blog problems

i just noticed something on someone else computer...would you be so kind to let me know if you have to scroll way down to see my posts? it doesn't seem to drop down on my computer, but my computer does not speak for all it's kind.

nothing new

(this is going to be a long and elaborate post and i am not offended if you start skim reading.)

yesterday i had the 2-?? shift. that usually means that they hold off the cleaning until lunch is almost over, then they haul you in to (fill in random annoying job here). yesterday it was lugging the empty beer bottles to the garage and sorting them into brown, clear, green or creemore bottles. then the coronas have to be in a separate box because their necks are taller - same goes for the green steamwhistle bottles. creemores are fat and sit eight in a box...you get the picture.

one time ryan was sorting them and he found at least three cockroaches in each bottle, a little drunk (oh, who am i kidding - a lot drunk) on the leftover swigs at the bottom. he didn't realize until he got to the clear ones. luckily for me, that really only happens in the winter.

anyway, the whole time i am cursing my life because i think i am in until 9 or 10. this is father's day so the shifts are pretty bizarre. i got to work with laura until 4, then it was two hours until ryan was in to help for crazy father's day dinner. at least that's what i thought.

i finished with the bottles and there were only five tables, so i started setting up for dinner. there is resetting the tables, stock (usually pretty light at lunch), the specials board (one for the patio, one over the bar and one upstairs), cutlery (polish...polish...polish), wine glasses, ice, lemons, limes, switch the menus and pick up any straggling tables while the waiters do their cash out.

then matt says, "ryan knows he's not on tonight, right?". well considering that the last thing i said to ryan was see you at six, no i think he has no idea. bummed that i was that ryan would not be joining us that night, i was still happy that i could call and give him the news. he was probably at home doing a happy dance.

anyway, then matt says something crazy like, i'm going to send laura home because i have to keep you for the minimum three hours (in case nobody knows, if you get sent home from work because it's slow, you get paid for at least three hours just for coming in). did he just say that? am i...going to be off tonight?

(here i want to stop for a second because i don't want to give the impression that i'm not grateful for my job. i know they are giving me a lot of hours and i would be complaining if they weren't, but there are some days, like yesterday when you would rather be at home watching x-files dvds. you take the time off when you can get it.)

i just assumed that 2 would be a ridiculously late time to start me just for lunch, so i was probably in it until dinner slowed down. how on earth did ryan and i both manage to get the night off after both being scheduled? i would just like to thank whomever was responsible (or irresponsible) for short-staffing us on father's day dinner.

after the storm

i hosted! and it went alright. thanks for everyone's lovely comments and thanks to ryan for noticing that i forgot a group of five waiting patiently by the patio as i almost gave away their table (!).

about ten minutes after my shift started, this really loud and really drunk guy came in the door and i couldn't stop him. he kept asking me to make him a martini and all i could say is, "well, how many people will be joining your party? if all you want is a drink then i'm sorry i can't give you a table".

i went to get a little assitance (from superman-james) and when i came back (without any luck in finding him), i realized that someone had made him a martini. james shows up to save the day and manages to shuffle him off after about five minutes of careful supervision (all the time shooting us death looks and whispering, "if anyone makes him another drink i am going to kill you!!).

he pays his bill...he starts leaving...slowly stumbling to the door...he's almost there...he's almost there...has the door open...and he spots the hot blond at the table next to him...starts saying something like, "hey baby, what are you doin later" and all i could think to do was shout "bye! have a nice night!" to try to block out his slurred pick up line. phew...he's gone.

twenty minutes later: he's back! he's back! he is on the sidewalk next to the patio and he's leaning over the fence chatting up to young girls at table 55. i noticed that alex was shooting me nervous and crazy glances, like "do we have to be nice about this??". somehow, superman-james get's him to leave - again - and alerts ryan that if he sees him coming anywhere near the restaurant, to "take evasive action". (this just means lock the door and pretend that nobody's home).

besides that little fiasco - which of all of the things i mentally prepared for, i seemed to forget rowdy drunk men - i really felt like i was in charge of the whole place. no...you cannot sit there...sorry...no table for you! i was the table nazi.

whoa! long post. see how much i write when i don't post on a regular basis? i go to put up a little post and it opens the floodgates.

toast to the host

that's me! i'm hosting tonight at the restaurant for the first time.

of course i am scared, but i can admit that it's pretty irrational. i do have somewhat of a handle on things, but i know that when i do get nervous, i start making mistakes. some people work in the opposite direction and nerves sharpen their abilities.

the funny thing about it is that when james asked me if i wanted to work the door, busboy didn't seem scary anymore. it was only when i realized that i would rather just pick up the dishes and carry the food, maybe take the occasional order and punch something into the computer, that i was finally comfortable with my job.

