The massage was great! I had a nice chick bonding chat w/my massage therapist thru the session. The spa itself was far inferior to Burke Williams Spa, tho. This spa had no real “lounge” area, just a tiny waiting area for massage clients; the locker room area is tiny with one small steam room, one shower, two restroom stalls. No whirlpool or jacuzzi.

My friend and I wandered around Old Town Pasadena after the spa, all relaxed and happy. (In truth, the aromatherapy fumes probably did their thing on our neurons.) We walked to Afloat Sushi for dinner. The sushi bar there is very interesting. Everyone sits around a large revolving moat, and the moat surrounds the sushi chefs who are working in the middle of the room. Circulating within the moat are the wooden Japanese boats that “boat combination meals” are typically served on, and there are 3-4 little dishes of different types of sushi, sashimi, salad and dessert on each boat. As the boat drifts past you, you just pick up whatever dish you want to eat. The items are color-coded by the little dishes, from $1.99 to $6. I spent about $20 on dinner and was totally full. It was a lot of fun, and everyone’s just in-and-out since you don’t have to wait for the sushi chef to make your order after he finishes the other orders.

We went back to my friend’s house after dinner/shopping, met up w/her husband and the three of us shot the fecal excrement. Then around 11:30pm, when I was ready to go home and fall asleep, my friend decided she REALLY wanted supper and I somehow got talked into going to a restaurant in Monterey Park for congee (Chinese porridge). We got there close to midnight, and I was shocked to see the place packed with patrons – not teenagers or college kids who are up all night anyway – but like 50-60 yr olds! Since when did people my parents’ age hook up and go out for supper at midnight? I wondered as I stifled a yawn, painfully past my bedtime.

I didn’t get home until about 1:30 am, and when I did, I had a big surprise waiting for me. It seems that I had quite a few people worried to death about me since I forgot to take my cell phone on my outing that day. Well, I did survive the ensuing drama (which lasted until almost 11am this morning). Boy, am I tired.