Massage, Bodywork and You

Latest Episodes:

Massage, Bodywork & You, Ep. 008: Everything You Want Feb 13, 2009

In episode eight, Rolando and I are once again joined by Sommer and her son to conclude our series on the more common massage modalities. In this episode we discuss, On-Site Massages, Seated/Chair Massages, Abdominal (Chi Ne Tsang), and Pregnancy Massages. Sommer goes into depth about what you can expect as the pregnant mom from your massage experience.

Massage, Bodywork & You, Ep. 007: Always Something There to Remind Me Feb 12, 2009

In episode seven, Rolando and I continue our discussion on various modalities. In this episode, we discuss some techniques that work specifically on the things that don’t necessarily heal on their own with conventional massages: the fascia and the cerebrospinal fluid. The massage modalitites discussed are: Myofascial Release, Craniosacral, and Rolfing. We also discuss how we implement these modalities in our massages.

Massage, Bodywork & You, Ep. 006: What's on Your Mind (Pure Energy) Feb 12, 2009

In episode six, Rolando and I continue our discussion of the various types of massage modalities. In this episode, we talk about some of the "non massage" massage techniques and delve into energy work: Reiki, Healing (Therapuetic) Touch, and Polarity Therapy as well as discuss how we use energy in our treatments.

http://kahaleolamassage.blogspot.com/2009/01/my-podcast-alley-feed-pca.html Jan 30, 2009

My Podcast Alley feed! {pca-c1edc401161e7dd4807cef92c7fb5c0b}

Massage, Bodywork & You, Ep. 005: Hurts So Good Jan 27, 2009

In episode five, Rolando and I are joined by special guests Sommer and her son as we continue our discussions about various massage techniques. For this episode, we discuss the medium to deeper massage styles: Shiatsu, Trigger Point Therapy, Thai Massage, and Strain/Counterstrain. In addition, we also discuss the different issues female massage therapists face when having to implement deeper massage techniques on male clients as well as how we integrate these massage styles into our massages.

Massage, Bodywork & You, Ep. 004: Peaceful, Easy Feelin' Jan 23, 2009

For episode four, Rolando and I begin a series of podcasts focused on the most common massage modalities used by massage therapists. In this episode, we focus on the light to medium pressure modalities: Swedish, Lomi Lomi, sports massage, Acupressure, and Lymphatic Drainage and discuss how we implement them into our massage practice.

Massage, Bodywork & You, Ep. 003: Givin' You the Benefit Jan 23, 2009

In episode three, Rolando and I discuss the physical and mental benefits you can receive from massage and who should get massages!

Massage, Bodywork & You, Ep. 002: You Oughta Know Jan 18, 2009

In episode two, Rolando and I discuss the roles and responsibilities of a massage therapist, what massage therapists can and can't do, and what a client can expect during their first visit.
Questions... Comments? Let us know at kahaleolamassage@gmail.com

Massage, Bodywork & You, Ep. 001: What They Do Jan 18, 2009

Welcome to our first installment of Massage, Bodywork & You!

Rolando and I love our profession and want to share our knowledge with others. The goals of our podcast are to:

Give you a real world perspective about massage: Who we are… What we do… and most importantly, how massage can benefit you!
To dispel myths and misconceptions the public may have about massage and make it accessible to everyone
To answer any other questions you may have regarding massage, bodywork, or the business itself.

And hopefully try to entertain you along the way!

If you do have questions, comments, or other ideas, please send them to kahaleolamassage@gmail.com.
In our first EVER episode!!! Rolando and I discuss what the typical training a massage therapist receives, our credentialing, and other licensure & certification issues.

My California Adventure... Part Two: Finding my way to San Jose...eating, again! Nov 17, 2008

When I went up to San Jose, I really didn't know what to expect. San Jose isn't the culinary mecca that San Francisco is known as, nor is it the "wine country" even farther north. But you know what, it really doesnt matter to me!!! Food is food, and really, I did hear very good things about San Jose before I went up. Having successfully run through much of my food "to do list" in Los Angeles, I was able to amble about the San Jose/ Sunnyvale/ Santa Clara area footloose and fancy free... and by driving up solo, I REALLY could do anything I wanted! So here begins my list of places I ate at up north in San Jose...

