DIY How To: It's Sew Easy Pillows

Throw pillows are one of the easiest and most obvious ways to incorporate a fun pattern, color and texture into a room, especially a living room or bedroom. Staying consistent with my decorating theory, I recommend making large throw pillows with big, bold graphics and colors. Go for size over quantity, they'll be easier to manage, less likely to fall all over the place, and have a bigger visual impact. In fact, I tend to oversize my throw pillows for this reason.

If you're buying custom fabric, like from Spoonflower, for example, there are lots of choices of the actual texture / fabric type. If you want something durable that could go outside, I'd go for a canvas fabric. If you want something super soft, go with a Jersey or Minky. I love the pillows I've made with it, and even intricate designs print really well on the fabric. For this project, I'll use a custom printed design on Minky!

Step 1: Buy the material
For two rectangular pillows, you'll want at least 1 yard of material. If you want to go bigger, you'll need to get a few to several yards. Square or rectangular pillows are "sew easy" because you barely have to design or cut anything.

Step 2: Halve the material (a number of times)
Cut the fabric in half to get the two pillows, and cut it in half again if you're going for more than two. Then, cut the fabrics in half one more time so you have the two sides of the pillows.

Step 3: Place and pin
Take the two sides of the pillows and place them with the patterns facing in to each other, and align the edges. While it doesn't have to be perfect, you do want to make the edges and corners align as best as possible, because this will maximize your pillow size and minimize rework in your sewing process. Now take your pins and place them through both sheets, perpendicular to the direction of the edge.

Step 4: Sew 3 3/4 edges
I would definitely recommend using a sewing machine, as it will make this process much quicker, although it is possible to sew by hand. Place the corner of the fabrics under the needle and lower the foot to hold the fabric in place. Make sure you have enough fabric hanging over the other side of the needle so that the edges don't get loose. I was taught to sew forwards and backwards a couple times at the start and stop, to make sure the thread is secure. Sew along the edge, making sure you have both fabrics still as you go along. When you get to the next corner, lower the needle through the fabric, then raise the foot on the sewing machine. Rotate the fabric around the needle so you can continue sewing along the next edge. Lower the foot again, and continue along the edge. Leave a few inches open on the last edge (and again, I would sew in reverse and forward a couple times to secure the thread). Remove the fabric from the machine and cut the excess threads.

Step 5: Flip it
You've basically now sewn the pillow inside-out, so that the ugly part of the seams will be on the inside of the pillow. Pull the fabric through the opening to flip it inside out. If you've left only a very small hole, this may take some time to pull through. You can use a pen or the eraser end of a pencil to help push fabric through the hole.

Make sure you push the corners out as far as they'll go.

Step 6: Fill it
Stuff the pillow with polyester filling you can find at craft stores, making sure to work it through to the far corners first, and then filling it up as much as you'd like. Fuller pillows are generally preferable to flimsy pillows, so make sure you have more than enough filling. (That's Carly-Dog in the picture giving me moral support!)

Step 7: Complete the edge
When you're satisfied with your filling, sew the last part of the open end shut by hand. Then, throw it at your favorite person or pup to celebrate your throw pillow! Last part is not required, but highly recommended!

Step 8 (Optional): Add some flair
You can add buttons to the center of the pillows for a classic look, or add some frills or faux fur or some other kind of accent to two or four of the outside edges.

If you want to add some interest to your pillows, you can use a pattern on one side and a plain color or another matching pattern on the other side. The only trick with this is that you'll just have to ensure the fabric pieces are the same size, as some fabrics come in different widths than others.

Not Sew Easy Pillows
For a little bit more of a challenge but also more unique end products, try sewing a cylindrical pillow. You'll need two evenly-sized circles of fabric and then a rectangle of fabric that matches the circumference of the circles. Sew the circles onto the rectangle first, and then the horizontal seam.

Depending on what theme you're going for, you may have a desire to try a shape other than square or rectangular.  For example, a Moana-themed room may have a triangular throw pillow representing the iconic sail. Or you may want to use a plain fabric to make an abstract shape of a rocket, a magic lamp, a rose, a top hat, etc., and then use an iron-on to print onto the center of the front of the pillow.

Maybe you want to add a pocket to a pillow, in which case you'd want to do that on the fabric before constructing the pillow. This might be cute for a pillow representing Woody's shirt, for example.

Saying Goodbye to Carly: A Tribute to the Best Good Dog

I want to thank everyone for their kind words. I know I didn't say a lot about it yesterday, and it was a surprise to most of you because I didn't share that she was sick. The reason why is that I'm not really good with the sad and emotional stuff - I'm an UGLY crier - and, I often don't have the words. I love being positive and enjoying life to its fullest. There are a lot of awful things happening in the world and I don't want to detract from that hard work we have to do. I just prefer to share the happy moments and things that make me laugh. I appreciate that so many of you have reached out to let me know that pics and videos of Carly doggo also brightened your days. 

I adopted Carly less than a year after I graduated college. For me, the adoption marked a milestone of my life's accomplishments: "get a degree, get a job, get a house, get a dog." I named her after Carly Fiorina, whose book I was reading at the time of her adoption. Fiorina was the CEO of Hewlett-Packard (my favorite tech company at the time). Her book, however, seemed a bit whiny to me at the time, although as I reflect now, I wonder if I'd relate to it more given the experience I now have. 

