April 16, 2007
Ow.
Mistake #1: Agreeing to have the birthday-massage schedule juggled because one of the masseuses was out sick.
Mistake #2: Agreeing to have a masseur instead of a masseuse because no one else was available to cover the new schedule.
Mistake #3: Not fleeing the spa in a headlong scramble when a young, muscle-bound stud who obviously didn’t know his own strength rumbled out of the massage room.
Outcome: Both TMK and I woke up Saturday morning feeling as if we had been beaten from head to toe with wet, knotted ropes. And TMK has at least one bruise that we can find.
Is that normal?
(And is it normal to have a blog and ask people you’ve never met if something that happened in your life was normal?)
The massage equivalent of being beaten into a gang aside, the TMK Birthday Bash of Ought Seven was awesome. I wish I could show you photos of the main event, the trip to Boeing’s Everett Plant, but when Boeing muscle says no cameras, no purses, no bags, no wallets, no keys, no phones, no nada, they ain’t kidding. TMK and I both sauntered up to the start of the tour carrying what we thought were perfectly innocuous paperbacks but were turned back and pointed in the direction of some lockers by, granted, the sweetest security guy you'll ever meet, but turned back all the same.
The camera restriction in particular irked both me and the Birthday Girl since we’d envisioned an endless supply of photographic blog fodder…until the tour leader ‘llowed as how a couple of years ago someone dropped a camera over the edge of the viewing balcony and did $250,000 damage to the wing of a nascent jet.
Oh.
Love the blog, love youze guys, but no blog is worth that. So, here, the official site with official photos of what we saw. (To put things in perspective, each set of blue doors is as long as a football field, and the entire building covers 98.3 acres.)
What struck me the most about the tour was how, in the vastness of an assembly room containing hundreds, if not thousands of workers; a huge plane-baking oven (!); dollies, trolleys and carts; bright, hot lights; an endless network of conveyor belts, riggings, scaffolding, wires, cranes, and forklifts; and bits and pieces of six semi-assembled 777 jets, there he was: A pigeon, strolling calmly through everything, head a’bobbin’. It made the controlled chaos around him seem so laughable and pointless. “Fly?,” he seemed to say. “I’ll show you fly, baby.”
If you’re a local and haven’t done the tour, or if you’re going to be in town and are wondering what to do, I highly recommend it. Only, remember, the slightest speck of lint in your pocket and you’ll be escorted to the lockers by the nicest security guy ever.
We spent the rest of the weekend weeding like madwomen, finding excuses to eat just one more slice of chocolate birthday cake, and watching Series VII of Red Dwarf, while I worked on my new pride and joy, my Pink-Ribbon Hat.
I almost need not say it, I'm sure, but the hat is for my employee’s cancer walk (now, now, I finished my Dulaan sweater first) and was knit with gumball-pink Cascade 220 and some miscellaneous white wool I had in stash. Here’s the chart I designed and used; copy away, if you are so inclined. The hat is your basic roll-brim using 90 stitches.
For those of you who were curious about the whole “propagate the hebe” thing, TMK has two of these 1’ tall beauts in her yard...
...and wants more, enough to make a hedge. Hence the sad and ultimately fruitless attempt at propagating.
The latest count from Stacey at F.I.R.E.:
5,046!!!
Dear Reader and Dulaanite Nancy O. tells me that she's getting ready to mail box #9, containing the last of her 122 items, making her the equivalent of 24.4 people knitting 5 items each. Nancy, I take my hat off to you. And my scarf. And everything else I've ever knit for Dulaan. You rock.
I have had much better luck propagating when I start the cuttings in water. Take a cutting that is long enough to have a couple of leaf nodes. Pinch off the bottom node and plunk it in water so that the bottom node is submerged. Keep an eye on the cuttings, and change the water regularly until a root begins to form. Sometimes I add a bit of fertilizer to the water.
Once you see a root bud, take the cuttings out of water, dip the tip in a bit of anti-fungal rooting powder (you can get it at the garden center, or just skip it), then plant in a seedling tray. Keep them moist but don't let them get too damp (I drape mine loosely with clear plastic).
Good luck! I haven't done this with hebes, but I have been successful with some similar plants.
Posted by: lyssa on April 16, 2007 01:01 PMAnd she has a green thumb.....sigh. I would have to say is there ANYTHING TMK can't do? {crushing ever so slightly} My plants look like they were attacked by rabid wolverines.......
And while you can be kind of sore from a massage, I don't think it's normal to be bruised after a massage.....but if the masseur is hot, send him my way.......I'll risk the bruising. lol!
