New EP’s today

So today, I stocked my CD collection up with a few new gems.  My favorite band of all time, Mew, released a brand new EP called No More Stories.  This release is a prelude to their new full length due this August on Sony Records.  If you haven’t heard Mew before, i urge you to run out and listen to them.  Music should be so brilliantly made more often.  For fans of music smarter than the average band.  But, mainly just for people who enjoy pleasant sounds in their ears.

Another EP I got today was the b-side accompanient to Manchester Orchestra’s “Mean everything to Nothing” full length released last month.  This 4 song collection further showcases the quality of this band.  For fans of Modest Mouse, Brand New, Cursive and other like-minded artists.

Nucleus

Wooh.  Long time since I’ve been blogging on here.  Lots have happened this year so far.  Recently, I have decided to leave Vain and pursue working at a new salon that has recently opened up on Lower Queen Anne called Nucleus.  Some of you may recognize the name, as there is already a location on Cap. Hill.  I am excited to embark on the opportunity to become my own boss.  For 3 years, I worked at Vain, and although I learned a lot, I felt like my time had come to an end for quite awhile there.  I loved my co-workers, but I felt like I was ready to turn over a new leaf and begin fresh with an opportunity to be my own boss.   

Now, onward.  I am so excited to begin again with a new location that isn’t as stifling, and will allow me the flexibility of creating my own schedule, while working even closer with each and every one of my clients.  I’ve created an online viewable calendar, where all of my clients can see my upcoming schedule for the month, week, and year ahead.  After viewing, clients can e-mail, call, or text message me to set up an appointment for an available time that they just viewed online.  The calendar is up-to-the-minute, so there if you see an available time, rest assured it is actually available for booking.  

I look forward to the new endeavor.  I still love doing hair, and I will personally vow to be as committed and detail oriented as I have always been in doing your hair.  

Thanks!

 

Jake Gravbrot

Victory is sweet pill to swallow.

I couldn’t sleep the morning of November 4th.  Awake and bright eyed at 4 AM, I rose out of bed, showered, dressed, made breakfast, and fixed myself some hot green tea.  Today, was a brand new day, and after what seemed like a political eternity, I was finally able to vote and hope that others would too.

Our polls opened at 7 AM, and as I walked to the polling station I had an undeniable sense of urgency and hopefullness.  Inspired is a word that has been thrown around so much during this process, but it wouldn’t be used if it were not indeed true.  Today, my vote would matter.  Today, WE would help to make change indeed happen, and hopefully elect Barack Obama as the president of the United States of America.  When I arrived at Qwest Church, there was a line already formed of about 40 people.  The polls had just opened and apparently I wasn’t the only one who couldn’t wait to get in line and exercise their right to vote.  The line moved very fast and soon enough my ballot was in the machine and I was on my way back home.  The line outside the church had dissappeared as had the rain.  Today was shaping up to be a beautiful day.

As we all know by now, Barack Hussein Obama did in fact win the historic election of 2008.  As the father of a 5 year old son who goes to daycare in very racially diverse setting, and as the father of a 2 year old daughter who was adopted by a mixed race (african-american/caucasian) family, I bask in the glow of victory for some very personal reasons.  My children will never undertand the struggle that so many African-Americans went through to see this day actually happen.  My children will grow up in a world that is not seen through the filtered lenses of skin-color, but will instead be blind to that and just see people for the measure of the man.  That is a beautiful thing.

Today, is very much a new day, but we still face many of the same challenges we faced 3 days ago.  I just pray that with a new direction, a new hope, and a new sense of what it’s like to be an American that we will change this world for the better.

–Jake

Ahh, Oktober!!!

The way the light hits the city at sunset, the smell of fresh rain, the taste of everything pumpkin (Pumpkin Beer anyone????), all of my friends bands touring the country/playing Seattle, and the sounds of Red Sox Baseball in the Postseason.  Life is good!  

 

GO SOX!!!!!

