This week I am writing this on Tuesday night. Tomorrow, Wednesday Bailey and I are getting up and heading out to Paul and Joys. I normally clean every other Wednesday, the bathroom and kitchen. The hard stuff, the scrubbing and deep cleaning. Tomorrow Paul is taking off work and taking Bailey out to the cabin to go fishing. When I’m done cleaning, Joy and I will head over. Weather permitting, we hope to stay out there all day. It’s supposed 80 and sunny. It’s been so crappy out lately, we all need this! Bailey is over-the-moon excited to go fishing with grandpa! I’m excited, not only to for that, but to spend some quality time out there also. I’ve only been there once, and we were cleaning and organizing the whole time. I can’t wait to go and just relax. So with being gone all day tomorrow, I won’t have time to sit down and write my Thursday post. But come Thursday, I’m sure Joy and I will have plenty to talk about!
Lets see, what else? Bailey pitched a no hitter 3 innings Monday. That was very exciting! I can’t wait for him to be able to pitch an entire game. Wait, I take that back. Yes, I can wait! That would only mean he is older, and that is something I am not going to encourage! I still can’t believe I have a 5th grader! Next year he’ll be in middle school, then I think I’ll really lose it. Could we put them in a device that doesn’t let them grow?! No, I’m kidding.
No, I’m really not. 😉
We have a grad party to go to Saturday. I hope the weather is good enough for Joy to come. It should be fun, but I honestly don’t think we’ll stay long. Jason wants to spend as much time at home this weekend, given he was gone or working on cars all this past weekend. I have Paranormal Activity and Shrek 3 on my Netflix list to be be here for the weekend. I know Paranormal Activity isn’t real! I googled that shit! Unlike when Toby, Jason and I watched Blair Witch Project and we all thought it was real. People tried telling me P.A. was real, hello, google! I’m still excited to see it though, I love being scared.
Well, there ya have it. That’s what’s up with me! What’s up with you?!
Us Girls..Our Views 
Not much for the weekend. Tomorrow and Thursday I am off. Lots of cleaning but also sleeping, shopping, reading and finding a Levis jeans. I haven’t had one in years!! Not sure which model I should take. I hope to modify my website, so the pull down menu’s will work again. That is about it, for now. I hope you all will have so much fun together. Have a wonderful time at the cabin!
Today I am still recovering from the DC trip. On Monday night, I was still working on something I was supposed to finish before leaving last Friday. I fell asleep, so I got up at 3:30am but my computer decided that it wasn’t going to work. Luckily I was able to restore it to some time in the past and I didn’t lose any important data, as far as I know. But it took me until 6am to finish that project. So then I went back to sleep thinking my kids would come in about an hour and wake me up, like they do every day. Well, apparently they are still off their usual routine, because they let me sleep past 9am. Then I had to do some more work before taking them to school. And I was kinda sick, so I wasn’t in an efficient mode. So they missed karate and all their “learning time.” After dropping them off, I did 4 loads of laundry and some other housework in between my “work” work. Picked up my kids and let them talk me into going shopping because we were out of what they wanted for supper – peanut butter. (I really needed to go shopping anyway.) On the way there, I remembered that 6-15 was the due date for my tax estimate, so I had to rush that to the airport post office so it would be postmarked 6-15. Now I am supposed to be working on something I promised on “Tuesday” (which really means before 9am Wednesday). But I am sleepy. Dare I take a nap??
Tomorrow there is supposed to be a concert in the space between the museums where my kids and I usually go on Wednesday nights. (So I may have something to report after that; I reserve the right to post on Wednesday night despite also posting tonight.) Did I mention we have a houseguest this week? For his benefit, everyone in my house may come out to the museum place to enjoy the concert and stuff. Not sure. I kinda wish it could just be me and my girls, but I guess that’s kinda mean on my part.
My sister has invited me and my kids over for dinner on Saturday night. That should be interesting with her husband around – I guess they are going to counseling, but things aren’t pretty. Hopefully I will get the time to pack up my car with stuff that I’ve been wanting to give her for her baby. It will be nice to get the stuff out of my house and into one where it will be used. I will probably catch some flack for taking some personal time on Saturday night. No, I’m not kidding. Hopefully I will be caught up enough by then that it won’t be a big issue (yeah, right).
I’m so glad your trip went well. I missed you. I forgot you were going. Did you have fun at the concert last night? How long is your house guest there for?
I hope the sun comes out for your guys today. I’m listening to the rain here, as I’m drinking my coffee. Thursdays seem to fly by. Is my life that busy? My back still hurts but that’s boring news. I had a melt down in public yesterday. I hit my knee on a table which in turn hurt my back. It’s a long story but I ended up crying in a oh so cool coffee shop. It made me wonder when did it become unacceptable to cry in public when your hurt emotional or physically. Navar was so sweet he came over to me and started to rub my back saying it’s OK. The lady at the counter was saying double latte with white chocolate over and over. I just couldn’t answer her yet. It hurt so bad that I really just didn’t care that I was crying like a 5 year old. Of course the place was packed with very cool people. Why are some coffee house filled with so called cool people. I realized they were just people. Looking up I thought everyone would be looking at the middle aged women crying like a 5 year old. Not one pair of eyes was looking at me. I was relived. I opened my lap top and started to work on the project I needed to get done. Strange day.
