tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15101199155236377262024-02-19T19:09:15.791+09:00BalefireMostly irreverent, often cynical, occasionally serious comments on whatever raises my eyebrow--or my ire--today.Balefirehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06251575554875520546noreply@blogger.comBlogger145125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1510119915523637726.post-1627528380792076642024-01-01T00:01:00.000+09:002024-01-01T00:01:07.804+09:00Strength and Resolution<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx6hT0MJ0RCRq9-y6r_mo2kJYD9V9_DXYhQxecI861-ChdEQZc7JKnsTzvce6lMiKXoDrGSHSm_e9sS-rWzXz4JunvhTGFwcmH5dewmO8PuTStlcJXvW6Ng3GP_c1b2pO4JEnsT3Mr5WblW1SOT5yKR_IUkqQrxMU3_2Aiqxh56HD0PmkpTRx-O_p5I6F4/s626/golden-dragon-clouds-carved-style-red-patterned-backdrop_267960-548.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="626" data-original-width="417" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx6hT0MJ0RCRq9-y6r_mo2kJYD9V9_DXYhQxecI861-ChdEQZc7JKnsTzvce6lMiKXoDrGSHSm_e9sS-rWzXz4JunvhTGFwcmH5dewmO8PuTStlcJXvW6Ng3GP_c1b2pO4JEnsT3Mr5WblW1SOT5yKR_IUkqQrxMU3_2Aiqxh56HD0PmkpTRx-O_p5I6F4/s320/golden-dragon-clouds-carved-style-red-patterned-backdrop_267960-548.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><br /><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">May
all of my relatives, friends, and other readers have a very happy, healthy,
exciting, and prosperous Year of the Dragon.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"> Although
I’m not a believer in astrology, Oriental, Occidental, or otherwise, I do find
the lore amusing and intriguing, and consider it perhaps worthwhile to
consider the legendary characteristics of the year's representative
animal, with a view toward emulating the strengths and avoiding the weaknesses
with which it’s associated. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">The
Chinese zodiac animals are associated in different years with different
elements, and this time around the dragon is the “wood dragon”.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"> The
dragon is a very auspicious creature in Chinese mythology<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and astrology, and is said to bestow on those
born in its year confidence, resolution, strength, and pride. They are supposed
to be endowed with vitality and a sense of adventure, to be goal-oriented but
idealistic and romantic, and to make visionary leaders.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">On
the other hand, they may also have the less desirable<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>tendencies of being somewhat arrogant or
domineering, temperamental, somewhat egotistical, and gullible…the last due
largely to over-confidence. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">In
the coming year, let’s approach life with pride and confidence, and be strong
and resolute while avoiding arrogance and hubris.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"> I
fervently hope that the coming year brings peace where there has been strife, understanding where there has been ignorance, and justice where there has been iniquity.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"> May
the coming year be better by far than any that have preceded it, for each of
you and for those you hold dear, and indeed for all of us. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Happy
New Year and joyous holidays!</span><o:p style="font-size: 12pt;"></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" lang="EN-US"><o:p><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><i><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: xx-small;">(Image by mirrima on Freepik.com)</span></i></o:p></span></p>Balefirehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06251575554875520546noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1510119915523637726.post-11578380058354750372023-12-25T00:51:00.000+09:002023-12-25T00:51:24.219+09:00Yuletide Greetings<p> </p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Here’s hoping that all of you, friends,
relatives, and other readers of the blog have a really <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AEyGZlBdkaA">Merry Christmas</a>, Happy Hanukkah,
Happy Kwanzaa, Happy Yule, Splendid Saturnalia, or whatever other very
enjoyable holidays that you may be celebrating in this season.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">I got presents early this year, including
the opportunity to meet two very old and close friends in person, after several
years of pandemic-related restrictions and mobility issues had prevented it. Another old friend very graciously agreed to make the trek up to the Saitama/Gunma border country and perform some excellent guitar numbers as part of an anniversary celebration for the hospital where I do rehab. Another present was an invitation to a company get-together at an izakaya near the office, fun
to see colleagues and friends in person and hoist a few tankards after about
four years of only digital contact; it was almost like old times, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and well worth it despite a certain amount of fatigue
and logistics hassles.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">When the year winds down it’s time to
arrange for the annual production of <i>nengjo</i> New Year greeting
cards.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Updating the data base has
sometimes been a little sad in recent years, as notices of old colleagues and
other acquaintances having passed away have become more frequent. Each year
there are a few less cards to send, but I’m still encouraged by the number of
friends who—like me—have so far beat the odds and keep on keeping on.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">May all of you be happy and healthy, and
hale and hearty, throughout the holiday season and the year to come. As I said
at this time last year, may peace and good will prevail for everyone, everywhere,
may generosity and kindness carry the day, and may the greedy and selfish be