I saw the pup's picture (then named Gretchen) on the adoption places website, but it wasn't real until I visited and she hopped into my lap and laid down, while her blonde half-sister (Helen) ran around the yard like a crazy pup. Gretchen/Carly was an old soul, I felt that immediately and there was a calmness that I liked about that, even though I had thought I wanted an energetic pup. The adoption process was riddled with problems - Carly was sick and so the spaying operation was delayed and someone else tried to steal her from me and then the place wouldn't return my calls or tell me what was going on with my pup. I didn't know her well yet, but I just knew she had to be mine. We finally picked her up, and she got to meet my sister's dog, Lucky, that same day. 

Carly was quiet and kept to herself at first. She didn't bark, growl, wimper, whine for months (not even her famous gurgle). Because she had bare skin on her neck, I wondered if a previous owner had cut out her voicebox. She refused belly rubs and struggled to get away when I tried to hold her like a baby. Then one day, she barked at someone outside from her perch at the window, and I was so excited I may have praised her for it, and she was vocal from then on. 

I'm sure you've seen the bumper magnet that says, "Who saved who?" and that is so true for Carly and I. She was never very cuddly (except the few times she was hurting, like from her spaying operation or when she scratched herself on the table). Rather, she had to be in the room with me, but she would sit on the far side of the couch, or between me and any other person, and she would watch. I used to think she was taunting me, bragging about how independent she was, but I've learned over time she was watching me protectively. What she taught me early on was the importance of companionship. I left a relationship that wasn't fulfilling because I realized she was enough of a companion. 

Carly broke many of the rules of her breeds, chihuahua and dachshund, combined as chiweiner or chiweenie. Literature I read said to walk her for two half mile walks per day. The little pup would run 4 miles with me before getting tired. I distinctly remember a random neighbor mocking her, saying she wouldn't go very far on her little legs, and I promptly informed him she was on mile 3 already, which is a hell of a lot more than he could say for himself. 

She loved our walks and runs. When I took out the leash or said the word, she would jump off the bed or couch, whip around in circles, jump for excitement, and pronounce her exhilaration with the funniest gurgle sound you'll ever hear from a dog. It was more like a loon call than a howl, and it would move up and down the register like a singer warming up with scales.

On the other hand, her hunting instinct from her dachshund side came out whenever there was a fly around, or a lizard, squirrel or cat to chase. One day I awoke to an awful smell in the house,and there were feathers everywhere. The two things didn't seem related until I realized Carly had dragged a dead bird into the house and under the bed. Her chihuahua side came out most when meeting new people. She'd be plenty comfortable around those she knew, or even had known years ago, but she would shake violently if forced to be near a person she didn't know. She'd bark at them from afar and then run away, come back and do it again. If the new person walked away from her, Carly would charge after their heels, but then would cower once they turned. 

A lot has changed in my life over the years, friendships, relationships, jobs, and homes. Carly was there through it all,giving me puppy kisses that make things better when nothing else can. Carly's dark brown coloring lightened as more and more of her face and back turned white with old age. When Jaiman and I moved to Connecticut, we left Carly with my sister for six months for her family to try out being a dog family and to give us time to settle in. I missed her a ton and was so happy to get her back. She flew home with us into the winter wonderland, and she quickly hated Connecticut as much as we did. We moved to Florida, where she loved the beach, but never got over her horrified aversion to water. She found new creatures to chase - frogs! It was always funny when people mistook her for a puppy, because she acted playfully and energetically like a puppy, even moreso as she got older. 

We've barely just moved in to our new home in San Diego, immediately adjacent to a huge park with lots of walking paths and squirrels to chase, and lots of other dogs with their people along the paths. I think that's the saddest part of all this, I mean we've walked a lot since moving here but it's just not enough. What am I going to do now, without my Carly to walk around Balboa Park? It's not as simple as get another dog or walk without one. This was the new home for us, and we were hoping to stay put for a while after moving three times in four years. But, Carly got sick and bloated several weeks ago. She was having accidents all over the new flooring constantly, which was a little frustrating, and she was limping and not wanting to walk at all or eat anything for days. We took her to the vet, and found out she had a mass. They were able to drain the fluids, but she kept leaking after we brought her home, and when she stopped leaking, she got bloated again. She was eating, but only a little, and her rib cage started showing. Her belly was bloated with fluids, but otherwise she was a skeleton with excess skin. She still liked walking most of the time, and her little tail would be waving around cheerily like nothing was wrong. But at home she started cuddling more, and she doesn't cuddle unless she's hurting. Her head was heavy on my arm, she was miserable. 

Since I used to give her my pizza crusts, she would go wild whenever we had pizza, even after I stopped giving her my crusts. So it was only fitting that her last meal be her very own slice of pizza - the whole slice, crust and all. We planned her last day accordingly - first a long walk, then pizza, then cuddles as she went to sleep once and for all. I miss my girl dearly - I know people who have gone through similar losses understand the feeling of the house suddenly feeling empty. On the one hand, she's just a dog, but on the other, she was my baby. I am so used to seeing her when I wake up and when I come home, when I'm in another room and she comes to find me. For 13 years her quirky personality has ticked me off and frustrated me, and motivated me, consoled me and made me laugh. She's just a dog, but I swear I understood what she was thinking, we had conversations just by making eye contact. I knew this day would come and yet I preferred to deny it - she was going to live forever. I knew it was time, and yet, what a crappy time. Not that there's ever really a good time, but still. 