Taqueria Los Charros (www.taquerialoscharros.com): MY first meal in San Jose was arguably my most memorable one. Let's just say that I'm a fan for life of Los Charros' jumbo carnitas burrito. MMMMM... Carnitas.... I had never had carnitas before, so when Tina said they come to this place often just for it, I had to get it. And I was not disappointed. So good: the contrast in textures of the juicy, slow roasted pork and its crunchy fried exterior, the veggies, hot sauce. You can't beat it! I was told that Mexican food is unparalleled in California and call this "exhibit number one". I will defintely be on the hunt for some sembelance of that back here in Hawaii, so if you find something, let me know, but honestly, I'm not holding my breath...
Amber Indian Restaurant (www.amber-india.com): I am not what you can adventurous, but with me being on vacation, I decided to try something different and interesting. Amber was located at Santana Row in San Jose, a place where there were MANY restaurants and bars, and I initially wanted to go to Thea Mediterranean (http://www.thearestaurant.com/) for Greek, but decided to think out of the box and go Indian. So NOT disappointed!!! IF this is what all Indian food is like, sign me up for it at least once a month, if not once a week! Again, being unable to decide on anything, I went full apps again. Potato Peas Samosa- pretty good, Murg Tinka Kebab (chicken skewers)- decent, but unspectacular, Kalaunji Baingan (eggplant)- tasty, stuffed naan- always a good thing; but the killer app of the night: the Gobi Manchurian (deep fried cauliflower). You go there, you get the cauliflower... do it, you won't be disappointed. You hate cauliflower you say? It'll be your new fav veg like this! And to top it off, for dessert we had the Filter "Kaapi" Crème Brulee. I'm not necessarily a total creme brulee fan, but this put me on the team now!
Baja Fresh (www.bajafresh.com): Baja Fresh was one of those chain restaurants that I didn't necessarily need to go to, but sounded pretty good since people said it was far and away superior to Taco Bell, a place that is near and dear to my heart. I was hungry, it was there... and I needed to satisfy my carnitas fix, so I popped in and gave it a try. Needless to say, it wasn't as good as Los Charros, but you know what, it was STILL better than a lot of places here in Hawaii! I went Burrtio Ultimo, Enchilado Style, with carnitas. While it probably was much better warm, it was still good about an hour after I got it.
Costco: Yeah, I was hngry, it was there, I ate a hot dog... But really it was for the next thing...
Krispy Kreme Doughnuts (http://www.krispykreme.com/): Ooohhh... Yeah, they have one in Hawaii, but it's in MAUI!!! Chocolate iced with custard (and with Kreme) and glazed with raspberry filling... SOOOOOOOO GOOOOOOODDDD!! ! It just melted in my mouth like buttah! I should have gotten more!
Daphne's Greek Cafe (www.daphnes.biz): In my last day there I decided to get some lunch. While shopping at Trader Joe's, I stumbled on a Greek take out place. There were a few choices that stood out to me on the menu, the Vegetarian Lunch (with hummus, falafels, and spanakopita), and a kabob lunch, but I went with the standard, Gyros Pita & Fires with a side of pitas & hummus, and a baklava. I thoroughly enjoyed my Greek food and if there was a place near me like Daphne's, I'd probably go there just about every week.
Khahn's Garden Restaurant: Like I mentioned in my LA section, I was trying to avoid the Asian food thing while I was up here. But as stated before, I don't normally eat Thai or Vietnamese (which this place is), but I decided to once again, step outside of my usual and give it a try! Unfortunately when I was there, I wasn't so adventurous and only got the BBQ chicken long rice salad. It was very good, but not anything I couldn't get here in Hawaii. Kathy went with the BBQ pork and shrimp spring rolls. I never had to make them myself before, so that was pretty cool. The BBQ pork was very good and I think I would get that!

I actually also got some home cooking thanks to Tina's husband, Mark. He made curry and naan from Trader Joes (which is awesome!!!)... It was so nice to have some home cooking after going out so much up there, so I was very appreciative of it.

Aside from a few odds and ends I ate (like some Clif Bars and whatever was on Tina's snack table), it didn't seem like I ate that much up in San Jose. But what I did eat was memorable and I'm looking forward to find comparable culinary bits here in Hawaii.

My next post will be my thank yous and final thoughts on my vacation...

My California Adventure... Part One: Eating (and drinking) my way through Los Angeles... Nov 16, 2008

I wouldn't necessarily consider myself a foodie. How could I? I don't even eat seafood much less any other strange, smelly, odd shaped, weirdly textured, unsavory morsels for that matter... But I like what I like, and when I like it, I eat it... lots of it (well, until I get tired of it!). So during my 11 days up split up between Los Angeles and San Jose, I was able to try a lot of places I always wanted to and eat things I couldn't normally get here in Hawaii (or are in short supply). So here's my takes on ALL the places I ate while I was up there...
LOS ANGELES:

