great haircuts

I was on Black Sheep's blog, and if I read correctly, she is joining the this- a challenge where bloggers are to blog *every* day. Since I hadn't been up to date on my blog readings, I just now discovered this, in mid/late november. The deal is to blog every day for the month of November. Seeing as it is already Nov. 19th, I missed the chance to fully participate. But I think I will create my own, spin-off challenge and blog every day till December 19th- or longer.

Yesterday, I visited a new salon, Accolades Salon Spa in St. Paul. Nicole cut my hair, and she did an awesome job. Yes, Snb'ers, I know it seems like I always am getting my hair cut, and this time I did. I think I lost about 2 inches, and got some funky layering things going on. I love it, she did an awesome job. The way I found my way there deserves a story, so here it goes (oh, did I mention I am supposed to be doing my billing for work right now?).

Way back in the summer/spring, I won tickets to Sip, Slip and Pitch knitting night at the St. Paul Saints game. There was a drawing for seats at the game, and I must admit I am not a big sports fan. I thought, oooh- free date night with DH + knitting! Sounds good. I was the first of the batch of winners, and anxiously awaited game day. It came, it was fun to knit in a big section of people, and I won the Freakiest Fan award too for my double-jointed shoulders trick.

While we were leaving the game (early, as we had to drive to Kansas that night for my brother's college graduation at 8am the next day) a girl handed out two cards to me. I took them, instinctively. I read them and they were awesome- 3 free trips to Accolades an Aveda Salon. Wow! That will be fun I thought.

Fast forward, we drove to Kansas, and while I was driving some nearly prehistoric short squat animal crossed the road. I wished I would have gotten a second glance of it, but I didn't. I also didn't hit it, otherwise I might have known what it was (but that would have been awful).

Fast forward again, to Yesterday. DH and went to Accolades and got haircuts simultaneously. And we both looked hot, or good or something like that. It is always fun to have a good salon experience.

Just the week before I was at Litespa in Mpls. using my Christmas gift from DH, a manicure, pedicure and a massage.

I had climbed on the massage table, and was trying to relax but I smelled something stinky over the smell of the rosemary mint lotion. I was closing my eyes trying to not think about it and wondered if it was my own body giving off cigarette smells. (I do not and will never smoke, but sometimes my job takes me to smelly places, so that option was possible. ) Then I realized, that with every nose exhale of the massage therapist the smell intensified. Still lying there, trying to relax my mind began to race. How do I confront this problem in a spa? What should I say? Should I start off and say, "Can I ask you a question?" That would be relatively non-threatening, I thought. The more I smelled the faster I thought, till I acted on it and asked, "do you smoke?" LONG pause from the masseuse. The kind of pause that means, "yes, why did you ask? more than a straightforward 'no'. "A little" he answered. "Did you smoke today?" I inquired. Again, a pause, and a question, "can you smell it?" To which I answered, "yes, and I can't relax when all I can smell is cigarettes." Then, "ok, you can get dressed then."

So I awkwardly donned my robe after he'd left the room, and stood there, wondering in the doorway. I was ushered back to the relaxation area, my body more tense than it was when I had entered the spa earlier.

From there I waited, and drank what was to be my second cup of tea of four or five that day. Eventually the manicure girl came for my manicure and pedicure. It took me a few minutes to vent the story to this perfect stranger, the stranger who had rescued me from smoking man, but when I finished I did feel a bit better.

Fast forward to the end, the salon manager wrote me a letter of apology, on natural colored paper with a vellum envelope, and enclosed a gift card for the cost of the massage. Now I have enough gift card money for more services there, but it was quite awkward and unprofessional to have a stinky massage therapist. I don't entirely feel like going back there, as it wasn't the best experience.

So, would you go back if you were me? Or how would you have handled the situation?