The joys of parenting

As of September 10th, 2008, five tangible years will have passed that I have been a dad.  My son Christian has been such a blessing to me.  His personality has grown so much, his respect for me and his love of life are such wonderful things to behold.  When I think about the many instances that have made me smile over the years I get overwhelmed, but none so overwhelming and awe inspiring as the moment Christian became a part of my life.  

Happy early birthday Kiddo.  I love you so much and you continue to inspire me on a daily basis, even when I don’t get to see you.  You are always in my thoughts and I count down the minutes until each weekend comes.  You are indeed my “best friend”.

 

Love, 

 

Dad

Goals

Opening up my own salon has always been a goal of mine, albeit a very distant one.  My credit lacks any good standing in order to apply for (and receive) a business loan.  Unfortunately, every place I have worked has paid me just enough to “get by” but not enough to actually save what I would need so that I could bypass a loan and just open up a space of my own.  

 

I’ve recently been trying to figure out where I could rent a chair or a small space and take matters into my own hands, but haven’t found anything that would work out.  I hate bitching just for the sake of bitching.  It’s really not who I am, but Vain has really gotten me down for about the past year or so, and I’ve just never been able to get out of the hole I’m in.  It’s not to say I haven’t tried, but as of now, I feel quite stuck.  I hate raising prices just to make more money, but I have to.  Even by raising prices though, I still end up making a terrible percentage when it comes down to it.  Every day, each stylist gives the salon a LOT more than we end up taking home.  Our “percentage” isn’t necessarily that, when in fact we take our “percentage” AFTER the service fees.  So instead of making 50% or 55%, we make more like 48% or 44%.  I have a hard time justifying raising my prices when my short haired clientelle knows NOTHING about the financial policies of our dear little small business.  So I make them feel as if I’m taking more out of their pocket and fattening mine, when in fact, in a small way I am, but not to the extent that they believe I am.  If I indeed did take my “percentage” of what I charge then yes, I would be able to save, my issues would largely be solved, and there wouldn’t be me bitching on a blog about how our policies are terrible.  

 

To me, the workplace has turned into a machine that just wants to churn out as much hair as possible on an hourly basis.  Which is fine, if that’s our perogative then so be it. It just isn’t what I initially signed up for 2 years ago.  In that short amount of time, it feels as if we’ve changed quite a bit, as I’ve seen stylists and assistants (set to become stylists) hired at an alarmingly fast rate.  We’ve opened up our hours for more availability, stayed steady in business, raised our prices and brought on more people.  For a small business, that’s great!  But, it just seems like something has changed for the worse in that time.

 

In the meanwhile, I will continue looking for something that allows me to retain my clientelle but scale back a little bit also.  I’m not trying to give away my services (touch up trims) anymore either, so that will be something that probably loses me some clients who are loyal to where I work now solely due to the free service they get each month and not to the stylist who does it.  Sorry for the bitch fest and the blog the other day.  Sometimes you’ve just got to get things off your chest, and it doesn’t mean that I will be trying any less while I continue working where I do.

Hearts

I love Kaylan

Plans

Sunday.

I’ve got work from 11-8, then I’m off to studio 7 tonight to go cut hair for the band National Product. They’re in town on their tour with Kaddisfly and Bedlight for Blue Eyes, so by the time I get done tonight it’ll be a long day. Today is my monday, but I can’t quite say I’m ready for my work week to begin. I was stricken with food poisoning on Friday and spent all day Saturday recovering and watching movies. Nothing like watchin’ your days off go down the toilet… (literally).

Weeds…

Wow. Great show. Just finished season 2, and I’m going crazy. I’ve still got a season to go, but damn if this isn’t some crazy television.

Kevin Murphy Hair Products

It’s been a long time since I’ve fallen for a hair product as hard as I have recently. Kevin Murphy’s “gritty business” product is my hair match made in heaven. It’s a clay based product that actually adds a gritty, dirty texture to hair. This product aids in styling for short to medium length hair to achieve that “2nd day unwashed feeling”, but without the oily feeling unwashed hair usually gives. Amongst their entire line of products, this has stuck out as my favorite. Check out http://kevinmurphy.com to see what I’m talking about!