Bodywork

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

 

... or not again

Life, when procrastination on a local, cultural level... means in unprecedented natural conditions, a dearth of services and products you've been used to for years (and supporting good health). Paradise? Maybe compared to other places I'd lived, which might've been worse but not even in the ballpark of Hellish Zips in these Divided States. But despite lots more people in past residence cities... got things done a *lot* faster and with immeasurably more options than here. Not to mention when it all gets to you... just roadtrip a day trip on weekend, and all's better (by moto, was pure tonic). Impossible here, at least w/ my income

---

Anyhow... so far so good w/ 5G out of the shop... just a touch of solvent smell in the car, and 1 min windows-down, no perceptible odour at all... so on its way to getting some of the old ceramic love. Kinda nice going to the corporate SB for morning tea, as long as the baristas actually get the order right. Give these girls a bit more rope than in person, because let's face facts: working the DT window in the rain, is a shite job no matter what you hawk. They want and expect exactly what's on the menu; well could do that, if I wanted a week-long migraine (caffeine from green tea not detox'd by the liver).

So "tall passion tea in a Trenta cup, topped up w/ water and no ice" usually has to bounce thru the usual succession of baristas not used to it. Today got the mistake for free, which is nice as can pop in the fridge and dilute to desire later, saving at $8 - $9

People were pretty andale que tardes Gonzales this commute... but that's not unusual for a Mon, esp if you've just spent the weekend bailing out your living room w/ a bucket and filling sandbags... so just kept to the right for max mpg. Btw... this rain's really tanked my mpg -- started at mid-63s, and now down to low 61s -- given the 5G was driven short distances constantly in-shop was expected... but what I've seen is daily even in passing rain / humidity... this car really dislikes it, taking tenths for things it didn't in the dry. Again, the small air filter area can be to blame; may need another one soon.

---

So that bodywork story I promised you...

Had a new client ~ 6y ago, had a R elbow they'd gone to chiropractors, shiatsu pracs, acupuncturists, and Western med for, and never resolved. Would not straighten completely, and could not exert any bicep contraction past a certain angle w/o intense, nerve-y pain.

Had client sit up and extend both arms towards me, palms up. Then turning palms down. The wince of pain and rest w/ palm up on R, tipped me to what portion of the diag tree could be pruned off.

The elbow's one of the trickiest skeletal, high-ROM joints in the body to work quickly and competently. Multiple sensitive structures to avoid (arteries, nerves, and veins) as well as those vital for proper lymphatic drainage of the R arm. Plus multiple reasons for the same symptoms, all which need to be addressed before resolution can be felt. And depending on what the client did to produce difficult, extremely-tense compensation... can be a whole hour on just that joint. Only other joint like this, is the shoulder girdle (even harder).

Client admitted being poor at hydration... and decided anyway to play a round of tennis with visiting friends, after not playing over a decade. Office job and weekend warrior on the basketball court... two things at opposite ends of the activity scale which the body compromises right in the middle, serving neither well. Mild swelling and sensitive to pressure, so this condition was actively causing damage.

Flexors first: big bunch of bananas for the deep and superficial finger flexors, then the rock-hard thumb flexor flexor hallucis, which took all their pain tolerance and lots of breaks to finally calm. Then the extensors, which were equally indistinguishable from bone until they relax. Then the supinator and pronator teres, turning palm up or down. With those main movers processed... could more clearly see how bad this was.

The radius bone of the forearm, on the thumb side of the wrist... has a little wheel-like end in the bend of the elbow where it interfaces w/ ulna. This allows the bone to rotate in a small cup lined w/ articular tissue, so one can pronate or turn the palm down. It's wrapped partially in the supinator, an unusual multi-belly compact muscle enabling the opposite (palm up, holding a bowl of soup). The other end of the radius should not move; all articulation should be at the elbow. So often to calm the muscles which originally pull the wheel side out of socket and cause the very symptoms observed... one has to proof and zero the wrist first.

Yep. Asked client if they had a fall before playing tennis and this complaint -- and replied did take a tumble on the basketball court, slipping in someone's sweat. Land on R wrist? Yup. Wasn't swelling up, so they just ignored it -- which was a pattern for many things, coming to light for this client.

The carpals of the wrist are somewhat easy to align, but hard to describe on a forum But did get the scaphoid and pisiform bones moved back to where they'd long ago been displaced to minimal symptoms... but the fall drove ligament stretch to report going over that line into splinting compensation. So had to remove any traces of that pulling on the radius (thumb / scaphoid side) before the wheel side would go in and stay in.

I'd say about a quarter of all clients -- closer to half for men -- have issues with seating the elbow. This requires a special spreading of the elbow joint gently but firmly, then popping the radius back into place. Not sure why but men tend to hate this... so developed a gentler 'walking-in' tq what doesn't 'gotcha' the client. Women tend to be fine with it for whatever reasons.

After processing elbow-crossing upper arm muscles (triceps and brachialis / biceps)... I'd say this was one of the more spectacular elbow pops I've ever seen irt. A muffled but solid 'POK', as their elbow literally changed shape, like a magic trick. Resting after a larf (it is rather an exp to get this done for the new client)... didn't even notice their elbow were completely extended and straight. I always test the integrity of the work, by taking their hand in mine like we're arm-wrestling... and first turning the palm towards their face, have them pull at about 50% strength. Next w/ palm towards centerline of the body and pull, and lastly, palm away from face. If all strong and pain-free in those three angles, the elbow's minted.

After testing, they played with the elbow a few mins, in rapt amazement. Apparently far too much cash spent to get to me... and getting normal function back (smol amt of lingering inflammation's normal, esp if minor damage has already occurred)... they had to remember how not to compensate around. No wraps, no ice, no exertion w/ the arm 48 hrs... or this will come back w/ a vengeance (only other part of the body needing more careful reintroduction, is the neck).

Paid and left. Months later, have gotten 10 - 11 other clients from this one, as they owned a gym in Lahaina, no longer there post-Lahaina-fire. That's how things work here, and I want my business to be meritocratic, if that's a word.

 

Mon 23 Mar 26:

Jesus, it's Spring Equinox time already, days are finally getting longer. Not as dramatic as when living in WA or esp Germany (HI is 20N, WA 47N and the old Leighton Kaserne 50N) but tracking it's an old habit from WA days...

Still raining. Target has reneged on opening tmw and will instead take another week (Sun 29 Mar). Thought the 24th was a bit ambitious, but corporate overlords tend to oversell to protect their image short-term more than set a longer timeline and suffer the wrath online. If you're anywhere near a Target esp on mainland, there's a reason these big boxes have come to dominate all other forms of consumer life in 'Murrka. Well... at least brick-and-mortar.

