Cocktails in the afternoon

I usually don't hit the bar in the afternoon. But this afternoon, I treated a friend to a few rounds of cocktails. It was a show of my appreciation for his steering clients to my practice.

 

 

Teddy is a personal trainer. During this past year, he has referred a number of his own clients to my massage therapy practice. I am so thankful for the favor he has done for me. I am grateful for any business that comes my way.

 

I have been returning the favor whenever I can. However, I probably have gained much more from his referrals than him gaining from mine. It is just the different nature of his clients compared to my clients. His clients are much more likely to seek massage therapy than my clients wanting a personal trainer.

 

Drinks were on me. I guess you can say it was a business expense. In any case, we had a good time.

 

I was completely sober afterward. ;)

formal and informal wear

I had to spend some time over the weekend with some fashion designers. These people were Meagan's colleagues. In other words, Meagan does business with them. 

 

She wanted me to entertain them, to impress them. I did it for the good of the business.

 

 

I thought I should be bold. I wore my burgundy colored pants. I tried not to be too casual though. I wore a buttoned shirt and a pair of fancy looking shoes. I wanted to impress them. I was a bit surprised that the designers were somewhat subdued in the clothes that they wore. I expected something more zany.

 

 

 

 

I also had to attend a Christmas party with those designers. It was a formal party. So I wore a tux.

 

 

I really didn't want to go to the party. Nevertheless, I was on my best behavior. But that didn't mean that I couldn't be a little naughty. I may have been completely formal on the outside, but underneath my tux, I was as informal as I could be.

burgundy

What do you think about burgundy/maroon colored pants for men?

 

Fashionable or not?

 

Last week when I went car shopping with Meagan, we didn't just inspect the car that was for sale.  We also inspected the car seller as well. You have to make a judgement as to whether the seller was shady or legit. A buyer has to do his/her due diligence.

 

On a superficial level, I couldn't help but notice what the seller wore. The dude wore a reddish color coordinated outfit. I thought he projected boldness with those colors. I was impressed.

 

What I saw that day inspired me to get my own pair of reddish colored pants. I wore it to work the other day. It was a change from what I usually wear.

car shopping

I went car shopping with Meagan on Sunday. She saw a listing of a used car that fit the requirements of what she was looking for.

 

She wanted me to tag along. She didn't want to meet a stranger all by herself.

 

 

This is the car that we checked out. It was fuel efficient and very eco friendly, just what Meagan was looking for.

 

It was too compact for my taste. It didn't have enough horse power either.

 

 

This was the dude who was trying to unload the car. Meagan decided that the car wasn't for her after all. Strangely enough, Meagan and the car selling dude hit it off. She didn't buy the car but she acquired an admirer.

 

Curious dude

Since I am a traveling massage therapist, I have to improvise often. A lot of times, I have to adjust my routine in order to accommodate a client's wish or because the location where I am suppose to work presents difficulties.

 

 

The other day one of my clients, who lives in an apartment, forced me out of her apartment before I could properly pack up my gear. She received a phone call in the middle of our massage session. Apparently, it was some kind of an emergency. We had to end our session immediately because she had to take off.

 

She dressed quickly and was out the door before I was ready to go. She didn't want me in her apartment when she wasn't there. I guess she didn't trust me. So I had to move all my gear into the hallway. I had to do my packing in the hallway.

 

While I was packing my gear, this dude walked by. He was a neighbor of my client. He was very curious about what I was doing. He seemed very interested in my situation and what I had to say.

 

I didn't appreciate that my client forced me out of her apartment to pack up. But I could understand why she did that.

 

I hope something good came out of this experience, though. I think I was able to interest the dude to try my service. He said he will call.

high-rise construction zone

Meagan snuck me into a photoshoot that she was involved with but that I was not.

 

The photoshoot took place on an empty floor of a high-rise building. We don't normally have access to such sites.

 

 

She figured that we could do a quick photoshoot there of our own during a break in the action.

 



 

To my surprise, the official photoshoot included dudes who were in little thong underwear. The thongs were not the product that they were selling. It was something else. The dudes in thongs helped create the particular atmosphere that the shoot intended for.

 

Of course I was not permitted to record any part of the photoshoot. I wasn't even suppose to be there. But I did manage to take that picture.

 



should I wear a thong for my next photoshoot?

Meagan and I went to the other side of the floor to do own quick photoshoot, when no one else was looking.

 

I wore a couple of layers of jackets. Obviously, I couldn't carry a duffle bag with the clothes to the photoshoot. I had to have the clothes on me already. Then we proceeded to take photos of the two outfits. It went off well enough.

Bridge to nowhere

The other day I had the chance to walk around the outskirts of the financial district while I was on a break between massage sessions. There was this structure in the park that I had never seen before.

 

It was a pedestrian bridge to nowhere.

 

Some artist created the structure. The artist definitely picked a dramatic scenery for his work. The bridge looks more impressive in photos than in actuality. It was made of wood as far as I could tell, although it had the appearance of being constructed of concrete and metal.

 

A good portion of the bridge didn't have a walkway, just the side posts and railings. The bridge was no where near as big as it appears to be in photos. The bridge, for the most part, was an illusion. I guess that was the point of the artist.

 

I didn't see the structure in the park this week though. Like an illusion, it is now gone.

no topic in particular

 

I wore my Jaws tanktop to a massage session with a client on Tuesday. I found out that he has a fascination with sharks. He was amused when I showed up wearing the tank.

