Tag Archives: Great Clips

Last Thursday Rundown As a Bachelor

Posted on by
1

It is June and that means it is our WEDDING MONTH. Tonight’s Thursday Rundown will also be my final one as a bachelor. Here we go with the topics…

Ice Cream Disappointment – This past weekend, Myrtle Beach was home to Bike Week. Taking place every Memorial Day weekend, thousands of bikers come to the city to have some fun. Sidney and I decided to observe the spectacle by watching the participants go up and down the busiest street in Myrtle Beach from the back of Sidney’s vehicle. To make the experience more enjoyable, we stopped at Kirk’s Ice Cream Parlor to get a treat to enjoy while we watched the motorcycles cruise by. I couldn’t resist getting this flashy cone with birthday cake ice cream. Unfortunately, while the ice cream itself was good, the cone looked better than it tasted.

This was the ice cream cone I ate from Kirk's Ice Cream Parlor this past Friday.

This was the ice cream cone I ate from Kirk’s Ice Cream Parlor this past Friday.

Back on the Air – Our television/web show at Coastal Carolina University, Coastal Now, came out with a new episode recently. That meant I was back on the air with my segment! In this latest show I talked about our award winning “Inside the Classroom” social media campaign. To watch me give you the low-down, just click here.

Watch my latest Social Circle segment on Coastal Carolina University's Coastal Now program.

Watch my latest Social Circle segment on Coastal Carolina University’s Coastal Now program.

Interesting Dear Abby Question – Although I did find the below question interesting, I still found Abby’s answer obvious. If you and office mates or a significant other set a spending limit for a gift exchange, it means you spend as close to that amount as possible. If I have a $20 limit to buy my brother something, I am doing everything I can to make all 2,000 pennies stretch as far as possible. If you are able to buy a $20 item for $10 then buy two of that item (or use the remaining $10 on something else). In my opinion, a spending limit is based on actual money spent, not the actual retail price of something.

Although I found the question interesting, I thought the answer was very obvious.

Although I found the question interesting, I thought the answer was very obvious.

Major Haircut Change – Most people know I pride myself on going to Great Clips for every single haircut I get. However, with my big day coming up I decided to my wedding haircut at an actual reputable salon. Yesterday I went to Madison Avenue Salon, a place right next to where I live. When I told my stylist that I usually just go to Great Clips, she responded, “I wouldn’t wish that on anyone.”

The time she took and the hair styling tools she used definitely made me realize that there is a certain difference between a place that sets a goal to cut as many heads of hair as possible in the least amount of time versus a professional salon where the goal is to actually make you look good (not that I am saying I look good by any means). Thanks to Hailey for cutting my hair!

How about a quick lunch hour selfie to show off my haircut?!

How about a quick lunch hour selfie to show off my haircut?!

Wedding Update #35 – What can I say, we are almost there! Sidney and I had the distinct honor of meeting with Fr. LeBlanc, the priest who will marry us on June 11. Aside from the rehearsal a week from Friday, we have now done all the prep work for the ceremony/spiritual part of our wedding. Let me say this: when it comes to marriage preparation, the Catholic Church is incredible. I don’t think we could be anymore ready for this commitment.

I talked with our DJ today and earlier this week I sent out information packets to my groomsmen. Sidney, her mom, and sisters are extremely busy doing all the necessary tasks that can really only be done a couple weeks before the wedding. This upcoming Saturday evening, Sidney will be treated to a bachelorette party. Then Monday will roll around and my family will start arriving from out west! What a blessed time it is.

————————-

I will be back Sunday with a special blog post and then that could very much well do it for the next two weeks as we get married and go on our honeymoon. As always, thanks for your readership. Have a fantastic weekend. Don’t Blink.

An Awkward Episode at Great Clips

Posted on by
3

Yesterday morning I went to Great Clips to get a haircut. I checked in and had a seat. After about five minutes of waiting I watched a boy leap off the stylist’s chair while his dad paid for the service. They then left the shop. About two minutes later an agitated larger woman swung open the doors and approached the front counter…

“I wanted my son to get a haircut, not a BUZZ CUT,” the woman angrily exclaimed.

The manager on duty listened to the woman’s complaints: Her son’s hair was cut short, it didn’t look like it did last time it was cut, it didn’t resemble the picture of the male model that was hanging up in the salon behind where I was seated, etc. The woman made a big show as she moaned and paced back and forth in the waiting area while pleading her case.

One of the stylists came to the aid of the manager and started to listen to the woman’s gripes. This employee calmly told the disgruntled mother that they gave the exact same cut to the boy that was described in the computer from his previous visit. In fact, the explanation given by the boy on what he wanted matched the records in the computer exactly.

Of course this didn’t appease the woman who again complained that the haircut looked nothing like what he got last time. Then, again, she flung a frustrated arm at the photo above my head and whined, “I wanted it to look like that.”

