Yes, it's POISON. In the late 80's, I remember sitting in the family room, watching MTV with my brother and sisters. This is back when they used to play music videos. Was that a guy or a girl singing? Long hair on a BOY? bandanas? leather? what is this? It was Axel Rose singing Sweet Child O Mine. The more I saw it, the more I liked it and from there I became a total butt rock/hair band fan. I couldn't get enough of Poison, Motley Crue, Winger, AC/DC, Van Halen, Guns and Roses, Scorpions, etc etc. (Don't worry, I still listened to New Kids at the same time.) I thought the earrings, big hair, and make up thing was totally bizarre but I was in to it all the same. It wasn't really until grunge rock came around that I started to form crushes on singers so I never really found this whole look as attractive:

But HOLY CRAP have you seen ROCK OF LOVE with BRETT MICHAELS??? I now see what all of the older girls were freaking out over.

All of a sudden, this week, I've had a MAJOR crush on Brett. I think he is dripping with sex appeal and I am now constantly flipping over to VH1, just hoping a rerun of rock of love is playing or a commercial or SOMETHING.

Oh Brett, I love you.

Today was marathon wedding day. My cousin Alison got married and yours truly was the stylist--the hair, the makeup, the dress. It was so much fun! I overheard so many people say how beautiful she looked and I just stood by and thought to myself, ya, I did that! My dad put it best by saying she looked straight out of a vintage vanity fair magazine. I can't wait to post pictures! So some highlights of the day were, performing a choreographed dance in front of 350 people, sitting at a table of awkward single 30-ish year olds, and Uncle Alan trying to set me up with a married guy. It sounds like I'm being sarcastic but they really were the best parts of the day!
Dance: Alison and Eric decided to make up a dance after being inspired by the salt and pepa push it video--you tube it. So the song was a Junior Senior dity and in the end it looked like we were in the thriller video--not because we looked like zombies although maybe I did--but because we surprised the crowd and jumped in and started dancing with Alison and Eric about 1/2 way in to the song, moving all together. It was seriously so fun!
Awkward table: I appreciate the gesture here--let's put the people that are single together so that they can find a match and unsingle themselves. However, at 30 we all feel uncomfortable with ourselves no matter what because we are all thinking the same thing: there is always a reason why a person hasn't been married before 30 but I'm def not included in that statistic. So all of these people are a bunch of weirdos and I'm the only normal one. Let me back up on this story really quick. When I realized that my seating assignment was different from the rest of my family, I just about died. I knew what was coming and I was the first one at the table. Uncle Alan + his whole family was at the next table and they kept offering to have me come and sit with them but I declined saying thanks but I'm not going to fix it, I'm just going to complain about it. So as the table filled up, I noticed that they were all watching and giving winks and nods of approval at the obviously single boys now filling the seats beside me. After the table was full and we had been sitting there a while, Alan came waltzing over, leaned over and said to me just loud enough for some to hear: Tracy, would you still like to come over and sit with us? I wanted to sink under the table. I mean really, how do you get out of that??? As Ali came by to greet us she asked us if we had found our eternal companion at the table yet. I think I was the only one that really laughed while every one else got really uncomfortable. I love these stories!
Uncle Alan: The first time he embarrassed me was at the luncheon after the temple. He had been talking about some guys that he wants to set me up with and said that there was even one guy there at the wedding that they thought I would like. I didn't think much of it until I realized who it was. We were sitting around chatting when this particular individual walked by. Alan called out, Hey Bryce! Have you met Tracy yet? It was too late. I couldn't do anything but say, yes, we met sort of last night and hope that Alan wouldn't say anything more. After a minute or two of chit chat, Bryce walked away. Alan asked Well??? and I replied, He's MARRIED!!! But good try. I should have just played it off and called Alan out on the spot in front of Bryce but I was too flustered to think to do it.
Ah I love family weddings...June 7th is another one!!!!!

This one goes out to my man, GEORGE.
Dear George,
I just want to thank you for cooking my chicken to perfection EVERY TIME. It's truly amazing and I am just dying to know how you do it! My life will never be the same considering I now make chicken every time I work at Origins--where you are now living. I will never forget the day when Danielle brought you home from work and I thought she was crazy to have kept you there--not because I was missing out on you but because I wondered what all the fuss was about. Why was it so important to have you there? It was only when I started working there too that I realized how important it is to make freshly grilled loveliness for dinner instead of heating something nasty up in the microwave or spending what it takes to make in an hour on restaurant food. My life is now complete thanks to you.
hugs and kisses,
me



ok ok, YES I just worked an 8 hour shift and YES I'm a little delirious. For most people, working that amount of time is totally normal. For me it is, however, the past few months I've worked on a bunch of different things in that time period--do hair for a few hours, go to Origins for a few hours, sew for a few hours. So doing all Origins is a bit crazy for me. I'm more exhausted than working a 12 hour day of all three jobs. How is that???

I walked out in to the kitchen to give danielle a scare with my hannibal lecter origins face mask and was met with her black charcoal mask...

I took a color personality test a few years back and discovered that I was a 'white' with a 'red' as a close second. Taking the test made me think back through my life at my behavior. I've always been shy and super low key but there have been times where I've been really passionate about something and unleashed myself. I kinda thought that was cool and was proud to tell people my colors. Being red meant that I wasn't afraid to stand up for myself or speak my mind and white meant that I didn't ever do that so I felt like maybe there was a balance and I would only really speak up when it was important. It's only been recently that I realized being passive aggressive isn't necessarily a good thing. I let things go and in theory want to pick my battles (aka: avoid confrontation) so I don't pick any until the same battle builds up and I explode. I am a scorpio and born in the year of the dragon=calm on the outside+violent storm on the inside. I'm seriously a walking time bomb! Why am I writing about this? Probably because I actually had the courage to stick up for myself and say exactly how I felt before I exploded. I'm growing!

So my friend Jeff was in a marathon on Saturday morning and he convinced me to come along. I'm not really sure why he wanted me there....maybe to entertain him after he was finished?
http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=11071833781&subj=803224777
He did a great job running. I was super spiritual and read the Ensign until he was finished. Oh and I took pictures of some different cactus--err cacti? and the red mountains since we were at Red Rock.
We had to leave at 5am so I was up at 445am. Since then, sleeping in is nearly impossible. Yesterday and today I was awake by 7am. My life is ruined! Now I can't stay up late with Danielle to watch LOST (we are almost done with season 2). I could barely keep my eyes open past 11pm last night! Oh the mutiny!

So I happened to watch Conan last night and was super excited when I found out that Will Arnett was going to be on...Will is better known to some as GOB Bluth. I think he is so hilarious and this interview was--wow--just check it out!
http://youtube.com/watch?v=z8kSZ9tbxIU
Flava Flave was on too. He was wearing a lot of fur and a bear hat---yes, a bear hat. I think my favorite part was his idea of a romantic date--Benihana's and bowling. So now we know why there is a Flavor of Love THREE.

I told Kim that I was going to list all of the jobs that I've had because let's face it, I've done a lot of random stuff! (this is just for fun because I can write whatever I want)
Hair and Make-up Artist
Wedding dress maker/alterations
Origins--retail!
Hans Klok--wig lady
Hale Theater--hair/make-up designer for all productions
Hale Theater--door manager
Sperry Van Ness--admin assis
Knox--full on data entry
Hartford--sold life insurance in the bay area
Catering--love those quinceneras(sp?)
Berret Talega Pest Control--secretary. I now hate everyone that freaks out over bugs.
Donna Karen--alterations
Aleeda Wetsuits--secretary, shipper, inventory
The Great Steak--waitress, cook
Cougar Eat--ew fast food(only lasted a month)
House Cleaning lady--I cleaned this lady's house every week in Orem and my future bro in law's house sometimes...
Wolf Mountain--sports desk: sold tickets and lessons
Beach Access--retail
The Jewelry Outlet--retail for papa. I sold expensive jewelry! good times!
Luman Green and Sons--retail for papa
Luman Green Jewelers--retail for papa
Babysitter--I babysat for EVERYONE all of the time from the time I was 10 to like whatever.

So there it is. My career life. What else should I do?

I've been tagged by kim and alicia so here ya go:
10 years ago: I was in my second to last semester at byu. I was watching xfiles every week and the guy I had accidentally fallen for told me that he got back together with his x girl and was going to marry her.
5 things to do today: photoshoot with Emily, sew Ali's dress, sew Ali's dress, sew Ali's dress, and sew Ali's dress.
I enjoy: listening to the White Stripes really loud in my car!
If I were suddenly made a billionaire: I would dedicate my life to helping the orphans.
5 jobs I've had: waitress, secretary, insurance sales, admin assis, wig mistress
5 things people don't know about me: I am addicted to Lost season 1 this week. I am terrified of commitment. I don't like candy-just chocolate. I watch the View sometimes. When I was little I would get a piece of kraft cheese and put mustard all over it and eat it--my sis would make fun of me but I loved it!

