Friday, April 27, 2007

Shake it Like a Polaroid Picture

One day Jackson will be old enough to finally ask that dreaded question - "Mom? Dad? Can we camp out in front of Walmart tomorrow night and be the first to buy that brand new $400 video game system?" As I begin to form an answer to this pivotal question, I will draw from the years of my childhood when I did my fair share of playing Nintendo and Sega Genesis. With my dad, mind you. You are talking to a Tetris, Dr. Mario, Contra, and Super Mario 3 hero. Curt's grandparents keep an old Nintendo in their guest room and I never fail to challenge the cousins to a few games. One thing that helps a lot when it comes to video games like Mario Bros. is knowing where the warp zones are. Well, folks, I found a warp zone today. In real life.

I took my oh so adorable son to get his second haircut. I've been meaning to do it for several months, but every time I get ready to, he has a fabulous hair day and I change my mind. Finally today I pumped myself up for it. You know, the first time was really hard for me. I was sad for a couple of days. This time, thank You Lord, he's older and the big boy haircut fits. He looks adorable. But that's not my point.

So the salon is run by a woman who is Ms. Lippy in the flesh. (Billy Madison, anyone? Paste? On the face?) Things are a little...off. When another employee takes Jackson I'm relieved because that means the conversation will not be bizarre. Right? RIGHT? This stylist is very nice. She takes a picture of me and Jacks at the end and spends at least three long minutes shake it, shake, shake it, shaking it like the Polaroid picture that it is. Then I say something about church which leads her to say, "Oh, you're a Christian? Well that makes sense because there was a lot of activity in the picture. That's why I kept it from you so long. I didn't want to freak you out."

Hmmmmmm. WHAT?

"There were faces all around you in the picture while it was developing. I've never seen that much activity before."

You've got to be kidding me. What do you even say to that? All I can muster is, "Are you a Christian?" You know I had to ask that because I wanted to give her the opportunity to tell me if she was a witch or something. Turns out she's a believer. The "faces" finally disappear and she hands the photo to me. All I see is a perfectly normal picture of me and my son. I am now quite ready to warp out of this twilight zone. I pluck my child out of the chair and march over to the counter to pay, playing it off like the other customers did not overhear everything. Three fifths of me was thinking this crazy woman misinterpreted the cloudiness that initially covers all Polaroids, one fifth of me was struck utterly senseless by the astonishingly bizarre conversation I just had with a complete stranger in a hair salon, and the remaining fifth of me really wanted to know if they were good faces or bad faces!

24 comments:

Shelly said...

Wow! I think you did better than I would've done. I'm afraid I would've stood there jaw-dropped for a bit or either hit the floor running forgetting to pay! Hahah....

And PS - Can I tell you how MUCH I still love Mario Bros. Oh man...it brings back the days!

Big Mama said...

This just proves that they need to better ventilate beauty salons. All those hair product fumes are a powerful thing.

Danana Banana said...

Congrats on getting up the nerve to get a big-boy haircut for your baby. My daughter is almost 2 and a half, and I still can't bring myself to go to the cute kid's hair place down the street. It may take even longer now that I know about the faces!

PS - I loooooove playing Tetris. I have a really old gameboy (I think it's black and white) and the only game is Tetris. That way I can sit on the couch next to my husband while he is watching a boring baseball game, but we still get to be together. :)

Nancy Mon said...

I'm impressed with your math skills being able to keep up with all those fifths... I am also impressed that there are people still using polaroid cameras.

Karla Porter Archer said...

TETRIS ROCKS!!! ;-)

the rest just gives me goosebumps...

blessings,
karla

Military Mommy said...

Ooooooooh! My brothers and I stayed up LATE every.single.weekend having "Mario Kart" championship tournaments.

I am proud to say I am still the reigning champion. Not to toot my own horn or anything, of course. ;)

I think you might need to find a new hair salon for little man. One without so much "activity". ;)

Have a fun weekend,
Michelle

Sunni at The Flying Mum said...

Girl...unbelievable...I will always remember the Twilight Zone haircut with Ms. Lippy as the salon manager. Maybe I'll stop back in and have her take a polaroid picture of me, and see what kind of "activity" I've got goin' on!
You told it perfectly!

Murrell Family said...

As I was beginning to read your post, I was thinking that I was going to ask you where you get Jackson's haircut because Joshua really needs one! But, I think I may look for a different one. I don't know if I can have that conversation!

Also, if you need a Mario fix, I stole our old Nintendo from my parents house so I can play Mario.

Janelle and Ella said...

I will never forget that conversation. It was possibly the most bizarre 5 minutes I have ever experienced! I'm so glad I was there to witness it or I would never have understood the craziness of it! Always fun memories!

Jackie said...

I am laughing so hard... how strange. At least you handled it and got out of there- I probably would be asking a million questions! Where is a pic of the new haircut? We have to see Mr. Handsome! Sara is sitting with me while I am wrtiting this and she loved the pics of Jackson from the last blog- she keeps saying "mommy, I play with baby!" Have a great day- hopefully the rest will go "warp-zone" free!
-Jackie

Rita Loca said...

Interesting shop you go to!
Living where I do, I have learned NOT to underestimate the enemy, so, you never know! Of course there are lots of whackos too!

Anonymous said...

Turns out she's a believer.

In who/what?

One of my favorite games was Zelda.

debra parker said...

Goosebumps. Sounds like a crazy yet interesting afternoon.

Myrna said...

Oh, Amanda! You did inherit the funny gene from your Mom. You can tell a story!

It's a Mom Thing said...

That is so bizarre. Woah! Next time you're having a bad day, just stop by the beauty for a good laugh.

Lisa @ The Preacher's Wife said...

perhaps I am showing my age, but my fave was Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. Indy was a stick man...it was awesome!

And the freaky lady? wheww...I think i'd be in the yellow pages for the next h/c..

Sharon Brumfield said...

Strange very strange.
First, I think I would have had to remove little bit from the scene and then I guess I would have had to ask her some questions.
That was a wild conversation I would have loved to have been a fly on the wall.

Sarah said...

Just consider it the host of angelic protection surrounding you.

Anything else will just freak you out:)

Sarah said...

Oh! And I forgot to say that at Caiden's first haircut the woman cut him and then was mean to him for crying. I could've used some faces behind me to back me up then!

AKat said...

Oh, my goodness...how odd! What was she talking about? Weird! Will you be going to a new stylist!?

Erin Ward said...

ah yes. grandma does have quite the little game collection in that back room. so many fun times right there. but i have to let you know, we've been distracted from the old nintendo lately... because andy bought a game called donkey konga. you and curt definitely need to play this one. it's great entertainment.

life with the wisners said...

i'm sorry...what? i'm still scratching my head.

wow. warp zone. you must have some speedy fingers because we all know it takes a lot of quick clicks to get into all the sneaky unknown levels.

i should probably just stop. right now.

Holly said...

Hil-a-rious!!!

I think I would take Curt next time just to add to the fun!

BTW, I just beat Super Mario Bros. 4 on my son's gameboy...pitiful, I know. I'm a game nut! I always beg everyone to play a game with me. We looked for fourteen years for a game we played in college called "Whodunit." We stopped at every toy store and "old" toy store and flea market. Finally, I found it on ebay and got it for Chris for Christmas a couple of years ago. What fun! It's like Clue but more difficult.

Have such a great week, Amanda! Praying for your FAM.
Love in Him,
Holly

PS Monday I will post a few more pics of our 1854 home with a fun story.

FitzandMolly said...

two words for you: Lady Coggin.

i can't play nintendo to save my life. i was great at frogger, though. that might be before your time...