Anticipation...
OK, I admit it. I get a little excited when the bride and chitlins go down to Calgary for a week. I get home late Sunday afternoon and return to them after work on Friday: for four shining evenings, I can indulge in unbridled hedonism! (Thursday is reserved for cleaning, laundry and packing.)
Granted, it's not like I have house parties, get hammered every night or go out dancin' 'til dawn - I have a full-time job and a load of writing to do. However... however, however... I can finish stuff up at work without watching the clock to make sure that I am out the door on time to make it home as expected. I can go out for a drink or meet a friend for coffee.
I can get home and lie down on the couch.
This, my friends and loyal readers, is the purest form of self-indulgence for a dad. I love them all, but it is... nice... to get some time to myself. I feel for my bride, who doesn't get quite the same time off. We'll fix that someday.
Todd Babiak had a good piece today on the International Olympic Committee's absolutely silent (and completely ineffective) diplomacy with China. Just to combine his insightful look into justifiable condemnation of China's human (and every other) rights record with something prurient and titillating, check out some favourite body painting. I admire the art, not the... canvasses.
Peace out.
Today, let's change things up a little. I have the Chili Hot Hot article framed in my office, and I scanned the Funeral Crashing piece to dry-mount it. The third piece that I dry-mounted was Spa Dating, which ran in the Edmonton Journal's ed Magazine in November 2005. This article spawned the famous "bubbles controversy" with my wife. (I swear, honey, nobody could see a thing!) We have the original picture that ran as a centre spread so you can form your own opinion - I think it is otherwise lost to history.
How's this for a hot date?
With spa packages for couples on the rise, treatments are taking into account the togetherness factor
Christopher Thrall, For CanWest News Service
Friday, November 11, 2005
Spas are for chicks, with all that waxing, nail polish and chit chat. No self-respecting guy would be caught dead in a soft, comfortable robe, getting pampered by skilled professionals.
Yeah, right.
Fact is, about one-third of all the spa treatments at Perugia Salon Spa in Edmonton are booked for men. And most of these bookings are treatments for couples: part of a quiet revolution in the spa industry.
"When you're tired of the bar scene, where do you go?" asks Janie Neves, managing partner at Perugia. "We have a number of couples who enjoy our unpretentious environment and group atmosphere."
Adrienne and David Beaulac first came to Perugia together almost a year ago.
"We came on a tour. Then, later, on an event night for yoga and a scalp massage," says Adrienne. "The yoga instructor from Ashanti was amazing and we tried the specially designed scalp massage table. Then, we signed up for a couple's membership."
Unlike her husband, Adrienne had been to spas before, but not regularly. Now, the community service workers make a point of getting to Perugia's monthly events.
"We both felt really comfortable right away," she continues. "We felt good about the staff. Now, even though I see a few new faces each time I come back, everybody knows my name."
According to the International Spa Association, men represent the fastest growing segment of the spa industry, accounting for nearly 30 per cent of last year's business.
That has spas looking for ways to capitalize on the trend.
For example, at Calgary's RnR Wellness The Spa, men can have their shiatsu and hot stone massages in complete seclusion. A private male suite, with its own bathroom and steam room, alleviates men's fears that they will be seen walking around in a fuzzy robe.
Other spas are incorporating the idea of couples' treatments, with many offering special deals for a romantic spa day away or designing rooms for two.
Life Stiles spa in Edmonton has a romantic couples' package on its spa menu. For $300, both people get a manicure, pedicure and one-hour massage.
"There is definitely a demand for it," manager David Middleton says. "It makes a lovely Christmas present."
For many, though, the couples experience is all about the coupling.
"We see many couples here," says Anna Navrovla of the Dr. Wilkinson's Hot Springs Resort in Calistoga, Calif., "and very few of them want to be separated, even for a minute."
Affectionate pairs on their fifth dates, special celebrations or second honeymoons enjoy any number of services.
The most popular, however, is the resort's thick mud bath (actually a combination of local volcanic ash, imported peat and naturally boiling hot springs water). Anything goes, and despite their loudest knocks, staff still walk in on rather intense displays of affection.
"We've always had men in the spa, but not nearly so many," says Navrovla. "It was only in the last 10 years or so that men started coming in higher numbers, usually as part of a couple. Now, they are about one-third of our clients."
The resort has adjusted accordingly, expanding the men's change rooms and stocking them with top-of-the-line toiletries. The resort also adjusted the decor from soft pastels to warm, modern tones and now both sexes can relax in their comfortable atmosphere.
It's the same story at Perugia, where soothing music fills every room, dark orange hues, rich wood accents, lustrous copper fixtures and light suede furnishings ensure that nothing is overtly masculine or feminine. It's simply relaxing and romantic.
Deft, professional hands and a soothing environment provide something beyond the ordinary. You can find a quiet that's unavailable in the normal workday world.
Couples come back, not necessarily to enjoy treatments together all the time, but to be carried away by the experience. And the romance is simply beyond compare.
- - -
Make it a spa date
Spa dates are a romantic, sensual and pampered treat for anyone tired of the bar scene or looking for an evening that blows dinner and a movie out of the water. Here are some tips to maximize your spa experience.
1. Arrive at least 15 minutes early to change and relax prior to your treatment.
2. Drink a full glass of water. Stay hydrated.
3. Take advantage of valet parking, when offered, so you don't have to rush.
4. If waxing, refrain from tanning for at least 24 hours prior to the service.
5. Inform your technician of any medications, maladies or concerns.
6. If you enjoyed your experience, a gratuity is appreciated by the technicians. Tip based on how you feel after your service. If you are uncertain, give 15 per cent. Renew, relax and enjoy.
