I'm still feeling all rickety-rockity but am certainly in far better spirits than a few days ago. One things that always amazes me: other people. They can be so good for the soul. All of your comments and emails, and even a few phone calls from friends who read this site -- they were just so nice and reassuring. Thanks for that.
Last night, we all went out for Beccarah's bachelorette party. Thankfully, none of the girls in the crew were into the the typical body-shots-and-embarrasing-tasks type of bachelorette party, so the five of us opted to treat ourselves to an evening at the hammam. Some hot rocks, a steam room, a sauna, a pool, a body rub, and a massage. The whole experience was awesome, even if the ladies running the place were psychotic. Picture yourself - butt naked - getting agressively scrubbed down by a woman in pair of ratty shorts and an even rattier bra, as she commands: "Flip." "Sit." "Up." There was no smiling or laughing involved, and a minimum of words, as well. Because of their shortness and our new-ness, we didn't quite understand the sequence of events, and were repeatedly publicly shamed accordingly. So be it. Otherwise, the evening taught me two things: a) treating your body right can help soothe the mind by extension and b) I need to do some personal pampering on a regular occasion. It costs a little bit of cash, but I think it's worth it. The hammams are a reasonably inexpensive route to take, and I think they're the perfect solution.
I came home to the best night's sleep I have had in a week, and I think, more than anything, that was the most beneficial aspect of the adventure.
Tomorrow: Beccarah will say her "I do's" (or whatever they're called here) at 10.45 am!