The end of an era finally arrived. After three months of continuous physical therapy, Angie's sessions were coming to an end. The last three sessions confirmed that there was no more pain for Angie but still enormous stiffness and tightness.
Last week’s sessions were overseen by Shayna who was taking over for Lily while she was on vacation. Shayna gave Angie some new stretches and exercises to do – many of which included the use of a foam roller. Angie had to use the foam roller to assist in stretching out her rib muscles and her shoulder muscles. Although it was painful to use the foam roller at first, the benefit was immediate. As Shayna worked on Angie’s back, it became apparent that her back was still overcompensating for the tightness in her mid back. Although she was no longer in pain, her shoulder on one side and her lower back on the opposite end were very tight. Shayna warned Angie that she had to be very cautious because this type of tightness could re-activate the pain she felt when she originally came into physical therapy.
Angie knew this was the case as Lily had told her the same thing. Angie wasn’t really sure what to do as she was still doing all her exercises and stretches at home. She couldn’t really pinpoint what was creating all this tension in her back. If only there were some kind of magical mailing that would arrive to tell Angie the exact thing that exacerbated her back trouble. But alas, there was none yet.
Lily showed Angie some new stretches as well. She gave her some new variations to exercises she was already doing. These variations would be more challenging and would aid in strengthening the specific spots that still needed improvement.
At the end of the session, Lily provided Angie with some additional exercises and stretches to what she was already doing. She also gave Angie a sheet on ankle exercises because Angie often complained of wobbliness in her ankles. They hugged and said goodbye.
As much as they said they will keep in touch, Angie hoped it was more as friendship than as a physical therapist to patient. The future remains to be seen but this concludes the saga of Angie’s back pain and treatment. Thank you all for your devotion to the soap opera.
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Monday, June 27, 2011
Jury Deliberations and the Verdict
We selected the foreperson immediately upon entering the juror room. We then decided to start fresh the next day.
Upon leaving the courthouse, I knew exactly where I stood on the second count. I felt that the government did a very good job of proving beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant had violated this act. The charge explained what I had already known so nothing new was added to my decision in that regard.
When I went home, I re-read the charge around the first count of conspiracy and the legal language confused me. As it was I wasn’t entirely sure that the prosecution was as convincing on that count; now the charge just befuddled me more.
The next day everyone was just as confused as I was on the first count. We asked the judge for clarification as well as witness testimony transcripts to go over pieces of the case. We read the charge aloud and most of us were confused by it. I think at that moment a lot of us wanted to say the defendant was not guilty on the first count because the burden of proof by the prosecution had not been met in our eyes. After hours of discussion, we took a count. 4 people felt he was guilty and 8 felt he wasn’t. I was one of the ones who thought he was not guilty mostly because I didn’t believe the evidence showed he knowingly participated in the conspiracy.
That night I had trouble sleeping. I really had to follow the advice the judge had given us. If I were in the defendant’s shoes, what would I do? What would I be thinking? And I realized that I wouldn’t be in the defendant’s shoes. I would never have handed over that money as was seen in the video. No matter who was asking me, I wouldn’t have gotten into that car and driven across state lines. There was no denying that he was caught red handed in that video and therefore he was guilty in my eyes. It didn’t matter how much he knew before the money drop or during the drive. The fact was he delivered the money and that’s it.
When we returned the next day, there was a change in the air. We took a vote and it was now 6-6. We circled the table to explain our ideas and/or changes of opinion. I do not know if it changed anyone’s mind or not. By lunchtime, we didn’t seem any closer to a decision on the first count. We spent the morning deciding the second count and that was a little more straightforward.
After lunch, we asked the judge to explain one more bit of legal language and that made all the difference. Once she elucidated, we had the answer in our hands. We returned to the juror room and took another vote. It was unanimous. The defendant was guilty on both counts brought against him.
I can’t say that I felt good about my decision. I certainly didn’t want to go into jury duty to come out finding someone guilty of any crime. I do feel that justice was served though because we discussed and repeated every aspect of the charges in such detail. It became maddening at many points – just going over pieces of evidence, transcripts and the charge over and over.
What I learned, aside from due process and how the system works, is that you have to watch what you do in this day and age. Phones are traced and video cameras are everywhere. It’s important to do what you think is right. If there is any doubt, then you should not do it. Overall, it was a very valuable experience and I would do it again. Now I just have to wait another six years before I get another jury summons.
Upon leaving the courthouse, I knew exactly where I stood on the second count. I felt that the government did a very good job of proving beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant had violated this act. The charge explained what I had already known so nothing new was added to my decision in that regard.
When I went home, I re-read the charge around the first count of conspiracy and the legal language confused me. As it was I wasn’t entirely sure that the prosecution was as convincing on that count; now the charge just befuddled me more.
The next day everyone was just as confused as I was on the first count. We asked the judge for clarification as well as witness testimony transcripts to go over pieces of the case. We read the charge aloud and most of us were confused by it. I think at that moment a lot of us wanted to say the defendant was not guilty on the first count because the burden of proof by the prosecution had not been met in our eyes. After hours of discussion, we took a count. 4 people felt he was guilty and 8 felt he wasn’t. I was one of the ones who thought he was not guilty mostly because I didn’t believe the evidence showed he knowingly participated in the conspiracy.
