Guards! Guards!

Today I finished listening to Guards! Guards! by Terry Pratchett, while doing exercises. Then I listened to a good part of it again, while cooking. Then I listened to it as an audio-play, thanks to a tip by filkferengi.

Loved it - Pratchett just gets better and better as I continue. I hadn't read any of the City Guard books before, but I knew from friends that Vimes was worth reading about.

( Observations (with spoilers): )

Eager now for the next book. Bring 'em on.

A massage....

I love getting a massage, but due to lack of funds, don't do it very often. In fact, my last massage was in December, 2006.

Until today.

This was thanks to dear friends who gave me a gift of a massage from Third Avenue Spa. I made my appointment for 11 a.m. this morning.

Now, I've had massages before, often enough (though not as often as I'd like). Mostly I go to Lee-Ann Solomon. This is the first time I've done it at a spa.

So: I was impressed at the treatment when I came in. It was like going to an expensive hotel. Slim, elegant young women dressed in black greeted me by name in polite, posh voices. There was a sense of elegance about it all. Artificial elegance, but elegance nonetheless. Lovely framed art in the lincoln-green bathroom, and the toiler paper in an artistic glass holder. Woo. I love a classy bathroom. Now, it wasn't quite as nice as my bathroom with its framed fannish art, but elegant, clearly elegant.

The massage? Well, I think Lee-Ann is better, but Mika gave me a lovely massage. My body felt tired and aching from all the exercise I've been doing - and maybe from other causes too. It's felt terrific every since. It felt particularly good on my damaged ankle.

Ahhh, lovely.

And thanks to those who made it possible.