Category Archives: health & happiness

10 ways to improve your life

23 Monday Jul 2007

Posted by in friends, health & happiness, life stuff, musings, philosophy

≈ 6 Comments

I found the following Lifehack.org article on Lori’s blog the other day and thought it was worth reprinting here, if only as an easy-access reminder for myself. But I also thought most people would relate to it – there are at least a couple habits here that feel very true for me. I wasn’t sure whether to post this here or on nothing ventured …
in the end I posted it on both because, although it may get more response here initially, it’s more likely to stay at the top of the page at the other place (for easy reference).

Many of our problems come from within our own minds. They aren’t caused by events, bad luck, or other people. We cause them through our own poor mental habits. Here are 10 habits you should set aside right away to free yourself from the many problems each one will be causing you.

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speak directly into the microphone…

15 Sunday Jul 2007

Posted by in culture, friends, health & happiness, home, life stuff

≈ 20 Comments

microphone1.jpg

Testing … testing …

So there is this bloggers interviewing each other tag thing going around. The most recent one I read was Aphra Behn interviewing Teuchter, and I thought I’d give it a go by asking Teuchter to interview me. This is a volunteer ‘tag yourself’ thing, so if you would like to be interviewed then just follow the instructions at the bottom of the post.

Warning! Some very long and self-indulgent answers follow. Read on at your own risk…

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da finga – redux

27 Wednesday Jun 2007

Posted by in health & happiness, life stuff, rants

≈ 19 Comments

da-finga.jpg Not looking much better, is it? Six weeks later.

In fact it looks a bit like an angry chorizo. Doesn’t feel too good either. 😦

Last week I started physiotherapy at a place recommended by my surgeon. A friend of his – a ‘hand specialist’ no less. Yeah right.

I showed up for the first appointment last Thursday and the ‘hand specialist’ was nowhere in sight. The attendent looked quite miffed when I said I wanted to speak to him before they started doing anything to my hand, so about half an hour later I got to see The Man. He said it would take at least ten daily sessions to start off with and then sent me out to get started. Turns out this specialist doesn’t actually touch patients – he has a bunch of minions (most of them look fresh out of grad school) doing all the work.

My ‘treatment’ turned out to be ten minutes under an infrared heat lamp, two minutes under a laser beam and then a five-minute massage. And each 17-minute treatment not only cost money but also took more than two hours out of my life (one hour just getting there and back). So I went again on Friday and then again on Monday morning … and walked out never to return. It was so packed in there on Monday that I was going to have to wait almost two hours for my 17-minute treatment. Which frankly I can do at home. So that’s what I’m doing now.

I can use my hair drier to heat up da finga and instead of the laser I’ll just glare at it (The Ray™). And I’m way better at massaging than the two ‘therapists’ I experienced. Boy, ineptitude and disorganisation really bug me – especially when it comes to my health. I still half-suspect the op wasn’t even necessary but I’m not going there (for now) . . .

da finga

31 Thursday May 2007

Posted by in health & happiness, life stuff

≈ 10 Comments

da-finga.jpg

Yay! f_somersault.gif

Got the pin out this afternoon. And the bloody cast/bandage contraption is finally gone, which feels wonderful after 17 days of it.

Da Finga is still quite swollen and its mates have become rather unbendy as well, but it’s great having a bit more dexterity – though I’ll have to be very careful not to overdo it. But just being able to use the thumb with the index finger makes all the difference.

So although puffy and still a bit painful, at least my hand can breathe again.

That’ll do for now. 🙂

sick in bed

30 Wednesday May 2007

Posted by in health & happiness, home, life stuff

≈ 5 Comments

sickinbed2.jpg

. . . all day long!

It’s been a long time since I’ve been sick like this. And I’m not even sure what it is. Last night my stomach felt a bit queasy just before bed and then today from about 6am – 4pm I had the most incredible lower abdominal cramps and serious ‘dire rear’. It finally eased up around 5 o’clock and for the past couple of hours I’ve been gently wandering around the flat. Too much time in bed tends to made my lower back seize up and I definitely don’t need a bout of sciatica along with aching hand in sling and painful abdomen.

Anyhow, it’s been just an awful day. I can’t remember ever experiencing pain like that before – or at least not for so long. It’s rather ironic that I’d get so sick shortly after starting on a healthier lifestyle thang, but can’t be food related because Nog & I ate the same stuff yesterday and he’s fine.

I’m starting to feel a bit hungry now – it’s almost 8pm and all I’ve had today is water. But I’m kind of afraid to try anything solid at this point. Maybe some chicken soup?

Ah well, tomorrow’s another day . . .