No work today, so hitting the books as usual. Flooding's keeping the wealthier clients away, since their homes (up on either Hill) are most in danger of washing away. Cancelled trips hearing about such on s/m are reaching my bottom line, so Locals are the only source of income. Not permanent so just have to make good and study a bit...

Bright note: should be letting up end-of-week. This being the second time that's been forecast... but would really like the workers cleaning up that massive mess at Target, to do so under clear skies for once.

Wonder what corporate's going do re: about the infamous flood damage. Um, HI's known for having big storms, derps -- in fact, the only state afaik that has a 'hurricane season' prominently mentioned on all state news outlets (FL doesn't count; everyday's hurricane season).
If the designer of that property -- remember, it didn't exist in 2014 -- signed off on drainage and elevation and impact for it and the bldg... they obvi cut a few corners doing so... or just went ahead despite existing threats anyway, plausibly-denying flooding as statistically-unlikely. Possibly even encouraged by the suits themselves. Be interesting to see how this month of 200-grand-per-day loss actually gets resolved... because flooding conditions / high winds / both, are gonna happen again.

---

Ah, my bodywork story for today, hmm...

Had a young client come in w/ their parents ~ 7 - 8y ago, a swimmer. Needed to solve a knee issue before heading to state tourney. Could not bend over nor climb stairs...

Young people -- in my definition, 25 or younger -- don't have enough life exp generally, to know how to handle pain. Esp for the generation that has never known high-speed internet access or s/m never to have existed... their lives to adulthood are again, in general, filled with a lot more sitting in front the TV w/ a controller in hand, than skinning knees or climbing trees. One exception I was happy in that demographic this didn't apply to, were athletes. Can't be a shrinking violet as a football (soccer) player, running back and forth on the pitch 45 mins at a time. Exposes your kids to pain at a young age, which is how life is supposed to teach one of the foundational bricks of character other bricks get to be built upon. Teaches the value of teamwork, including both leadership and taking (lawful) orders well. Even individual sports like swimming, one has to make friends with healthy amts of pain.

This client was exactly that -- confident in what their body could do, and ready to prove it in competition. But TrPs are malicious little energy vampires, whose currency is pain... and this was Client's first exp getting one, and the sense of helplessness it can wreak. Turns out the culprits were pretty nasty....

There are muscles in your legs, evolved millions of years, to handle the activity your ancestors had to do most -- walking. So not surprising 60 - 80% exertion of the legs, is so supportive of all sorts of healthy processes in the body. We had to do it, so evolution brought forward descendants that best adapted to this -- in fact for some ethnicities and genetic lineages, vital for esp cardiovascular and metabolic health.

If your ancestors skied in snow to their waist 9 mos of the year, or lived on steep mountainsides, very likely your genes will like more intense regular exercise than other lineages. However... swimming you may be surprised to hear, is not a natural activity reinforced in this way. Sure maybe if your ancestors were Polynesian or SE Asian, where living on or near the sea is a given and hunting in it a legacy thousands of years old, then perhaps a bit more so. But the framework of the human body, was born to walk around constantly, sun-up to sundown. Anyone who's educated themselves in survival techniques and camps 100% off the land, is familiar with how much f***ing walking and climbing and physically working things into shelter / water / food / defense, a hunter-gatherer's life demands.

The human thigh has 4 hamstrings, yes, 4 not 3. May be confused, since the lateral hams are listed in most anatomy texts as one muscle -- the biceps femoris, divided into two parts (long head and short head). Academically, yes. Functionally, they do quite different jobs.

If you think of a muscle as depicted in emoji form... it's a muscle belly (the contractile part) with two ends that attach to bone in most cases, like your biceps. Also like the biceps, the muscle cross-section is round, not flat. The long head of b. femoris is just that, a long round muscle from pelvis (ischium) to lower leg (head of fibula). But the short head... that's a round muscle that doesn't go across two joints like the long head... instead stays on the femur (lateral supracondylar line / linea aspera) and connects to the same tendon that b. femoris uses to attach at fibular head.

This means the short head can't do anything in the hip joint -- short head flexes the knee, and rotates the lower leg to the outside whilst knee is bent. Thus it often becomes adhered and super-tense, when long head's fine -- esp during swimming when lots of kicking to extend the knee happens and the quads develop faster than the hams (esp apparent in teenage or younger athletes). This is where Client had their TrPs, in both heads.

Were a bit squirmy -- not surprising as a stranger's touching their most sore spots... which is why I always demand all minors be accompanied by either parents or other chaperone (even besties, whichever makes them feel more at ease with being on the table). But they had a surprisingly deep well of pain tolerance -- which I'd expect, being able to compete at the state level. Little wincing when pushing the blood thru the knots... but in the end with some breaks (and reminders not to hold their breath -- which was funny, as they're a swimmer -- luckily they too found this funny once called out ), managed to release two huuuge TrPs -- well done.

Think this session's burned into my AuDHD brain, due to how they reacted once standing from the table. A leg that'd once been painful enough to limp on, was suddenly functional again. Their posture changed significantly in the pelvis and core, not just in how upright their spines are. The light in a young person's eyes when they can chase their dreams again tho... well, caught myself getting a touch emotional. Not only can they believe in their abilities to be there at the starter pistol again... but their own tissues can rebel against them -- but always because it has no other choice.

There are helpers who can talk to your body's tissues, help convince them to stop doing that. They did go on to place well in state, which I felt now a part in enabling. This is why I most likely won't become wealthy doing this... but wealth is a relative thing

 

Tue 24 Mar 26:

Target still not open, well that wunt a surprise Instead, they debuted a cloth banner outside on the wall, reading 'Target is closed temporarily' or some-such. Not like it got my hopes up then disappointed like so many other things in the modern world

Mostly a calm if perpetually-pissing-down morning, can't complain too much. Tho did get a call from Mum her car's alarm were going off all night. Usually a sign the battery's going flat... but got in and started it just fine. May have to get water in the cells maybe, or the constant soak finally corroded something to short in the security system in that Honda.

So told her she needed a new battery at least, and that I'd be doing the swap (easy, just remove, take to battery store (dealer) rcv discount for the core, install, boom-juice). Oddly enough, the only other car with a batt going flatt in my care, was the last Honda. See why I'm glad despite the flippant recalls Toyota's creating trying to make too many cars, I'll not be shopping Honda anytime soon? Even their consumables seem designed to generate revenue more than avoid pricey PITA replacements...

