Luddite-things never tried yet in life

On a totally different forum that I visit, a bunch of women were aghast over puberty teen girls and younger who were into spas, paid pedicures and paid manicures. I joined in with their slight disgust...I do believe in empowering teen girls in other ways before the spa treatment ..and just letting them have cheap fun by doing their own nails...at home.

But it occurred to me, there are some things I just haven't tried yet in life...still... at my tender 49 yr.age. Right now, I'm not motivated. Example I have never had:

*a facial
*pedicure, manicure --paying for this
*spa visit (but I go to whirlpools occasionally)
*colouring or bleaching my hair. You heard it...I have...never..tried..this..yet.
*douche (I will never do this. The body has its natural cleaning system.)
*haven't tried antiperspirant (maybe I should.)
* bubble bath. (frankly this is abit late for me to try. I dislike cleaning the bathtub. Daily showers are tops!)
*done deep frying at home. (I probably never will. I'm not that keen on deep fried foods. Will eat occasional donut.)
*roast a whole chicken/roast beef/pork roast. The whole bird cooking treatment. (my rationale: so many other good, easier and just as fancy dishes to try that don't take as long!)
*have a pet, other than a goldfish (latter was when I was a child). Really we're not motivated. He had dogs in his life for 45 yrs. of his life but now our lifestyle doesn't quite accommodate care of dog/cat and his allergies to dog hair have increased with time.

I had my first pedicure about four years ago.

YOU MUST GET ONE if only once.

I felt like royalty :)

What Zen said! :cool:

Yeah, there are some things... like dying my hair, douching, and the deep frying thing... I probably will never do either, but the rest can be fun and therapeutic even!:) I have only had a couple massages, one facial and 2 pedicures in my life, but they were all so relaxing and lovely I would definitely love to be treated like that more!:p

Pretty similar list except I've had a facial (birthday gift certificate), I use antiperspirant, and I had a dog until four years ago. I don't like the idea of a pedicure, someone touching my feet would bug me.

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Originally Posted by Pax

I don't like the idea of a pedicure, someone touching my feet would bug me.

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Same here.

I had a (paid) manicure once. I didn't get to the car in the parking lot before I wrecked it! :rolleyes:

[QUOTE=shootingstar;378705]...*roast a whole chicken/roast beef/pork roast. The whole bird cooking treatment. (my rationale: so many other good, easier and just as fancy dishes to try that don't take as long!)
...QUOTE]

Ah, but that means you haven't discovered slow roasting. Put whole chicken or leg of lamb or whatever in the oven -- marinated and seasoned, lightly wrapped -- at about the temp you want it to reach when done. Take off on your all day bike ride. Come home. Add whole peeled veggies. Shower. Emerge from shower to find lovely gourmet meal ready in the oven. Now how much easier could a fancy meal get? Or how much cheaper? Even cheap cuts of meat turn tender with slow roasting.

I haven't done half the things on your list. I love massages, though, and would get them daily if I could. Now, it's about one every couple of years :(. I could justify them more often when I worked full time.

I haven't done a bike tour.

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Originally Posted by shootingstar

now, I'm not motivated. Example I have never had:

*a facial
*pedicure, manicure --paying for this
*spa visit (but I go to whirlpools occasionally)
*colouring or bleaching my hair. You heard it...I have...never..tried..this..yet.
*douche (I will never do this. The body has its natural cleaning system.)
*haven't tried antiperspirant (maybe I should.)
* bubble bath. (frankly this is abit late for me to try. I dislike cleaning the bathtub. Daily showers are tops!)
*done deep frying at home. (I probably never will. I'm not that keen on deep fried foods. Will eat occasional donut.)
*roast a whole chicken/roast beef/pork roast. The whole bird cooking treatment. (my rationale: so many other good, easier and just as fancy dishes to try that don't take as long!)
*have a pet, other than a goldfish (latter was when I was a child). Really we're not motivated. He had dogs in his life for 45 yrs. of his life but now our lifestyle doesn't quite accommodate care of dog/cat and his allergies to dog hair have increased with time.

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well, I've done some of them. I've never voluntarily taken a shower! I hate them. I prefer baths and where you missed out on bubble baths was not growing up with an american mom. They advertised bubble bath on TV so we all HAD to try it. It was always a disappointment because the bubbles didn't come up as high as they did on the commercial and they didn't stick around long either.

