I always procrastinate haircuts

Pin It
The reason is, is that I dislike going to the barber to sit.

And sit and sit…

Yesterday was no exception.

I’d been looking ragged for a few weeks, and I’d contemplated going in for a haircut. The way I see it, getting a haircut is like going to get gas. Eventually you’re going to reach a point where you will simply not have a choice anymore; you’re just going to have to break down and do it.

In my case, this decision is often helped along when I have to apply generous amounts of Spike Glue to my style, and then have it still come crashing down minutes after leaving the bathroom. In all, I feel that I look like a puppet of myself made out of lint.

I contemplated putting off this task until Monday…that’s when I remembered that it was President’s Day…the barber shops would most likely be closed to commemorate the leaders of the USA.

Curses.

I decided that Saturday would indeed have to be the day. However, before leaving I needed to make sure that my hair looked good, and to shave the back of my neck. After all, I didn’t want these people to think that I had absolutely no self-respect.

I drove to the barber shop and signed in. Since there were only about three other people in front of me, and three gals cutting hair, I figured that this wouldn’t take very long.

I was wrong.

For some reason, it appears that Saturday is ‘slow haircut’ day. I’d already leafed through nearly two copies of Entertainment Weekly, as well as watched part of an episode of “The King of Queens.” I was thinking longingly of my iPod, off in some distant repair shop, which’d usually helped me with long periods such as this. I didn’t even have a notebook with me in which I could write.

I was stuck.

The clock moved cataclysmically slow as a few more people walked in, apparently, having called in an appointment. I was not going to be getting a haircut quite as quickly as I may have liked.

It was at this point that something kicked in. It’s the evaluation of time spent. One begins to question whether or not they should simply wait it out—after all, they’ve already got this much time invested, or throw it to the winds and just leave—all too well knowing that they will be back in this same place in a day or two because, like I said earlier, sometime they’re going to have to come back. It was apparent that the guy just ahead of me decided that his investment would be forfeited, and I moved up one in line as he left the building.

And still I waited.

Sometime between now and the millennium, my name was called, and I was presented the chair in which to sit.

I’ve also now come to the conclusion that talking with your barber is probably not the wisest thing to do—that is when they stop cutting in order to answer your questions. I could feel my life slowly ebbing away as a ‘normal’ haircut took twice as long as it might usually have.

When she finished, I pulled out my ‘frequent visits’ punch card and asked her to get me one step closer to my free haircut.

“I don’t do those things.” She said, offhandedly, as if merely mentioning the time of day.

“You don’t?”

She shook her head, “Sorry.”

Who did this woman think she was?

I know that I should probably say something to her…mention how I’d been coming to this barber shop longer than she’d been working here, and how nobody had ever questioned the ‘free haircut’ card. Nobody but her.

That’s when I was remembered that it was Valentine’s Day.

I slid the card back into my wallet, and instead handed her a tip with a well wishing of, “Happy Single’s Awareness Day.”

I gave a wink as I left.

As I walked out the door there was a newness of the day. The sun was streaming down and melting the newly-fallen snow. The air was fresh and bright. As I walked I noticed that I had a spring in my step. Life was good…

I love haircuts.

Nothing

Pin It
What if I had nothing to say?

Nothing of great significance?

Would you still come?

What if I rambled on senselessly for paragraph after paragraph?

Or had single words on a line?

Would you still want to read what I’ve written?

What if I was purely selfish?

Writing about only the things important to me?

Would you find yourself disappointed?

What if you were reading this right now?

Wondering, “Does he suspect that I lurk anonymously?”

Would you let me know you came by?

I do not require an answer.

I just wonder…

A trip to the Arctic

Pin It
I’d been meaning to travel to distant lands for a long time. They’d always been in my mind, but never had I had the chance to actually go…until now.

Over the Christmas Break I had the photoistic opportunity of a lifetime. I was able to travel to the Antarctic, where the world is a vast wasteland of crystalline formations, bluish slabs of ice, and potato-flake snow.

Okay, it wasn’t really Antarctica, but I did head to Utah Lake on New Year’s Eve after a photoshoot to see what kind of images I could glean if only I were patient enough. I found myself amazed at what could be captured when one adjusts the shutter speed, the aperture, or zooms in just a few more millimeters. Of course, time makes a big difference in this process as well. I’m not the most patient of people as a generalization; however, with a band like Nine Days along for the wait, it makes the moments like this seem not quite so long…





I did venture out a safe distance onto the frozen lake; however, just know that I didn’t journey out too far (there were ice fishers out much farther than I was…no panicking, Dad).

Like I mentioned before, I took an awful lot of time, and was out on the lake for nearly two hours. As I watched the subtle changes of light, and angle of the shots I was to take, a whole glistening world was opened to my eyes—beauty which was always there, just previously nestled in some minute, unseen place. As the sunlight waned, the colors became increasingly richer…bringing an orchestra of light which glossed and coated itself over the frosty ice.

Undoubtedly though, you tire of my narration, so it is without further ado that I share these images, very small glimpses of a very large lake.

Leaving...soon?

Pin It

Well, it’s been an eventful weekend—and I am anxious to get on the road.

