Pins and Needles

I have been going long enough now that I feel comfortable writing about my acupuncture experiences. I'll tell you that I am a believer. I'm not sure what kind of voodoo it is but it sure does work. This is how it works: you go in for you initial visit and you meet your acupuncture doctor. You have to fill out a number of papers with all sorts of info including what you are thinking you want them to work on. They can work on more than 1 thing at a time which is pretty cool. I didn't know that! So I gave my list of issues over to my doctor and laid down. Based on where you have your problems, they stick needles in appropriate places to deal with those.
Let's start w/ my old 44 year old knees. Yep, I abused my knees starting in high school w/ marching band. Add to that being overweight and the knees have had some abuse. I had a MRI last year to figure out what kind of cyst I had in my knee (ganglion, by the way), I also found out I have a little bit of arthritis there. Again, add it up - knees that hurt on occasion. The first visit and my knees feel great. Sure there is still a little twinge here and there but nothing like they used to feel. Especially when exercising or just walking longer periods of time. Then take last week, my calves were just knots after my training visit. I told my doctor about it and they were really tight when I got there. When I left, they were so loose and relaxed that they didn't hurt me any more. It was awesome! The last thing I'll tell you about is how acupuncture has helped my lungs. A few years ago, I had bronchitis 3 times in the year. Since then, with any exertion I would have tightness in my chest and cough for up to 1/2 an hour afterwards. I get some relief from using an inhaler I got from my allergy doctor (who has also worked some miracles) but it still didn't fully take it away. So after the first session, I went to a ballgame and had to walk a few blocks and go up stairs. I didn't use my inhaler and I was okay. Normally that would have been enough exertion to cause my breathing issue but it didn't this time. The only thing I could think of as a reason was my acupuncture. I have since then gone to the gym and had a full workout without using the inhaler and done very well.
I am a believer in acupuncture. It is really working well for me. Luckily, my insurance covers 20 visits per year at just a co-pay price. That certainly helps being able to go. I would say to those interested, there are ways around the expense of it by going to the acupuncture school and to the student clinic. It is all supervised so there is nothing to worry about. I highly enourage going. If you want any more info, please contact me.

The Torture Chamber

Yes, you know what it is! The Gym! Okay, I know it really isn't a torture chamber but it certainly could be if you don't know what you're doing. Me, I stick with the easy stuff that I know how to use. If I don't know how to do it, I ask someone. I use the treadmill and the bike and then some of the machines. The worst thing in there - the elliptical! It literally kills me to use that damn thing! In less than a minute, I'm a swirling ball of sweat. The swirling comes from not being able to breathe and getting dizzy! I finally got to where I could do it relatively slow for 5 minutes and then the swirling ball of sweat had returned. I did start using the rowing machine and I liked that. Want to know why???? Because when you use it, it has a fan that blows on you from the wheel! Coolness - literally! The best thing about the gym is it is indoors and air conditioned! No A/C, No LB!! hahaha!
One exercise I do like is yoga. Granted at the moment, I can't do some of the moves because too many "things" are in the way but it is fun and there is some serious sweating being done and muscles being used. But there is one thing I will NEVER understand! Why on earth would anyone want to workout in a hot room on purpose? I don't get that. I would throw up!! Seriously, I would be in the corner barfing my guts up! Sure it may get your muscles warmer and I'm sure there are probably other good things it does but NO! Sweating while working out is inevitable but there is no need to make it a river!
No, I'll just take the plain ol' gym and sweat from normal working out. I won't be going to the sweat box torture chamber! No thanks!

Doesn't apply to me

Why is it that some people think the rules that apply to us really don't apply to them? The one I'm referring to this time is the yield sign. Yield signs mean you have to slow down OR possibly stop if the traffic that has the right-of-way is actually coming. The people with the right-of-way should not have to slow down because you're an idiot and can't figure out that YOU are the one that has to stop! I had to slam on my brakes the other day because this twit just kept right on coming through his yield sign. No "oops I screwed up" gesture or any kind of gesture for that matter. Just cutting right on in front of me.
People need to learn to LOVE the yield sign - appreciate it - worship it! It will save you from getting honked at, flipped off, or worse yet causing an accident!

Tickets, please!

Remember that commercial with Bob Uecker where he says "Must be in the front row"? Well, I think a lot people remember it and think it applies to them. At the UT baseball game last night, there were a lot of Uecker's there.
It started when we (Jennifer and I) got there and some guy was sitting in one of our seats. I told him it was ours and he was going to have to move. He did...directly to the row in front of us. A little bit later, a group of people came in and there were people in there seats too. I literally lost count at how many people had to move because other people were in their seats. Yes, we were in the very last section of the stands but the seats are reserved. You have to ask for them and pay for them. All of these people had general admission tickets that were for the grass area on the 3rd base line. But oh no, that apparently was beneath them. The man sitting next to me was just as shocked as I was. And it wasn't just young people. There were people that were someone's grandparents! They should totally know better. The 2 worst situations were just appalling. One was this girl who was asked by the usher to move. She gave him this look of complete disbelief that she was going to have to move. Wake up honey! These aren't your seats. The other situation took me by surprise as to how ballsy these folks were. The people who were supposed to be sitting in the seats came up and showed their tickets to the people in the seat and they wouldn't move. They just sat there for a few minutes. The "official seat" people just kept showing them their tickets and they finally got up.
If you want a seat, buy one! That is what the rest of us did! Now, if the game is more than 2/3rd's over and there are empty seats, I don't have a problem with folks moving to them. It is obvious that the people either left early or didn't show up. But you just don't do that at the beginning of the game! I would really hate for it to have to get to the point where an usher has to check your ticket at the entrance to the seating section but if it stops this nonsense, maybe it should happen. It was disruptive for all the people around and it is just rude!