confounded. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Truth and justice will win out in the end, and all the sooner if we help them along. </span></span></p>Balefirehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06251575554875520546noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1510119915523637726.post-41782913854467929892023-01-12T18:19:00.000+09:002023-01-12T18:19:52.578+09:00Still I'm Sad<p>One of the very first records I ever bought, back when I was 16 or just about to be, was <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tOc-_GpfF1w" target="_blank">The Shapes of Things</a>, by the Yardbirds. It featured, prominently, their then-recent replacement for Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, whom they'd taken on board at the recommendation of Jimmy Page. </p><p>Yes, that is a lot of legendary guitarists for a singe sentence.</p><p>I've just learned that Jeff Beck has passed away, following several other iconic musicians who--to me, anyway--contributed significantly to the soundtrack of my life. Jeff Beck was an astoundingly good guitarist. Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame <i>twice </i>(as one of the Yardbirds and as a solo act), he's been cited as one of the very first of the psychedelic rock musicians, but was undeniably skilled at blues, too, and has influenced countless other guitarists.</p><p>Although I might not have thought so when I was 16, now that I'm somewhat older I think that at 78 he was too young to go. I'm sorry that he's gone, as I'm sure many of my musician friends and other music lovers are, too. Jeff Beck had a remarkable life to go along with his remarkable talent, but <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X9fmleT7mxs" target="_blank">Still I'm Sad</a> to hear that he's gone. </p>Balefirehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06251575554875520546noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1510119915523637726.post-46215028445044441272023-01-01T02:04:00.000+09:002023-01-01T02:04:38.696+09:00Peace and Wisdom<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkXCekndRDdIZ9eC8txx_5YYwGQRAg1enS53_lswYC1rEDzSSBznusq3dQJ82J781XNiP6zjXLrTftKJdd1W4T98gi_w5iQKItPK9TS1f3BNiJV668TURw1Pao__xg8TszWXX8wDB8rAdwA42fRU-TZkLyfCJoTVjOg2_dHyTML47DWJ88Yrw0u21HaQ/s5000/job549-hein-gold-022.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5000" data-original-width="5000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkXCekndRDdIZ9eC8txx_5YYwGQRAg1enS53_lswYC1rEDzSSBznusq3dQJ82J781XNiP6zjXLrTftKJdd1W4T98gi_w5iQKItPK9TS1f3BNiJV668TURw1Pao__xg8TszWXX8wDB8rAdwA42fRU-TZkLyfCJoTVjOg2_dHyTML47DWJ88Yrw0u21HaQ/s320/job549-hein-gold-022.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /> <p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">I
wish all of my relatives, friends, and other readers a very happy, healthy,
exciting, and prosperous Year of the Rabbit.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">With
my usual disclaimer that I’m not a believer in astrology, Oriental, Occidental,
or otherwise, nevertheless I do find the lore amusing and intriguing, and consider
it perhaps worthwhile to consider the legendary characteristics of
the year's representative animal, with a view toward emulating the strengths
and avoiding the weaknesses with which it’s associated. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">The
rabbit is said to endow people born in its year with the traits of wisdom and
caution, which might be mistaken for timidity but actually reflect careful
consideration of options before jumping into a new situation. Rabbit people are
also said to be good listeners and kind and sweet by nature, with appreciation
for art and beauty.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Appropriately
for the current world situation, the rabbit is also said to impart calm and
tact, being cool headed and slow to anger. People born in the Year of the Rabbit
are likely, it is said, to be peacemakers.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">I
fervently hope that the coming year brings peace where there has been strife,
and justice where there has been iniquity.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">May
the coming year be better by far than any that have preceded it, for each of
you and for those you hold dear, and indeed for all of us. Happy New Year and joyous holidays!</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><i>(Image by rawpixel.com on Freepik)</i></span></p>Balefirehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06251575554875520546noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1510119915523637726.post-75886260011666233082022-12-25T10:21:00.000+09:002022-12-25T10:21:32.211+09:00Merry Christmas et alia<p> <span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 18px;">May all of my relatives, friends, and other readers of the blog have a very <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qw2TD91Nytg" target="_blank">Merry Christmas</a>, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Kwanzaa, or very enjoyable other holidays they might celebrate in this season, or just a very good time overall as the year winds down.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 18px;">As I write this, my sister-in-law is struggling with cancer and one of my oldest friends is hospitalized with COVID-19. For both of them to recover swiftly and completely would be the very best Christmas present ever. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 18px;">In this season, and indeed in all seasons and all locales, may peace and good will prevail, may generosity and kindness carry the day, and may the greedy and selfish be confounded. Even a single candle serves to diminish the darkness, but the more light and warmth, the better.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 18px;">May all of you receive your heart's desire, achieve your goals, and grasp every possible opportunity for happiness in the holiday season, as well as in the year to come. </span></span></p>Balefirehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06251575554875520546noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1510119915523637726.post-65997149694326450382022-12-22T21:39:00.000+09:002022-12-22T21:39:02.174+09:00Where the Time Goes<p> <span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">At
the beginning of October, I went around to several of the people—therapists and
other care givers—at the </span><a href="http://www.kumagaya-hospital.coop/top-kanja/kanja05-01-03.html" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;" target="_blank">care center </a><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">(called by the affectionate nickname of “Kumakoko”)
where I have been a regular user since shortly after release from my long hospital
stay. I thanked each for their support over the three years that I’ve been a
patron, first in day care and now in half-day rehabilitation, and asked for
