The Tale of Two Haircuts

I hate going to get my haircut. Every time I go I get a queasy feeling in the pit of my stomach. It says I may be leaving this place looking like a complete idiot. I don't understand why it's so hard to get a good haircut today. I've tried Great Clips and they screwed up my hair. I've tried Sports Clips (the place with T.V.'s everywhere playing sports and stylists dressed as referees) and they jacked up my hair.

"I don't care if I get my haircut in a pink room with the stereo blasting Barry Manilow's greatest hits, I just want to look better going out then when I came in."

So today I tried Fantastic Sams. I knew I was in for some problems when I saw three hairstylists, two dressed very hip and trendy, and one that looked like the spokesmodel for Wicca and Fairy Digest. Guess which stylist I got? Yeah, the warlock Goddess with a tattoo on her lower back that spanned the width of her love handles. Now I'm not saying any of this makes her a bad stylist. I just wasn't sure if she was going to be the one to give me the haircut I desired.

Unfortunately, my instincts were correct. First of all, her hands were shaking the whole time she was cutting my hair. I think she needed a cigarette break. And she looked more puzzled than confident as she cut my hair. Not a good sign. And where has barber shop etiquette gone? I thought stylists were supposed to hand you a mirror when they're done, spin you around so you can see your hair at different angles, and ask you how you like it? When this girl was finished, she just dusted me off and removed my hair cloth, sending me on my way. Maybe she didn't want me to see my hair from all sides. Below is the damage.

Unfortunately I was getting this haircut because I'm starting a new job on Monday and I wanted to look fresh, clean and ready for business casual. I called my friend Jeremy to tell him my dilemma and he laughed at me for going to Fantastic Sams. "Their known for screwing up people's hair," was his quote. Then he told me that he goes to this place called the Hair Saloon. He said it was professional and he loved it. You pay a little more, $20. But most importantly you leave looking GOOD, and not like you're auditioning for Dumb and Dumber.

"So to the Hair Saloon I went, hoping against hope they could fix my hair. Here is that experience."

When, I entered they offered me a free bottled beverage; Pepsi, Coke, they even had O'Doul's non-alcoholic beer. I tried an O'Doul's. My stylist, Bobbie, was confident she could fix my hair. She handled the clippers with style and grace. It was beautiful. I never ONCE had an uneasy feeling in my stomach. She was a pro. When she was done, she made sure I liked it. Then she added just the right amount of product, and styled it perfectly. Then, get this, she offered me a hot towel for my face. It felt wonderful. And it had a light smell of spearmint. I was then given a coupon for a complimentary scalp massage for my next visit. If Fantastic Sams was Hell, this place was Heaven. I will definitely be back. Thanks Hair Saloon for saving my hair!