Thursday, March 1, 2018

Only My Hairdresser Gail "Knows For Sure"


 "Does She Or Doesn't She? Only her hairdresser knows for sure." 

The above slogan went with a late 1950s early 1960s and 1970s television commercial for a hair coloring product called "Miss Clairol."

That slogan is also completely true when it comes to the only stylist who has ever "touched my hair" since November of 1991!  That person is Gail - my hairdresser.  Although I am Gail's client, we are friends.  Not only that, we know so much about one another!

Think about it this way:  If a woman like myself goes to the same hairstylist for appointments every six to seven weeks for over 27 years, it makes complete sense that the person who does my hair would know a lot about me and I'd know a lot about her!  It also makes perfect sense that we would become friends.


Here's the story of the very special bond-friendship I have with Gail:


In early November of 1991, right after my husband Dan and I moved to Colorado Springs from San Francisco, I did the usual things that one does after a move.  I filled out change of address forms.  I got a Colorado Driver's license and I registered to vote in Colorado.  I found a dentist.  I found a doctor.  I landed a job.  And....of course, I found the most important person a woman needs...I found a hairdresser!

JO ANN and Dan - So Happy To Have Moved to Colorado in Late 1991 

I was in my early 30s then and "the grey" was beginning to show slightly in my dark brown hair.  When I lived in San Francisco, I'd begun to have my hair colored to cover that little bit of grey every six weeks or so.  I knew I most definitely wanted to continue getting my hair colored to cover the grey after I moved to Colorado, so I called my former skating partner's wife Debbie, and asked where she had her hair done.

Debbie told me she went to a place called Hombre Hair Designers and had her hair done by someone named Annie, so I called that salon and asked for Annie.  Annie told me she didn't "do color," but told me that Gail, who also worked at her salon, did "do color," so I set up an appointment with Gail.

I remember the day I had my first appointment with Gail in late November, 1991.  I guess when new clients set up appointments at hair salons, they don't always show up, so when I entered the Hombre salon, just as I walked in, I heard Gail saying to another stylist, "I wonder if my new client named Jo Ann will show up?"  And....there I was!  (Guess what?  I've "showed up" ever since...)

Hombre was located in beautiful area at the foot of Cheyenne Mountain.  It was the coolest salon since every stylist had their own private area that was really a private room-like cubicle.  I loved it since my hair was cut and colored in total privacy. (No one, except Gail, could see what I looked like when coloring goop was on my head...)

I have had hair appointments with Gail every six to seven weeks since that very first appointment with Gail that took place in November of 1991!  I even arrange my travel plans around my hair appointments with Gail.

Gail did my hair when I was pregnant with all three of my children, but was also "there" when I miscarried during my first pregnancy.  She did my hair when she was pregnant.  She even gave my son Joel his first haircut!  She has cut (and briefly colored) my husband Dan's hair and she has cut both of my daughters' hair.  I'm fairly certain she gave my daughter Rebekah her first first haircut. (Rebekah and I remember that poor Gail had to get a lot of tangles out of Rebekah's hair since Rebekah never let anyone comb her hair when she was a little kid.)  Gail has even cut, styled, or colored some of my friends' hair.

My Son Joel's First Haircut by Gail at Hombre Hair Design

We have taken part in one another's life journeys during every one of my hair appointments since Gail and I have told one another so much about what is going on in our personal lives.  Gail tells me that I always have stories to tell her that make her laugh, but we have also cried together.  I have also learned about how she grew up in a small southern Colorado town and how she ended up moving to Colorado Springs.

When my children were little, I would sometimes take all three of them to my hair appointments.  At Salon Frank Paul, I recall there was an area where they could sit "quietly" and color and play.  At Jerome de Fazio, I have a recollection that Gail had to call me to tell me that children were not allowed, so my husband Dan took off work to watch the kids during my hair appointments with Gail from that point on.

Our little Pomeranian dog, Porcher, died in early 2012.  I remember it was a Thursday, and I had a hair appointment with Gail that day.  I went to the appointment while Dan and the kids made funeral arrangements for our dog and I remember Gail giving me advice on how to bury a dog properly!  (We were very sad, but we couldn't help but giggle when Dan called and asked how to wrap the dog in the box we prepared to put in the ground.)  When I got home, after the hair appointment, I had "perfect hair" during our sweet dog's funeral.