I'm just sad. I don't know what else to say. I'm still going to make the most of life and all of that, and I'll still walk around Balboa Park (although I probably won't chase squirrels anymore - that may seem odd to onlookers). I know I'll adjust to life without Carly dog, and I'll be happy to look back when my memories of her pop up on Facebook. I don't know what else to say, it's just sad. I'm just sad. 

Habits You Can Form During Quarantine / Social-Distancing

With so many people working from home or off work entirely due to the Coronavirus, you should, in theory, find yourself with more time on your hands than usual due to a lack of commute at the least (or, as in my case, a quicker commute because of the other people staying home). And I would urge you that, if you are working from home, you shouldn't work longer hours just because you're not commuting; avoid burnout and minimize stress by keeping a sane work/life balance. The reason we're all going through this is because of an illness, so it should be of utmost importance to keep our immune systems as healthy as possible, and stressing out does the opposite. So, while you're finding your new balance, or trying not to binge watch TV for all 24 hours in the day, this is a great time to form new, healthy habits.

There are several apps you can download to keep track of your habit forming activity (I'm a fan of having widgets on my phone so I use a simple tracker called Goal Tracker) and/or remind you to do the activity at a specific time. Of course, the app is only as good as your commitment to the habit and your discipline in doing it every day - don't expect any app to magically transform you. If you want to limit screen time and reliance on technology, or just want to have the goal staring you in the face, you could go with a simple whiteboard, calendar or even just a big sheet of paper. Make a grid for each day of the week and mark your day off when the habit has been completed for the day. If you miss a day for whatever reason, don't be discouraged. Just start up again the next day. 

One other note, while it may be tempting to try to tackle several new habits because they all sound good, research shows that one habit at a time is much more successful. So start with the most important habit to you, and when you feel you have it down completely, you can always move on to another habit. 

Here are some ideas of new habits to form during this time:

1. Stretch before you go to bed - This is something that is so good for us and relatively easy, and yet so few of us do it. Stretching regularly reduces soreness, fatigue, and even stress, and increases mobility and prevents injury. 

2. Wash your face at night - Even if you don't have makeup to remove, washing your face is important because it helps prevent breakouts and relieves the pollution that attacks your skin all day.

3. Read for 15 minutes - Whether it's your favorite genre of fiction, or educational nonfiction, reading relieves stress and opens your mind to think about things you wouldn't otherwise consider. Plus, it'll give you interesting things to post about when you're tired of all the Coronavirus posts.

4. Limit your social media screen time - Social media is wired to keep you coming back, like a gambler who can't stop pulling the lever on a slot machine. It is taking up more of our time - and to our detriment. To take your life back, I recommend the following: (1) Remove the icons from your home screen - make it harder to get to so you have to be intentional about when you want to use it. (2) Disable notifications - you don't need to look every time someone hits "Like" or replies to a post you also commented on. (3) Use a screen-time limiting function on your phone to limit either the hours you're allowed to use it or the number of minutes you're allowed to use it. This is a technology issue so it needs a technology solution. Don't rely on your own self-discipline. These usually have some kind of override, so you can still access it if you want, but at least it serves as a good reminder that you're over your allotted time for the day and should wrap it up. 

5. Get a full 8 hours of sleep - In the spirit of aiding our immune systems, a consistent good night's rest does wonders. This may mean setting a reminder for yourself to go to bed earlier, or if you don't need to get up at a certain time in the morning, cancel your alarm. 

6. Cook healthy meals - This is a no-brainer but easier said than done. You may even want to just work on making healthy snacks - like carrot fries or sweet potato fries. 

7. Write in a journal - Some say we should catalog our experiences of the pandemic for the historians of tomorrow. That's a nice idea, but I would also recommend writing for yourself to keep your sanity. I try to write at least these three things: one nice thing that happened today, one thing I could improve upon, and one thing I am grateful for. You'd be surprised how writing those things down changes your attitude about your day-to-day humdrum. 

8. Exercise - strength training and cardio - If you're like me, or so many other humans, exercise habits ebb and flow. Any time is a great time to reinvigorate an exercise routine, and now is no exception. Instead of going to the gym, go for a walk or run outside, walk circles in your living room if you need to, do jumping jacks, or blow the dust off a workout DVD. For strength, basic hand weights are plenty sufficient to do some basic arm exercises, and you can do several an exercises on the floor with no equipment at all. For legs, you can do squats and lunges. 

9. Practice an instrument - Are you ready to finally actually play that guitar you bought years ago? Or maybe you want to learn piano/keyboard but never found the time. Today is a great day to start! There are plenty of resources online to guide you through, and chances are if you ever intended to learn before, you probably have some kind of guide already. Music is not just good for the soul, it makes you that much more interesting, and helps with math and logic skills. 

