The Mid-Mall Massage

The last four days have been full of adventures: I made beef stroganoff, drank my first IPA, sang a duet with my sister for a wedding, and split an alcoholic mandarin orange shake with my husband.  These experiences were delicious, hoppy and a bit spicy, beautiful and the best shake I've ever had.  These experiences, however, pale in comparison to the ultimate new thing I experienced yesterday: the mid-mall massage.

I've had a tension headache all week and random arm spasms which I basically traced to a kink in my neck and back.  Ben lovingly suggested that I head over to the mall to get a massage from one of those guys in the middle of the mall, right outside the Barnes & Noble. You know, those booths that have those funny looking massage chairs, like this:

I had my doubts. Who wants to get a massage in the middle of a very busy mall? Doesn't that seem weird? Will this offend people of certain cultures? Can I truly relax in a public place? Well, it turns out that I couldn't really relax.  The massage, however, was awesome. It was very difficult to release the tension in my shoulders as I could hear all the people around me, but that didn't stop my massage guy (I can't spell masseuse).  He was able to loosen me up quite well and realigned my spine with two very satisfying cracks.

The best part, though, was watching all the feet walk past me. Your face is stuck in this downward position that allows you to see the faces of  only those 3 years old and under.  I did see some very interesting shoes during my 15-minute captivity.  You also have the chance to quietly observe how people walk.  I had just been staring at a very ratty pair of moccasin-like boots as they lumbered past me when a flamboyant pair of purple leather hi-tops scampered by.  I started laughing to myself, trying not to alarm my masseuse when a very stylish electric wheel chair supporting very large feet and legs zoomed past, narrowly missing my chair and 6 others sets of toes.  It was at this point that I reminded myself to relax and enjoy the rest of my 15 minutes.  Overall the experience was good--my headache disappeared about 5 minutes in and I could move again.  As for the lack of privacy this situation provided, it's undeniable. It is weird having someone crush you while people are browsing for calendars or handbags 7 feet away. If you can get past that, however, this is an inexpensive way to get rid of the crick in your neck while checking out the latest trends in footwear.