I feel like every January I find myself in the same situation--kind of unemployed but kind of not. I am somehow pulling it together enough to pay the rent etc. but I can't really figure out where the money is coming from. It's not like I have a full time job but I am working and busy all of the time. At the same time, I manage to take time off when I need it and I sleep in almost every day. I don't really want to have that taken away so I am afraid of changing anything. However, I want to go to Lake Powell this summer and with the way things are right now, I won't have much extra to do that AND travel to/live in Australia next January. Oh yes, by the way, that is the plan so long as it isn't hindered by a marriage proposal. I looked on Craig's list for a job--I've been on there many times just sorta checking it out to see what kind of options I have. Every time I have been on there, I have seen numerous posts from people in desperate need for a hairstylist or a makeup artist for a photoshoot or a movie. Today, there was not one single post which was quite saddening when I'm finally in a position to apply. I've decided it's all because of the writer's strike. All of the hairstylist that should be working on tv shows, can't because of those greedy little whores. So they are out doing the jobs that people like me would do. SO not only have the writers taken away good television and left me crap reality shows(except for project runway), but they have slimmed down the job market. You know what? I think it's their fault we are in a recession! I would strike back against them once the shows are up and running again and refuse to watch, but knowing that I was missing out on Jack saving the world again, or Michael driving in to lake, or Meredith and McDreamy breaking up again, would be too much to bare. I guess I will just have to stay in this perpetual state of semi employed for a little while longer.

http://russellandheidi.blogspot.com/
please read Heidi's entry: The Joys of Motherhood. It's brilliant!

Origins School
I sat in a room of 17 women and 1 gay man today (so 18 women) for nearly 8 straight hours. My boss Colleen is super hilarious and she has a way of making just about everything funny. Not sure how it came up but she mentioned to me one day how funny she thinks farting is--and believe me, whatever she finds funny, you will too no matter how you felt about it before. So we're sitting in class: It's about 3pm and our lunch has settled and we are starting to get super punchy because none of us have been allowed a diet coke and we're staring at a slide show about plants. Someone's chair was making a noise--at least I think it was a chair. You know how sometimes when you sit on a leather or vinyl chair and you go to move and it makes that noise? Well that is the noise I kept hearing although the chairs were all clothy cushioned seats. So the instructor stopped talking as she was pausing between thoughts and I heard a little pherrrr! I look at Colleen who is sitting across from me and she looks at me and we both had these wide eyed looks of terror slash oh my gosh I am going to die of laughter! It was as if we both wanted to yell out, uh what was that??? But we couldn't and no one acknowledged it so we had to hang our heads in silence which was totally impossible! The instructor kept talking as if nothing happened and I put my head down and pretended to take notes as the tears came to my eyes from holding back the laughter. I could hear Colleen across the table taking deep breaths and hiding her face in her hands desperately trying to contain herself. I couldn't look up for fear of meeting her face again and completely losing control! Eventually I gained composure by convincing myself at how silly my sense of humor was. I am so glad we didn't hear "the noise" the rest of the class!

Ok so I have to be the most relieved individual on the planet. I took the CA state board for cosmetology and I totally passed! I have been dreading this test since I graduated from school. I don't have immediate plans to move back to CA or anything but I wanted to have the option. I'm pretty stoked!
ok so funny thing happened--this is the best part about doing people's hair: they tell you everything! I was coloring this girl's hair and her boyfriend kept calling her. She mentioned that it's usually really hard to get a hold of her but it's easy for her to get a hold of him. She said that he's not really that busy at work so he'll always answer when she calls. She on the other hand, is always super busy at work and can't always talk. So later that day her boyfriend came over to get his hair cut. She called while he was over and after he hung up, he said the same thing as she did earlier--although he was the one that was always super busy at work and she wasn't ever that busy. I almost thought he was kidding when he said it or that maybe I was being tested to see if I would keep it in the vault! But he was being totally serious! When I saw them together later that night, I just had to laugh to myself and wonder how many other little things were going on....at this rate, I'm sure I'll find out!

Hi party people! Ok so I've had a lot of concerned individuals wondering what is going on after that last post! haha how I love you all! I'm still working at Origins in Las Vegas. I'm planning on living here for the next year because A. I signed a lease B. I don't know where else to go C. hopefully I'll get hired on to another show and D. I like it!!! The only concern I have is that Origins doesn't pay the bills and neither does just doing hair--right now-- but hopefully the two combined will be enough and eventually I will be able to fade out Origins...even though we love it!
On another note, this guy that looks like Lenny Kravitz just wrote me on this totally awesome dating website. I feel like the luckiest girl in the world! This has to be the one! jk.
-kisses

I need a job. I'm losing my mind to the point of melt down. Ok I have a job and I have work but I'm working on blind faith here and it's making my insides feel like they are burning with acid. Being self employed has its joys and its sorrows. I love that I have freedom to make a schedule that works with what I want to do but I don't love that I don't know if I am going to have anyone to put on a schedule. If you build it, they will come---right?

Ok so the you tube movie of the week is this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o5nZcFIf3qc

I would just post it but it won't let me....

So how can anyone follow up this job? It's seriously been the coolest job I've ever had and I am seriously missing it. It was so wierd to not have work Friday and Sat night this last weekend. I did however get to go to Celine Dion on Friday night for her second to last performance! Auntie Mar and Andrea took me and we had sooo much fun. I love them! Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes came to the show as well and they were really cute. It was fun to see them! Big thanks to Aunt Marilyn for the big fun night.
So have any of you seen the new National Treasure yet? OF course you haven't! It's not out! But guess who did last night? ok so here is the story. So we took some friends to see I am Legend. It scared the crap out of me...to the point that I was curled up on the seat with my hands over my eyes. What a freak I am. So after the movie was over I was so scared and so full of adrenaline that I was shaking and laughing. So we were the last in the theater and this security dude came over to kick us out. He was super funny and started to joke around with us. He said we had to hurry b/c he had to go and watch national treasure. My friends had been telling him about how scared of the movie I was and so they had all been making fun of me including him. So I told him that I wanted my money back or else he could just let us come watch national treasure. He laughed and I kept pressing him to sneak us in for the special preview only for the theater employees. Finally I told him that we worked at Origins. He got all excited about the lotions and hand creams and ran inside to ask if he could get us in. When he returned he said ok let's go. He snuck us in the back! It was a really good movie! It really freaked me out though when I realized that I recognized the sound track they were using. It was none other than the same as the Hans Klok one. There were two of the songs that they used for our show in the background. So funny!

So I finally got my picture with Pam Anderson! She and Hans signed a poster for me. It was really sweet. I have to post a picture of it! Anyway, so we had a closing night party(last show was on Sat night) and my boss was sitting in this booth with Pam and the group when she motioned to me to get over on the other side of Hans for a picture. I was the first along with my co worker Maddy to get pictures with them and then only a couple of people were allowed to after us! Totally exclusive picture taking! I was bummed because Chris Angel showed up after that and my camera had broken! So I didn't get any pictures with him. For those of you who don't know who he is, he is a magician and he does that show Mind Freak. He is a freak. The chicks totally dig him (Cameron Diaz!) because he dresses like a total rocker. He does look pretty hot to be honest. I feel like such a wierdo magic world girl for knowing enough to explain who Chris Angel is. Ok here are more pictures per Cori's request! :)

I haven't decided whether or not it's a good thing the phyical therapist is in the same room as me. On the one hand, he's helped me with my back issues and I've learned A LOT about the human body from listening to everything he instructs the dancers and crew to do to treat their injuries. On the other hand, I've had to see a lot more nakedness and awkward stretching than I've ever known possible. Now don't get me wrong, everyone needs to stretch before they run out and dance on stage. This is why they have a designated area and time for 'warm up'. So why oh why is this one particular individual inclined to come in and do what Maddy and I have named the ball stretch. He doesn't stretch any other part of his body in our room. He does the splits with his bum on the floor or high in the air to stretch out his groin muscles. Today I was hunched over on the floor, combing up the hair from a haircut I had just given. I look up and I see a foot that has found it's way in front of me. Sure enough, I look over and there is a crotch being stretched a foot away from where I am. Trying not to roll my eyes, I moved the trash can in between him and myself to form a buffer and a shield. I think I'm leaning towards I'd rather have a sore back and have learned nothing about the human body.

So I decided to start taking a lot of pictures of everyone while working. I will post some of them soon. We only have a few shows left and I think we all take for granted the little moments we have working together everyday. I went up in to Hans' dressing room to take pictures of Maddy getting his hair and make up ready. In the end I took a picture of them together. Hans wanted to see it and he came over and asked me if he looked wax--as he answered the question himself with a yes, I also answered the question with a yes. He looked over at me with this look of shock and I gave him an evil grin as he said in his thick dutch accent, "you are an evil girl!" then looking at Maddy, "she said yes! did you hear her?" Then we all laughed and he gave me his email address to send him a copy of the picture. He is hilarious. I think my favorite thing he's said lately (and I can't remember if I've written this already but here goes anyway) is this: He walked back in to our hair room and we congratulated him on receiving the Magician of the Year award. He said "oh yes thankyou...now you know who you are working for." and he turned and walked out of the room.