 

I couldn't make it to the big thanksgiving gathering of my extended family in Hawaii this year. But I was with them in spirit. I was in a Hawaiian state of mind over the weekend even though I had to work. So I wore my aloha shirt to work.

 

The apartment complex where one of my client lives, coincidentally, had a Hawaiian vibe to it. She even referred me to two of her neighbors for my service. I was thankful for that.

post turkey day

We are in the holiday season once again. How time flies. I hope all of you had a happy thanksgiving holiday.

 

I have been busy in the days after turkey day. No, not busy shopping. Busy working. I didn't really have time to take off from work to relax. A number of my clients scheduled post thanksgiving day massage sessions with me.

 

They scheduled these sessions well in advance. They anticipated that they would need stress relief from their thanksgiving family gatherings. I was not going to turn down this extra business.

 

I went up to the Bay Area for a quick one day trip for thanksgiving with some of my family. Then it was back here to LA for work the next day.

 

 

One of Meagan's employees wasn't able to go home for thanksgiving. He was stuck all alone in LA. So we treated him to a belated thanksgiving meal on Sunday. It was a casual affair.

 

 

 We went to a nice restaurant in the downtown area. We stopped by a water fountain for some silly fun.

 

As you can see, the dude has a style all his own.

 

I felt a bit overdressed when compared to Tyler.

Baja

The trip that Meagan and I took to Mexico recently gave each us such a positive feeling that we decided to do it again this past weekend.

 

We flew down to a resort in Baja, near the place where were at during our last trip.

 

This time, it was a no-frills trip. It was all work. We paid for this trip out of our own pockets.

 

 

 

We did a photoshoot at a location that we discovered during our last trip.

 

I modelled some of Meagan's newest beach wear. These shorts that Meagan created look good on land or in the water. You can swim in them or walk around on land looking cool.

 

 

The beach is really beautiful.

 

This is the villa where we stayed for the night. We got good rates and good hospitality. It was a short trip, only a day and a night. We got up very early the next morning for our flight back to LA. It was short and sweet.

Friendly client relationship

Having a good relationship with my clients is something that I strive for. A good relationship is good for business.

 

However, I have to be careful about being overly friendly with any client.

 

No matter how friendly I am with a client, I always remind myself that I have to maintain my professionalism.

I don't mind chatting with my clients before, during or after a massage session. Sometimes, I feel more like a counselor than a massage therapist. Clients sometimes air their personal issues to me. I take it in and I try to come up with a positive and uplifting response, or I just nod.

 

Yesterday, I arrived early to meet one of my clients. While I was waiting outside her place, she happened to arrive home with a friend after a shopping trip. She and her friend decided to chat it up with me. I didn't mind the chitchat especially since I thought I could get her friend to try my services.

 

This client is a very outgoing warm person. At one point as we chatted, she grabbed my hand and held it. It was kind of awkward, but I think I know her well enough to realize that she was just being gregarious. I just played along. She did make what I thought might have been a suggestive move after our session. Again I just played along. She kind of joked about it. We laughed it off.

 

This type of scenario does not happen too often, but it does happen. It is part of the job. I try to have fun with it. What else can you do?

 

 

Voter

I fulfilled my civic responsibility yesterday. I voted.

 

 

I decided to dress up a bit before I went to vote. I wore slacks, a button down shirt and a blazer. I was just in the mood to want to look classy. Of course, I know people can wear whatever they want when they go to the polling place.

 

 

After voting, I went back home and changed into something casual.

 

 

 

 This outfit is more suitable for my line of work. Wearing a blazer would be overdressing. It would definitely look odd for a therapist to be wearing a blazer working on a client who is naked. It would be a mismatch. Plus wearing a blazer wouldn't be practical. I have to be able to maneuver my body around.

hotel therapist

I recently have tried a different approach to winning new customers. This is a tough competitive business.

 

 

I have been collaborating with a friend who works in the guest service department of a hotel. He directs business my way for a cut of my earnings. Through his charm, he recommends to his hotel guests an irresistible and relaxing massage. And I gladly provide that service.

 

It has been a worthwhile endeavor so far, even though I have had to spend hours waiting at the hotel to jump on the chance that a guest will take the offer. So far I have concentrated on the evening hours when the chances are better.

 

This is the hotel rooftop. Most of the massages that I have performed were done in the guest's hotel room. I have done a few on the rooftop. The rooftop conveniently have big pillow mats where I could do my work.

 

 

I want to look nice while I am at the hotel, after all I am sort of a guest myself. I always go with a stylish outfit.

south of the border

I was down in mexico for a couple of days last week. I couldn't refuse the free trip.

 

Technically, the trip was work related. Meagan has been collaborating on a project with another designer.

 

The firm that Meagan is collaborating with set up the mexico photoshoot to show off the clothing line that they have created.  

 

Meagan managed to bring along several of her "assistants", all expenses paid for. I tagged along because Meagan designated me as one of her "assistants". Thank you Meagan.

 

 

 

 We stayed in these cozy bungalows.

 

I managed to have a wonderful time on someone else's dime.

 

posing with one of the models

 

But of course, it wasn't all play. I had to stand around and pretend to work hard during the photoshoots.

 

 

One of our modes of transportation was this quaint vw van.