And many thanks to you Ryan for letting me hang around and make things for Dulaan! You and all the others are awesome!
Posted by: Nancy O. on April 16, 2007 01:12 PMNormal? You're asking US what's normal? You're kidding, right?
Many happy belated birthday wishes to TMK. Wouldn't have pegged you for a trip-to-the-Museum-of-Flight kinda birthday girl, but you always keep us guessing.
And as for the massage -- I don't think bruises are normal.
Have my 25 items for Dulaan ready to mail! MaryB
Posted by: MaryB on April 16, 2007 01:22 PMBruising isn't normal. Maybe he thought you wanted Rolfed? If you signed up for that, then, it's your own fault. Otherwise, I'd call and complain.
$250K is A LOT of damage. Wonder if the pigeon gets escorted to a locker if he poops on the wiring?
There are some good ideas for boxwood propagation here -
http://www.boxwoodsociety.org/boxwood_propagation.htm
and here -
http://www.ext.vt.edu/pubs/envirohort/426-603/426-603.html#L4
Fantastic hat!! I'm definitely going to print and save a copy of that chart when I get home. Thanks for sharing it with us.
For the record, it is NOT normal to come home from a massage with bruises. Sheesh! Sounds like your masseur was either inexperienced or born clueless.
I always tell a new masseuse what I like / dislike and never hesitate to tell them if they are hurting me. Remember, YOU are paying THEM and should expect to have a pleasant experience.
Boeing and cameras do not mix! Never have. Have you tried to find a cell phone sans camera lately? I have. Good luck.
Posted by: Denise in Kent, WA on April 16, 2007 01:24 PMPS - what does it mean to be "beaten into a gang"?
Posted by: Carrie on April 16, 2007 01:47 PMLyssa, I'm liking the water-and-fertilizer idea. I had done the rooting-hormone thing and had put the hebes in a tray covered with a makeshift plastic-bag greenhouse. We thought we left it in a place where it wouldn't get too hot but...oops. Also, this time I think I'll cut off more leaves.
Nancy O., the masseur was hot but, as you can imagine, that fact barely registered on our radars. I'll slap stamps all over him and send him your way.
MaryB, separate email on its way to you.
Carrie, I, too, was wondering about the pigeon poop. Apparently the pigeons are regulars and have been for years.
Denise, I wasn't sure WHAT to do during the massage (which was only a half-hour and during which we were fully clad). My past experience showed that, even if a massage was a little over-the-top, it was worth it because in the long run it made you feel warm and relaxed. To his credit, the masseur did constantly check if the pressure was okay and I THOUGHT it was, but apparently not.
Posted by: Ryan on April 16, 2007 01:50 PMWhen I was in massage school we had a couple male students who didn't know their own strength. And couldn't get it through their egos that it was more about finesse than force. Sheesh! I recommend calling the establishment and letting someone know that you had an unsatisfactory experience. At the very least someone needs to tell the guy to back off and stop hurting people. And maybe they'll give you free massages to make it up to you. If so schedule with a "kinder, gentler" therapist!
D~
Posted by: Visionsister on April 16, 2007 01:50 PMCarrie, being "beaten into a gang" (and take what I say with a grain of salt since this based solely on what I've seen on the boob tube) refers to the idea that, in order to become a member of a gang, you have to let them beat the crap out of you. If you do well and survive and don't whimper too much, you're in! Lovely, no?
Posted by: Ryan on April 16, 2007 02:28 PMLOVE your Pink-Ribbon Hat!!!! Dudette! WAY! Note to self: search stash for pink yarn.
Posted by: Rebecca on April 16, 2007 02:32 PMYay, 5,000+ items! This is Emma from Sweet Briar College--I've sent you a couple e-mails, but I thought it might be polite to de-lurk long enough to drop a comment in here. (I understand that's standard blog protocol, though since I'm still over in the pseudo-blog world of LiveJournal, what do I know?) I'm currently in the process of reading through all the archives (procrastination technique when finals are overwhelming), though I was disappointed to discover that apparently I'm not as unique in that impulse as I thought. Oh well!
Posted by: Emma on April 16, 2007 02:58 PMOne of my former partners had a bruising massage once. Someone asked her if the masseur was an osteopath, and she said no, but she thought he might have been a psychopath.