The stylist told the lady that the clipper setting that the boy requested and that was recorded in the computer didn’t come close to matching the hair of the dude in the framed photo. The reasoning didn’t satisfy the mom. She continued to argue with the stylist and question the competence of the employees. Mind you, this Great Clips that I go to is always packed. As the noon hour was approaching there were about 10 stylists working and they all had customers in their chairs (except for the one dealing with the woman). The waiting room was full. Everyone was watching this unfortunate tantrum. I debated videoing it with my iPhone but decided I would just write about it instead.

“But I wanted his hair to look like that photo,” the woman groaned for what seemed like the 20th time.

The lady finally stormed out. The stylist who had received the brunt of the mother’s wrath now had to get back to cutting hair. She called my name to come back.

Realizing that she probably still needed a couple minutes to gather herself, I just quietly told her that I wouldn’t be as hard on her as the woman was. She sat me down and put my haircut cape on. She then had to answer to another employee about the exchange that just took place. Then, after taking a deep breath, she asked me, “Do you know how you want your hair to be cut?”

“Exactly like that picture,” I teased.

She busted out laughing.

Driving to church with my new haircut!

Driving to church with my new haircut!

————

I have written before about how Great Clips is the only place I go to get a haircut. However, I make it my hair destination because of convenience. I don’t go there thinking I am going to get a movie star makeover. Sure, simple standards should be held by customers when they go to a place like Great Clips. However, thinking that their son’s hair will turn out exactly like that of a photo of a model hung on the wall is not realistic. To throw a tantrum about it is ridiculous.

Would you believe that the woman came back in again? This time she brought her son back with her. The poor stylists tried to do everything they could to make the mom happy. They sat the boy back down in a stylist’s seat (right next to me! Luckily my stylist didn’t have to do damage control again) and fiddled with his hair more. As the mom complained about how unprofessional this particular Great Clips was I shot glances at my stylist through the mirror expressing how sorry I was.

The only other person I had more sympathy for was that poor boy. I can’t imagine how embarrassed he was to watch his mom act like that and to be brought back inside the shop for a second time.

I don’t think it is appropriate to get too worked up about a haircut at Great Clips. We need to have realistic expectations and keep in mind that we get what we pay for. Don’t Blink.

The Insignficant Five

Posted on by
Reply

Thank you all for joining me for another Thursday. As usual I have prepared five topics to breeze through. Here we go!

First Time Doing This in South Carolina: Yesterday I went and had something done for the first time since moving to the South. Feeling a little like a bum and not in line with the beach dude type persona, I went and got my hair cut. Not knowing the area too well and wanting to get a really nice cut since I work in the administrative building on campus I put a lot of thought into where I wanted to go. After numerous referrals and internet searches I found my place…it is called Great Clips.

Call me tacky but I am a Great Clips guy. I went to the store and got right in. To make things even sweeter they had all my past haircut information from Missoula in their computer. I had a delightful conversation with my stylist Shelley and she managed to make an ugly guy look just a little bit less ugly.

I went and got my hair cut yesterday at Great Clips in Myrtle Beach.

I went and got my hair cut yesterday at Great Clips in Myrtle Beach.

“Lucy”: Last Friday night, Sidney and I went to the movie “Lucy.” Starring Scarlett Johansson and Morgan Freeman it was an extremely entertaining film. Touching on the concept of human beings only using 10% of their brains it hypothesized on what would happen if a drug existed that enabled 100% usage. While some of the science-fiction went a little over my head there was no denying the action, acting, and storyline exhibited in the film. Some of the scenes were incredible. If you want a fresh and entertaining movie that will keep you on the edge of your seat for an hour and a half I highly recommend “Lucy.” It is a good one to see in the theaters.

Do yourself a favor and go see "Lucy."

Do yourself a favor and go see “Lucy.”

Tobacco Free: Last week for my Coastal Carolina University update I brought news about the change of beverage provider from Coke to Pepsi. Tonight I am happy to report that tomorrow the CCU campus will go tobacco-free. You have to understand that many places in the South still hold very tightly to certain things. Using tobacco is one of them. While many universities across the country went tobacco free long ago you will find campuses in this area that are resistant to making such a change. Because of this, tomorrow is a big deal. Personally I am ecstatic. This makes our campus healthier and more beautiful. I work right next to the woman who over the past three months has educated our campus on the changes and options that will result from this big move. Let me tell you, her and others have put a lot into making this initiative successful. Bring on August 1!

The Unexplained: I am a big enough loser to pay $10 for a nerdy magazine while standing in line at a CVS. This past weekend I purchased “Mysteries of the Unknown,” a special edition magazine published by Time. The over 90-page publication had stories on everything from ESP to the Bermuda Triangle to vampires to haunted houses to spontaneous human combustion to Bigfoot. I eagerly read every page of the book and enjoyed reading the arguments both for and against the different phenomena. In the magazine I found the articles dealing with Harry Houdini, “The 27 Club,” and the UFO sightings at Chicago’s O’Hare airport especially interesting. If you are interested in weird stuff like this let me know and I will pass on the magazine to you (please save yourself the $10).

