Sunday as it should be

Having spent the early hours catching up on the sleep I missed the night before while serving the Houston Rockets round after round of Sambuca, I awoke just before 11:00 to the sound of my phone ringing and the crisp sunshine of yet another sharply cold Portland morning pressing through my window. Wayne was calling to see whether or not I would like to accompany him on his Sunday morning rite of a visit to the local Finnish steambath and sauna. Realizing that I was completely without hangover (the result of working too late to procure any Sambuca of my own) I felt that a healthy dose of humidity might be just the ticket to guaranteeing a good day.
We agreed that Wayne would come around for me within a half hour. I boiled the water and ground the beans for my morning french press while simultaneously throwing on some semblance of a warm, half presentable outfit. I had just slipped my arm into the first sleeve of a plushly insulated hoodie when my phone began to ring again announcing Wayne's arrival. Coffee in hand, keys jangling obstreperously, I rushed out the door and down to street-level where Wayne waited patiently in his SUV. Making our way to the spa we chatted lightly although both of us were still somewhat foggy with morning sluggishness.
Located in one of my old neighborhoods, I marveled at having never before visited Löyly. The interior was sparing yet quite stylish. The reductionist aesthetic was complimenting to the simplicity of the notion of simply sitting in a hot space and allowing all of life's myriad toxins to melt off. There was a steam room, a cold shower, and a sauna. Outside of the three was a spacious and naturally lit seating area complete with very, very quiet serene music and a selection of reading materials. And water. For drinking. There was tea available for purchase along with various skin care products meant to augment the healthfulness of the visit.
Wayne and I began by sitting in the steam room where we continued our conversations begun earlier on the ride over. We were a bit more cognizant at that point and could stand to converse with a bit more complexity. Following a brief reprieve in the lounge area we then visited the sauna where we both chose to be rather quiet. I began meditating and found it much easier to clear my mind with the pungency of the heated cedar and sizzling of the hot stones to sooth my sensory perceptions.
Once finished, we showered, dressed and headed to brunch where we were met by Lucie and her roommate Margaret. The four of us enjoyed a lovely meal at the Jade Lounge where our friend Brett had just begun serving the morning before. After coffee, bread pudding french toast, and huevos rancheros, the four of us parted ways and set out to continue our restful and enjoyable days.
Wayne dropped me off at home where I decided to read and relax so as not to upset the placidity of the primary part of my day. Through the hazy stream of cigarette smoke, I stared at my computer screen and decided the whole ordeal deserved to be recorded. How often is it that a chance morning turns out so picture perfect? With the ambiguity of the answer floating lazily with the blue gray smoke I set to work.



And now, for today, I am through.