I just read on Kirk's blog that Lance A is dating an O twin. I think I vomited in my throat. Ok now that I've got that out of the way...I have to be out of my house on Dec 2nd. It all started when my roommate sent a text saying she was leaving us on the 15th--a month and a half before scheduled evacuation of premises. So rather than letting her manipulate an innocent bistander to take her place, we gave notice. So I will be out of a house and job by Dec 8th. They officially announced yesterday that the show will not go past that date. I am thinking about staying in Vegas and working in a salon but I am afraid and nervous--which probably means it's the right thing to do.

I bought Felicity Junior Year which means my life is over until it's over. I don't know why but whenever I get in to this show, I begin to think like the characters and I start to compare them to the people around me-- I suddenly am living with Julie or Alayna and dating Ben-- err at least people just like them. The worst is when I start to narrate in my head as if I'm talking in to a tape recorder to Sally. I can hear Felicity's voice and I begin to say things like she does. It does have it's advantages. Felicity is a strong character and she says and does things that I don't have the courage to say and do. Whenever I start to feel insecure, I like to soak myself into season one so that I can get her voice in my head. Season two is just straight up sappy romantic for me so I guess that one just gives me hope in that area. I can't remember season three very well so I am excited about it...mostly excited because I know that Julie leaves the show...and she is the most annoying character. Funny enough I can complare it to my real life because there is someone leaving my life and right now she is the most annoying.

It's kind of weird when Pam Anderson asks how your birthday was. I told her about getting the 25 kisses and she was probably thinking, that's it? They just kissed you and just on the cheek? haha But it's cool that when my boss asked me if I had smoked or drank last night or at all since I have been in Vegas, I was able to say no. She was convinced that when I moved here I would start partying. It's all b/c of the ac/dc and other crap on my ipod that she's heard me listening to. It makes her laugh that I am attracted to the 'bad boy' type. I had a crush on one of the stage hands and he has hair half way down his back, drives a harley, and listens to like guns and roses. I think she thinks I'm the teacher on the van halen hot for teacher video--I'm just going to bust out one day and be crazy. Contrary to popular belief, I really don't believe rock and roll is entirely evil. Listening to it isn't going to make me go out and be a crazy girl...but that's just me.

Happy Halloween!!! It was a good birthday for me... I think 31 is going to be an ok year. Actually, being in my 30's is working out pretty awesome. I like it more and more all of the time! This week has been filled with cake and parties and costumes. I got a text message at 6am from Loofa with a picture of her brand new baby...was hoping he was born on Halloween but he missed it by 45 minutes. So he'll be a day before-er. I got a ton of happy birthday texts and calls which made for a good morning. Ken took me to lunch at Mon Ami Gabi and it was sooo fun. I did Seth's make up and hair so that he looked like the 1986 David Bowie in the movie Labrynth. I'll post pictures soon. Danielle, Kira, and I were dolls: rosy cheeks and big plastic eyelashes, ribbons, pigtails, and lacey socks.
I think my favorite part of the night was trying to get 31 kisses at a mormon halloween party. My friend Kira and I stood by the front door at this house and she stopped about 70%(only the cute ones) of the guys that walked through that door and asked them if they would give me a kiss on the cheek for my birthday. Most of them were cool with it and could care less or they were excited about it but some of them had the biggest hang ups! We're talking a kiss on the cheek...not a marriage proposal. There were two that offered hugs but no kiss. I told them to keep walking! I kinda lost count but I think I made it to 25. Not bad...25 guys to kiss you in the period of about an hour? Happy Birthday to me!

As some of you may of heard, Pam got married to Rick Solomon on Saturday. So I know the burning question in each of your heads must be: Tracy, did you go to the wedding? Sadly, the answer is no. I would have loved to be there and see Toby Maguire (SPIDERMAN!!!). I was however, involved in getting the wedding party ready and I was at the villa they got married in. I was also invited to the exclusive after party...errr maybe it was a reception? I was heavily warned against it so I guess it was good when I missed my ride in the black SUV over there! To be brutally honest, I couldn't believe that she was going through with the whole thing and I thought it was a total mockery of marriage. BUT when I got to the villa that day, Pam jumped up off the floor and shook my hand and kissed me on the cheek saying thankyou for coming and helping out! Then she scurried around trying on different outfits with her dresser, trying to decide what to wear that night. She was really excited and very happy. I couldn't help but be just as excited and happy for her! I really hope that things work out with the two of them. Rick is a nice guy and his daughters are very sweet. I think there is definate potential for success in the meshing of the two families. I wish them the best of luck!

I totally stole this from Becky's page. haha This is me cutting her daughter Ava's hair.
http://3boysand2girls.blogspot.com/2007/09/avas-new-haircut.html

Yesterday I dyed a wig. It felt like craft day because I wasn't using any of the things you would normally use to dye hair. I bought two orange sharpees and had one of the stage crew guys break them open. I put the spongy ink pads in a spray bottle and added some alcohol. I wrapped a block in plastic and pinned the hair to it. I then sprayed the wig with the orange mixture after which I wrapped the hair in straws I had cut in half. I pinned the straws now wrapped in hair to the block and sprayed more orange. Then I baked it. My cuticles are orange, parts of my work station are orange, and maybe even the floor is a little orange. The only thing that isn't quite orange is the wig. :(

So remember the mentor? Just read towards the beginning of this blog and be reminded. I never thought that we would live in the same town and become friends--friends that hang out, text, and call each other. How did that happen? Turns out, he is actually a really nice guy. He's totally someone I can be silly with and act like a total idiot and he laughs at me. He's the same way which makes it all the more fun. What's really crazy is that I actually got over the my-face-turns-red-everytime-I-talk-to-you syndrome. I once compared him to Jake Ryan from 16 Candles. If I were to walk up behind him at the dance and he turned around and smiled, I would look down and walk away leaving him wondering. So now I wonder if I can be like Samantha Baker and turn my crush into a boyfriend. Will he be kissing me on top of a glass table over a birthday cake? I guess we'll see at the end of October.

The following has absolutely nothing to do with anything I write on this blog. I am officially straying from the topic. Maybe that's a good thing and all of you will welcome it with open arms. Here goes: I am officially obsessed with Jane Austin's life and her literature. My sister and I went and saw Becoming Jane the other night and I cried. Why did I cry? It was when Jane's sister's fiance died; Jane and the mom were in the bedroom with tears in their eyes as they tried to slow the sobs of their sister/daughter. I could some how feel their pain and anguish and I could see the story unfolding of how Jane and her sister came to live together the remainder of their days in a little house in Hampshire, England. It was fascinating to me to see how there was a specific time in their lives where the course was changed and all ideals could never be. Jane never married but look what she did with her life. She wrote the most amazing stories. I can read or watch the movies about them over and over again and never tire. I can only hope that I can become such an accomplished woman. I love doing hair and makeup etc. But why can't I go on to learn photography, writing, art, music? So much to learn and do, and our lives our so short!

It's been a star studded couple of weekends for me. This girl from Holland, Katja Schuurman, came in to the theater with a film crew and was going to be in the show Saturday night. Apparently she's totally famous in Holland. I just googled her and found all of these pictures of her and the stuff she's done. Anyway, I had to do her hair and makeup for the show. I was pretty nervous because I didn't want to screw up for one and for another, I had to scrounge make up together by temporarily stealing from Hans and digging for whatever makeup I had left from my school kit. Awesome. So I get all ready for her and then she tells me, oh my camera crew is going to be in here and they are going to film me getting ready. The adrenaline started and I felt like I had drank 50 diet cokes because I was trying not to shake! Not only was the camera in there, but the cameraman, Francois, held it about a foot from her face. We're talking extreme close up on my makeup application skills and it's going to be spread all over Holland television. My career is over! Not really. Katja was actually more nervous than I was...not because of me! She was terrified that she was going to mess up on her tricks, I mean Illusions. So the more she rattled on in Dutch to the camera and did her deep breathing exercises, the calmer I became. Eventually, I finished and she actually looked pretty dang good if I do say so myself. She thanked me after the show for making her look beautiful. aahhh.

It was kind of lucky that I made her up that weekend because this last weekend, my co worker was too sick to come in to work and she does Hans' makeup and hair! Hans and I don't have the best history...we got off to a bit of a rocky start I think. I also think he thinks I'm 12 and doesn't really respect my talent. So my boss told his assistant that I would be getting him ready that night and his assistant sounded a bit wary of that. So my boss told him that I had done Katja the weekend before and loved me etc. This quickly put his mind at ease and he must have told Hans because he was totally cool to me and was even joking around with me a bit. My boss told me that he looked good that night which was a total relief. At the end of the day, all that matters is what she thinks because she is the one that is going to keep me working!

so I just got an email from Pamela Anderson on her iphone. She wanted me to have her email address, you know, just in case I need to get a hold of her. What???? So funny. I just got this picture in my head: shopping together and going out for a drink after work. ha ha. I hope I have a reason to use it at least once before this is all over.