What To Do During Quarantine / Social Distancing (Without Sports, etc)

While laughing at memes and trying to stay educated and informed around this Coronavirus thing does pass time, I thought I'd contribute to society with some ideas of other things you could do. Plus, I don't know about you, but I'm getting bored of seeing almost 100% of my Newsfeed talking about COVID-19. I want to see book recommendations, DIY projects, interesting videos and celebrations of completing something. Wouldn't it be great if we could do a bunch of awesome stuff this month (instead of binge-watching Disney+ for the next two weeks)? So, here are some ideas to make some productive use of your time at home to help you feel more rejuvenated.

1. Watch some TEDTalks (click here for my recommendations)
2. Clean out your closet and make a donate pile
3. Use YouTube to learn a new skill, like belly dancing, sign language, how to fold origami, draw cartoon characters, Microsoft Excel skills, or just about anything else you can think of (its not YouTube, but my Microsoft Excel Formuals class is online here)
4. Read a book (or listen to an audio book) (click here for my recommendations)
5. Organize your closet, sock drawer, or other drawers, Marie Kondo-style
6. Write down the resolutions you haven't done for the year yet, make a neat graphic to post it on social media, or make a vision board, do something to commit to them!
7. Get your taxes done!
8. Give yourself a pedicure and/or paint your toe nails
9. Make some artwork with computer graphics and frame it (click here for an idea)
10. Learn to cook a new dish
11. Practice an instrument you've been meaning to play
12. Update your resume or LinkedIn profile (see ideas here)
13. Clean out your garage or another area in your home (or your car!)
14. Build a fort out of all the toilet paper you hoarded (just kidding) - actually, look at what Digital Wellbeing / Screen Time settings your phone has or download a digital wellbeing app to help you monitor and limit the time you spend on distracting apps that help you procrastinate
15. Reach out to a friend you haven't spoken to in a while
16. Review your Credit Score (I use Credit Karma) and retirement savings
17. Start a new class on edX or Coursera
18. Build something out of Legos (google easy Lego creations for some ideas, or check out this Pinterest board for some more ambitious ideas)
19. Stretch and really spend time with it
20. Take a bath and zone out
21. Splurge and order updated checks or address labels (I don't know about you but I didn't update my checks for years! It's kinda fun to have updated checks!)
22. Research the history of your town, stories of hauntings, etc.
23. Draft the TEDTalk you'd give, and practice it
24. Clean out your fridge / pantry / cupboard

Now, if one or more of these sounds like a good idea to you, but you are lacking motivation or having trouble deciding, I have a couple strategies to help you.

If you are having trouble deciding:

I'll assign it for you. Just take your birth month and double the number (i.e. if you're born in July, your number is 14), and then if you're born after the 15th of the month, add 1. Boom! There's your assignment. If you don't like that one, I'll give you one respin: take that number and add the number of the current month (3 for March, for example), and if you go over 24, subtract 24. That's it, that's your assignment. Now go forth and do something!

If you think one of these is a great idea but are having a hard time starting or getting motivated:

I'll borrow a page from Mel Robbins and say, count down from 5 and when you get passed 1, get up and go, start doing it! Close facebook, turn the game off, turn off the show you've been binge-watching, and go now!

Panama Canal Full Transit: Advice for the Best Experience

In February 19, 2020, I checked off my Life List #89: Cruise through the Panama Canal! Rather than get into the technical details, I wanted to share some advice for optimal enjoyment of the vacationer.

While this was only my third cruise, I'm a big fan of cruises as a mode of vacationing, and short of a trip around the world, the Panama Canal Full Transit cruises are some of the longest and most coveted itineraries. As such, I've wanted to do it for a long time (hence it being on my life list), but when I started to look into it, I discovered how difficult it is to pull off if you're not retired, because of the length and dates when it runs (i.e. not over winter or summer break so it's hard or impossible if you're contending with school schedules). Even if you're not contending with school, it's still a long time to take off work, since most run 13 - 16 days and then you have travel time to and from the ports. 

The circumstances that allowed us to go were simultaneously a little sad, funny and counter-intuitive. I had found out early December that my site was closing, and I (finally!!) sold my house in Arizona shortly after. I wasn't in a big hurry to get a new job, but knew that eventually whatever my next job would be would probably take me away from Panama City Beach, and likely away from Florida. We'd only been living in Florida for a year and a half, and I disliked the idea of leaving Florida without having done a cruise. So I jokingly rationalized, what do you need in order to go on a Panama Canal Cruise? Time and money, and I found myself having both. After booking but before leaving, I accepted a job with the same company in southern California, confirming that we would be leaving Florida. So then I joked that, clearly, the most logical thing to do before moving to one of the most expensive parts of the country was to splurge on an indulgent cruise! We also had the added joke that taking a giant ship from Florida to California was the (best) slowest way to move. 

Alright, silly ironies aside, I booked the Norwegian 16-Day Full Transit cruise from Miami to LA leaving on Valentine's Day. Jaiman couldn't get the time off from work, so he ended up putting in his two week notice, which worked out perfectly once I accepted the job in Cali, since he'd have to leave his job anyways. We originally had a balcony cabin on Deck 8 (I went with basically the cheapest balcony option)and we were then upgraded to Deck 10. Given what I learned while actually traversing the Panama Canal, I may have preferred to keep my original room, but it worked out okay regardless. The ship we were on was the Norwegian Joy (currently being featured in some of the commercials, with the racetrack in top and two water slides that go overboard). 

