Salon Day

8/4/2012

Salon Day

You may have noticed that I wasn't up at the crack of dawn this morning competing with roosters for crowing rights.  Nope, slept right in until 6:30.  What wakes me up?  You mean other than the dogs walking all over your body because they're hungry?  Probably my internal clock that says you're late - for work - which I'm not - but I'm the only one that knows that!

Saturdays are special days because I go every Saturday to the salon for one kind of beauty treatment or another.  Generally nothing too fancy - toes or fingers; but I do have a gift certificate on my refrigerator from Christmas for a heated stone massage.  Had one?  If not, get one.  You'll love it.  The rocks are warm and when the masseuse puts them on your body it's heaven.  I highly recommend it.

Today, I'm off for toes and fingers!  Most men have never had a pedicure but if you did it once, you would do it again.  I have seen dudes in the salon and it's a little unnerving - kind of like male telephone operators in the 60's - puts you off for a moment.  You get a glorious mini massage of your legs, your feet are buffed and scrubbed and then they apply some luscious shade of polish to your toes.  You leave the salon with feet made for sandals, which is a must for the summer time.  Nobody wants to be seen in public with grubby toes and feet.

After I return from the salon, I take 30 minutes or so to "cure" my polish which generally isn't completely set when I leave to come home.  This allows me to have an uninterrupted cup of coffee - I can't do anything - my nails are wet.  It may be a weak excuse but it has worked all these years so don't let anyone know!

I have never worn red polish - ever.  Not even on my toes which during the winter I could get away with because who's going to see it?  I'm just not that brave.  Same with red lipstick - never.  I don't know how old I'm going to have to be before one day I just bite the bullet and tell the manicurist to put red paint on my feet.  I don't think I will ever be old enough - or brave enough - to use red on my fingers!  

I see the ladies, mostly younger than me, paint their fingers and toes outrageous colors - orange, purple, blue, yellow.  They have flowers, stripes or "diamonds" applied - I guess I'm just not that kind of person.  I don't want glow-in-the-dark, neon colors.  I just don't think the fluorescent colors go with everything or for the matter anything.  

The other new novelty I see is little (and I do mean little) girls getting weekly manicures.  I didn't have my first professional manicure until I was well into my 50's - couldn't afford it (money or time) back then.  Now it's a treat, a relaxing hour or so.  The shrillness of an eight year old's voice can and does break into my meditative state particularly when my feet is in swirling water (that changes color) and a massaging chair for my tush.  Nope definitely don't want to know you're there little one.  

When I was a kid my friends and I would buy our nail polish at the PX (military you know), go home and paint our fingers - badly.  We applied nail polish over chipped polish over and over again.  It's a wonder our nails didn't fall off.  I don't remember every removing polish - that wasn't nearly as much fun as applying it.  I guess when I was young (and that was a long time ago), we were just kids - playing.

Hate to cut this short, but it's time to go for my weekly indulgence.  I'll see you when I get back and my nails are dry!

P