GET THE MASSAGE...LEN IS RIGHT

Hello my friends:
Today's post deals with an experience I enjoyed today. Back in October, my mother gave me a gift certificate for a local day spa because I was interested in getting a massage. I've never had a Swedish massage and have always been interested, having heard nothing but good things.

I went to Kimberly's in Latham. They are generally booked up and you have to make an appointment around 2-3 weeks in advance. So I did. Now first off, I've got to say that I don't know if I would have spent money on myself for this, at least, not before experiencing it. A 1-hour Swedish massage goes for $70. So, with some skepticism, because of the disparity in the cost of the massage, compared to what I make per hour, I made my way to Latham.

After filling out a questionnaire, I was led upstairs to the room I was going to use. The masseuse, Sierra, had me disrobe to my level of comfort(down to my underwear), and lay under the sheet and blanket. I put my face into the support ring, laying on my stomach. There was soothing New-Agey type of music playing to help with relaxation. The massage table had a heating pad and was nice and warm when I laid down. Sierra started with compressions, which is pushing down on the parts of your body she was going to be working on first, to prepare your skin tissue for the massage.

I'm not going to bore you with all of the details. She started with my back and neck, using a grape seed massage oil and then did the backs of my legs. I then turned over and she did my feet, leg fronts and arms and hands. The hour seemed to fly by and I enjoyed every minute of it. Afterward, the have you drink some water to aid in getting rid of any toxins that may have been released after a deep-tissue massage.

ADVICE FROM LEN IS RIGHT
I will tell you what. This was one of the most enjoyable experiences I've ever had that didn't involve sex, food, sports, or poker. I heartilly recommend spoiling yourself or a loved one with a total body massage. And no, guys, there was no "Happy Ending" offered. It was just your basic Swedish massage. But with Mothers Day, Father's Day approaching, and birthdays always on the horizon, I would definitely think about looking into spending the money for a massage.

Now, you can get massages for less money. Local independent massage therapists generally charge around $50-$60/hour. Also, there is the Center For Wellness, on Wolf Rd. in Colonie (right behind Pier 1 Imports), which is the school that many of the local massage therapists attend, where you can get a massage for $40. Realize that you are getting it from a person who is still in training.

I would also recommend that if you are going to have one, and you are a man, that you request a woman massage therapist. You don't want to feel all nervous because another guy is running his hands over your body. The woman I had was friendly, only spoke if I spoke, and very professional. And if you're the kind of guy who wouldn't even consider walking into a day spa because it seems girly or faggy, all I can tell you is that you are missing out. Personally, I don't know how I went without this kind of treatment for the first 43 years of my life. I'll be going back fairly soon, because that was very cool and I really enjoyed my time there. Kimberly's is a tad pretentious and up-scale, and it is a bit costly. But afterward you don't even think about that. You're just thinking about how good your body feels.

AND THAT, MY FRIENDS, IS THE BOTTOM LINE!
Get the massage. Spend some money on yourself. You'll be very glad you did. And besides, you have GOT TO KNOW that........LEN IS RIGHT.

Peace to you all.
I am,
Len Tollerton