Caveat: glad I don't own a new Lexus right now... you thought Toyotas were getting beaucoup recalls, Lexuses are dropping like flies, some models on their second fix for the same problem, much like our 5G rear door debacle. Phew, nowhere as bad tho -- the most recent one's w/ NX / TX, and involves the backup camera not coming on in R again. If anyone's been following YT channels like Car Care Channel w/ AMD and LSFT... in a modern Lexus SUV, when you need to access the components involved on this nutbuster of a recall... the whole dash incl. consoles, instrument cluster, many kilos of wiring, framework and HVAC components, plus the steering wheel and its wiring and fasteners, all need removed. So your Lexus will spend however long it takes, in line with all the other owner's SUVs, in the dealer svc lot taken apart, waiting for parts and labour (being an ex-tech... what the flat-rates'll most likely be doing is cherry-picking the easy-money jobs, meaning even longer waits). Not a great look

will fill in w/ a bodywork story after clients come in

 

You can imagine my ambivalence to a young white guy not raised here, talking with authority about how things are in Hawai'i. And profiting from talking about it

I mean... demographics have been changing in HI at least 25y now. Back last time I lived on Maui, a lot of Local institutions were still Local, just 'flavoured' by encroachment of the larger world, mostly mainlanders moving here if you follow the money. But in 2026, the generations who'd normally inhabit positions of authority my gen enjoyed, preserving the balance of power Locals vs. transplants... they've all moved away, never to return. There are some cogent reasons why Hawai'i but for the tireless, red-misted stubborn resistance of native Hawaiians and plantation-era Locals (also my gen mostly)... has for all intents and purposes, become a suburb of L.A. County:

• when you grow up on an island, you cannot grow in tandem properly in a world increasingly global
• state's leadership's never risked their careers backing investment in any industry other than tourism... and now can reap the conseqs
• my generation's failed to convince themselves, the only way to keep Hawai'i Local, is live here, ideally after living in the real world

Knew once I'd graduated HS, I needed off this g oddamned rock. And for many, that led to staying away from Maui permanently.

At the time (latter half of '80s), that made sense -- still had Boomers to carry on plantation-camp-era traditions and paradigms. But as they aged into their 60s and 70s another demographic was taking hold in local gov't power, like they do everywhere else. And Local Boomers, for all their education and serving in Vietnam... all they really wanted were their childhood memories, why work so hard as a mayor or governor, all I want is peace from that noise. And so as in nature... those who thrived in that crucible, also rose to fill slots vacated by the aging Nisei in '90s, who did care about their island and didn't mind working that hard. Thus handing our island to them.

It's a bit disheartening, to still meet GenX Locals -- actual descendants of the WWI-era first wave of plantation workers from all over -- talk about Maui as if it's a lost cause. Have deeply imprinted, deeply beautiful memories of how things were in the '70s and '80s... and to think that's gone... well can't win a battle if you've already surrendered.

Politicians here tho... holy sh*t they've been dogsh*t for generations. But feel the real reason defiling of this County happened, were when two particular state Governors made Maui their debris fields: Ben Cayetano, and that evil harpy Linda f***ing Lingle. Too long to talk about why these sh*tbirds should be remembered for selling the whole State out, but know this: once their reigns were over, Hawai'i and Maui County, would plunge into the very abyss of factors your white kid mentions in the video.

So the only way any Local born here can know how to save the State from Angelino-ism... is to leave it, and for a long time, then somehow come back to stay for good. Exactly why we as GenX Locals here, missed the boat. Some of us knew and acted, but way too few to make a difference. So my gen will be the last to know a truly plantation-era Local hegemony culturally and fiscally... and that halcyon's quickly fading into the distance

 

Nah, you and I are cool. Not offended in the sense of 'ETC bad, bad ETC', but just generally how much authority can be stolen if sturdy, BS-resistant walls aren't built around every g oddamned institution these days. As if 'oh, no one's correcting me? guess i can control the narrative with this video to other ignorants'. As if corrections will take down the video, or negate its views and likes. Wonder if the kid even feels any sense of responsibility for what he's confidently, algorithm-enforced-words...edly, spewing in that video

My turn to feel ya Man something about being in L.A. just wigs the crap out of me.

Is it the throngs of young entertainment career hoard, 99% doomed to fail climbing the mountain, yet whose faked-make + casual douchery permeates almost everything about daily, public interactions with Angelenos? Is it the reality there're both massive amts of money floating around just out of your reach everywhere, and people making your cocktail / citing your speeding / handling your taxes, may've someone buried under their shed in the back yard? Or just the intense feeling (even in '80s, when I first visited cousins there) the whole city's so big, it's enabled both the above to grow and evolve into something socially I've still no checksums for, as an aspie?

Have been to NYC briefly on layover -- equally hard city for a n00b to read; have to learn by failing as well, which isn't ideal as dangerous as certain parts can be. But 40y on still can't read how to get by in L.A. Got along much better w/ East Coasters in mil than from SoCA, which is telling

But do also feel you about being grateful to've lived in a place, served in a place, that didn't jive with you, but got thru anyway. Sometimes so many wild things happen (AZ ) that you go from hating every f***ing second feet in boundaries, to looking back fondly (for me, remembering how many other gluttons for 110F-, small-arms-on-freeway punishment there were, suffering but with a helluva lot more grace than I).

Mil, same -- glad to've suffered and occasionally won in long years in... but like a casino, the house always wins if you keep playing

 

Fri 27 Mar 26:

Wow -- a clear sunny morning for once! Don't pocket your schadenfreude yet, as coming home squalls -- from the wind direction allowing sun to appear (trades, which bring cool NWerly air vs. storm direction which brought Bali-like SEerly hot and humid) -- were just starting to cross the highway, as had been a month now, just 180º reversed...

Another day before Target opens -- which'd sound pathetic were I still in WA, so many other options to get routine sundries. Do hope these workers are on the back half of this cleanup, which granted for such a giant floor means all sorts of headaches past just getting the soup from around your shins. But this place has so many advantages allowing one to depend on it -- also a hallmark of everywhere else I'd lived with Targets -- finding alternatives proved difficult. As before, a bad habit stores here have re: stock, is not to carry the same things other stores do, so to find something you must patronise one store... and usually even w/ big boxes, one (1) store only. Has to do with vendors having way more power on Maui than on mainland, and less competition. "Where else you gonna go? Deal with it" is the knobby-headed call of the Maui retail store, chain or no...

