ElizaBlue
Well-Known Member
Hey ya’ll. Well I broke down Friday night and went to the salon. This is probably the first time I’ve had my hair professionally done since early 2005. Anyway I went to Salons In the Park, which is a huge mall of individual and independent stylist in a fancy flea market type booth setting.
So I wander around for a bit looking at customer’s hair who were leaving. Some looked pretty good, others looked like they should be calling an attorney or at least logging in at LHCF. For the most part I kept getting turned down as a walk-in; I mean it was 6:00pm on a Friday night.
One stylist tells me to go see Big Otis and that he usually takes walk-ins. I walk through the malls looking in windows…beginning to feel a bit out of place. Most of the hallways are filled with waiting “clients” and here comes this “walk-in” who is no ones “client” wanting to get her hair done at a quarter to close. Whatever…I keep walking. Finally I see the name of Otis on the door I knock and step in.
Big Otis is just that. He looks like a gigantic black snow man. I know he’s seated because his legs are bent, but the chair cannot be seen. He is slathering what looks like Butter flavored Crisco all over this little girls head in preparation for maybe a phony tail. His shop is a lesson in chaos. There are combs, brushes and barrettes all over the floor. No doubt when he drops them he cannot bend over to pick them up.
He looks at me and smiles a big jack-a-lantern smile and asks if he can help me. No Otis…Big Otis you can’t, is what I’m thinking. I smile back and ask politely “uh…do you know where Jasmine’s booth is?” He ponders and blinks and ponders some more. “No” I don’t think I know a Jasmine, but is there something I can do for you?” I tell him thanks but no, I’ll just call her.
The little girl looks like at me like I should let him put some of that Crisco on my head. He hands her some type of black wrapping paper and takes the other end and begins to squeeze it around her head. He stands up and two combs fall from his lap onto the floor. I bid them good evening and leave closing the door behind me.
Finally I see this chick who looks vaguely familiar. After reading her name on her door I ask her if she remembered me. She went right in to “Yeah, you’re a cop right?” I bite my lip...I guess she did remember me. I tell her yes and then quickly add that she used to do my hair…hoping like hell the déjà vu wasn’t because I had arrested her.
Anyway I tell her I want just a simple roller set. Nothing else. She said she would do it. She was rolling a ladies hair and it looked pretty healthy. I figure I’d take my chances. She keeps eyeing me suspiciously and finally asks “so are you natural or relaxed?” I’m smiling thinking to myself….we shall see…won’t we.
Now let me say this, my last relaxer was October 25th of this year. But I have about 4 inches of new growth. Kid you not, that MT does not play. So she finishes her client and motions for me to sit in her chair. I sit down and look at her behind me in the mirror.
I almost bolted from the chair when she reached for the fine tooth, rat tail comb. But when she felt into my hair and found my new growth, she put the rat tail comb away. I was light weight embarrassed as she continued to examine my hair and scalp and felt all that new growth. I'm pretty sure I heard her gasp.
She of course, started counting tubs of relaxer. Telling me that I really really needed to have a relaxer done immediately and that she had just the one for me. A new one that just came out. One that would get my hair baby straight. I sigh deeply and tell her its okay I just want a roller set. But she is on a mission and does not want to take no for an answer. I know I will have to nip this right in the bud.
After she had pulled out about 3 tubs of relaxers, she asked me why I hadn't relaxed my hair in so long. I calmly told her I was severely allergic to ALL relaxers and the last one I got in a salon caused all my hair to fall out and I had to sue them. Silence. I was trying to hold in my laugh as I continued to thumb through a magazine. When I looked back at her in the mirror she was just standing there with her mouth open. She quickly put the tubs away, telling me “yeah relaxers just ain’t for everybody”.
So then she took me to the shampoo room. The client’s shampoos are done in an alley type setting behind all the stylists little rooms. There were about 9 ladies and a couple of kids getting shampooed. This is also where the hair dryers are. There were about 6 clients under dryers. Each stylist booth has two doors, the second one leading to the alley.
From the back of one booth comes a little girl followed by a big shadow. It’s Big Otis. He puts the little girl under a dryer, with her head now wrapped in black paper with her 1 inch of real hair sticking out of the top. She looks like a little candle with a black flame of hair. I noticed that she is one of three other little girls all looking to be about 8, 9 and 10. They are also under dryers with the same getting ready candle flame on top hair do.
He sees me and does a double take. He begins to lumber over toward the shampoo bowls. I’m really trying to read this magazine now. He stops at my stylist and says “I thought your name was Kim?” It is she says. He glares down at me and says “I thought you were looking for Jasmine?” He’s breathing all heavy and just waiting for me to answer him. I look at my stylist; she’s looking at the shampoos. Finally, I laugh and say “no I meant Kim”. He’s just looking at me breathing heavy like he’s trying to decide if he wants the Mac and cheese or the green bean casserole.