In-n-Out (www.in-n-out.com/): My first eating stop after my 5 hour flight in first class (I have to say, the pastrami on the plane was terrific, you couldn't ask for anything more... toasty rye, melty cheese, juicy pastrami...mmm!!!) didn't disappointment my in the slightest. In truth, I probably should have had the double double, animal style (with onions for the uninformed) combo mean, but I went with a simple cheeseburger, fries, and a chocolate shake. Like the menu, simplicity at its finest. The only problem about me eating here was the fact I bypassed Pink's Hot Dogs... when the line was short... and there was parking... I know, BAD ARAN!!!
Daily Grill (http://www.dailygrill.com/): I didn't eat here, just too stuffed from the In-n-Out, but we did have some happy hour drinks here. Brice had the Kobe burger and chicken sliders, and some fried calamari (he didn't eat lunch andthey were kinda smallish, but decent). Seemed like a pretty lively after work spot in Downtown LA. The menu looked good also.
Pinkberry (www.pinkberry.com/): After hearing so much about Pinkberry from commercials (the AMEX Plum card) and California friends who spoke highly about it, I decided to taste it for myself. This isn't TCBY, or Milano Freezer (which I will talk about later), or Yami Yogurt... but it's closer to Yami than anything. It isn't sweet at all; tangy is the operative word here, like your typical yogurt, but colder. The coffee one wasn't so coffee-ish (and more expensive), so I got the original, plain with some chocolate chips... A refreshing snack before my lunch at...
Adonis Restaurant: One of the things I wanted to do while I was up in California was to avoid eating the "typical" Hawaii/ Asian things (Japanese, Chinese, Korean) and get Mediterranean food. So on Day 2 in LA,, mission accomplished. Adonis was a Med/Greek food place. I got a meat dish (I forget what it was called) with spiced pita. We also ordered some hummus and were given pickled vegetables to snack on (olives, radishes, peppers, carrots). Let me just tell you, we waited a LONG time for the foor and the restaurant was empty. The food was good, the service was unparalleled. But the piece de resistance was the baklava... tender, flaky, not too honey drippy/syrupy... SOOOO GOOD!!! (It's from the Baklava Factory, a store all over SoCal, a little pricey, but very good!)
Chandra (http://www.sangabrielvalleymenus.com/chandra.htm): Ok, so I went against my "thing" about eating Asian while up in Cali. Fortunately, it wasn't one of the big three... it was Thai... and I don't normally eat Thai. I had me a BBQ beef salad. It was quite tasty. Others had the pineapple fried rice, which I was able to try and that was pretty good also. It wasn't mind blowing, but it wasn't bad either.
Milano Freezer (http://milanofreezer.com/): So yeah, they have one of those here in Hawaii, but I needed something to settle my upset stomach. A strawberry, pineapple smoothie was good going down.... as well as coming back up... (but that's another story).
Subway: Yeah, I ate here... same... whatever...
E's: To meet up with my friends, we ventured off to Old Town Pasadena. Let me tell you, it was pretty bumping out there, a place I would like to return to and try other places. A lot of the places were very clubby, so we decided for the more laid back E's. Again, for some reason, it was dead in there, our group made up about 75% of the crowd. We ordered an app sampler (Buffalo wings, quesadillas, potato skins, nachos... nothing special). I think we hit that spot on an off day because it looks like a bar/club with definite promise.
Unnamed Taco Stand in Downtown LA: It doesn't have a name, but the tacos were AWESOME!!! A dollar a taco, and worth every penny. You have the choice of carne asasa, chicken, pork, chorizo, beef tongue, and another meat (which I forget)- I tried the first 4... the carne asada was probably the best, but the pork and chicken were awfully close. Throw on some salsa verde, hot sauce, grilled AND raw onions, radish, cilantro, and a squeeze of lime and you've got an unbeatable late night snack!!! In fact, I went back to this place three times in the time I was in LA.
The Yardhouse (www.yardhouse.com/): After going out in Pasadena the night before, I went back the following afternoon to meet up with Tina and her husband. After finding no inspiration, I settled on The Yardhouse. Yeah, same as here in Hawaii. I had the French Dip. Again, tasty, but no big.
Olive Garden (www.olivegarden.com/): After seeing all those commercials and hearing about how good Olive Garden was (or is), I defintiely needed to see what the hype was about. Apparently everyone else wanted to go that night too because it was absolutely packed to the hilt. It was about a 30-40 minute wait. When we were seated, our server was friendly and attentive. I had another appetizer sampler of toasted ravioli, mozzarella sticks, and fried zucchini. I'd been wanting the toasted ravioli for some time, so it did not disappoint. The all you can eat salad and breadsticks were great as well... so much parmesan cheese on the salad... yumm-o!!! I didn;t actually get pasta there, so I can't really tell you if those were worth they hype, but from what I ate... it was very good!
Suede Bar & Lounge (http://www.suedebarla.com/): So after coming back from San Jose, Brice and Su decided that we were gonna go out that night. Feeling up to it, we started the night here in downtown LA. It seemed to be a very happening spot. Cool colors, chill people. We had some small plates: The butcher's plate with assorted salamis and procuitto, a hummus and pita platter, and guacamole with tortillas. All were very good and reasonably priced during their happy hour.
Union Cattle Company (http://www.unioncattlecompany.com/): After the small plates at Suede, we headed out to Hermosa Beach to check out the nightlife there. Feeling a little peckish after a couple of drinks and just apps at Suede, we figured to eat something a little more substantial here at the Union Cattle Company. A place known to be frequented by some Lakers, this seemed like a chill hang out with some good smells emanating from their grills. Because I can't decide on anything, we all chose to get MORE apps (I have to say you get to try many more things ordering apps over complete meals!). Marinated Tri-Tip jalapenos, the babyback rib sampler, and the mixed grill skewers were chosen and lemme tell you, if there's anything better on that menu... damn!
Sangria (http://www.sangriahermosa.com/): We did not eat here. It was all business at Sangria: DRINKING. The Long Islands were strong, the girls looked good (we met some out of towners from Kansas), and the music was solid. I regret not having more time out here to have fun, but I did enjoy my time at Sangria.
Doc Brown's Chicken (http://www.universalstudioshollywood.com/dining.html): Being at Universal Studios, the options were limited. Chicken was the choice, and while it wasn't the greatest chicken ever, it was pretty good for some amusement park food.
Hard Rock Cafe (http://www.hardrock.com/locations/cafes3/menuSelect.aspx?lc=MENU): Again, we were forced to go "chain" since options were limited at the Universay City Walk. But hey, it could be worse. The food here was very good, large portions, friendly staff, and all the rock memorabilia you can shake a stick at. Since I was in Cali, I decided to go Cobb Salad... always a good choice :)!!!
Panera Bread Company (http://www.panerabread.com/menu/): My last meal in California was from here, the Chipotle Chicken Sandwich. If I lived out here, I would probably frequent this place over a Subway or Blimpies.