their further cooperation in the coming year. Three years and starting on a
fourth is a long time, but the medical and therapeutical consensus is evidently
that my progress has been rather quick, not to mention more successful than
originally expected. I certainly can’t dispute that I’m far from the permanently
bed-ridden or wheelchair-restricted original prognosis.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">It
has been longer than I’d prefer, but I can’t deny that I’ve come quite a long
way, thanks to a lot of support and effort from those around me, pros, family,
and friends, and, I suppose, to my obstinacy.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">I
have of late settled into a routine of sorts, with each week differing only
slightly from the one before or after. The focus is firmly on rehabilitation,
aiming at an ideal of return to full mobility, and that requires an investment
of will, of concentration, of energy, and of time.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Most
Monday mornings begin with a visit from physical therapist Takaoka-san. He makes
suggestions, explains tactics, monitors progress, and guards against accidental
injury in real-world activities such as using escalators, walking on uneven surfaces,
climbing steps and slopes, and surprisingly tricky household tasks such as
hanging out laundry or taking out the trash.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Tuesday
through Friday mornings I get up early, drive over to Kumakoko, and engage in activities
involving a treadmill, stair climbing, several machines for leg and torso exercises,
diverse walking techniques, various dumbbell exercises, and monitoring/planning
discussions with the therapists and Aoki-san, my care manager. After two or two-and-a-half
hours of that, I head for home, sometimes with a stop at the local bakery or the
gas station.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Weekday
and some weekend afternoons are devoted to whatever work I might have, whether
from my contract employer or from my various freelance clients. The computers
and the smartphone get a lot of use, as do my webcam and recording software applications.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">If
the weather permits it, very early Saturday mornings I drive over to the nearby
Kumagaya Sports and Culture Park, and do a couple of round trips walking up and
down the slopes of a bridge on the grounds near the rugby field, one of the
relatively few slopes in this mostly flat alluvial plain town.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Sundays
I generally take it easy, try with very limited success to catch up on my email
and other computer stuff, and so on.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">During
the month there are a few other activities more or less beyond the routine. I
do a lot of cooking, go out shopping, do a monthly doctor and pharmacy trip, and
occasionally visit local restaurants or pubs.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">As
usual toward the end of the year, I reflect on the passing of time, review a
lot of memories, and make tentative plans for the future. </span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n2xODjbfYw8&list=RDn2xODjbfYw8&index=1" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;" target="_blank">“Who knows where the time goes?”</a><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">, and variations on that theme, have been said by those around me,
and by me as well, many times over the years. Right now I’ve got a fairly firm
grip on that, because it’s easier when you have a mostly routine existence, but
we’ll have to see what the future brings.</span></p>Balefirehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06251575554875520546noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1510119915523637726.post-8020725376803472602022-01-26T19:14:00.001+09:002023-12-31T16:46:10.388+09:00Can you make it all a little less old?<p> <span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Another rock legend has left the stage. I just learned that Meat Loaf passed away, probably from COVID-19 in combination with his already poor health, on January 20th. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">By coincidence and because of the time difference, that day marked three years since I broke my leg and was set onto a path of hospitalization, surgery, rehabilitation, and--in a head start on my colleagues just prior to the pandemic's effects--exclusively remote work. I had forgotten the anniversary, actually, until the sad news about Meat Loaf, and the mention that he was 74, brought the date, and the time, and the years, into sharper focus. I'll be 72 in a couple of months, and it hasn't been that long since my physique rather resembled Meat Loaf's in his--for want of a better term--prime. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">When <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7-0lV5qs1Qw" target="_blank">closing time</a> came for Leonard Cohen, he was 82...but I was only 66. When Charlie Watts put his sticks down for <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FlV-bEnpTII" target="_blank">the last time</a> this past summer he was 80...but I was already 71. Meat Loaf was only a couple of years older than I am, and his passing was a stronger <i>memento mori</i> for me than I expected. Or needed, really.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Due to some lifestyle changes beginning in the late '70s, most of my initial exposures to new songs around then came by way of my car radio. I don't recall anymore exactly when it was, but when I heard <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NUZk3mzwxNk" target="_blank">"Paradise by the Dashboard Light"</a> for the first time, I had to pull the car over to the side of the street and listen, rapt and amazed and amused. No song before or since has elicited that response from me. "Let me sleep on it", indeed. I've since had to struggle several times to explain that phrase to Japanese friends, but it was always worth it when realization dawned.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Seeing it performed on TV video clips and more recently on the internet of course added a lot to the experience: Meat Loaf was a hell of an actor as well as a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XDSZxUlGZnA" target="_blank">powerful singer</a>. He was certainly worth watching, whether he was playing a (long ago) "barely 17, and barely dressed" youth, or <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pMRl55U0eDw" target="_blank">Eddie</a> in <i>The Rocky Horror Picture Show</i>, or the enigmatic Beast-like character from the music video for <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9X_ViIPA-Gc" target="_blank">"I'd Do Anything for Love (But I Won't Do That)"</a>. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">That last song contains the rather grim line "It'll all turn to dust and we'll all fall down". That does seem to be pretty much inescapable, but before that happens I'd like to live with the passion and energy that Meat Loaf put into his performances. The lyrics also include the "Can you make it all a little less old?" line, and I believe that he's done that, and it's worth emulating. He may seem to be an unusual role model, but he's a worthy one in many ways. We're diminished by his loss, but enriched by his memory. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><div><br /></div>Balefirehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06251575554875520546noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1510119915523637726.post-82124752938739991562022-01-01T17:22:00.000+09:002022-01-01T17:22:02.836+09:00Brave, bold, and brash<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiULiZ06CnboJl54TlVlIE6kxpkPdPAkGn5Tzfoyp8Ln0joaJ5EwTRRgd1bTKOr0iZRXJTq_v4yyLDOgUvfpaWw1kHJG1XdQa7ecOSE9SOiL8BQ9Wvxh3AoosmE-zs7nKjXaKPGkBqHurtRMuL68cuaurpi7AZ_rKdYfX7rf2Nsz0Fhklef3HMIWz2gyQ=s600" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="405" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiULiZ06CnboJl54TlVlIE6kxpkPdPAkGn5Tzfoyp8Ln0joaJ5EwTRRgd1bTKOr0iZRXJTq_v4yyLDOgUvfpaWw1kHJG1XdQa7ecOSE9SOiL8BQ9Wvxh3AoosmE-zs7nKjXaKPGkBqHurtRMuL68cuaurpi7AZ_rKdYfX7rf2Nsz0Fhklef3HMIWz2gyQ=s320" width="216" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">I wish all of my relatives, friends, and other readers a very happy, healthy, exciting, and prosperous Year of the Tiger!</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">I was born in the <a href="https://www.travelchinaguide.com/intro/social_customs/zodiac/tiger.htm" target="_blank">Year of the Tiger</a>, specifically in what's called a year of the Metal Tiger--I've also seen it called Gold Tiger--among the <a href="https://www.travelchinaguide.com/intro/social_customs/zodiac/tiger/five-elements.htm" target="_blank">five elemental types</a>, the others being Wood, Fire, Earth, and Water (this year's). </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">While not a believer in astrology regardless of the culture, Oriental, Occidental, or otherwise, in which it's rooted, I do find the lore amusing and intriguing, and perhaps it is worthwhile to consider the supposed characteristics of the year's representative animal, with a view toward maximizing the strengths and minimizing the weaknesses which I <i>do </i>find in my own character. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Not surprisingly given the model, people born in the Year of the Tiger are said to be courageous, competitive, and self-confident, but also to tend to be impetuous and overindulgent. Metal Tiger people are said often to display strong will power and endurance, to have a positive and passionate approach to life, and to have unwavering faith in themselves, even to the extent of obstinacy.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">As I progress in my current quest for a return to full mobility and unimpaired health, aiming at once again being fully functional and entirely self-reliant, I expect the frequent demands on my courage and confidence to continue. I don't believe that I have ever lacked passion or sheer will, but I'm sure that the rehabilitation professionals around me, therapists and care managers and medical staff alike, would--if they were disposed to be candid instead of discreet--express concern about my tendency to be a bit reckless, or at least insufficiently circumspect. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">I do often want to pounce when it would be more advisable to plod.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">My care manager rolls her eyes and looks worried when I talk about riding a motorcycle again, and the therapists look pensive but no longer dubious. They do regularly counsel caution and a measured, low-risk approach. There appears to be consensus among them that it's something of which I have to be reminded rather frequently. I can't honestly disagree.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">I am looking forward to more extensive driving, and use of public transportation more frequently and for longer distances. I am hoping in the relatively near future to be able to greet in person the doctors, nurses, and therapists who contributed to my recovery during my long hospitalization, to show them how well their efforts have succeeded. There is also a good chance that before too long I will again be able to commute physically to my employer's office in Tokyo, to join my colleagues in person even if it's only a couple of times weekly while the pandemic restrictions continue. I'm not going to be averse to a bit of carousal when the opportunity arises, either.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">It's the first day of a new year, and too early to predict how things will turn out in the next few months. I have no doubt that dealing effectively with the coming months will require me to be brave and bold, and if at times I'm a bit too brash, well...one doesn't often see blenching tigers.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">May the coming year be a very safe, happy, prosperous, and exciting one for you and yours, and may it be a much, much better year than the ones that preceded it.</span></p>Balefirehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06251575554875520546noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1510119915523637726.post-66269127797969237402021-12-31T19:27:00.000+09:002021-12-31T19:27:54.062+09:00 Moving Along<p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">It has been a year marked by movement, often slower and sometimes more hesitant than I would prefer, but undeniably progressing movement.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">From a wheelchair to a walker, thence to crutches, and driving, and moving along more or less steadily through shopping areas, pushing shopping carts through supermarkets, entering and exiting bars and restaurants, and accomplishing the surprisingly tricky task of taking out the trash, I've been doing more moving along than I usually realize at the time.