Jaws!

Just when you thought it was safe to dip your toes back in the pedicure water, you find there's something fishy going on. Literally. 

The latest in spa treatments is to get the dead skin on your feet nibbled off by dozens of little fishies. When razors were deemed unhygienic by the Virginia board of health, one innovative nail salon, Yvonne's Hair & Nail and Tan, figured out a solution. The

y imported little fish from Turkey that are used to living in murky waters with little food choices.

 This natural deprivation makes them amenable to snacking on calloused heels and crusty cuticles. 

To be sure, this is a physical sensation that's hard to describe. Some people find it tickles. I thought it felt like the uncontrollable electrical pulse firings I sometimes get in my eyelid. It almost feels like something happening from the inside, rather than the outside, of your skin. No matter wha

t you think it feels like, everyone I went with agreed it was hilarious and ultimately quite pleasant. I sure wouldn't mind coming home from a long day to soak my feet in a tub of these fish every night. 

I asked if skin makes up their whole diet. "No. It would be like eating nothing but salad. Sometimes you need a steak." At night they put them in tanks where they eat well-balanced nutrients. Whether this is a novelty or of real benefit is really irrelevant. It's an event.

So, sit back, relax and enjoy the experience. It's good to be a big foot in a small pond.

Poor Man's Brunch

Adapted from "A Man's Whirled"

(Makes about 1 1/2 cups)

1/2 small onion

2 ounces smoked salmon

1 8-ounce package cream cheese

Juice from 1/2 a lemon

2 teaspoons capers

Put all the ingredients into the container of the Vita-Mix. Start on variable #1, increase to 5 and tamper around the edges to get all combines. 

Chill in a covered bowl for at least 30 minutes before serving.