CleverDonkey.com …Musings, Commentary, Opinions, and Drivel

Schön Ruhe Salon and Day Spa

Originally written April 7, 2007, updated March 28, 2008

706 SeelhorstBrenham, TX 77833(979) 421-6044 www.schonruhe.com Quick disclaimer: since writing this original review I've become great friends with Lindsay and designed the Schön Ruhe website for her as well.  But my original review stands… this is a GREAT salon, by any city's standards.

Do What You're Born to Do

See, I'm a born programmer. I didn't quite realize it until I was an adult and, armed with a degree in the very touchy-feel field of Sociology, I found out that the best part of my job out in the business world was teaching myself how to program in a then-very-cutting-edge technology called Lotus Notes. After years of being in technology and loving the process of programming I realized that I loved my job and although Sociology was interesting, Programming was my passion.

Um, isn't this article about a salon, or something?

The point is, I was lucky enough to find what I was supposed to do with my life. And that's the joy of going to Schön Ruhe — Lindsay Scheel, the owner, is absolutely, 100% doing what she was born to do. She glows when she greets you, she radiates with joy as she walks through and checks on you at the pedicure station, bringing you a glass of wine (from a local winery, of course). She happily walks on air through the beautiful, welcoming space, checking on folks getting facials and escorting clients to the massage room. She has created a perfect salon — by any city's standard — simply because it is what she was born to do, and this perfect salon just happens to be here in quaint, picturesque, low-key Brenham.

The salon itself is well named. Schön Ruhe means "beautiful rest" in German, and Lindsey has completely created the whole salon around this concept. I've been in swanky salons (Urban Retreat in Houston — both the skin care center and the full salon), bare-bones salons (any number of acrylic nail assembly-line shops in Houston), quirky salons (Bogart's in the Heights) and friendly neighborhood salons (Heights Spa in the Houston Heights), but none of them compare to Schön Ruhe as an experience. It's the perfect mix of luxury, relaxation, unpretentiousness, and exactly-what-you-need.

Massages to Die For

I've become addicted to the massages there.  Both Barbara and Sheila are amazing!!  My last massage by Sheila was completely restorative… I walked in with every joint aching and I left relaxed and filled with well-being.  And no more sore joints.

Before coming here, I'd always liked massages but they were never worth the indulgence of money for me, at least none that I'd had before. But not only are the prices fabulous by Houston standards, it's hands down (pun intended, I guess!) the best massage I've ever gotten. The room is so welcoming, a soft shade of not-quite-Robin's-egg blue with a tree and appliqued blossoms on the wall. The eyelet window coverings let in the

• Leave a comment... (0)

First off.  Let me just say:

If you have never heard of a particular Beatles song, especially a HUGE Beatles song, like 'Hide Your Love Away', you should not admit this.  You sound like an idiot.  You do not sound like a singer.  You sound like a dope.  And every time you repeat this fact you sound more and more stupid.  Mentioning that you picked it out from the title.  That you heard it for the first time today.  Etc.  You sound like an idiot.  I weep for the future.

Aside from that, our contestants had a little vapor lock having to face the gigantic sheer unscalable rock face that is having to attempt not only a Beatles song, but another Beatles song after having either:

Captured lightning in a jar and given a fabulous performance last week against all oddsEmbarassingly fell on his/her face after running smack into said giant unscalable rock face last week

Either one is painfully awful to contemplate.  I suspect our contestants may have rather wished to move onto Styx Week or Guns N Roses Week or Poco Week or Phoebe Snow Week or Vanilla Ice Week or Leo Sayer Week or anything other than Beatles Week, again.  Just too hard.  Only one person really knocked it out and that was David Cook, rockin' it out Peter Frampton style on "Day Tripper".

Amanda Overmyer – Did "Back in the U.S.S.R." and should have wrapped her raspy voice around "Oh Darling"Kristy Lee Cook – Did "Hide Your Love Away", and… well since Chikezie stole the only Beatles bluegrass song, not sure there was a good one for anyone who doesn't know the freaking Beatles songbook.  Special extra awful points for the Kohl's basement bargain dress and bad boots.Michael Johns – Did "A Day in the Life" (which is way too disjointed for Idol-ization), and should have rocked it out with that great vocal control and picked "She Came In Through the Bathroom Window" or "I've Got a Feeling"Brooke White – Did "Here Comes the Sun",;should have done "For No One"David Cook – Did a ROCKING version of "Day Tripper" and honestly it was great.  He could have done that rocker's scream on "Helter Skelter" (not that they would have let him, Manson Family tie-in and all that), but I can't argue with how he freaking rocked what he did pick.Carly Smithson – Did "Blackbird"; should have done "Blackbird" softer and sultrier David Archuleta – Sang "Long and Winding Road" admirably but he might should have tried "She's Leaving Home" (risky especially because it's a linear narrative but he can surprisingly feel some of those songs)Jason Castro – Did "My Michelle", should have done "Norwegian Wood" or even "Revolution" (the slow version)Syesha Mercado – Sang "Yesterday", should have lost her voice again instead.  Judges on TV liked it but two sets of droopy donkey ears here at the CD household.Chikezie – Sang "I've Just Seen a Face" decently if a bit disorganizedly, but probably should have taken a wicket swing for the bowler (or whatever Britishism is the equivalent of "swing for the fences") with "I Want You (She's So Heavy)" Ramiele Malubay (who

• Leave a comment... (0)

There is much to like about this new generation – their concern for the earth, their desire for world peace, their continuation of the legacy of horrible teen musical tastes.  These Millenials, also known as Gen Y or the iGen, are beginning to enter the workforce and public life, and are bringing with them a demand for meaningful careers, work/life balance, world betterment, and the guts to stand by their principals, even at the expense of risking their socioeconomic status.  I find that refreshing and much more admirable than the conspicuous consumption of the 80's and 90's.