Granted, it's not like I have house parties, get hammered every night or go out dancin' 'til dawn - I have a full-time job and a load of writing to do. However... however, however... I can finish stuff up at work without watching the clock to make sure that I am out the door on time to make it home as expected. I can go out for a drink or meet a friend for coffee.
I can get home and lie down on the couch.
This, my friends and loyal readers, is the purest form of self-indulgence for a dad. I love them all, but it is... nice... to get some time to myself. I feel for my bride, who doesn't get quite the same time off. We'll fix that someday.
Todd Babiak had a good piece today on the International Olympic Committee's absolutely silent (and completely ineffective) diplomacy with China. Just to combine his insightful look into justifiable condemnation of China's human (and every other) rights record with something prurient and titillating, check out some favourite body painting. I admire the art, not the... canvasses.
Peace out.
Today, let's change things up a little. I have the Chili Hot Hot article framed in my office, and I scanned the Funeral Crashing piece to dry-mount it. The third piece that I dry-mounted was Spa Dating, which ran in the Edmonton Journal's ed Magazine in November 2005. This article spawned the famous "bubbles controversy" with my wife. (I swear, honey, nobody could see a thing!) We have the original picture that ran as a centre spread so you can form your own opinion - I think it is otherwise lost to history.
How's this for a hot date?
With spa packages for couples on the rise, treatments are taking into account the togetherness factor
Christopher Thrall, For CanWest News Service
Friday, November 11, 2005
Spas are for chicks, with all that waxing, nail polish and chit chat. No self-respecting guy would be caught dead in a soft, comfortable robe, getting pampered by skilled professionals.Yeah, right.
Fact is, about one-third of all the spa treatments at Perugia Salon Spa in Edmonton are booked for men. And most of these bookings are treatments for couples: part of a quiet revolution in the spa industry.
"When you're tired of the bar scene, where do you go?" asks Janie Neves, managing partner at Perugia. "We have a number of couples who enjoy our unpretentious environment and group atmosphere."
Adrienne and David Beaulac first came to Perugia together almost a year ago.
"We came on a tour. Then, later, on an event night for yoga and a scalp massage," says Adrienne. "The yoga instructor from Ashanti was amazing and we tried the specially designed scalp massage table. Then, we signed up for a couple's membership."
Unlike her husband, Adrienne had been to spas before, but not regularly. Now, the community service workers make a point of getting to Perugia's monthly events.
"We both felt really comfortable right away," she continues. "We felt good about the staff. Now, even though I see a few new faces each time I come back, everybody knows my name."
According to the International Spa Association, men represent the fastest growing segment of the spa industry, accounting for nearly 30 per cent of last year's business.
That has spas looking for ways to capitalize on the trend.
For example, at Calgary's RnR Wellness The Spa, men can have their shiatsu and hot stone massages in complete seclusion. A private male suite, with its own bathroom and steam room, alleviates men's fears that they will be seen walking around in a fuzzy robe.
Other spas are incorporating the idea of couples' treatments, with many offering special deals for a romantic spa day away or designing rooms for two.
Life Stiles spa in Edmonton has a romantic couples' package on its spa menu. For $300, both people get a manicure, pedicure and one-hour massage.
"There is definitely a demand for it," manager David Middleton says. "It makes a lovely Christmas present."
For many, though, the couples experience is all about the coupling.
"We see many couples here," says Anna Navrovla of the Dr. Wilkinson's Hot Springs Resort in Calistoga, Calif., "and very few of them want to be separated, even for a minute."
Affectionate pairs on their fifth dates, special celebrations or second honeymoons enjoy any number of services.
The most popular, however, is the resort's thick mud bath (actually a combination of local volcanic ash, imported peat and naturally boiling hot springs water). Anything goes, and despite their loudest knocks, staff still walk in on rather intense displays of affection.
"We've always had men in the spa, but not nearly so many," says Navrovla. "It was only in the last 10 years or so that men started coming in higher numbers, usually as part of a couple. Now, they are about one-third of our clients."
The resort has adjusted accordingly, expanding the men's change rooms and stocking them with top-of-the-line toiletries. The resort also adjusted the decor from soft pastels to warm, modern tones and now both sexes can relax in their comfortable atmosphere.
It's the same story at Perugia, where soothing music fills every room, dark orange hues, rich wood accents, lustrous copper fixtures and light suede furnishings ensure that nothing is overtly masculine or feminine. It's simply relaxing and romantic.
Deft, professional hands and a soothing environment provide something beyond the ordinary. You can find a quiet that's unavailable in the normal workday world.
Couples come back, not necessarily to enjoy treatments together all the time, but to be carried away by the experience. And the romance is simply beyond compare.
- - -
Make it a spa date
Spa dates are a romantic, sensual and pampered treat for anyone tired of the bar scene or looking for an evening that blows dinner and a movie out of the water. Here are some tips to maximize your spa experience.
1. Arrive at least 15 minutes early to change and relax prior to your treatment.
2. Drink a full glass of water. Stay hydrated.
3. Take advantage of valet parking, when offered, so you don't have to rush.
4. If waxing, refrain from tanning for at least 24 hours prior to the service.
5. Inform your technician of any medications, maladies or concerns.
6. If you enjoyed your experience, a gratuity is appreciated by the technicians. Tip based on how you feel after your service. If you are uncertain, give 15 per cent. Renew, relax and enjoy.
Labels: ed Magazine, Perugia, spa dating
posted by enthrall at 10:39 AM
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