don't get me wrong, i am not skipping off to work with glee and excitement, i just don't feel like i am going to throw up before my shifts anymore.

and...well...darth vadar came in the mail yesterday. (woo hoo!)

lies

i have to apologize to you, dear reader. i keep saying things like...ok, i'll post about it tomorrow and i don't. the truth is that i am busy because we are short-staffed at work and i just can't get into my blog when i am housesitting.

i got all the classes i wanted so i assumed enrollment was going to be fairly stress-free. this was not the case for ryan. they switched his enrollment window without telling him and i just happened to check it twenty minutes before it opened (while he was at work). all the classes he needs have their seats reserved by the professors, only they seem to have no idea that they placed the restrictions and don't know how to enroll him.

that's not to mention that they only let us enroll online and the server goes down every thirty seconds (i am not joking!). it took ryan four hours to do half of what i had accomplished in three minutes.

that being said, i am now enrolled in pragmatism (don't ask), abnormal psych, topics in epistemology, evolutionary psych, cognition, advertising and society (which should be awesome), biological basis of behavior, topics in contemporary philosophy, and topics in moral philosophy. just the course names are giving me a headache. there...more fuel for the stalker. i'm not afraid of you.

just as a side note, since we have been staying on lovely riverside drive i have seen a frog, a coyote, a hawk and a heron. they only live ten minutes away from us and they get all the cool critters.

work has been weird! there are secret staff meetings and then counter secret staff meetings, none of which i have been involved in thankfully. we lost a really good waitress and they can't replace her. so far, they tried hiring two other girls who both quit after one shift. that just means more people are doubling and that makes for one cranky staff. at least i feel like i have a handle on the job again (eventhough i still can't open a wine bottle).

and in closing, i thought i would mention the absolutely bizzare weather we are having. i was working out on the patio last night and the sky just went black. the wind was awesome and we had to move everyone inside because their salads we flying all over the place. thunderstorms and downpours. but come on, tornadoes in the gta? seems a little out of place to me. not to mention that there was a tornado just south of midland where our cottage is. i hope our little place is ok. i wonder how often google updates their satellite imaging.

good stuff

i have been really busy lately...oh look at me; i sound so important. but i just wanted to let you know that i will tell you all about the drama at work, the two woodpeckers in our backyard, the junction art festival and how i changed my minor...only not now, tomorrow.

we are housesitting right now on fancy schmancy riverside drive (don't stalk me stalker - i know you're reading this) and it's a flipping fourty degrees here (with the humidex of course). that being said, i don't want to bother uploading my pictures onto this stranger computer and then have to bother with deleting them after blah blah blah.

anyway. in a nutshell...work is crazy and everyone is revolting. i don't mean like make me sick, but like "rise up against the fascists" kind of revolting. there were two downy woodpeckers at the feeder and ryan got some really good pictures. ryan is playing a show at the junction art festival on september 10, 2005 that is to say busey and the bureaucrats are playing the junction art festival on september 10, 2005. and i realized i have just enough credit space to minor in psychology even though it makes me so angry!

so until then, goodnight. sleep tight and don't let the bugbears bite!

sequences for scoliosis

11
Originally uploaded by jessalauren.

there are six major areas of the body to focus on while doing the yoga poses for scoliosis. these areas are very important in creating proper alignment, decreasing pain. and minimizing further curvature of the spine.

1. feet and legs. When standing and walking, it is very important to place equal weight on both feet and to be aware of any imbalances. Strengthening the legs creates a solid foundation from which the spine can stretch and become freer, and it enables the legs, rather than the spine, to carry the weight of the body.

2. Spine. Since this is where the scoliosis is located, it is important to focus on lengthening the spine, which tends to reduce the S curve.

3. Psoas (Major and Minor). These two muscles (a pair on each side of the body) are the principal flexors of the thigh. They arise from the iliacus muscle and along the vertebral column and join to insert on the lesser trochanter of the femur. Together with the iliacus, they form a structural and functional unit called the iliopsoas. Besides flexing the thigh, the iliopsoas is an important postural muscle. During sit ting it balances the torso; in standing it counteracts the tendency of the torso to fall behind the line of gravity, which passes just in back of the hip joints. Keeping this muscle well toned aligns the lower limbs with the torso and frees the spine.

4. Scapula. To prevent the upper back from rounding (a common problem in people with scoliosis) , it is important to drop the shoulder blades down from the ears and draw them in toward the front of the body. To facilitate this movement, we must develop increased flexibility of the muscles surrounding the shoulder blades.

