Grateful Friday

I work at a salon. A fairly large salon with about 20 people doing hair at any given time. Since June, one entire side has had air conditioning problems. There was a “renovation” about 5 years ago and “they” didn’t replace that unit. The other side has a new unit but this one? The MINUTE it hits upper 90’s (which it’s done daily since JUNE) it freezes up, making the other unit to work twice as hard to cool the entire salon.

In June, I brought a personal fan from home. I have many clients in the menopausal demographic. I’m overweight and prone to the hot cranky anyway. But you get a room full of women, draped under heavy chemical capes, a head full of foil and color, sitting under processing lights…kids? It’s the female version of 300…any second someone is going to trip the hissing switch.

Fastforward through June, July, middle of August and “They” finally brought in a few fans. Two. Two fans. The a/c? well it’s still brokedown palace. And who knows what the plan will be for it’s fate. But we are all so hot. The blow dryers running (ain’ none of these bitches want to leave with wet hair…weird) the lights are blasting. We’re sweating. Clients are sweating. No way to run an upscale business…

Lest you think this Grateful entry is all negative nancy and bitching…I just wanted to give you some back story to tell you WHY I need this entry today…here it comes.

I am grateful for air conditioning.

I am grateful for fans.

I am grateful for my home, which is cool.

I am grateful for my car which will freeze a nipple in about two minutes.

I am grateful for my co-workers. We are grumbling. We are feeling ill, and woozy, and just generally bad yet we haven’t set anything on fire yet. We haven’t turned on each other. We haven’t thrown hot wax in anyone’s face or taken to eating bleach as an easy way out. We’re making it. One eyeroll at a time. We’re making Sonic runs, and water runs and we’re asking EVERYONE “do you need anything”…that’s really a sign of a good team.

I am grateful for today. We are celebrating the impending birth of little baby Duncan with a shower after work. We’ve planned it to happen at the salon, but that was before no one fixed the a/c…it’ll be interesting. But we will have cake balls. And presents. And we will love that baby when he gets here.

I am grateful that I have clients today. It’s been a good week. I went into this week considering getting out of the hair business…and now I think that was just a knee jerk reaction…there’s still instability in my mind about my future…but at least I know I really do love what I do.

I am grateful for the tile in my kitchen floor that cools my kitties.

I am grateful for this morning’s coffee.

I am grateful for this weekend and gathering in my backyard with friends.

I am grateful for being able to pay some past due bills this week.

I am grateful that we have an impending “cold front” …it’s supposed to get down to the mid 90’s on Sunday.

I am grateful for you.

I am grateful that you are reading this.

I am grateful for my sense of humor

and I’m grateful for George Clooney.