So that was my Los Angeles portion of the trip, foodwise anyway... up next is my food choices up in San Jose...

Back to reality... Nov 12, 2008

I'm just about 48 hours removed from my vacation. I've already gone back to work and did a few massages, fixed up some of the little things that needed corrections around the office, updated the website, checked the e-mails, scheduled a few more people... essentially back to normal...
Things are the same, but a lot has changed since I've been gone for the last 11 days.
It's hard to believe that things can change in such a short period of time. No, I'm not moving up to the mainland, nor am I leaving the massage profession, or anything so drastic as that, it's more that my eyes are open to different things: foods, ideas, thoughts, activities, the use of my time; this trip provided more insight in the last 11 days than maybe the prior 11 months.
I realized that my not leaving the island for six plus years was a long time, but I didn't feel like it stifled me. The reality is, it did. As my world shrunk, the rest of the world changed. I stayed home and did what was comfortable while others came and went, experiencing new places and seeing new and different things.
I really do hate flying, but I really enjoyed my time driving up there and the freedom I had to get out and explore stuff. I'm already starting to miss the Mexican food up there (CARNITAS!!! and the taco cart by Brice's apartment), I miss the chance to get out and drive, I miss the lack of responsibility... I think that I should start preparing for a future trip, to where, I don't know, but all I do know is that it will be sooner than 6 years! I'll write more in the upcoming days, just wanted to get stuff out...

**Leaving San Jose, back to LA and onto Hermosa Beach...** Nov 08, 2008

Begrudgingly, I left San Jose/ Sunnyvale... I really did enjoy myself when I was up there! It's a little faster paced than Hawaii, but much, much more laid back than Los Angeles.The ride back to Los Angeles was a quick one... Gettng into LA took roughly 4 and a half hours... it took another 20 minutes to get off the 101 to get to Brice's place downtown. I was the "dickhead" LA driver incarnate while driving down. I really just wanted to get back to LA. Oddly enough, while I was driving back, I stopped for gas at the Santa Clara Costco and met a guy from Waipahu...cool!Once I got in, Brice wasted no time go get me reacquainted with the LA nightlife... we headed out to a downtown club to have some happy hour drinks (picture 3). While there, we decided to go to Hermosa Beach after I gave up my rental car (sad!).Hermosa Beach was crowded and really fun. Lots of people, a whole grip of clubs and bars for the over 21 set to hang out at... We headed out to 2 places, the Union Cattle Club (picture 5) and Sangria (picture 1) and walked all the way out on the pier (picture 2). There was a "Hawaii" place (picture 4) that threw me off.We had fun last night... met a couple of girls, had a few more drinks... a typical day on the vaca!

**Spending time in San Fran...** Nov 06, 2008

So yesterday, I was able to drive up to San Francisco to go to the Exploratorium and the California Academy of Sciences...
It took me a little while to get to the Exploratorium... three tries to be exact, to get into the parking lot. Not to say that I was lost, it was merely the fact that I kept missing the right turn into the lot. Fortunately, I was able to take a few pictures of the GOlden Gate Bridge and Alcatraz on one of those fortuitous wrong turns.
At the Exploratorium, it was Free Wednesday!!! Yay... yeah, no that meant thousands of little kids running around jumping in front of you for all the exhibits. I have to say though, it was fun to get your hands on exhibits, unlike a lot of other places.
The California Academy of Sciences was awesome. According to Tina, it was newly renovated and had just reopened a few weeks ago. So many exhibits, so little time! The Planetarium, and indoor rainforest, the aquarium, and the living roof, not to mention the floor exhibits! Makes the apathetic sightseer (like me) want to spend time and take pictures of everything... which I tried to do.... And speaking of which, here are some pics...
I'll post captions later!

