Hair color with a touch of pepper spray

 Good old days at the mall

I was at Southcenter Mall yesterday to have my hair highlighted at Gene Juarez Salon. John might argue this, but I'm actually quite frugal, and get my hair cut at Budget Cuts in West Seattle for $20. But every few months, I look forward a fancy salon indulgence, not to mention, the excuse to do a bit of mall shopping.

Malls are closing or transforming across the country, we know this, but suddenly you look around your own and think, "what happened?" So many vacant stores, and Macy's a shadow of its former self with a deserted TJ Maxx style bargain basement.

On the other hand, there's brand new big chain restaurants, bubble tea stands and a whole section of Southcenter transformed into a Filipino food emporium, with a Seafood City grocery store, Jollibe Chicken and other unfamiliar fast food outlets.  There's a wildly popular Asian bakery called 85c. There's also movie theaters, game arcades and bowling alley. Along with all this, more crime and a totally different vibe, especially at night, when the few old lady shoppers go home. 

I was walking around killing time before my appointment, and suddenly my throat and nose started burning. People around me were hacking and coughing. Something horrible released in the air, but what?  I ran outside and soon heard sirens.  Apparently a thief, confronted by the Victoria Secrets manager, set off pepper spray in the store. Clever way to steal a bra, huh? Gene Juarez locked their doors for about a half hour, but I finally got in for my appointment.  And that's my big excitement yesterday. All I have to say is, pepper spray really "works."

Well, today I'm going to water the heck out of the garden, pack up our suitcases and get ready for New Mexico. My laptop is going along, so hopefully, some pretty desert pictures for you next week.
Ciao!