybe not.

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    2. Do it Ken! Life is short and short hair grows back. Or you die with lightning bolts in your head - you're not gonna care at that point.

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  7. At least next time you will fearlessly into the land of gel.

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    1. YES! Yes I will! Except next time I'll probably end up with Phil, the ex-con prison barber and he won't even ask and just grind it all off. *shudder*

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  8. I read this first at Dude Write and loved it! Not only was it a cool guy moment, and a story we all know about having to change hairstylists, the way you tied in the gel, and then the sundae with a cherry was AWESOME - a great life lesson! Reading your blog is pure sprinkles! :-)

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  9. In general I'd say that's good advice.
    ...HOWEVER...my fancy salon back at the beach suddenly one time asked if I wanted a complimentary make-up touch up. Because when your hair dries as it's being cut and they spritz it with water, sometimes it can get your face, and this salon offered cucumber slices on your eyes while your hair was washed, etc.

    So I said sure...and ended up with raccoon eyes looking like some teenage girl had been playing with her makeup on my face. Ugh. Never again.

    So I'll still be judicious about the cherry!

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    1. It's just fortunate that they weren't giving out complimentary tattoos?

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  10. This was great! It's always good to be reminded to choose the cherry. In my life, I've chosen it a lot, but then I look up and realize I'm back to eating my plain ol' boring sundae again.

    So thanks for the reminder to be on the look-out for my next cherry!

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    1. You're welcome, and thank you as well!

      It's pretty easy to slip into the boring. Even if it's a little uncomfortable, the cherry is always better.

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    2. if saying yes to the cherry is uncomfortable. (that's what i meant.)

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  11. So happy you went and put the gel on later! I was silently screaming for you to do exactly that. I'm all for the cherry on top but very often find myself doing exactly what you did. I find myself politely refusing things offered to me for absolutely no apparent reason? Weird lol... I'll try and remember your little story and go for the cherry more often in the future ;-)... and tonight I made a good start because I ate about ten of them that had been sitting in my fridge. Yum!

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    1. See! That's what I like about you. You hardly have any furniture, until recently, didn't even have a fork, yet you have a fridge full of cherries! I think you're going to be just fine. ;)

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    2. Well... actually, I don't have much food in my fridge! I buy a little and finish it before getting more. So it's pretty bare lol Right now I have an empty dill pickle jar (well it still has the juice in it) and an empty jalapeno jar (with juice) as well... don't want to deal with washing them lol

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  12. Never pass up on the cherries in life, but mostly chocolate. That completes everything life has to offer.

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  13. I always thought life was like a box of chocolates... now you're telling me that life is like a gob of hair gel?

    I'm a big fan of the straight razor myself. There's a barber in town that does it. She's in her mid 30's, is totally hot, and can wield a blade like a samurai. ...she gets good tips.

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    1. would give a woman who can wield a blade like a samurai around your neck a bad tip?

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  14. I never take the gel either but I'm going to take it from now on too. One thing though: please never put "straight razor" and "balls" in the same sentence ever again. *ouch face*

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    1. That was my vague, open-ended, man-scaping reference.

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  15. I normally skip the ol' product, because most of the time I need a shower to get rid of the fine curls that just wont get the hint and leave.

    I might take you up on it next time though

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    1. They probably make a hair care product for that? And I'm sure that on the TV commercial, it has women making orgasmy sounds. That doesn't happen in real life.....I don't think.

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  16. Awesome. I hope you found those sprinkles:)

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    1. I'm always on the lookout for extra sprinkles! :)

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  17. I told my barber he can't retire until I reach the point at which I have to start shaving my head. Won't be forever, but I got a little ways to go.

    Love being shaved with a straight razor. Don't know if you have ever tried it, but man it is real pleasure.

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    1. I've never have a straight razor shave.....I'm beginning to want one quite badly now.

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  18. I hate gel LOL.
    Thank God, I am a girl.
    I have so many options for hair cuts and hair styles.

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  19. Hair salons freak me out just a bit and so I usually end up having Ashleigh or Scott trim my hair every other month or so. It's curly so it doesn't really matter if it is straight or not. I've not used gel is a long, long time. It makes my hair feel too crunchy and not in a good way.

    But it is totally weird that you didn't take a girl up on a free gelling. But then again, being a gentleman cowboy and all, it probably worked out well in the end...

    Wait a second...No..Oh Man! You turned the whole thing into a life lesson!! Curses!

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    1. Considering that every time the fellows in those gel commercials put it in their hair, they can't walk down the street without a mob of drooling women chasing them, I don't know why I passed it up either?

      Sorry about getting all life lesson on you Heather. :)

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  20. My husband goes to whatever salon I do so when I switched to a better place a few years ago, he followed. The prices went up, way up, but the services are fancy. He gets a scalp and hand massage (he says for those prices he should get a happy ending but I digress) and a shampoo, condition and cool. What he really wants is a little spritz from a spray bottle, a cut and a gob of gel. They frown on gel. They want to use texturizing cream, paste or wax. He comes home and re-washes and re-styles his hair every time. He likes the cheap gel in the big blue bottle.
    I think he needs an Arabic barber.

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  21. Replies
    1. Texturizing cream, paste or wax? Who knew?

      My gel comes in black squeeze tube and that and a hat seems to be the extent on my styling accesories. Except for my errant hair trimmer of course!

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