**A car, a GPS, and all the free time in the world... 'til rush hour traffic!** Nov 05, 2008

So today was the first full day of me being completely detached from everyone. No Brice, no Subin, no Tina, just me, my car, and the GPS. I was left to my own devices (literally) and had the choice to go anywhere I wanted... So I went in and around San Jose and Cupertino.
In San Jose, I went off to:
Santana Row- AWESOME!!! Cool shops, friendly staff, great restaurants!!!
Westerfield Valley Fair Mall- Gigantic mall of stuff... crazy
Apple Computers-Yes, at Infinity Loop... Birthplace of the ipod and iphone (costing you all your imoney)
Whole Foods- One of the biggest ones on California if not the west coast!
Baja Fresh- MMMMM... carnita burritos!!! WAAAAAAYYY better than Taco Bell!
Oh, I also returned BACK to Santana Row to go to eat Inidan food at Amber.
It was very fun to just go out and about, being completely random, and having no agenda.
Here's the picture rundown:
1. Me in front of some Christmas decorations at Santana Row2. The last time that poor coffee Creme Brule was seen.... yum!3. Whole Foods in Cupertino- gigantic!4. A Symantec building5. Apple Computers at Infinity Loop. I would have taken more pics, but I was getting freaked out by seeing so many other workers looking at me!6. One of the condos above the shops and restaurants at Santana Row7. A cool fountain at Santana Row8. A chess set at Santana Row.

**Do you know the way to San Jose? Da da, da da, da da...** Nov 04, 2008

So to answer that question, it is a resounding no, unless I have my trusty Garmin in tow. But I decide to go against conventional wisdom and drive up to San Jose from Los Angeles, solo. Yup, just me myself, and I with all my stuff...
It was long, but not as long as others have told me. I had heard anywhere from 4 to 8 hours, and it took 5 plus. I didn't stop but once for gas (and to make sure I had my wallet) so that significantly decreased the travel time.
Unfortunately for the good people of San Jose (like LA) I brought the rain... and it poured for a little bit last night. But it looks pretty nice now, but I'm guessing it's chilly out there.
So here are a few pictures I took on the road on my 5 hour drive... (I guess it's backwards... don't ask why)
1. The greenery of San Jose... pretty!
2. A big reservoir on the way to SJ. I tried to get a better picture, but I was driving!!!
3. The boringness of the drive up there... that middle 2 hours sucked!
4. Some vineyards on the drive up, I think (once again, DIVING!!!)
5. Leaving Los Angeles!!!

**Adventures in Westwood... The Secret Stash!!!** Nov 03, 2008

I admit it, I'm a Kevin Smith fanatic... teetering ever so precariously on lunacy. I've got all the movies (Clerks (and Clerks X), Mallrats, Chasing Amy, Jay & Silent Bob Strikes Back, Jersey Girl, Clerks 2), I've got the Clerk animated series, I've got all his concert films (An Evening with Kevin Smith, EWKS2: Evening Harder, and now Sold Out: A Theevening with Kevin Smith). No I haven't seen Zack and Miri yet, but I do intend to...
(If you're into some crass, but thoughtful and though-provoking humor, Kevin Smith is your type of writer, director, raconteur!)
But anyway...Being the fan that I am, I realized that I should visit the western mecca of the View Askew empire: Jay and Silent Bob's Secret Stash in Westwood. Brice being the friend that he is decided to oblige me and take me out to there as a part of the sightseeing excursion through Southern Cal. So here are the pics (I know it's all weirdly arranged... no idea how to fix it!):
1. Silent Bob bobblehead, signed!2. The new Threevening with Kevin Smith DVD, signed again!3. The Secret Stash's sign outside4. The Mooby Menu from Clerks 25. Golgothan: The "poop monster" from Dogma.
6. Cocknocker: The bad guy from Jay and Silent Bob Strikes Back.7. The Mooby uniforms: From Clerks 28. Bluntman and Chronic: From Jay and Silent Bob Strikes Back9. Sign from the Secret Stash store.

**Halloween Hangover... Pre, During, and Post!** Nov 02, 2008

Well, I'm back. I was unable to post yesterday because I was unable to maintain uprightness due to a little too much celebrating Halloween... and by a little, I mean a WHOLE lotta vodka. We were able to go to two parties that night both of which provided free alcohol!!! (I am on vacation, so I am able to go a little crazy, but if you can infer from my previous two sentences, I went crazy, crazy!)
But I was able to take a couple of pictures before the party, a couple of shots during the party, and very little else.
So here's the shot list (Not sure what's going on here with the pictures, but they should be semi-self explanatory:
1. At the Halloween Party: Su (Nurse), Brice (Doctor), Lynn (Pirate), and Dan (another Pirate). No pics of me, I didn't really dress up, unless you count some sparkly devil horns...lame, I know.
2. A water thing at the mall that we went to. Very cool
3. Pinkberry: Heard the hype, had to try it. If you like tangy yogurt, not so much TCBY more so frozen version of Yoplait, this is for you. Tasty, a little pricey, but hey, I'm on vacation!!!
4. & 5. The Disney Concert Hall: A very large, shiny building. I was looking to see where they built the Disney ears into the design, but I couldn't see it. Oh well....