I had such a great day but am too tired to write tonight. Will share tomorrow. I ♥ the cabin.
Ok, I have to ask this… Why does Jason have a smiley on his back in the picture?
I wondered if anyone would notice that. He has some kind of a “thingy” machine for his back. It shocks or jolts him or something.
Yes, it is shock therapy. Electricity goes into his back, and shocks the muscles. The way he described it, is like a massage within. Like a muscle spasm in a way. It seems to help, but he wears it practically 24/7…I’m afraid there is a real problem, and this shock therapy is only a temporary fix. But him and doctors don’t really go together.
Nikki has he just tried doctors? And not a chiropractor? There is a huge difference between the two. What about a massage? To me the shock therapy doesn’t sound really relaxing! Or good in anyway. How long has this been going on?
He says it feels good, when he has them on. It is my moms that she got when her back went out. Her doctor gave it to her. His back went by simply bending over to lift something rather light. It was been a few weeks. He won’t go to the doctor, every time he has for anything before this, they suggest PT, heat, cold, and send him on his way. I think THIS time, there is really something wrong. But even if PT was the right thing to do, he wouldn’t go. So I’m at the point, do I even feel sorry for him anymore?
yea I would stop feeling sorry for him! If he’s that stubborn and won’t go get help to fix it, let him suffer. Just because I work with a chiropractor and know what they can do, I would suggest going to see them over a doctor! Well I’m sorry that you have to put up with this! 😀
Something else that he might consider, IF you can actually haul him to a medical professional?
I was having some serious back spasms – they were so bad that I was missing work to lay on the floor ALL DAY LONG. It was no fun at all.
My doc recommended that I see a colleague of his… a Kineseologist. He billed himself as a Chiropractor, but he actually specialized in Kinesiology, which is the study of how the muscles and bones work together. It’s a little different that straight Chiropractory, which (in my observation only, no insult intended) seems to involve mostly manipulations. When I went to the Kinesiologist, he said that the WORST thing he could do was a manipulation, because that could injure me worse.
It turned out that I actually had an injured muscle in my hip, but my body was trying to compensate for it, and putting strain on my back. That, combined with the stress that I was under at the time, caused my problems. He gave me exercises and stretches to do, and advised my MD to prescribe a mild muscle relaxant. He also advised me to reduce the stress. The combo did the trick, and I still use that knowledge, if I feel that injury firing up again.
Aaw not much Fun sorry to hear about Jason. It sounds like a TENS machine Ive had that done at the Chiropractor before. I could probably use one of the little machines myself. I’ve been finding ICE helps my back a lot. Ive also tried massage which did help some, also soaking in a hot bath helps sometimes resting in a comfortable chair helps. Ive recently started doing simple back exercises that helped me a long time ago when my back gave me some troubles. Ive also heard physical therapy can be helpful which I’m thinking about. Hard, I understand the I hope it will go away theory. I hope his back does just get better. I hope my back gets better too for that matter it is really frustrating.
I woke this morning in a panic I thought today was Friday and that I had missed going to my Thursday class because I commented on Free Chat Thursday yesterday. But Navar assured me it was Thursday today! :+)
That’s funny that you didn’t know what day it was. I do that all the time and I hate it. We’ve been having a lot of trouble with WordPress. Have you been? When Nikki went to save that post, it just published it and I didn’t see it until I got up yesterday morning and I quickly copied it and then put it in the trash and then from there it let me repost it today but I had to stick it to the front page. It’s been putting in our main posts in crazy spots so I’ve been having to find them and stick them to the front. That’s why the color behind the post is blue. I can’t figure out why it’s been doing that. Have you had any trouble?
I had such an incredible day yesterday at the cabin. I told Paul last night that it was the first time since I got sick that I felt like a normal person. We rode the pontoon and had a picnic lunch on it and just sat in the sun. I knit, grandpa and Bailey fished and Nikki was soaking up the rays. It was a great day. I thought about going back today to watch a storm move through but I’m way too lazy. I think I’ll just rest up today and hope to get there for more time over the weekend. I was telling Nikki that what’s so nice about the cabin is that with that screened in porch/kitchen; I feel like I’m outside. I don’t feel closed up because I see the water and see what everyone is doing and I don’t feel lonely. I had a great day. We had a great steak supper and all was well. Paul and I were bone weary last night and it felt great.
We do have a graduation party on Sat but I’m not holding my breath. If it’s humid I just can’t go. There’s no way I can sit outside and I’m not about to go sit in their house when everyone else is outside. I’d rather be alone. That would embarrass me. So, as much as I hate playing things by ear but I’m sure learning that that is what I have to do.
I know there was something I wanted to write in here and do you think I can think of it now??? I’m sure I’ll be back in a while as soon as I remember.
