Pampering should be good for insomnia, shouldn't it?

So, last night I had a manicure. Should be relaxing and soothing, yes?

Soaking my hands in a bowl of water... fine. Having my nails gently filed... fine. Then it comes to the cuticles.

"I used to have immaculate cuticles when I was a student. Playing with them in lectures was much more interesting than listening" said I, as the manicurist used an implement to push skin off my fingernails.

Then there was stepping up of a level. She pulled what was effectively a scapel out of her box of magic tricks, and started carving away. I was flinching on a grand scale.

"This is a very weird thing to allow someone else to do to you"

"What?"

"Letting a stranger carve skin off your hands"

"Yes, I suppose it is. It's my favourite part though"

After the scalpel, there was the buffer. The buffer was rough stuff, on a sponge. I flinched even more than when she was peeling skin off with a sharp tool.

"Sorry. I just really don't like sponge. It freaks me out"

"Really? I suppose we all have weird things like that..."

"When I was at school, I was only ever allowed to do the normal PE about three times ever. And it would inevitably be rounders. I couldn't field, cos wheelchairs and sports fields just don't go, so I always ended up batting, and I always got hit in the face by the ball..."

"... a sponge ball?"

"No, I'm slowly getting to the sponge part"

"Right, you got hit in the face with a hard, leather ball?"

"Yes. But the next time I was allowed to do the normal PE, I'd always be quite chirpy and happy to be joining in - until I once more ended up with a bloody nose. But I'd still come back for more. But, then when I was made to do the "special" PE, which was basically just throwing a sponge ball back and forth for an hour, I'd be cowering in the corner with my sweatshirt pulled over my head screaming. I don't like sponge."

I thought the manicurist was going to wet herself. It must be the way I tell them in person.

"I always got injured in PE in school too. I'm so clumsy. My two-year old godson puts me to shame - he's so much more co-ordinated than me."

"I'm so glad you told me that after you moved the sharp instrument away from my hands"

Yes. Very relaxing. Not as frightening as the haircut I had today though, but I haven't had sufficient chance to deal with that internally yet. I'm not yet up to sharing the details of that with the group.