It's funny about roasting a chicken. It's easy. you smear it with salt and pepper and put it in the oven. There are endless other ways of cooking it. I guess it's what you grew up with. When I was a young kid, my mother would give me instructions to put a chicken in the oven so when she got home, we'd have a nice chicken dinner.

pedicures and toenail painting score high on the ick factor for me too. my toes would roll under in embarrassment if they were not the color they were supposed to be. :p

when you said Luddite I was expecting you to tell us about your non-computer non-cellphone lifestyle or something.

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Originally Posted by shootingstar

But it occurred to me, there are some things I just haven't tried yet in life...still... at my tender 49 yr.age. Right now, I'm not motivated. Example I have never had:

*a facial
*pedicure, manicure --paying for this
*spa visit (but I go to whirlpools occasionally)
*colouring or bleaching my hair. You heard it...I have...never..tried..this..yet.
*douche (I will never do this. The body has its natural cleaning system.)
*haven't tried antiperspirant (maybe I should.)
* bubble bath. (frankly this is abit late for me to try. I dislike cleaning the bathtub. Daily showers are tops!)
*done deep frying at home. (I probably never will. I'm not that keen on deep fried foods. Will eat occasional donut.)
*roast a whole chicken/roast beef/pork roast. The whole bird cooking treatment. (my rationale: so many other good, easier and just as fancy dishes to try that don't take as long!)
*have a pet, other than a goldfish (latter was when I was a child). Really we're not motivated. He had dogs in his life for 45 yrs. of his life but now our lifestyle doesn't quite accommodate care of dog/cat and his allergies to dog hair have increased with time.

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My DH, after the birth of DD, bought me a spa day at a lovely place inside a century house. The best parts of the day:

The pedicure. My horrible calloused feet were as soft as a baby's bottom when I left.

Padding about the place in a big fluffy white robe and soft slippers.

The not so great parts:

Facial: nice, but I didn't notice any huge difference. Products smelled nice.

Massage: I had to stop myself from giggling. This guy puts on the "seaside" tape - da*n seagulls screaming in the background. Massuese telling me that "this will be great" and hearing him breathe through his nose the whole time. The first professional massage I had and the worst- so superficial.

Hair wash and blow dry - Ha! I have very curly, frizzy hair. You do not blow dry my hair, even with a diffuser. I ALWAYS let my hair air-dry. So they wash my hair and as I try to go out they are giving me grief (who would dare walk out of their salon with wet hair!!). So I let them blow dry my hair..and it's getting bigger and frizzier :eek: It was hilarious to watch the reaction of everyone in there. Before I left, found a bathroom and left with really wet hair. :D

I do get 3-4 pedicures a year. I treat myself to a massage monthly. (My medical plan at work covers about 4/year. I teach courses on the side to pay for the rest.) Manicures are useless..health care worker - hands constantly under bombardment...

Nothing easier than roast chicken. 1/2 lemon and a large sprig of thyme on the inside cavity. Smear the outside with butter, kosher salt, fresh ground pepper. Set on a bed of onions and a bit of water. Roast at high temp..easy, and tastes fantastic!

While I am definitely a Luddite when it comes to certain things, particularly in the technology area, I have done everything on the list except deep frying. I roasted a turkey once; it was a disaster, so now my husband does it. I have roasted chickens, though.
Well, I haven't had a bubble bath for a long time. I mostly take showers, too, but sometimes when I get home from a long and hard ride, I take a bath in Epsom salts. And the pet was for my kids. I grew up in a family of people who don't like animals and I pretty much still dislike them myself. The cat died this summer after 14 good years and we are not getting another one. I know this is blasphemy to some of you, but when a strange animal comes near me, I am not happy.
I get pedicures every 6 weeks. I go to one of the many small places owned by Cambodian immigrants. It's very reasonably priced, especially compared to the "spa" where I get my hair cut. And I am giving business to a local small business owner. It's cheaper than a massage, which I would get every week, if I could. It's bliss when they massage your legs...
Manicures, well, I do that myself. Once in a great while I treat myself to a professional one. My friends all get their nails done every week, but I don't like to take the time to go there every week. My cycling buddy rides to get hers done sometimes and then has the person do her nails with her gloves on!
Ah, the antiperspirant. Well, I certainly don't mind sweat and dirt, but I do not like the smell of b.o. Sorry, it kind of makes me gag. I know that a lot of people don't really smell when they sweat, but I do.

