Ireland

Ireland

Thursday, July 1, 2010

For the past 2 weeks, I've sat in front of my flat screen and watched 2 soccer games each day.
This World Cup has really sucked me in.
Imagine how much more I would enjoy it if I knew all the rules.

I don't even care about the hoopla surrounding LaBron James and his upcoming free agency, heck, Brazil will be playing the Netherlands on the pitch tomorrow.

I woke up yesterday and turned on ESPN. I was sickened to learn there were no soccer games scheduled.
What?
I muddled through the day wondering if Brazil was studying film. I hoped so. Those Netherlanders can be tricky.

Today I got up, walked the dogs, grabbed some coffee and took my familiar position on the couch. Again I learn no games until tomorrow. I sat there pouting like a kid who just lost his puppy.

My wife, who has been quite supportive of my recent obsessiveness with this strange yet captivating game, had a few words of encouragement for me today.
She said, "Mark, please put the vuvusela down and do something."
Those words, plus the fact I was dangerously close to attaining bed sores from my hours of sitting in one position, motivated me to get up.

I thought it a great excuse to get my hair cut.
As I've mentioned in a previous post, I usually get my hair cut at the local hair salon. That is not a place I can decide at the last minute to just stroll into. Making a hair appointment there is like making plans for a wedding. It has to be done months in advance.

So after years of boycotting the local barber shop with the barber pole outside, I strode in there unannounced this morning to get my locks trimmed.
I found some very distinct differences between the solon and the shop.

After planning months ahead for a visit to the salon, I spend close to an hour in the chair getting a makeover.
Walking in the barber shop today at 8 am had me back in my car at 8:15. That was nice.

A visit to my girl at the salon entails catching up on the family news, followed by 1/2 hour of man bashing done by the other clients who scheduled their appointments last May.
My guy at the barber shop commented on the weather, and then we listened as a customer recounted his story of seeing 3 Bald Eagles and a black bear in the town of "Bird in Hand."
Any conversation that includes the town of "Bird in Hand" just gets my attention.

My barber shop visit was quick and easy, like a pit stop in a Nascar race.
I will not be deterred from going back just because my hair now looks exactly like it did in the 7th grade.

I now have the time to study the brackets for the remaining World Cup games.

10 comments:

Unknown said...

I'm considering going to the barber, myself...just a quick buzz and it'll all be so easy...

but it will have to wait until after my next salon cut...I scheduled it last week.

For the end of July.

Megan said...

I hope you left with your eyebrows, unlike some people we know!

beth said...

like a nascar pit stop....okay, that made me laugh !

but see, now you know how we women suffer...we don't have options....you do, lucky !

but if i came out looking like i did in 7th grade....well, actually now that i think about, i'm do for a change :)

but oh that would scary.....

Sueann said...

Ha!! So you look younger now...what is there to complain about then? Ha!
Onward to soccer!!
Hugs
SueAnn

dcpeg said...

Your reference to Bird in Hand, PA reminded me that Iowa also has some oddly named towns.

During a college class, our professor read a marriage announcement as follows: "Anxious boy marries Fertile girl". I wonder if those who came up with these names ever thought how they would play out generations later.

Keda said...

that's the way it should be. I wish there was a barber shop for woman, honestly. I pay a ridiculous amount simply to have the ends trimmed. It takes about 10 minutes because I wear my hair straight, no funny business like layers or bangs or anything else. Now the ladies who have their hair shaped and phaffed over, their hair takes hours. Or at least an hour. I pay the same as them.



(7th grade for me was the end of the 80's and I think that everyone agrees we are never repeating the 80's again)

Alison said...

Hey, I can offer a 'rules tutorial'! :-) In fact, as you will have figured, the beauty of the game is the simplicity of it so I'm sure you can follow it pretty well. (The beauty of the game is NOT the diving and general overacting!) Our boys are home now. They did well!

Janney said...

haha love it!

Jerral Miles said...

O.K., O.K., You've still got hair. Now you've got me wanting to get a hair piece, a shaggy one, just so I can go to a salon to get it trimmed... just for the experience. On second thought, being able to wash my hair with washrag is pretty handy... We'll "pretty" isn't the right word, but you know what I mean.
Jerral

Dagmar said...

Hey you Mark...oh man you got me rolling out of my chair because of your hairdo...I wanna see it myself so do send out a picture please.

This is a couple of days after WE won from Brazil....YEEHAAAAHOOOO!
No cross your fingers for us that we do the same trick at Uruguay and winn again. Wouldn't it be fun that our itsypitsy tiny kikkerlandje (frogcountry is what we're called) win the games big time.

Well we'll be checking up with eachother soon I'll guess.
Gladd you're so into the games and enjoy the next ones to come.
Hugs D.