I arrived in Hurricane on Wednesday and ended up feeling immensely flattered. Of course, one only feels stuff like this when you see photos you’ve taken blown up on the walls of a room. These were two of the images I’d taken earlier this year.

This coupled with photos on the fridge, in the living room, and other shots I’d taken displayed at a neighbor’s house, gave me a feeling of pride. No other way to put it…I was caught with a feeling of, “I took these.”

There’s no other feeling quite like it.

Thanksgiving went off fairly well with good food and even better friends.

Black Friday.

Now THAT is another story altogether. To be honest, I have always gone to Black Friday with my dad, brother, or sister. We’d usually head out at 5 am or earlier. This year, I didn’t have a desire to go. So I opted out when my friends were talking about heading out at 3:30 that morning.

I awoke somewhere around 7:30 feeling marvelously refreshed and content. It was okay that I hadn’t gone—there were a few things I’d wanted, but they were not necessary.

When I got up, my friend, Michelle, asked if I wanted to go to St. George for something she’d forgotten to purchase. I agreed and decided to stop off at a few stores to see if any items I’d wanted were still around—fully expecting them to all be long-since gone.

I was pleasantly surprised.

Everything I’d wanted—save one item—was still on hand in the store. Even a small digital camera I’d wanted to pick up was still available—the last one in the store.

To top it all off, we went to In-N-Out for a breakfast/lunch and then I met up with my aunt and cousin for a late meal and ‘catching up’ time.

It was nice…but I am now ready to return to the land northward.

Why am I still here? My friends decided they wanted to have a family photo taken so, two hours from the time I'd packed and was ready to go...I’m still here and everyone is almost ready. I would like the opportunity to head to the desert…even if it is only for a little while.

The time is ticking steadily onward and I feel that I need to have my solace in the wilderness.

The Scan

Pin It
I went to the hospital today and found out that I didn’t need an MRI, but instead, I needed a CAT scan. As I walked along the hallway with the nurse, I jokingly asked, “Is this going to be a problem? I’m allergic to cats.”

She burst out laughing and proceeded to tell this little comment to several other people on our journey down to the room where I’d have my head examined.

It didn’t take nearly as long as I originally thought; and since I went in early, I was on the road to southern Utah a few hours before I’d originally intended.

I’ll know on Monday.

Gratitude - To the Nth degree

Pin It
A few days ago I received an email from a friend of mine, who wanted to let me know that her son—I’ll call him, “Joey”—was going to be speaking at his church. Joey had been in my sixth grade classroom five years ago. He was wondering if I would attend; this would be his first time speaking and she said it would mean a lot to him if I were there.

I arrived at 9:00 to the designated address and quietly slipped into the back row, where I could see Joey up at the front. The meeting began and progressed…a few minutes after my arriving, Joey noticed me and broke into a smile, waving.

I waved back.

When it came time for Joey to get up in front of the congregation, I sat up a little taller in my seat. I remembered the young boy in my class, who years before had a difficult time getting up in front of people, and often spoke very quietly. With a lot of practice throughout the year—as well as a mother who challenged him with every assignment I gave—I watched him slowly become much more relaxed in front of a classroom full of his peers.

However, these were not his peers. Some of those present were five or six times his age.

Joey began.

His voice was strong. He looked confidently out into the crowd. He smiled.

He began to talk about how, at this time of year, he was not grateful for parents, religious leaders, good friends, and a teacher who’d taught him to get up in front of crowds of people. He went on saying that he was not grateful for these things only once a year, but every day of his life.

I felt myself beginning to tear up as I watched this young man—still able to see the boy who’d walked out of my classroom all those years ago—a young man who is confident and strong.

For this, I am grateful.

Vacation - Friday: Mac, Cheese, and Help

Pin It

Ever have one of those times when some completely mundane food sounds absolutely delicious? Well, this is one of those times for me, and I do have to say that I was not disappointed with the end product.

I made Mac & Cheese—all by myself. AND I didn’t even have to read over the directions more than one time. Yes, it really is that easy…that and I’m simply amazing! I even ‘shook things up’ a bit and added in hotdogs and black pepper—two items NOT listed on the instructions.

I have to admit that I had an awful lot of fun cooking the elbow macaroni, and even though the water I strained made both the sink and spoon feel slimy, it was fun to make something I hadn’t made since…well, to be honest, I can’t remember the last time I had this tasty dish my friends and I had at one time surnamed, “The Yellow Death.”

Now that I’ve celebrated my amazing accomplishment with you, I now plead for help on a topic which is TOTALLY unrelated.

“So, Teachinfourth, what do you need?”

I’m so glad you asked.

I have need of someone with a little more web development skill than I have at the present time to work a bit of magic. To be specific, I need someone who can do the following on my website:

1. Display images on a page and available sizes which can be selected at the click of a button.
2. Can show a page of small thumbnails images which can be dragged into a space below where they can be manipulated…meaning the order can be changed around. They also need the ability to ‘submit’ the order of images they’ve selected; also picking a size.
3. The ability to have a person enter some information: (address, name, credit card numbers) and have this information sent to me to fill an order, and the payment to go directly into a Paypal account.