**The first 24 hours on vacation!!** Oct 31, 2008
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Hello everyone...
I'm writing from semi-sunny California! It's been a pretty cazy whirlwind tour in the past 24, so let's just start from the top...
The plane ride was fun. First class really IS the way to go... Despite the increased leg room, better service, and "free food", it doesn't MAKE you sleep. And for that reason, I spend a sleepless night tossing and turning. Not fun in the least. But alas, I made it safely to Los Angeles!
Getting into LA was easy, driving around has proved to be pretty crazy. The driving is fast and furious. I'm a little (or a lot) stressed out because of it.Thanks to Dustin and my Brice, I got to see a few things here and there... so here are a few pictures (see above):1. Inn n Out Burger: No, I didn;t get the double double, just a cheeseburger, fries, and a chocolate shake... mmmm.2. Some cool stairway in downtown LA: Stairs with an accompanying waterfall... NEAT!3. Inside the Downtown Los Angeles Public Library: Hanging through the library. Very big, neat looking stuff...4. Outside of the library: More waterfalls headed out of these building, all very cool, but don't they know it's BAD feng shui?5. Big statue outside of another downtown building: Look familiar? Watch Heroes? That's the place of the final fight in season one!!! Looks weird even up close, kinda like the COBRA insignia.!So yeah, hopefully I can do this everyday... more pictures do be shot tonight!

72 hours and countin'... Oct 27, 2008

In a little less than three days, I'll be officially on vacation! It probably is very much overdue, but what can I say, I need to work to make money, right? I am definitely looking forward to it, but I am also very trepidatious and semi-anxious about going.
As I've started to pack and tidy up the office, I wonder more and more what haven't I done to prepare! That's weird because I never thought of myself as a real "OCD type" or such a micro manager, but I guess in the four plus years I've been at the office, I guess I've had to use all those things to be successful. So really, maybe this IS a good thing to be going. To recharge, refocus, re-energize, think of new and better ways to further my business and improve on what we have at the office.
I know that Rolando is very excited to be having the opportunity to focus on massage during this time and I think it will be a good experience for him as well.
I'm pretty sure that my friends have internet access and will let me know on their computer, so I will make every effort to keep a daily journal of my goings-on in California. And if you want to get in touch with me, let Sommer or Rolando know, and I can get back to you when I can! So back to packing and errands....

Just a couple of weeks away... Oct 09, 2008

It's a very exciting time for me... yes, a little stressful as well. But like a mommy, you have to cut the cord eventually, and that's pretty much what I'm gonna be doing when I leave on my vacation for the 11 days I'm gone. I have no doubt in my mind that the office will run smoothly when I'm gone, but please believe that I'm definitely have a couple of sleepless nights away from the nest.
But as the time gets closer, I've started getting things in order... new phone, new ipod, new haircut (well, it's the normal one for me anyway). I'd like to hope that my clients miss me, but I think they'll appreciate the fact I'll be coming back with some new fun stories... hopefully!
So anyways, I was just keeping you in the loop as I start winding down and head off to the Golden State... More when I get around to it!

Vacation imminent... well, not THAT imminent Sep 05, 2008

Hello everyone...
As some of you already know, I'll be going on vacation from October 29th until November 9th. I'm very much looking forward to my vacation, my first one since oh... 2002 or so (grad school) and my first time leaving the islands in about the same time frame as well.
I will be headed off to Los Angeles, with possible detours to San Jose and/or Las Vegas. If I'm able to, I'll try to blog my way around SoCal and NoCal, letting you know about the fun happenings... maybe some pictures if I am so inspired.
Don't worry, if you're looking for a massage, the office will be in capable hands of Rolando and Sommer. I won't be there, but if you haven't figured it out by now, I will definitely be keeping tabs on my baby :P!!!
We're about two months away from my vacation, but I just wanted to let you all know.
So I'll be back between now and then to keep you up to the minute with all my travel plans!

Goodbye Hawaii! Jan 12, 2008

Hello everyone, it's Katie. I'm on my way out of Hawaii, leaving tomorrow evening at 5:30pm. I've loved my time here in Hawaii and I'm sad to be leaving all the wonderful people I've met. The clients who I've met have all been wonderful, caring, awesome people that I don't think I'll ever forget! Just because I'm leaving Hawaii doesn't mean this is the last you've heard of me either. My husband and I will be living in Turkey for the next two years and I plan on keeping everyone updated on what life is like over there. So for now, we're just preparing for our flights and hoping for no complications. Here's hoping everything goes smoothly! I'll miss Hawaii but I'm excited for the next adventure in my life! Good-Bye Hawaii! Hello Turkey!