It rained in the theater tonight...pipes were leaking so ceilings were near collapsing and walls were soaked. The water triggered the fire alarms at the end of the first show. We started the second show and it was all going fine until the emergency lights flickered on and they couldn't figure out how to turn them off. If the lights are on, you can see how some of the illusions work=bad news for Hans. So Hans called the show and went out on stage to tell the audience. Pam came out and together they had an awkward conversation about how they wished they could keep going but the show was over.
On a different note, I had to buy Pam some Kerastase shampoo/conditioner today. Karen, my boss, said that I should just go and give it to her myself. I didn't want to but I did it anyway. Karen reintroduced me as if Pam hasn't seen me and talked to me a hundred times so I felt really lame! ha ha! She liked what I had bought and told me what other stuff she wanted. So back to the store AGAIN. I shopped for hair product for three hours today. Who knew that it would take so long to get stuff for HAIR. I really wish that there was a beauty distributer in Vegas that carried every brand. I had to go to Sally's, Maly's, West Coast, Armstrong McCall, and Diva Studio, all on opposite ends of town. Ok ok, I'll stop crying.

This is Gemma. She keeps us entertained back stage while Pam is doing her bit and the dancers are waiting to go on....

All of the cast and crew were invited to celebrate Pam's 40th birthday at a private lounge area in the casino. I got there about 1am (our last show ends at 1130 and I had work to do). Pam arrived about 5 or 10 minutes after I did. She opened some presents and they brought out a big pink cake with sparklers for candles and we all sang happy birthday. We were led by Tommy Lee...no, they aren't dating. It was almost like being at a birthday party at chuckee cheese only there were no games or mice. There were gay men and strippers that were drunk and dancing about to a really great dj so it was almost like chuckee's stage show. After about 30 minutes, I didn't see Pam again. She totally dissappeared but Hans was there still so I got a picture with him. Good times.

Having a tender moment but no matter what they say in the stupid tabloids, THEY ARE JUST FRIENDS.

this is to prove how close I got to Tommy Lee...

this is me and Sophie....I look like Satan

Vicky and Gemma...funny funny girls

Since there are so many difference dance routines in the show, the dancers all get very tired and joke around that I should just step in for them. At the beginning of the show, when they are all on stage, me and the dressers stand there and watch them and try and copy some of their moves. I am hoping that by the end of this, I'll have all of the choreography memorized--just because I think it would be funny. Last night, Gemma, one of the dancers, didn't go in for the Tango because she hurt her back a couple of weeks ago doing it. So we were standing on the side watching and I started doing the moves like I do with the dressers. However since Gemma actually knows how to do it, she started showing me and doing it with me so I could follow her. During the second show, we did it again but this time I had an audience....all of the stage hands turned around and saw what we were doing and started clapping. And just my luck, the resident dirtector came walking around the corner, saw what was going on, and stopped to watch. Had there been any light, they would have seen how red my face was.

Opening night was on June 2nd. The mentor was my date which is funny on so many levels but that's another story. Anyway, we had fun but I've never felt more like I was in highschool. First of all, it was a total VIP party...I mean what party with Pam Anderson wouldn't be, right? We walked in on a path of white carpet covered in red rose petals, sheer curtains billowing around us like we were walking through clouds. When we got outside there were tons of people, loud music, and showgirls covered in feathers posing on tall platforms around the pool. We had some food and drinks--at least my date did and we walked around and said hi to people. I realized there were two levels of the party and you had to have a wrist band to go up to the other level. The other level was where Pam, Sylvester Stalone, and Amy Whinehouse hung out. What I couldn't figure out was why they would put two separate parties next to each other. If the famous people didn't want to hang out with the group, then why did they even come? It was so stupid and it made me feel like the nerd that wanted to hang out with the popular kids. Even if I was in the same party as the famous people, I probably wouldn't have talked to them because I obviously don't really know them. Keeping me isolated from them was saying that if I was to go around them, I would paw at them and ask them to be the godparent of my firstborn. What they didn't know was that all I would have done was run up to Sylvester and yelled Adrienne! in my best Rocky voice and then moved on to Amy and said Rehab might not be such a bad idea for you. But they didn't even give me a chance to show how cool and calm I can be around celebrities.
Speaking of which, I finally got to meet Tommy Lee the other night. He's totally hot in real life and when he came walking down the back stairway from Pam's dressing room along with several other guests, I couldn't help but look up and smile at him while I said, Hey you're Tommy Lee! He was totally cool and nice and said something like nice to meet you while smiling back at me with an awkward grin like ya that's me. When I met Pam she was kind of the same way like ok you know who I am so what are you going to do? Are you going to get all crazy and act like a total retard? Of course I didn't and so when I hung up balloons in her room she talked to me as if she'd known me for a year.

It's finally opening night and I can feel the stress starting to drain from my pores. Last night we had a preview which means we had a live audience. The show was rolling along fine but I was totally on cruise control--wig off, wig on, wig off, wig on. Pam doesn't come out until about half way through the show and they kind of make it a big deal with big music and fireworks or whatever. So the music is on and she is walking out--big blond hair, tall heels, and shiny short shorts--a siren goes off and all of us look around at each other like, did they change the music? Is this new? Then a woman's voice comes on saying, "A fire alarm in the building has been triggered." I start to look around a bit frantic and all I could think was wait we haven't had a fire drill yet! Is this a fire drill? NO it can't be--we're in the middle of a show! So we just waited as the siren kept blairing overhead and Pam and Hans stood on stage looking around, not sure what to do but almost trying to go on with the show. I wandered back to the wig room and saw that there were two men trying to get in to the pyro room which is right next door. The physical therapy guy said he had heard a loud pop come from that room. Sure enough, they opened the doors and smoke came rushing out. It filled up the backstage area and they cancelled the rest of the show. I got a sudden rush of energy knowing that there wasn't any damage so I still have a job but the night was over! Wig off.

I thought I would be hot in Vegas but I'm really just cold. Everywhere I go they blast the a/c to compensate for outside! So I am constantly walking outside to warm up. Today I am avoiding this guy that I've been crushing on because I found out yesterday that he is in a relationship. This makes things a little awkward for me because he's been flirting with me like mad. For example, yesterday he walked in to my work area to tell me that I looked really good. It wasn't but a few minutes later that he was telling me that he had a child with this girl that he's been with for five years. When I left that day he did a construction worker call at me. What a dirt bag!

My job is so Hollywood. Carmen Elecktra bailed out of the show and Pam Anderson stepped in. (I got to help do her hair the other day!) So when David Hasselhoff showed up on Monday it felt like a bay watch reunion. All three have been at the theater now in the past month. How silly is that? I've also seen Bruce Willis, Sugar Ray Leonard, Simon Cowell, Sharon Osborne, and Jerry Springer. Tomorrow we have another photoshoot which I'm excited about. They are my favorite thing to do so far because once we have them ready to go, all we have to do is touch up. I had one a few weeks ago and I was in charge of hair and makeup for 16 dancers. Half of them were boys so I didn't have to do really anything at all to them. The girls however needed constant primping--combing and blotting etc. Once we were done shooting them I helped with the stars of the show which was even more work but it was fun making them look perfect for every shot.

The wig and make up room has been the place where everyone hangs out. They all bring in their lap tops and get on line and chit chat. The best part of today was when the Dutch people started talking about horny emails. One guy mentioned that he had to check his email and everyone kept asking him if they were horny emails. His reply was that he had to write himself horny emails because no one sends those to him. This older woman offered to write him horny emails because she felt bad for him.
The other thing that happened was I was sitting in the back of the room making a list and the next thing I knew all of Hans’ team had filtered in, sat down and they were having a meeting about all of the different illusions they were planning. I wasn’t sure if they wanted me to hear what they were talking about but I had no idea what anything meant so I don’t think they cared. There was talk of doves though which made me very happy because of this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OysVaCCUAHA

Monday was my first day. I didn’t have to be in until 11am but I left at about 1015 just to be sure I would be on time. It’s a good thing I did because I was more than a half hour late! I thought I knew where the theater was but due to the construction, I couldn’t see it and I drove down the entire strip. Finally with the help of Ben on map quest, I found the parking garage. I was so frazzled by that point that I couldn’t think clearly. I was driving around looking for a parking space and it was so full. I kept circling around thinking, oh I will just go up to the top level. But the more I drove around, the fuller the lot seemed to be. Finally I realized, Tracy, you are not getting any higher in this parking garage. Sure enough, I looked at what level I was on and realized I had driven around level three about ten times.
When I finally got there it was very chaotic and Karen was in meeting after meeting so there wasn’t a whole lot for me to do. I wandered back stage to comb out a couple of wigs and there was Hans. He was lying in one of his contraptions and I could only see the upper half of his body and it took me a while to figure out where the rest of it was. Everyone back there was Dutch and they were all chattering away in Dutch but sometimes they would throw in an English word or two. This is going to be a crazy show.

