General update

So Ruthie and I took a trip two weekends ago.  Tonight's pretty much the first night I've had a chance to sit down at a computer to catch up on some internetting, including posting to here.  Fortunately, while on the road, I typed as we went.  Unfortunately, I decided I would try to put some more layers to the blog posts - which require a bit more post processing if you will.

This inspiration dawned upon me after spending some time reading a friend's new blog, tomhavegroup.com/road-scholar-blog/ [and her hubby's tomhavegroup.com/sound-vision-2/].  I realised that I'd been reading plenty of other blogs with a bit of additional content other than words and the very random picture.  And then I decided it's about time to try and add that stuff to TFAAB.

So those entries are coming, hopefully starting tonight or tomorrow night.

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In the mean time, a quick update on acupuncture.   We've now gone to three sessions.  Just like when the doctor asks, I find it hard to describe how things are going.  After each session, and generally for the day after, my legs feel incredibly tired.  The first session, I was worn out for two whole days; when my legs feel exhausted, I feel worn down - which is part of the reason I've gone in the first place.  Anyways, it's difficult to say if I feel any improvement that simple R&R wouldn't've done for me and my knee.

Ruthie, on the other hand, apparently wasn't telling the needle guy the right thing on the first session, and flinched really prematurely.  She's corrected this, but she more or less detests the actual needles and the twirling of them to ping the nerves.  And I think she's fairly convinced it's not helping.  Meanwhile, her physio has decided it's time for a more aggressive approach and has started her back on some activity - including a bit of skating last night.  When prompted, she doesn't really claim that her leg is feeling better; perhaps this is due to increased amounts of activity - or perhaps this is due to a really slow healing process.

Generally speaking, though, being injured sucks - especially when it's a lame injury that just won't heal. 

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In other news, March 1 marked the first day of Autumn.  However, while last year it felt like the season changed with the flip of the calendar, this year, summer's holding on strong.  It's been in the mid 30s all week, and it seems to be staying that way.  Apparently February was the driest it's been since the middle of the drought season, and the weather now is very much like what Melbourne experienced during the ten-year drought.  While I'm not excited about drought prospects, I am kinda tickled by the fact that we're more or less experiencing two weather patterns in two different years in the same city.

As the weather currently is, blue skies and hot days, this is exactly the weather we naively thought Melbourne/Australia had every day all year.  Clearly we were wrong, but it's nice to know we're getting a good dose of it any ways.

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Lastly, work has been an interesting world as of late.  Having to deal with not one, but two governments seems to have been unnecessarily tricky the past little bit.  First off, I've added a new term to my diction with this sequestration business in the US.  If the doomsday clock is not delayed with some sort of financial agreement in Congress, it is getting increasingly likely that I will be required to reduce my work to 4 days a week.  As if dealing with one country's fiduciary restrictions wasn't enough, the coffers haven't really been overflowing down here either.  So much so that when a maintenance contract was supposed to be signed back in October for some equipment for which I'm responsible, they said no.  [Thus risking all kinds of serious damage and a massive repair bill by not simply ponying up the money for the maintenance.]  It's now March, and the contract just went through.

Silver lining: 4 days a week will mean more time to play video games and explore the city [hopefully for free] or spend time with friends.  And if I play my cards right, we'll have saved up enough money, taxes won't be terrible to us this year, that I might even be able to use the regular 3-day weekend to our advantage and we can do some paid exploration.

Anyways, that's all I've got for the moment.  Time to spice up the road trip blog and get it ready for posting here.

Cheers
-EP

Acupuncture = voodoo?

Way back in December, we were playing kickball on the last night of derby practice.  It just so happened that Ruthie fell and bruised the inside of her kneecap in the process.  After two months’ rest, she finally went to the physio*, who fussed at her for not having come earlier, and ultimately told her she needed sever restriction of movement in the knee combined with some stretches for the muscles around the knee, to heal up.  It’s one of those injuries where there’s not a lot of blood flow in the area, so healing time is significantly increased.  Ignoring the rest order only exacerbates inflammation.  However, the issue quickly presented itself that in order to severely limit movement to the knee, she’d be losing all attempt at cardio [even copious amounts of walking inflame the knee].  Presented with this conundrum, the physio said she could go swimming with a pool buoy, to which she’s begun doing. 

