A Real Vacation!

Ah, Jamaica!  Beautiful beaches, friendly people, fresh fruit, sunshine and salt water...it's perfect!  I had booked myself three weeks, expecting to work a bit at the front.  The work didn't materialize, so I'm here for the first real vacation from life and myself I can remember, for a long while!

Pictured is my little room...it's meant to have two twin beds in it; I take one out, store it, and have room to stretch, read, compute, etc.  While the glass isn't clean on the outside because it's impossible to reach, I can see quite well the beautiful bamboo in the neighboring yard...I have windows on three sides (four, actually, if I count the small bathroom window), and two of those views are quite rustic and peaceful.

So, routine?  Up between 5:30 and 7 most days, make the coffee, stir in a bit of chocolate almond milk and read for a couple of hours; stretch, enjoy coffee, and pack for the day.  Up the beach:  Stop at one of the fruit ladies...this gal is my favorite but she often unfortunately doesn't get onto the beach before I've gone on up.  Sometimes I get a different seller if I'm too early in the day.  Anyway, a fresh pineapple, or coconut, or papaya, some bananas or oranges, and I'm on the way.  Sometimes, I'll stop too for a patty, that little flour pocket with meat or veg in it...pretty much a Cornish pastie with spices.

Now, a three or four mile walk, trying to pay attention to the way my body moves, or doesn't, most of the way.  Find my spot; beauty and shade must both be there.  I found this year's spot near this particular tree.  I laze around, mostly in the shade but for forays into the sun and water.  Around 3 or 4 I decide it's time to head back down the beach.  Perhaps I'll stop for a pina colada or dinner at Cosmo's.  Perhaps I'll just head home, shower, then take an evening walk to watch one of many wonderful sunsets.  Most nights I don't turn lights on unless I decide to read...I often sit in the dark, listen to my music and the sounds of the world around....last night, I was up very late hearing interesting birds chirping right through the night.

Through it all, thinking...thinking...thinking.  Working through what I next want to say in a book; working on who I think I am and want to be; working on remembering how to relax and relish doing nothing on occasion.  Unwinding, unwinding, and oh, look....another sunset.....

Grateful to Be Home

Friday through Sunday I taught a CORE II course for three students at North London.  Upon leaving the hotel on Saturday morning, I was amazed at the fog and had to stop for this photo of St Pancras station.

The course went well; three students and three models let me relax a bit and not push myself as hard as the whole trip has been pushing.  On Sunday afternoon I made a photo of the three students; Jenny, Kathryn and Wendy.  Good bodyworkers, all!  Hopefully will see them in III next year.

Susan wasn't interested in a drink after, and I wasn't feeling chipper enough to bus up to Crouch End for dinner.  So home, packing, early bed.  Monday I was up early and into Wren for an 8:45 client by 7:45.  Good thing; she traveled in and was there by 8:15.  By the time I finished her session and got ready for the ten am, something was wrong...I began losing strength and running hot and cold.  I made it through the next two sessions; when client number four came in was thrilled to see Lisl, one of my students who's now working from the Wren too.  She treated me!  Then I got a bit of rest.

Client five was a tough one also, really needing the work, and I was unable to give him a great treatment; then he did a bit of work on me also!  Client six, as I began the session I asked Lisl to come in and assist/take over under my supervision, and she did marvelous work!  She took my last session of the day, allowing me to leave an hour early, cancel evening dinner plans, and go home to try to recoup health.

Up early the next morning, everything hurt and I had a 22 1/2 hour travel day!  Last flight was delayed by an hour so I arrived home about 11 pm.  Usually I unpack, stay up, etc; this year I crashed.  Wednesday had a medium full day; cancelled it all and called my brother in law Ralph, friend and my doc.  He got me on antibiotics, and by Thursday morning I was feeling a bit better.  Good thing too:  the first of 11 for dinner arrived on Wednesday night and by Friday we had 19 in and out of the house.  Poor Gloria!  Not much help from me, shuffling in and out from my bed!

Good dinner, though, and lots to be grateful for. Gloria set a wonderful table, and it was great to have family from Texas and north Missouri with us.

Retrospectively, what was I thinking when I got one day off in 23?  This has given me much to think about and I'll be nicer to me on next trips.  And it looks like there'll be a short May trip and a long November one.

So, home, getting healed, though slowly, and very grateful for not only all the wonderful students, clients and colleagues on this past trip, but for the chance to see family as well, and to settle back into my normal world beginning with this Sunday morning!

At Last, A Day Off!

Tuesday night was good, with drinks with choir members after the Messiah rehearsal.  We travel down the hill two blocks and a world away, to the Cockpit; the choir's clubhouse.  A bit Jack-the-Ripperish, i'nit?  Nice evening.  Wednesday was quite full in that I taught in north London from 9--4; then back down to the clinic to work with my colleague Chris.  Both got and gave good bodywork!  We had a nice late supper at the Rajasthan, a curry house just around the corner from the clinic.  Great meal, and great evening.

