With the era of Covid at-home haircuts over (Costco used to sell haircut kits for $50 a pop, but I don't see them lying around anymore!) it's back to the barbershop nowadays and the days of walking into my local barbershop and seeing the 2 dudes who operate them, Nick and Vong. Just like going back to dodgeball "where everyone knows my name," going to the local barbers where they know me as a "regular" has a certain appeal: a lot of businesses thrive on that continuity of having the same employees great the regulars and developing a friendly (and lucrative) relationship. It's what kept me going to Japanese in-person tutoring classes every week for probably longer than I should have: the relationships I developed with the teachers, and I guess sadly I kind of liked having people to talk to and converse with, who knew me. It's also why my dad kept bringing me to violin lessons with the same violin teacher for upwards of 10 years or so: loyalty and familiarity, much longer than the violin teacher had things to teach me. Unfortunately I/we had to pay for that relationship to continue.
Anyway, you don't find $20 haircut places anymore, so I'm loyal to this place. My hair needs cutting every 6 weeks or so (I probably cut it a little sooner than it needs to me, as MJ tells me my hair is always short, but I don't like the itchiness of longer hair tingling my skin), so every 6 weeks I go into the barbershop and it's like a chat session with either Nick or Vong. I sometimes wonder if they even remember me because to me they're very memorable as the one barbershop I go to, but for them I'm probably like 1 of 200 customers or so who walk in, and mostly all men (it's a men's haircut place). At least they make the effort to pretend they know me at least (and working for tips). It's kind of rare to be able to engage in a conversation with a stranger nowadays; it's all just Hi, hello, here's the money, thank you for your business, What floor do you need, "That'll be $46.25" when checking out at the grocery store, etc. At least at the barbershop there's a guaranteed 10-15 minute window of time I'll be sitting there (depending on how fancy I want my hair cut- for me, that means not fancy at all, just the most basic) so starting a conversation doesn't seem weird or clingy. Plus I'm kind of paying for that conversation to be honest; I could really cut my own hair, and the tip should really guarantee a conversation. Our most recent talk got a lot accomplished: We discussed the best casinos in the area, which ones were relatively "clean" and open air, and then also interpretation of different types of honks that cars give when you inevitably get honked at: a short tap of a honk might mean just a friendly nudge to get your attention, but if they really "lean on it" and extend the honk, that means they're upset. Good to know!
The shop also has some of the trashiest TV on, like the most recent Netflix added shows about vampires invading the San Fernando Valley and Jamie Foxx needing to find the secret to stopping them, or during my most recent visit, a show like Mythbusters called "House Haunters" where supposed "experts' go into supposedly haunted houses and see if they're really haunted. People will apparently believe anything, especially something with a catchy title, like the fact that a ghost called "The Black Monk of Pontrefract" lives at this house where someone was murdered. It's kind of amazing that even now in the year of our lord 2023, there are still people who watch this kind of TV and really get into it. I personally burst out laughing when the "scientists" on TV with a straight face said that because a door in the house slammed shut on itself (due to wind or air flow or a TV producer pushing it to further ratings), that was proof of the existence of the Black Monk. I'm now less confused as to why so many conspiracy theories become popular without any evidence or any rationality; people will believe anything.
Covid boosted! Another notch in the belt. At this point Covid boosters seem to be like haircuts (maybe a little less frequent), but they're pretty quick and convenient: I walked into CVS the same day I scheduled the appointment, the pharmacist took my vaccine card, got the Pfizer booster ready (I started with JNJ, but the boosters have all been Pfizer) found a spot on my arm, and jabbed in. Done. No real side effects the last 2 times neither other than a slightly bruised spot on my arm. It almost went too quick! Would have liked to chat up the pharmacist as well too. I guess I just crave attention and will get into a conversation with anyone at this point. While I was running on the sidewalk today a cat just walked up to me and showed its belly to me (for rubbing I assume?) I almost started talking to the cat. I have issues.
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