DH gets me a spa day for Christmas every year. I'll go for therapeutic massages on my own (not as often as I ought to), but spa massages and skin treatments I would never buy for myself. What a luxury! DH is bored with giving the same thing and wants to get me something else. No way, I say :)

And deep frying... I hate to waste the oil, but nothing's as easy and delicious as homemade falafel. Okay, a roasted chicken is easier ;) but we very rarely have meat at home.

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Originally Posted by spindizzy

Massage: I had to stop myself from giggling. This guy puts on the "seaside" tape - da*n seagulls screaming in the background. Massuese telling me that "this will be great" and hearing him breathe through his nose the whole time. The first professional massage I had and the worst- so superficial.

Hair wash and blow dry - Ha! I have very curly, frizzy hair. You do not blow dry my hair, even with a diffuser. I ALWAYS let my hair air-dry. So they wash my hair and as I try to go out they are giving me grief (who would dare walk out of their salon with wet hair!!). So I let them blow dry my hair..and it's getting bigger and frizzier :eek: It was hilarious to watch the reaction of everyone in there. Before I left, found a bathroom and left with really wet hair. :D

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At least you had a memorable experience after birth of your DD, spindizzy. I had a good giggle over your story.

I got my lst and only professional massage a few yrs. ago. Actually at..work. The employer offered it as a benefit to us. It had to do be done at work in our office...in our chair. Actually she was quite good.

Rehodie: We know you will go on a bike tour one day. :)

At the last hotel we went recently, when we were going to leave, my dearie pulled out 2 fluffy white terry robes that we hadn't noticed in the room. It is lovely to pad around in one after a shower. (Mimi, I take long warm/hot showers.)

Actually when I get a new haircut and blow-dry, I often feel like royalty when leaving the salon and for rest of day. I do consider that a sort of necessary pampering..otherwise I would look like a mess over time. :p

I tried a sauna once...and hated it. It just feels no different to me than a hot humid summer day.

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Originally Posted by shootingstar

I tried a sauna once...and hated it. It just feels no different to me than a hot humid summer day.

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I don't much care for steam baths either, but I love a dry sauna in winter. It's pretty much the only place I can get warm in Ohio in February :p

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Lud·dite (lŭd'īt) Pronunciation Key
n.

1. Any of a group of British workers who between 1811 and 1816 rioted and destroyed laborsaving textile machinery in the belief that such machinery would diminish employment.
2. One who opposes technical or technological change.

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I'm not sure how pedicures, bubble baths, roasting, pets, facials, douche or a bubble bath fall under "technology".

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Originally Posted by shootingstar

*a facial
*pedicure, manicure --paying for this
*spa visit (but I go to whirlpools occasionally)
*colouring or bleaching my hair. You heard it...I have...never..tried..this..yet.
*douche (I will never do this. The body has its natural cleaning system.)

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In addition to these, I've never worn makeup, used nail polish, or worn shoes with heels, and I never will. I've told my family if they do any of these thing to me after I'm dead, I'll come back and haunt them.

I have had a random manicure/pedicure/facial or two, but it's been several years, and I can't say I've ever missed them! I did splurge one time when I went to a trail race in Hot Springs, AR last year: I was going to camp out the night before @ the start area, but instead, drove right through the campground and straight to the nicest hotel in town & got a room and the full mineral bath treatment w/massage. It was really fun the treat myself and I had a great race the next day!

I can roast things like you wouldn't believe... though I haven't done that since I decided to eat vegetarian :D

I love spa visits, facials, manicures, pedicures, and coloring my hair. All fun to me. Can't afford to do anything but the hair color on a regular basis, but I am sure happy to do it when I can.

I've tried many of those things and decided they weren't worth the trouble. But I do love the whirlpool at the gym, especially on a bitter cold Nebraska day!

My sons call me a "Luddite" because I don't spend all my money on the lastest technology. But guess who's 100% debt free and has been for years. And guess who is always complaining that their high tech pay checks don't stretch far enough. My pay check is about 1/3 of what either of theirs. Somehow I was not able to teach them my thrifty ways.:(

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Originally Posted by spindizzy

da*n seagulls screaming in the background. Massuese telling me that "this will be great" and hearing him breathe through his nose the whole time.
!

