Consultations and a Hint of Spring

My first unhappy client:
For the next two months every Monday night I bring two models into the salon and perform two womens haircuts to be graded on. There are 8 haircuts total and I have to do each one twice. The first time I do the cut I've got to get an 85% or higher. After I accomplish that one I have to do it a second time and get a 100%. This is part of the intensive training my salon requires and I think it's great. Since I am new to the area, I have been using craigslist as a recruiting tool. All in all it's worked out great. Last Monday however, I had my first unhappy client. In the end it all worked out. After a few days of messing with it the woman ended up liking her cut. I was very upset at first, and a little embarrassed. After talking it over with some more experienced stylists I learned some important things.
*The consultation may be the most important part of the entire service
*There are many ways a consultation can go wrong
*The customer always has an opinion, even if they say they don't
-If the client says they have no opinion on their hair and you can do whatever you want, you are probably not asking the right questions.

I am hoping tonight goes better!

The most depressing tax return ever:
I finished my tax return. The refund was not as much as I expected. But at least it will be just as much as I have gotten back in past years. The depressing part was my total income for 2008. When I saw the number I was floored. Let me just say that it is well below the poverty level. I know I am chasing dreams, and there are consequences in doing so. But I really cannot believe I have been able to live on an income so low. I slipped into an afternoon depression after that. I couldn't even look in the mirror. I have a very strong work ethic. And despite the fact that I have pretty much been working full time over the past year, the number did not reflect it.

The Weather:
Denver has a 60 degree week ahead and let me just say this might just get me through it! Living in the midwest, this is the time of winter that gets brutal. February can be the hardest month to get through with all the 30 degree overcast days. I can't say enough about the mild weather and sunshine at the foot of the Rockies and how much it can effect a person's emotional state. Yes, I am still smitten with this city!!