Notes 7/9/13
1. It's all happening! Massage Envy Walnut Creek wants to hire me! They have to do a background check on me, before they officially hire me. But that means I passed the practical interview thing I did yesterday. In the past year I have done about 3 or 4 practicals at various places, and it's like an official thing that the person you are working on won't give you any feedback on how you did. They usually say "thank you" and something mild, like "that was nice", but it's always impossible to tell if you sucked or if you did well. So I really didn't know what to expect from the practical with Walnut Creek. But apparently, I did okay. I don't know how long the background check takes, but it looks like I will be able to give my notice at my current job in the next couple of weeks, and be gone before my birthday, which was my goal.
Switching from ME-El Cerrito to ME-Walnut Creek is not that exciting. I mean, it's exciting in that I have wanted to leave the former forever, and I am finally doing it. But it's kind of a lateral move. The hourly pay rate is the same, although I am hoping the tips are better at WC. But there are a couple perks that will be an upgrade, and I will learn to do hot stone massage, which is not offered at ME-EC, and I really want to learn/practice. And it's sort of gratifying that I have put together a plan, and one of the primary things on the to do list for this month was switch jobs. So I feel like I am "working the plan". So over all I think it's a good move, but at the same time, change is stressful, and the idea of leaving my familiar job, as much as I complain about it, and starting a new job in a new place, with new people... I will just have to be brave.
2. It has been a rough couple of weeks at work. I added a couple of extra shifts because there was a slow patch at the end of June, and I was worried about money. But then it picked up again, so I have worked 4 to 5.5 hours every shift. The extra days ended up being 7 hour closing shifts, 3 to 10pm. And last night they scheduled me a 90 minute at 6:30, immediately followed by a 2-hour from 8 to 10. So I was massaging for 3 and a half hours without a break, relatively late at night. So that kind of sucked. All I could think was "When I start my private practice, I am NEVER scheduling myself into this kind of bullshit." Also, I some how messed up my right hamstrings. I don't remember doing anything in particular, but by the end of the night last night, it was pretty sore. I came home and used the foam roller on it, but to little avail. Also, I was house-sitting from the 4th to the 6th, which means I was more tired than usual because I don't sleep as well when I am not at home. So it's been sort of a blur of work and trying to catch up on sleep. There have also been a couple of fun social events, summer BBQ's, which I am glad I went to, but for an introvert like me, those things don't count as "down time".
3. Today I did a big wellness reboot day. I made a last-minute reservation at the spa in Calistoga for a mud bath and massage. On the way up there I stopped at a juice bar in Napa and got this delicious green juice concoction. I have had a mud bath before, but it was so long ago, I hardly remember it. It was when I was dating Justin B., which means it was probably almost 15 years ago. I remember that distinctly, because I talked him into coming with me, but instead of relaxing into a state of muddy bliss, he spent most of the time pretending his hand was a dinosaur emerging from the primordial ooze. Which was hilarious, but not the relaxing mood most people go for in a mud bath. So I did the whole mud bath to mineral water bath to steam room to blanket wrap thing. Then I took a little nap until the massage therapist came to get me. Then I got a massage. Then I went across the street to a restaurant called Hydro, and had their shrimp cocktail, which is really more like cerviche, and a small salad. Then I went back to the spa, and went swimming in their outdoor lap pool. Then I took a shower and got dressed and came home. I stopped on the way home and picked up another salad to have for dinner. I had a moment of uneasiness about spending so much money, but I am justifying it by comparing it to an oil change or tune up for your car. You have to do some maintenance at regular intervals, before something breaks down and is expensive to fix. I am going to try to keep this up by reining in the sugar addiction I have been harboring for a few weeks now, and by trying to go back to getting some exercise at least a few times a week. I need to remember to drink more water too.
4. The other thing that is on my to do list for this month is to create a prototype of my quilt kit idea. I have already got the fabric, all bought, washed, and ironed, and next I will start the cutting. After that/during that, I will work on writing the tutorial, or directions, and designing the packaging.
Switching from ME-El Cerrito to ME-Walnut Creek is not that exciting. I mean, it's exciting in that I have wanted to leave the former forever, and I am finally doing it. But it's kind of a lateral move. The hourly pay rate is the same, although I am hoping the tips are better at WC. But there are a couple perks that will be an upgrade, and I will learn to do hot stone massage, which is not offered at ME-EC, and I really want to learn/practice. And it's sort of gratifying that I have put together a plan, and one of the primary things on the to do list for this month was switch jobs. So I feel like I am "working the plan". So over all I think it's a good move, but at the same time, change is stressful, and the idea of leaving my familiar job, as much as I complain about it, and starting a new job in a new place, with new people... I will just have to be brave.
2. It has been a rough couple of weeks at work. I added a couple of extra shifts because there was a slow patch at the end of June, and I was worried about money. But then it picked up again, so I have worked 4 to 5.5 hours every shift. The extra days ended up being 7 hour closing shifts, 3 to 10pm. And last night they scheduled me a 90 minute at 6:30, immediately followed by a 2-hour from 8 to 10. So I was massaging for 3 and a half hours without a break, relatively late at night. So that kind of sucked. All I could think was "When I start my private practice, I am NEVER scheduling myself into this kind of bullshit." Also, I some how messed up my right hamstrings. I don't remember doing anything in particular, but by the end of the night last night, it was pretty sore. I came home and used the foam roller on it, but to little avail. Also, I was house-sitting from the 4th to the 6th, which means I was more tired than usual because I don't sleep as well when I am not at home. So it's been sort of a blur of work and trying to catch up on sleep. There have also been a couple of fun social events, summer BBQ's, which I am glad I went to, but for an introvert like me, those things don't count as "down time".
3. Today I did a big wellness reboot day. I made a last-minute reservation at the spa in Calistoga for a mud bath and massage. On the way up there I stopped at a juice bar in Napa and got this delicious green juice concoction. I have had a mud bath before, but it was so long ago, I hardly remember it. It was when I was dating Justin B., which means it was probably almost 15 years ago. I remember that distinctly, because I talked him into coming with me, but instead of relaxing into a state of muddy bliss, he spent most of the time pretending his hand was a dinosaur emerging from the primordial ooze. Which was hilarious, but not the relaxing mood most people go for in a mud bath. So I did the whole mud bath to mineral water bath to steam room to blanket wrap thing. Then I took a little nap until the massage therapist came to get me. Then I got a massage. Then I went across the street to a restaurant called Hydro, and had their shrimp cocktail, which is really more like cerviche, and a small salad. Then I went back to the spa, and went swimming in their outdoor lap pool. Then I took a shower and got dressed and came home. I stopped on the way home and picked up another salad to have for dinner. I had a moment of uneasiness about spending so much money, but I am justifying it by comparing it to an oil change or tune up for your car. You have to do some maintenance at regular intervals, before something breaks down and is expensive to fix. I am going to try to keep this up by reining in the sugar addiction I have been harboring for a few weeks now, and by trying to go back to getting some exercise at least a few times a week. I need to remember to drink more water too.
4. The other thing that is on my to do list for this month is to create a prototype of my quilt kit idea. I have already got the fabric, all bought, washed, and ironed, and next I will start the cutting. After that/during that, I will work on writing the tutorial, or directions, and designing the packaging.