June 27

Kathy brought up my next haircut today. We have a weekend together planned 7/9 and 7/10 and she wants me to compile a list of local barbershops that have female barbers. She will pick the place from that list and I will go as early Saturday morning as possible. She wants me to go in, hop in the chair and ask for a flattop (no other specifications like longish, etc.) and just enjoy the ride. The thought of being so out of control makes my stomach do flip flops. I agree to the plan. We?ll see what happens.

This is a bit hard coming from her as I know she prefers my hair longer and doesn?t really like the flattop.

June 28

My list of barber shops with barberettes is done and I?ve given it to Kathy. When I asked her to pick, she said; ?Not until it?s really time to go. It will be a surprise.?

My list included every female barber I have been able to find in the area, some that I?ve had experience with and others I?ve never been to. Included in that list were also some shops where I have had less than stellar cuts. But what?s a haircut game without a little bit of risk?

July 5

Ok? I know I said that Kathy had a plan for my next haircut, but you know how plans often go.

We were having dinner last night and instead of having haircut day on Saturday, we decided that it would be an ?it?s all about Kathy? day. After we planned every item on the itinerary, it was evident that no haircut was scheduled. I thought it was lost in the shuffle and maybe I would get a haircut in a week or two.

I had prepared my list of barber shops with barberettes and was ready to hand it over to Kathy, but I thought it was a forgotten item by that time. I was in for a surprise!

Just as I was getting ready to go home, Kathy said; ?So when are you getting your hair cut? And where?s your list?? I had been a little disappointed and also a little relieved that the haircut had apparently slipped through the cracks, but Kathy?s questions made my heart race and my stomach did a flip.

I told her I didn?t know when I would get my next haircut and added that maybe I should go tomorrow. I also told her I had my list in my planner book.

?That sounds perfect! Let me see your list;? she said. I handed over my list like a kid with a bad report card (a little sheepishly). After perusing the list for about 30 seconds, she picked the following listing: ?Super Barbers, 2 Asian Female barbers. Contemporary barber shop. Nothing Old fashioned. Barber I went to before no longer works there.? The she gave me an alternate choice: ?Jack?s Barber Shop, Older white barberette; Kathy. Got a very good taper once from her. Old fashioned shop. Good early 60?s chairs. Good Oster Clippers.?

?So when are you going tomorrow??, she asked. I told her I didn?t know and she said, ?how about first thing?? I protested things I had to do; work stuff, bike ride, etc. and she let it go. I kissed her, said good night and headed for home.

July 6

Waking up this morning I was pretty OK with my hair and had no real intention of getting a haircut today. But today was Kathy and mine?s monthly 1st Wednesday lunch. When I showed up at lunch, she looked at my hair and actually asked if I had been yet. I said no and I didn?t know if I would be going or not. She very kindly let it go, but it made me start thinking. There she was sitting right across from me with those big blue eyes and that exceptionally cute short haircut and the sight was making me reconsider my afternoon.

We ate our lunch, said our goodbyes and I immediately headed for the barber shop, the first one on the list. In my head was; ?It?s only hair. It grows.? But it wasn?t in Kathy?s voice. It was my voice and I realized I was actually saying the words out loud in the car. I said it several more times on the way to the barber shop and by the time I pulled into the parking lot, I was ready.

I walked into the shop and sat down in the first waiting chair. As I was on my way to the chair, an older male barber snapped his cape and asked me if I was next. I motioned to the woman in the first chair (a young Asian woman, very petite) and said; ?I?ll wait for her.?

There was a man in her chair getting a clipper shave with the Oster 00000 blade and his scalp absolutely gleamed. She was just finishing him up, dusted his head, uncaped him and took his money to the cash register. This all happened within 60 seconds of me sitting down in the waiting chair. There was definitely no time to escape.

