Saturday, November 26, 2005
The Drama
Lots of drama at the salon this week. Personally, for me it was a good week. My clientelle is building, and every day I work I have one or two "requests" either people coming back to me, or someone they know recommended me. Makes me feel special, plus its more fun when you sort of know the person and you build on your relationship. Like it, makes the profession more rewarding and reminds me how much I really love what I do. Hair. Its one of my callings. Its also nice to notice improvement in myself. Im still no where near perfect, but Im gaining more confidence, and sometimes I can totally satisfy my nit-picky eyes. The fwuffs know how picky I can be about hair. Good times for me.
However, there has been some bad times at the SAlon this week too. (thats how my boss Liz says it- SAlon with an emphasis on the SA. Like she's french or somethin, which she isnt) First it all started with Damean. He was late fot the millionth time. Cheryl had to go to his house, which is literlly just around the corner from the SAlon and get him. He was actually suspended a while ago for being late numerous times and was warned. So, he's working his last two weeks. This makes me sad. Yes, living with him would not be fun, but he makes work interesting, and he's the only one at the salon who I want to cut my hair. He's such a talented stylist, and now I cant watch and learn from him. Then there's the Jessica incident that happened today. She is the other junior stylist, her and I are pretty much equals, except that I graduated a class ahead of her. Well she had been letting things about the SAlon build up and up and up lately and was sort of thinking of quitting. But, Liz talked to her yesterday about her attitude and she said she was going to work on things, and that she wanted to be there, etc, soI though nothing of it. But then this morning she had a heated argument with Liz about whether or not she should get paid for a colour redo she had to do this morning and ended up grabbing her stuff and leaving. I was really surprised actually. So she quit. Now Im the lone junior.
Every time I eat, I feel soooo tired after. Tonight Im going to hang out with some of the girls from the SAlon. Kyle's going to play risk. We're having a bonfire in Crystal's back yard. This strawbry is ready for hibernation...
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Sarahstottle posted @ 6:21 PM
Thursday, November 24, 2005
Maybe I'll have a bath...
Well I just got home from work and a reasonably desent hour for a Thursday. I was pleased. I got home to Kyle and Brent playing this car racing video game that Kyle rented last week. Instead of really wanting to pay any attention to me whatsoever, they continued to play the dumb game at a really loud level of dumb crashing noise. When I demanded that it be turned down Kyle said "Go read your book or something..." Trying to be all cool in front of his friends. Whatever, we all know that Im the cool one out of the two of us.
Tonight we are going to Ladysmith for "lightup." Lived here all these years and I've never been. We are also having dinner with Wade and Sharae, another young coulple in our ward who are also pregnant with their first. She's due in March. She's not so active or social actually. I want to be her friend. If she would just let me in, she'd realize that I can be quite the chica. Felt like saying chica.
Last night Esther and I went to a baby shower for a lady in our ward. It was in Ladysmith, put on by one of her non-member relatives. So, there were a lot of people there that we didnt know, and only a handful of women from church. It was a really fun shower. There were tons of games. The first one being a name game where you pick a word that describes you and begins with the first initial of your name and then say your name. You had to remember everyone before you too. You know, so the last person has to remember everyone. It was hard for me because everyone before me was a person I didnt know. However, being a Clarke, I made my way through without help, even if I did pause briefly. Pat on the back. My name was Strawberry Sarah. Esther was Ellegant Esther. Actually yesterday, something dawned on me. The women in our ward love her. They give her so much attention and are so interested in whats going on in her life and of course, Carmen. Whats not to love? Amidst the bounteous questions directed at her, I would get the odd one thrown my way. What? Is it just because Im in primary so Im not seen much at church? Or because Im not from a different country? I dont know. It was a fun shower, and the prizes for the games were really nice, like full bath and body sets, manicure sets, things like that. I didnt win anything though.