5G is running great, getting good mpg again. Behaviour on-road is much more similar to the rental 5G -- so my inner-ear sensors were calibrated. Everything's a touch sharper than before... which is great for the last comp'd svc.

have a client this afternoon, more after I work them

 

Sat 28 Mar 26:

Since I didn't update the story yesterday (apologies to both of you reading)... will start off with it.

---

Had a client long pre-adhesion-release, probably 7 - 8y ago. Were having a weird issue in the core that cramped up whenever doing Pilates, and eventually go to the point of not being able to exercise anymore.

Pilates isn't popular with me, due to its 1) attraction of beginners to goal-oriented exercise. and 2) for overworking them quickly and efficiently Same w/ Crossfit, which attracts a different demographic but gets them knotted up and injured just as often. Both warn of a pretty long session if the client's done themselves in, even on the conservative side of such a debris field of abuse and neglect.

So looking at the core... wasn't affecting the usual lower body telltales there, few of the compensation chains so familiar to the work. So had to be something started in the core, meaning the core itself had been used to excess, or subjected to forces leading to this condition. Don't need to ask if those reading can figure out what those forces could be... but not that uncommon in this work, tbh...

But whoa -- conditions internal to the core muscles can also refer TrPs to them, like ulcers, metabolic syndrome, and gluten sensitivity... so some respite from the dark side of life for many.

So started as always, with the muscle group most familiar to clients, both figuratively and physically... the abs or rectus abdominis.

A segmented muscle is always stronger than a single long set of fibres bone-to-bone... so since the ab blocks must secure the front of the core during forward movement upright, as well as a litany of other jobs it's a main mover for... they often get over worked with things only really inflicted in the technological age: tech neck posture; long hours sitting on a sofa which doesn't enforce correct anatomical posture sitting, thus exposes esp lumbar column discs to strain and eventually failure; driving long hours commuting in seats which the mfr rarely considers comfort and ergonomic health over nickel-&-diming costs out of.

Then the obliques -- which ime, provide all the conditions for core misbehaviour and pain, about 80% of the time. Layers of flat muscle right angled to each other and diagonally oriented vs. the vertical axis of the body, plus a deep layer perpendicular to this -- meaning any atrophy will often result in overly-tight fibres pressed atop flaccid ones... eventually sticking them together. And as we all know from Velcro... the natural contraction direction of these muscles, cannot separate them... so my hands have to do it. Mind you, this client was worked long before I learnt tissue adhesion release, let alone nerve release.

One tip-off you're at the problem area -- and frequently the source -- is the existence of high inflammation: 1) red 2) hot, and 3) tender. If the client's leaping into jump sign when normal therapeutic base pressure's used... then you can narrow down what can refer to cause what you see.

Client was jumpy, a lot. Usually this is simple ticklishness, which doesn't necessarily imply causation by inflammation. Just checking for the 3 signs tho, found nothing. But jump sign's rarely wrong, even if there may be remote-referring actual causes in other cases. The usual checks in the usual places for that, came up empty. Hmm...

So on a hunch, let them rest a few seconds... then went in again, but watched closely, their face.

Saw in other places they had more banal issues like TrPs, their response to pain, even intense, were very different from when sinking into the 'cramp' in their core. A 'desperation', more open-eyed than closed-eyed (latter which is most people's normal 7/10-level of pain). This reaction wasn't normal... so set about trying a different way in...

Had the client take a break, and asked them a couple of questions about how the cramp came to be during their Pilates exercise. Said were from a tennis match after a long time away from the sport -- usually a common reason genuine cramps in the core happen. Painful, but not w/ the reaction to the work they exhibited. So the issue must've existed before the tennis incident occurred.

Asked what they did: retired. Asked what they retired from, and replied '[vehicle driver], back in [big city]'. What did you do for fun back in those days? And at this question, showed the usual signs of retracting from the question, into self-censoring we all know. 'Not a lot'. Which meant, something more than you'd think

Eventually when confronted with the fact talking about the thing in their core's related to how effective the session would be... some back-and-forth but did concede to a reveal. Won't say what it is here... but was defo conducive to holding a trauma in the tissues of the body. The mind and body cannot be separated when alive -- they're two aspects of the same thing: physical structure enabling the mind to exist, along with the existence of channels of energy thru the body and the consciousness, moving it or not thru space. So when the mind experiences a trauma too severe for the conscious mind to process, ancient automatic processes step in -- and apparently. store it in the tissues of the body. Once bodywork principles are applied towards a solution, the client can release it... but only by facing the pain in their body, no matter what happens -- complete commitment to facing their trauma, thru their pain.

Client seemed unnerved by the reveal, to a complete stranger. Assured them nothing we talked about would identify them in any capacity, as here. Only the pathology and its solution are important to talk about, not clocking my clients... but for the sake of storytelling, some non-identifying details are included

So went in again, being careful to look for certain signs the client needed help, but in an intermediary phase of release... which is psychological. Remember, mind and body are the two sides of the same thing, a literal mind-body.

When the client, in the midst of facing their pain breaks thru -- as in the memory of what happened to embed the trauma, is being re-lived -- they often enter a sort of catatonic state. Client wasn't there yet, but could tell by the expression in their eyes, they'd gotten the memo, and understood the truth of why face this excruciating pain.

When they did break thru... very strange. Every client gets to this point in their own way... and agreed, this was far different than the last break-thru nearly 4y prior, as an apprentice w/ Mentor at my side whispering orders. Client began to fall slowly limp, eyes partly open, mouth agape slightly. They've retreated into themselves, like sliding out of their human shell into the depths of memory. At this point the work itself stops... and 1) you hold Client's R wrist w/ your L hand 2) R hand on the solar plexus, and 3) DO NOTHING FURTHER.

Whilst in this fugue, they're of course very fragile -- they've braved the agency to touch body and mind together at the only spot this can be done safely, facing a trauma. Something somewhere in their past, a violence happened to their oblique front core, and suffered immensely due to it. Doesn't necessarily correlate to amt of physical force used, as when a drunk father comes home and take out his frustrations on a helpless sub-dbl-digits son, mother screaming at them to stop whilst being beaten herself... there are more factors involved in held trauma, than simple force (was an example btw, not what happened).

Client heaved a tiny bit on the table, as I held them gently but firmly. Last time this happened took about 15 mins for them to come out of it... but Mentor had a case where client began screaming top-of-lungs, 45 full mins So were prepared to explain and apologise to neighbors this was exceedingly rare, if it happened.

But they went still a couple of mins... and eventually blinked and shot up to a sitting position, wiping face, eyes settling on my mine. 'The f*** happened to me...?' Explained... and in the midst of the educational spiel... felt at his core, which brought my own hands to his still-sitting-up trunk. 'Cramp' was gone, at least to my fingers -- zero jump sign. Laid them back down to process what'd happened...