That night I had trouble sleeping. I really had to follow the advice the judge had given us. If I were in the defendant’s shoes, what would I do? What would I be thinking? And I realized that I wouldn’t be in the defendant’s shoes. I would never have handed over that money as was seen in the video. No matter who was asking me, I wouldn’t have gotten into that car and driven across state lines. There was no denying that he was caught red handed in that video and therefore he was guilty in my eyes. It didn’t matter how much he knew before the money drop or during the drive. The fact was he delivered the money and that’s it.
When we returned the next day, there was a change in the air. We took a vote and it was now 6-6. We circled the table to explain our ideas and/or changes of opinion. I do not know if it changed anyone’s mind or not. By lunchtime, we didn’t seem any closer to a decision on the first count. We spent the morning deciding the second count and that was a little more straightforward.
After lunch, we asked the judge to explain one more bit of legal language and that made all the difference. Once she elucidated, we had the answer in our hands. We returned to the juror room and took another vote. It was unanimous. The defendant was guilty on both counts brought against him.
I can’t say that I felt good about my decision. I certainly didn’t want to go into jury duty to come out finding someone guilty of any crime. I do feel that justice was served though because we discussed and repeated every aspect of the charges in such detail. It became maddening at many points – just going over pieces of evidence, transcripts and the charge over and over.
What I learned, aside from due process and how the system works, is that you have to watch what you do in this day and age. Phones are traced and video cameras are everywhere. It’s important to do what you think is right. If there is any doubt, then you should not do it. Overall, it was a very valuable experience and I would do it again. Now I just have to wait another six years before I get another jury summons.
Thursday, June 23, 2011
The Trial – The Charge
When all the witnesses were questioned and the lawyers had completed their show, the judge contributed her part to the trial. She handed out the charge. This document explained the details of both of the counts on which the defendant was charged. It was 46 pages long – a small term paper by my standards.
Each of the counts was explained in both legal language and more day-to-day parlance. She read the charge to us and then we were sent to deliberate. We selected out foreperson and then decided to reconvene the next morning.
The charge in itself was super confusing. What was stated in the legal language seemed to be the opposite of what was explained in straightforward language. I actually read the charge 5 times from the moment we got it until we reached a verdict. Seriously, I felt like I was reading some of the philosophical texts in my college days - reading and re-reading in order to come to an understanding. Needless to say, it was one of the reasons why it took us so long to come to a verdict.
Each of the counts was explained in both legal language and more day-to-day parlance. She read the charge to us and then we were sent to deliberate. We selected out foreperson and then decided to reconvene the next morning.
The charge in itself was super confusing. What was stated in the legal language seemed to be the opposite of what was explained in straightforward language. I actually read the charge 5 times from the moment we got it until we reached a verdict. Seriously, I felt like I was reading some of the philosophical texts in my college days - reading and re-reading in order to come to an understanding. Needless to say, it was one of the reasons why it took us so long to come to a verdict.
The Trial – The Witnesses
The first person the prosecution sent to the witness stand was the Drug Enforcement Agency’s Case Director. He explained how he was one of the undercover agents for a particular ring of drug trafficking/money laundering. He explained the basics of the undercover arrangement and then proceeded to show us a video of the particular night in question. The video showed the money drop in question. The defendant had no knowledge of the surveillance equipment because the video recorder was hidden from his view.
We also heard recordings and read transcripts of many conversations that happened around the particular money drop in question and others that seemed to be tied to this incident. Under cross examination by the defense, it became clear that a number of methods used in the investigation were sketchy or incomplete. This was something the defense questioned for every witness.
The second witness was an officer who was part of the surveillance effort that tracked the defendant from the money drop back to his place of residence. He explained what happens in general on car surveillance and how many cars track the ‘target’ (the person they are following) and then what happened on the respective night. The defense also tore him down in questioning. I watched a lot of this part of the trial as if I were watching a tennis match – fast serve from the lawyer and even speedier return from the witness.
The next two witnesses were cooperating witnesses (CW). They were arrested for committing crimes and their testimony could be used to lower their sentencing although that wasn’t a guarantee. The first CW seemed to be the master mind of the whole drug trafficking and money laundering ring. He explained how the money laundering worked. All of his testimony was translated by a court interpreter. I found this part fascinating because I was ensuring that the court interpreter was capturing each thing exactly as the witness was saying it and not making any changes. I was satisfied with the translations.
The second CW was linked to the case via a cell phone. The cell phone he used made calls to the cell phone in the defendant’s car the night of the money drop in question.
We looked at cell phone invoices and agreements that 2nd CW signed under an alias (a baseball player’s name). He explained how he used the phone and that he recognized some of the phone numbers.
The fifth witness was the arresting officer. He explained how the arrest ‘went down’. He told us about how he read the defendant his Miranda rights in Spanish. And he clarified what the rights were showing in ‘layman’s terms’. The defendant then began to explain his guilt for what had happened.
The last witness was the paralegal for the prosecution. She explained how she went about gathering information for the whereabouts of the cell phones in usage. She got GPS locations for the cell phone used to do the money drop in question. I found her evidence and presentation very convincing.
As the lawyers made their closing statements, I knew how I stood on one of the two counts. The closing statements were entertaining more than revelatory. I knew I would have to make my decision based on the witnesses and their testimony and how much I credit I gave their testimony.