5. Abdominal Muscles. To strengthen the abdominal muscles is very important with a scoliosis. If the abdominals are weak, then it causes the back muscles to overwork and therefore tighten. In extreme cases, it may cause lordosis or an extreme curve of the lower back particularly on the concave side of the lower back.

6. Breath. Awareness of the breath is perhaps the most important thing to focus on while doing the yoga poses. Usually very little air enters the lung on the concave side of the spine. Sending the breath into the collapsed rib cage on this side can actually stretch the intercostal muscles and create more lung capacity. This creates more openness and evenness on both sides of the chest, from the inside out.

Yoga Poses For Lengthening the Spine

Cat/Cow Pose. At the start of a practice period, loosening the spine with the breath is important to prevent injury, particularly at the apex of the scoliosis. Kneel with the hands below the shoulders and the knees below the hips. Inhaling, lift the head and tailbone, making the lower back concave. Exhale and tuck the tailbone, rounding the back and releasing the neck. Repeat at least 10 times.

Vajrasana (Child's Pose). After completing the exhalation in the Cat/Cow Pose, stretch the hands out in front. Inhale deeply into the back, particularly the concave side where the ribs are compressed. Exhale and move the buttocks back halfway toward the heels. Inhale, and stretch the arms and the pelvis away from each other, with the upper back following the arms and the lower back following the pelvis. Breathe into this position, feeling the intercostal muscles stretching between the ribs and the spine and back muscles lengthening. To help stretch the compressed ribs on the concave side, move the arms toward the convex side, keeping the arms shoulder-width apart. Notice how this movement makes the back more even. Mter breathing into this position for a minute, move the buttocks all the way back to the heels and relax the arms by your side. Relax the entire body.

Trikonasana (Triangle Pose). In Triangle Pose, the feet are separated while the torso stretches to the side. Because of the scoliosis, your emphasis should be different when you stretch to each side. When stretching toward the side of the concavity, emphasize lengthening the spine to open up the compressed ribs on the underside of the body and decrease the protrusion of the ribs on the opposite side. When stretching to the convex side, emphasize twisting to create more evenness on the sides of the back.

Virabhadrasana I (Warrior Pose). This pose strengthens and stretches the legs, psoas, and back muscles. For students with scoliosis, this pose is best practiced with the support of a doorjamb or pillar, to keep the torso upright and balanced. Bring the back groin to the edge of the door jamb with the front heel about two feet ahead and the front leg hugging the side of the wall. Place the back toes about two feet behind the left hip. Square the two hips so they are parallel to each other and point the tailbone to the floor, lengthening the sacrum.

Inhale and bring the arms overhead parallel to the shoulders, palms facing toward each other, and lift from the upper back, lengthening the ribs and spine out of the pelvis. Exhale and bend the right leg, creating a right angle, with the thigh parallel to the floor and the shinbone perpendicular to the floor. The right knee should be directly over the right heel, with the left leg fully extended and the left heel descending to the floor. Keep lifting the spine and at the same time press into the floor with the back leg. If you have difficulty bringing the back heel to the floor, place a sandbag under the heel for balance. Pressing it back and down to the floor helps to penetrate the deep psoas muscle.

Salabhasana (Locust Pose). This backbend is very important for scoliosis, because it strengthens the erector spinae muscles and the hamstring muscles of the legs. This strengthening helps to ensure adequate support of the spinal column in all back bending poses.

Lie face down and extend the arms out to the side, in line with the shoulders. On an exhalation, lift the head and upper chest off the floor, keeping the buttocks firm and pressing the thighs strongly down. Lengthen the arms out to the side so the shoulder blades stretch away from the spine, keeping the hands below the level of the shoulder blades. Exhale as you release. Repeat three to five times.

Now stretch the arms overhead and feel the muscles of the back lengthening from the pelvis. Lift the arms and place the palms on the seat of a chair in front of you. Stretch the arms out once again and move the chair farther away to lengthen the spine. Gently lift the abdomen and floating ribs to support the front of the spine. Press down strongly with the palms on the chair as you press the thighs downward and lift the spine further. Exhale as you release. Repeat three to five times. You may also do this pose with the legs lifted as well as the arms.

As you become more advanced, you may wish to attempt more advanced backbends, such as Dhanurasana (Bow Pose), Ustrasana (Camel Pose), and Urdhva Dhanurasana (Upward Facing Bow Pose) .