As you may know, the cruise ships now typically go through the new canal which opened in 2016, and which employs many of the same engineering principles (although not all). Basically, a series of locks raise the ships by adding water (without pumps, using gravity), until the ship is level with the man-made lake that stretches over most of the route, and then there are locks on the other side to lower the ship, also with gravity driving the water out. You can learn lots more about how it works elsewhere, I'll leave that to the experts. The big difference between the old and new canal is the structure of the lock gates. The old locks utilize gates that met at an angle like an arrow pointing toward the higher water. The principle is that the pressure from the water pushes against the gates, effectively sealing them shut. I find this way more interesting, actually, than the new gates which just go perpendicular to the direction of

Lock gate opening viewed from Garden Cafe

travel. Like,that is the most obvious solution, right? The angle is way more innovative and creative. So, maybe the next time I find myself with extra money and free time on my hands,I'll see if I can find passage through the old locks, because those sound cool! Probably, then, the most interesting thing about the new locks is that they are hollow! The new locks are also bigger, wider and deeper, accommodating larger ships. Our ship would not have fit through the old locks, for example.

Our cruise held two one-hour lectures on the days at sea preceding the Panama Canal passage, although we attended one and were bored to tears. The cruise also have us pamphlets that told us more about the history, technology and landmark geography, which was a little more helpful. What they didn't communicate, at least not well, was what to expect to see and where to best see it. So now that I'm an expert, having sailed it one time, I thought I'd give you some ideas and advice based on my experience and observations. 

Where to View

View from the Waterfront of the Norwegian Joy

For transit from the Atlantic to the Pacific (i.e. Miami to LA), the first set of locks, called the Agua Clara Locks, are on the port side of the ship (right-hand side). The second set of locks, called the Cocoli , are on the starboard side (left-hand side). So, splurging for a balcony cabin is worthwhile because you'll be able to view the locks from your balcony either in the morning or afternoon depending on which side you're on. While being up high usually affords the best views of the world around you,the locks are quite low compared to the cruise ships they can accommodate. For this reason, I recommend being on a lower deck rather than a higher deck for the passage through the locks. You'll get a better sense of the size and scale of the engineering marvel from lower decks, and you'll be better able to observe the rising and sinking of the ship. (Hint: To a casual observer, the flood of water in and out is subtle. I suggest paying careful attention to the water level relative to a marker along the wall or on the locks themselves if you have a good view of them. Take a picture if it helps, so you can compare how much of the wall is exposed after some time.) 

View from the Waterfront of first lock gates

Finally, being toward the forward or aft (front or back) are more advantageous than the middle. It's great to be at the front on the approach, but the crowds will be there. In our case, the crowds were gathered most on the Waterfront (Deck 8 Fwd) which I think was only open for this one occasion, as well as the Observation Lounge (Deck 15 Fwd) and the Garden Cafe buffet (Deck 16 Fwd). Ironically, our daily newsletter had listed Deck 7 Promenade as the first of the best places to view, but when we went out there during the third lock, there was almost nobody out there. I liked that spot a lot because of how low it was. When the ship moved away from the port side of the lock walls,we could get a really good view of the hollow locks as we passed. However, they didn't have any chairs set up there, so one would have to endure standing for the whole viewing. Long before we approached the second set of locks, we had planted ourselves in the Garden Cafe, enjoying the buffet of food slowly to make it last, so we'd have a brilliant view of the approach. When I saw that the locks were starboard, I was excited that we could then watch from our cabin balcony, so that's what we did after watching the first from up above on Deck 16. Additionally, our balcony was shady by this time, a happy bonus. (Note: Access to the coveted Waterfront was through the cabin hallways on Deck 8, specifically starboard side. So for this purpose, those rooms are advantageous in that they were closer to the most popular viewing area, but disadvantageous in that they would have a lot of traffic to contend with on that day.)

Centennial Bridge

There are also three bridges you'll pass under. For viewing the passage under the bridges, it's advantageous to be outside, and probably best to be on the pool deck. In the Atlantic to Pacific route, the first bridge we went under was very early in the morning (maybe 6 am), well before we the Agua Clara Locks. The name of the first bridge escaped me, but it looked a lot

Bridge of the Americas

like the second bridge, called the Centennial Bridge. The Centennial Bridge is passed in between the two sets of locks. The last bridge in this direction is the Bridge of the Americas, and you'll be able to see its grandiose structure will before you approach the Cocoli Locks, although you don't pass under it until a little while after clearing the last lock. 

In summary, for going Atlantic to Pacific, I'd recommend:

• Be up high outside and forward for the first bridge and approach - great for selfies
• Get low and forward on port-side for the passage through the first set of locks (Agua Clara) - check out the hollow locks
• High and forward is best but anywhere is fine during the transit through the lake - rainforest on either side
• Get low and forward on starboard-side for the second locks (Cocoli)
• Be high and outside for the Bridge of the Americas - great city skyline views on starboard side

Length of time

The full transit through the Panama Canal is a 6 - 8 hour affair, but the most exciting time is right at the start and and at the tail end. Thus, you'll want to wake up early to see the approach to the first lock, even if that means napping while you're in the lake (which is exactly what we did). Be aware that the times your cruise director gives you are approximate, so if you don't want to miss anything, I'd recommend getting up extra early (and staying up). In our case,we were ahead of schedule the whole time, reaching the first set of locks about 20 minutes early and passing under the Bridge of the Americas a full 98 minutes early. If you're going to nap,it may be a good idea to keep the TV on to the forward view, our cruise director was making announcements on that channel, and we could monitor our progress in a way. 