When my husband Dan was in a horrible accident in 2005, Gail even came to the hospital to give him a haircut and beard trim after he came out of being in a coma.  (Dan says he looked like a motorcycle gang member before that haircut and beard trim.  I thought he kind of looked like an old mountain man.)

Dan and Rebekah and Joel Before Gail Cut His Hair - October 2005

Dan and all of us after Gail cut his hair at the hospital - October 2005

It has not even crossed my mind not to follow Gail from one salon location to another salon location since she is one of the best hair stylists ever.

(Gail and my daughters laugh that I've had the same exact hair color and cut for all these years!  Although my hair color and cut may have not changed much, Gail has had many different colors of hair and styles through the years...)

Salon Frank Paul
Retouch Salon - Old Colorado City

From the Hombre salon in Cheyenne Mountain, she moved to Salon Frank Paul, a salon on South Tejon Street that was fairly near Hombre.  Then she moved to this very fancy and plush salon in the upper Skyway area of Colorado Springs on 21st street called Jerome de Fazio.  From there, she moved to a salon inside an old church in Old Colorado City called Perfect Angels.  (Can you imagine?  A salon inside a church?!)  And then there was Caposhi salon, also in Old Colorado City.  After the Caposhi salon flooded, I followed Gail to her current location, Retouch Salon, also on Colorado Avenue in Old Colorado City.

I went to Gail's house, instead of a salon, for at least a couple of hair appointments in these past 27 years: Once after her daughter was born and once after the Caposhi salon flooded.

I literally have gone where Gail has gone!  Since that first appointment with Gail in 1991, I've just followed her around!

And...during all these years together the two of us have gone from us both having no children to having kids.  Many birthdays have passed and been celebrated and we've watched one another's kids grow up and we've talked about our husbands, Dan and Tim, and we talk about our families.  We've shared lots of laughs and we shared lots of tears, and have shared a few secrets.

Gail was around when I lost my first baby to miscarriage.  I was around when she had her daughter Emilia Rose.  We've given one another advice.  I've met some of Gail's friends and family members.  I met her fellow stylist from Salon Frank Paul, also named Gail, who died tragically.  We've been there for one another when we've lost people who we've cared about and loved.  Gail even told me about the greatest handyman ever, Janus Zalewski, who has a lot of work inside and outside of our house.  (Janus is awesome too!)

Gail's Friend Janus has done so much work on our Blue House in Colorado!


Gail's Daughter Emilia Rose 2018

Gail's Niece Heather and JO ANN - Sun Valley, Idaho Summer of 2017
Gail's Niece Heather, Jo Ann, and Gail's Grand-Niece Morgan - Sun Valley, Idaho 2017

Of course, Gail has a signed copy of my autobiography, My Skating Life.  Also, Gail has a grand-niece who is a figure skater!  I'd heard about her niece and grand-niece for years (ever since my kids went to Salt Lake City for US Figure Skating's Junior Nationals in 2007) and I've been in touch with her niece on Facebook, but finally, during the summer of 2017, I met Gail's niece Heather when I was in Sun Valley, Idaho with my dad and my daughters.  Gail's niece Heather approached me as I was riding my Razor scooter by the outdoor Sun Valley rink and told me she was Gail's niece. I was so delighted!  It was great to finally meet Heather and Morgan face to face.

Rebekah's Bat Mitzvah in 2011 - Gail and Emilia are sitting in the 4th row

Gail and her daughter Emilia attended my daughter Rebekah's Bat Mitzvah and I am fairly certain Gail styled and trimmed Rebekah's hair before that special day.  Gail made Rebekah's hair look really fantastic before an audition and every once in awhile Gail trims my daughter Annabelle's beautiful long hair.  Sometimes my dad will just "hang out" at the salon when I get my hair done.

My daughter Annabelle smiles after Gail trimmed her hair in January of 2018
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My Daughter Rebekah Smiles After Gail Did Her Hair Before an Audition in 2014

Gail rejoiced with me when my son Joel was hired for Disney On Ice.  I recall that she may have been the first person I told the news since Joel received an email offering him a part in the cast of Disney On Ice Frozen just before one of my hair appointments.

After 27 years, Gail and I know we have a very special and unique friendship and connection.  Our friendship and bond has grown way beyond a client-merchant relationship and we've grown closer and closer.  What we have has become more and more special.

Yes!  It is true.  Only my hairdresser Gail "knows for sure!"




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