It was only three weeks ago that I got a call from Karen Stevens, Production Supervisor for Phantom of the Opera Las Vegas. She left me a message telling me that she had received my resume from Ben and wanted to talk to me about a project she had coming up. I met with her about three days later in Las Vegas. There is a new show coming to town, an illusionist from Holland named Hans Klok is doing "Faster Than Magic" and he’s bringing in Carmen Elektra...to look pretty? Karen offered me a job to do wigs and hair for it. She wants to mentor me along and bring me in to the business. She’s won Emmy Awards and hires for a lot of the theater productions in Vegas. So once the show is up and running I will be working Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. But until then it’s pre-production so I work everyday.

can you cut black people's hair?
I'm in Arizona and today I cut and colored Deanna's and Liz's hair. We were standing in line at Chipotle, waiting to order our burritos when I heard a man behind me talking to Liz and complimenting her on her haircut. Deanna pointed to me and said, "She did it!" I was surprised to turn around and find a black man standing there. He looked at me astonished and said, "You did??" He complimented her hair a bunch and then he asked, "Can you cut black people's hair?" I said yes (even though I had never cut a black man's hair--only black women's but same thing, right?) and he offered me $20 to cut his. I laughed and said ok but I didn't have time really as I'm leaving tomorrow, I don't live here, and I don't have anything with me. He said we could go to his house as it's only two blocks away and I could use his clippers. I agreed as scary as that sounds and he introduced himself as Jules from New York. He told me that I had better not mess up and accidently cut a hole in his hair cut. I said that if I did I would just shave my name into his head. He liked that idea. He called his brother somewhere between finishing his food and meeting us outside. He handed me the phone and said I had to talk to his brother because he was saying he was crazy for having a white girl cut his hair. (I can't say that I don't agree.) His brother told me that Jules wouldn't pay me and that I should be prepared for that. Having watched Jerry Maguire that day I said, "Oh do I need to have him show me the money?" Everyone was laughing now. His brother then rephrased and said that Jules would pay me but it would be in trade. I asked, "trade for what???" Jules was still laughing and grabbed the phone away saying his brother was crazy. So we followed Jules and his friend Sean over to their condo. Liz stayed in the car and called her friend to tell him where we were at just in case something bad happened. As I was cutting his hair, he couldn't seem to let the idea of me shaving my name in his head go. He kept bringing it up saying that if I did he would have to be my boyfriend. He kept saying stuff about how he is 'real' and it's probably been a long time since I've been with a man that is 'real'. He also kept saying how beautiful he thinks I am and how we met for a reason. I kept saying that I live in Utah so it couldn't work and he finally said, "Have you seen my house? I can fly anywhere I want! See, that's me being real!" He wanted to know how he could see me again and I told him he could find me on my space. ha ha

Well it's official...I am a beauty school graduate! I finished my hours on Monday and signed up for the state board exam for the end of February. So now it's time to go back to the real world where I get to work and make money every day. It's been a nice break but I've missed having an income to waste on the frivolities of life. I'm assisting a girl in making dresses for the runway show at a hair convention in Vegas. I'm hoping this will lead me to some amazing job. This week I've felt anything but pleasant from stressing over my next career move. I'm breaking out in rashes and my skin is horrible. I don't sleep at night sometimes and I've been having dreams about weird stuff--for example I had a dream that No Doubt was playing at a work party and they wanted to audition a new singer. All of my coworkers and I wanted to try but the only songs I knew were Gwen Stefani. Either I've been watching too much of The Office or I am a closet Gwen fan--or maybe both?

So my friend at work told me that she was walking on campus the other day when she heard a girl talking on her phone. The girl said something about Paul Mitchell so my friend listened in. This is what she heard. "Ya get Tracy... I don't know! I don't care what her number is just request her! She did my hair and she's GOOD. You HAVE to get HER... I'm telling you! ...Just call Paul Mitchell and ask for Tracy Green... Yes." After weeks of feeling pretty insecure about my abilities due to a chain of events that I won't go in to, I have to say that makes me feel pretty awesome.

Today was 'ugly Christmas Sweater' day. It was soooo awesome. We all wore the ugliest Christmas sweater that we could find and had to act like it was no big deal when our clients came in. We weren't supposed to let them in on the joke but I couldn't help myself when this ultra chic client of mine came in. I was wearing a red sweatshirt with Christmas teddy bears surrounded in puffy paint. Oh the mutiny! I couldn't bare anyone in the world thinking I would wear such an atrocious beast on purpose. So when she asked if we were having some kind of a Christmas themed day, I let her in on the secret. One of the students actually complimented all of us on our sweaters and said she thought they were all cute and would actually like wearing one. There are just all kinds in the world...

I'm sorry my blog has been so boring. I just read back and wow--booooring.
I forgot to write this the other day. MJF came to teach a class the other day for the first time in months. I was sitting in the back near this girl and she leaned over and said, "Hey, don't you think he looks like Michael J Fox?" I froze--had she found my blog? Did she know everything I've written??? Had I written something about her? UH OH. So instead of giving myself up I started to ask her questions, "Have we talked about this before?" etc. After probing and discussing things I too realized as she had, MJF was wearing this one jacket that day and his hair was cut a different way and well, he really looked like Marty Mcfly more than ever. I felt a certain connection to my friend because she was the first person to see what I have seen all along.

Perms, perms, and more perms.
I had to perm this lady's hair the other day--she wanted a really tight curl so we used the white and grey rods for a spiral perm--fun. I was trying really hard to look at her in the eye during the consultation but it was painful because it was full of blood. Ya, ew. I didn't say anything about it but as I put the cape and towel on her she said, oh sorry about my eye, I poked it with a needle the other day. (what?) She wasn't sure how she had done it--she was walking down the hall and just poked herself in the eye. It was so hard to act like it wasn't a big deal and that I had people come in all of the time with bloody eyes from accidentaly poking themselves with needles. Then it was butts up when we went to rinse out her hair--she couldn't handle laying back with her head in the sink so she kneeled on the chair with her back side out in full view for the world...or at least phase two.
The week before I permed this other lady's hair who had dimentia. She repeated herself so many times that I decided to respond differently to each repeat so that I wouldn't feel like groundhogs day...wait that is what Bill Murray did. I really wanted to start saying totally insane things to her because I knew she wouldn't remember but there are other people around that can hear. It was cute because after we put in the perm solution she was so worried about her hair being wet and kept telling me that she couldn't leave with it wet. By the time we were finished, it was as if she had forgotten that her hair was wet and was mesmorized by the curls we had made that day. I really think that she forgot she was getting a perm.

This is my school's attempt in getting us excited about selling product. Sex sells baby.

Oh how I love to be a core mentor. Today I got two five minute mini scalp massages and a scalp treatment from the core students. They had to do it for their worksheets so I had to volunteer to be a model. Poor me. ha ha There is one girl that is particularly boy crazy and feels it necessary to remind us during any given topic. For example when the class was asked to name off positive things, most girls were saying things like laughter and puppies. This girl said really hot boys and sexy underwear. Oh and don't worry, she made sure we knew that she was in fact wearing sexy underwear today. Ordinarily this would be extremely obnoxious and irritating to me but she gave me one of the three scalp massages. For all I care, she can name off every color of bra and underwear she has and who has seen them so long as I get a scalp massage out of it.

Today we all fell apart for some reason or another. I think it has to do with women's cycles moving so that they fall at the same time every month. I've experienced this change many times having had so many different roommates and worked closely with many different women. It could be just me because my hormones get so out of wack, but it seems like everyone at school is extra sensitive and on edge at the same time. I think the big cycle migration is complete.
I walked up to a friend who had just finished doing an 'updo' on a guest and she was pissed. I pulled her aside to talk about it and she was so mad that she started crying. Too bad I did the exact same thing when I talked to a learning leader about something that was frustrating me like an hour before this. Awesome. So she was mad because her guest had dandruff really bad. Dandruff is contagious and we've been told a thousand times to send people requesting services away and to a doctor. The learning leader helping her told her to do this girl's hair anyway. She had to cornrow her hair--nothing will get you closer to a scalp than that. Ew. We're hoping that there won't be a dandruff epidemic at the school. I'll keep you posted.

One of my guests today wanted her hair dyed blonder. She demanded that we use color to do this and not bleach. I asked her if her hair had been colored previously and she said yes. Hmm let's see, how do I explain it so that everyone gets how nearly impossible her request was--She wants to get wet without using water? She wants to climb up stairs without bending her knees? Color can't lift color--at least not the color I was about to use. So I had to give her color class 101 so that she would understand that I had to use bleach to get where she wanted to go. I think she was ok with it. It turned out lovely.

