A Silent Back

I’ve had this habit of cracking my fingers since I was a kid.  Then it gradually expanded to my toes. My mom was always annoyed and warned me about painful and swollen joints.  As a teen, I started to crack my spine.  Eventually I figured I could crack almost every joint in my body.

A few years ago, I stopped cracking my neck.  These past few days, I’ve stopped cracking my back.  The easiest way for me to crack my back is to simply lean back over my chair and with my arms behind my head, I pull it forward while pushing against the back.  I’m pretty sure this isn’t healthy for my muscles, ligaments and tendons.  But there is a satisfying release of pops that follow.

Here’s the odd thing.  When I see my chiropractor, the only joint that makes any sound is my neck.  My back only makes a wimpy pop when when it’s being adjusted.  It’s nothing like the loud pops I get at home.  I’ve mention this to my chiropractor.  He’s not sure why.  Maybe my back is so intimidated by this young, very handsome, muscular, Asian chiropractor – it’s just very quiet. Or maybe I’ve hyper extended my joints so much that it can’t crack normally.

I think I’ll have to slowly replace this back cracking with stretches.

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My back seized up on Saturday morning.  I was just getting ready to head to J’s place when everything just tightened up in a knot.  I had to hold on to the counter when I brushed my teeth.   My chiropractor was fully booked that day and the earliest I could get in was today (Monday).  I managed to do some stretches to ease the pain.  I knew I had some Ibuprofen.  But it’s harder to find it when you’re in pain.  Eventually I did and quickly downed a pill.  I had another one later that day.

That was it for me that day.  Stretching, sitting, walking around in slow motion and Ibuprofen.  Yesterday was better.  I could walk around in my condo and didn’t need Ibuprofen.  What is worrying me is I have an 8 hour car trip coming up in the weekend.  It’s for a wedding so I can’t get out of it.

And to top it off, I woke up with a bit of a stiff neck today.  I can’t wait for my chiropractor  to “crack” it.  You know what’s strange?  Whenever my chiropractor manipulates my back, there’s no cracking or popping noise.  I crack my own back (I know it’s a bad habit…) and have been doing that since my teens.  I told him that and I think it has probably messed up my back by overextending it or something like that.

I watched the Anthony Bourdain special on CNN last night.  It was a bit cathartic for me.  Today, the sky is blue and the sun is flexing its muscles.  I have a ton of things to do today so I hope I can get to those.

 

Tough Morning

It’s a tough morning.  I went to bed hearing that the current right wing populist party has won a majority government in our provincial election.  A party that used to be center right but now shares nothing with that heritage.  A party that didn’t disclose how it will pay for its election promises.  A leader that was muzzled from the press so he won’t say anything embarrassing.  It’s a crazy how people vote.

And this morning, I woke up learning Anthony Bourdain committed suicide.  I’m reminded that everyone has their own burdens to carry.  And sometimes those become too heavy.  He was a wonderful storyteller who was able to unite people around his virtual dining room.

Sad loss.

For readers in the Toronto area that need help, please click on this: Crisis Resources in Toronto

Cherry Blossoms

I took these a few weeks ago when the cherry blossoms were blooming at a nearby park.  But I didn’t upload them to my laptop until yesterday.  All the pictures were under exposed.  I have no idea what I did.  I got so carried away I didn’t check my pictures after I took them.  I had to use my Apple Photo software to brighten it up.

Dear fictitious and non existent sugar grand daddy – please send a nice full frame camera to Matt.

No One Knows Who You Were

It was a warm, sunny late afternoon.  As I approached the intersection, I saw several police cruisers.  Just beyond the cruisers were the yellow police tapes.  There were several policemen standing around.  Then I saw the body.  It was covered with a pink orange blanket from an ambulance.

Was it a homicide?  An accident?  An overdose?  There are quite a few homeless people in the area.  Was it one of them?

A few hours later, on my way home, I passed the intersection.  The police cars were all gone.  The yellow tapes were on the ground and the area where the body was wet. It had been hosed down.  After I crossed the street, the skies opened up with a heavy rain.   I was drenched by the time I got my umbrella out from my knapsack.

I checked the news sites and police reports when I got home. But there weren’t any reports.  Nothing.  Whoever it was – rest it peace.

Need A Jolt of Energy

It’s just been hard to muster enough energy and positivism these past few weeks.  I’m just not able to focus and be productive.  It’s like the dark, winter nights have taken over. Hopefully it’s just a phase that I can work through.

Hit Me Up

I was talking with a fellow job seeker the other day.  She told me her LinkedIn is finally starting to get a lot of visits.  She had followed the advice of a career coach.  I did a quick check of the coach’s rate and it was $120 / hr.   I have no idea if that is reasonable.

After chatting with her, I went to her LinkedIn to see what I can do to spruce up my own.  This is the part of job hunting I’m not entirely comfortable.  I’m more of a private person.  But I know using LinkedIn is part of the process.  So what will I need to beef up my profile?  It’s not getting a lot of hits.

Maybe I should take some tips from some of you who are using Tinder, Grindr, or Jack’d.  Should I emphasize my transferable skills to show how versatile I am?  I can’t play hard to get.  So maybe I should add a sultry, hungry look.  I just need a plate of fried rice in front of me.  What are employers looking for?  The tops of course.  I mean someone who rose from the bottom to the top of the organization.

I understand the pain and pleasure of working long hours.  You burn both ends of the candles, watching the wax slowly drip.  Maybe that’s what employers want.  Someone who can handle pain. I’ll add private photos too.  But it’ll be pixelated of course.

Sometimes I have to make this tedious process seem like fun.