On paying someone to do "the boyfriend's job"
OK, I love massages. I think they feel wonderful. However, I have historically viewed them as one of the perks of an intimate relationship...one of the perks that I have missed a lot in the last three years, since my stressful school schedule left me both with a great deal of tension and a great lack of free time to date. Finally, due to excruciating neck pain caused by hunching over books and computers, carrying an ergonomically-unfriendly backpack with 50 lbs worth of books in it, and holding all of my tension in my neck and shoulders, I decided to pay someone to do the boyfriend's job.
On the high recommendations of Evie, who receives acupuncture once a week, I chose to go to Apple-a-Day, on Lincoln, just off of Kinnickinnic. I called to make an appointment and the woman on the phone was very friendly, very accommodating. She suggested what she thought would be an appropriate length of time for a table massage focusing on the upper body (half an hour) and even asked me specifically if I would be comfortable with a male therapist, since there were no females available at the time I requested. [For the record, I'm not sure how comfortable I would be with it if it was a full-body massage requiring total nudity, but in this situation gender did not warrant much concern for me.]
I arrived at Apple-a-Day a bit early to fill out the necessary paperwork, and then my very friendly massage therapist came down and greeted me. He took me upstairs (which is unexpectedly HUGE) and to a cozy massage "suite" and sat down to discuss my specific needs and tell me exactly what he would do in the massage. He also asked me what kind of scents I liked and put a wonderful minty aromatherapy thingie on the table and in the massage oil. Then he left while I undressed from the waist up and climbed onto the comfy HEATED massage "table" (more like a bed) and covered up with a sheet and a blanket. Now, I'm not gonna do a blow-by-blow of the entire massage, but let's just say: I have had it backwards for a long time. I was not paying someone to do "the boyfriend's job." Rather, I have spent my whole life roughing it by letting the boyfriend try to do the massage therapist's job. Granted, a boyfriend-massage has some totally different qualities to it that would be massively inappropriate if incorporated into the therapist's massage, but you have not had a real massage until you've gotten one from a pro. Period. The initial awkwardness of having a stranger oil up his hands and rub your skin is quickly forgotten because you drift into a heavenly state of near-unconsciousness mixed with delight. And he wasn't just guessing what might feel good and rubbing at the general areas. He knew which muscles to target and exactly how to target them. Awesome.
The point of my story? Try it. Go to Apple-a-Day. I now join other friends that have been there and am throwing my support behind this excellent small business that I would like to remain in business. All of the staff is friendly and knowledgable, the services are reasonably-priced, and I will go back for massages whenever I can afford it. I would consider the acupuncture, too, based on Evie's review, but the massage was ace, and you can enjoy it without having to believe in Eastern Medicine, which I know a lot of skeptical people do not.
On the high recommendations of Evie, who receives acupuncture once a week, I chose to go to Apple-a-Day, on Lincoln, just off of Kinnickinnic. I called to make an appointment and the woman on the phone was very friendly, very accommodating. She suggested what she thought would be an appropriate length of time for a table massage focusing on the upper body (half an hour) and even asked me specifically if I would be comfortable with a male therapist, since there were no females available at the time I requested. [For the record, I'm not sure how comfortable I would be with it if it was a full-body massage requiring total nudity, but in this situation gender did not warrant much concern for me.]
I arrived at Apple-a-Day a bit early to fill out the necessary paperwork, and then my very friendly massage therapist came down and greeted me. He took me upstairs (which is unexpectedly HUGE) and to a cozy massage "suite" and sat down to discuss my specific needs and tell me exactly what he would do in the massage. He also asked me what kind of scents I liked and put a wonderful minty aromatherapy thingie on the table and in the massage oil. Then he left while I undressed from the waist up and climbed onto the comfy HEATED massage "table" (more like a bed) and covered up with a sheet and a blanket. Now, I'm not gonna do a blow-by-blow of the entire massage, but let's just say: I have had it backwards for a long time. I was not paying someone to do "the boyfriend's job." Rather, I have spent my whole life roughing it by letting the boyfriend try to do the massage therapist's job. Granted, a boyfriend-massage has some totally different qualities to it that would be massively inappropriate if incorporated into the therapist's massage, but you have not had a real massage until you've gotten one from a pro. Period. The initial awkwardness of having a stranger oil up his hands and rub your skin is quickly forgotten because you drift into a heavenly state of near-unconsciousness mixed with delight. And he wasn't just guessing what might feel good and rubbing at the general areas. He knew which muscles to target and exactly how to target them. Awesome.
The point of my story? Try it. Go to Apple-a-Day. I now join other friends that have been there and am throwing my support behind this excellent small business that I would like to remain in business. All of the staff is friendly and knowledgable, the services are reasonably-priced, and I will go back for massages whenever I can afford it. I would consider the acupuncture, too, based on Evie's review, but the massage was ace, and you can enjoy it without having to believe in Eastern Medicine, which I know a lot of skeptical people do not.