zen.org Communal Weblog

On Tuesday morning I was playing tennis. I ran across the court to try to make a return on a pretty fast ball. ZAP, I felt something snap or twist in my lower back that hurt like mad. I tried to force myself to play through it, but the pain kept slowly increasing. By that evening I found it hard to fall asleep because no position seemed comfortable.

This continued for the next few days, leaving me stuck in bed or on the couch unable to get around much. I had to walk carefully because at nearly any random moment, I might get hit by this piercing pain. On Thursday night I took some more medicine to help ease the swelling and let me fall to sleep.

This morning, it was feeling a bit better. Elana noticed that the lower-left of my back was swollen much larger than the right. We made an appointment and went to the local G.P.

After a few tests and examinations, he said it was most likely to be a pulled muscle in my back; not a slipped disc, as I’d started to fear. Two different places on the Net described slipped disc problems, and a lot of the symptoms seemed pretty similar.

We’re going to try to stick with a regular pattern on the meds, and keep me walking around more than I’ve done since it started. Some light stretches should also contribute.

We fly from the states back to Ireland next week. I’m reaaaaaaaaaally hoping this goes away enough for the flight to be livable. 🙂

Zoë was sitting in her high chair eating bananas and Zōe’s O’s, Mom was upstaris getting ready for work. It comes Marvin, up from the cellar, holding a full grown squirrel in his mouth. Like all of us, Marvin has been away from the house since July first, plus this year has been a bumper crop for acorns and walnuts. No predators, abundant food, my squirrels have become fat and torpid during our sabbatical. I pick up Marvin, still holding the squirrel, and took him down to the back door. Whent back up to close the bacement door, and back down to open the back door. Marvin was still sitting by the door, but no squirrel. I propped the door open and found the squirrel hiding under the bacement stairs. I went for a broom to sweep it out, again he was gone. Ten minutes or so later I closed the door and went to work, I hope the squirrel got out.

For the day Marvin in stuck to the bacement, where his door to the outside is. Hopefully Marvin will be the only mammal larger then a mouse in the bacement when I get home.

UPDATE: When I came home last night the squirrel was still in the bacement, now freely roaming the woods. Ok, he was pretty sick, probably infected by Marvin’s bite. Poor squirrel. Sorry PeTA, I tried to make Marvin an indoor cat, but he got mean and started biting people. I tried all of the hints you gave on that page, he hated it. Marvin is just a mean, impatient cat.

余艾蕾, Zoë, Marvin and I have moved back into our house yesterday! There is no front porch, and there is one room that isn’t really usable yet, and the kitchen is still a mess, and we have no cable or Internet access, and most of the yard is still grassless, and there are still some widow makers up in the trees, and the siding needs painting. Apart from that, er thoes, all is well.

The CBC labor dispute is over! Mr. Lawrence is once again hosting the CBC Radio 3 podcast! He ever ceremoniously chain sawed his robot replacement, Rosie was “her” name. Some how, the music sounds better now.

In California, we happened to go to our favorite restaurant on our anniversary. Well, maybe not happened, maybe we booked it, but still….it was a happy coincidence we were there on the day. The menu….ah, the menu.

Menu Gastronomique

CELERY ROOT SALAD
Enoki Mushrooms, Brulee Figs, Carrot Jus

PEAR AND AUTUMN SQUASH
Spiced Cappuccino, Mille-Feuille, Citrus Powder

HUDSON VALLEY FOIE GRAS
Granny Smith Apple Gastrique, Sautern Gelee, Hazelnut Crisp

_______________________

ALBACORE TUNA
Baby Artichokes, Cocoa Nibs, Yuzu Vinaigrette

ALASKAN BLACK COD
Nasturtium-Saffron Tea, Salmon Caviar, Garden Herbs

DAYBOAT SCALLOPS
Concord Grapes, Pink Peppercorn Caramel, Pickled Fennel

______________________

STEAK ONGLET
Chanterelles, Fingerling Potato, Syrah Jus

PORK TENDERLOIN
Roasted Lady Apple, Salsify, Perigeuex Sauce

MAGRET DUCK BREAST
Foie Gras, Pluots, Butter Beans

_______________________

ARTISIAN CHEESE SELETION
Marmalades, Honeys

FIG PARFAIT
Spiced Port Reduction, Roasted Fennel Seed Ice Cream

CHOCOLATE PEAR CUP
Coriander Ice Cream, Clove Ganache

PINEAPPLE RAVIOLI
Pink Peppercorn Panna Cotta, Lime Sorbet

CHILLED BERRY COMPOTE
Cinnamon Basil Ice Cream, Almond Crisp

No no no, we didn’t eat all of that. Just one thing from each section. Man I love food.

The New York/Philadelphia area has gotten a lot of rain in the past week, no sun since Friiday, and no sun until Monday. Today, driving to work, many little creeks where flooding roads and it took almost two hours to get to work!

The seat in the Prius started giving me back pain. Now that I’m at work, in my Herman Miller chair, my back feels much better. I think Herman Miller should start putting chairs is cars. Get rid of this horrible three inch fome covering that still holds the stench of a fart from years ago. The added thin layer will give the rear sitter more leg room, and leave the baby too far away to kick. While I don’t think the Herman Miller chair has recyclable parts, I bet the mass of unrecyclable parts would be less then a normal car seat.

Just joined StumbleUpon at the suggestion of a friend, and I found this Star Wars thing

someone’s got waaaaay more time that I do. Except that I wound up watching it….

So, what is it with dark beer & men’s intestines? Last night after a surprise birthday party for a friend, we made it home in time for several explosions to occur.

There are not enough candles in this house.

余艾蕾, Zoë and I are back from San Francisco. Well, we have been back for almost a week now, just been catching up with things. Zoë is still on west coast eating time but on east coast sleeping time, she had a great time at the bay area. She saw the sea lions at Pier 39, dipped her toes in the Pacific Ocean at Stinson Beach. By far the highlight was Zoë meeting my In-Laws. 余艾蕾’s parents where so happy, by the end of the week Zoë was very comfortable with them.

Now, back to the daily grind.

According to a newspaper out of Atlanta, a [cracker] broke into a computer database at the University of Georgia. They were able to get access to “the Social Security numbers of employees in the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences and people who are paid from that department. More than 2,400 numbers, belonging to roughly 1,600 people, may have been exposed, UGA spokesman Tom Jackson said Wednesday.”

Umm … does that mean up to 800 of those people had at least two social security numbers?