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Switching from day care with rehabilitation to an entirely intensive rehabilitation mode in my daily routine had been a significant move, too, and appears to be showing good results. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">It hasn't been an easy year, but I didn't expect it to be. It has been a rather successful one, though, as far as progress in mobility is concerned. As the Year of the plodding, determined Ox ends, I'm looking forward to "my" year, the coming Year of the Tiger, with some expectation of at least some faster, more aggressive movement, but in any case, plodding or pouncing, continuing with moving along. </span></p>Balefirehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06251575554875520546noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1510119915523637726.post-25586087458209739882021-12-25T10:47:00.000+09:002021-12-25T10:47:16.197+09:00Merry Christmas<p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">May all of my relatives, friends, and other visitors to the blog have a very <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zu7r5Xsg6dc" target="_blank">Merry Christmas</a>, or very enjoyable other holidays they might celebrate in this season, or just a very good time overall as the year winds down.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">May peace and good will prevail, generosity and kindness carry the day, and the greedy and selfish be confounded. Even a single candle serves to diminish the darkness, but the more light and warmth, the better.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: arial;">May all of you receive your heart's desire, achieve your goals, and grasp every possible opportunity for happiness in the holiday season.</span> </span></p>Balefirehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06251575554875520546noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1510119915523637726.post-89248962804227598272021-10-05T20:02:00.001+09:002021-10-06T12:15:39.869+09:00Breathing Easier<p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"> Back in early July when I got my second COVID-19 vaccination at a local clinic, I had them do a chest X-ray, too. That X-ray is part of the annual set of tests subsidized by the city, and the only one of the tests that I don't have done at my usual family doctor's clinic. Ironically, Dr. Nishida's love of the newest and best in medical equipment has rendered his X-ray results unacceptable to the city's system: he's gone digital while the city still requires analogue film. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">In any case, the clinic called me up the other day to let me know that the official results of the X-ray analysis were ready, and rather ominously said that I'd need to consult with the doctor instead of just picking up the form or having them mail it to me. When I went and spoke to the clinic director, she told me that I'd need to have a CT scan done, to try to determine whether the cloudy spot on my lung is early stage lung cancer. They don't have the necessary equipment, so she gave me a referral to take to somewhere with a good CT scanner. Naturally, I arranged to have it done at the Nishida Clinic.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">An incipient lung cancer diagnosis wouldn't be a great surprise, given that until a couple of years ago I'd been a very heavy smoker for several decades. On the other hand, except for one false alarm back in the '80s (it turned out to be the shadow of a rib), every year my chest X-rays have been so clear that numerous doctors have assumed that I was a non-smoker. Nevertheless, I awaited the CT scan results with some trepidation: I'm too busy to be dealing with lung cancer right now, but I'll do whatever I must.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">I was pleased to get good news. It turns out that the small amount of haze in the lower right lobe of my lung isn't anything to worry about, and definitely does not appear to be cancer. Great, another bullet dodged. I got the distinct impression that Dr. Nishida was even happier about the diagnosis than I was.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">So, it's back to the rehab routine, breathing a little easier now that I don't have to worry--at least for now-- about a new problem.</span></p><p><br /></p>Balefirehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06251575554875520546noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1510119915523637726.post-68680828517550232222021-09-30T03:09:00.000+09:002021-09-30T03:09:12.464+09:00Alarums and Excursions<p> <span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">It has been a month since I switched to full-on rehabilitation mode. A fairly intense and strenuous two and a half hours or so, each morning Tuesday through Friday, following the Monday morning home visit therapy session, and supplemented by several daily sessions at home of whatever exercises the therapists have recommended, seems to be about right. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Occasional shopping trips, suitably masked and distanced, are practical opportunities to test the returning functions, and point up any real-life shortcomings that require more work. One quickly learns the limits of one's balancing skills, for instance, when carrying five or six kilogram shopping bags while using forearm crutches.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">A shopping excursion last Sunday took me on a drive across town and gave me a chance along the way to check on the status of a <a href="https://tabelog.com/en/saitama/A1105/A110501/11054046/">restaurant </a>and <a href="https://tabelog.com/saitama/A1105/A110501/11048725/">pub</a> that I'm planning to visit again when the current pandemic countermeasure restrictions are lifted, or at least eased. For now, they've both decided to wait to reopen until they can do so under more viable conditions. The news today is that Saitama will be following Tokyo's lead closely, essentially allowing restaurants and bars to serve alcohol until eight in the evening and stay open until nine, starting from October first. That's still very limiting, but even an eight o'clock last call is a considerable improvement. It appears that the forecast is for draft beer this coming weekend.