In the mean time, we’ve also begun to seek out alternative methods of treatment.  Australia, or at least Melbourne, presents an interesting opportunity for us in situations like these because there is a really big blend of eastern and western medicine available.  Being friends with some really sporty people helps in that we know some people who have had to recover from injuries in order to keep performing, and it was through one of these friends that we were referred to an acupuncturist, with the recommendation to also look into dry needling.  Now, I’m fairly sceptical, about needles accessing my qi, and changing the flow of my energy.  But, I’m willing to have an open mind.  In fact, I’m actually eager for my mind to be changed, and in particular because both of us really want Ruthie to be able to skate [and thus bout] for the remainder of our time here.

Ruthie’s been tasked with making an appointment, and so we’ll see what happens.

*Physio, short for physiotherapist, which, as far as we can tell, is a physical therapist, but a bit better/more knowledgeable.  For example the physio that we have on our derby team went to school for eight years.  The only thing that would match that in the US is a Doctor of Physical Therapy [to the best of my limited knowledge].

Olympics

So, I've never really been one to watch the Olympics.  Hell, I barely make an effort to watch any sports.  Granted, I'll watch them if they're on, but I honestly can't remember the last time I actually made an effort ... anyways, the point is I've actually spent some time watching the Olympics this year.

I have to say, it's a bit of a novelty to watch the sports in a different country.  First, it feels like there is much more Aussie-centric coverage.  Sure, that's expected, right?  But I feel like even in the US, there's much more objective commentating and reviews.  Here, if the Aussies are doing something in a sport, they're going to be covering it.  Ruthie and I only have the free-to-air coverage, which is one channel [as opposed to the multiple channels of live coverage available on cable], thus leading to a bit of erratic coverage.  Erratic as in someone else is doing the channel swapping between the sports you're watching instead of you. 

So this means that we've seen a bit of Aussie basketball, rowing [crew? sculling?], slalom kayaking, swimming, gymnastics, water polo, and something involving a fancy horse [really? how is showing a horse considered an Olympic sport??].  Frankly, it's a bit like watching amateurs - especially with the basketball and gymnastics.  Ruthie managed to catch some highlights of the US basketball game and said it was an obvious difference in the game play, speed, and level of competition. 

Most entertaining, however, has been the enthusiasm the commentators have for their athletes.  Sure, Aussies love their sport, and they readily admit to it.  But for example, we were watching some of the rowing and the US was way out in the lead.  However, it was fairly close for second and third with AU in second.  The commentary went something like this:

In hum-drum, matter-of-fact voice: The Americans are out in front.  That's pretty expected.  But ...
In a much more excited, enthusiasm building voice: ... look at the Aussies go!  They're just half a length ahead in second place.  SOME GREAT ROWING OUT THERE! 
Americans in first, AUSSIES IN SECOND ...

I can't say it's enough to keep me watching the rest of the games, but at least it's been fun so far.

-EP

I'm a slacker

Man, I am so far behind.  I feel like so many things have or might have happened, and I’ve got such a back log – mental constipation, if you will.  It certainly wasn’t my intention to leave TFAB this neglected for this long, but … well, honestly I don’t have any good excuses.  But here are some anyways:

A. My dog ate my homework.

B. I forgot how to read.

C. I’m lost in translation.

D. I was a dummy and thought if I waited long enough, Ruthie might actually dust this thing off.

E. I’ve been too busy.

F. I’ve been too busy at work which is when I have written several previous posts, and haven’t made the time to write anything while at home. 

For what it’s worth, I’m months behind in uploading my photos to FB, too.  Unfortunately, those don’t require as many words or digging through my memories to see what I thought about as it happened “Hey, I should write about that.” 

So, in attempt to force myself to get some things down on paper, I’m making myself a list.  [Apparently I’m on a list kick.  I’ve made myself a few at work, and I even gave Ruthie a honey-do list on Monday – much to her dismay, I’m sure.]

1. Update this blog again soon.

2. Update this blog again soon about one of the following things:

α. The mental list I’ve been attempting to build of Australian lingo and vocabulary.

β. Recap adventures with SueSue.  The trip to the Whitsundays might need it’s own post.

γ. Ramble on about the weather again [it truly is a country in which you can talk about the weather].

δ. It’s official: I’m an international goal scorer.  Although it seems that the days I score a goal we lose by quite a bit. 

ε. Despite my best efforts I’ve been informed I’m a bicyclist. 

ζ. More derby. 

3. Don’t let this blog wither and die [like our poor dried up aloe plant].

-EP