Muffinman

ninja · Post by **ninja** » 12 May 2005 03:00

lol wtf. He just taped the wire on my throat. It has this metal part on it but yeah. No needles.

Muffinman · Post by **Muffinman** » 14 May 2005 09:47

*Whew*

ACUPUNCTURE APPOINTMENT #2
I had my second acupuncture appointment yesterday. She started out with a little bit of a massage, not much, but I guess trying to get a feel for which muscles were the tighest and if they were any looser than last session. She said that the muscles in my very lower back (basically upper buttock) were very tight also, and I mentioned my back problems and offered that that might have something to do with my hip.

SOOOO... She put a couple needles in my back, too, this time, which was SCARY -- moreso than the knee from last time! Every breath I took was pretty creepy, as I felt it move around with the slightest movement. I eventually relaxed, but I don't know how much. It was worse than last time, in that my shoulder began to cramp and hurt A LOT, and my lower leg was cramping, too, and falling asleep, I think. I was too scared to move.

After the needles, I lay on the bed for a while, waiting while she started the needles in another patient (all in all I was there for almost 2 hours this time! -- last time was about an hour.) She came back finally and did the massage, which included a lot on my back -- THIS WAS AMAZING

My back hurts lot right now, as usual, but wow...it was nice for a part of the whole session to feel good. She must have massaged for at least half an hour (probably exactly, actually -- the time the other patient had to wait with the acupuncture affecting. The massage was great, and then she went to her storage room and got me this little box covered in Chinese writing (I can't read) which she described as a patch to put on my hip, which will relieve pain.

So I settled up and made another appointment (Tuesday at noon). These appointments are costing a lot -- oh yeah, speaking of which. SO as she was massaging talked about random things -- mostly footbag and her daughters, since I know them, I guess. She said that her eldest daughter, Wen, and Lauren (Marita's sister)'s best friend said that I was amazing at footbag and that I needed to show her (Dr. Bai) some time. I couldn't remember ever playing in front of Wen, but that made me feel good. And then I started rambling about other acupuncturists in the city -- oh, because she asked why my dad never made another appointment for his shoulder. I told her that the reason he didn't come back was because we have insurance coverage for acupuncture, but only by licensed medical doctors (or something), and that we don't have coverage with her. I continued on about how I'm seeing her instead of the one licensed doctor in the city, since I figured her to be more knowledgable in a subject directly related with her lifestyle and heritage (in much more of a fumbling-over-my-own-words manner, as is typical of me). I think this may be why my massage lasted so long and why I got a free box of the little patch thingies.

So I woke up at 9 this morning (on a Saturday! -- this early morning British lit class really is helping me become a morning person!!), text-messaged Marita, gathered up my footbag stuff (after a couple quick stretches and the knee-circles) and went outside to kick for a while. It was super cold and I ended up playing in my family room, with much reserve, as my whole family is still sleeping (now 12:40 and still sleeping) and it's loud on hardwood floor. I then ate some cereal and vegetable/cheese sandwhiches and cleaned up the kitchen and did the dishes.

Then I was going to put on this patch thing, but I'm supposed to wash my hip first, so I had a shower. Okay, so this "patch" is called, "Hua Tuo (anti-contusion rheumatism plaster)". The "actions" are translated as, anti-contusion, anti-phlogistic, antioncotic, analgetic, promoter blood circulation. I don't know what any of that means. It's supposed to be really strong (not for pregnant women). It's like a big bandaid that I peeled of from the wax paper and put on my hip (6cmX10cm). It FEELS really strong, and I have high hopes. Oops -- it says to keep remaining patches in air-tight bag, so I gotta go get a ziplock.

I hadn't played for a couple days, but I did beat one record today. Oh, flip clippers -- I hit 75. I was trying for so long to beat that former 48 record. Still need at least 100 before I'm happy. I didn't do a single thing that I felt would push my muscle at all, including any outside kicks or stalls. I ended with 4 spinning clippers > spinning osis both sides, first try, which felt good, as I haven't done anything guiltless in a while. Osii are still really annoying me -- they're so inconsistant.
And that's about all for this amazingly long update. I have a paper to write on Oscar Wilde's "A Pitcure of Dorian Grey" for Wednesday, so my [backup] plan is to whip it up today and do something fun (draw and play footbag) for the rest of the weekend before I have to start reading the next book (entirely skipped Thomas Hardy's "Tess of the D'Urbervilles" -- didn't have time...). I just realized how short a course this is, too. After this coming week I will be half done already! It's only 6 weeks

Oh yeah...