Client were in their 60s... and was weird the changes apparent to me, even 8y ago, in their face: looked 10y younger, maybe more. Their eyes sparkled now -- a common reaction to both bodywork and a profound, dual-front release. They also stunk a bit, an acrid but organic odour, which is dammed-up toxic debris backed up behind natural flow in a persistent knot, now lahar'd into general circulation. The older, the more rank... and given this may've been there decades, wasn't surprised.

Drink plenty of water, and put a bit of lemon in it -- not enough to taste sour, just the essence. Lemon helps the tissues absorb water, one of its miraculous uses (lot of citrus does same, but few like a humble lemon). Water's needed not only for cellular hydration, but to carry away the toxic wastes we released. Looked at their face -- the street-trained doubt in the work, gone -- replaced by a much warmer, much more joyous and grateful self free of a pain they'd no idea was burden all this time... reaction of course self-censored as per their generation

Out the door, saw small compensations, saying their brain and spinal cord were not yet accustomed to the cramp area being open for business... and that heartened me. That day was coming soon, and could finally live a life free of that shackle

---

will talk about the morning later

 

Addendum, Sat 28 Mar 26:

Where was I... ah yes

Wouldn't you know it, was pissin' it down again. Not the almond rain thank effing God... but defo the same permeating, constant heavy drizzle so familiar from WA days wiping this slop from my visor. Did sort of clear up later in day, to passing pissy drizzle... but given the ground's about 500% saturated right now, I'll take it...

Target's opening tmw, and I'm here for it. Tho tbh, they've not taken down the 'closed temporarily' sign on the front wall of that massive monolithic façade... so hopes are still tempered. Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, etc. Am a bit tired of the 2nd-string alternatives in this first shutdown of the place since covid... but you know how when you kludge up a solution around a problem sometimes, it becomes the solution soon enough? Only diff betw. 2nd and 1st string at the mo, is pro lly one more week

Were thinking about this psychological phenom, could be called the 'Cast Away' effect. Someone's at the top of their game at home, entrenched in a set of paradigms written in virtual stone... then forced to adopt to vastly different conditions and routines so far outside that set of paradigms, almost resets the mind thru a hair's-breadth from trauma. Then to suddenly return to the old home ground... and see how fragile and unimportant your investment in the universe you left, actually was. Alt title: 'There And Back Again'.

Have met that paragraph situ wordlessly many times... tho tbh, am not that well-traveled via airliner nor novels. HS nerd and undiagnosed high-functioning autistic, joins US Army... is at home one moment, then 12 hrs later stuffed on a rickety school bus in the dark, to meet the dusty-canvas-and-pine-oil-life of an indentured servant, the next near-decade. Then to exit that life, back into one where the boundaries aren't nearly as well-defined -- bad for parts of my aspie self, good for everything else. Then to realise, were 24yo and lost -- yet again, in freefall.

Guess those 2 decades of bubbling turmoil and forced choices whilst struggling for direction, are why my rather non-intuitive choices (like this journal) exist where and when they do. And zoomed into a tiny microcosm of that, this Target situation's just another forced choice, which of course rankles someone who needs routine to feel grounded. But over the last 30y of getting after it anyway... there's a rather quiet side of me, perhaps one from further back in my lineage... that needs this turmoil, as much as front-end, frontal-lobe Me, hates it. Operating in the shadows Frontal Me casts, flitting about the stage... whilst suggesting alterations to executive decision, completely out of verbal and cortex-cognitive reach... interpreted only thru feelings, washes of things over me: the so-called right brain.

more a bit later

 

Sun (an actual effing) Wash Day, 29 Mar 26:

---

cont. from last post

It's said your right brain is the less-forward, silent partner of the left brain, if you subscribe to the concept of left and right brain. If so, I'd seen my right brain react accurately to many, many things over a geezer life, not even acquired on radar yet. Which to me, shows how much actual perception the senses take in, the executive cortex-seated brain filters out like coffee grind.

One example of this, were in a story I've told here a couple of times, confronting the supernatural. Ticked at my parents one rainy night in the '80s, peeled off in my car and drove north of Lahaina, to the infamous area known as Kahakuloa, where it's said night marchers / walkers exist. Got to a certain (now infamous) spot in the long winding road north of Kapalua around midnight, so much rain couldn't drive more than 30 mph, ersatz rivers of flow sloshing against tires and lifting the 1700-lb old-school Corolla off the pavement in frightening blips of levitation and wheelspin. The infamous spot were a high point in the road which dipped on the other side... pulled over and took a breather. But such is yutes, the decision was to brave the whole circuit round the WMM... when something told me silently, go no further.

Stopped, right there in the road. Was a weird, base of your soul sort of shake-and-wake. '80s-era filament headlamps peering meekly through white streaks of still-pounding rain...

Thinking were my imagination... but w/ old stories told by several elders in the family, not to ignore... decided on pushing on -- started the car (which is colloquially when you know these spirits don't want you to move, your electrical going flat), put in 1st and began to pull out again to the roadway.

Were going about another several yards, when another, more forceful voice, sounded right in the middle of my head: STOP.

This one made me pull off the road, hair standing upright back-of-neck. If the first warning were a gentle ward, this one was a grisly bolt of lightning, if lightning could be wet and heavy. As opposed to the first, this one penetrated to fill my mind with the cold, electrical lava of fear.

Didn't peer around to take stock of surroundings, didn't wait to see what else would happen... just put it in reverse, backed off the road, and peeled out back south. Mind you... all of this interaction, there wasn't a single perceptible sound -- was silent. Even remembering it now like a movie scene, there's only the relentless driving rain on the windshield. But to some part of me, was a kraken's roar, under the boat.

The right hemisphere's linked to intuition... which is the concept wrestled with most of my adult life now, since attending the dojo shortly after ETS. Could say it set the foundations for a life out of the military, which tracks pretty well for me, given how long I'd struggled post-mil with intergrating. Ideally, paraphrases my dojo... when intuition's cultivated to allow complete control of your life's actions, the illusion of choice fades and becomes irrelevant -- intuition, true intuition not passed by a corruptible cortex and its conditional gaslighting drivel... is always correct. And this non-linear reasoning unshackled by logic, is what Zen masters thru antiquity are known to access at will.

