Fri 20 Mar 26: Just as w/ the Honda... driving around in newly-minted car paint from a collision repair, does grit one's teeth But unlike the Honda, most of that paint were on the inside of a surface abutting the interior -- meaning VOCs greet me every morning. Not ideal as the sky's been spitting large dogs and cats of late. Roll down windows, let sopping breeze wash out 50% of it, then roll-up and get on w/ it... Despite a brief respite on the road home... perhaps solvents had already got to the old cortex but decided to go into worse rain -- uphill to the storage unit -- to get things taken out 2w ago. Despite being ~40 - 45 lbs lighter than w/o... I need the security of certain things, call me a traditionalist / curmudgeon / both, been called far worse What showstoppers do you need in your vehicle? Trash can -- straw wrappers, wet-naps, serviettes, blue mechanic's towels to wipe bird shite / sugary f&%*ng splats of bug guts off caps & glass... need somewhere to throw it, not the ground (apparently on Maui, finding a public tip to dispose your shite properly, 's a minority view -- 'why not, the tourists do it', is the prevailing 3rd-grade urchin logic ). Really missed it in the rental, just a plastic cereal container from Wally's w/ a flip-top lid. Dump by pulling the whole top off, snap back on / repeat Blue towels -- must be Scott SHOP towels, in dbl rolls (used to sell triples at Wally's for a nice price, until they figured out they can make more money only offering dbls, singles, and box-'o-towels for 30% more). Use this for all tasks incl. windows, which dunt apply to non-Scott towels but do fine wif. Also quite good at absorbing EVOO leaking thru two paper meal trays + dbl layer of serviettes from my salad spot, which are nothing but ordinary compressed pulp masquerading as food storage > 5 mins (sacrificial layers on any interior surface you value, will pay off). MUST have two rolls in-car (one can be partially used) after an incident where I'd crushed my hand servicing my old Toyota in WA... and because it's Kitsap Peninsula, had to wait 45 f***ing mins for the ambulance whilst bleeding enough to need to sit down (got a unit of blood hung for the half-hour ride to hospital... which was telling). If a whole fresh roll plus my used one weren't already at hand, might've been a different outcome Hand tools -- need for more frequent oil chgs, mercifully-easy on a 5G. If in the car no need to drive to storage to get them, plus are always available for other emergencies. 3/8" 14mm, 12mm & 10mm on 3/8" push-button ratchet (mine are Snappies but you no longer need pay exorbitant prices for equal if not better function -- personally keep Craftsman, Husky, Kobalt, and GearWrench tools alongside SO -- and whilst SO is defo good, no longer 2 - 3x-the-price-better). Back when pro wrenching, got Snappies for ~ 60% off going thru moto tech school, so not getting rid of 'em anytime soon. But for doing owner maintenance on your Prius, Craftsman's way better than what I've used (and Craftsman has been) in past Oh, and DMM, telescoping magnet, JIS cross-driver, and box of nitrile gloves too (here, use Raven from NAPA, pretty good so far and not too overpriced) Headrest hangers -- whoa whoa Fyooch -- 'the hell are those? Welp, I'd not used them until Amazon suggested them after picking up the 5G: clip onto the headrest posts, and hang behind to have a place for handled grocery bags and like. Mine wrap and cam-clip all the way around the post, with a hook that has extensions to accommodate different things / offer multiple hooks / provide for tablet shelf. Far more utility in a car not that great for it admittedly... plus it's cheap and fully-reversible Coiled USB-C cord -- due to being more familiar w/ the way LE 5Gs interact w/ your phone (the bare essentials)... using the car to PA phone convos requires corded connection to your phone (one of the few advantages an XLE / Limited has over LE -- your BT will f***ing connect to it for more than larfs). Have one that reels into a package the size of a half a Hershey's w/ Almonds pseudo-chocolate bar; ever since getting it, wondering why more USB-C cords aren't reelable w/ flat cables There's more, but only applicable to weirdos as myself... Driving my 5G around, was reminded how much smoother the whole drivetrain is vs. rental. Can't believe it had half the mileage, but was that much less efficient, more noisy, more reluctant to be efficient. Small things like the particular pattern of scratches and tiny nicks in the armrest and console cover I left there -- far fewer than rental -- reminded this was my car, and like a puppy it almost drove better, being in my hands again. Strange how that works... and reminds the butterfly effect does matter by the car's 1st birthday... and production tolerances even