I may be going to live in Quebec city for all of July (is that close to Montreal?). Marita and I both recieved bursaries for this french program, so I will be learning french and they will be paying for our dorms and food. We haven't decided yet if we're going for sure, as ther eare complications for me about how I'm going to pay for school, without the summer to earn money (I think I'm probably eligable for bursaries for that too!...though not much.) and...other things. I forget. I think we will probably go, though

Marita visited the summer before last, while she was staying in Trois Rivieres, and says it's really really pretty with cobblestone roads and everything, so it should be a sweet experience! (I've never been to the province before -- I hope they speak english...)

Muffinman · Post by **Muffinman** » 15 May 2005 18:05

SESSION 050515:
I should be writing my essay that's due on Wednesday that I keep putting off because I'm too tired... My hip has been feeling really restless today. Do you know what I mean? Like I need to move it or it will either cramp up or I will go crazy! I often have sudden urges to run when I'm walking somewhere -- I guess I crave action lots of the time. So I wanted to do some exercise before I showered. I was going to shower so I could apply today's Chinese patch thing (yesterday's barely peeled off @_____@ -- very sticky!!)

So anyway. Here are some things I hit:
-28 alternating inside stalls
-(may have beat outside kick record, of 18 -- I wasn't counting)
-7 gyro clippers
-14 flip spinning clippers
-13 goodside spinning clippers

The gyro clippers were inspired by Jerermy Mirken -- I was trying to beat his 8! Ahr! They're so hard! 14 flip spinning clippers was first try and then It took me a bunch of tries to get 13 on my "good" side... My former records were 11 each side. Before that my records were, like, 11 goodside and, like..6 badside, or...something. It was a larger diffference, in any case. So that was neat. It felt SOOOOOOO good to do spinning! Spinning is definately the BEST PART ABOUT FOOTBAG!!!!! It makes me feel really...free or something.

Oh, I also hit 119 contacts of 10 sameside clippers > op 10 sameside clippers [repeat], inspired by Jeremy O'Wheel's 100-tiltless runs (that's practically a dropless 2-minute routine!!

Except...not a routine........). I also hit a 62-contact run, half tiltless, half guiltless (mostly spinning and ducking).

zachatree · Post by **zachatree** » 15 May 2005 18:26

rock on, spinning is defently the best part about footbag, when i spin i forget about every thing around me, an just enjoy my own talent of keeping a bag off the ground. im a real big fan of your style eric, i think im gonna try to get 2 gyro clipers, 8 thats pretty impressive.

Muffinman · Post by **Muffinman** » 17 May 2005 00:46

Thanks Zachary! Sadly I don't think I have ever seen you play, and I can't give you any reciprocal compliments

I am forum whore tonight:
http://www.modified.ca/footbag/viewtopic.php?t=9070
http://www.modified.ca/footbag/viewtopic.php?t=9139
It is 3:41 A.M. -- I have to be in class in 4 hours. I skipped today to write my essay. I began and finished today! It's due on Wednesday (the day after tomorrow). It's suddenly really hot in here. After finishing my essay I couldn't sleep, partially from hunger. So I ate (now I stink of egg), after brushing and mouth-washing -- I always end up doing this... Then I wrote two long posts on the forum and I feel really hyper from being so tired. I spent a few minutes staring really intently at my armpit hair and I had a sudden urge to throw a rag across my kitchen, almost breaking a whole bunch of glasses, a few hours ago. That was after I almost juggled the uncooked eggs and then realized I was too tired to clean up the inevitable mess. Oh yeah and then I wrote my girlfriend an email that was a couple hundred words short of the length of my essay

I spent a lot of the time, while I was writing my essay, playing Ashley Danowski's newest video in the background, listening to the music. When I didn't have that song stuck in my head I had the "galvanize" song from Jorden's GRASS video stuck in my head. I played both for Marita -- she didn't like the galvanize one, but she said she liked the other one kind of. I'm going to watch Ashley's video again -- I feel badly when I don't comment in the video forum threads, especially for videos I really enjoy.

