MY NEW HAIRCUT: FLAWLESS

Today, on our walk home from the dog park, we went into Panera Bread and ordered lunch and dinner. My little girls - Doris and DeRosa were held in my right hand - in California dogs can go almost everywhere, so cool! They always behave so well around people, I wish they would just stop going through excited doggie convulsions every time we pass another dog in the street.

The busy lunch hour brought in a very diverse crowd of construction workers to computer technology dudes to daddy dog owner of two. While waiting for the food, I saw my hair and I was just shocked at the size of my Afro. The windy day along the bay provided a frizzy head of curls. I knew it, I wasn't looking my best today, kinda of "worst hair day ever" look that was embarrassing at best. WINDY = REAL BAD KEVIN HAIR.

I live down the street from this tanning salon and on the end of our walk I realized it was a hair salon too. I figured, it's time to get it cut. It was difficult battling my inner struggle to take a chance with a new stylist or not that has kept me from getting it cut. I have had horrible haircuts before and hate dealing with someone new. The TRUTH is - not every hair stylist is skilled at cutting curly hair.

After making the connection that this was a hair salon too, right after seeing my hair at the restaurant, it was definitely a sign to schedule an appointment. I again placed the girls back in my right hand and scheduled an appointment - with Garrett at 2 p.m.

When I went back at 2, I was greeted by his assistant, Antonio, who took me to get a smock. They did that in my other salon in SF - I think it's weird. Then I sat and waited for a 10 minutes. Garrett emerges from the back - he's a hip Asian man with a thick spiked black hair and had a cool demeanor. He went through a long discussion on what needed to be done, what was wrong with what was done in the past and basically I just agreed with everything he had to say because he was articulate and he had social grace. He really sounded like he was a skilled stylist - I was still hoping he wasn't all talk.

Off he went sniping away as I started to interview him. I found out a few important things, including: he is 31, he has a girlfriend who is also a hair stylist in the Marina, they both moved to SF from LA, he used to cut hair in Beverly Hills, he grew up in Orange County, he used to cut Janice Dickerson, Cherri Oteri and some guy on a Bravo reality show - in which he was on one episode. Anyway, he was cool and very knowledgeable of curly hair.

The result...a flawless haircut! The pictures above don't do it justice. I hope now I won't have to wear hats all the time - especially on windy days in San Francisco.