A sad day for Hawaii Warriors football... Jan 08, 2008

It hasn't been a good 2008 for the University of Hawaii Football Warriors.
First it was the schlacking they took from the Georgia Bulldogs on national television in the Sugar Bowl (Yes, I am proud of their accomplishment, but it was a disappointment and was ugly... call it as you see it).
Next was the somewhat surprising departure of star wideout Davone Bess. While a disappointment, we knew that there were other receivers that could take his place capably, so while a key loss, it wasn't debilitating.
But now this...
June Jones leaving UH for the greener (figuratively, read: cash money) and more well facilitied, Southern Methodist University.
The rumblings were heard all this past week, and most of us thought it was just posturing and gaining leverage in the contract renegotiations. We were told constantly that June Jones loved the state of Hawaii and had an affinity for the culture and its people. Many believed that when the dust settled, June Jones would assess the situation, "come to his senses", and return as Hawaii's coach for the next 5 years.
WRONG!!!
This situation merely pulled back the curtain on the bureaucracy that goes on in Hawaii, and this is just that physical manifestations of these problems brought to light in terms of something the people of Hawaii hold near and dear (primarily due to this year's success), Hawaii football.
Hawaii had every chance to keep June Jones, but it needed to be done YEARS AGO, not in this eleventh hour of negotiations. June Jones was a known commodity in terms of his acumen in handling quarterbacks and creating a potent run and shoot offense. In 1999, Hawaii was fortunate to have him "return to his roots" and resurrect a floundering football program. The process was slow, but sure enough, it happened:
Hawaii scrapped the atrocious, antiquated spread, triple option for the fan friendly, high scoring run and shoot. With their new found scoring success, they upgraded the uniforms to a more stylish and marketable new look. In turn they brought in new recruits who were diverse and skilled to make use of this new offense. And most importantly, all this brought back the fans who were dying to see something different and better.
But it wasn't without reservations did it happen. "Purists" and the like wanted Hawaii to stay where they were, they didn't want the changes to the uniforms or their name, they didn't want to change the offense, and wanted a "homegrown" coach to be their head coach (read: Cal Lee) and not some outsider.
Hawaii started winning... and winning...
In 1999, a 9-4 season after 0-12 to be the largest turn around in NCAA history, even beating my (sometimes) beloved Oregon State Beavers in the Oahu Bowl. 2001-2003, at least 9 wins each season; 2004: 8 wins. 2006, 11 wins, and now 2007, 12 wins and a Sugar bowl BCS bid.
Jones had a direction and vision for Hawaii football that many of us, including myself didn't expect would happen: Hawaii would win, and they would win consistently. They would be ranked in the top 25 and would garner prominence and respect on a national scale.
So mere days after the afterglow of promise that 2007 brought to the Hawaii fans, within a week it all went away. Sugar Bowl disappointment, and now the departure of June Jones. But why?
Despite all its success, June Jones never got the support necessary from his athletic director, Herman Frazier and possibly even previous AD, Hugh Yoshida. Hawaii's facilities should have grown with their successes, not maintained what the had in the 80's and 90's. It is true that all universities are academics first, athletics second, but we all know that the breadwinner for any school is football. Hawaii volleyball is a perennial winner and nationally known, but the REAL revenue comes from football, plain and simple. And as the adage goes, the more money you put in, the more money you get out.
The debacle that is Herman Frazier is beyond 2007's football schedule (which actually worked to Hawaii's favor, though he should take no credit for that), nor is it the ticket issue regarding the Sugar Bowl, or the fact that he believed that due to his pedigree and connections, he could make things happen, like get good teams to play here and attract recruits based on past successes. His biggest downfall is that he never heeded the demands of June Jones to upgrade the facilities, nor was willing and/or wanting to go out on a limb to ask for the money to get it done, which has been said the state was willing to give, all they had to do was ASK!!!
While much of this is speculation on those of us outside of the loop, we can see that at least some of it is true. Thanks to Colt Brennan's notoriety he made it publicly known about the abysmal conditions of the facilities (which in my belief should have been kept in house) and Jones continually enforced that idea that if UH is to have an elite program, they need elite facilities... or even just better ones.
BUT IT NEVER HAPPENED...
And so through the choices of a few, a state is made to suffer through the impending doom that awaits University of Hawaii football.
Jones said that Hawaii is in a position where they can perpetuate what he started in his tenure here, but I think what he did has sent Hawaii back to the chaos and listlessness we had in the VonOppen years. And while I believe Jones did what's best for himself and his family, he will NEVER be embraced at SMU as he was in Hawaii.
There, he will be a figurehead at the mercy of the boosters and administration who brought him on. They are paying him to return their school to prominence and are paying him handsomely to do so. However, the more you are paid, the greater your responsibilities and allegiances to those that are paying you. He will lack the control to get players like Colt Brennan and Davone Bess who were "troubled history players" who SMU will avoid recruiting. They will lose the recruiting war to the better teams in the region (namely, the Big 12 and Big 10 schools) and will not get the Polynesian players he has grown to love and utilize to the fullest. He is being paid in the top 25, and expectations will be accordingly as high. There is no "aloha" from the cowboys and oil tycoons up there, all they are expecting is wins and a return on their investment.
Hawaii is a forgiving state, but it is also a bandwagon one. Many believe that the vitriol spewed will be laid upon Herman Frazier only. While I believe that to be the case, as we get farther and farther away from that (and his inevitable firing tomorrow), people will grow to not remember June Jones as fondly as they remember him now. He is a sympathetic figure right now, but wait til Hawaii goes 3-9 next year, followed by a few 4-8 seasons... and finally a 1-11, what then?
So as we are forced to go forward from this, changes must be made. The Athletic Director and the improvements to the facilities are a start, but there is a need to address UH's myopic views on allocations of funds and exploit/utilize the resources available to bring the university to prominence.
With Hawaii's greatest coach leaving, the University of Hawaii is at a crossroads. They need a coach that can maintain or hopefully improve the momentum of Hawaii's success (which may be impossible in the immediate future). Hawaii will have to pony up the big bucks for them and bend over backwards to accommodate their every whims. Or they will slide back into obscurity and wait another 10 to 15 years for another "savior" to the program...
Can you say Colt Brennan for coach in 2025? I think so!

