Smooth as a Baby's Behind

Today was our day to go to a spa for a facial.  Laura was also going to get a massage and I was going to get a French manicure.  I told Laura that I didn't want any special service that was going to hurt.  I'm a baby when it comes to pain.  However, the technician talked me into getting an anti-aging treatment which included some microdermabrasion, an eyebrow tint, and an acid peel.  Hmm, the latter sounded rather scary but she assured me that it wouldn't hurt.  It would just be a little tingly.  What also helped convince me was when she had me get under a hood where she turned on a special light that shows the hidden sun and age damage to your skin.  Ugh!  That was scary and I don't even sunbathe.  My skin was definitely dry, she said.

The facial wasn't bad but the acid peel was something.  She kept asking me if my face felt like it was burning.  Uh, yup.  "Don't worry," she said, cheerily.  "It's perfectly safe."  When she handed me a nozzle with oxygen coming out of it, that helped a little.  I waved that all over my face and it helped keep the burning manageable.  I kept waiting for her to peel off the mask (at least, I thought it was going to dry and then be able to be peeled off like a mask) but soon she asked me if the burning was starting to lessen.

"A little," I replied.
"Good," she said.  "You're all done here.  You can get dressed and then we'll get you started on your manicure." 

I'd never had a French manicure before which was something that my manicurist just couldn't believe.  It's true, though.  She explained that she would be giving me an "American" French manicure which meant that the white that she was going to use was actually an off-white, rather than a bright white.  She said it looks better on hands and that she reserves the bright white for pedicures.  I also got a nice sugar scrub on my hands and arms and now they are soft as a baby's behind, as my mom used to say.  I'm quite pleased with the final results of the manicure.  I think they look quite classic.

By the time we left the spa, we were starved.  We headed over to the Cheesecake Factory and had a wonderful meal.  We started out with Tex-Mex egg rolls and then Laura enjoyed Chicken Piccata and I had Fettucine Carbonara.  Oh, yummy!  We ordered the lunch-size portions but my goodness, the portions were huge.  We couldn't finish them at all, especially since we wanted to save room for some dessert.  And the desserts?  Well, Laura had Snickers cheesecake and I had their Red Velvet Cheesecake.  Again, we just couldn't finish our portions.  Our accommodating waiter packaged up all of our leftovers.

Here's the haul that we brought home.  It looks like we either didn't eat anything at all or that we ordered enough for 10 people.  Neither is true, let me assure you.  We didn't leave there hungry, though and it looks like Laura won't have to cook for several days after she gets back home.  Speaking of home, we head back tomorrow.  Hard to believe that it's already time to go.  We've certainly enjoyed our vacation here in Raleigh. 

When we left the spa, the last thing the technician said to us was that we could expect our face to peel in a few days.  "Laura," I said when we got in the car.  "How much peeling are we talking about?  Are we talking about shreds of skin hanging down or what?"  She assured me that it was more like the dry, flaky skin you get when your skin is extra dry.  I hope that's the extent of it.  It might be a little embarrassing to walk into church on Easter Sunday looking like something that just came out of a meat grinder.