Monday, August 29, 2022

Successful Quest

Inspirational song: Institutionalized (Suicidal Tendencies)

All I wanted was a massage, just one massage, and she wouldn't give it to me.

The universe really didn't want me to get my massage today. Yesterday, I got a text confirming my appointment, and moments later, one canceling it. They left me a voice mail too, saying there were other openings today for 90 minutes, and if I called, I could see a different therapist. I tried calling when I got home, and they didn't answer. I tried again later in the day, and by then all the 90s were gone, but I could have a 60. I took it. 

The appointment was for 9 am, and I was a little slow getting out of bed. At 8:15, as I was literally rolling to put my feet on the floor, I heard doors in the hallway, as my houseguest slipped into the bathroom ahead of me, and started showering. I watched the minutes tick by, and got more and more anxious. I gave up and took a washcloth bath in the kitchen sink, and threw on clothes. I was trying to decide what to do about my teeth, when they finally came out and I dashed in to finish the important things before my massage.

It's usually a pretty straight shot across town on roads with few stop signs or lights. I could hear a train as I hopped in the car, and I sent up a fervent wish that it wouldn't be crossing right at the last half-mile before the turn into the strip mall. As I drove south, I could see police lights at the stoplight where I needed to juke east. I turned at the stop sign ahead of it instead, forgetting that there was no cut through in that neighborhood. I had to go way out and drive back. Traffic was goofy, and there was a lane closure for a tow truck hitching up a work van. I pressed onward, got to the last stoplight, and there it was: the train, crawling back and forth as it decoupled some cars. I turned again, and went around a route that threw me three more red lights. I rolled in 5 minutes late, tense, agitated, wondering what the hell I did to piss off the spa gods.

Lucky for me, the unknown therapist ended up being super talented, and I hit that massage brain really early in. I lay in blissful silence as she worked me over at warp speed. She didn't scrimp on any work, she was just really efficient. I may want to add her into my rotation from now on.

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