Oh, Boy, Oh Boy

Today began with a brisk walk, a healthy b'fast, gassing up the RAV, and then heading across the freeway for my haircut appointment with a well-known stylist who gives a killer cut. One of my friends had her hair cut by this stylist and it is a kick-ass cut. I admired it as it grew out and kept the shape, a sign of a good cut -- and asked for his card. Made the call, left the message, but it took three weeks for a response because he has other salons in other parts of CA.

We began the appointment with a consultation, discussing what I like, what I don't like, and looking at pictures. When he showed me one photo, I said, "No way! I don't want a bob and I don't like the way it comes forward on the face." When he showed me another picture, I again explained that I DON'T want the back cut either that short or straight across as it is in that picture. We went through more photos and I said, "That's the way I want the back" to one style, and agreed on another photo for the front. I also made sure that he knew I did NOT want the top short as I really hate little sticking up hair pieces on the top of my head. I clarified that THIS is the back I like and THIS is the front and don't cut the top, and we went to the shampoo bowl.

Settled in the chair, I again picked up the photos and made sure which back and which front, and he began to partition off my hair. He explained that he would cut the botton first to establish a line, combed through my hair, and cut -- it all off! I literally jumped and said, "What did you just do?" He replied that he's setting the bottom line of the hair cut, and when I again picked up the NO-NO WAY photo and reminded him that I DO NOT want this finish to the haircut, he told me that it will look best with what he is going to do with the rest of the hair.

Okay, I should have left the salon, but ... there was a straight across cut at the nape of my neck! After 10 minutes of totally pissed off Liza, I agreed that he would have to shape the rest of the hair to that point, and he really did a great job. The top and back of the haircut really look great, although it is totally far too short, what I call a boy cut. At my age, I need something much softer than that, but too late after that first cut.

When he appeared to be finished cutting and starts to air dry my hair, fluffing it here and there, I again opened my big mouth and said, "No, I hate the way the front is cut. I DON'T want all this hair hanging forward: it doesn't look good (in my opinion) and I don't like it." Well, it seems that his solution is to pull it behind my ears if I don't like it, demonstrating with some gel and his fingers. For a more formal look, I can have it blown out and styled in a variety of ways that I won't have if that part of the haircut is changed.

Which part of I DON'T LIKE IT didn't he understand? I'm willing to deal with the totally too short back as it is a killer haircut, but I HATE THE FRONT/SIDES! That's pretty clear, right? Well, what "we're" going to do is try it out for a couple of weeks and then, if I still don't like it, he'll recut that part of the haircut, but I have to accept that it's going to "totally change the haircut."

Yeah, dude, that's what I want: I want to totally change the haircut, beginning with the back nape line that we agreed on before you took the first snip and completely changed, but about the best I'm going to get at this point is a recut of the front. Is there good news? Yeah: he comes to the desert and cuts hair in a one-seat salon and does it at a "bargain" rate from what VIPs pay for his services. Lucky, lucky me.

Nope, no pictures because I REALLY DON'T LIKE MY HAIR THIS FRIGGIN' SHORT! and I especially don't like the part that I have to glue behind my ears.