Well, finally I've had a nice relaxing day, the first of this trip.  It began with a sleep-late until 7:30; then a hotel breakfast, and a walk up to Camden Lock Market.  As I took one wrong turn north of St Pancras station, it took about a half to arrive.  But, this allowed me to find this lovely park area.

I walked north on Camden High Street to the canal; and on the left is a great deal of the market.  Though busier on weekends, I actually prefer it with a few less booths, but lots less people.  This was the first real shopping day I've had, and was able to get quite a few nice gifts for friends and family.  There's a really cool area built in an old stable; lots of horse statues amongst the interesting shops.

Lunch was Indian food; chicken korma, curried vegetables, rice, while sitting on the back half of one of these motorcycles and looking out over the canal.  A quite nice meal.  Then a tube back to Kings Cross and the hotel.

After a nap, I set out again; this time for the Charles Dickens House museum, just a few blocks south of my hotel.  I've been wanting to see this for a time, and was glad to finally catch it.  After a good and informative movie in the basement I looked over this place where his family lived for 2 1/2 years at the beginning of his good fortune and when he was beginning to be famous.  A nice little tour.

Then a walk past Holborn tube to Covent Garden--I try to stop in once each Christmas season to see what the decorations are like.  Next, on to Somerset House for a nice gift shop, then a bus to Trafalgar.  Unfortunately, usually I find something I like at St Martin's-in-the-Field and am able to support their gift shop which really does good works for the homeless and poor; today nothing appealed to me.  So I took the tube back from Leicester Square and the hotel.  In with a doner kebab meal and getting a nice early sleep so that the last four days--three teaching and one clinic--will go well.  Looking forward to getting home!

Not Tired of London, Just Tired!

I looked back over the last entry and realized it's only been a week, but seems like a month, as I've packed in so much.  The Sunday with Rob and Richard, two advanced students, was great.  We had a super Saturday night, as shown earlier, then a good class day where we discussed concerns and ideas about our CORE recipe; next we worked with Rob's office partner Joy, who had come to CORE I, and with Richard's partner Sue.  After their sessions we found a lunch spot; came back and worked on Rob and Richard in a session each.  Rob drove me to Darlington, where I barely caught the 5:30 train, and got back to London about 9 or so.  So, a full weekend!

Monday I thought I was seeing Bev for work at 9:30 but she had to cancel, so had a few free hours.  I dropped off laundry, then took a bus into clinic and worked the day; then back for laundry, finished evaluations of the CORE I course, and made it to bed about ten thirty...why does it always seem so late?

Tuesday  I had a full work day, followed by a rehearsal with the St Paul's choir.  Though I'm not staying to sing, I plan to meet with them two weeks.  After I was invited with a group for a drink; by the time I got home, it was ten again!  I realized this night I'd left my phone charger in Yorkshire...how metaphoric!

Long day Wednesday--was a walk down Gray's Inn Road to Holburn Circus...I wanted an alarm clock and a phone charger--found out the charger was worth more than the phone, so decided to ask the Filey B & B lady to post mine along.  This is a photo of a beautiful old building on Holburn Road.  I decided to catch a bus the rest of way to clinic; unfortunately student demonstrations meant there were diverted buses, and it took me nearly two hours to get to the clinic.  Beat my client by minutes!   At midday I had time to kill, so went for a walk.  Just down the hill from the clinic, the old fish market building had this interesting sign:  for me?  Walked across London Bridge, looking at the Tower Bridge, then the new skyscraper going up on the South Bank, called the Shard...really going to be quite nice, and right over the London Bridge station.  On to shop in the Borough Market just across the bridge where I found some nice sea salt and great chocolates.

After finishing at the clinic that evening, I bused over the bridge again to Borough to have dinner with Jane and Shane, mother/son clients.  Jane was born and raised in St Louis, so we have a nice connection, and she's a psychotherapist who is now working from the Wren a bit too.  So that was a nice day.

Thursday ended being a day off, but not really.  First, I was up early and took the tube down to Turnham Green to see my student/friend Fran.  We worked with each other for several hours; then I went over to the Wren to make up the swap with Bev.  After, I loaded a taxi with all the clinic's old records to be taken to another location and be shredded there.  I was quite worn out on arriving home that night!

Friday was a full class at NLSSM.  Susan is doing great things, and planning to open a second campus in central London come February.  So, that will be exciting!  This course had 15 students, working to free jaw and neck.  A really good day...but...as I finished after 4 and didn't know what time I could get to Paddington to catch a train, I hadn't pre-booked.  The ticket agent told me the 6 pm train was over 100 pounds one way, so advised me to wait for the 6:30 train for much less.

Then I also picked up a message from Susan that I'd left my computer cord at the school...no way to pick it up.  Rats!  Again, I'm losing energy.  How metaphorical!

Well, it was the 'milk train' which means it stopped everywhere.  I had no reservation, and had to stand for the first hour.  Then the train was further delayed, with the result that Annamaria, my host at the (new to me) massage school in Devon, picked me up at 11:10 and got me checked into the hotel at 11:30.  And of course, that night I couldn't sleep.  So my 7:30 wakeup and 8:30 pickup came mighty early.

Devon, (and Exmouth especially) is beautiful! 