We also heard recordings and read transcripts of many conversations that happened around the particular money drop in question and others that seemed to be tied to this incident. Under cross examination by the defense, it became clear that a number of methods used in the investigation were sketchy or incomplete. This was something the defense questioned for every witness.
The second witness was an officer who was part of the surveillance effort that tracked the defendant from the money drop back to his place of residence. He explained what happens in general on car surveillance and how many cars track the ‘target’ (the person they are following) and then what happened on the respective night. The defense also tore him down in questioning. I watched a lot of this part of the trial as if I were watching a tennis match – fast serve from the lawyer and even speedier return from the witness.
The next two witnesses were cooperating witnesses (CW). They were arrested for committing crimes and their testimony could be used to lower their sentencing although that wasn’t a guarantee. The first CW seemed to be the master mind of the whole drug trafficking and money laundering ring. He explained how the money laundering worked. All of his testimony was translated by a court interpreter. I found this part fascinating because I was ensuring that the court interpreter was capturing each thing exactly as the witness was saying it and not making any changes. I was satisfied with the translations.
The second CW was linked to the case via a cell phone. The cell phone he used made calls to the cell phone in the defendant’s car the night of the money drop in question.
We looked at cell phone invoices and agreements that 2nd CW signed under an alias (a baseball player’s name). He explained how he used the phone and that he recognized some of the phone numbers.
The fifth witness was the arresting officer. He explained how the arrest ‘went down’. He told us about how he read the defendant his Miranda rights in Spanish. And he clarified what the rights were showing in ‘layman’s terms’. The defendant then began to explain his guilt for what had happened.
The last witness was the paralegal for the prosecution. She explained how she went about gathering information for the whereabouts of the cell phones in usage. She got GPS locations for the cell phone used to do the money drop in question. I found her evidence and presentation very convincing.
As the lawyers made their closing statements, I knew how I stood on one of the two counts. The closing statements were entertaining more than revelatory. I knew I would have to make my decision based on the witnesses and their testimony and how much I credit I gave their testimony.
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
The Trial - Opening Statements
I should mention that prior to our being sworn in, the judge had specified that we could not talk to anyone or discuss any aspect of the trial while the trial was in progress. No postings on the internet and certainly no research on the internet or anywhere. Those outside sources would influence our verdict and we were not allowed to do any of that. She also prohibited us from talking to any of the lawyers or law enforcement people or the witnesses. She said that it’s best to ignore them as no one could tell from afar what you might be discussing. In addition, the jurors themselves were not allowed to talk about the case with each other until the trial was completed.
The judge described how the United States Government, or more correctly, the lawyers representing the government would have the burden of proof. They would have to produce all the evidence to show beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant was guilty of the crimes for which he was charged.
The prosecution (or the government) made their opening statements. They told us that the defendant was being charged with two items: 1) Conspiracy to Money Launder 2) Violation of the Travel Act. (Both of which was explained by the judge early on and why I decided to disclose the fact that I work in the Legal and Compliance division of my company). They explained briefly what those charges meant and that there would be 6 witnesses from whom we would be hearing testimony.
Then the defense gave their opening statement. The defense council explained that there was a lot of incompetence in the investigation and that the evidence would not prove beyond a reasonable doubt that his client was guilty.
The judge described how the United States Government, or more correctly, the lawyers representing the government would have the burden of proof. They would have to produce all the evidence to show beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant was guilty of the crimes for which he was charged.
The prosecution (or the government) made their opening statements. They told us that the defendant was being charged with two items: 1) Conspiracy to Money Launder 2) Violation of the Travel Act. (Both of which was explained by the judge early on and why I decided to disclose the fact that I work in the Legal and Compliance division of my company). They explained briefly what those charges meant and that there would be 6 witnesses from whom we would be hearing testimony.
Then the defense gave their opening statement. The defense council explained that there was a lot of incompetence in the investigation and that the evidence would not prove beyond a reasonable doubt that his client was guilty.
Saturday, June 18, 2011
The Jury
After all the other people were shuffled out of the court room, the judge asked each individual person a number of questions: Their name, their marital status, if they had children, what they did for a living, what their spouses, children and any in-laws did for a living and their level of education and where they studied as well as where they resided.
Each person was required to respond to questions about lawsuits raised against them and what the verdicts on those cases were, if any. She pushed on to find out if they had been victims of a crime or if their family members had been. After each line of questioning, she asked if any of the individual jurors experience would make them biased in any way.
We then recessed and when we came back she asked if anyone had anything else they felt that they should disclose to the court. I raised my hand and disclosed that I worked in the legal and compliance area of my bank and in the Anti-Money Laundering division. She asked me if I thought it was fair and just that I disclosed that. I said 'yes' and she agreed.
At this point the prosecuting and defending lawyers met with the judge in private to go over which people should remain on the jury based on their answers.
After 15 minutes or so, the judge read a number of names and excused them. My name was not called. She then asked us to move over in the jury box. I became at that point juror #3,
We were all sworn in.
Each person was required to respond to questions about lawsuits raised against them and what the verdicts on those cases were, if any. She pushed on to find out if they had been victims of a crime or if their family members had been. After each line of questioning, she asked if any of the individual jurors experience would make them biased in any way.