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Autumn having arrived in the wake of the typhoon that pushed summer out, Sunday afternoon was cool, and cooled further once the sun set. I was happy about that, since Monday morning walking practice with the home visit physical therapist in the hottest days of summer had been a heat stroke risk. Later in the evening, however, I quickly went from pleasantly cool to shivering with chills, and donning a sweater and hooded sweatshirt didn't make much difference. A check showed that my temperature had rapidly risen to 38.5: not <i>that </i>high, but very sudden, and alarming in these pandemic times. Naturally, COVID-19 came immediately to mind...not the most warming of thoughts.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">So early Monday morning the PT visit was cancelled, as was the rehab session for the following morning, and a reservation made for a COVID-19 test at the <a href="https://nishida-nouge.com/">Nishida Clinic</a>, where I've been a regular for a couple of decades. Their protocol for the test is to have the testees arrive shortly before noon and wait in their cars in the parking lot, to minimize contact with the other clinic patients and staff. I showed up early, called to let them know I'd arrived, and waited until a trio of nurses in PPE gear wheeled out some equipment and took up station behind the car. Dr. Nishida rushed out in a full protective suit, very different from his usual tie and casually worn lab coat image. The test was done quickly, and I then waited a little longer for the nearby pharmacy's gowned and masked staffer to deliver some medicine to my car, with the remainder to be delivered to my home mailbox. Nobody was taking a chance of infection by having me inside their facility, and very justifiably so.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Then I returned home, to quarantine myself until Dr. Nishida reported the test results Tuesday evening. By this time my fever had already dropped somewhat, and I still didn't have any other remarkable symptoms aside from a mild runny nose. Having been vaccinated already, though, and being aware that some infected people are even entirely asymptomatic, I still couldn't dismiss the possibility that I had the virus. I <i>really </i>didn't look forward to the tracking and testing and general disruption that this would cause among the people with whom I've been in contact: mostly rehab-connected people and center staff and users. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">The announcement that the test results were negative came late Tuesday afternoon: a great relief, indeed, for me and--as I found out when I showed up at rehab Wednesday morning--for my Care Manager, and the therapists, nurses, and other medical staff who deal with me regularly. My attempts to apologize for causing concern with what turned out to be a false alarm were met with a clear and very gratifying consensus response that it's much better to be safe than sorry, and to err on the side of caution.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">I would just as soon have October be a little less exciting, at least from a pandemic point of view.</span></p>Balefirehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06251575554875520546noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1510119915523637726.post-17368352387948812102021-08-29T04:08:00.000+09:002021-08-29T04:08:12.960+09:00Miss You<p> <span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">I haven't been keeping up with the news sufficiently of late. There has been more work lately, and more physical activity, and more demands on my time to accomplish various tasks. The extra work and activity are beneficial and I am grateful, but there has been a cost, as there is for most things.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">I've gotten even further behind with email correspondence, only occasionally able to rise above work-related stuff and communicate with friends. I've also become increasingly unable to keep well informed about current events: I miss a lot of news stories and sometimes only learn about them through others' discussions of the topics.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">That's how I missed, and how I learned of, the sad news that Charlie Watts won't be drumming any more, at least not in any venues where I can attend. I just found out a few hours ago that he passed away, and it's hard not to find significance of a superstitious sort in my completely coincidental switch of my stereo playlists the other day from the likes of Dire Straits and Aerosmith to the Rolling Stones. I must have played "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FkyIqNCxHuE">Satisfaction</a>" and "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IhnBaykWd-A">Midnight Rambler</a>" a dozen times each in the last week, after a hiatus on Stones music of maybe six months.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">If memory serves, "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Xw0480pdZ4">Paint it Black</a>" was the first 45 rpm record I ever bought myself, when I was 16 or 17, and it was either that or the Yardbirds' "Shapes of Things" being played at excessive volume that damaged the speakers on my Dad's brand-new Magnavox stereo. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">The Rolling Stones provided a lot of the background music for my teen years, and a lot of my memories of those days--and many later years, too--strut and stretch and skip and swagger to the sound of Charlie's drumbeats and cymbal crashes. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">I'm going to <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QV6ftIRS11s">miss you</a>, Charlie Watts. </span></p><p><br /></p>Balefirehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06251575554875520546noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1510119915523637726.post-80958665306889148332021-08-29T03:13:00.001+09:002021-08-29T03:13:32.221+09:00Changes<p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"> In another week it will have been two years since I was released from a long hospital stay, returned, as it were, to the wild. Neither "set free" nor "let loose" would have been accurate at the time: when I wasn't confined to a wheelchair, I was constrained by a bed. Standing up unassisted was the focus of my determination: just before leaving the rehabilitation hospital I had finally managed to stand up--briefly--with the assistance of a physical therapist.