CEU Weekend

So, just got done today w/ my CEU weekend in Gainesville:) I took a hot stone class, which was so cool. I've been doing hot stone massage @ work for the past 6 yrs, but had never been formally trained, so always felt like i was sorta "faking it" w/ my clients. so nice to actually learn how to do it from someone who's trained and been doing it for years. Not only did she massage with the stones, but she placed large ones in different spots on the body between towels, and also used toe stones in between each toe, which was awesome. i will def be incorporating that into my Thai foot reflexology!!! i'm hoping Sharon, my longest regular, will love it, even though she says she doesn't like heat. i'm gonna see this coming Saturday if she'll be open to me trying it on her. i'm sure she would love it, and we also learned alot about cold stones and placement of those, and chasing a hot stone w/ a cold one to finish out the session. Wicked cool sensation. i just loved it and learned SO many new cool tricks that i've never seen before. The teacher was Lori Hunt, and she worked at Advanced Massage Professionals in G'ville, not too far from the Oaks mall. come to find out Jacqui, one of my fave teachers, owns the place. used to be an old orthodontist office, which they transformed into about 6-7 massage rooms, housing 12 or so therapists. very cool space, high ceilings, each room decorated differently. just had a really cool vibe, and every room had a window except for one (which we didn't use this w/end), so it was so nice to turn off the lights and let the natural light flow in, and i could gaze out the windows at the greenery outside while giving the massage. SO relaxing. I was in a bigger room w/ 2 tables, so there were 4 of us in there. I worked w/ a lady from Chiefland, Cherline, who was super cool and laid back. she's not been practicing for a year, so she said she was rusty, but she had a really firm touch and i thought did a pretty solid job. coulda been more specific, but relaxing and not awkward nontheless. Also sharing our room was Sherry, a  lesbian, who was really cool, and Joanne, an older mom of 6 who was super into crystals and shamans, and all things "spiritual" in a dream-catcher sort of  way. She always sounded stoned and repeated everything about 100x throughout the 2 days. but was nice. I ended up going to lunch w/ her (Joanne) the 1st day simply bc she offered to drive and no one else invited me. would rather go w/ a massage-y than no one, so i went. I invited Liz too--a prego surfer girl from New Smyrna--so we went to a local joint called burrito brothers, which to my chagrine, only had tables outside. I was sweating balls, so it was like being in a sauna, but the food was INsane and the homemade limeade, albeit sugary, just hit the spot!!!

At one point today, heard the other 3 girls in my room talking about how they smoked out all the time, and when i said i'd never smoked anything in my life they all shut down and were quiet. it was so dang funny. it's like they literally didn't know what to say. i guess everyone smokes weed?? wow, nice world we live in. But it was so much fun. lots of laughs and good food. Lori had a spread of snacks there, and Sherry, whose fam lives on a peanut farm, brought 2 gallon baggies of different kinds of boiled peanuts to day. took some w/ me on the road...SO GOOD!

It was nice to just get outta dodge BY MYSELF, meet some cool peeps, and get my massage on. hadn't had a massage in oh, maybe a year, so it was nice to be touched and have someone give me a little TLC. was really feeling in the zone today. we each gave each other an hour and 15 min massage. i need to start promoting it at work. 79$ for an hour?! sign me UP! or promote an hour and a 1/2 for 100 smackers. even better. easy $ fo show.
well, R went to get  pizza. didn't fight him. Came home to all my laundry folded, and dishes done. he is too sweet to me. I just love him so.  The more i'm around crazy ppl, the more i'm grateful for my life. and after this weekend, i'm pretty sure i could def make it to the 2nd elimination on Survivor. I got along w/ everyone. lol. tired. but i'm outta thoughts. peace