first snow following first frost

I’ve lost another umbrella– my summer blue one with the curved wooden handle. It had a sticker with my name in hiragana. I put it there so the children wouldn’t use it and lose it…. Hah! Fool me. It was raining day before yesterday and I was glumly thinking I ought to buy another umbrella. But now it’s turned to snow. Grateful???

I’ve been pondering this for some time– the names of businesses people come up with. I’m particularly struck by names for hair salons. It fills me with a complex combination of delight, horror, disbelief, amusement, pessimism, wonder…. For instance:

Streakers
Jagged Edge
Split Endz

There often seems to be a gesture toward puns or atypical spelling, but to what end? The crowning glory of stylists’ business names, to date, is here in Edmonton. There is a shop along my bus route called:

Sweeny Todd’s Barber Stylists

The door on the sign says “OPEN”. The blinds are always closed….

Holy shit!

But there used to be a daycare in Calgary that is a delightful contender. It was actually called:

Hansel and Gretel Daycare.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

Love it!