I don't agree with everything they do, however.  The proclivity for tattoos, piercings, and other body modifications confounds me.  Part of it is a matter of taste, and there's no accounting for taste.  Also, preferences are not absolutes, and although I unequivocally dislike their self-mutilation (my interpretation), I also realize that it is, for the most part, harmless in the larger scheme of things.  Will most of them end up regretting their youthful indiscretions?  Undoubtedly.  But the long-term consequences aren't dire, particularly since it will be an entire generation.

I also lament, as all older folks do, their tastes in music, books (if they even read them), film, art, and culture.  But that's the same song our parents sang, and their parents before them, ad infinitum.  Again, no dire long-term consequences.  Same with drug use (who am I to talk, I grew up in the 70's, man!) and casual sex (who am I to talk, I grew up in the 70's, man – er, but without rampant AIDS/HIV/Hepatitis/etc).

In short, the older I get the truer the statement "youth is wasted on the young" becomes.  They waste their time on things that are of no import, and ignore the real stuff of life.  Just like I did.  Just like all young people do.  That's part of life.

But there is one area with which I take an absolute exception, and that is that they are continuing the horrible legacy of smoking.  What in the name of all that is true and good are these kids doing perpetuating such an absolute evil in the world?  They want to halt global climate change, save the environment, move to cruelty-free foods and products, feed the hungry, and do all sorts of absolute good things.

But they support tobacco companies.

They either refuse to accept or don't care that tobacco companies are merchants of death.

They either refuse to accept or don't care that even the United Nations sees tobacco use as a human catastrophe as big as, or even bigger than, global warming.

They either refuse to accept or don't care that while they support a better environment and less cruelty to animals, they blithely fund tobacco companies, whose executives and scientists routinely test their products like this:

Poor smoking beagles.

A short non-smoke break for one…

• Leave a comment... (0)

Week four – Top 12 – 3/11/2008 (Lennon / McCartney)

Wow. Talk about something to LIVE UP TO!!
Outstanding:

Chikezie rates a HOLY COW. That was amazing with the bluegrass start and the crazy upbeat stuff and some great vocals
Carly Smithson was the best of the night, doing a great rock out of “Come Together”
Brooke White was clearly nervous and having a hard time playing to the crowd from behind the piano but freaking feeling it, which is what the Beatles are ABOUT. She did a great heartfelt “Let It Be”.
Michael Johns rang clear as a bell with “Across the Universe”. As Engineerboy put it, “you’ve got to be naked to sing that song”. I think he means emotionally naked, so I agree with that for sure. I couldn’t believe the judges didn’t love that performance, it was strong and really moving.

Good:

Jason Castro – Did a really good job with “If I Fell In Love With You”. That song is a lot harder to sing than it sounds, and he did a great job.
David Cook – Eleanor Rigby was rushed and didn’t need to be rocked out — until the Chorus that is. The chorus was really good and kind of saved a why-did-he-do-it-this-way performance. Not bad.

Ennh:

Ramiele Malubay – In My Life is one of the greatest John Lennon songs ever. Boring rendition and the crazy cocktail dress and spectator pumps were distractingly dressy for such a low-key song.
Amanda Overmyer – This almost worked. It was a good song choice but Simon was right, it was hard to understand her. I think I only liked it because I want to like her and I already knew the song. If I hadn’t heard the song before that would’ve been a muddly mess.

Augh

Syesha Mercado – Murdered “Got to Get You Into My Life”. Horrible. Soulless. Off key.
David Hernandez – Hated the Ferris Bueller look. Hated the runs. Hated the cheeseball dancing around. Totally imagined him as a gay stripper. Sorry, dude. That was awful.
David Archuleta – I would not have thought he could do badly. His voice is so pure but he was 100% uncomfortable trying to do a jazzy rendition of “We Can Work It Out”. I’m glad he’ll be here for another week. I think he tried too hard not to be what Simon called “gloomy” but we would’ve loved to hear his angel voice on “Yesterday”.

God-Awful

Kristy Lee Cook yodele’d it up with a horrendous Kentucky Headhunters-esqe bluegrass-and-methamphetamine version of “Eight Days a Week”. To her credit, it was the first time she’s looked comfortable and her voice actually sounded good. But that was absolutely beyond words awful.

Week three – 3/4/2008 (The Eighties)

Uh… sorry. Too much work last week! Apologies for the slack off. We lost Luke Menard (no loss), Danny Noriega (that boy makes Barry Manilow look like Clint Eastwood), Kady…

• Leave a comment... (0)