Ch Ch Ch Changes! Ch. 03

So we check into the rather posh spa which has a distinct, southwestern design and feel to it. The ladies who guide us through the various stations are all about making sure we feel like royalty, and I am surprised by just how good it makes me feel.

We start with mani/pedis and I opt for a very sedate shade of burgundy red while Sarah and her lighter coloring and blue eyes opts for a bluish-grey shade that matches her eyes really well. The manicurist is visibly distressed by the state of my nails, going so far as to talk me through what she is doing and why she is doing it, probably with the hope that I'll learn how to better take care of these things myself. Once complete, I'm more than a bit distracted by my nails. Having never had nail polish I find myself constantly distracted by the color every time I glimpse my fingers. I also notice that Sarah's nails aren't super long, but are longer than mine and look better for it. Note to self - grow out your finger nails a bit! Of course, they provide me a bottle of that color and a matching lipstick to go with it.

Next we get facials with deep cleanses, a massage, and eyebrow shaping. To be honest, this part of our spa experience seems to be the most ridiculous part of the adventure. I could have washed my face with bar soap at home and felt just as clean, though the massage does leave my face tingling and happy. I'm also told by the cosmetologist that my thick eyebrows are great but need to be kept in check as I'm just a bit too close to a unibrow for her comfort. She says this as she's ruthlessly plucking out hairs from the space between my brows - perhaps wanting to add a bit of pain so that I'll remember her lessons.

Finally, it's time for a haircut, though I'm quickly reminded by Sarah that men get haircuts, women get styled. I talk about it with the stylist, Lance, who is far more feminine at age 50 in his presentation than I am. I tell him I don't want to have to spend a lot of time primping it and want to be able to wear it in a pony tail when I'm working. He reluctantly agrees to keeping most of the length. When he finishes, my hair falls down to my shoulder blades in back, the top of my breasts in front. He suggests adding a few highlights to the raven hair, assuring me that it will blend in nicely, look very natural, and soften the jet-black locks. As he's doing the color he shows me a few different ways to style it to bring out the curls and body and once again I'm sorta left speechless as to how good it looks on me.

When Sarah and I walk back to her car, our arms full of new clothes, our faces aglow, and our hair looking spectacular I must admit to feeling better about myself than I ever have before, if only for the reason that I'm respecting myself, and not taking anything for granted.