As a lay person, am a light-year away from being able to sense when a strong intuition can guide me to safety thru the maelstrom of human existence, esp now when they're more of us and less things to go round... and the weak revert to the 108 delusions (not that this doesn't include myself, mind). But can point right to the moments in life, when none the nattering BS mattered... and the only thing I needed to do, was heed a silent, occasionally thundering, plea from somewhere... abjectly confusing to my 'left brain' and its hegemony in modern society

---

Okay -- about Wash Day...

F***ing actually got to wash my vehicle, was so stoked Tho tbbh, the car wasn't all that bad, considering how much muck and grit roostertailed onto the car in weeks of driving. But also washed off, apparently... channels to the ground thru which I found most of the grit and dirt expected. But even then... just proves a driving rain's not as bad to the car's need to be washed, as clear skies and damp, fling-y gray water on the road.

So... the new paint's not to be waxed or ceramically-sealed another week... so took this op to just wash it as usual, more watery suds w/ Meguiar's Gold Class car soap, the best affordable stuff for weekend plonkers like me over a decade now. Keeps surface grit iron oxide particles from overheating in the sun and boring little imperfections in the ceramic polymer spray layers, like a red-hot cannonball on macadam. As we all know Fe is infamous for its ability to retain heat... so the fewer bits of it on my sacrificial ceramic layers (1.75y of weekends-worth), the longer it'll last and less maint it'll need.

Gotta give it to Griot's Ceramic Spray, tho: despite being a bit cantankerous to store in the car and work on the paint... can't argue with the durability. Washed this car after 3w not giving a damn, certainly not wiping the dirt off the finish (which will cause scratches even more damaging to a spray ceramic layer)... the roof and other horizontal surfaces which got it are so well-preserved, didn't bother putting another layer on (can't anyway, due to the young paint on door and verge of door opening). So will do it up correctly next week, when the whole car can be treated. Part of that remaining lustre has a lot to do with 1) not getting direct sun 3w, and 2) near-constant rain preventing even a whiff of sitting particles overheating in sun. There's a reason water-based coolant's still the standard in ICE cooling systems, even 1000bhp ones...

So Target's not open today; have changed their reopening again -- not to next week thank effing gawd -- but Mon. I predict a leeeetle rush in the door tmw morning And tbh gonna be right there with them (hope the flooding damaged all the SB kiosk's paper cups -- am really getting to appreciate a compostable plastic cup you can see your drink thru, that won't piss a puddle in your cup holder

 

Mon 30 Mar 26:

Target's... open

Banner outside read 'Now Open', appropriate given the store's gone 3w shuttered. Also appropriate, were the throngs of urchins using the hwy as a race track to get there sooner (confirmed, as such tactics rarely actually get you p2p more than a few secs faster and defo within line of sight, right into the car park ). Got there 0702, were already full of island peeps jonesing on what they'd been refused almost a month...

All the carpet -- all of it -- were torn up and bare concrete slab w/ a bit of wax atop it, applied. Not a smol ask as the amt of carpet were at least 1.5 football fields, much of it under rather tedious-to-move semi-permanent shelving and display cases. When your entire floor's covered in 8" of gray water tho, not like it can stay (and stink to the moon).

Otherwise not all that different inside. Part of this methinks, is just plain economics: if they wanted to treat the reopening like a grand reopening, then stuff would change. But given how much the company lost -- it's the only Target in the state to be closed >1 wk -- can't blame them for chiseling a bit.

A nice impression, was the lack of even the barest whiff of flood stank or mold / mildew. But King Toljuso of County Schadenfreude still reigns: during storms, buy f***ing sandbags / sand before you need them, would've cost a fraction to either party. Just the bleatings of an old dude, what's he know (merely dealing w/ flooding in D.C., in AZ at moto tech school, and nearly every year living in WA. Not to mention all major WA retailers in flood zones, already had well-rehearsed plans in place -- including stocking sandbags and sand before you need it)

But ah, my Target SB kiosk is back. Argh, their paper cups survived the flooding... but their lids did not But nice to lever life back onto the rails... tho can feel a bit of inertial resistance, making the jink back.

Forecast for town, which for me is an NOAA / NWS website... says no rain >0.01" for the rest of the week -- Halle Berry. So a bit miffed at the cloudburst splosh coming home from the bank, as if some trickster demigod gave a reminder who were in charge. Fine we get it, now f*** off. Sorry, f*** off sir...

All in all, a merciful return to normalcy, if late and too little as usual. Cannot stress enough tho... could be a lot worse. Will keep that to wedge whinging in check

---

more after my client

---

Back -- reminds of one of the first athletes I'd worked on the table...

Athletes, casual or pro, obvi aren't to be trifled with -- you're expected to return something to them they cultivated long years and have passion for performing at, so higher expectations than just 'make this less sore', like a massage therapist. They're also much more pleasant to work (if not middle-aged weekend warriors, twisting a meniscus into permanent damage trying to be 17 again) -- athletes are what we all were as hunter-gatherers and early farmers... so not surprising despite obvious exposure to biffing it hard enough to cause scar-tissue-forming damage... they're as a rule much easier to work.

This one was a golfer aged ~65 - 70, and a rather high-ranking pillar in local gov't politics. Couldn't return to it due to a pain in the lower leg preventing them walking the greens, which was their routine, so came in with a walker.

Mentor initially worked them over, as he was the bodyworker others had steered Client to, not myself. Used the modality principles and got some improvement, tho not resolution. As had been researching a tq now long part of my toolkit (triggerpoint therapy), Mentor tapped out and offered me the leg.

I'd not been practicing on many w/ TrP release tqs yet, so went in slow and safe...

Over age 60, the body's tissues esp for males, becomes far more fragile than even close behind in 50s -- skin thins and becomes brittle and tear-prone, and this dessication and chg in matrix and structure becomes more the rule, the older one gets. But esp scary, are the condition of the larger vessels of the body. The same fragility and propensity to tear affects them equally... my massage therapy instructor had a mentor who lost an elderly client on the table, working their neck too aggressively -- tore their R carotid bifurcation, and bled out right there on the table internally. So ever since, have chosen to not resolve over-60 problems involving high-risk vessels, locations, or pathologies, rather than suffer the unimaginable consequences of FAFO w/ a client. And that extends to all clients in general, not just the elderly. Can't help everyone... but if you f***ing kill someone on your goddamned table, your career -- and life as you knew it -- would be over. All you had to do, was decide not to play cowboy brinksmanship with someone's life. One of the lines I'll never cross in this gig.