We then recessed and when we came back she asked if anyone had anything else they felt that they should disclose to the court. I raised my hand and disclosed that I worked in the legal and compliance area of my bank and in the Anti-Money Laundering division. She asked me if I thought it was fair and just that I disclosed that. I said 'yes' and she agreed.
At this point the prosecuting and defending lawyers met with the judge in private to go over which people should remain on the jury based on their answers.
After 15 minutes or so, the judge read a number of names and excused them. My name was not called. She then asked us to move over in the jury box. I became at that point juror #3,
We were all sworn in.
Jury Selection
In this courtroom, the judge introduced herself and told us a little about the case - the lawyers, the defendant, the names of the witnesses and some specific location that would be part of the case.
She asked us all if we knew these people or places. If we did, we were to raise our hands and tell her and she would asked us more questions. She proceeded to ask if anyone was or had family in law enforcement. A couple of people raised their hands and explained themselves. The judge questioned us if any of us or our family members were lawyers. Many people admitted to this and were interrogated further.
The judge queried whether anyone had been charged of a crime or was waiting for sentencing. No one answered this question. She mentioned that people could raise their hands and tell her in private. Still no one admitted to this. She continued to inquire if anyone had been part of a crime or a law suit. There were a few answers.
After each answer for each question, the judge quizzed the individual to see if their experience would hinder them from being impartial. Regardless of whatever one said or how much they tried to convince the judge they would be bad jurors, only 3 people were removed from the group as a whole.
The clerk then put everyone's summons into a basket and pulled out named. When a person's name was called, the were to line up in the jury box. The 8th name called was mine.
She asked us all if we knew these people or places. If we did, we were to raise our hands and tell her and she would asked us more questions. She proceeded to ask if anyone was or had family in law enforcement. A couple of people raised their hands and explained themselves. The judge questioned us if any of us or our family members were lawyers. Many people admitted to this and were interrogated further.
The judge queried whether anyone had been charged of a crime or was waiting for sentencing. No one answered this question. She mentioned that people could raise their hands and tell her in private. Still no one admitted to this. She continued to inquire if anyone had been part of a crime or a law suit. There were a few answers.
After each answer for each question, the judge quizzed the individual to see if their experience would hinder them from being impartial. Regardless of whatever one said or how much they tried to convince the judge they would be bad jurors, only 3 people were removed from the group as a whole.
The clerk then put everyone's summons into a basket and pulled out named. When a person's name was called, the were to line up in the jury box. The 8th name called was mine.
Friday, June 17, 2011
Jury Duty
More than a month ago I received a jury summons in the mail. This postal package would make the majority of New York City residents cringe and complain. But not I! I enjoy jury duty.
I've served jury duty a number of time in the past and I find it relaxing for a number of reasons:
1) It's a break from work
2) You spend a lot of time waiting around which is excellent reading time
3) It's fun to see how annoyed people get who are called to serve
4) Occasionally you hear how annoyed they are they tell you their life stories
5) You get a glimpse of how the judicial process works on a very small scale
6) I'm a big believer in civic duty.
As messed up as I think our justice system is at times, I'm happy that we have it. I can have an opinion and not be physically tortured by it (regardless of how I feel at specific times when it comes to the reception of my opinion).
People convene to one of the many courts in lower Manhattan and wait to potentially be called on a jury or to be dismissed after serving jury duty for a few days.
I reported to a very new court and the jury assembly room was packed. In the midst I saw someone familiar. None other than Sarah Jessica Parker. (Man, she's skinny!) Despite my wanting to tell her to eat a steak and put on some weight, I left her alone.
We all submitted our summons to the clerk and the name calling began. A round of 50-75 people (including Sarah Jessica Parker) were called up to a room. I was not included in that batch so I sat and watched Rachael Ray make a yummy lasagna.
In the next group, my name was called. Up I went with another 60 people to a court room.
I've served jury duty a number of time in the past and I find it relaxing for a number of reasons:
1) It's a break from work
2) You spend a lot of time waiting around which is excellent reading time
3) It's fun to see how annoyed people get who are called to serve
4) Occasionally you hear how annoyed they are they tell you their life stories
5) You get a glimpse of how the judicial process works on a very small scale
6) I'm a big believer in civic duty.
As messed up as I think our justice system is at times, I'm happy that we have it. I can have an opinion and not be physically tortured by it (regardless of how I feel at specific times when it comes to the reception of my opinion).
People convene to one of the many courts in lower Manhattan and wait to potentially be called on a jury or to be dismissed after serving jury duty for a few days.
I reported to a very new court and the jury assembly room was packed. In the midst I saw someone familiar. None other than Sarah Jessica Parker. (Man, she's skinny!) Despite my wanting to tell her to eat a steak and put on some weight, I left her alone.
We all submitted our summons to the clerk and the name calling began. A round of 50-75 people (including Sarah Jessica Parker) were called up to a room. I was not included in that batch so I sat and watched Rachael Ray make a yummy lasagna.
In the next group, my name was called. Up I went with another 60 people to a court room.
Physical Therapy (Part 19 & 20)
Back-to-back sessions awaited Angie this week. She was convinced that physical therapy was just like working out - best to get it done early in the morning.
