"Gina, Cindy and Katie Finlayson (left to right) hold their arms in position during a Ballet for the Uncoordinated class Monday, June 28, 2010 at the Gadsden Public Library in Gadsden, Ala." - Sarah Dudik /Gadsden Times
Gina wanted to do it the moment she heard about it. Even though she's a very busy woman, she had been wanting to do something for herself. What's in a name? I really don't think Gina would have taken the class if it hadn't been called 'Ballet for the Uncoordinated'. Katie is only 14, but she tagged along with mom the first night, just to sit in the corner and watch. She was soon told that she could take part - even though she was young and coordinated. As you can see by this Times photo, the girls have been having a great time together.
My sister Cindy joined the chainés a few weeks ago. I am sure this is probably the rowdiest ballet troupe to have ever assembled. Gina's been coming home every Monday night very happy. She's really been enjoying it and says that she's going to miss it when it's over.
Todd Bagley and Chris Wood are two men who know how to barbecue.
Have you ever been served something that is called barbecue that wasn't barbecue? My wife occasionally serves chicken breast that she bakes in the oven that's cooked in barbecue sauce. She calls it barbecue chicken. Well, it's not barbecue. Chicken that has been marinated or cooked in barbecue sauce does not make a barbecue.
Gina isn't the only culprit. I've had countless faux-que's served to me. I can't blame Gina, because people have been calling 'grilling' - 'barbecue' for a very long time. Ever been invited to a BBQ where the meat is hamburger and hot dogs? Now I really enjoy a tasty hamburger and hot dog - but that ain't barbecuing...that's grilling.
BBQ involves spice rubs and slow cooking with smoke baby.
I had a gentleman in my office the other day who was sharing some of his BBQing tips with me. He had this way in which he started his charcoal. He was against using any lighter fluid, but painstakingly with newspaper. He insisted that nothing should flavor the meat but the smoke. Sorry Hank, but propane is out of the question. My friend soaked mesquite in water to cause plenty of smoke for the meat. Prepping the meat - applying the rub is what sets barbecues apart.
Needless to say, I left work Friday thinking of some real BBQ. I am still thinking about it.
I've been taking Kelsey over to the Y to learn how to swim for the past few weeks. I didn't see any real progress during all that time I sat at poolside watching. It seemed to me that the instructors spent more time trying to get the kids to dive than swim. Today was the last day of lessons. All the kids were to dive in and swim across the breadth of the pool for final validation. Katie and I sat there with doubts of Kelsey's challenge that lay ahead.
Kelsey jumped in and got busy. I was surprised that she made it all the way across without assistance. We could tell how serious and determined she was by her strong steady strokes. I snapped a picture as she held her soggy diploma. I told her how proud I was of her. She told me that she didn't know if she was going to be able to do it or not - and that she DID! It's a good life lesson for her. She saw the challenge and dove right in there. I am very proud indeed.
I really do. I want to crash somewhere far off for a very long time and not be bothered. But my wife informs me that that isn't a vacation. Gina and I have been going back and forth about what and where to do. I don't want to drive for a day to get where ever, then spend a day there, to turn around and drive back a day. I am not a traveling man I guess. For the most part, I am not the kind of guy that believes half the fun is in getting there. I am told I don't have the right attitude regarding vacations. Maybe my attitude will change when we actually own a car that has air conditioning. I mentioned that maybe renting a car with air conditioning might nudge my attitude about 'getting there' slightly into the 'fun' catagory. I was reminded that it cost money to rent a vehicle.
I am reminded of the obvious often.
The vacation will need to be a short trip driven there and back in the cool of the morning or evening.
Katie was recently reminding me that we haven't been on a family vacation in two years. This is true if we don't count the funeral we went to the Summer before last. Before that we went to Chattanooga for an extended weekend...2007? I don't recall. We did have fun. We could do that again. There's still the same places to see and do there.
I don't know. I'd like to get away, but don't look forward to the idea of how long it will take to get to and from our get away. It's terrible of me I know. I would be just as content to remain in the air conditioned womb that is my home. I don't like maps and tangled metro roads. I don't care for the usual tourist must see places. I don't care for going somewhere that has the same eating and shopping franchises that line the streets of our own town. What's the difference? I'm sure there are towns with something unusual and cool to offer - but where? We'll probably end up in Chattanooga again. It's a unique town and there's stuff there that I know that the girls enjoy.
I don't know what to do. This year is Gina's and my 20th Anniversary. September 1, school will be back in session and we can't go anywhere then. That's a shame. Fall is my favorite season of all time. Gina and I have been going back and forth on that trip too. We are at a stand still. I think she wants to go to Savannah, GA - that is if she can work it out with her lymphedema patients. Lymphedema patients by the way HAVE to be seen FIVE days a week. I don't foresee being able to go on a week long second honeymoon kind of venture with our current commitments.