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">But there have been <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IJSv6JXKS_I">changes</a>.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">As recently as a year ago I was finally learning how to walk with a walker, although most significant movement was still in the wheelchair. Rehab proceeded apace, and the staff of the day care/rehab center assured me that my progress was unusually swift. It did not seem so to me; it seemed, if not continental drift slow, at least glacial slow. Reviewing and reflecting on various documents, photos, and video records lately has somewhat persuaded me, however. So has consideration of my current and near-future situation.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">I'm driving a loaner sub-compact Suzuki Swift while my Escudo is being inspected and repaired, and the navigation system updated to reflect, especially, all of the new or greatly changed streets and buildings in town. The fact that I'm driving when I could barely stand up not too long ago is certainly a significant change, and there's a considerable difference between commuting to rehab in a wheelchair strapped into a van and driving back and forth myself. Not that long ago, I would probably have been unable to fit into the loaner's driver's seat. Nearly 50 kilos lighter than I was when I started at the day care center, I'm not exactly svelte at 90 kilos or so, but it's not particularly difficult to get in and out and drive the Swift.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">It hasn't been that long since nurses were offering to help feed me lunch. I declined despite understanding their concern: my fine motor control wasn't real great after being bed-ridden for months and having muscles atrophy. These days I'm cooking over half of the meals at home, and walking around with heavy pots, sharp knives, and the like has become routine, while stretching up or down to get things, or twisting and maneuvering around tables or chairs while carrying plates of food is no longer astonishing.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">My schedule and activities are soon going to change, too. After just short of two years, I'll be shifting from a six-hour, three times weekly day care schedule with rehab built into it, to a two-and-a-half-hour, four times weekly morning intensive rehab arrangement. The place and the physical/occupational therapists are the same, but the equipment is somewhat different and I'm dispensing with the help that I've been getting with bathing, as well as skipping the center-provided lunch. The actual time devoted to exercise and practice is going to more than double.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">There have been, and will continue to be, lots of changes.</span></p>Balefirehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06251575554875520546noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1510119915523637726.post-7036099453718891502021-07-05T22:47:00.007+09:002021-07-05T22:57:10.932+09:00Got a Second<p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"> I got my second COVID-19 vaccination this afternoon, in a process as smoothly run as the previous time. Because it was the second in the series, the nurses were even more solicitous than before: they checked carefully for any sign of anaphylaxis, unusual inflammation, or other adverse reaction, especially wary since they knew that I was driving home. I appreciate their efforts and concern, but so far even after eight hours I have experienced no discomfort whatsoever.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">It seems that any side effects are likely to appear tomorrow if at all. As I did last time, I've proactively cancelled my appointment at day care/rehab tomorrow. Again as last time, if I don't show any symptoms--particularly fever--tomorrow morning, I'll cancel the cancellation and go on about the rehab routine as usual.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Apparently I'll be able to consider myself fully vaccinated in another two weeks. I would in any case have continued to follow the masking and social distance behavior and intend to do so even after the two weeks have passed. It's not particularly burdensome, it relieves others of anxiety, and may serve to reduce the spread of infection regardless of vaccination status.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">I am looking forward to hearing confirmations from all my relatives and friends that they too have been successfully vaccinated. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">We'll see what tomorrow brings, but for now, so far, so good.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ2EHYWH2r6BeDXMPBhK9GlIjUzpKaR9k05vrqRv1hL2stV1Z7eMLL-c8vCmi9i0TveyJtLPUdTnGKiY3wmW7xLuRCByrN3BixLEy8OcgBrlt7O-RC4a1WTKsweYyPuInS92Z7OA87Eiop/s1845/Vaccination+Confirmation+Cropped+07-05-2021+14.18.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1845" data-original-width="1443" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ2EHYWH2r6BeDXMPBhK9GlIjUzpKaR9k05vrqRv1hL2stV1Z7eMLL-c8vCmi9i0TveyJtLPUdTnGKiY3wmW7xLuRCByrN3BixLEy8OcgBrlt7O-RC4a1WTKsweYyPuInS92Z7OA87Eiop/s320/Vaccination+Confirmation+Cropped+07-05-2021+14.18.jpg" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p>Balefirehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06251575554875520546noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1510119915523637726.post-44541330167267631992021-06-16T19:14:00.000+09:002021-06-16T19:14:32.691+09:00Having a Shot<p> <span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">The result so far of my first COVID-19 vaccination shot last Monday afternoon has been utterly unexciting. Having heard from a few people who developed minor pain in their arms or mild fever, I had proactively canceled my day care/rehab appointment for the day following the inoculation. If your temperature rises above 37 °C they turn you away from the care center in any case, and I wanted to avoid causing a same-day cancellation. The folks at the center were appreciative of my concern, but told me that should I change my mind I could call in the morning and "cancel the cancellation".</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">A couple of weeks ago I spent 10 hours nearly continuously attempting to complete an internet appointment for the vaccination. Telephoning the appointment site was notoriously difficult, but doing it on the 'net wasn't that much easier, as far as I could see. I did finally manage to complete the log-in and appointment process, at one of my two preferred choices of venue. Once I got there Monday afternoon with paperwork in hand, the process was very smooth, indeed.