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Sarahstottle posted @ 4:46 PM
Tuesday, November 22, 2005
Dreams
Been having weird ones lately. Yesterday I had a dream that I was forced to do this "Trading Spouses" thing and it was permanent. My new husband was going to be Steve Hobbs. My whole heart was filled with dread and sadness. As I was packing up my things to go I was filled with all my favourite and happy memories of being with Kyle and I was so upset. I didnt want a different husband I just wanted him. I woke up feeling rather emotional on the subject. This morning my dream was where I just couldnt open my eyes no matter what. I hate those. This Chinese lady was giving out her clothes ( I dont even remember who I was with- maybe girls from work) and I didnt get any because she didnt like me. Once I did finally wake up it was like my eyes were out of control and whatever I looked at would move back and forth rapidly. That happens to me sometimes....
Back to work today, it feels that I hardly had a weekend for some reason. Saw Harry Potter on Saturday. Got sucked into it, not that I didnt want to see it, I just wouldnt have minded waiting. I thought I'd see it with Katie. Dad rushed out and bought us tickets. It was really good. I enjoyed it, and tried to pay no heed to any cheezy acting.
I've been thinking about what Bethany has been saying about coming out of her shell, because I feel somewhat similar to her on the topic. My shell coming out situation has been at work. I have worked there for 7 months now. Finally, Im feeling like I belong, and that I have friends at work, and that I can be myself totally and that people actually like me. It takes a long time. I mean, there were one or two people who I talked to more than usual, its not like I was totally shy or anything, but I sort of dreaded having to go to work, not because of what I do, but I wasnt comfortable there and always pushing myself outside the shell. Its not fun, is it Beth? But, I will have you know that sticking it out, and always trying has led me to a place where I really enjoy my co-workers a lot, and I wish I could see some of them more than just at work. Not saying that the same will happen for you, but you have to remember that you have a lot to offer, and other people will benifit from getting to know you better.
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Sarahstottle posted @ 8:39 AM
Wednesday, November 16, 2005
Im Back!!!
So much to tell about and not enough time!!! I had so much fun! My trip was great, and it reminded me of how much I love being a tourist and trying new things, and seeing sights, etc. Even if it IS in my own country.
Ok, so it all starts with leaving. My flight plans were with the other two girls I work with, Crystal and Megan. They're both really nice, and I already knew I liked them, so I was glad at the opportunity to get to know them better and hang out outside of work. Our flight left first thing Saturday morning, so we had to venture over to vancouver on Friday night. We didnt really know if we should just sleep in the airport, or stay in a room, etc. We had planned on catching a bus from the ferry. However, there were complications, and I thought of Laura, and maybe if she wouldnt mind giving us a ride if she wasnt busy. She ended up offering to let us stay at her house. It was better than anything we had planned on, and my friends were really grateful. Thanks Laura!!! In fact, they kept telling everyone else, after we got there about how Laura let us stay at her house and got up really early to drive us to the airport, and everyone kept saying "Wow, you have such a great sister!" and the like. I do. Great family in general. We had a stop over in Calgary on the way there and had a short break til our connecting flight. On our connecting flight, we had our own personal tv screens on the backs of the chairs in front of us. It was quite entertaining. It was satelite tv and so there was lots to choose from, even on a Saturday. We watched lots of Ellen, and then I watched a thing about Jennifer Anniston, who always interests me becuase I like her. Once we landed, we met up with Kevin and Damean who flew with Air Cananda, payed more for their flight and didnt even get to watch anything...ha ha.. And made our way to the hotel. I was so excited to be in a new place, but I was also soooo exhausted. It always amazes me how you get on a plane for a little while and can suddenly be so far away from home. It doesnt feel like you should be. We checked into a hotel. We stayed at the Grand hotel. It was really really nice. Had a huge beautful pool, and hot tubs outside on the roof with a huge screen playing videos. It was really neat. Of course I cant go into hottubs so this made me a little sad. But I still felt special to be in a hotel that had the option. Our room was pretty cramped. There were two queen size beds and a pull out couch, and we were sharing with the guys. Kevin actually payed for it. So it was me and Crystal in one bed and megan and yucky yucky stinky Damean on the other, and Kevin had the hide-a-bed. Kevin would have been yucky to sleep with too. Boys are gross, and there was no way I was going to sleep next to another man, no matter the circumstances. Im a married woman.
