Saturday musings

[deborahjross]

The day is cooling off, redwood trees casting the garden into shadow. Soon Dave will go out and spray the vineyard with sulfur. We took two naps, bracketing an early dinner with Rose, her girlfriend Marcie, and Dave's sister, Sue. Dave grilled fresh local wild salmon, yellow squash and eggplant, while I put together a big green salad, red-onion-orange-ginger salsa for the fish, and chopped a fine sweet watermelon into bite sized morsels. Now a cup of Republic of Tea blueberry tea sits at my elbow, I am listening to a rich, evocative album: YO-YO MA PLAYS ENNIO MORRICONE and preparing to dive into THE ALTON GIFT. I woke from my second nap to the realization that I have only 3 or 4 major scenes to write to finish the draft. Then to go back and read for continuity.

The knee continues to be frustrating. Every morning I wake up pain free and optimistic, but if I walk any distance, even a few hundred feet, agony strikes. I discovered something interesting. In a pissy, rebellious mood, figuring that since I was already in pain, I had nothing to lose, I added squats, lunges, and plie lunges (2 sets of 12, slow and careful) to my workout. Lo and behold, the pain vanished. It did return later in the day. Did them again this morning and here it is, late afternoon with only minor discomfort. I see the PT again on Wednesday, armed with this information.

Comments

[sartorias.livejournal.com]

Say hi to Rose and Sue!

Good work on the writing!

[deborahjross.livejournal.com]

Thanks -- I alternate between can't-wait-until-it's-done and exhilaration at the way it's coming together.

[kateelliott.livejournal.com]

Man, you just can't tell with knees, can you?

[deborahjross.livejournal.com]

Knees! Can't live with 'em, can't live without 'em! No... er...

Who designed these, anyway? They have 13 bursas (bursae) and a million things can go wrong with them. Actually, all things considered, they do a pretty good job at keeping us moving over all sorts of unpredictable terrain, but that is of small consolation when they break down.

Yesterday, began the day with lunges/squats and stayed comfortable for most of the day. Of course, I didn't walk, except to potz around the house, but I did stand to chop things in the kitchen. Today, some minor stiffness, wrestling with the inner athlete who just wants to f*ck it all and go hiking.

[norilana.livejournal.com]

*Raises cup of same blueberry tea in salute!*

[deborahjross.livejournal.com]

Very yummy stuff! I got the diet variety to keep sugar intake low. I love the honey ginseng green tea, but it's got too much sugar for me, and the diet version leaves an aftertaste. Fuze makes some great drinks, too. Summer's here and it's time to have plenty of drinks on hand!

[norilana.livejournal.com]

Sugar?

Hmmm, wait, is there some kind of bottled tea you mean? I didn't know Republic of Tea made bottled!

Mine are just dried teabags with nothing added that you brew with hot water. :-) I never put anything in my tea except an occasional wedge of lemon, and never use any sweetener in any drink.

[deborahjross.livejournal.com]

OOps, brain fart. I meant Arizona. Republic of Tea does have blueberry tea, which I have in teabags, too. I've seen some RoT bottled teas in the health food store, but they are mucho expensive. Much better to brew my own and chill it.

[norilana.livejournal.com]

Ah, ok, in that case, definitely! Arizona is yummy, but a bit on the too sweet side, so yup.

Interesting that Republic of Tea is bottled too, and as you say, much better to make your own and chill it if needed. :-)

[equesgal.livejournal.com]

Deborah, I can so sympathize with your knees. I do the same thing though. I walk every morning in my hiking boots [I can only walk normally in hiking boots and clogs even after my foot surgery] then I try to remember to spend at least twenty minutes a day sitting (or trying to sit!) Indian-style. It is the only thing that stretches out my muscles in my right hip. I usually can't even sit crossed-legged until I sit with one leg crossed at a time first. It is interesting how your pain goes away after lunges. Just the thought of lunges makes my poor heart quail. LOL Let us know what the doc says.

[deborahjross.livejournal.com]

Yes, I always thought lunges were hard on the knees, but they felt good. I could feel the hamstring and calf muscle attachments at the back of my knee in that working hard/feeling good/stretching way. Now I'm getting suspicious that the problem isn't in the joint but the balance of muscles around it. All the ortho tests for joint stability, ligamentous integrity and cartilage/meniscus turn out fine. I just hurt when I walk, or sometimes when I bent it all the way.

Oh, and my preferred seating position is cross-legged, usually in a half lotus (I have flexible hips). So when there's swelling or whatever in my knee and it won't bend that far, my low back gritches at me. Can't win.