19 - Angie told Lily she was feeling ok except that she was still waking up in a little bit of pain. As Lily examined Angie's back she found that her mid-back was tight but once she massaged it, the muscle relaxed. As Lily did the full assessment of Angie's back, she found a lot of tightness in her lower back. She told Angie that it seemed that her lower back was compensating for her middle back. Based on the pain Angie felt from getting massaged, Angie had to agree that the lower back was now the problem. As Lily continued to massage the lower back, Angie whimpered because it hurt a lot.
Angie did her exercises and was off to jury duty.
20 - The next day Angie's lower back was still very sore from the massage the day prior. As Lily checked her back again, she stated there was no tightness in the middle back. Angie concurred and mentioned that she didn't wake up in pain in the middle back. The culprit now seemed to be the lower back. Lily attempted to massage the lower back but it was still too sore. She did electo-stimulation instead. Angie enjoyed this because once she got up, she didn't feel any pain in the lower back at all.
Angie slid off the massage table and did her exercises, even asking Lily if she could do 3 sets of the monster walk instead of the usual two. Lily laughed and told her to knock herself out. And Angie did.
The heating pad awaited and a small 10 minute snooze later, Angie made her way to jury duty.
19 - Angie told Lily she was feeling ok except that she was still waking up in a little bit of pain. As Lily examined Angie's back she found that her mid-back was tight but once she massaged it, the muscle relaxed. As Lily did the full assessment of Angie's back, she found a lot of tightness in her lower back. She told Angie that it seemed that her lower back was compensating for her middle back. Based on the pain Angie felt from getting massaged, Angie had to agree that the lower back was now the problem. As Lily continued to massage the lower back, Angie whimpered because it hurt a lot.
Angie did her exercises and was off to jury duty.
20 - The next day Angie's lower back was still very sore from the massage the day prior. As Lily checked her back again, she stated there was no tightness in the middle back. Angie concurred and mentioned that she didn't wake up in pain in the middle back. The culprit now seemed to be the lower back. Lily attempted to massage the lower back but it was still too sore. She did electo-stimulation instead. Angie enjoyed this because once she got up, she didn't feel any pain in the lower back at all.
Angie slid off the massage table and did her exercises, even asking Lily if she could do 3 sets of the monster walk instead of the usual two. Lily laughed and told her to knock herself out. And Angie did.
The heating pad awaited and a small 10 minute snooze later, Angie made her way to jury duty.
Saturday, June 11, 2011
Sing Along
My last entry, which was also music related, made me think about the great feeling of singing along with a song. One of my favorite things is when I’m driving in the car or some place that’s playing music (shopping at a mall) and an old favorite pipes through the system. The minute I hear it I immediately stop what I’m doing and start singing.
I adore music. So much so that one of my friends calls me a jukebox because I know the words to an awful lot of songs – old and new. Many of my great memories include music. A number of times in the past, I remember being in a grocery store with a friend and we would dance and sing as we walked down the aisles checking off items on our grocery list. Another friend and I associate some of our vacations with specific songs and whenever we both hear songs from those vacations, we become nostalgic.
The other day at work I was listening to my ipod and I had it on shuffle. All of a sudden a fantastic old song came on and I had to stop what I was doing to just sing along with it. I was stressed before that song came on but after I sang, I felt a thousand times better.
When the studies say that music can put you in a good mood, I have to agree.
I adore music. So much so that one of my friends calls me a jukebox because I know the words to an awful lot of songs – old and new. Many of my great memories include music. A number of times in the past, I remember being in a grocery store with a friend and we would dance and sing as we walked down the aisles checking off items on our grocery list. Another friend and I associate some of our vacations with specific songs and whenever we both hear songs from those vacations, we become nostalgic.
The other day at work I was listening to my ipod and I had it on shuffle. All of a sudden a fantastic old song came on and I had to stop what I was doing to just sing along with it. I was stressed before that song came on but after I sang, I felt a thousand times better.
When the studies say that music can put you in a good mood, I have to agree.
Friday, June 10, 2011
Silly Love Songs
A few weeks ago a friend of mine from France came to visit NYC and I hung out with him. We went to a karaoke bar and sang really badly which was a lot of fun.
We got to talking about how songs can evoke memories and he mentioned to me that the Lionel Richie song “Say you, say me” always reminded him of the first girl he liked. He told me a little bit of the background behind the memory and it a sweet story. He then asked me if I had a favorite love song. I told him that almost every love song that I adore is a depressing one. He didn’t believe me so I played a stupid song just to be silly. He insisted that I stopped joking around and select one of my favorite love songs. So I loaded up No Doubt’s ‘Don’t Speak’ and sang my heart out of it. When I was done, I looked at him and he gave me a look suggesting that it was indeed a very sad love song. Then I listed off a bunch of other love songs that I enjoyed. He agreed that my list was depressing.
Sweet love songs have never really appealed to me. I am not entirely sure why. I think a lot of it has to do with the emotions of the singers who sing the songs. I could never belt out a song like Whitney Houston or Celine Dion so I turned to the songs that I could sing to and they all happen to be very sad.
I do admit that I like the Paul McCartney and Wings song “Silly Love Songs”. It’s hard to not sing along to it since it’s so catchy. But it’s not my favorite love song in the least.