in Japan where they're far more controlled than in say Hermosillo, Mexico (obviously ) do make for distinct personalities, even if toned down every MY by more precise auto fab tech. Increasingly, dependence on humans to be consistent, are often where the weak links are in the build chain... and as long as they're present (and you don't own a once-in-a-generation sport halo model, where only old-school, senior JDM / DE assembly workers touch your hard parts, like GT2s / GT3s or R35 GT-Rs or Lexus LFAs or original Honda NSX Type-R NA1/NA2), you'll have perceivable if slight, differences in performance. Three gens back, Ferrari race models (250GTO / 250LM / P330 P3/4) were so wonky w/ tolerance / specs, each one were expected to be slightly different in character. And only craftsman handled all aspects of their construction then. Just glad to have it back, if in probably the worst weather to try to clean it off (tho was told by owner of body shop, washing even by hand isn't advisable this weekend even if storms clear... let the solvents evaporate off fully, then hand-wash next weekend, ceramic coatings weekend after that. Gotcha -- gonna be with me a few years, so will do --- Yesterday's chosen client case, reminds of a more infamous story oft repeated to my clientele... because at any time getting off my table, could be them one day (in a manner of speaking; been very lucky to have quality on my table consistently for the duration) Deep-tissue bodywork, no matter how carefully and competently it's done, is a pretty radically invasive proc, most obviously when working the core. Add another 50% criticality, when it's the client's first time w/ me, and ~30% more atop that, if they don't like being touched. Both cases are very easily noticed by the prac when they've reached the point of stopping the work... and if prac and client can't come to an agreement over shared responsibility on the table... sent candidates home before. Only countable on one hand but they do exist, even w/ exp'd clients of less-invasive modalities. This one was sort of a rush job -- heard about me, so wasn't formally referred. 'Scuttlebutts' -- which can be perfectly ordinary clients, or like this one... create obstacles that must be handled firmly. Didn't like the way they bullied their way to see me -- I'm ex-mil and Asian, know the type. Wanted to lord control over the session, and made sure I knew it. Some of these soften into great clients, if it's a shield they need from a rough upbringing or position of some authority they need to be a prick to get things done. Three of my awesome ex-mil clients were exactly this, and still with me. So braced myself for the truth - which rarely diverges from what it did. When the questions come out -- 'why do you have to go there'... self-discipline is key. They don't actually want to know, they're reacting defensively to where you're going, because they're not comfy being touched' . Most men esp who present like this, this is the case. Maybe they were beaten to within an inch of their life by a drunk father. Maybe their douchnozzle older siblings held them down and tortured them as kids. All these traumas defo survive into adulthood... and must be guarded by bravado and whatever works. That guarding, is what I as the prac, must consider the only thing that matters. But often compassion isn't enough... esp for men I like facing the truth about the human body and the souls housed in them -- and if that means taking some abuse because it's what soothes and reassures the client in themselves... no problem, as long as progress is made. But am in no way obligated to be a doormat. If your insecurities and unfaced trauma prevent me from working you... there's another client who'd gladly take your place, good luck on finding relief. If handled w/o judgement like that, calmly but firmly w/ eye contact... normally sort of snaps them out of the recurring nightmare they've integrated as a raft thru Everything Is Heaving Seas... and can finally reason with them, the real Them. Pain is a bitch. It makes one short-tempered, impatient, rash. And if one is to succeed in this gig, g otta have thick enough skin to tell the diff betw. someone who feels they must be douche-y, and one who likes to be douche-y. Luckily, this one was the former, as most are. If the latter, they're out the door and blacklisted, have pepper spray and one more resort, close at hand if ever needed. Bye, and don't come back -- you're on video, so don't try bouncing this off your little incel echo chamber Back to the good client Turns out due to their cultural upbringing, loads of two highly-inflammatory foods were regular meals: processed sugar, and cheese. Processed red meat esp bad, but too much steak even grass-fed and clean, can also cause non-controllable resting muscle