What to look for

Inside the locks

I'm thoroughly fascinated by the operations and engineering of these landmarks like the Panama Canal,so I'm tickled by rather intricate details one might otherwise miss. Here are some things to look for during your passage. You could even make a drinking game of it,or if you have little ones with you, make it a scavenger hunt or Bingo game (see below for Bingo cards if you'd like). 

Entering the locks (see metal arrow pointing to the entry)

Passing a lock gate

• The metal arrow painted in red and green indicating where to enter (port side enter Agua Clara, starboard side entering Cocoli when transiting Atlantic to Pacific - in other words, opposite sides of locks)
• The reservoirs holding water for the locks (same sides as locks)
• Watch the crew on land capture the ship's rope and secure it (best seen from forward or aft, but you'll be able to see it from outside mid-ship as well). Likewise,when they release the rope, it's comically simple.
• Panamanian flags
• Tug boats guiding the ship through the locks - most visible when you're outside and forward or aft
• Various operations buildings - try guessing at their meaning and then checking your guesses with Google Translate
• The gates as they open
• The hollow insides of the gates - you need to be low and have a little luck for the best view, when the ship glides away the wall is when you'll get the best view
• Bumpers on the sides - noting or taking a picture of the water level relative to these will help you notice the rising and sinking of the ship as water is moved (without pumps!)
• The distance marker - what are they making the distance to and what unit do you think they're in?
• The stair cases from one lock to another
• Check out the birds - can you find a pelican?
• The skyscrapers visible while traversing and before and after the Cocoli Locks - look for large LCD screens too! A good zoom on a camera or binoculars is helpful if you have them, but not necessary by any means. 

Entering the Cocoli Locks, view from Garden Cafe

Pictures to Take

While Jaiman and I admittedly take a ton of pretty usual selfies, I do like to think of creative and nice pictures that go beyond the usual selfie. You can play with forced perspective on a couple occasions. For example, if neighboring boats are lined up right,you snap a picture of someone eating a boat. You could also "help" with lifting the rope, holding up a bridge or pushing a lock in. If you're on a promenade,find a life raft with the ship's name on it and take a pic of it with the locks in the background, or just posing by it. Definitely get pictures of yourselves with the locks behind you, with the bridges above you. 

Additional notes

We've had passable to decent connections on our regular mobile data plans when traveling to Japan, Australia and Europe. That same data plan was much weaker in Columbia and Panama, to the point that we never got Pokemon Go to load, but were able to peruse and upload to Facebook in spots. So if mobile data is important to you, consider getting an upgrade package. 

A view of the hollow locks

Along with that, we were informed that the ship's clock would go back one hour after we left Panama. For most phones and watches,that's fine because you can manually override or set them. However, my FitBit is my watch, and it cannot be updated without internet connection. So if you are in the same boat (pun intended), you may want to proactively set your watch back an hour while you have the weak data connection in Panama. 

One final silly note, like many theme parks and public venues, our cruise went to paper straws or no straws, and I like having straws (not to mention that statistically, plastic straws are a mere blip in the total pollution of the oceans, so I'm not entirely for their use, but obviously it's not up to me on this regard), so having a telescopic/collapsing stainless steel travel straw has been a handy little hack that I utilized quite a bit on this cruise.

I hope that helps in choosing your staterooms and planning your Panama Canal passage! Enjoy!

Cocoli Locks tower

A gate opening at the Cocoli Locks

Lock gates opening

Passing the lock gates (view from Deck 7 Promenade)

Inside the locks, with a partial view of the tug boat guiding us through

Bingo Cards

How to Get a Massage - A Guide for the Novice Unsure About Doing It

It occurred to me yesterday that so many people don't get massages because they are uncomfortable with the idea of certain aspects of it, lack experience or a friend to urge them on, and/or do not see the value (i.e. the benefit versus the cost). I don't know much about the massage therapy techniques or business, only what I've observed as an avid consumer of massage therapy. Yet, I've referred a number of people to massage, who had never done it in their lives and found it so wonderful they started going regularly. So I'd like to share my tips and experience in hopes of maybe enlightening a handful of readers.

Where to Get a Massage

I have been a member of Massage Envy off and on for years. I like the convenience of it - they have locations all over the place, you can book appointments online, and they are efficient with checking you in and checking you out. They even handle couples' massages, so you can go with a significant other (or very close friend, if you don't mind seeing each other with few or no clothes on) and be in the same room together. Of course, there are also dayspas and fancy places like that, and I've been to a handful, but I don't find the quality to be worth the price. You can also have entrepreneurial massage therapists come to your home, or go to their home. As much as I love the entrepreneurship of this idea and the small business community as a whole, the idea of being in a private home, either mine or their's, creeps me out, so I stay away from these options. But, if you are comfortable with this option, I'm sure it's wonderful. One of the downsides of going to Massage Envy is that after my massage is over, I have to get up and drive home, often a little groggy or slightly dizzy (more on that later), so having one done at home would eliminate this need. I will also vouch for the massage places at the airport - they are pricey, but when you're traveling and you're stiff from work or whatnot, a 15 minute chair massage can be a wonderful thing. I usually have quick layovers and therefore don't have time, but if my plane is delayed, I often find the massage is just what I need to put me in a better mood. If you're nervous about going into a private room for your first massage, perhaps getting a chair massage at an airport the next time you travel might be a nice introduction.