We got to talking about how songs can evoke memories and he mentioned to me that the Lionel Richie song “Say you, say me” always reminded him of the first girl he liked. He told me a little bit of the background behind the memory and it a sweet story. He then asked me if I had a favorite love song. I told him that almost every love song that I adore is a depressing one. He didn’t believe me so I played a stupid song just to be silly. He insisted that I stopped joking around and select one of my favorite love songs. So I loaded up No Doubt’s ‘Don’t Speak’ and sang my heart out of it. When I was done, I looked at him and he gave me a look suggesting that it was indeed a very sad love song. Then I listed off a bunch of other love songs that I enjoyed. He agreed that my list was depressing.
Sweet love songs have never really appealed to me. I am not entirely sure why. I think a lot of it has to do with the emotions of the singers who sing the songs. I could never belt out a song like Whitney Houston or Celine Dion so I turned to the songs that I could sing to and they all happen to be very sad.
I do admit that I like the Paul McCartney and Wings song “Silly Love Songs”. It’s hard to not sing along to it since it’s so catchy. But it’s not my favorite love song in the least.
Thursday, June 9, 2011
Physical Therapy (Part 18)
Another early morning session and Angie was tired. She got to the office before any administrative people were there. As she began her exercises, Lily walked up to her and asked how she was doing. Angie told her that her back was hurting this morning…probably a 5 on a scale of 1-10. Lily was a little concerned to hear that. She asked if Angie had done anything differently in the last few days. Angie could only say that she’d been under a lot of stress the last few days and that was the only thing that was different. She informed Lily that she was continuing to do her exercises and stretches but had woken up in pain.
Lily hmmmed. She was astounded to hear this as Angie was making good progress. Sadly, Lily also informed Angie that her doctor would only approve an additional 5 sessions. The disappointment from hearing this news, coupled with her current pain, upset Angie. Lily told her to just continue with her exercises and to try to really control the stress. Angie said she knew this already but it is easier said than done.
Lily massaged Angie’s back and found the section that was creating all the trouble. A few of the muscle in between Angie’s ribs were still tight. Angie laughed as Lily worked her magic. Lily asked why Angie was laughing and Angie said it felt like Lily was trying to take her ribs off. Lily comforted Angie by saying her ribs were better than the first time she came to PT. She could actually touch them and move them now – like putty instead of like a rock. Although this was comforting to some degree, Angie still didn’t feel emotionally better, especially since she was in pain. Angie didn’t understand how she was going to get to complete relief with only a few more sessions available. Angie has been so good about doing the exercises and stretches at home as well as in PT. Aside from stress, she didn’t know how she was going to get better. Everyone has stress at some point in their life, right? Could that be the only thing that needs to change?
With heat pack applied and ten minutes of stillness, Angie began to view this back injury as a metaphor for her life – long periods of extreme pain and difficulty, very short spots of calmness and in between spans with a little friction and soreness. The only difference with her back and life is that Angie could see a moment in the future where her back would not be bothering her; whereas she couldn’t see that with life. This gave Angie more comfort about her physical therapy situation as she walked out of the office.
Tune in next time as the sage begins to wind down.
Lily hmmmed. She was astounded to hear this as Angie was making good progress. Sadly, Lily also informed Angie that her doctor would only approve an additional 5 sessions. The disappointment from hearing this news, coupled with her current pain, upset Angie. Lily told her to just continue with her exercises and to try to really control the stress. Angie said she knew this already but it is easier said than done.
Lily massaged Angie’s back and found the section that was creating all the trouble. A few of the muscle in between Angie’s ribs were still tight. Angie laughed as Lily worked her magic. Lily asked why Angie was laughing and Angie said it felt like Lily was trying to take her ribs off. Lily comforted Angie by saying her ribs were better than the first time she came to PT. She could actually touch them and move them now – like putty instead of like a rock. Although this was comforting to some degree, Angie still didn’t feel emotionally better, especially since she was in pain. Angie didn’t understand how she was going to get to complete relief with only a few more sessions available. Angie has been so good about doing the exercises and stretches at home as well as in PT. Aside from stress, she didn’t know how she was going to get better. Everyone has stress at some point in their life, right? Could that be the only thing that needs to change?
With heat pack applied and ten minutes of stillness, Angie began to view this back injury as a metaphor for her life – long periods of extreme pain and difficulty, very short spots of calmness and in between spans with a little friction and soreness. The only difference with her back and life is that Angie could see a moment in the future where her back would not be bothering her; whereas she couldn’t see that with life. This gave Angie more comfort about her physical therapy situation as she walked out of the office.
Tune in next time as the sage begins to wind down.
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Calorie Counts
I went for a quick walk to the local Starbucks just a few moments ago. The humidity of this sunny afternoon made me want to get an iced drink. Looking over the calorie list though, I realized that I might need to modify my want a bit.
All of the iced drinks were at least 10 calories more than their hot counterpart;some were even 30 calories more. The question ‘How the heck?” immediately popped into my head (along with a couple of expletives, but that’s neither here nor there). I opted for the hot drink. (I don’t mind hot drinks since the heat makes me sweat thereby cooling me down a bit.)
While walking back to my office, I found myself completely perplexed by this variance in calories. I never thought that solidifying a liquid that had no calories would result in the solid version having calories. I need to explore this because it’s going to be a dagger of the mind all day.
