Yipee Kie Yay, Mother F*****

I DID IT!!!! HAHAHAHAHA, I passed my state board exams. And with far better results than I anticipated. Not that the final score really matters. You could pass with a perfect score (a near impossibility) or barely scratch out a passing score (75%) and it's all the same. But I passed! I'm officially licensed by the state of Oklahoma to jack up, er, cut and style hair for profit. Click on the image above to read the relevant portion of my letter from the state board office.

Test Taking

So I took my State Board examination yesterday. I wasn't really worried about the exam as I did very well with the mock exam the school gives us before we graduate (there was one minor detail that had me up at night but thanks to the school's owner, I got that wrinkle ironed out but good). And my spirits were still high after taking the written portion of my examination. There were only 3 or 4 questions that I didn't feel completely comfortable with in answering. Everything else was a walk in the park. However....

My practical exam left me with a bad case of irritable bowel syndrome. I wasn't nervous while taking the practical, nor did I have some kind of break down during the test. It was only afterward, when I was replaying everything in my mind's eye, did I start to have doubts about my performance. And those doubts have multiplied in the last 24 hours. But the bitch of it is that I won't know whether or not I passed until I receive my test scores in the mail. And that can take 2 to 3 weeks (I'll have a psychotic episode if it takes that long to reach me).

But I have a special celebration planned when, and if, I get the good news. Let's just say I won't be in any kind of position to go to work the next day (or operate heavy machinery)

Where I work

This is late, sorry. I didn't edit any of this. And it prolly isn't my best work. But it does show everyone where I work and who I work with. I'm slowly but surely building a client base. Two haircuts today, a highlight and a couple of shampoo sets tomorrow (as of right now). Hopefully I can call what I do gainful employment by the end of next month.

My first day

I don't have pictures this time around, but tomorrow I will have video.

I started to work today. I need to update everyone on the work situation. I know I said I had a job at SmartStyles but it turns out I didn't. Without going into the particulars, I was forced to look for employment elsewhere. I spent all morning Friday looking for a place to work, focusing on local barber shops. That was a bust as there were no openings to be had. There were a few booth rent opportunities but nothing caught my fancy until I wandered into a little salon called Heads Up next to Hastings. The owner was very friendly and the booth rent price was very affordable. I thought about it all weekend and decided to get some more info from the owner on Monday. She was very helpful and the situation felt right. So I signed on and started today.

It was a bit hectic at first, simply because I had to make multiple trips to the supply shop as I kept forgetting things. But I did land a haircut and a perm today, which netted me a whopping $70. Not bad for three hours work. I even have several appointments lined up over the next few days. The best part was knowing that I wouldn't be working my butt off for a few dollars in tips. I was practically laughing with excitement when I realized how much I made today. I know that $70 isn't much but when you figure that it was only my first day, it was like I had won the lottery.

Marketable Skills

Sexy, ain't it? Damn sexy.

There is a unique sense of pride and empowerment knowing that I now have a skill set that will serve me for the rest of my life. Further, I will be in a field that will never be outsourced, shipped overseas or subject to trade agreements. Yessir, I'm feeling rather giddy at the moment. Share in my enjoyment if you like. I have more than enough to go around.

Today's the day

Well, I graduate today. I'm about to leave for my last day of school. I have mixed feelings about everything. On the one hand, it will be nice to be able to use the skills that I have acquired in a "real world" setting (plus making money won't be too shabby either). One the other hand, there are people that I will dearly miss seeing on a daily basis. But I guess everything changes and we must change with it.