We did some shopping, and I spent too much. I bought a hat, finally found one that looked ok. Of course, bought other stuff too. On Sunday afternoon, we got all dressed up glamorous and ready to go. It was fun. Amy's boots were well received, although I could hardly handle standing in them for too long. My hair was pulled back slick on the sides with a bit of poof in the crown. I liked it. Crystal did it for me. Its nice going to things with other hairdressers. You just do eachother's hair. Crystal's really good at that sort of thing too. The Contessa's (canadian hairdressing awards) was really neat. There were tons of people there. There was this red carpet with video cameras and people getting interviewed. Edwin got interviewed. There was such a variety of people there, and a variety of looks and hair and stuff. At first was the mingling. I didnt know there was mingling and cocktails and stuff. I thought I wouldnt be standing for long. Finally they let us into this big ballroom with beatuful tables and a stage/runway type of thing and big video screens, etc. We each got a gift bag of different products and I thought that was a perk. They served a yummy dinner and dessert, and there was entertainment, like dancing girls with cool hair. I loved it. The actual award part started to feel a little long though. Especially because we didnt win anything. Not one. We were up for eight awards and no one won anything. I was surprised. Especially because some of the people who did win, werent that good, like there were obvious flaws in the photography and hair, or they werent that original to me... but ohwell. not a huge deal. I mean making it there is a huge accomplishment in itself, right?. Wrong. Edwin and Kevin and everyone were really really disappointed. Apparently they have never gone and not brought home at least one award. Well we went back to get changed... there was no way I was going dancing in those boots. (no offense amay) We went out to this club where the after party was. A few people (like Edwin) got drunk, other people had a few but werent totally gone. It was interesting. I tried to forget about it, and just have fun dancing. Which I did. Lets just say the staff dont really think Im shy anymore. You all know that about my dancing though...Good thing they didnt play Rasputin.
The next day, Monday, we rented a car and drove out to Niagra Falls. It was soooo coool!!!! I actually pictured the falls in being in a secluded woodland, and having to walk a trail to get to it. Nope. There's a city built right on it, and its quite the city. It's made up of lots of touristy things and it actually reminded me of Disneyland or Universal Studios. For expample, the Burger King was like a building that had fallen on it's side with King Kong climbing up to the top, and there were Haunted Houses you could go through, or Spider Man rides, and stuff like that. We went down and walked all along the falls. They were soooo beautiful. There was so much mist around it, and you could see rainbows going through. Every now and again the wind would send the mist our way, and it was like it was raining all of a sudden. We're lucky to have something that amazing in our very own country. Ok, so we share it with the U.S. but they are actually on the side where the falls go down, so they cant see it. Its like they're standing behind. We went to the Rainforest Cafe for lunch. I wanted to go because I'd never been to one and it was fun. A little pricey though. So what? I was a tourist and whats wrong with a special occasion. Once we got back, we were all a little wiped from constantly being on the run, and also being out til the wee hours of the moring the night before. So we had naps. Damean and his stench ended up staying in bed for the remainder of the night until morning. Everytime he moved his blanket, sulpher farts wafted over to our bed. Lazy oaf waisting his time in Toronto by sleeping. Crystal, Kevin and I decided to go for some food. Megan was tired and not into going out. So we went to this really cool market thing. It was called the Richtree Market restaurant. It was like this market with all this fresh food. You go in, they give you a card, sort of like a credit card, and then you go around. There's tons of different stations like a pasta one, where they're making the noodles fresh, and you can pick yummy sauces, or thin crust pizza and you can see them making the dough, a huge salad bar, really yummy fresh fruit (im really enjoying fruit right now) or you could have them make a freshly squeezed juice out of any fruit you wanted, steaks, where you pick out the meat and they cook it right before your very eyes... Lots of yummy stuff. It was fun. You just go to the station, ask for what you want and they give it to you, and swipe your card. You pay afterwards. Crystal and I did a Laura-Sarah favourite and got lots of different things and shared. Among the things we chose was a crepe for dessert. It was huge. We picked strawberries, bananas, raspberries, blueberries, chocolate sauce, caramel sauce and ice cream. It was yumzors deluxors. Good times. Edwin met up with us for a glass of wine and we all talked for a long time. It was funzors.