Plus when those iced drinks melt, they tend to water down the drink which would lead me to believe that they should be fewer calories too.
Anyone else have an explanation to this quandary? I’d love to hear it.
All of the iced drinks were at least 10 calories more than their hot counterpart;some were even 30 calories more. The question ‘How the heck?” immediately popped into my head (along with a couple of expletives, but that’s neither here nor there). I opted for the hot drink. (I don’t mind hot drinks since the heat makes me sweat thereby cooling me down a bit.)
While walking back to my office, I found myself completely perplexed by this variance in calories. I never thought that solidifying a liquid that had no calories would result in the solid version having calories. I need to explore this because it’s going to be a dagger of the mind all day.
Plus when those iced drinks melt, they tend to water down the drink which would lead me to believe that they should be fewer calories too.
Anyone else have an explanation to this quandary? I’d love to hear it.
Physical Therapy (Part 17)
Angie had to get to a 7:00 am appointment. A large cup of coffee wasn’t too helpful in getting her moving but she made it on time. She told Lily that she was feeling better and hadn’t had any pain in the last 3 days. Lily told her that was good but it would take 2 full weeks of no pain in order for her to be dismissed according to the doctor’s prescription. This news didn’t encourage Angie in the least as she had yet to go more than 5 days without pain in the last 3 and ½ months.
On her way out of the office Angie was informed that she needed to get another prescription from her doctor to continue to physical therapy. Yet another item on Angie’s to do list.
Come back next time as we start to see if this story makes a turn towards a happy ending.
On her way out of the office Angie was informed that she needed to get another prescription from her doctor to continue to physical therapy. Yet another item on Angie’s to do list.
Come back next time as we start to see if this story makes a turn towards a happy ending.
Early Morning Run
I’ve been getting up at 5:30 the past couple of mornings to take my bigger dog out for a run in Central Park. The weather has been sticky and humid and my thought is that when it’s earlier, it’s a little more bearable. I’m not entirely convinced of my own thinking but it helps to psyche me into getting up that early.
It’s light out at that time and it’s very quiet in the city. A few cabs can be seen driving slowly in the street and a couple of other dog owners are out walking their dogs as well. Central Park is relatively desolate except for a few lonely runners getting in their workout for the day. The park is the epitome of peacefulness.
Except that there are squirrels running in insane zigzags around the park taunting my dog into a frolicking mania. She jets ahead of me on her leash and I am dragged behind her until it is safe enough for me to let her off leash. Once I do let her go, she tries to jump up trees to capture the fluffy-tailed rascals. Or she chases after the miscreants in the grass. This is all fine to me. Except that she’s fast and she hides in the bushes trying to eat those scoundrels. If she pops out of nowhere, she could seriously scare some passerby. So I need to keep up with her. This is where my running project comes in handy. In trying to keep up with her frantic pace, I need to run behind her or along side her.
Ultimately, these dawn designs are both to help my dog get out and walk, to aid her playful nature by getting her closer to consuming a squirrel and assisting me in getting my runs in.
It’s light out at that time and it’s very quiet in the city. A few cabs can be seen driving slowly in the street and a couple of other dog owners are out walking their dogs as well. Central Park is relatively desolate except for a few lonely runners getting in their workout for the day. The park is the epitome of peacefulness.
Except that there are squirrels running in insane zigzags around the park taunting my dog into a frolicking mania. She jets ahead of me on her leash and I am dragged behind her until it is safe enough for me to let her off leash. Once I do let her go, she tries to jump up trees to capture the fluffy-tailed rascals. Or she chases after the miscreants in the grass. This is all fine to me. Except that she’s fast and she hides in the bushes trying to eat those scoundrels. If she pops out of nowhere, she could seriously scare some passerby. So I need to keep up with her. This is where my running project comes in handy. In trying to keep up with her frantic pace, I need to run behind her or along side her.
Ultimately, these dawn designs are both to help my dog get out and walk, to aid her playful nature by getting her closer to consuming a squirrel and assisting me in getting my runs in.
Monday, June 6, 2011
Physical Therapy (Part 16)
Stiffness and slight pain sat on Angie’s back as she went to this session of Physical Therapy. Lily could feel the tightness but insisted that there was a lot of progress since Angie walked through the door for her first session. Despite this positive information, Angie was not impressed.
She told Lily that she did not understand how she could follow her instructions to the word and yet not feel better. Lily told her that it was simply due to the years and years of muscular deterioration from sitting for more than 8 hours a day and from stress. Even if Angie stopped sitting, her muscles needed to be ‘rebuilt from scratch’. It was important now to develop and strengthen them so that future pain could be avoided.
Angie asked Lily to really watch her during this session and ensure her form was correct. And it was fine except for one key exercise. The mystery was solved! Lily told Angie to concentrate on this exercise with correct form and a couple of others to see if more progress couldn’t be made.
Angie and Lily also talked about the accident that had happened during the day where a woman was run over by the train when she fainted onto the train tracks. Lily mentioned that New York should install Plexiglas doors on the edge of the platform that would only open once the train was in the station. Lily had mentioned that this was how the subway stations were in Hong Kong. Angie admitted it was a good idea but said she couldn’t imagine seeing that enhancement done until another 5 years at the earliest.