I didn't see much in the daylight, but what I did see makes me want to come back.  Annamaria has a charming facility...shown is her treatment room (see the parallels to the harmony we create in Springfield?),

a very nice classroom/Pilates center, and this incredible back garden/break room.   

I want this arch in my backyard!  And, her husband bakes fresh flapjacks!  This is one of my favorite vices in England...sort of a toffee bar of oatmeal, sugar, flour, and fruit.  I could eat a dozen, and Richard's were great.

The courses went extremely well...17 students, and all really enjoyed both days of psoas work and of knees work.  They seemed excited by and appreciative of my coming down, and want to see me again.  Lunches found us in a nearby pub having great meals...in this photo you see my 'harem'.  Some of the students, including the guys, ate elsewhere.  Annamaria is the second from the right, and I think I have a new friend and supporter; and I'm delighted to find such a dedicated therapist who's interested in helping me spread my ideas.

Saturday night, we finished at 4:30 and I went back to the hotel for a swim, a hot tub, a steam room, a leisurely dinner with two glasses of wine, and a bit of TV before sleeping from ten til 7:30.  Heaven.  The hotel was nice, a bit older, and as one woman I chatted with in the hot tub said, 'a bit tired' and in need of refurbishment.  I was quite happy there.

Sunday was long and hard, again.  Class went from 9:30 until 4:30, after which Annamaria had to drive me to Exeter, about 20 miles north, since trains weren't running from Exmouth on Sunday.  I caught the 6:08, which ended up being about half an hour late as there was a cow on the track.  What?  But home about 9 and in bed by 10:30...long day, though, again.

Today, Monday, I looked for a new computer cord, thinking I might as well buy a UK version.  When I finally found the store, found out it would cost me about $75, so decided I could live without one for a few more days!  I arrived at the clinic at 9:30 to find a man sitting on the steps, and he was waiting for me!  Oh dear; I'd gotten an email telling me I had an 8:45, but so much has happened over the weekend, it slipped through the cracks.  So I rescheduled him for the end of the day, gave him a really good session for a very large discount, and finished my day at 7:30 pm.  Home by 8:30 with a doner kebab and chips...even had a Pepsi!  Haven't felt like that for a long time!  But I was that tired.

It's now 9:30 and I still want to post some pictures with this entry before bed, and that's how the whole trip has been running...and running...and never stopping.  Oh, by the way, my phone charger arrived in the mail today, and I borrowed a cord for the computer at the clinic, so I have at least some of my energy back, thank goodness.  And a good session from osteo Valeria tonight didn't hurt in the least, either.  I'm not tired of London, I'm just really tired trying to keep up with the schedule I've set.  Very little time to be a tourist, lots of walking, buses, tubes, stairs, and work.  But, still a good trip.  And one week til I get home for Thanksgiving. 

Is It Really Only 24 Hours Later?

It's been quite a busy day!  In Filey I taught a course from 9 am--5 pm, with the nine students who have come from all over the country to work with me...what an honor.  There are some amazing people, and good work was done.  We worried we wouldn't find enough models, so everybody dug.  The result:  we had seven models for the nine students in two different shifts, so fourteen extra energies in our classroom!  We were pretty tired at the end of the day.  Shown are the nine students working with each other.

When the course was finished, my student Rob, who is also a physiotherapist (physical therapist) and Pilates instructor in addition to being a CORE Level III, came to Filey to pick me up.  He superviesed the afternoon sessions while I worked to evaluate students; then we drove on over to his home area of Yarm.  On the way we saw lots of fireworks and bonfires.  Since it's 5 November tonight, all are celebrating Guy Fawkes Day in honor of the fellow who was most responsbile for trying to blow up Parliament many years ago.  I must say, many of us still think he wasn't far off the mark.

We arrived in Yarm about 6:30; I checked back into the B & B here where I stayed last trip, with Steve and Vicki in the Fieldview.  Soon I stumbled on Richard, the other advanced student with whom I'll spend the day tomorrow.  Rob soon came to pick up Richard, his partner Sue, and me; we went to dinner at the Cafe 85 down on the Yarm High Street.  After, we crossed the street to the Black Bull to meet up with Harry, husband to our client/model Karen from the May CORE III class here.  We drank...quite a bit!  And had a wonderful evening!

Shown are me, Richard, Harry and Richard's partner Sue.  Tomorrow we plan on a day for Richard and Rob, and me.  We're going to work on each other, review the recipe of bodywork I've taught them, work on our web presence, and hopefully work with Rob's business partner Joy who has just finished the CORE I in Filey (she is the blond at the front of a previous picture).

While in the pub, Rob pointed out one of the local landmarks.  We were so impressed, that we asked Sue to stand and have her picture made.  Do you see Mt Rushmore in the background?  Yorkshire is a fine place indeed!

So, tomorrow a nice, relaxed day with two of my favorite advanced students, working to meet their, and my needs.  We'll work with each other, review the recipe, my book, website, and whatever else we fancy.  Again, Yarm is good to me.  Look forward to the morrow, to returning to London, and to what else the trip presents.  It's a good one so far.