The next day wasnt all that great, seeing as the previous days were really good weather, clear skies and warmer than here. It rained, and it was cold. We did a little more shopping and headed to the airport. We went with Kevin and Damean again because it was cheaper to take the taxi-van with them. The only problem was that their flight left an hour and fourty-five minutes before ours, and they had to be there an hour early. We had a long wait. The flight home had no tvs. Humph. It was a direct flight to Vancouver. This meant the Megan, Crystal and I just had many a good talk and laugh, as we were all giddy from the toll the trip had taken on us. It was fun.
That is basically my trip. Hope i didnt bore you, but I had a GREAT time!!!
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Sarahstottle posted @ 10:35 AM
Wednesday, November 09, 2005
I feel tired today
Well am I ever glad last night is passed. I havent really explained about the stuff going on at work. We are playing what my boss calls the 'Apprentice'. We have been divided into teams of three and there are two aspects of the competition.
1) We have to sell as a team 700$ worth of retail every two weeks over a seven week period (until the end of the year) We are allowed to not meet the quota two times, if you miss it more than that you cant win. So, at the end of the year, which ever team makes it to 700 the most times will win. If there is a tie, then it's down to whoever has the most dollar amount. So far, our team is ahead, however, we didnt make it last week. The other teams havent made it two times already...so we'll see. The prize is $1,500 towards a photo shoot.
2) We each had to prepare an educational presentation for the rest of the salon. It had to be between one hour and one hour and a half long, and there needed to be colour, cutting, and retail (talking about the products used) I was NOT thrilled about this one. I hardly felt comfortable doing hair when people are watching, and like I dont know things that can be taught to people who have been in the industry for years! Well last night was our turn. We were the last team to go. We did pretty good. We had more models than the other teams, and the hair that was done on them, we done really well. I dont know about our presentation being really entertaining though. We could have done better in that area. As far as Im concerned, I dont really know about that stuff. Im new at all of this, so in that respect I did I good job. There is a lot of room for improvement, and although I wasnt thrilled to have to do it, it was a growing experience, I know it will help me to be a better stylist. What can I say? I had hot models to work with. Amy being one and Brian, the other.
Anyway, now that that's over I can get excited about my toronto trip which is coming up fast. Yay! And I DO look forward to some shopping!
We were a little late for sister movay night because of my presentation thing. Also, Kyle wasnt at home with the car so we ended up borrowing Jordans. The movie of choice was Nicholas Nickleby. It was very enjoyable. Didnt get to bed until one thirty, and was wiped. At approximately five am, I awoke to Kyle wimpering and moaning. He had a fever and was freezing cold too cold to get out of bed and take something. I got up, got him some medicine and that involved turning on lights and searching the living room, because Kyle had taken some the night before and left it in there. Nonetheless I was somewhat awake once I got back into bed. I cuddled him to keep him warm and he fell back asleep. I finally did too, sometime after six. I might not see him before he goes on his trip to Vegas because he insisted he needed to go to work and then Ill be at work when he leaves. They're going on a business trip. Fun for them. Actually he just called and i need to bring him some medicine where he's working. Poor boy.
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Sarahstottle posted @ 10:12 AM
Thursday, November 03, 2005
How will I ever survive?
Last night I stayed awake in my bed for a long time trying to figure out what exactly I would do with Amy's hair for our presentation on Tuesday. I still have no idea. I feel so stressed about it, its eating away at me, and my team isnt giving me any straight answers to my questions. I feel abandoned and alone. Why cant I think of anything creative? I am not the type to not even try to do a good job and come up with some cool stuff. All the while I feel gross and just want to stay in bed the whole day...
Went to the gym this morning for my favourite class. It was especially hard today, made me exhausted and sick. Its not supposed to do that. Now I feel beat and wonder at how I will survive at work today.
Went shopping yesterday to try and find a nice shirt to wear with my grad outfit for Toronto. For those of you who dont know, Im going to Toronto for the Canadian Hairdressing awards with my salon. Not this weekend, but the one after. Its a formal event. I couldnt find a shirt at ALL and no shoes either. I dont know what to do. Its not like I have a lot of time, but I dont want to rush and buy something I dont love. Money is precious these days. Dirty dishes sit in the sink and I have absolutely no desire to do them whatsoever. Lazy me. Sorry this is so gloomy and negative.
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Sarahstottle posted @ 10:52 AM