*Sigh* No more Massage Envy for me...

After quite a few years of enjoying massages at Massage Envy and going through quite a few massage therapists, my time there is done. I don't even want to think how much I've spent over the last few years there and budget wise it really made sense to stop going. As much as I loved my last massage therapist Twila (she's the best) and I really would love to keep going to see her I had to cancel my membership.

I had read quite a few negative reviews in regards to canceling memberships so I was a bit apprehensive upon canceling that it would be bad. It sounded like they have a tendency to keep charging your card after you canceled and made it super hard to use your last prepaid. I didn't end up having any issues using my prepaid and thankfully they quit charging me when they were supposed too. However, it turns out that you don't get member benefits starting a month after the day you cancel; not a month after you last pay them. The two in my case were almost an entire month difference as I canceled a few days after I paid them and they charge you one more time after you cancel. When I scheduled my last appointment knowing I only had one prepaid I scheduled my regular two hour appointment anyways figuring that the extra hour would be at member price, I asked if it was okay to do that and the person I scheduled with said it was fine and didn't bother to tell me that it would cost more. So on my last visit after a very relaxing massage I went to pay the extra hour price, which for members was only about $39 dollars, not bad. The person at the reception tells me it'll be the non-member price $79, I so wouldn't have scheduled the appointment for the extra hour had I known that and I let her know. She didn't seem to want to help me and kept telling me that the person who made the appointment should have told me, which I kept telling her they hadn't. To make a long story short, after paying them their membership fee every month for about 4 years with no problems, they didn't care enough to give me the member price for one more visit, if they had I just might have considered going back someday. I did enjoy my membership and I enjoyed going there, but after my last visit I have no intention of ever going back even if it does fit in the budget again someday.

Sorry, just had to vent about that one.

Chehalis "camping" with the Hoppers.

Every summer for the last few years we have spent most of a week near Tillamook on the Oregon Coast camping with the Hoppers. This year with the addition of a little Hopper named Dereck we decided against putting up tents in July and waiting until September when he would be slightly older to take a trip. We also traded in our usual tents and rented a Garden Trailer at the Thousand Trails in Chehalis (garden trailers are more or less a single wide home in a woodsy setting). We arrived slightly early for trailer check in time and brought Rosco to the dog park, he enjoyed stretching his legs while I sat and a book. Eventually the Hoppers arrived: Asia and Rosco ran around, Richard and Adam partook in a professional came of catch and Valerie and I sat visiting. The weather was beautiful, what a perfect early autumn day!

On day two we decided to do some fishing at the Paradise preserve; or at least we attempted to fish. Adam and I got our fishing permits and sat with our fishing poles all day, but no fish were to be caught. We did get to watch the little kids catch some fish. *sigh* A stocked pond and we couldn't catch a fish, we didn't even get junk fish to throw back in. Valerie and Dereck did a little fishing for Adam while he packed up the shade tent, aren't they cute?

Day three brought slightly less wonderful weather but it was still clear for the most part. We decided to go take the steam train in Chehalis, I quite enjoyed myself feeling the sway of the train and listening to the steam whistle. The Hoppers were in the car attempting to calm Dereck down. Note to self: steam whistles and babies don't mix. After the train turned around, Dereck calmed down a bit and they came out and visited. I imagine that Dereck will love the train ride in a few years. On the way back we noticed that there was a guy standing out on the front of the train with a machete cutting down the tree branches, talk about a crazy job. That night we played some Phase 10, made smores in the oven and read some in our books.

The last day of the trip while heading back from the shower I encountered some deer maybe ten feet away from me. Anyone who has heard about my elk experience about four years ago knows I have a bit of an issue with hoofed creatures. Initially I jumped and then I reminded myself that they were not out to get me. I returned to the trailer, grabbed my camera and we back out to follow them around and try to get a decent picture. That's right, I actually attempted to get closer to them not run away. I'm pretty proud of myself on that one. I'm working on my phobias, trying to rationalize things in my brain, there is no reason I should have irrational fears for the rest of my life.

All in all it was a very relaxing, laid back kind of trip. Having the garden home was great for cooking and relaxing and not worrying too much about the elements. Though next year I'm hoping to see the ocean, we didn't make it out there at all this summer and I really did miss the peace that only the ocean waves can bring.

The All-American Pastime...

Last night Richard and I went to a Mariners game. It was fun to go and have the experience, but it really reminded me just how boring baseball is. Once upon a time I enjoyed it but baseball really is no longer my sport. I'm trying to look back at what it was that I enjoyed about going and watching baseball. How was it that I enjoyed seeing someone throw the ball and every few minutes watching someone swing at it, and if lucky seeing someone actually hit the ball. I think the reason baseball lost it's enjoyment is because I met hockey. How could you possibly enjoy watching paint dry after experiencing nonstop action?

So we went to the game, ate food, enjoyed sitting in some good seats (with super convenient parking), I do believed I watched people more then the game. At one point I became completely bored with the game and decided to take pictures of the pitcher to see how contorted I could catch them. I had fun, but I would go watch a Silvertips game over the Mariners any day.