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:D :D :D :D :D

I think the term Luddite has been extended in its use to things other than technology.
We've had this discussion before. Some of us see the things that Shootingstar mentioned as luxuries, some see them as frivolous, some couldn't live without them, and others have philosophical perspectives against them.
I would get a massage every week if I could. I pay a lot for a good haircut and it is worth every penny. My hair is awful and it needs lots of TLC. I like being pampered and as long as I'm not stealing from the mortgage money, I will keep doing it. I guess it's all what you are used to. When I was growing up, my mom went and had her hair done twice a week! My Nana, who lived to be 92, was the queen of pampering; I think she had a massage every week, along with the hair, nails, etc. She had clothes to die for and was gorgeous until the day she died. My other grandmother, who didn't have as much money, was a close second.
Of course neither of them rode a bike.

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Originally Posted by DebW

In addition to these, I've never worn makeup, used nail polish, or worn shoes with heels, and I never will. I've told my family if they do any of these thing to me after I'm dead, I'll come back and haunt them.

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You are the first woman I've heard from that fits this..not tried one of those "rites" of being female things. Even the most "tomboy" women that I know personally, has tried one of the above activities, once.

lruhan & crankin: yea, I'm extending definition of Luddite.
But ok, I still haven't created my own website nor own blog yet.
I associate both of those activities sort of work-related... particularily for my own blog, my thoughts are: I can't be bothered to take time to write well without sounding repetitive...and if I do my own blog, it would probably be related to work...which requires personal research time on trends/resources and contemplation..about work.. on weekends. Not right time in life. But never say never.

And I still haven't acquired a cellphone/subscription. He hasn't activated his and will only do so if he goes solo cycling on long trips.

It's great we have found the best pampering things for ourselves. We need to identify and do some of the stuff occasionally.

Crankin: My dearie's mother had a hairdresser do her hair every 3 wks. or so in the nursing home until she died recently. It was a great psychological thing for her...Of course, imagine being in nursing home surrounded by other frail folk. A haircut/blow dry is just the perfect thing. Plus a nice top to wear while she was going around in her wheelchair there.

I HATE the scrubby thing they use to remove callouses in pedicures. Like a farking cheese grater! I worked all year to build up those lovely callouses! They protect my feet, don't take them away and make me start from scratch!! :rolleyes:

[QUOTE=shootingstar;378929]You are the first woman I've heard from that fits this..not tried one of those "rites" of being female things. Even the most "tomboy" women that I know personally, has tried one of the above activities, once.

I've not worn make-up, polish, or high-heels either. Allergic to most make-ups/perfumes, etc. so they were always out. Most of jobs I've had in my life (until recently) were manual type jobs that were not "polish" friendly, plus never really saw need to buy it. As for heels, are you kidding?? I tore my ankle up just walking one day and stepped on an uneven surface--out of work for 3 months. So would never dare try heels.

Never had pedicure or manicure or dyed hair or colored hair or had a perm or anything other than a regular hair cut.

Have been in hot-tubs though and love saunas--main reason I joined the local YMCA was because they had a sauna! :)

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Originally Posted by carpaltunnel

...My sons call me a "Luddite" because I don't spend all my money on the lastest technology. But guess who's 100% debt free and has been for years. And guess who is always complaining that their high tech pay checks don't stretch far enough. My pay check is about 1/3 of what either of theirs. Somehow I was not able to teach them my thrifty ways.:(

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We're the same way, we have one old 25 inch TV, a seven year old laptop, and a 20 year old clock radio. Even our cell phones are three years old with no contract. :D

I started turning gray in my mid-30's, and I didn't like how it looked on me. Some women look fabulous w salt & pepper / gray hair but I'm not one of them. So I used to color my own hair. What a hassle! What a mess!

And then a couple of years ago it dawned on me that I could *pay* someone to color my hair for me. I found a wonderful hairdresser who I see every 6 weeks. My hair aways comes out looking nice. And the scalp massage she gives me when she shampoos ...ahhhh.

Yep, very self-indulgent of me. :cool: :D

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Even our cell phones are three years old with no contract.

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Ditto for us. They don't take pictures and if they have games on them, I've never looked for them.
But I had my hair colored for years until just got tired of it. I enjoyed it while I was doing it. I like a luxurious thing or two in moderation, but doing too many things makes me feel rushed. Then I cut back and re-learn that one of my favorite luxuries is the feeling of having enough time to get everything done comfortably.

Shootingstar, your thread gave me a wonderful idea yesterday :). I had no idea what to ask for my birthday...I think i'll get myself a facial or something similar.