Who to Get a Massage From

I'm not very picky here, other than my aversion to hiring a stranger to come to my home. Many people prefer female massage therapists - I presume male clients are driven by a mix of homophobia and a desire to have a woman's touch, and female clients feel less at risk of sexualization, molestation or sexual assualt. Here I will say, you do you, but I have no problem with male or female massage therapists in principle. Obviously, men who want to keep their jobs would be wise not to violate their customers, and all therapists have to go through extensive training and observation to become a therapist. So, while it's not impossible for someone to be unprofessional, it's not likely that it will happen in a professional establishment like Massage Envy or a day spa. 

Additionally, men biologically tend to be stronger, and since I use massage partially to treat the chronic pain that comes from my scoliosis, I need a good amount of pressure. That's not to say that women can't provide sufficient pressure, many female therapists I've had were awesome in this area. Just that statistically speaking, a random male is likely to be stronger than a random female. They overcome this with good technique, of course, but I think it's still a factor, however small. 

Because I tend to book my appointments on short notice, and most customers prefer female therapists, I tend to get more male therapists, and that's fine by me. I have, admittedly, had uncomfortable massages before, where I felt the massage was going a little too close, but I've had this rare experience from both male and female therapists (technically, there's no guarantee a female therapist is straight, necessarily). All this to say that the risk, in my mind, is very low, and while it probably happens from time to time and makes headlines when it does, on the whole, it's statistically unlikely. (Being a little bit of a statistician, I approach life and risks very logically: in turn, I believe that if you live your whole life avoiding risk, you won't really have lived. For example, driving a car is one of the most dangerous things we do, statistically, more than anything else in most of our lives, and yet, few people are abandoning cars and communities with vehicles for this reason.)

I will say that, on occasion, I get a massage therapist that I didn't like for a number of reasons: they didn't listen to my requests/needs, they were late coming in and early ending the session, they talked too much, they stretched me in weird ways, they smelled bad. I haven't had this issue recently, but I used to keep a little note in my phone about which therapists I didn't like, by name, so that I won't book them in the future. I think that's okay to do. I know a lot of regular customers tend to find a therapist they like and then book them every two weeks or whatever, and that way the therapist gets to know them and can, I suppose, customize the massage more for what the customer wants. I like this idea in principle, but massage isn't something I schedule regularly; I book at such sporadic times that it's often a different therapist that's available. For what it's worth, the guy that smelled bad actually had a really unique massage style that I liked, so rather than just writing him off completely, I wrote a note next to his name, and when I felt like I wanted that massage style and could bare the smell, I went back to him.

What to Do Before Going to Your Appointment

I'm writing this section only because I think people overthink it sometimes. You don't need to have freshly shaven legs or anything special like that. I would say you want to have showered that day and not be smelly from working out, but if you haven't shaved in a few days, don't sweat it. You probably want to eat foods that won't give you too much gas, as the massage room tends to be fairly quiet and also close quarters, so an audible or stinky fart is likely to be noticed. I think that covers the obvious stuff. 

The less obvious would be, for one, you should drink a lot of water the day or days before a massage. This is because the massage, especially the first massage, will release a lot of toxins into your blood stream, and you want to flush them out. But, you don't want to drink a ton of water immediately before your massage, otherwise you'll likely have the urge to use the bathroom and will be uncomfortable. It's always good to try to use the bathroom right before your massage, either at home before you leave or at the venue once you arrive. If you have any soreness, it may be good to stretch it out before the appointment as well, to get it ready to be worked.

What to Expect at The Appointment

At Massage Envy and dayspas and the like, you'll check in with the front desk and then go sit in a waiting area. This is the time that you want to get yourself in a quiet, relaxed state. Turn your cell phone(s) to silent. If you have long hair, pull it back into a pony tail or sloppy bun. Try to use the bathroom if you have time. I always try to blow my nose and put on chapstick, so that I am most comfortable. The therapist will come get you by name and bring you to the room for your massage. They'll typically ask you about what you're looking for, areas that are okay, what pressure you'd like, and other such details. For what it's worth, I usually say medium pressure except on my lower back, where I ask for light pressure, and that works out pretty well most of the time. I actually don't like full body massages, because I'm not a fan of how my arms and legs are usually rubbed, something about it is more painful than it is good feeling for me. So I typically ask my therapists to focus on my back, shoulders, neck, glutes and feet. Given that I often book 90-minute sessions instead of the typical 60-minute, this means I get a LOT of attention on those areas, and that's how I like it.