Posted by: M-H on April 16, 2007 03:06 PMRyan, I have a coupon for a massage here; I've never had one. Now I'm re-thinking the whole thing....?!?!? I have the same understanding of that gang thing you do (from the same source); it's not new. Used to was some of the eastern native folks had what they called the "gauntlet". Long double line of folks whackin', beating, punching - and if you survived it chances are you'd be adopted into the tribe and enjoy full privileges and the honors awarded the brave. Nothing new under the sun. ('nother belated Happy Birthday, TMK!)
Posted by: Dale-Harriet in WI on April 16, 2007 03:57 PMRegarding massages--please tell your masseur in the future if he/she is using too much pressure! I usually like firm pressure, but I've ran into more than one whose idea of firm is my idea of a death grip! You definitely should not be bruised, so please tell your masseuse to lighten up if you're hurting.
Oh, and what I learned teaching at an inner-city high school ages ago that it's called being "jumped in." Perhaps it's different in Seattle?
Happy belated birthday, TMK!
Posted by: Kristen on April 16, 2007 05:52 PMHoly crap, 122!!! You kick ass, Nancy O.
Posted by: Renee on April 16, 2007 05:53 PMYou should have let the massuer know if the pressure is too hard, but I have come away from a good massage with my regular massage therapist with soreness and even occasional mild bruising from the pressure. However, I regard this as "good pain" because it is nothing compared to the pain that the massage made go away. A good, deep massage can give me a week's vacation from my chronic shoulder pain.
Regarding the hebe, not being a gardening type (I must have a black thumb because every green thing I touch promptly commits "planticide") for a while I thought you were making a racial slur. LOL--good thing you had pictures of THAT!
Love the hat, great design!
ok, ryan, this is a sacrifice. i usually just put my first name because, you know, THERE AREN'T THAT MANY MINNIES IN THE WORLD, but i'm driven to this. I'VE FINISHED MY FIVE! i'm well on my way to 15 at this point! do i get highlighted on the list now?
(yes, i'm whining, but it's almost midnight here, and i'm very tired)(and i gotta do one more load of laundry before i go to bed)
Posted by: minnie olson on April 16, 2007 10:56 PMYes, I agree with Jan. At a Massage *Therapist*, where they're working at fixing muscular problems like knots and spasms, you're gonna come away feeling like you've been beaten for the next 2-3 days, but then it's unbelievably better. For plain old spa-type massage I'd guess that's not supposed to happen.
Posted by: Karlie on April 17, 2007 06:12 AMI love Red Dwarf!
I think your hat is pretty cute.
Smoke me a kipper...
Posted by: Seanna Lea on April 17, 2007 10:32 AMRyan, as a former massage therapist, I ask you to call the establishment and tell them what happened. Your masseur needs to know he used too much pressure.
If a massage hurts, it should "hurt good" like a good stretch. It should not leave you feeling like you've joined a gang.
I found that many of my clients didn't really know how much pressure they liked until they'd had a couple of massages. As the massage therapist, it was my job to feel their bodies' response(s) and adjust my pressure and strokes accordingly. Lighter was usually better. If there is too much pressure, your body will tense and the beneficial effects of the massage are lost and the client is sore (and disappointed).
PLEASE call them and talk to the office manager.
Posted by: daisy in the Shenandoah Valley on April 17, 2007 11:29 AMThe pigeon is priceless. Love it. I've one item for Dulaan. It's the vest made out of the Heavy Yarn.
Posted by: Sue on April 17, 2007 12:37 PMHow long has the hebe been growing in TMK's yard? I ask because in my experience, they grow too big for such a space and are difficult, perhaps impossible, to prune. Maybe that one is a more amenable? stays smaller?
Posted by: Dorothy on April 17, 2007 05:02 PMSee Nancy O. See Nancy O. go. Go, Nancy O., go! (and bless your sweet heart!)
Posted by: marylee on April 17, 2007 05:37 PMThe two times I have had a massage I came away bruised. I figured it was because I wasn't communicating when something hurt. Frankly, I find the hand and leg massages when I get a mani/pedi much more relaxing. Especially the hand massages. Poor hands...they spend all that time curled over a keyboard or mouse or knitting needle.
Posted by: Laurie on April 18, 2007 09:48 AMAm I a nerd because I too think touring a factory would be fun as a birthday outing? But we are all nerds together, right? so it's all good.
That massage pain thing is hard to judge. We had a masseuse in the office twice during tax season giving back massages. It hurt a little but from reading the comments above I guess that is what it is supposed to do. Hard to say. Hope y'all are feeling better now.
Any of that b'day cake left to share? Nah, I didn't think so.
Posted by: kmkat on April 19, 2007 10:21 AM