Chair Twist. Sit on a chair with your right side to the back of the chair and your hands placed on each side of the back of the chair. Place your feet firmly on the floor, knees and ankles together. With an inhalation, lengthen the spine; with the exhalation, gently rotate from the navel, stretching the ribs away form the pelvis. Press with the right hand into the back of the chair to create more twist, and with the left fingers pull on the back of the chair, drawing the left shoulder blade away from the spine. Continue to breathe into the pose and twist further with each exhalation. With an exhalation, slowly release the pose. For a right thoracic scoliosis, emphasis should be put on twisting in this direction. Twist both ways twice, but stay longer on this side.

As you progress you will be able to add several other seated twists that are beneficial to scoliosis, including Blharadvajasana, Maricehyasana, and Ardha Matsyendrasana.

Janu Sirsasana (Head to Knee Pose). Sit at the very edge of a folded blanket with both legs straight, and pull the flesh of the buttocks away from the sitting bones. Bend your right knee and bring your right heel into the right groin, letting the knee fall gently to the side. Bend forward from the hips over the left leg. In this forward bend, first lift the spine and draw the shoulder blades down and into the back, opening the chest. This movement counter acts the tendency of people with scoliosis to hunch their backs and round their shoulders. To achieve this opening of the chest, you may pull gently on a chair, or on a tie wrapped around the ball of the left foot. Place a sandbag on the protruding (convex) side of the spine. If you can come farther forward, place a bolster or blanket across the straight leg and rest the forehead on the bolster. Repeat on the opposite side.

Paschimottanasana (Seated Forward Bend) and other seated forward bends can also be practiced in a similar fashion, with the aid of a chair, a sandbag, and a bolster.

Savasana (Corps Pose) with Breathing Awareness

Relaxation is crucial to allow the body, mind, and sprit to receive the fruits of the practice. Especially for scoliosis sufferers, relaxation is difficult, for the muscles have been clenched to support the uneven spine. Lie down on your back on the floor, stretching both sides of the body evenly. If the back is uneven due to the scoliosis, place a tie or small towel in the concavity of the back. Close your eyes and breath deeply, becoming especially aware of the spine and expanding both sides of the rib cage evenly. Move your awareness through your body, noticing and releasing any areas of tension. Stay in the pose at least 10 minutes.

bad news

126_2700
Originally uploaded by jessalauren.

this is what happens when ryan and i get the same addiction at the same time. we walked into zellers to get new pillows. how we managed to get over to the toy section, i don't know. i admit, we had an inkiling that something like this would be over there.

there's the display case. so many action figures to choose from. it started with r2-d2. anyone can justify an r2-d2 toy. but, there's c3p0. can you really leave him here alone? then of course if i get two, ryan get's to pick two for himself. obi, mace. but...who are they going to be fighting exactly? they can't fight each other...there needs to be a bad guy. but there are three different palpatines to choose from and vadar is all sold out.

and it went from there. if you have a collector's gene in your blood, the moment you find out that something is sold out at a toy store or a comic book store, it's definitely on.

i wont tell you how many we have. but they make them just cheap enough so you can get a few and feel really rewarded and it takes a lot of time to open them and set them up...but then you start looking at them and thinking: i think i saw an r4-g9 figure and it had a hologram shooting out of its head or ryan will say something like: wouldn't it be cool if we had the wookie warrior to go over here?

i think we are starting to kick it, though. i think when ryan said...we can get two clone commanders, i haven't seen them anywhere else...we knew we had pushed it too far. if you have two clone commanders, how many clone troopers are you expecting to buy?? also, it's a little embarassing going into toy stores and sitting beside little kids endlessly flipping through racks. the cashier guy always: do you need a gift receipt? are you sure you don't need a gift receipt? always that same smirk on his face.

dr. apathetic

i just got back from my doctor's appointment that i have been dreading. i woke up early on my day off so she could look at my shoulder that has been going out since last summer.

i wasn't surprised that she was a half-hour late. i was surprised she wasn't fourty-five minutes late because that is usually the way things go - i expect that...that's fine. but when she kept cutting me off when i was trying to tell her what the problem was, i started to get a little annoyed. i am pretty sure you have to listen to the patient before you make a diagnosis.

she walked in the office at 11:02 and she was out by 11:05. sorry, nothing i can do. i have been living with a bad back for twenty-years, so now you have to. she was basically laughing that i came in for something so trivial, even after i had tried months of daily yoga (not just a little yoga, either. at least an hour or two) and avoided coming into her office because i felt like it was a stupid problem.

i have had back problems for awhile. so i know when something is a "normal back thing" or a tearing SHOULDER pain. she recommended doing everything that i have already been doing. she said advil might help sometimes - yeah, doing that. no chiropracter, no massage, nothing. she barely left the doorway. she used my appointment to bitch about her back problems.

sorry, i really needed to rant. no, i need an analgesic, but this is good too.