The Massage That Almost Happened

I can count the number of times I have had a professional massage on my two hands. If I think really hard I can remember each of the places and occasions that warranted them.

You can imagine my delight when early in May I took my kids to a free play day at the Microsoft store in the local mall. If you have a Microsoft store in your area, you may want to check to see if they having something similar. For 45 minutes on Fridays they have someone entertain your kids in a program they called Fun Fridays. Original name isn't it?

I didn't care! We tried going one other other but it was canceled due to ??? We tried again and hit pay dirt.. it was on. Imagine 20 kids sitting on the floor listening to stories, playing games, singing songs, having a great time. Imagine my delight when the leader announced to the mothers/caretakers/fathers who were there that they also had free chair massages! Yes, please.

So I enjoyed a lovely 10 minute chair massage and talked to the therapist about my serious need for a massage. She totally sold me... I needed a massage! I had knots in my back, everywhere. I tend to carry my stress right between my shoulder blades. So I filled out her little form and she said you should totally come in for a 1 hour massage. To which I replied I think I will!

She made the appointment for me right then. She said take this certificate you'll get 10% off. You'll just have to have a brief consultation with the Chiropractor.

So my appointment was set for the week of Mothers Day. A little gift to myself. I was looking forward to that day for two weeks!

The day finally arrives and I show up to the office all excited to get a massage and relax for an hour only to be told that I didn't have an appointment for a massage, but I did have an appointment to meet with the Chiropractor for my free health evaluation. I tried explaining that the woman I talked to scheduled me for a massage. And then the blindfold came off. The receptionist clarified that before they could provide any services, including massage, every patient needed to have an evaluation by the chiropractor.

I can't believe I fell for that! As politely as I could, I told her "I don't live here, I don't need a Chiropractor, but I do need a massage". Would begging help? No.

My choices were
1) waste a Chiropractor's time, and mine, so I could schedule an appointment for a massage at that office at a later date.
2) go to the nearest spa I could find and pray they have an opening.
3) give up on the endeavor altogether

Guess what I did?

I turned around and walked out the door, deflated. See I had already arranged for babysitting for the 90 minutes I would be gone. Choice 1 would just make me angrier. Choice 2 could take all day. Choice 3 it was.

But to save the day there was a TJMaxx in the same shopping center, and I spent the next hour shopping. I needed something. If it couldn't be massage therapy then retail therapy would have to do.