I also don’t want to spend more than I have to…not that I’m unwilling to pay for services rendered by someone else…I’m more than willing to do this, however, I’ve already developed a website, and now I wonder if I will need to redo the whole thing for the capabilities mentioned above.

I’m fighting a war here, a struggle against time…if you know what I mean.

Any help is appreciated; especially if you have connections to someone/place which can work aforementioned magic.

Thanks, in advance.

Please don’t let my gratitude be in vain.

Vacation - Wednesday "What happened yesterday"

Pin It

The trip yesterday was fun, but it was a long drive as well. I was just reading over the entry I made somewhere between late-thirty and quarter-to-early and I was amazed just how eloquent I can be when it is late enough in the evening. However, don’t expect this one to be chalked full of large vocabulary and creative wordings.

The first few hours went well, there was a lot of joking around and time went quickly. I was amazed to see the vast expanses of beautiful skies in Arizona and couldn’t help but marvel at the sublime beauty before me.

Yes, I did take some photos.

We arrived at the town of Snowflake around 12:30 yesterday afternoon, and proceeded to La Cocina de Eva (which translates to ‘The Kitchen of Eva’) for lunch. It was a delicious meal and, well worth the wait; however, since we were all starving by this time, we could probably have been subjected to mouse droppings and enjoyed them thoroughly.

I had this fantastic chicken enchilada which was perfect. The beans were warm and cheesy, and the rice was moist and had just the right amount of zip to them. Overall, it was a fine dining experience and I was glad that Michelle had chosen this as our lunching destination.

After a quick visit to Michelle’s doctor, we proceeded to drive around the town and found gas, amazingly, at a mere $3.96 per gallon (odd that I would say ‘mere’ when I can remember gas being priced at about a dollar per gallon). We filled up and drove around town, the girls in search of thrift stores with vintage clothes, and myself longing for that photograph which was just waiting for me to take it.

Unfortunately I was the only one in luck that day. Vintage clothing stores were few and even farther between, and the girls were finally appeased by several stops into these horrible tourist traps. They were awful! I couldn’t help but snap some shots of the interior of said shops where everything was overpriced, trashy, and it smelled reminiscently of old people.

I was plunged back into memories of times when I’d loved to go into these places and had to emerge with something I purchased…often something as fantastic as a shot glass which proclaimed, “Seattle, Washington…I’m only a small drinker.” And beaded Indian pouch necklaces which would undoubtedly break once any type of pressure was put on it.

We went into ‘Geronimo” which claimed fame from the fact that they had—in their possession—he largest piece of petrified wood.

Hold me back.

We went in and immediately found ourselves surrounded by shelves burgeoning with knick-knack-patty-crap. As my good friend, Melanie, would say, “It looked like the knick-knack fairy had thrown up all over the shelves.”

I couldn’t wait to leave, and upon arriving outside, pictures were taken at the tepees and I even assisted a family in their shootage of photos. Of course, I took a quick photo of them with my camera as I was walking away just to post here…ah, we Americans and our fixations with the tacky.

We went to “Here it Is.” I call it that because I don’t know the name of the store, only the name on the billboard drawing one’s eyes to said shop. The interior of this store was slightly less crowded with junk, but it was of the same caliber…only cheaper.

I opted to purchase nothing (shows how far I’ve come since my prepubescent days) and we made for the freeway and the last six hours of our journey back to Hurricane. That’s when it the sound started…ka klink, ka klink, ka klink…

The faster we drove, the quicker the clinks. I pulled over and examined the back tire. Well, to what to my wondering eyes should appear?

A fork.

I was bewildered…how in the name of all that is holy did we manage to get one of those imbedded in the tire? I pulled off on a section of roadway where we could change to the spare and, before I could take the photo, the handle of the fork had fallen off.

Well, amidst jokes of “We decided to take the fork in the road” and other such mundane and witless humor, we changed the tire and then headed back to the freeway and our still awaiting journey home.

I won’t go into sordid detail of the conversations, sights we saw, and various whatnot, but suffice it to say that after several dozen photos, super gulps of Dr. Pepper, and hours of driving we all felt the urgent need for…

Well, you know.

Unfortunately, restrooms are scarce in the great outdoors, but after a time we were finally able to reach Fredonia. Unfortunately, all gas stations, as well as their restrooms—had closed up for the night. I thought the girls were going to explode, and laughter was kept to a minimum so that nobody would have an unfortunate accident.

We did find a port-o-bathroom next to a laundromat. While Michelle raced into the small, blue cubicle, I walked the laundromat door and pulled the handle. It was open. AND it had a bathroom.

Needs were met, and we were soon again on the road. It came to be about 12:30 that we rolled into the driveway, our journey finally complete four tanks of gas and seventeen hours since our initial departure.

It felt good to be home.

So, what course will now my journey take me? This, I know not. I may stay another day or two, just because I might be able to…or I might head out. Know that if I do, I will be out in the desert, and despite the allusions I made in an earlier post about wi-fi cacti, they sadly do not exist and postings will be postphoned.

Have a good Wednesday, and, if you made it this far, thanks for taking the time to finish reading my mini-novel.