Yesterday in our make up class, Kevin(gay instructor) made an announcement that we were having a make up artist from Ultimate Face come to teach a make up class on Thursday. Kevin rarely talks about his sexual orientation. He never says anything about anyone he's dating and he almost never talks about boys he's attracted to that come in to the salon. He might as well be straight--except that he runs around and dances and acts like a cheerleader most of the time. So when he does say something about boys it's almost shocking but then it's not. It's hard to describe. So we're sitting in class, about 30 of us girls, and he was talking about the guest artist and said,"I heard he is cute and single..." and then he paused for minute and looked at all of us giggling because he knew we were all thinking oh good then hook it up because a man in the beauty industry has a 80% chance of being gay. So he added in an irritated tone,"...and he plays for you guy's team...so good for you."

My cousin couldn't have said it better:

http://thedailykirk.blogs.com/the_daily_kirk/2006/09/luman_walker_gr.html

So I pretty much hate Wednesdays. We're in class ALL DAY long and it's really suffocating. Today during the first hour we had a 'guest speaker'. I say it in quotes because sometimes they actually are a guest speaker and other times they are solicitors: pepper spray vendors, people from banks, magazine clubs, gym membership people, etc. Then on the flip side we've had people share relevant information--I won't go too in to it. Today this guy came in to show us some massage techniques. He pulled out these wands with pokey round things on them that he would roll up and down your back and neck and legs. Some girls chuckled in the corner because it just really looked like, well not a massage toy I mean tool. As he continued on with his presentation I felt like I had been thrown in to the movie Pete's Dragon.

But after he started telling jokes about threesomes and pointing out the kinky nature of the massage tools he was using, I realized that this class was no longer a Disney movie in any way.

FIGHT! We had our first fight at school on Friday!!! And I was right there in the middle of it all! How fantastic is that??? So I'm sitting in class and we were all grouped around these tables. The new Madonna albumn was blairing from the speakers and everyone was talking as each table was deciding what block color to put on their doll head. There were two girls at the end of the table talking about something and they each started slamming their hands down on the table. It was really quite loud and I jumped the first time they did it. The girl next to me is pregnant so she yells hey! stop doing that, you're making the baby kick me in the crotch! One of the girls said Oh I'm sorry! and the other girl said, I'm not. So the pregnant girl looked at her and sneered, what did you say? The other came back at her, Don't talk to me! From there is just got worse. The pregnant girl kept murmuring things to her and the other girl kept saying things like, 'don't talk to me' , 'stop talking to me', or 'you always have to have the last word!' but the 'don't talk to me's' kept getting louder and louder to the point that she was yelling and screaming at the top of her lungs with a crazed look in her eye, 'DON'T TALK TO ME!!!!!!!!' The two girls were starting to stand up out of their chairs and get in to each other's faces when the teacher came over and kicked them out of the class. The rest of us that had been watching the exchange, had just sat there and watched, I think dumbfounded that this was actually happening. The last time I remember seeing a fight in class was in my 7th grade art class. So I guess you have to expect this kind of thing when you let girls leave highschool early.

Today this old lady came in and wanted her hair carrot top orange. I didn't have the pleasure of doing this but this 17 year old girl did. She applied the color and washed it out. Her roots ended up bright orange and her ends a yellow gold. She absolutely loved it. Somewhere in the service she told the student working on her, that if the student didn't wear lipstick, she would never get married. The wounded non lipstick wearing student crawled to the back of the clinic floor while the woman was under a dryer and told a couple of the instructors the tragic news that she would now need to wear lipstick. So they ran back and grabbed the school make up kit and this girl and one of the instructors put on bright nasty red and pink lipstick in defiance. Maybe you had to be there but it was pretty funny to watch them go back over to the client in all seriousness and finish out the service without cracking a smile.

They keep telling us that it's not how well you can do hair but how well you are with people. Creating good realtionships with people is what is going to keep them coming back in, not the fact that you gave them a good haircut. I can't imagine going back to someone that made me look like a crack whore no matter how I felt about them. Unless of course I wanted to look like a crack whore. I never thought I would want a rocker mullet and well here I am.

Whoa it's been forever since I've written. I'm having a hard time having a conversation with people I don't know this week. I think I've just been too tired to care for several reasons. I really don't care how many brothers and sisters they have or where they are from or where they work or go to school. I want them to just sit down and tell me fun stories like they entered a hot dog eating contest or how they rolled around in the mud in their church clothes. Most importantly, it's hard when you can't really hear what the person is saying because it's sooo loud in the school and it's hard to concentrate on the haircut if I'm chatting away. I need to find a balance or maybe I just need to get some sleep so I can be more alert.

We had a class on extensions today. This girl that came to teach had a thick Utah accent and a big coiffe of hair to go along with it. She claimed to do her hair different everyday--big and curled like today, straight, wavy, what have you. I am curious to see what she looks like with straight hair. Flat ironing hair is kind of a newer concept around here and somehow the Utah folks haven't quite completely grasped the idea. I really didn't know that straight hair could be manipulated into looking big but Utah has found a way through a little thing called back combing. There is one girl at school that has what we call the Utah poof. I had seen her go through her little hair styling ritual but in different parts, never all at once so I didn't really fully understand the process. It wasn't until I watched her style someone else's hair that I truly got how she did it. She starts by round brushing her hair with the largest size round brush. She then back combs all the areas she wants to have volume. Next comes the hairspray and finally the flat iron. She is able to have board straight hair that has an incredible amount of volume at the scalp. I would have to say that this girl has mastered the process. I have seen many other girls who try to achieve the same affect but fail massively. Their results are a ratted mess at the scalp with strings of hair trying to cover it. My personal favorite is when they try to have volume all around their head instead of just at the crown: it just looks like they have two horns coming out of the side of their head because they don't tease the back crown area enough. Ha Ha suckas!

Clocking In.
So we have to clock in and out in order to get credit for the hours we are at school. We were all assigned a number that corresponds to a card that we can punch in and out when we come and go. They decided to change things up a bit since there is a problem with students clocking each other in and out, getting each other hours for time they aren't actually there. We now use our hand print as our sign in. There is a machine with a hand print and we punch in a number and place our hand on the hand. This is not a time saving mechanism by any means. It now takes about ten minutes to clock in because we have to wait in line to get our hands scanned. You would think that we were working in some kind of a secret branch of the CIA. Once I scanned my hand, I was waiting for a hidden door to open that would lead down a long hallway to a series of other identification tests such as, say an eye scan. Perhaps we would be doing make up and hair for all of the agents that need to have an Alias for their secret missions. Oh maybe I would get to meet Jennifer Garner! But to my dismay, nothing happened and all that was waiting for me was class.

I'm starting to have mini panic attacks on where to go when I'm done with school. Do I stay here or do I move home or somewhere else? I don't know. I think about it constantly since I'm now in the last half of school. I happened to catch part of the show "Blow Out" on Bravo today and it totally stressed me out. The owner/manager Jonathan sat all of his employees down and basically threatened to fire all of them. The next day he cried and told them all that he didn't want to lose any of them. Then his assistant wanted to graduate to her own chair and she had to do a male haircut. So Jonathan said that he would cut one side of the guy's hair and she had to cut it exactly like he did on the other side. As she was cutting, he kept stopping her and correcting her every move. All I could think was oh crap she's totally not going to pass the test at this rate! Miraculously she did pass the test and graduated to a stylist. (She looked so unenthusiastic about it!) So I guess I was stressed out thinking about where I may end up and how I don't want to end up with a boss like that guy--so wishy washy and up and down. I don't want to be too picky about the salon I end up in but I want to like it! I can't write anymore--the ulcers are forming.

We had a class on resumes and interviews today. We asked each other mock interview questions. One that I got was, "What was your biggest challenge in school?" I couldn't think of anything. The girl asked me, "Well did you have any crazy color corrections or anything like that?" I said, "No...so far everything has gone great!" So then this afternoon I was doing my friend's hair. She had really light hair (level 9ish) and she wanted some highlights but she didn't want any bleach on it as her hair is very fine. So I used an HLP which is a highlift platinum with 30 volume. As I was applying it she asked if I had ever done someone's hair and they hated it. I said no and that so far everyone had liked what I had done. As I was taking out the foils in her hair at the sink, I noticed that the strands were looking a bit silver and purple. I kind of panicked but just hoped it was the color and it would rinse away. It didn't. I thought, oh no here it is...my biggest challenge in school and a client who would probably walk away hating their hair. I grabbed my instructor and we ended up counteracting the purple with a yellow toner and 5 volume. Magically the purple and silver dissappeared and her hair was a gorgeous blond. She loved it!
So word travelled fast around the school that I had turned someone's hair silver/purple. It is a rare instance to have to tone out purple. Usually we end up having to tone out orange or yellow. I am guessing that her hair didn't have the usual orange or yellow pigment that hair normally has. The highlift has a lot of purple in it to counteract those colors so if there is nothing to counteract, voila! purple!