Most therapists will also instruct you to lay face down on the table to start, but some will ask if you have a preference. I like starting face down anyways, so I always opt for that if given a choice. Somewhere near halfway in the massage, they'll hold the sheet to cover you and ask you to flip over and scoot down so your head is on the table. This can be a little awkward, but be assured that they know how to keep you covered and will fix the sheets afterwards to get you comfortable again. Many massage beds have warmers in them, and the therapist may ask if you want the warmer on or off. I always like it on - I've personally never gotten too hot in a massage, if anything, I can get a little cold, and the heat feels so good on achy muscles.

Once the therapist leaves the room, you have a few minutes to get undressed to your comfort level and get yourself situated on the table under the sheets. I take this time to always make sure my chapstick is freshly applied, or re-apply if needed, and to blow my nose if needed. They say to undress to your comfort

level, but truthfully, clothes and accessories do get in the way, so I always take everything off, underwear, FitBit/smartwatch, necklaces, everything. Except for having my hair pulled back, I'm free of all things manmade when I slip between the sheets. Especially if you're getting your glutes worked on, which I highly recommend you try when you're comfortable, its preferable to remove underwear. But again, you do you. If getting a massage is contingent on wearing underwear to make you feel secure, the massage is definitely worth it.

Pro Tip: I used to be so awkward getting onto the massage table to face down and pull the sheets over me. In recent years I discovered that it is much easier to partially lay down on my back, get the sheets over me, and then flip over and pull the sheets up.

The venue typically pipes in soothing instrumental music, otherwise the rooms are fairly quiet. In my experience, very few therapists talk continuously, most will say very few things, usually to ask if the pressure is good and to tell you when its time to turn over, and finally (sadly) ask how you're feeling to indicate the appointment is over. Other than that, I find massage time to be an excellent time to close my eyes, clear my head, think through whatever may be troubling me, or get inspired with new ideas (the idea for this blog actually occurred to me while getting a massage). Sometimes, I go for long massages when I've been having trouble sleeping for a few days in a row, and the massage will actually lure me into sleeping a little bit, although my snoring usually wakes me up multiple times throughout the session. But, generally, this helps me sleep better when I go home.

The massage therapist will move parts of your body throughout the session. Depending on what you asked for and what the therapist does, this could be just moving your arms and head from time to time, or they may have you do pretty in-depth stretches requiring a lot of moving body parts. For the most part, you want to just relax your body and let them move you. They may take your hand and drop it off the side of the table to get a different angle on your back, for example. And they'll usually bring your hand back up and tuck it under the sheets when they're done with that part. For a novice, it can sometimes be hard to let them relax and move you, so my advice is to just trust that they'll take care of your body and let them do their thing.

Likewise, sometimes I catch myself tensing up during parts of the massage. This is especially true when my glutes are being worked, my butt muscles just want to clench the whole time. So I regularly walk myself through a mental checklist, telling myself to relax each muscle group. I start with my face and work my way down. Relax the face muscles, if you need to pick your head up slightly to do this, that's okay. The therapist knows you're alive, you don't have to act like a cadaver in a murder movie. On this note, if you find that your nose is getting runny, its okay to ask for a tissue, and they'll often bring over a trash can for you to deposit it in when you're done. Relax your face muscles and reset. Then, relax your shoulders, arms and back. Then relax your glutes, legs, feet and toes. When I find a certain muscle group is still tensing up, I take a deep breath and imagine sending the oxygen into that muscle to relax it. I do this, also, when a certain pressure point is being worked and it hurts, I take a deep breath and imagine myself pushing healthy oxygen to that part of the body to relieve it.

Many therapists end the massage by a more light-handed, slow or still touch. Examples include holding the customer's feet for about 30 seconds, holding the customer's face for several seconds, or lightly sweeping their hands down the back, arms or legs of the customer. Then they'll usually ask you how you're feeling or tell you the session is at its end. Then they'll leave the room for you to get dressed. Take your time getting up, especially if this is your first massage. Often, because of all the toxins that get released, you may be disoriented or dizzy. It's okay to take a moment to stretch, blow your nose or get your hair back in order. Once you're dressed, you open the door to exit, and the therapist will usually have water for you. Drink all the water, since this will help flush out the toxins. I didn't know that the first time I got a massage, so I turned down the offer of water, and when I got to my car, I got really dizzy and couldn't drive for several moments. If you need to use the restroom at this point, don't hesitate to do so, it's perfectly fine.

Some Massage Envy locations let you check out before your session, but I usually wait until after to pay up and tip anyways. Tipping for a massage is similar to tipping at a restaurant, you want to tip 10 - 20% of the original value (before any discounts, etc). A lot of them will have a little placard at the desk that gives you the amount, so you don't have to do math in the groggy post-massage blur.

Membership and Costs

Of course, Massage Envy is known for their subscription-style monthly membership. It's a fairly affordable way to give yourself one or two massages a month, and memberships or gift cards make great gifts for others who enjoy massage. Dayspas and resorts will typically be more expensive, as are the airport locations. If you want to find a cheaper alternative, see about booking with a massage school; that is where the therapists are practicing and learning, and so you may get a less experienced therapist but the massage costs significantly less. One other thing that helps with the affordability is that you may be able to use it as a medical deduction on your taxes. Talk to your tax advisor for more official advice on this, but just realize it is a possibility.

I'd love to hear from you about other areas of massage. Let me know in the comments what your favorite aspects or techniques are! And if you're a newcomer to massage, I hope you found this useful and encourage you to give massage a try.