I woke up yesterday to a lovely, sunny, fall day.  Those are few and far between here in our rainy little corner of the world.  While drinking coffee and enjoying the view, my husband spotted a whale in the narrows.  So there we were, on the deck, air chilly, coffee cup warming our hands watching a whale slowly surface, breach and spout.  It set the tone for our day.

I could have watched forever, but I had a hair appointment that day, those are also few and far between and very hard to get.  So I tore myself awfrom whale watching and got ready for some fun.

Anyone who has seen Steel Magnolia’s knows about the culture of a well run salon, and The Day Spa is a well run salon.   This morning the coffee smells stronger than the chemicals, that won’t last long.  Light pours in through big glass windows and the sun is shining on the ocean right outside.  Music is piped in, modern music, popular music I don’t keep up with, and it blends with conversations, laughter and chatter.

Within minutes we are in a large, happy conversation.  The woman in the chair next to me, her hairdresser Leslie and Deedra who is doing my hair.  The fun thing is, you never know where your conversation is going to take you.  Nothing is sacred there in the hair salon.  We have discussed nose hair trims (of husbands of course), where a waxy wand comes out “Looking like a mouse.”  To discussions about what books we are reading or what TV show we are watching.  I tell the story of my daughter’s experience finding a hair dresser for her “wedding hair” in Cannon Beach, and, while her hair turned out awesome, I should have just flown Deedra down for the weekend.

Waiting for my hair to “set” I catch on my gossip, reading people magazine. Occasionally showing a shocking picture or sharing a bit of superficial gossip.  What is fascinating to me is that, in this crazy and political climate, we never, I mean never, discuss politics.  That is good, it is an escape.  The whole $135.00 experience is an escape.

My hair brighter, those grays hidden, split ends trimmed, full of gossip and laughter and confidence, I was ready to take on my day.  It was one of those fun, light and bright days.  Fall days spent at a cafe with a girlfriend, shopping for fabric I may or may not need, or at the nursery – finding those perfect orangey-yellow tulip bulbs.

A hazy Sunday morning pic of my new hair color.  I am tired and my pic shows that, but I have my game-day gear on.  GO HAWKS  (It feels sort of silly and juvenile posting a picture of my new hair?  I wonder why?)

The other pic is the whale, from a distance – the stick like thing in the water spouting.

Have a great Sunday everyone.