I guess having to come up with somewhere to go has been kind of disheartening. Running this kind of business kind of limits our time and options.
The days have been busy. I hurt my foot mid-week last week and had to deal with it until I could get off of my feet. My feet must feel like Steven Tyler's face. I'd take pain killer each night just so I could sleep. Each night's sleep seemed to ease the pain a little.Saturday offered little time to rest.
I went home Sunday afternoon after leading worship at Vineyard (with Brook, Jamie Jones, & Tim Rolf) and a brief Father's Day lunch with my Gina and my daughters. I was so exhausted from the previous week that I crashed the rest of the day Sunday. I hit the couch downstairs and stayed where I landed until midnight. I still have the wound, but I can now walk without feeling like I'm walking on a nail.
I found out Saturday that we've got to get another mode of transportation. Gina's had her old Grand Caravan for a dozen years now. The air conditioner died last Summer. It slung a rod a few months ago. The van is making a lot of noise, ( I call it 'the death rattle') but it's getting her around. The van has served us well. We need to start looking for a new-used car for her - and fast.
This is a question I hear from people who have never had a massage, "Do I have to completely undress?"
Answer: No.
Before each massage I always ask the client to undress to their own comfort level. It is helpful if the bra is removed so that I may have better access to the entire length of the back. Even though the bra might limit back massage to a degree, massage can still be applied without removing the undergarment. Again, it's up to comfort level of the client.
DRAPING:
I always ask the client to get under cover after they undress. Some salons or spas use a towel to cover their client. This is an acceptable and widely used practice, but at our therapy clinic, a flat sheet is used. The client is draped with the sheet throughout their massage. The reason for draping is to not expose the client. With draping, only the immediate area being worked on is uncovered. This is called draping. For instance, while I am working on the leg, I uncover only the leg in which I am massaging.
The purpose of draping is to make sure massage clients feel comfortable throughout their massage. The client also has an option to have a blanket if he/she would like the extra warmth.
I do work on the gluteal muscle group. Massage is helpful in relieving post-workout pain and can keep the muscle from atrophying when not used for prolonged periods of time. I usually only apply closed-hand compression to the glutes which allow the client to remain covered. Sometimes there a situation might require contact to the gluteal muscles directly. Even then, private areas are never exposed. Nothing is done without client consent.
If perchance the client doesn't want to remove any clothing during a table massage. I only ask that he/she wear thinner clothing. Massage therapists need to have access to muscle tissue, and sturdy clothing like blue jeans are not the easiest to work through. If a client needs help primarily with his/her back, a chair massage works great! Chair massages do not require any clothing to be removed. I have clients that come in for a quick 10 or 15 minute chair massage and receive much relief!
So to sum it up. This is your massage and I really want your experience to be a pleasant one. The primary benefit of massage is to relieve stress, and as the massage therapist, the last thing in the world I want to do create unnecessary stress or discomfort. So take off only what you want to take off and tell me where it hurts.
By the way, it's always good to ask family members and friends about their massage experiences and if they recommend a good therapist. I hope that my name pops up.
I just ran across this site, MobMov. It's short for Mobile Movies. What this dude did was mount a projector in his car. He's also rigged it so that he can transmit FM signal from his vehicle so other cars can tune into the audio. His site tells you how it's done, the equipment he uses and how he runs his show. He tells folks what wall he's going to be using and get's the word out.
This idea is right up my alley. Wouldn't it be cool to create your own movie line ups? I'd start off with some old Warner Brother's cartoons, followed by a Three Stooges, Casablanca for the main feature presentation. It's possible to secure old drive-in intermission footage to show as well. A second feature could be a really lousy movie for those that want to stay up late to do their own video commentary.
I came to work today minus the scrubs. The office yard was getting out of hand after all the rain last week. I still need to do some weed eating, but my weed eater is broken. Earlier I ran over a pipe amidst the weeds with my push mower. Either the shaft is bent, or the blade was knocked out of socket. Hopefully it's just the blade. I can fix that.
I don't have any massage clients today. At least it was nice to finally get the grass cut. Gina asked me if I would take the girls and leave work early. She wants them to swim. She doesn't have to twist my arm.
We just posted a new kiosk Ad that can be seen at 17 locations throughout Etowah Country during the Summer months. We're still doing what we can to get the word out.
Some good news. I just ordered hot stones and a nice big professional warmer for the stones. We've had three requests recently and it won't be long. Hot stone therapy really feels great. I'll let you know when the rocks are hot.