Ta for the reminder.

Beware the mani/pedi cures! don't let them trim your cuticles! I avoid them in general - there is a risk of blood borne diseases (primarily hepatitis) from getting mani/pedi cures in a commercial setting. (Exposure to blood from trimmed cuticles bleeding, poor disinfection procedures) It's rare, but if it happens to you, it's 100%. Tokie

I am "low maintance" compared to some women I know.

For technology: My cell phone, is 3 years old, no contract and no fancy stuff..it lets me talk when I need to and that's all I need. I know nothing about Ipods, digital cameras or computer skills. I know how to turn on the computer, do emails and get to TE.

For personal stuff: I don't wear makeup, dress clothes, or perfume. I did buy myself a day at the spa years ago (pedicure, manicure and massage). I will take a pedicure anyday over the other 2. AND I thought I would hate the pedicure the most, it was the best. I love the looks of artificial nails but the expense is wowie. I do go to the salon once every 6 months-probably against my hairdressers wishes- to get my hair highlighted or low lighted or whatever the season is to color up my gray hairs. They seem to like their customers to come once ever 3 months for this, can't justify it that often.

Odd stuff: I love to cook! I try new stuff all the time, and new ways to prepare the old boring foods. I enjoy using different spices and cooking methods. I love to do pastires, etc and take to work. My next career will be a little restaurant open for breakfast & lunch only. This is where my technology levels excell...love kitchen gadgets and products...

I would love to get a sport (deep tissue massage) everyday if I can! Unfortunately, work only cover 12 session (and only $25 each session) a year. And now my RMT charges $80/hr, I can't see him as much anymore.

I just paid for my first pedicure last summer. My feet were so soft but alas, last only one day. The cracks show up again the next day. I guess that's why you have to moisturize after shower. Otherwise, I can't be bother paying someone to paint my nails. They never last with my job.

As to coloring my hair, I haven't done it in the last 10 years now. But when I was in high-school, I got free hair coloring from salons who are looking for volunteers for their students to practice on. It was cool! I guess when you're 15, blue hair did look good! LOL Then I did my own hair when I was in college. Now, I'm just too lazy. And I like my sink white.

Shooting Star: I have a very easy recipe for roasting a whole chicken. And it's great 'cos you'll have left over for a couple of days and bones to make stock. Super cheap too! Here it is:

1 cleaned and trimmed chicken (about 2 to 3 lb)
2 rather small lemons
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 350'f

Sprinkle a generous amount of salt and pepper on the chicken and into its cavity

Soften each lemon by rolling it back and forth and puncture the lemons in at least 20 places each using a fork or similar implement

Place both lemons in the bird's cavity. If you want the chicken to puff up a bit, then close up the opening with toothpicks or with trussing needle and string. But I skip this and the taste is still good.

Place the chicken breast side down. This bird is self-basting so you don't need any extra fat. Place it in the upper third of the preheated oven.

After 30 mins., turn the chicken so it's breast side up. Try not to puncture the skin if you're trying to puff the skin.

After another 30 - 35 mins, turn the oven up to 400'f and cook for and additional 20 - 25 mins.

Dinner is ready!

total cooking time: about 1 hr and 30 mins. Just about the time your brown rice is done. Or you can thrown in some potatoes when you turn the chicken after the first 30 mins.:)

I've done everything on the list except the deep frying!

I had my first pedicure a couple of summers ago (age 49) and loved it, very much to my surprise. I picked a striking, deeeeeep pink polish---figuring that if I was going to go to the expense of a pedicure, I might as well as let the whole world know! ;) Didn't want to spring for one this summer, so I nabbed a bottle of the same color polish and did the honors myself. DIY is not so easy or deliciously self-indulgent, but it saved me major bucks.

I'm a HUGE fan of massage! A really good massage does wonders if you're in the 'right hands.' (I've had a few so-so massages as well as many GREAT ones.).......Because I spend most of my day in front of a computer, I tend to hold loads of tension in my neck, shoulders, and arms, plus lower back. And I carry a lot of that tension over into cycling. Fortunately for me, my boyfriend is trained in massage and he works at de-knotting my worst spots a couple of times a week......I also have a neighbor who is a professional massage therapist who has a sauna, steam room and massage studio in her home. When I've indulged in all three on a single visit I can barely walk the two blocks back to my house, I'm soooooo relaxed! :) Heavenly!