Life's little pleasures

I am a few ticks north of 80 and continue to have new and pleasurable experiences from time to time. Today is a good example of what I am writing about. I had my first salon pedicure courtesy of my two oldest sons and first daughter who gave me a Father’s Day gift certificate at a local salon.
For about the last 50 years or so I have used shipyard pipe cutters to nibble away at my toe nails to keep from ruining pairs of Gold-Toe socks and be able to get my feet into my shoes. I’ve also gone to a podiatrist a few times, but those trips were usually first for a foot problem/checkup with a quick clip, file and out the door thrown in. 

I don't know why I never had a pedicure before. People have been doing it for over 4,000 years. To me it was something real men did not do: go into a beauty salon. Even to day I do not like having my hair cut in a salon. In South Carolina, you have to be a licensed barber (usually male) to shave a man's neck with cream and a razor. I fear I am digressing or as we say, chasing rabbits. Back to my toe nails. 

As the years went on my toe nails grew hard and thick. I told my family thick toe nails meant massive brain power. My late wife said it was more likely I was thick-headed than smart.  

Pedicurist chair 

At the neighborhood salon today, an efficient lady named Theresa had me sit in a specially designed pedicure chair with an attached granite tub and fiberglass footrest. The tub was a jet whirlpool. Talk about fancy seating. Such chairs, I later learned, cost retail about $3,900. I stuck my feet into the whirlpool filled with warm water and a soap that made it all look like a cauldron of bubbling warm pink grapefruit juice. After a suitable soak she went to work and cut, trimmed, sanded, filed, creamed and massaged my feet. It was truly a pleasurable experience and one I intend to go back for.
Meanwhile, thanks kids. It is a superb gift. 

(Complete blog here.)

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