Blogging on the Fly

I'm creating this post in a matter of seconds so that I have some new blog content to show my class. Of course, I had fully intended to create a new post during the last few days. Funny how time escapes me (and perhaps all of us). The main thing to keep in mind when blogging (is there only one?) is this: remember that all the world can see what you post.

Or can they?????

25 Random Things About Me

So my first post of 2009 is unifying my online locations, since this blog also feeds my Facebook Notes. The latest craze seems to be creating a list of 25 random bits of information that people might not know about you. I must say, I usually don't complete (or enjoy) these kinds of things. But perhaps I'm loosening up in my middle aged-ness, since I seem willing to complete this task.

1. For the first 30-odd years of my life, if you asked me what my ethnic background was, I would tell you I was half Portuguese and half French. It wasn't until just a few years ago that I figured out that my French ancestors had lived in Canada since the early 1700's, which probably qualified them to be acutal Canadians. Hence, if you ask me today, I will tell you I'm half Portuguese and half Canadian.
2. I have never broken a bone, but I have been in a cast.
3. I always knew I wanted to be a teacher.
4. I'm fairly certain that I could solve intricate mathematical equations, write the next great American novel, and develop a cure for cancer if only I didn't have so many song lyrics trapped in my brain.
5. I didn't get my first real pet until I was 21 years old. Having to put her down a couple of years ago broke my heart.
6. If you can name a crime/cop/detective show from the '70s or '80s, I'm probably a fan.
7. Never in my wildest dreams did I ever think I would live in central New York, but now I can't imagine living anywhere else.
8. I drank legally for only one night in my entire life. When I was a sophomore in college, the pep band took a road trip to Ohio where the drinking age was still 18.
9. When I was about 2 1/2, my next door neighbor and I wandered into our neighbor's garage and painted their steps green.
10. Things I have inherited from my mom include my height, my obsession with keeping things neat and orderly, and my tendency to be almost late to just about everything.
11. Things I have inherited from my dad include my hair, my love for all things chocolate, and my obsession with standing up for the things I believe in.
12. For most of my life I tried to be an athlete, but I'm pretty sure I didn't learn to be one until I was in my 20's.
13. I have arthritis in my left wrist, but it rarely bothers me. Or perhaps I'm just distracted by other aches and pains...
14. The life I live today is about as far away as possible from the life I imagined for myself when I was young, and wow, am I grateful for that.
15. I can break things with my hands and feet, do pushups on my knuckles, and lift heavy stuff. But if you asked me, I wouldn't describe myself as strong.
16. I can wire an outlet or a light switch, use a torch to solder copper pipe or repair instruments, mix, pour and screed cement, install a faucet, hang gutters, swing a hammer to build stuff, and use power tools without too much trepidation. Thanks, Dad.
17. Other than the Basic computing course I took in high school, every ounce of computer knowledge I had when I got my current job came from years of trial and error. And frankly, most of it still does.
18. I love watching Canada geese fly, and will stop just about anything I'm doing to watch and listen.
19. I think everyone ought to save time, and just fall in love with and marry their best friend. It seems to be a good plan, even after almost 17 years.
20. The trip we took to Japan in 2002 was one of the most incredible experiences of my life. I have never been so depressed to come back home from anywhere.
21. Without wearing my contacts or glasses, I'm only able to decipher fuzzy shapes and colors.
22. I have lived in four houses in my entire life, though I have also passed through two dorm rooms and five apartments.
23. I love watching football, and think that NFL Sunday Ticket on DirecTV is one of the greatest inventions of our time.
24. Though most who know me would never believe it, I'm actually terribly shy.
25. Even after almost two years, I still catch myself thinking, "I need to call dad and ask him about that."

Bits and Pieces

Well, I have to blog at least one more time before November officially comes to an end in a matter of hours. The busy month that has just passed is about to give way to an even busier one. I'm having some difficulty with this whole almost winter/almost Christmas thing. Again, time seems to have slipped away. In the next three weeks, I have somewhere between 9 and 15 gym visits to make, 6 karate classes to teach, 3 tech classes to teach, a few social gatherings to take part in, some hockey games to watch, several meetings to attend, and, oh yes, one doctor's appointment to keep (yes, that doctor--the one who gets to decide the fate of my roundhouse kick). Throw in the rest of life, and I'm not anticipating a whole lot of down time over the next few weeks. Guess I'll have to create my own silence.