This girl came in the other day for a haircut. We went through the usual questions of getting to know someone like where did you grow up, are you in school, how many kids do you have, bla bla bla. Sometimes it's really really hard for me to hear what my guests are saying because of the noise around me--blowdryers, music, other people talking. So she told me what she does for work and I couldn't really hear her so I said, what was that? And she said I am a sign language interpreter. I instantly felt awkward because in a situation with friends, I would have said what as if I didn't hear her whether I really heard her or not just as a deaf joke. So I wanted to say what over and over again until she got my lame joke but there are some people that may not think it's funny to make fun of deaf people. So in the process of stopping myself from making a total idiot out of--myself, I let out an "ooooh, okayyy". I'm not sure which would have been worse now.

So now that I'm a 'creative' student, my schedule has changed and I am in class all day on Wednesdays rather than out on the clinic floor. I'm sure most days are interesting and educational but today was my first day and it was anything but interesting. In the afternoon session, I had to highlight the sections of my book where answers could be found to future tests. Three and a half hours later, I thought I was going to stab myself in the eye with my highlighted! Ugh.
On a different note, I did learn something cool the other day. Back in the day, monks would do the 'bloodletting' on people when they were sick. You know, they would drain blood out of people in hopes that they would drain out the sickness. Soooo clever of them. Eventually the monks were banned from doing this so they would call in barbers to assist doctors to perform the bloodletting. The barbers would hang the bloody rags outside the door as a symbol that they did bloodletting or something so this is where the barber pole comes from. At some point they decided that it was better to just hang up something permanent, something that could be universaly recognized. So we have the barber pole which looks like those bloody rags. Someday when I open my own salon I'm going to take the authentic approach to my salon and hang bloody rags outside.

I figured out how to post pictures in here finally. I'm a little slow I guess. Thanks to Bek for the pic...

Dear PMTS,
I hate your school because I'm a sore loser and I can't win your stupid contests--contests that I believe will give me the opportunity to network in the industry and get me a killer job. I now have to choose between Super Cuts, Fantastic Sams, or Dollar Cuts.
Yours Truly,
Tracy

Today I wore a hat in shame. I wanted to be at school for the hours but I didn't want anyone to know I was there. So I hid under my little pink hat and stayed in a room where no one I talk to ever goes, for the better part of the morning. Pretty soon I got a text from someone wondering where I was. I was twenty feet away.
Pretty soon I realized that there were several other students feeling the same way as I am--that we were competing in a totally different contest based on who won.
I also realized today that I have been putting all of my energy into my hair life to the point that it is my relationship. Yes, I am dating my future career. So when I lost this contest, it was rejecting me, dumping me, breaking up with me. After doing three haircuts, two eyebrow waxes, and a hair color this afternoon, the devastating feelings eventually went away. If only I could get over getting dumped by a dude this fast and this easily.

I totally lost. I just cried in my room, sobbing cries, for an hour. How pathetic and sad am I? When it comes down to it, I feel like I was competing in a completely different contest based on who won. They picked three models that were totally wacked out all crazy with colorful hair. Last I checked, that isn't what people want when they want a make over. If they wanted us to do something creative and artistic, why couldn't they have just told us that? I'm also wondering why those that did do that, got one memo and me and the other make over people got another. I'm so pissed that I really want to quit school.

Today was totally nuts but the contest is over and we find out on Monday who won. I'm going to be in knots all weekend now. I'm actually not going to find out until Tuesday because I don't have school on Monday and I don't want to call the school or go all the way down there and find out that I lost. I don't think I could take the rejection like that. I would rather find out in a more subtle way where no one around knows when or how I'm finding out. I must say that my make over was incredible. She looked like a completely different person but in a good way. Everyone that saw the before picture was totally astounded at how good she looked. So I guess if I lose, I still won the satisfaction of making someone look more beautiful and to me that is a fantastic reward.

Ok so there is this contest at school to go to a hair convention in vegas at the end of july. They are picking three students to go. In order to win you have to do the best make over on a person. Initially I was told that we would have to cut, color, do makeup, and wardrobe in four hours. No problem. Now let's talk about how everything has gone wrong and then fixed itself at the last possible second.
My model cancelled on me. I have been scrambling to find someone that would allow me to do whatever I wanted on them. It's been really tough and very stressful but finally, today, two days before the contest, I have a model! You can't imagine the relief! I've been freaking out for 3 days, losing sleep even.
So I guess it would make sense that I almost broke down in to tears today when they told me that all Saturday students participating, would have to find a sub for them to cover the clients they would normally have to take on a Saturday. "We can't turn away paying clients for this contest." It's nearly impossible to find someone to sub for you on a Saturday...especially when you only have two days notice. Why didn't they tell us this earlier???? I told the front desk person that I was about to say the F word. I miraculously found a sub.
So they decided that we could do the color ahead of time if we wanted but there were no specifications on it. I found out today that the color had to be done ahead of time. I couldn't just do it earlier in the day, I had to do it at least one day ahead of time. Once again, it was a miracle that my model had a small window of time open in the day at the exact same time that I do tomorrow so we can color her hair then.
I am seriously on guard, wondering what horrible thing is going to happen next. I'm really worried that they are going to come up with something else that will prevent me from going forward on this.
I can't help but wonder if maybe I am not meant to be in this contest? Everything is going so wrong? Or maybe I need to look at the glass as half full and everything is going right and I need to relax now!

So the mentor graduated and moved back to Vegas. While passing through there, I stopped to have lunch with a friend that knows him. She decided it would be funny to text him and tell him that I was in town and wanted to make out with him. It actually was kind of funny but awkward at the same time. The other day he was doing her hair and he told her to text me and tell me hi. So it continues from afar. One day I'll move there and we'll have a torrid love affair.
I can't remember if I clarified this already so I'll do it again... There are two crushes that I have written about in this blog: The mentor is a student, one of several mentors I had when first starting school. MJF or Michael J Fox is a teacher that works at a nearby salon and teaches classes at our school once a month. So don't be confused--there are two and I go back and forth on having a crush on each of them.
School has been pretty slow lately: there haven't been very many guests in and a lot of the students are on leave for the summer. So I don't have very many stories because most days I sit at a station and roll perm rods on my doll head. I will say this, however: I hate it when new students come out on to the floor. They really don't know what they are doing and it's really obvious. I had to wait 40 minutes the other day to use the wax because this girl was doing an eyebrow and lip wax on someone. She kept stopping to look up at me and laugh like- I'm sorry I'm so nervous and retarded. I wanted to say just put on the wax and wrip out her hair already! Yes it's going to hurt her but she knows that! She put herself in this torturous position so just get it over with! But I didn't.

I did my first perm on a live human today and my fingernails wreak of perm solution still. She was an older woman--she had to be at least 85 and she tipped me $2. It took about three hours to do but it was fantastically curly in the end. She had me put on her 'fanciful rinse' in the end. Fanciful rinses are temporary hair colors for old ladies. They only stay in until you wash it again. These are the explanation for the old ladies with blue, silver, purple, or pink hair: colors that are very close to natural colors initially but look very fake and unattractive to the younger eye. They love it. They carry bottles of it around in their purses. It's funny how old ladies like permed, shampoo set, curled, unnaturally dyed hair. They have their own hair trend just like every other generation does. I can't help but wonder what they think when they look at younger women's board straight hair. I also wonder if they like 80's punk rock hair. What would they do if they had control of all of our hair? Would we be just a sea of greyish bluish pinkish teased out football helmets?

I keep having dreams about the mentor lately. In one dream, I flew to London in a car--kind of like the delorian--and I ended up in a bar somewhere with some people from school. There were magazines on the table we were sitting at and I began to flip through one. I found a really cool haircut in one and I started freaking out over it. The mentor was standing across the way and he wandered over and started singing the BeeGees to us. In the next dream, all I remember is him coming over to return something he borrowed. He was acting really wierd and shrugging his shoulders and lifting his arms up all funny. In the last dream, he came over to my station to help me with a hair cut. I had cut it like I wanted but I couldn't figure out how to style it so he came over to show me. He found some places that I had messed up on and so I all of a sudden blamed it on someone else and told them that it wasn't me that cut it and I was just trying to style it.
The end

I just realized that the mentor is like my own Jake Ryan(Sixteen Candles). Remember when they are at the dance in the highschool gym? She rehearses what she is going to say to him and walks over to talk to him. She is about to tap him on the shoulder but gets really embarrased so she turns around. After a couple of seconds she finds her courage to turn back around and he is looking at her with a friendly smile and he says hi. She just looks at him for a minute and then walks off. This is how I feel with every single encounter I have with the mentor. I'm so flustered by him that I just want to walk away. So far I haven't but I've gone through many red faces in fighting the fluster. I haven't felt like this since the 9th grade when I had a crush on Fred Brayton. I was with my friend Carrie and her mom at the video store and in walked Fred and his friends. I was still in my soccer gear from practice and I just looked a sight. I had to say hi though because we were friends. So I said hi Fred and looked down at some movies and played with my bangs before he even turned around. Carrie and her mom were trying desperately not to laugh because apparently since I had looked down so quickly, Fred was looking around all confused to see who had said hi. I'm starting to wonder if I'm reverting back to highschool me. The fact that I just compared this to a highschool crush is the reason why this is so lame.