tone increase. Caffeine were also involved, which prevents muscles from reacting to therapeutic pressure and relaxing in response. Not surprising then, they consumed two Venti Fraps a day, and ate steak as much staple as potatoes or rice. Cheese, esp milky cheeses like burrata, Brie, Camembert, Chevré, Muenster and Mexican Crema... are loaded with an acid so deleterious to relaxed muscle tone: lactic acid. Lactic acid is a waste product of muscular metabolism... and if allowed access to blood supply in all muscle types (heart, smooth, and peripheral muscle), will prevent the muscle from relaxing, as can't leave or be metabolised as efficiently. Red muscle meat is packed w/ lactic acid, less so whiter hooved meat like pork, venison and mutton, and further less organ meat from all hooved sources except heart (tho heart muscle is far more efficient at using lactate for fuel vs. skeletal or smooth muscle). So if your genes aren't adapted to constant cheese consumption and you partake far more than they can handle... acidosis can occur. Got their very, very painful leg and hip spasms covered, and taught how to keep from re-irritating them into TrP formation. But stressed their diet had to change, for this relief to stick. Luckily were training in crossfit to lose weight so once work had calmed down, they could try my reccies. Didn't see them again, which is good -- my impression of this client wasn't an unreasonable, petulant child... so probably didn't waste my breath. But half my clients don't check back w/ results good or bad... so will never know. But that were a showcase example of diet vs. proc efficacy on my table
Sat, 21 Mar 26: Man, yesterday's Spring Equinox rains have been drowning parts of the island in weird, non-dramatic ways. All the bluster from last week wasn't trivial (did knock out power during the morning commute, so people were out in 100-ft visibility rains, just to find out their workplace is dark)... but upcountry esp, flooding from saturated ground unable to absorb more of the unrelenting, Seattle-like rain... is putting formerly-safe properties in danger of either being under Katrina-like heights of soup... but washing away the ground from underneath such soaked red dirt and stones. Drainage is pretty chaotic in HI given the scarcity of hard bedrock (meaning slides are very common even in short storms)... but in Seattle it's found ample ways to get to the ocean so long ago (and the region is anchored in quite hard granites and basalts), properties usually don't have problems w/ drainage, and are generally more stable. This island hasn't seen this sort of weather but once in a generation only a few ago... but the reality now, is it's only going to get worse. Trouble is... bldg contractors have been selling luxury comm'ys to the County for generations, high up on a hill back then had little chance of washing away... but now faced w/ the truth, the rich may be the most affected by this pummeling, non-stop rain. more when finished with client...
... or not Sun, Wash(ed Down The Valley) Day, 22 Mar 26: So you get the idea. Haven't seen rain this intense since 2011 moving here, and that were eerily also Kona Low conditions (low pressure parks itself atop us and sends in weather opposite to trades direction -- SEasterly vs NWesterly. Very odd to see the leeward sides of the islands lush-green w/ weed and undergrowth. Difference this time... is that '11 storm lasted a week, and only damaged a bit of property. This has been going 6 days short of a month, non-stop... and people's homes are being Katrina'd as we speak. Obviously-obvi, not gonna wash the car today, even if desperately wanted to. Terrible. Closer to home tho... the VOC smell in the car's died down quite a bit. Apparently when humid is better; thought the opposite (solvents can't find room in ambient air to migrate off the paint, whereas reality is VOC smell is less than half what it was yesterday). Same opening windows 30s before setting off, windows closed obvi until getting home. No exp w/ new auto bodywork / paint adjacent to interior until now, so not much to compare against... but nice for those who're sensitive to them. Which until now, thought were me -- the med, remember. But if a day's lungful of yesterday's emissions haven't caused any ill effects to now... guess my liver isn't in as bad shape as assumed. Shame doesn't apply to caffeine -- which must be far more toxic to liver function than otherwise believed -- no wonder broke out in hives not spitting out test shots as an espresso machine tech fifty lifetimes ago -- and was a lot younger and yet to abuse the bod as much back then! Sure, go ahead and drink your Venti latte w/ 8 shots, barely perks you up right? Time to add another --- will fill in table stories after picking a juicy one from years-past log