Oh yeah -- probably going to end up missing class this morning...I just don't see how I can make it through the day if I don't get SOME sleep (why am I still here?). I have my acupuncture appointment IMMEDIATELY after class -- I was actually worried I may not make it on time -- so if I skip I will probably be able to get there with more time to spare (I will need to go out of my way to get some cash from the bank, though, instead of stopping on teh way back from school. I'm going to just suddenly stop writing now.

Muffinman · Post by **Muffinman** » 19 May 2005 21:39

Possibly being paid to teach footbag? -- read on:

I got a mysterious phone call today from someone who goes to my old highschool. I called him back when my mom told me about the message and got his mom. I don't think I know the guy who called -- my mom gave me the message, essentially as, "A friend from Westgate called -- Jacob -- regarding hacky sack". Don't misinterpret -- my mom is completely supportive of teh sport and calls it footbag, but that was the message.

So anyway, so I called the number he left and a woman answers, so I say, "JHi is Jacob there?" and she says he's at school. So I continue to say that I went to Westgate too and that I don't remember "Jacob", but that he called me and left a message to call me back again.

I went to my youngest brother, Konrad (all [3] of my brothers went to the same highschool), and asked if he knew this Jacob kid. He had no idea what I was talking about, but a few hours later he suddenly, like, knew everything. I guess because he went to Westgate today, by coincidence to paint a mural on the wall that he started last year (his graduation year).

So at dinner Konrad told me exactly who this guy is -- a younger brother of one of his classmates -- and that Westgate, particularly Mr. Hummelt, my former history teacher, wants to pay me to teach footbag during outdoor ed week (or something like that??). Jacob stil hasn't called me back. I'm kind of really nervous now. I was SUPER excited at first because I thought he was just some kid who wanted to learn how to play on his own -- I'm better with that. Teaching a class at my former school with a ton of highschool kids is pretty scary -- however, I'm going into education to teach highschool ¬_____¬ So I figure I should probably get some practice.

Andrew and I did a demo at Westgate, like...what? 2 years ago was it? Or 1.5? I guess this guy was there at the demo? The demo was AWESOME!!! It was maybe THE MOST enthusiastic an audience could be for footbag -- like, on par with the reactions to Vasek's 2000 Euros routnie!!!!!!! Ask Andrew! They cheered, whistled and clapped SOOO LOUD after every single run, and some kid went up to my brother after and asked what song we played to because it was sooo awesome (Andrew and I put a lot of thought into the song -- we used "Astounded" by Bran Van 3000 -- so great!) I remember in the change room after I hit barfly and blurriest beesauce same run for the first time (just learning double downs consistantly) and I was so excited!!! Andrew did all the speaking for me then...

I don't even know how my brother found out about this or if it's true, but it's pretty neat, nonetheless, I guess. Although I am still injured and can't really impress them and show them what it's really about (especially since if I wasn't injured I'd be so much better than I was at the demo). I think the demo was possibly one of the coolest moments of my life. Everyone thought I had no life in highschool because I played EVERY moment of the day -- to come back for a performance and blow their minds was a really amazing feeling. My gym teacher (I dropped gym for computer 'cause I hated team sports) was so impressed

I suffer from terrible heartburn. It's hurting a lot right now -- any suggestions? Milk doesn't really help anymore -- I may need some medicine. Sucky.

I started some work I've been planning on the hackrifice site today -- i should have something up tomorrow I hope. Lots of visitors tend to miss the move demos -- I'm going to move them around so that they can't be missed. I'm thinking of making a little graphic, to put beside "moves" on the main page, that's all flashy like a big yellow "new" explosion sticker -- you know? -- to advertise it. I don't think the 220 move demos are properly taken advantage of. Speaking of which www.hackrifice.com should actually work now -- if it doesn't for anybody please let me know.