2007 Year in Review Jan 04, 2008

HAPPY NEW YEARS EVERYONE!!!
Hard to believe that 2007 has come and gone. Like for many, 2007 was a year full of highs and lows. Business-wise, things improved over last year (as we always hope!) and we were able to increase our clientele and reach a wider audience. Personally, it was a year of personal growth and development.
2007 began with one of the one of the most difficult situations of my life. Late in January, my best friend, Keith Higashi passed away due to complications with renal failure. He battled through his illness heroically for at least 4 years and was able to make the decision on his own with the love and support from his friends and family. I was able to see him everyday til his passing (just three days before his 34th birthday) and was able to honor him by speaking on his behalf at his funeral. His passing made me value my time with my friends and family and to appreciate things I used to take for granted. I was hard then, and it's still difficult now when I think about the fact that it was close to this time last year when his mom called me to tell me about his decision. I miss Keith. I miss just talking to him.
During April of the year, Rolando and I decided to continue Ka Hale Ola Massage Therapy. It took some deep discussion and some compromising, but we signed the lease to re-up for the next three years. Doing this, allayed some fears, at least for me in the next three years, but brings up other stuff down the road.
Also in April, Sommer gave birth to her first child!
In June, I turned 30. Coupled with the passing of my best friend, it was a landmark birthday for me. There was a lot of reflection done on my birthday: looking back at what I'd accomplished to this point, what was going on currently, and what I have to look forward to in the future. While I realized that where I am now is nowhere near what my plans were 10 years, or even 5 years ago, I don't regret anything that happened to get me to this point in time.
Come football time, I was in need for some good news, and fortunately University of Hawaii was able to bring some levity and good news in this difficult year. I was able to go to the Boise State game which locked up Hawaii's first outright WAC title in a long time and saw UH complete their undefeated 12-0 season by coming back to beat UW (a nail biter, see my previous post). Unfortunately, the Hawaii run ended at the Sugar Bowl this New Years, but you can be nothing but proud for the underdogs despite their lopsided loss. The had us all believing and really, that's all you can ask for!
Also in December, Cybil got her Master's degree from UH (in what, I forget... SORRY!) So congrats to that. AND she was able to get tickets to the Sugar Bowl (pictures maybe coming!) She's lost her voice and has a cold, but she is none the worse for wear.
So 2008 is here and here's some of the news after only 3 days into the new year...
*Sommer, her husband, and baby are moving into a new home in Mililani (ok, they got the keys in December, but they're ACTUALLY only moving in now)!!!
*Sadly, Katie will be leaving Hawaii in mid-January with her husband to Turkey, so she will no longer be doing massages with us at Ka Hale Ola Massage. Hawaii does have a way with pulling people back, so you never know if/when she'll come back. But in addition, she also is PREGNANT!!! So congrats to that as well!
*Cybil will be returning to massage status after her hiatus due to grad school!
*Cindy will also be doing massages too... not really by her choice though! :P
*We may have a new therapist joining our ohana as well, so be on the look out for that too!
*One of my friends, Brice will be getting married (tentatively) in August!
*I may be headed back to Oregon State for their grudge match game with Hawaii in September!!!
It's only January 3rd... I'm hoping for an awesome 2008!

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