PNC bank treated Plainfield to a night of pampering Friday night. 

It was a feel-good fest was not only for the PNC patrons who received free massages and colored pictures of their spine taken by a computer, but also for a dozen of PNC's small business customers based in Plainfield, who got to show off their stuff.  

Nearly 100 people turned out for the annual spa night. The customer appreciation affair was a chance to get no-cost answers to those nagging questions: What is Reiki healing? Does needleless acupuncture really work? How many free kiwi slices can I eat before it's my turn for a massage? 

"We do this for our customers every year," said Wendy Miller, bank branch manager. "It's a way to give back and to showcase our small businesses." 

I started out with a blissful back and neck rub administered by the skilled fingers of Nicole Burns of Integrated Health and Wellness Center in downtown Plainfield. She has a knack for knowing right where the sore spots are. Gretchen Ulbrich, a skin therapist, finished off with a hand massage using a silky cream. She's also a specialist in sea salt defoliating and facial wraps. 

Next I sat down with Jennifer Murphy Marvale to try out needleless acupuncture. She sticks an electrode in your ear. It pinches a little.

Marvale said this tunes up the balancing center in the ear and gets energy flowing freely to unhealthy areas.  

I sidled up to a table of scrumptious-smelling soaps crafted by Plainfield's soap diva Betty Sehr. Two years ago Sehr blended the medical know-how she took from her transcription business with her love of herbs and holistic living to concoct her own line of herbal, olive oil, tea and oatmeal soaps. 

I wrapped up my spa night with a Reiki healing session from Linda Herrick of Alternative Soulutions. When she held her energy-infused fingers over my skull, it did feel tingly. I saw some pretty red and bright white colors inside my closed eyes. Herrick said I needed to get rid of some issues that seemed to be stuck in my throat.

I found the diagnosis somewhat ironic since I pretty much make my living shooting off my mouth.