I received a response…..
Have I really been going there for years?
Yes. About 10 years, off and on. The owner knows me by name, knows my stepdaughter by name, did my wedding nails, and I know her very sweet goldendoodle.
Was this always a tiny one-person salon?
No. It’s roughly 2,000 sq ft with about 10 pedicure chairs, 6 nail stations, waxing, etc. The one-person private salon setup is new.
When was I last there?
August 2025.
Why the gap?
It was honestly a really heavy year, and my toes were not exactly the crisis requiring intervention. If the marriage/divorce saga is of interest, my post history is open for business.
Did I demand a next-day appointment or expect to be squeezed in?
No. I asked if they happened to have availability because I was free. I’m also a sole business owner, so “we do not have room for you tomorrow” is not a concept I struggle to grasp.
Why did I say I was “fired”?
Because it was a joke. I was not on payroll. No severance package is forthcoming.
Why does the gift card matter?
My husband gave it to me for Christmas because this was a salon I actually went to. It was not something I pulled from the depths of a junk drawer next to an expired Bed Bath & Beyond coupon.
TL;DR: “My” nail salon turned out to be more of a limited-membership situation. I missed the six-month cutoff, became a new client, and apparently lost my right to pass Go and collect the disposable flip-flops