Client groaned and squirmed, whilst carefully pushing bloodflow thru the knot, avoiding the varicosities surrounding it. TrPs must have bloodflow restored a certain way... and if you fail, it doesn't release. Which is a teacher I rather like (or got accustomed to, being ex-Army... probably some of both)... as all your ducks must be in a row, not just 'that'll work' or 'I'm tired' amt. Provide what the knot wants, or f*** off -- come back when you're ready to put out

After about 15 mins cycling the knot (9 strokes irrigation, 15 secs rest, 30 if it's really bad)... stood to stretch and let hands rest a bit, as the client knowing you're stopping for a break, can be perceived by the knot and actually speeds release -- if pain's been severe, even moreso. Of which this one still ranks highly amongst the worst TrPs I'd released.

After returning to the table about 2 mins later... got eye contact and told the sweat-soaked expression peering back at me I were going back in, so try not to tighten against me. Exhausted nod, and found the site again.

Were much, much softer than the almond in the soleus muscle I'd found. Went in much gentler, more 'milking cow' than 'twisting barbed wire'... and to my delight, felt the release -- in TrPs this bad, always accompanied by a similar release in the upper traps, pecs, and facial muscles -- significant enough to see in real time.

Client's first reaction to hearing the session was over, was springing up to a sitting position, and jumping to their feet. To both our fascinations, they stood and walked and climbed up and down stairs, pain-free for the first time in months. Walker was taken by their family member, and they paid and walked out together. Warned to drink a gallon of water between the session and same time tmw, so the crap stuck behind the TrP could be filtered out by liver and kidneys. But this client appeared roughly 1 yr into apprenticeship... and never saw them again in 4 more yrs of it. To this day, never seen a resolution that complete for TrP release tqs.

Taught the seeds of 'better to be conservative / client disappointed, then aggressive / client dead'. Also, the first inklings TrP work, wasn't a strength game -- in fact the more strength you use, the worse the outcome

 

Tue 31 Mar 26:

Starting to re-rail after the derail... but still feels a touch weird to walk thru Target's open doors.

Thankfully the bulk of Maui got their Target nut in the rest of the day after I'd left, so much more like normal again. Not exactly jarring per se, but certain items are still missing, and one can tell whole rows of stuff had been hastily shoved onto horizontal surfaces rather than carefully curated as normal per Target std (even Maui TGT whose stds aren't the highest-speed / lowest-drag in the Target fam... compare your exp to Wally's, and you see clearly why I only scale the Wall when absolutely no choice).

After nearly a month cleaning that colossal mess-up mess up... you tend to see how much real pride employees take in their store, vs. just-a-job-skatery, despite the company paying them some of the highest wages on island for supermarket workers. Pay -- at least for this generation, ≠ higher performance on the floor or more profit. If that's the only exp the workers have, then why be grateful; should be paid this for minimum effort, relax... is the apparent prevailing attitude

But like the swan and its proverbial legs... peeks of a few blips of work still needing done away from customer eyes, is probably happening in shipping / receiving. Haven't ventured back there yet, as could still be a mosquito-filled temporary swamp from poor drainage... but damn I hope some construction's being done to make some kind of barrier to another flood. Someone's hasty, pot-hazed vision of civil engineering drainage for that very-profitable anchor store, proved its worth -- so hope to see diggers and hard hats in back soon, to correct that, now that the weather's finally let up... a bit.

Still raining, just sky poking thru now. Still waves of dump and dry, w/ high wind once the day warms the surface. During my post-mil yutes running tours up and down Haleakala and driving customers back to the hotels (ah, the days you could run several Ford E-250s with a 460 [7.5L] V8 full of 15 passengers 30 - 40 mi one way, and still make money -- fuel was ~$2.50/gal back in '90s). And whilst weather above 5K feet could get dicey... don't think I'd seen a single day when tropical storm weather was even close to what it's been. Completely unprecedented for my gen, aside from hurricane season (I remember Iwa's flashy lightning storms reaching Maui as a kid, and most a bit younger remember Iniki, whose record devastation I was in DC for). Guess the rest of the state's finally seeing what Hilo exps on a regular basis in 'cane season.

Funny to people-watch... and see how shell-shocked they are, ever since covid. Prior to it, most were content w/ their lives if a bit more apt to sit in and veg before TV for console games or NF... but now the irritation and elbowing whenever there's a crisis, feels much like an ASD / ADHD neurodivergent response. Which may just reflect how much less-connected we all feel here, extremed into our little comfy microfibre-blankie shells, neurons lemming'd to TT. And the existence of people whose paradigms are fundamentally different to those whose traditions and lived-in generations, formed the basis for Local culture... just make all interactions more stressful, all stds being up for debate.

Well the reason I don't really include myself amongst those speeding like it's the end of the world to get to Target, then end up directly in front of me at the final light for the turnoff ... is perhaps just being a bit more like those transplants, having lived in their social paradigm in several states. Doesn't surprise me AZ people are automatically in general, more pleasant to talk to than Californians, because I'd lived in Phoenix ~10y. Same w/ clocking WA peeps.

Which is where the pivot to bodywork actually appears (thought I'd forgotten? Granted, I do like lateral thinking). Takes time in service to really feel like you're part of a comm'y -- so when a transplant lives here a year and calls themselves Local... that bugs me as much as a Brooklynite or Bostonian local hearing the same horsesh*t out a 'plant's mouth 10y minimum to even know how things work esp in big city neighborhoods... and need to be raised here plus go thru the school system, for me to not bristle at the self-appellation 'I'm Local'.

Example: if you're a recent BHS / MHS / LHS grad, and can demonstrate an understanding of pidgin (massive points if you can also speak it fluently enough to be indistinguishable from my gen) and know 'how fo' ack' to blend invisibly into my gen's social contract... then absolutely no noise from this old man -- you're legit. But claim you're Local because you've hit all the 'secret' tourist spots, and have paid rent one holiday season? GTFOMF w/ your fake

Bodywork, also 10y minimum to be competent enough to have your own practice... and then there's mastery, waaay out there in the void like Planet Nine. The work constantly provides a non-negotiable std in lived experience working bodies you'll struggle with years, even w/ talent and passion.

Can't hack that? See ya when you can, next

 

Wed 01 Apr 26:

Nope, no Fool's foolery from me. Kinda hard to laugh at the stunts people pull for a larf at other's expense, with all the showstopper stunts currently in play by any number of institutions in this country.

Morning was a touch nice, in a way -- dark upcountry clouds threatening the usual waves of slop 30 mins at a time weren't present, and neither was early (6 - 7am) wind, a good sign. Not exactly clear skies but that's meant more slop to come, more often than not.

Bit chilly last night for us as well (in low 60s) so more winds at the summit of Haleakala pushing cold air off the caldera in the right direction, atop us (trades). Still wet in spots in TGT car park so this state of affairs wasn't trending from last night... but I'll take it.