Acupunture appointment #4 today. I dared to add more frequency to the vibrations. I have been sore after because of that, but my doctor warned me of that at the first appointment -- like it's normal, I mean. So I'm thinking once the discomfort subsides my muscle may be more loose. I have an appointment on Tuesday and another on Thursday (we're doing 7 instead of 5 now, which is okay -- she is charging me less than half of her regular price because she says she wants to help me -- that's nice.)

bigdirtyfoot · Post by **bigdirtyfoot** » 19 May 2005 22:01

Hey Erik - I get really bad heartburn too. Or at least I used to, before I started hanging out with this girl and she gave me these over the counter pills called Famotidine and they totally help me out. I can eat spaghetti again! Actually I had some tonight! I'm not sure how expensive they are because she just gave me her whole bottle... she used them as chasers for when she got drunk and stuff. But they have really helped my heartburn situation out... I would suggest giving them a try. I'm still worried about it though and I may go to a doctor about it... I've had heartburn for about 6 or 7 years now and I'm really not that old so I don't think I should have it. Anyways, I hope that helps.

Props for teaching little kids to play footbag! And... I hope the acupuncture helps, and I hope that all is well. Peace.

habitat · Post by **habitat** » 19 May 2005 22:07

chantrofsky 3000

It's fun teaching footbag in high school. I got to teach footbag last wed and thur for a PE class. The same teacher asked me back for tomorrow, although my only bag has a hole

The only thing that is lame is those type of kids who are "too cool" for "gay hacky sack" as they put it, but it's worth going through the crap to find the kids who are really interested.

I hope it works out for you. Teaching footbag is almost as fun as playing.

Muffinman · Post by **Muffinman** » 19 May 2005 22:24

Actually I don't know why I thought I suffer from heartburn. I always just assumed it was heartburn. I just talked to my mom and she says it isn't -- it should have been obvious to me, as the pain is in my upper abs, not my heart. Which may be something worse @_______@ So therre's another doctor's appointment I should make soon. It's hard to keep track of aall these appointments.

And regarding the footbag classes -- I totally didn't realize I may need to provide some bags!! I had a bunch of mr sandman bags, but those girls I was teaching last year at Marita's highschool (who lasted maybe a couple sessions) never gave me the bags back...ugh. I wonder, if this really is a class they want me to teach, what I should do about that.

Another update is that I was an hour early for my acupuncture and so I stopped at the Portage Place mall that I never go to ('cause it's in our lameass downtown and completely closes at 6 every day!) for bubbletea, as I heard there's a place there that sells it. And so I think I've discovered that Winnipeg has no market for REAL bubbletea and all we have is REALLY really crappy, lame SLUSHY bubble "tea" that's so cold it freezes the pearls and it's juwst a horrible, unenjoyable mess

Winnipeg sucks sometimes. There's the ONE place on Pembina that's okay. There are more places on my list of bubble tea locations to check out, but, alas, I fear the worst -- Winnipeg is hopeless.

Dat · Post by **Dat** » 19 May 2005 23:42

Hit up Daryl for some bags. Tell him what you're doing. I'm sure he'll cut you some sort of deal.

habitat · Post by **habitat** » 20 May 2005 06:43

at least you have canadian idol come through town

footbinc · Post by **footbinc** » 20 May 2005 07:43

Erik Chan wrote:Winnipeg is hopeless.

Could be worse, could be Calgary...

qphox · Post by **qphox** » 20 May 2005 08:04

I'd say "oh snap", but he's right.

hacksterbator · Post by **hacksterbator** » 20 May 2005 19:15

sorry to post pointless shit in you blog but....

winnipeg is the murder, car theft and child poverty capital of canada! hurray for winnipeg. i would GLADLY live in calgary over winnipeg, even if it meant i had to play footbag by my self every day of the year! i love calgary, there's heaps of stuff to do there! plus close access to the mountains for some winter riding and summer hiking.

calgary1
winnipeg-3

footbinc · Post by **footbinc** » 21 May 2005 16:54

Winnipeg may be all those things (woohoo!), but i think your missing the point any aldirtan worth his salt will tell you,

Its better than Calgary.

