We have reached a point where some little things, some small services, are starting to be felt for their absence. One thing that everyone is slowly noticing is that no one is able to get a decent haircut anymore. We are lucky in that we do have a good set of clippers in the house, as Sir Monkeypants has been buzzing his own hair for several years now, and we even have a pair of haircutting scissors that came in the same set.
I have some very limited experience trimming the Captain’s long hair, which he has kept one-length-shoulder-length since he cut it back from waist-long back in grade 9. So we’ll keep on doing that for him.
But us girls – this is new territory. Both my daughters have complex, geometric cuts created by their funky hairdressers that have a lot of tattoos and are much, much cooler than me. Last week, Gal Smiley finally caved and let me try my hand at her cut (an undershave all around with a floppy bit on top) and it was okay. Not great – definitely not tattoo worthy – but okay. I think we’re both willing to have another crack at it as needed.
Little Miss Sunshine has decided to just let hers (a kicky bob that’s shorter in the back, with swishy bits in the front) grow out indefinitely until she can access someone with tattoos again. Probably a wise choice.
I plan to join her, which combined with my greying hair (I definitely picked the absolute best time to grow it out!), no doubt will eventually mean I have a great shaggy bush of Macbeth-witches-style hair. At least then I’ll have a reason to corral everyone into doing an at-home Shakespeare production, just like in the post-apocalyptic novel, Station Eleven.
It’s finally starting to get a little warmer, although more snow looms in the forecast. But we took the small amount of sunshine we had on the weekend to heart, and got our bikes out, because it felt really freeing and hopeful after being trapped in the house for so long.
We went for our first bike ride and I had my favourite gloves with me, purple knit gloves with a leather palm. Eventually it got warm and I took them off and put them in my pockets and over the course of the ride, they both fell out. When I went to get them the next day from my jacket they were gone.
Then, this Sunday morning when I was doing our weekly groceries, I passed one of them lying in the road by our house. I immediately pulled over and picked it up, cooing soft words of comfort and hoping it hadn’t been driven over too many times.
I was going to walk our bike route as soon as I got home from the store to look for the other one, but on the way home I took a different way and lo! There was the second glove at the side of the road on a side road near our house!
So I am grateful that in these Touch-Nothing times, no one wanted to move or throw away a soggy glove that was littering the road. I washed them and now they are both doing well.
Also: Sir Monkeypants highlighted to me the fact that my spring jacket has pockets that ZIP UP. So I’m ready for my next bike ride, whew.
TurtleHead 
I can relate… My next haircut was scheduled for a week tomorrow and I need to delete the appointment from my calendar to save myself from sobbing quietly on that day.
See you onstage…
I went from “I”ll just try longer hair for a bit” to hacking off my hair over the bathroom sink in the space of three days. I am SO HAPPY about your purple gloves. I seem to lose a favourite soft gray mitten once a year and it is such a sad thing.
I had to cut Mark’s hair the other day… we don’t even have clippers at home, so I did the best I could with scissors.
I’m getting annoyed with the whole “going for groceries” dance, i.e. lining up outside, finally getting in and realizing quickly that many shelves are empty and that going to another supermarket is needed. It defies the purpose, I get it. But hey, I need basics like eggs, bread, yogurt, bananas, etc.
I noticed WalMart has been very busy this week, judging by the queue outside. Probably also because it’s one of the only places where you can buy non-grocery items.
All of us in our household got hair cuts shortly before lockdown (in anticipation of the caribbean vacation we didn;t get to take) and the girls and I have styles that we can just allow to grow out. I believe we still have a set of clippers hanging around the house someplace from the frugal days early in our marriage when my husband had me do his hair for him.