Let's Suppose...

So let's suppose I decided to earn extra money while retired by taking up dog grooming. Let's see - well first I'd take grooming lessons. Then I'd set up my own little shop. Then I'd take on my first customer. No doubt I'd start small; really small. Perhaps I'd attempt to groom some easily manageable pup, say, a nice little Shi Tzu - small, manageable, not too much hair.


Yes, a little Shi Tzu! Not too large, lovely and agreeable. I would know better than to start off with a large breed, a breed with a 'special needs' coat, say like a Komandor, which is the headache of the dog grooming world. I mean, hell, I'm not stupid.


Ok, that brings me up to the topic of this post. I didn't decide to stay inside of my comfort zone, and groom pets. Instead I tackled something foreign to me - hair; people type hair. When I told one friend what I was planning to do, she said, "My whole world has gone topsy-turvey: Claire doing hair!"

I laughed, and agreed with her 100%. I mean, this IS earth, isn't it? Me doing hair? Get real.

Next thing I knew I had taken a class in aceing the skill of installing 'Sister Locks' and soon, back in Fair Oaks, I scheduled my very first guinea pig... er, customer. I warned her I am a novice but I knew I could do the job - no worries there.

Next I converted my tiniest bedroom, into 'Chez Claire Salon' and you can see it here: complete with salon chair, seat for 'moi', side table for my customer, etc. Slick, if I say so myself.


Unfortunately, my first customer was the hair equivalent of a Komandor in that she is lucky enough to possess, loads and loads of thick, lush hair. She has hair of the sort I would glady kill to have growing from my own scalp. Did I mention she has LOADS of this beautiful hair? and her virgin, ergo untreated hair, when stretched to it's full length exceeded a foot and a half? I'm talking a Rapunzel here!

WHAT WAS I THINKING?
So, bright and early one Saturday morning my customer showed up, fully warned that the work of installing Sister Locks on her head would take, possibly, up to 20 hours. I worked on her from 8AM to nearly 8PM - Saturday and Sunday - and managed to complete only the rear of her head.

ARRRRGGGHH!

We scheduled the following weekend to complete the work.

The following Sunday evening my poor customer was still short of Sister Locks. So the following Thursday evening I completed the work and she was able to leave Les Chez Claire Salon, fully Sister locked and loaded.

I was so embarrassed! And exhausted? Every day I worked, I no sooner locked the front door behind my customer than I would crawl into bed, nearly comatose. I was so full of nerves every second I worked; as though I worked at the edge of the Kilauea Caldera.

Follow-up: After some on-line research, I found out I wasn't really all that slow, it's just I took on more hair than I should have for a first time customer. Ooops.

I'd have known better if I were grooming pets! Still, although installing Sister Locks is a lucrative enterprise, I decided I'm not going to pursue it any further. Life is too short, and hair - whatever length - is too long.