i can’t believe i wasted a whole day!!

yep, the place is on Mission Blvd. and it's called Ms. Sarah's beauty salon.  I told the young lady that I would not be HAPPY to give up my seat to someone..I don't have that kind of time..

This is not an uncommon practice. My ex husband used to tell me, "oh, you have an appt. at 10:00 tomorrow morning? I'll see you tomorrow night."  And it was true.  I was such a "nice" person, that whenever my beautician was braiding my hair, and some one came in for a touch up, or perm, I would get bumped.  Her reasoning was that braiding takes hours, whereas a perm doesn't take very long. Thus, me, and several "walk-ins" would play musical chairs, as she rotated us between the shampoo bowl, the drier, and the styling chair.

There have been times i would come in at sun up and came home after dark..I was always of afraid of crossing the young lady, or saying "no", because it was hard to find beauticians that did braids.

One day in July, i was bumped..and it was in a pretty bad neighborhood on a busy street.  University Avenue in San Diego. There was this old derelict in a dirty Santa Claus suit and a grocery basket that would go down one side of the street, come back up on the other side.  What was so embarrassing was Janice had braided half of my head, when several walk-ins came in off and on that day.  I couldn't get up and leave because my head was half-done. Thus, i had braids on one side, and a huge afro puff on the other.  I was sat in a WINDOW chair..for everyone to look in as they passed the shop.  Yep, that was me, looking like a half bred pearooster sitting on a perch in the beauty salon window with tail feathers up on one side of my head.  Looking at Santa, going uuuup and dooown the damn street.  Aaaall daaaay loooong. 

Over the years i've learned to ask for "by appt. only".  If someone comes in on my appt., and the beautician doesn't speak up - I will.  This saves her from losing a potential client, and they can say i'm the bad guy.  Believe it or not, some beauticians won't say a word when this does occur.  Each client is money..and yes, there are folks that "thought i'd drop by", while the beautician is seeing clients.  Or "have an emergency"..instead of calling, they figure they can muscle their way into the chair.

I must add, that to this day, whenever i see anyone in a santa suit, i laugh a bit.

you ladies are too much!  thanks for the compliments and corrections..heck, i should know better! i'm black indian/cajun and my boyfriend is a northern italian!  those eyes..and when he shaves his head, i think he looks even better.

Thanks for the referrals, rae..i think i'll call them up..i'd like to see a beautician that sees clients "by appt. only"..it would be nice.  When the first person i interviewed said "our clients are HAPPY to give up their seat to a new walk-in." i said good bye.

I don't have all day..and i'll be dipped and rotated if they think i'm going to pay good money to have someone take my seat, and time.  I'm a business woman!

"(Curious why it was important that the couple at the door was interracial, though.)"

ahhh posted at the same time.... you answered

these things always catch my attention too (kalika and Rae) as I am a mother of an interracial child. Sometimes I am offended but I am used to it now ( I realize that it is not always meant to be offensive)

"(Curious why it was important that the couple at the door was interracial, though.)"

I was thinking the same thing

Overall though it seems you did a good job getting out of there.  Even though a lot of people work out of their homes its not trashy for when people come over, nor do we put down/take credit for other peoples work. 

Thanks ladies.  No, this is all true.  the city and state is San Jose, CA.  She's also on the internet under www.aaahairextensions5u.com.  She claims she owned 5 shops in the past, but she "got involved" with some guy and "lost it all".

I should have known better because there really are no photos or anything.  Plus some new product line called bridge extensions system that she claims she will be teaching to beauticians. (apparently, she will be opening a school to do this).  She also claims she would be opening a hair factory because she felt she had far better experience in processing hair than any hair factory she's ever "visited".   Also claimed she would be working in a doctor's office for chemo therapy patients, as well, and also claimed to have done extensions on up to 10 clients a day.  When i asked her how long it takes her to put in extensions she claimed 2 1/2 hours.  Which means she works about 25 hours a day.  When i brought that up she nixed it down to 5 clients a day.."but when i first started out.." Plus in a few weeks a "visit" to relatives in Texas turns into a "board meeting" for the new hair factory they're going to be building.  Plus in 3 weeks her house would be remodeled..when i asked if "what if i wanted to make an appointment with you in three weeks and the place is being 'remodeled'? her answer was "I'll figure something out."  great, we would probably head over to the landlord's house and hangout there to get my hair done.

And she had no idea on how to work her fax machine.  Which happened to be sitting over on the couch with the cords going over the back of it into an outlet.  Now if  a person is going to a "board meeting" regarding a factory..how can you NOT know how to work a fax machine?  Which was actually covered in filth, and hadn't been cleaned since the Fat Boyz broke up.

All true.  I sat in disbelief wondering to myself.."has it come to this?"  I found someone else on the internet with photos of her clients. The location of the shop, and the inside of the place as well.  I also asked for references, etc. And she seemed very confident with her work. I can't say i really wasted a day, i learned a lot.  And with my replies to this other strange beautician, i'm sure she's learned a lot as well.

and you are right, i don't think it's very professional to work out of one's house.  Unless it's really necessary.  This beautician said she was doing it to save money.  Heck, if you have all of this "business", why even worry about money?