Come to find out if you are a walk-in you have to go to whoever has the next opening. And he had the next one. I didn’t know. Thank God I actually knew this chick. She looks at him and says “Big O I been doing this woman’s hair since I was over on Little York back in 1995, she’s my client”. Big Otis looks at her and squints up his eyes then looks back at me. He licks his lips and finally lumbers away. She tells me that whenever you are a walk-in you have to stop at the front desk and register. I guess that’s why I was getting so many funny looks when I first came in. I didn’t know.
She washed my hair three times. Then vigorously a fourth. That was funny. She just kept playing with my new growth and bending over looking at it. Dried me with a towel like I was a two year old. Then she sat me back in the chair and got ready to comb me out. Again silence. I was wondering what all the quiet was about. She turned on an overhead light and said “you still got oil in your hair”. Back to the shampoo bowl we go. I paused briefly at the door, hoping Big Otis was no longer in the alley. After she had to rewash it a couple of more times she seemed satisfied.
We return to her booth. When I first sat down, she again picked up the rat tail comb....I just turned around and looked at her. With her hands poised in the air, she remembered. She put down the comb and picked up a paddle brush. We stare at each other… she put that down too. Finally she leaves her area and comes back with a large afro type comb. I smile at her and she begins to gently comb out my hair. I looked at the comb while she was combing it out. Not too much hair in it. She sprays my hair with some type of foam and proceeds to roll it up. She works fast using the gray rollers and when she runs out uses a few of the purple.
Back to the alley I go, but this time under the dryer. I sit here for about 45 minutes reading my book and watching for Big Otis. The little girls are all gone. There are only about 4 or 5 clients left. Finally she comes back in and checks one roller. She looks at me, shakes her head and looks at me with pity. She then re-rolls it. After about another 20 minutes she comes out and gets me.
She takes down the rollers and begins to separate the curls. She knows now that brushes and combs have no use for this client. Afterwards she tells me that the curls will fall in a couple of days. And that I can either pin curl it or wrap it when I get home. I thank her and pay her $35 and leave. I cannot wait to get home and look at it.
It looks very soft silky and healthy, but it's like two whole different worlds operating on my head you got the Straight and Silky's on top thinking they running thangs and down under the Thatch people, who are really in control. And it feels just like that. A thatch. It cannot be combed only pulled by the ends.
So anyway….I just thought I would share that with you this fine Saturday morning. And I know I know this post is worthless without pics so….here you are! The nude shots…lol… are with it freshly washed before oil or anything, this was a couple of weeks ago. The second ones are from last night after I got home from the salon, and these are from this morning after a bit of grease and Wild Growth Oil and some sleep.
Ta-daaaaa!
So I wander around for a bit looking at customer’s hair who were leaving. Some looked pretty good, others looked like they should be calling an attorney or at least logging in at LHCF. For the most part I kept getting turned down as a walk-in; I mean it was 6:00pm on a Friday night.
One stylist tells me to go see Big Otis and that he usually takes walk-ins. I walk through the malls looking in windows…beginning to feel a bit out of place. Most of the hallways are filled with waiting “clients” and here comes this “walk-in” who is no ones “client” wanting to get her hair done at a quarter to close. Whatever…I keep walking. Finally I see the name of Otis on the door I knock and step in.
Big Otis is just that. He looks like a gigantic black snow man. I know he’s seated because his legs are bent, but the chair cannot be seen. He is slathering what looks like Butter flavored Crisco all over this little girls head in preparation for maybe a phony tail. His shop is a lesson in chaos. There are combs, brushes and barrettes all over the floor. No doubt when he drops them he cannot bend over to pick them up.
He looks at me and smiles a big jack-a-lantern smile and asks if he can help me. No Otis…Big Otis you can’t, is what I’m thinking. I smile back and ask politely “uh…do you know where Jasmine’s booth is?” He ponders and blinks and ponders some more. “No” I don’t think I know a Jasmine, but is there something I can do for you?” I tell him thanks but no, I’ll just call her.
The little girl looks like at me like I should let him put some of that Crisco on my head. He hands her some type of black wrapping paper and takes the other end and begins to squeeze it around her head. He stands up and two combs fall from his lap onto the floor. I bid them good evening and leave closing the door behind me.
Finally I see this chick who looks vaguely familiar. After reading her name on her door I ask her if she remembered me. She went right in to “Yeah, you’re a cop right?” I bite my lip...I guess she did remember me. I tell her yes and then quickly add that she used to do my hair…hoping like hell the déjà vu wasn’t because I had arrested her.
Anyway I tell her I want just a simple roller set. Nothing else. She said she would do it. She was rolling a ladies hair and it looked pretty healthy. I figure I’d take my chances. She keeps eyeing me suspiciously and finally asks “so are you natural or relaxed?” I’m smiling thinking to myself….we shall see…won’t we.
Now let me say this, my last relaxer was October 25th of this year. But I have about 4 inches of new growth. Kid you not, that MT does not play. So she finishes her client and motions for me to sit in her chair. I sit down and look at her behind me in the mirror.