Think I've put my finger on why TGT feels different today vs. re-opening day... the sense of adapt-overcome from the previous month's wild dog's-breakfast of a daily routine, is finally wearing off. More foot traffic than yesterday AM, about 50% more; not sure exactly why that is but defo felt it moving around looking for my errand purchase. Are more people coming out of the woodwork, waiting for the crowd to die down to shop? Do that myself normally... but had to jump in this time, to stop getting AM drink more expensively from across the street, and usually faster to boot (love watching drivers eat up my rear cap pulling into the car park -- them to the corporate SB drive-thru, me into TGT -- and driving off seeing they're still a car back from getting to the window ).

Did have to wait quite a bit, which is just people adjusting to changing routines -- only one person behind the counter, so workload triples along w/ time-to-service on that pass. Gotta love SB employees from other corp SBs in line, ordering the foofiest sugar bomb taking max time to make, whilst grumpy brew drinkers w/ minimum effort, waited in a growing line. That were 100% the only reason my wait time tripled today

Have no hard data to prove the worth of this (not that it'd be privy to me anyway)... but feels like things are struggling along behind the scenes. Whilst I don't know many of the floor workers and supes by name... have been watching them for years... and strangely quiet vs. pre-flood. Usually workers are busy stocking shelves in the easy, opening hours just to not have to push pallets around when the store's packed... and nothing. Mentioned could be the situation in the receiving dock before... and consider today a soft confirmation of that. Something's still broken...

Drivers today were the usual mix, but not too bad today. Amazing how calmly peeps drive when the price of feeding your non-hybridised ICE's gone up a dollar or more per gallon. Some full-size lifted pickups normally sharing road on my commute, just weren't there (smart guys either pooling with the wife's car, or driving the Nissan Hardbody mule to work -- 26 mpg's 100% better than 12 - 13). And my commute's virtually all on flat topography -- there are people pounding around in poorly-maintained cars routinely pre-rise, that live in Wailea (furthest south comm'y) and work in Makawao or Pukalani or Pa'ia (Upcountry, so driving uphill for miles).

Even in my last Honda which got better mpg than 80% of ICE-only vehicles (36 - 40), no way I'd be foot-to-wood on that commute, Whorin' the Golf or no (over the Straight-Up Whore-Moves)

---

No clients until this afternoon... so will pick a story at random.

In the early days of apprenticeship... there's a lot of opening eyes and ears and shutting your trap, enforced on the day. Were used to that so wasn't uncomfy not speaking to Mentor whole days observing them work clients (like myself, didn't like being interrogated in the headspace of bodywork -- silence unless educating client or myself, reigned supreme, once body on table).

So was surprised, when Mentor mentioned his later clients needing my attention; needed to step out to handle a VA issue a couple of hours. Two clients, in my care w/ no supervision -- 'well this is what you're working for, go for it, recall your basics, and don't f*** up', centering myself. Mentor called the clients to warn them I were going to attend to them, and left for his errand.

First client was a new one -- hadn't seen them before but that wasn't indicative of anything. Young female, came w/ bf who dropped them off. First thing come to mind, guess he had a fair bit of faith in who they were leaving her alone with; should've come with. So reassured her of the validity of our work verbally and thru action, like making sure dignity were preserved at all times.

But something were... a bit off. Normally, the client states their complaint, and prac devises a plan to attack that complaint (much simpler than my own current proc... but also had minimal command of minimal tools back then -- when that's the case, simpler = better for the plebe bodyworker). Instead of pointing to or describing a part of their body w/ pain or debility... said simply 'I do not know, just whatever you find'.

15+ yrs in, I cannot stand that line spat at me. If you don't know what you're here for, may as well go home... because I've no gauge with which to see if my work succeeds, with that nonsense. Plus, after many, many, many clients doing that same thing all this time... know the work isn't going to solve anything. IF they actually have a complaint.

Now that's also something occasionally dealt with in this work; you get to a certain level, you'll start to see people coming to you who want to know what they're up against: competition. And w/o a complaint, that's setting the prac up for failure. So today, anyone who tells me they have a complaint, and simple cursory inspection of the tissues prove they don't... they're not welcome back. I'm not a charity, and certainly don't give away tqs costing years of trial-error to some kid. Back then tho... weren't yet as streetwise, so had f***ing up to do...

First indication this was someone not here with a legitimate complaint... was their reaction of the table. When giving the tissues the pressure used in ZT... they at first balked in what looked like ticklishness, which were responded to w/ backing off. But finding a true TrP in their traps, one either side... ah, time to process something recognisable (were experimenting w/ TrP work at this time, and were satisfied self-work tools were ready for prime time)...

But working their knots, got a response more like... being turned on, than exp'g pain. Which hey live your life... but is highly-inappropriate for a clinical environment w/ a new healthcare provider. Ignored these bleats for a minute... then had to stop and talk to them.

Being confronted with this, got the reaction I were expecting: disgust and verbal abuse and pounding out the door. Must've hit a nerve then Not sure what your exp w/ 'massage parlors' in other armpits of the country have been... but am a professional first and foremost, and will not hesitate to prove it to you

Being this was the dawn of the rise of Twitter and s/m... probably got sh*tposted on FB with some story about me being inappropriate, which is how disrespectful pieces of work get their way these days. But as soon as Mentor returned, told them about the incident. Which they slowly nodded and took a second in thought -- which were not the reaction I'd expected, given their teaching style to that point.

Turns out the person who referred them to Mentor (and thus Me that day), needed a bit of education in what we are as well... and from that day on, Mentor mentioned that client never visited themselves nor referred clients to us. Not broken up about it; got actual clients to work w / actual tissue problems. 'Focus on those you can help', was their mantra.

One has to have real, enforced standards in this work... as there're legions of ticks out there, taking every opportunity to disguise themselves as legit pracs but promote perversity and licentiousness instead, eroding the reputation of pracs who want taken seriously. Mine is very much stable now due to this done early on... but in the beginning, hard to do when turning down being paid. Must be done tho... or you're reinforcing lower worth and doormat-ness, to a demographic who could care less if you live or die. Have solid integrity, and you attract better-paying clients w/ far more equally-good referrals, vs. my cousin-who's-got-4-kids-you-won't-mind-babysitting-them-do-you?

Yes I do, and buh-bye. Not even that, as stand ground on standards I require from the client, as much as enforce my own stds for them... so never make it onto schedule in the first place. Luckily, very few of these 'my cousin' urchins are in the client pool today. Very luckily... but you can't build a reputation for excellence, with just luck