The ceiling to what I shall now refer to as the squirrel house has collapsed in places. 

I thought today I was going to completely fall on my face and not meet a major deadline.

I had a soft job offer on Friday.  Waiting for an official offer with official moneys. 

I am sick.

I have two flat tires on my bike.  I can’t get the tire back on the rim of my rear tire. 

Bugger it all.

This is apparently as sexy as sex scenes get on Downton Abbey.

Shoulder patting like an old pal.  With strategically placed bedspread divot. 

Oh, Mr. Bates. 

His entire conviction hinges on pastry.  Of course. 

And I’ll watch every minute of it.

I had a bout of insomnia last night and ended up vegetating to The Glass Virgin as I wanted to see all the hubbub about this Mr. Bates on Dowton Abbey.  It was very English TV mini-series.  Hong Kong has its kung-fu TVB series, England has crazy ass heroines who won’t die and the whole series is about her falling in looooooooove.  Anyway, this movie is from 1995 and Brendan Coyle is somewhat shaped like my devoted supplicant so young Coyle has that going for him.  The movie was basically about this chick who doesn’t get laid even after she’s married because they keep almost accidentally kill people or she gets bad touched by random manor skeeves.  Or Coyle gets trashed and takes off with her nemesis who I don’t remember from Part 1.  Coyle is cute, for sure.  But he’s certainly more grandfatherly shaped now. 

Anyway, this site critiques with screencaps and it’s way better than anything I can snark at this time of night.  I’m still waiting for my kitchari to cook.  I won’t eat until midnight, dammit.

If you dare, the mini-series is streaming on Netflix. 

http://www.genevievevalentine.com/2009/04/the-catherine-cookson-experience-the-glass-virgin/

Added exercise bands for resistance to moving squats and standing 4-way leg lifts.  The inner thigh and forward leg lifts are the hardest for me at the moment using the non-surgical leg because the standing leg’s stability is being challenged.  Was directed to do these and any other weighted exercises every other day.

Added one more set of squats to the bosu/balance pad.

Added leg press at 80 lb. 

Added bouncing a ball against the wall for balancing 5 x 1 min each leg.  Not shabby. 

Added planks.  Not ok’d to do side planks yet.

Really working the internal and external rotation of the hip.  It’s not as far along as the therapist would like. 

Continue walking 10 min on treadmill as often as possible and work on form. 

Work on figure 4 stretch modified against a wall

I’m quite enjoying that I can do flip turns without pain so I created an easy swim playlist to get in touch with my inner porpoise.  It’s difficult to describe experiencing some of this music under water for the first time without using the words ‘surreal’ or ‘free’.  Water’s generally the place where I feel no pain and where I feel the pressures of the material world physically lifted from my body.  It is my my most easily accessible outlet. 

At the top of my playlist is this song, Winter’s Love by Animal Collective and yesterday I could’ve had this on endless repeat as Friday was rough for me at work.  Floating, flowing, moving along.  Wash it all away.

I love this life in winter time
There’s frost cakes in the carpet
In winter time I have no legs
Two stumps of meat below me
A false snow fall could ruin my day
Its mask hung from the street wire
And winters love
Where could she be
She’s warming in my pocket

Just a calm and modern day
Getting up early every morning
Rush to work then rush to bed
Am I a better person?
Evening, I wont give up
The box is better said
I pulled the boy out of his box
And made that boy a man

Routine added more light weights to my leg lifts, side and rear.

One legged balances – very proud to say I did them every day this week and I feel alright after they are done

Bosu is hard for me to get into initial position but I love the challenge

Walking on the treadmill is hit and miss. Maybe 2 days this week felt solid but the other days I’d start to feel twinges near the end. Yesterday especially.

I can do a flip turn but no hard push off. But I can flip in the water!!! Woohoo!!

I’m on week 2 of prednisone steroids for breathing. This is 3 weeks solid of bad breathing. My dad said to take in more calcium because it can weaken bones. Got it.

Might also be all the meds but my blood pressure is unusually high. I’ve been taking 20 minutes to relax before bed and it’s so far helping. The last thing I need is hypertension.

Still sticking with myfitness.com. I want to do everything I can to not have to pay $$$$ to fix a problem like this again. And if genetics indicate, it’s gonna be a long battle with arthritis.

Had a big setback with a cold that developed into bronchitis and a sinus infection.  My energy and oxygen was completely sapped but I modified my daily cycling to go back to the chair bike because sitting on my regular bike was dizzying.  I managed about 2 x 15 min the week from Christmas to New Years.

I also managed to do the physical therapy exercises on my bed when I woke up in the morning.  Not much, but at least I did them.

First land PT after aqua therapy was challenging.  Doing standing balancing exercises, 1 min x 5 on each leg every day.  Standing hamstring curls. Standing hip flexor stretching.  Calf raises.  Standing side leg lifts.  Continuing with the pelvic tilts and bridges.  Mini-squats.  Hamstring stretches and calf stretches.

My walking is improving but I’m still favoring my non-surgery leg.  I’m clear to start 8-10 min treadmill walking a day on a very, very slow pace and the time I spend can be cut short if I don’t keep correct form.  My hip flexor is very, very tight so my steps are so short and sometimes my legs step too wide to the outside instead of straight ahead. 

The most uncomfortable stretch is the figure 4/modified figure 4 stretch.  That’s the last thing I’ll do daily.

Otherwise, driving ok, getting around the grocery (short trips only) and back at the office.  I really miss working from home though. 

Will start swimming on Sunday.  Can do kicks in 25m increments with rest in between.  Otherwise, all pulls or ‘light’ kicking.  Mostly stopped because of my illness but so very ready to do something more challenging physically.

I found out today while I was gone, the office was invaded by mice.  They got in my desk and ate through my oatmeal packets and popcorn packs.  And they pooped on my extra workout clothes. 

And I didn’t wake up New Year’s Day all better.  I have bronchitis and I’m on a steroid because it’s exacerbated my asthma.  WoooOOoooOOOOooOOOO.  But here’s to hoping I get a full night’s sleep instead of hacking my lungs out when I try to lay down.  This sitting up and sleeping crap sucks. 

Screw it.  Wake me up in 2014.