I’m back. Yesterday I conked out as soon as we got home. I was just too far behind on my sleep. We had gone to the outdoor “concert,” picked up the houseguest and his cousin after the baseball game, then went to the Cheesecake Factory, and we got home after midnight. The concert was OK. When we got there, the politicians were blabbing on and on, and it was a long time before any actual music started. They had a Reggae band which was fun. My kids were not that “into it,” but it was OK. Someone gave them flower-shaped balloons and then they got to go pet a couple of horses, who nudged and nuzzled them and tried to taste the flowers on their clothes, LOL, and then they found something fun to climb on. So all in all, it worked out fine.
The houseguest left this morning. My daughter E took a real liking to him and will probably miss him. Today was my kids’ first “real” day back at school. They went so late on Monday and Tuesday, they missed all the lessons, and on Wednesday they stayed home to spend time with our guest (at his request). Today I had a conference all morning and now I am scrambling to get some stuff done. But I had internet withdrawal so I thought I’d pay this site a visit.
Gotta go buy my dad something for Father’s Day today. I didn’t realize it was so close. Aargh! But maybe I can avoid a trip to his house if I do F.D. on Saturday night at my Sister’s (assuming he shows up for that). Ugh, I just don’t have time this month for all of these extracurriculars. I am sure it sounds terrible, but this is just the worst June ever. I missed saying happy birthday to two of my friends last weekend. I never do that. I will be so glad when this month is over.
Hello Joy,
I also noticed the electrode patches on Jason’s back. I am a retired Physical Therapist. I had to leave the profession because of my own cervical spinal problems and subsequent, very complicated surgery. At one time, I did find relief from the TENS unit. This modality uses electricy to make the muscle fibers contract and release intermittently. TENS stands for Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulator, which just means it is sending electricity through the skin in the area between the electrodes.
There are a couple of therories about how the TENS unit decreases pain. Basically, a spasm is when an injury or even a congenital problem has caused a muscle or group of muscles to involuntarily contract. The muscle group(s) can’t return to their natural, relaxed state, because they have been overused, and therfore tired, or over stretched. Joints may be misaligned by the spasm over time, if they are not already out of place (which caused the spasm?) The pain can be nagging, or intense. Either way, a vicious cycle often occurs, where the more the muscles pull, the more it hurts. Then the more it hurts, the more the muscles contract, which increases the pain…
The TENS unit seeks to break up the spasm by interrupting the electrical impulses that make our muscles move. One theory of how it works is by blocking the pain signals by traveling up a different (faster) nerve fiber than the pain sensation travels. The “tingling” from the TENS unit gets to the brain first, and blocks the pain impulses before they arrive . This is called “The Gate Theory”, which just means the pain can’t get through the gate.
Another theory is that the electric stimulation actually releases Endorphins and Enkephalins, which are the opiate like centers we have in our brains. The so called “natural high” that people get from exercise (I know, it sounds impossible) is a result of these substances being released. This is how runners and other athletes can work through the pain they should be feeling, because they are producing their own pain relieving drug.
The unit can’t cause serious harm but it could actually increase the spasm, or it can hurt like heck if the parametes aren’t programmed correctly. Also, placement of the electrodes is important. It really should be set by a knowledgable professional, such as a PT or Chiropractor. I believe that both fields have something to offer. Chiropractors can adjust the spine in a quick manner. Sometimes the joints will stay correctly aligned, and sometimes they won’t. Which is why a person might need to keep going back for adjustments. A Physical Therapist works more on the soft tissue, although we do something called ” spinal mobilization”, which aligns the joints as well. If we can get the muscles to relax, lengthen, and stay in place, so will the spine. Both professions use other modalities such as ice, heat, ultrasound, massage, and stretching. Different things work for different people. And I can tell you that they do work for many. Either way, you should not need treatments that go on forever. If it hasn’t greatly improved with a few weeks (usually 6 to 12), you should return to your physician.
I would strongly advise that if Jason or anyone else, has any kind of neurological symptoms, such as numbness, tingling, sharp shooting pain down your arm or leg, or significant weakness, see your doctor soon. You can cause permanent damage if you ignore these symptoms. Lastly, surgery is ALWAYS a last resort. Many times you can get improved mobility or stabilty, whichever you need, but the pain doesn’t go away. TAKE CARE OF YOUR SPINES….
I sure hope Jason feels better soon. Relaxing and fishing on the lake and being with loved ones, will hopefully do wonders. Hope you don’t mind the long reply, but Physical Therapy was a part of my life for a very long time, and I loved helping people!
Thanks for the info Joy Joy. We never mind long replies here. We’re the Kings and Queens of them.
Thank you JoyJoy, I will have Jason ready your comment!!
Oh, but I am long-winded. I wonder if my patient’s ever got tired of hearing me explain stuff when all they really wanted was relief. Still, I found that whenever electricity was involved, most people liked to be informed! Oh well, I don’t know that much about many subjects, so this will probably be my longest reply ever 🙂
I’m just happy you are having a fantastic time!
JoyJoy
Glad I was able to read Joys response. I agree Take care of your spines, Good advice. Very informative and helpful Joy.
I was actually just checking in I just saw on the news tornadoes hope you are all OK and safe. Not sure if they are in your area or not.