I almost bolted from the chair when she reached for the fine tooth, rat tail comb. But when she felt into my hair and found my new growth, she put the rat tail comb away. I was light weight embarrassed as she continued to examine my hair and scalp and felt all that new growth. I'm pretty sure I heard her gasp.
She of course, started counting tubs of relaxer. Telling me that I really really needed to have a relaxer done immediately and that she had just the one for me. A new one that just came out. One that would get my hair baby straight. I sigh deeply and tell her its okay I just want a roller set. But she is on a mission and does not want to take no for an answer. I know I will have to nip this right in the bud.
After she had pulled out about 3 tubs of relaxers, she asked me why I hadn't relaxed my hair in so long. I calmly told her I was severely allergic to ALL relaxers and the last one I got in a salon caused all my hair to fall out and I had to sue them. Silence. I was trying to hold in my laugh as I continued to thumb through a magazine. When I looked back at her in the mirror she was just standing there with her mouth open. She quickly put the tubs away, telling me “yeah relaxers just ain’t for everybody”.
So then she took me to the shampoo room. The client’s shampoos are done in an alley type setting behind all the stylists little rooms. There were about 9 ladies and a couple of kids getting shampooed. This is also where the hair dryers are. There were about 6 clients under dryers. Each stylist booth has two doors, the second one leading to the alley.
From the back of one booth comes a little girl followed by a big shadow. It’s Big Otis. He puts the little girl under a dryer, with her head now wrapped in black paper with her 1 inch of real hair sticking out of the top. She looks like a little candle with a black flame of hair. I noticed that she is one of three other little girls all looking to be about 8, 9 and 10. They are also under dryers with the same getting ready candle flame on top hair do.
He sees me and does a double take. He begins to lumber over toward the shampoo bowls. I’m really trying to read this magazine now. He stops at my stylist and says “I thought your name was Kim?” It is she says. He glares down at me and says “I thought you were looking for Jasmine?” He’s breathing all heavy and just waiting for me to answer him. I look at my stylist; she’s looking at the shampoos. Finally, I laugh and say “no I meant Kim”. He’s just looking at me breathing heavy like he’s trying to decide if he wants the Mac and cheese or the green bean casserole.
Come to find out if you are a walk-in you have to go to whoever has the next opening. And he had the next one. I didn’t know. Thank God I actually knew this chick. She looks at him and says “Big O I been doing this woman’s hair since I was over on Little York back in 1995, she’s my client”. Big Otis looks at her and squints up his eyes then looks back at me. He licks his lips and finally lumbers away. She tells me that whenever you are a walk-in you have to stop at the front desk and register. I guess that’s why I was getting so many funny looks when I first came in. I didn’t know.
She washed my hair three times. Then vigorously a fourth. That was funny. She just kept playing with my new growth and bending over looking at it. Dried me with a towel like I was a two year old. Then she sat me back in the chair and got ready to comb me out. Again silence. I was wondering what all the quiet was about. She turned on an overhead light and said “you still got oil in your hair”. Back to the shampoo bowl we go. I paused briefly at the door, hoping Big Otis was no longer in the alley. After she had to rewash it a couple of more times she seemed satisfied.
We return to her booth. When I first sat down, she again picked up the rat tail comb....I just turned around and looked at her. With her hands poised in the air, she remembered. She put down the comb and picked up a paddle brush. We stare at each other… she put that down too. Finally she leaves her area and comes back with a large afro type comb. I smile at her and she begins to gently comb out my hair. I looked at the comb while she was combing it out. Not too much hair in it. She sprays my hair with some type of foam and proceeds to roll it up. She works fast using the gray rollers and when she runs out uses a few of the purple.
Back to the alley I go, but this time under the dryer. I sit here for about 45 minutes reading my book and watching for Big Otis. The little girls are all gone. There are only about 4 or 5 clients left. Finally she comes back in and checks one roller. She looks at me, shakes her head and looks at me with pity. She then re-rolls it. After about another 20 minutes she comes out and gets me.
She takes down the rollers and begins to separate the curls. She knows now that brushes and combs have no use for this client. Afterwards she tells me that the curls will fall in a couple of days. And that I can either pin curl it or wrap it when I get home. I thank her and pay her $35 and leave. I cannot wait to get home and look at it.
It looks very soft silky and healthy, but it's like two whole different worlds operating on my head you got the Straight and Silky's on top thinking they running thangs and down under the Thatch people, who are really in control. And it feels just like that. A thatch. It cannot be combed only pulled by the ends.
So anyway….I just thought I would share that with you this fine Saturday morning. And I know I know this post is worthless without pics so….here you are! The nude shots…lol… are with it freshly washed before oil or anything, this was a couple of weeks ago. The second ones are from last night after I got home from the salon, and these are from this morning after a bit of grease and Wild Growth Oil and some sleep.
Ta-daaaaa!
