For Christmas Alan got me a massage and facial. Because I like to hoard gifts, I waited to cash it in until last Friday. Four months of anticipation? Now THAT'S what I consider a gift.

So I took the afternoon off work and headed to the day spa, hellbent on relaxing. In the changing room, I realized I wasn't sure which service I was getting first, so I just shrugged, ditched all my clothes and donned the robe they provided me.

Minutes later, a middle-aged woman with an Eastern European accent who introduced herself as "Micki" and reminded me of Edna Mode from "The Incredibles" ushered me into a well lit room.

"Vee vill start vith your facial," she told me. Then, gesturing at the padded massage table, she continued, "Remove zee robe and lie down face-up."

I nodded and waited for her to leave the room, in standard spa fashion. In response, she simply crossed her arms and stared at me.

"Um," I began, realizing she was expecting me to drop my robe. "I don't have anything on under this. It doesn't bother me, but I don't want to offend you."

She laughed. "Please! I've seen it all. I 'ave two daughters and five grand-daughters."

All rightee then. I dropped my robe and lay down on the table, covering myself with the sheet.

[Note: Apparently that sheet is a pretty important detail, because when I told Alan about my experience, he was incredulous. "So you just lay there NAKED through your entire facial???"]

The facial got underway and I received a lecture for being lazy with my skincare and only using a two step process - wash it, put on lotion. I somewhat redeemed myself by pointing out that I've worn sunblock on my face every day since college.

At some point during my facial, I became aware of a muffled bell ringing in the distance. For a moment, I wondered if it was a fire alarm, but I was so relaxed I chose to ignore it. Later, as we were wrapping up the facial, shaking her head Micki said, "Deed you hear zat bell earlier?"

Without waiting for my response, she continued, "Eet was a fire drill. Zey do zem all zee time in zis building. Zee other people took zer patients outside. Not me! If it really decide to burn, someone will come knock."

Excellent. I could've burned to a crisp. Kind of an anti-facial.

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She then went on to tell me about the customer she was giving a Brazilian Wax when the earthquake struck last August. "We ran outside - she in a robe. The wax, eet harden. Wven we come back in, it take me an hour to clean her out!"

I think I'm glad I stuck with the facial.