Not having a topic of particular import to share, I leave you with the random thoughts that seem to have collected in my head this evening:

Is it just me, or has it suddenly become mandatory to include Mylie Cyrus in every television holiday special? First she invaded my Macy's Parade, now she's going to intrude upon the lighting of the tree in Rockefeller Center. I must be the only one to have missed the importance of her stature in our collective culture.

Loving that the members of the gingerbread family have returned for another round of Sprint commercials this year. What's not to love about a gingerbread dad repairing his roof with an icing pack on his back?

Why is it that sometimes it feels twice as difficult to do half as much?

I have yet to tire of the San Diego Chicken in the Sony commercial.

Cats love being Christmas presents under the tree. And I love that they love that.

I love my new Blackberry, but have to admit that being constantly connected sometimes creeps me out a little.

I really love Thanksgiving, and can't believe that it's time to shift gears already. Guess I already kind of said that, didn't I.

It's too bad I don't blog about real stuff. But then, I probably wouldn't be very good at it.

Paradox

November 1st. That just seems impossible. This morning, we sat through breakfast and wondered if the sun would ever rise (it finally did sometime around 7:30). I mowed the lawn today for what will, most likely, be the last time this season, and almost immediately regretted not wearing a hat and gloves. As I write this, the sun has set and the moon has risen. Wasn't it just a few days ago that it was hot, sunny, and the calendar read July? And the lawn stopped growing because it was so hot and dry? And it was light until 9:00pm? How did this happen? How did we get to cold and dark and dormant?

Though I'm no scientist, I think I get the concept of the tilt of the Earth and the passing of seasons, so my question is not about that. I'm much more perplexed about how life (or my perception of it) has changed. When did time begin to pass so quickly? There was a point in life when 40 seemed to be eons away, yet here I am. In my teens, days might as well have been years (for many reasons). Today, I'm lucky to fit my day into my day. Again I ask, how did this happen?

Of course, the one exception to the acceleration of time is any situation when I really, really want something. Now. It seems that in those situations, my perception of time hasn't changed an ounce during my life. It never moves quite fast enough.

The reality is that time has always taken time. One minute has always been comprised of sixty seconds, no matter how many times I doubt that fact one way or the other. Knowing how much my perception has already changed only makes me wonder how much faster life is going to move from now on.

It's a shame that youth is wasted on the young. And that no one ever warns you how much more valuable time will be than money.

Stacy's Mom

Well, since it's been nearly a month since I last posted here, there's a lot going on. I'll try to be succinct (though it's not at all my strong suit, so consider yourself warned).

It has been an amazing fall weekend. Temps in the low 70s, lots of sun, and the leaves were just perfect. Autumn is my favorite season by far, and I'm not sure you could find a better place to be than here. Couple that with mowing the lawn (do you remember?), hanging out at home (for the first time in weeks, it seems), Sunday Ticket, an extra day off, and some serious garage-related productivity, and I'm not sure I could have asked for a better weekend overall.

The eternal PT patient will soon be on supervised furlough. My therapist is cutting me semi-loose after this Thursday, since most of what we work on are things I can replicate on my own at home or at the gym. But I've also considered the thought that she might just be trying to give me the slip. I've stepped up the attack on my IT band in hopes of loosening it at least a little, but I've had pretty much no success so far. A patellar tendon brace brought some amazing results the first time I wore it, including the ability to sit in a right back-leaning stance several times without pain (which hadn't occurred in over a year). Those results lasted until the next day, when my knee notified me that I had made a poor choice. It has steadfastly refused to feel better since then, and the brace is suddenly quite ineffective. My therapist's quote: "Well, I'm glad you had your moment." This morning we spent some time going over modifications to stances and kicks that I can start with and work my way into over the next few months. The three exercises I'm allowed: a modified (narrow and 50/50 balanced) back-leaning stance (so, not really a back-leaning stance at all), a back kick from all fours (instead of standing), and a straight-leg side kick from the floor (for which I have apparently practiced the incorrect form for years). No front kick, no roundhouse kick, no nothing else. My therapist's quote (which she repeated 3 times): "We're not there yet, and it's going to take a long time." But it's all I want, and I've waited for so long.