Muffinman · Post by **Muffinman** » 22 May 2005 18:00

050522 SESSION (2 hours)
I did mostly long runs today -- it was so hot out and I just wanted to have some fun instead of doing lame basic drills. I was soooooo close to double spinning clipper both sides!! I was sooo excited! I don't even really care that much that I didn't hit them, because I know I can. Somehow I got the spinning ALMOST right! I felt silly spinning all over the place and stumbling around from being dizzy while the neighbours on both sides were outside too...I filmed the whole time and tried to get something neat on tape. I tried spinning ducking clipper x2 > ducking clipper [repeat], but couldn't get the last ducking clipper. I also wanted to get pdx blender beesauce in the same run, but that was silly to wish for. Haha. I hit pdx blender once each side. I hit flip first and caught it, then dropped two attempts goodside before I hit it there too. It sounds pretty lame, but blenders are something I shouldn't be doing and I've basically only learned them while being injured, so I never had a chance to get good at them. I also tried to get, like, a hundred-contact run, but the most I could get was, like, 40-something. It was super fun, even though I didn't really hit anything I wanted to and I didn't practice anything, either.

I made a bunch of pies this weekend. I made 2 triple berry pies and a custard pie. I've never really made pie from scratch before -- it's intimidating if you've never done one before, because everyone always says the crust is so hard and everything. It's really not that bad. My crust dough stuck and get holes a few times, but I managed to fix everything. In the end I managed a deilcious crust! The first time was super burned around the edges, but I have the hang of it now and know how long to keep on the tinfoil and everything. I don't know what to bake next. I can't really think of anything. I may try some pizza from scratch. The girl who usually makes all the pizzas at work every day changed to night shift, so I'm in charge of the kitchen now and I make lots of pizza. I think once I get the hang of making the dough from scratch (we get the dough balls delivered at work) I can figure out how to press and cook with my meager home kitchen tools. I guess I'd need toppings too, though. I don't think I've ever baked bread with yeast before...I'm not sure what to expect.

Now I'm going to clean the bathroom, have a bath and read the most boring book in the history of the world: A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, by James Joyce (the same guy who wrote Ulysses, aka BORING!!!!) -- absolutely nothing is happening, very slowly, in this book!!!

Muffinman · Post by **Muffinman** » 28 May 2005 20:46

Someone I know hit a really sick beast combo! Probably the nastiest I've heard of -- all moves begin with a stepping set @_____@ (I don't know if it's a secret, so that's all I'll say.)

Muffinman · Post by **Muffinman** » 01 Jun 2005 15:38

I'm finished with acupuncture -- my doctor says that my muscle is looser and that I should feel better. We agreed that maybe it's not my hip flexor after all...although I think the Pan Am sports doctor and my family doctor would know better, so I'm very confused. Although maybe it was my groin after all? Jeez. I don't know. But so maybe it's the actual bone? I'm really frustrated and ready to give up on footbag altogether. I'm teaching myself anatomy and have been drawing a lot every day for the past week. I've also started stationary biking again, since I am getting fat again. After my stationary biking I have a stretch routine I go through for my hip/groin and my knees and I do crunches, pushups and a little bit of weights.

I'm a little worried about my workshop now, since I probably shouldn't play at all, but I want to do at least a short demo and be able to show the kids what they will be able to do if they practice. All in all I am frustrated about my injury and that nobody has been able to help me. How much fucking money do I have to spend on this stupid shit? I will still need a loan for school in the fall and I don't have time to make any doctors appointments, because I am busy with school and the workshop for a week, the Pan Am doctor is on vacation AGAIN, and I am going to Quebec in a month. Blah. I am going to go draw now.

mosher · Post by **mosher** » 01 Jun 2005 15:42

Perhaps the root of your pain can be traced to your clunker shoes?

Andrew got climacools and his pains went away.
Hmmm.. connection?

Perhaps one of the many popular laver alternatives could be a step in the right direction.

I really hope sooooomething works for you!

Nathan · Post by **Nathan** » 01 Jun 2005 16:42

I agree. I used to have the old lavers with yellow soles. All the weight was in the sole of the shoe, and it was hell on my knees and hips. I got better shoes with more support (ct300's) and no more pain!