Haircuts

Gail and Dino - barbers Rehoboth Beach, DE - 2013

I'm way overdue for a haircut.  Gail, my regular barber has been sick. For the past two weeks, every time I call, her husband answers the phone and says "She won't be in.  She's sick.  I think she has pneumonia."  

I'm in Shaggyville folks. For the past fifteen years, every since my hairline started to recede, I've gotten short haircuts.  Almost a buzz cut.  

You guys out there know how hard it is to get just the right barber to cut your hair the way you like it. Gail cuts my hair exactly the way I want it.

Nino the Barber cutting my hair in Philadelphia 3-31-1994

For over thirty years, when I used to work at Girard/Mellon Bank in Philadelphia my barber was an Italian immigrant (aren't all good barbers of Italian descent?) named Nino.  From 1965 to 1994 Nine was my barber.  Perfecto.  Even better, he didn't talk much when he cut my hair.  His barber shop was located in the basement of the bank building where I worked in Center City Philadelphia.  I would call from my desk to see if he was available and go down during the workday.  My boss didn't mind.  But alas, I eventually left my job in Philadelphia and went back to my hometown of Downingtown.

Nino and Joe Bosso - my Philadelphia barbers 3-31-1994

Much to my surprise the brother team of Tony and Joe Ursini were still cutting hair!  Tony used to cut my hair when I was ten years old.  In fact I used to clean his barber shop on Sundays for $10 and a homemade hoagie compliments of his wife.  Tony was born in the same year (1920) as my father.  And he was still cutting hair!

Brothers Tony and Joe Ursini - 2001

Funny thing, all the years when I was a smacked assed kid getting my hair cut by Tony I always had a cowlick.  After I got away from home and had other barbers cut my hair, I lost the cowlick.  I attributed that fact that my hair "grew up."  WhenI returned to Downingtown and got my hair cut by Tony again, after a nearly 40 year absence, the cowlick returned!  Hey, guess what?  He was combing my hair against the grain.  Thus I tiptoed through that very sensitive field and CHANGED BARBERS.  I started to have Tony's brother Joe cut my hair and the cowlick was gone.  But I still loved going to the Ursini's barber shop.  Such a feeling of "returning home".  Some of you guys will know that feeling if you have a regular barber.  
Sadly Tony died last year.  He was a legend in Downingtown and is sorely missed.  I can no longer get haircuts at Ursini's Barber Shop because they're in Downingtown, Pennsylvania; two and a half hours away.  I would love for Joe to cut my hair, just not practical.

Tony Ursini, World War II and at Downingtown's Veteran's Memorial Wall 2001.

So here I am folks, Shagsville.  Gail only has hours Wednesday through Saturday.  I'll give a call this Wednesday and if she's still sick, I'm going to have to to the unthinkable……get another barber to cut my hair.  I can just imagine what it will look like.  Pray for me folks.

Needing a haircut……BAD

Haircuts

Me getting my hair cut by Nino 3-31-1994 - Philadelphia, PA

Yesterday I got a haircut.  I needed one bad, especially since my last haircut was lopsided.


I was in luck yesterday because my regular barber, Dino,  was out.  I can write about him in this blog because I know he doesn't read blogs.  

For most of my adult life I've had Italian barbers.  
My longest relationship was with Nino (yes, similar name to "Dino.")  Nino cut my hair the whole time I worked at Mellon Bank and then Fidelity Bank in Philadelphia; twenty-nine years.  He knew how to cut my hair.  I never had to tell him. When I left my job in Philadelphia I left my long-time friend and barber Nino.

Thus began my long quest for another old time Italian barber (Nino had immigrated to the U.S. from Sicily during World War II).  

The years since I left Philadelphia (1994) in search of a good, dependable barber to cut this head of mine has sometimes been good and sometimes not.  The worst time were when a woman barber cut my hair.  Awful, just awful.  Thus I've stayed away from women barbers.

Me getting my hair cut by Joe Ursini - 2001 - Downingtown, PA

Fast forward to my move to Delaware in 2006.  Through my neighbor I found my current barber, Dino.  He's good but lately he's been slipping. For some reason he cuts my hair lopsided.  He leaves it too long on one side thus I have to play around with it when I comb it.  

I don't like to mess too much with my hair, or what I have left of it.  I prefer it short these days.  In my flaming youth I had more hair than I knew what to do with.  Nino was always thinning out my hair.  That's not a problem now, my hair is naturally thinning out much to my chagrin.  

A couple of months ago Dino was out for a hip replacement.  I had no choice but to use the woman barber in the shop (whose names escapes me now).  Guess what?  She cut my hair perfect!

The next time I went into the barber shop Dino was back.  So I had my "Seinfeld Moment."  How could I not offend Dino by going to the woman barber who cuts my hair PERFECT?  Alas, I chickened out and went to Dino who promptly cut my hair lopsided......again.  

Thus I was very pleasantly surprised yesterday when I went into the barber shop and there she was.  Dino was out!  Hey folks, check out my haircut.  PERFECT!

Now, how do I break the news to Dino the next time I see him?  I'm open for suggestions.  Help.

Me two minutes ago with my PERFECT haircut -  February 8, 2013