Haircuts and Facebook

Life continues to be quite comfortable here at Bella Terra. We're having great fun, mind you. There's just not much to blog about.

I'm reaching, but here are a couple of noteworthy topics.

I've written before about how much I've missed my hairstylist. Before we hit the road, I regularly visited the same stylist for nearly a decade. It didn't matter - cut, color, whatever - I trusted her implicitly. Over the past two-and-a-half years, I've sat in an assortment of chairs in various salons with stylists of cutting and listening skills that were as varied as the day is long.

When it comes to hair, there are two things I try to remember: Unfortunately, mine is short; and fortunately, it grows. Short hair is a challenge for your average stylist. It takes strategy, skill and courage to create something flattering with strands of hair that are just a few inches long. All that said, my hair grows. And, it grows fast. As a result, even the worst hair cut only lasts a couple of weeks. (Interestingly enough, a good hair cut will last much longer!) So, knowing that most stylists are intimidated by my short, yet fast-growing hair, I have managed to make my way across the country and back without any horrible disasters.

A couple of weeks ago, we were out and and about enjoying a day at the beach. We decided to drive across the state line to Florida to stock up on adult beverages. We were both in need of a haircut, so when we found ourselves in a parking lot in Pensacola between a liquor store and a Fantastic Sam's, we were on to something. Anytime you can take care of two errands in one stop, life is good!

Fantastic Sam's is one of the largest chains of franchise hair salons in the country. And, we had never been to one. So, quite understandably, we approached it with a bit of trepidation. No appointments are necessary, so we were welcomed with a smile. Within an hour, we were both freshly shampooed and cut by the same talented stylist. Unlike Great Clips, Super Cuts, or other budget salons, this woman was not pressured to finish with us in ten minutes or less. She took her time, which resulted in a couple of the best cuts we've had on the road. The cost of this stylish coiffure for two was $44, including tips. The value of discovering Fantastic Sam's: Priceless.

Now, to our second topic.

We are but two of the estimated 850 million users of Facebook. On its best days, the social networking site is a helpful place for us to connect with family and friends, share our travel plans and publish a photo a day (My latest silly idea.). To be perfectly honest, it's probably the biggest time waster we've ever known. Whatever the case, we've embraced this phenomenon and, right or wrong, become quite skilled users and learned a lot along the way. I'm pleased to report that, at long last, the many hours we've logged on this uber-popular site have provided some value to others.

One of the activities here at Bella Terra is a twice-a-week computer lab led by our neighbor and new friend Kim. I attended a class early in our stay in hopes of resolving a particularly pesky problem I'm having with iPhoto. I received some welcome advice for that issue. What was even more fun was the advice I was able to share with my classmates who had questions about Facebook. I came back for the next class and enabled (er, helped) one attendee log on to Facebook for the first time and answered more questions. Today, I made another appearance and provide yet more help. And, of course, I learned lots in the process. It was fun. For a few hours I was reminded how much I love working with adult learners. They are the best. Once upon a time, I dreamed I would be a teacher. Along the way, I had the great pleasure of doing some training here and there. It was better. And, I've missed it.

Of course, the idea of me sharing my "Facebook wisdom" (if there is such a thing) with others is a very scary thought! But, it's been fun.

So, now you know a bit of how our life has been since our last blog post. Between Haircuts and Facebook, how could it possibly be more fascinating?