She quickly dusted the chair and motioned me into it. Although it was not a traditional barber chair, it was a little more substantial than the usual salon chair. I was a little shaky but the excitement of the moment overcame any trepidation I had. She pulled the cape around me along with the requisite tissue. (I?m not even sure why they bother. If it?s to keep some of the cut hair off, it never works.) She offered to take my glasses but I decided to hold on to them. I was glad later that I had kept them.

In very limited English she asked; ?What we doing today?? I responded; ?Flattop.? She said; ?What size you want on side?? ?What?s the longest you have?? I asked. ?Number 3;? she said. ?That will be fine;? I said. ?Taper or block in back?? she asked. ?Taper please;? I responded. And so that was that.

She started on the left side and ran the clippers up over my ear and dumped more hair than I thought I had right onto the cape in front of me. It was a clump of hair. Not little fuzzy pieces. She held up a hand mirror and said; ?That?s Number 3. OK?? Like I could change anything then. Ha! But I surprised myself by saying; ?That looks great! I like it!? And the strange thing is that I did like it. I liked how it looked and I liked how the clippers (my favorite Osters) felt and sounded. I was having fun this time. Hurray!

She pushed the clippers to the skin all around my right ear and went over and over the same spot about 4 times to make sure nothing escaped the blades. She brought the clipper up higher than I expected on the first side and kept flipping clumps of hair off the blades. I was facing away from the mirror at that time, but I could feel how short it was going to be. She moved to the left side and placed the clippers right at my sideburn. She moved the quickly through the hair and continued to go over and over the left side from every angle. Each pass yield less and less cut hair and she was applying a nice amount of pressure to make sure every hair had been cut to the same consistent 3/8 inch.

She moved around to the back and guided my chin down to expose the back of my neck more adequately. Then she went to work. This morning I could actually get a hold of the hair at my nape. I can barely pinch it now. Hair was really tumbling down. I really didn?t think there was that much to cut, but obviously there was. She changed blades and went back to work on the back bringing it down to a perfect invisible taper at the nape. (I would see later how nice a job she did when I looked in the mirror at home.)

But the best treat was still ahead. After she finished with the back, she turned the chair toward the mirror. I knew she was ready to do the top. I asked her if it was ok to wear my glasses. She said it would be fine. I put my glasses on and for the first time saw the short tapered sides and the now long looking, raggedy top. She pulled out the jar of CrewComb and taking a glob massaged it into the top of my hair.

After she had the CrewComb worked in really well, she took a small brush and brushed all the hair on top straight up. She then used a comb to see how long the hair was in front and decided that she was going to make about 1 inch in front the longest hair on my head. Since my hair was still about 2 ? inches in front, there was going to be a lot more hair coming off. She eased the flattop comb into the front and made the first slice. An inch and a half of hair fell and joined its brothers on the cape. All the fear and nervousness had left me and I was just really enjoying the sensation of my hair being radically shortened. She worked backwards through my hair with precision and went shorter and shorter as she approached the back. The hair at the back and crown is only ? inch long now. Yikes, no covering that thinning spot now.

She went over and over and over the top until she judged it perfect. It was pretty flat and it was shorter than I had anticipated, but I liked it. I reached up and touched it as she was uncapping me and got a little shiver as I felt the wonderful new bristly length. Because of the CrewComb a lot of the cut hair had stuck into the pokey new forest on my head and my hand came back covered with little greasy hairs. She showed me all around and it looked great. The only thing I would adjust is she cut the corners on the sides a little roundish and I like them more square. I suppose I can say that at the next haircut

I drove home looking at myself in the rearview more than I should have.

When I arrived home, I hopped in the shower to wash away all the cut hair. When I was through I toweled my hair and pushed the longest of it into place and that was it (I put a little CrewComb on later, but just to make sure the longer hairs stayed in line with the shorter ones.) I really like this haircut and the fact that there was no chit chat and limited other communication I was free to just enjoy the experience. I was conscious that a woman?s hands were working on my hair, but other than that the sensations of the haircut were the most prominent part of the experience.

I really like this haircut! (Oh, I said that before. Hmmm?) I?m really looking forward to the next one!