So now I face the remainder of my week which, for a change, does not feature a business trip. Holding true to form (as these weeks always do), it's a long, short week that involves lots of extra stuff, including the annual Seido Benefit Tournament. No competing for me--just helping out. Perhaps being there will help me to focus on how I can adjust my training to be more in line with my current abilities. Of course, I've had about as much success with that over the last year as I've had at skydiving. I don't seem to be able to stop myself from wanting to do more than I'm able. That, of course, is the true chronic condition from which I have suffered all my life. I know it might be wrong, but...

I Know You Can't Do This, But I Want You To Try

Those were the inadvertently humorous and wise words of my physical therapist on Thursday morning. It was the most frustrating morning I've had in a long time, during a particularly frustrating week in the grand scheme of my recovery. It seems that my IT band has developed a mind of its own, and has made the decision to stop cooperating with my efforts at regaining strength in my hips. It insists on working when it should simply be sitting there supporting the work of other muscles. It thwarted the efforts of the ionto (on which we have given up), and remains as inflamed as ever. This week in particular, my knee has felt quite a bit like it did about 10 months ago when I first went to see a doctor--lots of biting pain when I climb or descend stairs, and frequent "bites" when it's bending and bearing weight (as I'm sitting down in a chair, for example). Over the last two weeks, my therapist has had me try several new exercises (as well as variations on some of our old favorites). Each time she asks, "where do you feel that?" And it seems that 9 times out of 10 my answer is, "on the side of my knee." (just as a clarification: the answer we're looking for is "on the outside of my hip," or perhaps "in my glutes.") The result of all this is a newly-limited number of exercises that I'm allowed to do, along with quite a pile of frustration through which I am now slogging. On Thursday, I wasn't really sure I was even capable of slogging. In fact, I felt worse than I had in quite a while (in my head, that is). But that's when the story took a really corny turn...

First, we have the quote that serves as the title for this post. Though she claims she didn't mean for it to come out that way, it did. And at the time, I found it hilarious. In fact, I'm pretty sure it was the first thing that made me smile that morning. Though I really haven't gone down the "I can't do this" road during my PT sessions (or even in my own head when I'm home alone, for that matter), I suppose there are things that I've decided I can't do for one reason or another--either because I lack sufficient strength, or they actually cause me pain. But why shouldn't I try? Excellent question. Of course, the number one reason not to try is the high probability of failure. When your muscles simply won't fire, you just can't make your body do what you want it to do--there's no way around that one. So there is a part of me that has to accept my current reality, whether I like it or not, and realize that I'm in for some failure. But of course, the whole reason for continuing to try is eventually to be able to keep doing things like karate (or, for that matter, sitting in a chair or climbing stairs) pain-free for a long time to come. I have to believe that continuing to try is the only way things are going to get better than they are. So I decided that those inadvertent, humorous words were simply going to have to work for me. And when I'm really headed for the dumps (which happens more often than I would like), I can recall the many occasions where she has tried to explain to me (I'm paraphrasing here) that a failure of my muscles isn't a failure of my character. But if you think that's as corny as this story gets, well, keep reading...

I finish my session, still in pain, still kind of depressed, but realizing that I have to get myself to a better place about this whole thing. Fortunately for the safety of all my co-workers, it's about a 40 minute drive from PT to work, so I have a bit of time to get my thoughts in order so that I appear to be a presentable professional before I arrive. I get on the road, and turn on the radio (love the XM 80's channel). [this is your final warning: I couldn't make up how corny this is. Read on with caution] The first three songs I hear, in order, are: Things Can Only Get Better by Howard Jones, Don't Stop Believing by Journey, and Get On Your Feet by Gloria Estefan. That's so corny, it would have been cut from an episode of Full House. I'm laughing even as I write this 36 hours later. I'm still trying to decide if there's anything cosmic or inspirational in those songs, or perhaps the order in which they were played, or maybe in how Gloria Estefan had to go through all that PT after the bus accident and look at her now (where is she now? I always loved Miami Sound Machine). I'm not sure there's anything there at all. But it did make me stop and laugh a bit, which is one of the things that keeps me sane.

When I got to work, the first thing I did when I sat down was print out a little sign for the bulletin board that hangs right beside my desk. I'm still not entirely sure why it's there or what it really makes me think of when I look at it but, if nothing else, it makes me chuckle every time I read it: I know you can't do this, but I want you to try.

A Public Service Announcement

This is my knee.







This is my knee on ionto. Well, ionto on my knee.