I had my first professional massage today, 60 minutes of “sveedish” bliss with a little deep tissue thrown in for good measure. I probably would never have made an appointment on my own, but it sure as hell was a great birthday gift. Up until a few years ago I was always very laid back and relaxed, still am, but not as much as I used to be. It took me awhile to relax into the massage, and it made me realize just how tense I was. Too much crap going on in the cereberal cortex, sadly. If you’ve got a stressed out friend or relative, consider a gift certificate for a massage, most places have a $39 swedish style special. Or even cheaper, there’s a school of massage in Tempe at Southern and Priest that offers discount student massages, which is where I’ll be going next. This could become a habit!