Ok this is totally non beauty related but did I miss something? When did Carson Daly become a comedian? I'm sitting here playing my nightly solitaire marathon and there on the TV is Carson with a whole opening monologue full of lame lame jokes. He even has a desk with a mug and he is wearing a suit. I guess it's been a while since I watched his lame lame show. Last I watched he had a couple of modern looking chairs that were so low on the ground it was like they were sitting on the ground and he would wear jeans and a whatever shirt. He was never ever funny in his interviews--he was ALL business and his questions were almost always very surface and very boring. What is the world coming to when they put a radio dj turned vj turned late night talk show host into a comedic late night talk show host? Seriously, I don't get it. What is next?

I love it that my hot friend Jason came in for a haircut today. Everyone thought for sure that he was my boyfriend. Maybe they saw the incredible chemistry that we have. Now all we need to do is get rid of his sometimes x and sometimes girlfriend. Yeah, they are one of those couples that breaks up and gets back together everyday. Stupid!
On a different note, the Mentor and I have been head to head in service sales for the month of January. By service sales I mean how much people spent on us cutting, coloring, etc their hair. On Thursday I discovered that I was only $70 behind but unfortunately, I couldn't close the gap enough...I came in $30 behind. Dang.

Will someone please just let me shave lines on their head? I'm about to do it on myself just so everyone can see how cool it is. I was trying to convince one of my learning leaders today that he should let me shave lines on his head. I mean, he already has the perfect mohawk! The lines will add so much to it! He wasn't convinced and he was laughing and I buckled over in laughter just as someone was opening a drawer and I hit my head which made us all laugh even harder. Between that and the nasty pole dancing in the middle of the hair cutting floor, it was a good day.

Well, you just never know about people and what they do in their spare time. I was pretty thrown off today when I learned about my new gay friend's extra curricular activities. Never in my wildest dreams would I have imagined it but it turns out, I am in love with the fact that I go to school with a gay male synchronized swimmer. He is a member of QUAC: Queer Utah Aquatic Club. This guy is so out of the closet that he is completely outside the house. He embodies the Jack of Will and Grace or the Queer Eye for the Straight Guy hosts. It's like they are gay but they aren't hiding it to any degree and they aren't afraid to joke around about it. There is a complete security in their sexual orientation and no matter how many times they are called a homo or a fag, they don't care. They will agree with you wholeheartedly! I find it fascinating and I can't wait to see my friend gracefully swimming to Michael Jackson in his designer synchronized swimming suit.

They keep telling us at that as a hairstylist, we will hear it all. We even had a professional counselor come in and talk to us about how to deal with this. A stylist's chair has the same powers as a couch in a psychologist's office; once a person sits in it, they will unleash all of their deepest innermost secrets. I have to admit that I have experienced this a couple of times but I had no idea how it could work to my advantage until today. I have been hanging out with this dude and no one knows about it. Someone that knows him and a girl that he recently dated, sat in my magical chair today. It's amazing how much you can find out when you play dumb. I am Satan.

The other day we had a guest from the corporate office. It was supposed to be a class about color which is weird because she isn't a licensed hairdresser. She ended up talking about a seriously intense issue. Ok well it wasn't at all serious or intense to me, it was totally wierd. Apparently professional hair products are only sold in salons and if you see them in other places like a grocery store or walmart or whatever, it's a counterfeit product. Part of her job is to stop the selling of these products in non salon retail stores. The thing that's so funny is that it's not so much that the shampoo may be counterfeit because a lot of times, it's not. The thing is that these places like Target and Walgreens, are more times than not, buying the products from salon retailers. The salon retailer sells it to them at just above cost so that they make a small profit. So why don't they sell directly to Target and the like? Because they want stylists to educate their clients on the right product to buy and make the profit. So this lady was standing up there talking about all of this, swearing, rolling her eyes. I've never seen anyone more pissed off about shampoo. It was brilliant.

The other day we had a guest from the corporate office. It was supposed to be a class about color which is weird because she isn't a licensed hairdresser. She ended up talking about a seriously intense issue. Ok well it wasn't at all serious or intense to me, it was totally wierd. Apparently professional hair products are only sold in salons and if you see them in other places like a grocery store or walmart or whatever, it's a counterfeit product. Part of her job is to stop the selling of these products in non salon retail stores. The thing that's so funny is that it's not so much that the shampoo may be counterfeit because a lot of times, it's not. The thing is that these places like Target and Walgreens, are more times than not, buying the products from salon retailers. The salon retailer sells it to them at just above cost so that they make a small profit. So why don't they sell directly to Target and the like? Because they want stylists to educate their clients on the right product to buy and make the profit. So this lady was standing up there talking about all of this, swearing, rolling her eyes. I've never seen anyone more pissed off about shampoo. It was brilliant.

Ok so yesterday was fantastic. It was a dream or something out of a movie. We found out that our favorite hot teacher was teaching our afternoon class. Over lunch the girls were all commenting that they hoped he would teach us something cool that day. I said, "I just hope that he makes out with me." They were all silent and staring at me like they had never heard me profess my love for him before. So I sheepishly said "Uh...did I just say that out loud?"
In class we split up in to groups with a dollhead and scizzors. We were to come up with something that inspires us and then create a haircut according to it. So the teacher--MJF--cruised around the room to observe our progress. I was cutting the dollhead's hair when he came over to our group. He walked up behind me and watched for minute. Then he got behind me oh so very close and put his left hand on my back and right hand on my arm and adjusted my cutting position. It was so erotic. Just kidding. It was right out of a movie though--like he was Patrick Swayze and I was Demi Moore and we were going to start making out any second. Only instead of clay, hair clippings. Ew. I hope he doesn't die and come back to me in Whoopi Goldberg.

My friend has super super fine hair and she decided to bleach it from the red that we had just put in it two weeks previous, to a platinum blond. I deep conditioned it and when we were all finished I felt it and it felt like mush--the kind of mush that we've been learning about in classes. It means that your hair is toast. So in order to restore it to something, our instructor went and found something special to put in it. When he brought out the bottles, I jokingly asked if it was V05 hot oil. He looked at me as if I had swore at him. It was funny. It was actually protein. I know what you are thinking and no we didn't rub ground beef all over her head. Although that is what we were pretending to do and so we were giggling the whole time we were at the shampoo bowl. So the stuff kind of worked. Her hair felt 150% better but unfortunately it still wasn't enough. The damage was so extensive that when we blow dryed it out, the ends of her hair were falling off! So the moral of the story is, kids, use bleach with care.

Suspensions. You would think that once you were out of highschool, the fear of suspension would be dead and gone. Somehow this institution of hair has managed to keep it all very much alive. There is a large binder that they keep with a suspension history card for each student inside. Anytime you break a rule and get caught, your time card is pulled so you can't clock in for hours and you have to see a teacher to get it back. The teacher pulls out this binder and reviews your suspension history and then decides whether or not to suspend you or give you a warning for the offense. Someone stole the binder so no one has been suspended for the last couple of weeks thus resulting--how can I describe it?--maybe in backorders of suspensions? Apparently the suspension book had been recovered or recreated so today nearly half of the school had their time cards pulled. There was a line of students that wrapped around the building. I had to wait for an hour and a half--turns out I was ten minutes late on a Saturday. They would have had no idea had I not called in but silly responsible me called in to say I was late and I was punished for it. Sweet huh. I wish I could go through all of the ridiculous reasons that you can get suspended but that would take all day. My favorite one was: Curling another students hair. What??? Aren't we in hair school? Shouldn't we be practicing? I guess I understand why we are forced to assist when we leave school. We aren't allowed to actually do hair until we leave school.

So this guy from Scotland came in the other day to get a haircut. He was seriously soooo cool. We talked all about Scottish people and Europe. It was fun. He is married so its not like our relationship can go beyond client status but he made it sound like he is a pretty good representation of the Scottish people so I decided that I want to move to Scotland. What do I have to lose? They have fantastic accents, funny sense of humor, good taste in fashion, and they are genuinely nice and friendly. My favorite thing that he told me about was how people don't date a lot of people at the same time. If I guy was to go out on dates with more that one girl in a week, he would be considered a player! ha ha. Imagine if BYU was in Scotland!