Angie went straight home and worked on her exercises. She could feel that there was a difference to how she was doing them prior and to the modification that was made now. Angie definitely felt the difference to how she was doing them prior to the modification and now; her muscles were more engaged. Here’s to hoping that this saga will soon come to an end. Tune in next time for more developments.
She told Lily that she did not understand how she could follow her instructions to the word and yet not feel better. Lily told her that it was simply due to the years and years of muscular deterioration from sitting for more than 8 hours a day and from stress. Even if Angie stopped sitting, her muscles needed to be ‘rebuilt from scratch’. It was important now to develop and strengthen them so that future pain could be avoided.
Angie asked Lily to really watch her during this session and ensure her form was correct. And it was fine except for one key exercise. The mystery was solved! Lily told Angie to concentrate on this exercise with correct form and a couple of others to see if more progress couldn’t be made.
Angie and Lily also talked about the accident that had happened during the day where a woman was run over by the train when she fainted onto the train tracks. Lily mentioned that New York should install Plexiglas doors on the edge of the platform that would only open once the train was in the station. Lily had mentioned that this was how the subway stations were in Hong Kong. Angie admitted it was a good idea but said she couldn’t imagine seeing that enhancement done until another 5 years at the earliest.
Angie went straight home and worked on her exercises. She could feel that there was a difference to how she was doing them prior and to the modification that was made now. Angie definitely felt the difference to how she was doing them prior to the modification and now; her muscles were more engaged. Here’s to hoping that this saga will soon come to an end. Tune in next time for more developments.
Thursday, June 2, 2011
The King's Speech
Today my dad informed me that he was going to kill my dogs because he didn’t know what to do with them. Now, I know this is shocking but this is how my dad is with my dogs. He loves them to bits. Yet because we do not express direct emotion in my family, killing is really code for “I love them so much.”
I retorted to my dad’s commandment by saying “Give me a break! You love the dogs more than you love me.”
And he said ‘Oh no…you are my kid! They are just dogs.”
“But you know with dogs, it’s easier to let them get away with murder.”
“One of the Kings of Italy, I don’t know who, made a speech where he said that ‘if you hit your wife, she will go away; But if you hit your dog, two minutes later they will come looking for you’. Dogs are the most loyal creatures ever.”
To which I replied “That’s my point, Pop! You like the dogs better.”
His response to my comment was that I was full of something that rhymes with soup. Can you feel the love?
I retorted to my dad’s commandment by saying “Give me a break! You love the dogs more than you love me.”
And he said ‘Oh no…you are my kid! They are just dogs.”
“But you know with dogs, it’s easier to let them get away with murder.”
“One of the Kings of Italy, I don’t know who, made a speech where he said that ‘if you hit your wife, she will go away; But if you hit your dog, two minutes later they will come looking for you’. Dogs are the most loyal creatures ever.”
To which I replied “That’s my point, Pop! You like the dogs better.”
His response to my comment was that I was full of something that rhymes with soup. Can you feel the love?
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
National Running Day
Today is National Running Day. In honor of this ridiculous day (and we all know how much I love ridiculous days – see Groundhog’s Day entries), I decided that I would start to run at least twice a week. Running being a loose term, people!
It means I’d run for a bit. I wouldn’t set out to run miles or anything like that. For goodness sake, I can barely run down the block when my dog drags me, but I thought it would be a goal towards which I could work.
To inaugurate this challenge, I ran for 2 minutes straight on the treadmill this morning. I know it’s not a big deal. I know I am able to run 2 minutes straight on the treadmill so I thought I would check if this is still possible and it was. Since this is my starting point, I will build from here. See, I have this figured out despite how insane this plan sounds. I will run for 2 minutes again later this week and I will increase from there. Hopefully by the end of the summer, I’ll be able to run for 10 minutes without falling off the treadmill belt or vomiting on the person on the machine next to me. (This serves as a warning to people at the gym, don’t get on the machine on either side of me!) These are the goals that I set for myself. Try to do something that’s hard or that I don’t like to do and see if I can progress. (This type of challenge in no way means I’ll be trying to sit with a snake any time soon. There’s only so much I can do and that I can deal with without checking myself into Bellevue!)
Wish me luck!
It means I’d run for a bit. I wouldn’t set out to run miles or anything like that. For goodness sake, I can barely run down the block when my dog drags me, but I thought it would be a goal towards which I could work.
To inaugurate this challenge, I ran for 2 minutes straight on the treadmill this morning. I know it’s not a big deal. I know I am able to run 2 minutes straight on the treadmill so I thought I would check if this is still possible and it was. Since this is my starting point, I will build from here. See, I have this figured out despite how insane this plan sounds. I will run for 2 minutes again later this week and I will increase from there. Hopefully by the end of the summer, I’ll be able to run for 10 minutes without falling off the treadmill belt or vomiting on the person on the machine next to me. (This serves as a warning to people at the gym, don’t get on the machine on either side of me!) These are the goals that I set for myself. Try to do something that’s hard or that I don’t like to do and see if I can progress. (This type of challenge in no way means I’ll be trying to sit with a snake any time soon. There’s only so much I can do and that I can deal with without checking myself into Bellevue!)
Wish me luck!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)