The Downtown Beauty Shop

Ah..the beauty shop.

Well...we certainly don't call it that anymore..now it's a spa or salon...

Styles change...but women don't.  We do enjoy our time together, getting all gorgeous :)

A short time before I actually moved into the condo, I was walking past my building, showing The Short One where I'd be living...when I noticed the salon operating out of my building at street level.  Right next to Tim Hortons. 

....insert choir of angels....

La Jolie Femme. 

The first place I went to after I had officially moved in.

They do hair, manicures, pedicures, facials, massages...they do it all baby!

Here's the link...plug, plug, plug...La Jolie Femme

But it's not just WHAT they do is the ladies themselves.  They remember your name and they hug and kiss you and they absolutely dote all over you as they pamper you...and I do like to be doted upon :)  What can I say?

Last night I went in to have my hair done.  I was greeted with a big hug and warm smile, as usual.  Nina put me in a chair and I started chatting with a young girl who was sitting beside me.

And this is actually where I'm going with all of this.  Women are women are women...and The Beauty Shop doesn't change, no matter what the year or the location. 

You would expect a bunch of snootball hoity toity nose-in-air women in a downtown spa.

....but oh no...

The young girl was gorgeous..  She had moved to Canada from Polysesia about 3 years ago.  A young mother of 2 babies..her husband has a nanny come 3 days a week to give her a break and she always visits the ladies at La Jolie Femme.  She has no other friends...isn't that sad?  She had brought some Collett Cards and we all giggled as we took turns reading predictions. 

My new young Poynesian friend kissed me goodbye when she left.  How cute is that?

Another lady about my age came in .. turns out she lives in the suite directly above mine!  How about that?  She's an avid shopper with a fantastic sense of humour...There's a store she keeps going into though she vows each time she's not going back...because she can't spend less than $1000 in there. 

Good gawd

She was sporting a new pair of flip flops adorned with a massive pretty jewelled flower..and she let one of the girls try it on...  We talked ex-husbands and kids and hair as Nina applied colour to her roots.

Then she grinned her pretty grin, pointed a finger at me and told me not to leave until she was done her massage as she was led into the back.. 

This little gem of a salon is like girl heaven..we all relax, enjoy one another, laughing and giggling!  When we leave, we leave relaxed, happy, beautiful, and with new friends.

It's true...the nanny scenario and $1000 shopping sprees are signs of lifestyles beyond what most of us have, but they are just people.  Women, that love to be pampered, to laugh and have fun...and they get lonely and need time with friends that care, relate and understand, just as much as every other woman.  The local beauty shop provides just that.

Women are women are women

:)

Fairy Butts and Meatballs

Saminator has such an great sense of humour.

A couple of years ago, that clever little boy looked in a mirror when Dad pointed at it.  Dad said "look at the monkey!"  grinning at his own joke.


"All I see is an Incredible Hulk" said the cheeky 4 year old, without cracking a smile nor missing a beat.

Atta boy!

On Sunday we had dinner at my parents' place in Hagersville.

That's Hay-gers-ville, not Hah-gers-ville...for all you big city folk.

:)

Mom served a fantastic smorgasboard of culinary delights.  Among them, was a casserole that had penne noodles, tomato, onion, mushroom..and chick peas, there was salad, meatballs, sausages....it was awesome!

However, the now much more mature 6 year old Saminator, had never seen chick peas before.

"They look like bare butts!"

He's right...they do. 

Mom suggested parmesan cheese would make them taste better and he sprinkled some on.  He gave the lid of the cheese shaker a lick with his tongue before setting it down.

And recieved a mild scolding...that's pretty gross dude.

His little face dropped a bit and I leaned over to whisper..."you are right, they do look like bare butts.  Little fairy butts..."

He giggled and picked up his fork.  The cheese didn't help...he simply doesn't like little fairy butts.

That's okay.

I still like the imagination :)



Funny...smart...creative... 

My little man.

Nothing beats watching your little ones grow!

It's Peanut Butter Jelly Time

OMG it's so good...

What is it about peanut butter and jam sandwiches?    Brings me right back to lunchbox days..that squished delight that smelled like bananas because mom happen to pack a banana too...

Kinda gross actually

But it stirs up several sensory memories from childhood.

The smell of the ink from the old style copies the teachers would run off.  Remember those?  They were more purple than black and the smell was unmistakably chemical.  That had to be good for a kid...

We survived :)

The sound of kids hollering and playing, skipping ropes tapping the ground, balls smacking gloves or swooshing hoops.

Feeling the hot sun..and not feeling the cold water..

Gawd I miss being 10.

Few worries, lots of play...

Although...it's kinda still the same.

I do work in a big 'ole dirt pile, and building a water treatment plant is kinda like Legos.

Today the fitter superintendent had a birthday so I brought an ice cream cake.  The Work Brothas sang him happy birthday and they shared.

It was nice.

Picture that a minute...

When we were kids we'd all spin around in circles until we fell down, dizzy as hell.
Now we just partake in adult beverage consumption.  It's similiar.  Less energy required.

Tomorrow we're all meeting after work to play baseball...expect full report Thursday...

I suppose when you start examining things, there's not much difference.

In fact, I might as well face it...all I do is count things and colour all day....

And eat peanut butter and jam sandwiches.

Play nice, share and smile often kids.