I tell all my massage clients to drink water after a massage. I hope they don't get tired of hearing it and I hope they heed the advice. I had someone recently come back to me and tell me that they were terribly sore after our last session. Gina (my wife) was in the room and immediately asked, "Did you drink water afterward." "No", was the reply, "I forgot." Drinking water after massage is just as important as drinking water after exercise. Massage simulates exercising the muscles. You need to drink water to lubricate the muscles as well as to help flush out toxins in the body. Clients who want to experience the full benefit of massage therapy must drink water.
Gina is an Occupational Therapist as well as a Lymphedema Therapist. She preaches water drinking too. When working with lymphedema patients, it's imperative that her patients drink water if they want to really manage their lymphedema. Only water is going to flush out toxins within lymph fluid.
I wrote the other day about water intake and high blood pressure. Not drinking enough water can cause your blood to thicken. Can you say STROKE?
I'm diabetic, and several years ago realized that I needed to lose a lot of weight. I can't do the diet thing, but I did commit to drinking water. I fasted from sodas and beloved sweet tea for eight months. I don't drink a lot of coffee, a cup a day if any at all. So water became my #1 fluid intake. I soon discovered that water not only hydrated my body, but the water caused me to drop weight. It even helped me to control my appetite. I have been all about water ever since.
Did you know that our bodies can only live for about three days without water. If you are like most people, you get enough water just to survive. We need to be drinking enough of it to reach optimum health. You may be in a state of chronic dehydration without even realizing it! Not getting enough water puts a lot of unnecessary stress on your body. It also plays a role in the development of many serious health problems.
Drinking water is the best thing you can do for your skin. Do you want to age quicker? Don't drink the water. Chronic dehydration speeds up the aging process.
I've had clients say that they don't like drinking water. We are used to having flavors, caffeine, carbonation and alcohol. Water is the substance God himself filled the earth for us to drink. All those carbonated, sugary, caffeinated drinks fake our bodies out. Most of what we drink in fact dehydrates our bodies. Only water hydrates! Just as our bodies need air to breath, every system of our bodies need water to survive, to stay healthy. The only drink to drink to our health is water.
I know where they are coming from. I used to avoid drinking water too. I now believe that pretty much all of my health problems today stem from walking around for decades in a dehydrated state. A short time after I committed to drinking cool clear water, I not only developed a taste for it, but a real thirst for it. My body now craves water. In fact, nothing else quenches my thirst.
The following is a response that I wrote within a facebook message (not a thread). I accepted a facebook friendship request a while back and decided to drop the friendship the other day. Basically it started when I quoted Thomas Jefferson (as I often do). The person did not respond to the quote but rather (as libs often do) responded with slandering Jefferson. You know, the one about Jefferson having sex with his slave women. -David
"But just because you got that excerpt from Monticello doesn't mean it is true?"
YES IT IS TRUE. Truth isn't opinion. Truth is purely what it is. We are living in a time that's referred to as post-modern era. A time when truth is treated like the next guy's opinion. Bill Clinton is considered the first post-modern president - well known for his statement, "It depends on what the meaning of the words 'is' is." Sorry Bill, but reality isn't what you make of it. 'Is' is 'Is'! Fact is fact. As Christians we can't afford to think this way. I could easily look at scripture where Jesus says that "I am the way, the truth, and the life" and simply reply "So what makes this true?"
Did you read the entire Monticello article or just glance through it? I made the entire text available to you - not just quote a snippet I understand that you think reading is boring, but it's important. It transcends feelings and get's you to actually think critically. The Monticello page actually had a link to the 2000 investigation that included your 1998 DNA research link. The Monticello statement is a fair and honest look at the Jefferson issue. The truth, the fact IS that no one knows conclusively what happened. Fact, the DNA results are not conclusive because Thomas Jefferson had a younger brother named Randolph. Fact, siblings share the same DNA. Randolph Jefferson was said to have slept with the slaves. The article said that there is no conclusive proof because of Randolph's presence amid the DNA research.
Is it that you simply want a RUMOR to be fact? The truth about the issue again is, the rumor is just a rumor until someone can come along and qualify the information. What it clearly said is that what you claimed is unsubstantiated. Since it's unsubstantiated, basically what you are doing is expecting me to believe third party gossip about a good man. For me, I am going to give Jefferson the benefit of the doubt because nothing has been proven. Sorry, but if you want to discuss something, leave out the rumors. It's nothing but a distraction and a nuisance.
At one point in a thread you asked for truth and fact....but when it comes down to it - you reject it when I try to offer it to you. Why should I go further? Frankly, I feel like I am just wasting my time. - end of message
To sum it up, even if it were true - that Thomas Jefferson had relations with Sally Hemings after his wife's death, is this to diminish Jefferson's contribution to us. Are the wisdom of his words made void because of it? But what am I thinking - Jefferson and all those guys lived over two hundred years ago. A lot has happened since then. Forget those old dead people and what they believed and what they did. Why should anything they signed off on matter to us today? I want my handout!
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