Soon a nice young man named Joe came to fetch me from the room. Joe seemed really kind. I'm still freaked.
He leads me to a room that reeks of essential oils and is as dark as a cave. I know this is to feel zen but it feels kinda hot and suffocating.
C and I are seated where we start with a scalp massage. Ugh. I have very curly hair. I've been running around in the rain for two days. Last night I teased the crown while dressing for dinner. My hair is piled on my head and is in the elementary stages of dreadlocks. Somehow Joe manages to massage my scalp. It makes a strange and annoying swishing sound. He rubs my neck a little. I wonder about what I should tip.
Next? Hands. He asks me to relax my hands. Twice. I explain to him I'm pretty lousy at relaxing. He reassures me as he gnashes his knuckles into my palm.
Feet are next. I have these vexing cracked heels. I immediately feel horrible that he will be touching them. I lean back and close my eyes. He starts with an exfoliating scrub. I worry about why I can't relax and why I'm not enjoying this. Again Joe kindly asks me to try to relax.
I try. I try to imagine I'm a limp fish. This creates a mental image of fish out of water and I feel short of breath. He's working hard on this really annoying rough patch on my ankle. I've been fighting with this spot for months so I figure the whole thing would be worth it if he can vanquish it. I also wonder if they get stiff sitting on the floor rubbing people's feet all day long.
We finish with the seated part. I sneak a peek at my watch. That took 40 minutes.
Joe and C's masseuse Chrissy explain the next part and leave the room so we can lie down on the tables. I come to the conclusion that I'm not necessarily uncomfortable with the touching part, I just can't relax. I'm not sure what to think about this. I've suspected this was the case.
I get on the table. It's hot. That disgusts me for some reason. I suspect C loves the pre-warmed bed.
I attempt to put my face in the little head rest. It's uncomfortable - extremely uncomfortable. My heart palpitates a little. I don't want to let Joe down since he seems to be very conscientious.
Joe wisely senses my discomfort. He adjusts the table and asks me to put my arms at my side. My cheeks feel squished. I envision a cabbage patch kid. I feel my heart twitching. My arms feel uncomfortable but I'm afraid to move since Joe has started to aggressively attack the tension in my neck.
This seems to go on for quite some time. My mind races. I try to focus on the bizarre music but instead wonder how strong a massage therapist hand's must be. I wonder what C is thinking. I wonder what Ill eat for dinner.
I wonder why in the eff this hurts so bad? I flinch. The more he massages the more I can feel my reaction is to tense up. Surely he realizes this. I wonder what he thinks. I try to focus on the floor through the headrest.
Finally we get to roll over. Joe places a warm towel beneath my neck and something under my knees. I keep my eyes closed as he massages my face. I am extremely hot and I cringe thinking about how that oil might irritate my skin.
I know he's going a good job and I feel bad that I'm finding zero pleasure in it. He does my arms. He does the legs. I lie there thinking how if I had a toe tag I could be in a drawer at the morgue.
Suddenly there is a toewl over my eyes. That wigs me out in a claustrophobic way. I try to remind myself that I could take the towel off my face. Its not a big deal. I worry about being kidnapped and having something put over my face. Ugh.
Finally its over!! And. . .
C sits up and says "I think I dozed off for a little while."
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d: "I've been sniveling everytime I read one of these poems. They are so simple and sincere."
C: "Did you read 'When Your Hair Turns Silver'?"
d: "Not yet. My hair is already turning silver in two big stripes."
C: "My Dad used to let us kids pluck the gray hairs off his chest."
d: "Were you that bored?"
C: "We lived in the middle of nowhere. Guess he figured we caused them so we could get rid of them. I don't know."
d: "WTF? Why on earth would he trust his children with tweezers near his nipples?"
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We're at the hotel. Room service called. They are sending us some "complimentary ammenities."
Did I die in some gawd foresaken drainage ditch earlier today? Am I in heaven? LOL!!!
Suspect not as my toes and fingers are still freezing.
Yes, it was everything I dreamt it would be.
New umbrella for C since the wind turned his entirely inside out last night.
I procured a casual rain jacket on sale and with oodles of pockets for camera gear. I also got faux wellies, a pair of socks, and Malcolm Gladwell and Augusten Burroughs books.
Sometimes shopping is necessary. No point being miserable on vacay just cause you didn't want to spend 20 bucks on rubber boots.
Currently having a quick breakfast. Planning to do the Harriet Tubman/Underground Railroad self guided driving tour, visiting the first Mason Dixon Marker, and a few other minor points of interest today. Pics will be horrific but Ill try.
Quiet dinner, roaring fire, drinks and some reading this evening in Cambridge.
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We stayed at a Marriott in Salisbury last evening since we thought dinner might be a little late. Headed to Cambridge today.
This place is fine. It's one of those places that seem geared towards serving the business traveler. Not sure about what kind of business travel one might do in Salisbury? Poultry execs perhaps?
At any rate, the alarm on my phone went off at 6:10. This was disorienting as I couldn't figure out why the alarm was going off on a weekend. Took me about 10 minutes to realize it's Thursday. I'm not very sharp in the mornings.
I also couldn't figure out why I couldn't fall immediately back to sleep as typically happens on weekday mornings. The lack of the alarm continuing to go off every 5 minutes for another hour was throwing me maybe? I didn't fall asleep until after 2. I should have been good until at least 7.
Then I realized there was an odor. It wasn't the closet - which btw reeks so badly of foot odor, I was afraid to hang my coat in it. . .It was bacon.
Somehow the stench of bacon was wafting from the continental breakfast set up in the lobby to our room.
Since we stopped eating meat several years ago, I find the smell of meat raw or cooking rather noxious. Bacon is okay in the bacon mixed with coffee and syrup smells in a diner context. But in a hotel at 6 AM with no other complimentary smells, I find it a little gross.
So I'm awake bumping around because I'm very awful at just sitting or lying quietly. C is doing his best to ignore me and continues to sleep. He is a morning person and is always awake before me so I'm not really used to having to wait for someone else before I start my day. It's different - esp in a hotel room. I have limited options to amuse myself while he sleeps.
Finished a good novel by Nick Hornsby called Juliet Naked. We'll have stop at a bookstore since I didn't prepare or bring my Kindle and it looks as if I'll have plenty of reading time given the weather. I also didn't bring my sketch pad which was more being too lazy to properly pack the charcoals than oversight on my part. Other things I anticipate I should have packed? Socks and wellies.
Its a shame really that I'm wide awake and could be snapping sunrise pics at Blackwater Wildlife Refuge but its so vile outside the pics would likely turn out gray and soggy looking.
I guess I'll just turn on "Delmarva's New Leader" and check out the WSJ online and wait. . .
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