That is what they said about the old Soviet Union, right? Plenty of free spa services?
Actually, I've had a mud bath and a mineral bath at a "sanitorium" in an FSR. The mud bath was stinky but fun, although the best comparison I could make will likely gross y'all out. Spoilerfont:
It was like being wrapped in an enormous and warm dirty diaper. But pleasanter, I would imagine.
So the USSR did have some "spa" services available for the sick, anyway. Someday I'll have to scan and upload some of my Peace Corps pictures.
I have enjoyed the Russian-Turkish baths in NYC, especially the part where I smoked cigarettes with old men after taking a sauna...
Remember a few weeks back I finally wrote notes to a few of my mom's friends who hadn't known she had died? I have gotten a card back from each of them, the last one yesterday. The gal included a long note, summarizing her friendship with my mom which extended back into the mid-sixties. Stooooopid me read it as I was waiting for CJ to have his class at the dojo. Crying at the dojo is not cool. Though, once I recovered myself, hitting things was very cathartic.
I had a mudbath during a long ago F2F. The bath was great, but when you got out, there was mud EVERYWHERE and there was a shared shower. Betsy and I agreed to turn our backs to each other for 5 minutes and just go for it to rinse off the mud.
I'm sick and fucking tired of my home area being used as an environmental guinea pig by mineral and energy companies.
Gas drilling in Appalachia yields a foul byproduct
But in October 2008, something happened that stunned environmental regulators: The levels of dissolved solids spiked above government standards in southwestern Pennsylvania's Monongahela River, a source of drinking water for more than 700,000 people.
Sure, it's just poor folks, and it doesn't really do any *real* damage. I wonder how many hills and homes with crack open before they finish with this.
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It must be nice to hear all of the memories, Suzi. If sad.
OMG OMG OMG. I just got really good news at work!!!
I wish I were in the office to jump up and down with other people.