I enjoyed reading this magazine!

I enjoyed reading this magazine!

Funny Feeling: In the intercollegiate athletics world, August 1 is the widely recognized date where the party is over and the beginning of a period of seven or eight months starts where you won’t see the light of day because you are working so long and hard. For the first time in several years I am not under that type of pressure. Sure, things are starting to heat up a lot in my new position but it isn’t the overwhelming feeling you get once August rolls around in intercollegiate athletics. Safe to say I am absolutely content with where I am now.

——————-

I got one very exciting weekend planned! I will try to fill you all in on it with a short blog post tomorrow. Until then, have a great Thursday evening. Don’t Blink.

Where Do I Go To Get My Haircut? GREAT CLIPS!

Posted on by
5

Sometimes I wonder if I am missing out on something but I think I always end up telling myself that I really am not.

Yesterday, with the Thanksgiving holiday looming and at the urging of more than just a couple of people, I put an end to 5 months of growth and I got a haircut. My hair doesn’t grow straight as a board and long as someone like Fabio. Rather, my hair grows extremely curly and it grows out. Yep, I rock one ugly version of a white man’s fro. People see it in its true glory after I work out or if it is a humid or rainy day…it poofs out and looks, well, depending on the person, either awesome or hideous. While I no doubt have plenty of critics, for some weird reason women have always seemed to like my longer hair and jumped at the chance to touch my curly locks and ask if they are natural (they are). However, there always comes that time when enough is enough.

At this point, it is time for me to get a hair cut.

For my whole life, I have gone to a low budget hair cutting chain to get my ears lowered. For the majority of these times, I have gone to the classiest of them all, AKA Great Clips. Yep, I have gone into Great Clips many times over my twenty-six years and gotten my hair soaked down with a spray bottle and then chopped off with scissors and electric clippers in the short time span of about fifteen minutes. Growing up as a kid in Spokane, I sometimes elevated my haircut experience one notch and went to rival hair chain Fantastic Sams. It was there that for about a buck more, they would actually wash my hair and give me the faint impression that I was getting a more professional cut. Talk about trickery and deceit.

Glen, me, and my locks.

The thing is, I am totally fine with going to Great Clips to get my hair cut. In fact, although I do make fun of its ghettoness, I really am unconvinced that if I went to a high end salon and got my hair cut that it would make my hair turn out better. It seems like every city is highly populated with professional salons, staffed by well-trained and cute girls who would be more than happy to cut my hair. And even though I have several friends who work in these types of salons I have always neglected to enter one, opting to walk in and walk out at my local Great Clips.

I have several reasons for sticking with Great Clips, starting with the one I just mentioned. Would my hair really look better if I went to a high end salon? I mean really, how much can someone do with my hair? I am a guy, I go in and get the exact same cut every single time (a #7 on the sides and blended in up top). I don’t need special treatment, I don’t need color, I don’t need a weave, and I don’t need a perm…that one comes naturally for me. Again, please tell me, what can someone at “Holier Than Thou” Salon do for me that someone at Great Clips can’t.

This is me after my oh so classy hair cut from Great Clips yesterday.

I think I also get my hair cut at one of these budget chains just because I am so easily accepted. At Great Clips I am surrounded by other guys getting their hair cut who have the same degree of carelessness as I do. I feel at ease. I think it is fair to say that I am a little intimidated by the elegance, set up, classiness, and overall femininity of a professional salon. I fear feeling out of place getting my hair cut in a girly salon surrounded by staff and customers who all happen to be women. Sure, I guess I could go to a barber shop but that whole idea turns me off a little too. I find it awkward getting my hair cut by a dude. Remember, I have gotten my hair cut by women for the past twenty-six years, I am too far along to change that. Besides, aren’t barber shops pretty much extinct nowadays anyway?

Maybe most important in my decision to frequent Great Clips is just the convenience. I can walk in Monday through Sunday and get the job done. If I want, I can even check in online and have a seat in that chair the second I walk into the place. At Great Clips, they keep all your hair cutting information in the computer. I don’t need to explain anything to my stylist, she knows exactly what I want. They don’t take a long time (which could be a bad thing, I guess), they just get down to business, cut my hair, and ask if I am happy. I always know what it will cost me too ($13 exactly). As long as I don’t look like Lloyd from “Dumb and Dumber,” I give the stylist a $20 bill for putting up with my locks. I can definitely handle paying $20 every four to five months for the upkeep of my hair. Honestly, could I get this anywhere else?

So there you have my long winded explanation on why I go to Great Clips. However, I want this to be a more interactive type blog post. All of my beauty industry friends out there, please tell me what I am missing out on. What can you offer me that Great Clips can’t? I do put a decent stock into my appearance so I can definitely be swayed one way or the other. Where will I be going for my next hair cut four months from now? I think I am putting my money on Great Clips. Don’t Blink.