Paris Hilton is Free

...and yet I'm still imprisoned in any given mall or shopping center.

Spending nearly eight hours, venturing through two different Macy's, a Men's Wearhouse, a Verizon store, and a Target isn't how I'd like to spend a day off. The day was so long, even my girlfriend, Lupe, who happens to be an expert shopper, admitted enough was enough. Imagine in what shape I'm in after such a trial? I'm several dollars lighter and quite fatigued.

What was purchased? One Calvin Klein suit, one Jones New York suit, nine ties from various designers (BCBG, Calvin Klein, Kenneth Cole, and others), shoes, shirts, chonies, and a Motorola Q. There's quite a bit of random items I purchased for my new office, including a fan and all kinds of medicine cabinet items. And we're not even finished - there's still some brown shoes, brown belt, and some additional dress shirts to buy. Tomorrow will be it. I beg of you.

I'm really enjoying my new cell phone - Moto Q - and it didn't cost me half of what I thought it would. I've been struggling with a LG VX9800 and a Dell Axim PDA... two electronic bricks. Now I've been able to combine the functionality of a cell phone and PDA to be the ultimate work geek. Level 12!

Lupe was nice enough to pay for a shiatsu massage at the Sherman Oaks Fashion Center. I'm not sure if you've seen these massage kiosks at your local mall. Essentially, there are six odd looking, forward leaning chairs, that have a masseur assigned. These folks are usually Asian and eager to put their hands on you. I've avoided them in the past, but today, it was very difficult to say no this afternoon.

Sitting face down in this odd contraption of a chair, I was subject to what resembled more an assault than a massage. Elbows in my neck, middle of my back, it was an exchange that I would have started a fight over if this had happened on the basketball court. The funny part of the massage was... the spanking.

I was spanked by a grown Asian man in front of everyone in the Sherman Oaks Fashion Center. I admit it. There's some odd part of the massage where the masseur whacks you in the side, legs, and then your end part. I've never experienced that in my life and frankly I felt ashamed. Anyone else go through this?

This guy was hitting some pressure points in my back that hurt me. The middle of my back seems to be so sensitive - I've been injured there before. I'm guessing that was part of the experience? Overall, he got rid of the headache I had, but I had problems driving home... fatigue was spanking me then.