LESSONS LEARNED: COINCIDENCE COULD BE A CAUSAL CONNECTION
One of the last things I do before leaving home for more than three weeks is have my hair and nails done. One of the first things I do wherever I may be 3 weeks later is find a place where I can have my nails done, and my hair a month after that. It’s not a matter of vanity; it is one of necessity. My nails split, tear and chip if not coated with acrylic or gel, and although I have a lot of hair, it is thin. It also requires some work to keep it blonde. 😊
A couple of weeks ago I visited a nail salon not far from the RV Park we currently call home. I asked the husband-and-wife team who gave me a manicure and pedicure simultaneously, why so many people from Vietnam operate nail salons. They told me it’s because you can receive a license in the US after just 3 months of study and passing an exam. Mystery solved.
I was told that prior to COVID they employed several people but were forced to close their doors for a few months on three different occasions during the pandemic, and things have not returned to normal as the cost of necessities continues to rise. When you must choose between eating and getting a manicure, it’s not much of a contest. They don’t know when/if they will ever again have a thriving business. Very sad.
There was only one other customer in the salon while I was there. She has hair that looks similar to mine, and it was well cared for so I asked if she could refer me to a good hairdresser. She said she has been getting her nails done at that salon for 10 years and was having her hair done at a nearby location for many years as well, but the woman who does it moved to a different community. She doesn’t want to entrust her hair to anyone new (I know the feeling), so makes the hour drive every 6 or 7 weeks but must book her next appointment then and there, as the stylist is always busy. That’s the norm for me as well.
After that customer left, the nail salon owner said he could refer me to another long-time customer who has a hair salon nearby. I gratefully noted her telephone number and googled her when I got back to the motorhome. The photos on Yelp related to her Salon (Hairstyling by Courtney) show that several of her customers have hair like mine. So far so good. I was invited to leave her a message, with the promise that she would get back to me as soon as possible.
Another thing I did before I left home was look for a church we might like to attend. I narrowed it down to three and chose Clairemont Emmanuel Baptist Church. The pastor (who is around our age) does expository preaching (the message finds its sole source in Scripture), and that is what we want.
We have not attended yet, because although they have a 9 am service and a second service at 10:30, we really enjoy and learn a lot from attending my younger brother Mark’s Sunday School Class at Erskine Evangelical Free Church in Alberta via Zoom at 9 am PST and listening to his Sunday Sermon at about 10:30 am PST.
However, Clairemont Emmanuel Baptist Church not only streams their services but also provides links to past services. We saw that their pastor began teaching from 1John a few weeks ago and decided to start watching the series. As is the norm, the sermon was preceded by singing, and who do you suppose was part of the worship team? One of the women whose photo I saw on Yelp!
I had an appointment with Courtney soon thereafter. Jada, who does my hair in Duncan has kindly provided all the information necessary to deal with my hair properly, and Courtney was willing and able to follow those instructions, although I invited her to give it a style of her own. I will certainly avail myself of her services again while in San Diego.
She is a young woman from Minnesota and milk is her preferred drink, as it is mine. I told her I buy it directly from Cowichan Milk Company in Duncan. She said the store next to her salon sells raw milk. I was excited… until I saw the price. The half-gallon of cream-top whole milk I pay CDN$6 for on Vancouver Island costs US$11 in San Diego, which is about CDN$15. Gulp!