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">The only physical reaction that I experienced from the shot was minor itching at the injection site, maybe half as itchy as a mosquito bite, that subsided to nothing after an hour or so. No pain, no lassitude, no fever: anti-climactic, really.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">I did as had been suggested and went to rehab the next day after all, having checked and found my temperature as normal as ever.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">I'm aware that there is an increased chance of experiencing unpleasant side effects after the second dose, and a couple of the PTs and care specialists I've spoken with reported pain or other effects with various degrees of severity after their second shot; a couple of them had to take the day off from work, and at least one lady says that she wasn't entirely back to normal for about three days, although she seems to be rather unusual in that respect.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">I'm scheduled to get the second dose on July 5th, and I plan to repeat my proactive cancellation of rehab for the next day. With luck I'll be able to rescind the cancellation, with less luck I may experience some discomfort next time. Either way, I'll be happy when my vaccination is complete. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">I'll be happier still when my younger relatives and friends--who should be getting theirs in the next stage of the process--are done with it, too. I'll be even happier when enough of the population is vaccinated that the pandemic becomes manageable enough to responsibly allow businesses to resume normal operation. I have friends in the <a href="http://www.whatthedickens.jp/" target="_blank">hospitality</a> and <a href="https://chrisgrundy.com/" target="_blank">entertainment </a>business for whom this has been a serious disaster, and I hope to see them recovering as soon as possible.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">I'm looking forward to the day when having a shot is a reference to <a href="https://www.herradura.com/" target="_blank">Herradura</a>, or <a href="https://www.ardbeg.com/en-int" target="_blank">Ardbeg</a>, or <a href="https://www.jamesonwhiskey.com/" target="_blank">Jameson</a>, or <a href="https://www.myerssrum.com/" target="_blank">Meyers's</a>.</span></p>Balefirehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06251575554875520546noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1510119915523637726.post-64864983506596378492021-03-01T22:55:00.001+09:002021-03-12T14:25:53.041+09:00Sticks and Wheels<p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">The ever-cheerful and quietly but persistently diligent Takaoka-san deserves some sort of medal. The house-call physical therapist has to put up with my tendency to underestimate risk and overestimate my ability, trying to prevent me from causing a self-inflicted catastrophe--this would not be a good time to break a leg again, for example--while at the same time encouraging me to progress in my rehab. He would clearly prefer to take things steadily and in small, safe increments. I, on the other hand, have a definite <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4CSSnrY3Ezs">"I want it all, and I want it now!"</a> attitude much of the time, despite my efforts to leaven my enthusiasm with a little sensible caution. Moderation has never really been my strong suit, though.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">This morning he brought along the pair of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crutch#:~:text=A%20forearm%20crutch%20(also%20commonly,that%20goes%20around%20the%20forearm.&text=Forearm%20crutches%20are%20the%20dominant,short%20or%20long%20term%20use.">Lofstrand crutches </a>that I've been using at the rehab center lately. He stopped by there on the way to my place to pick them up, with the aim of assessing and improving my skill at walking with them in the less-forgiving and more straitened home environment. The idea was to see how well I could navigate narrow spaces and movement impediments while performing everyday functions in the various rooms of the house, and to provide me with pointers on how to move more smoothly and safely. That worked very well. So well, in fact, that it seemed to me that the area of operation could be expanded a bit, and the functions increased.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">After he'd gone to the trouble of picking up the crutches, it seemed to me that we might as well see how well I could use them to get around the yard's very uneven surfaces, moving along over loose gravel, tree roots, branches, and the like. That was apparently activity that Takaoka-san had tentatively scheduled for a near-future date, as was the experiment of entering the car with the crutches for the first time, and the subsequent eventually successful but briefly too exciting entry to my genkan.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Since we were so close to the condo next door, it then seemed like a good idea to me to determine whether I was up to climbing their difficult stairs using the Lofstrand sticks. I did manage it, but I'm afraid that it was pretty stressful for the long-suffering PT. He'd planned that practice for still further in the future (and rightly so, to be honest: I'm not up to doing that smoothly, yet, and it was a bit foolhardy of me to try it, despite being successful). He's very good about gently discouraging me from doing really unwise things, and very gamely supports my efforts to push things just a bit more every week.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">I was glad to see that he was obviously genuinely pleased to learn that I had passed my senior driver's assessment yesterday. It was concrete evidence of the result of his hard work--and that of the other therapists and helpers in the rehab center--in helping me deal with a serious lifestyle hurdle.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">He and his colleagues are sure to be pleased when they learn that this afternoon I was successful in getting my driver's license renewed; that's one of the major goals we'd been working toward, and that it went well is a tribute to their diligence and skill. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">There's a certain hint of the surreal in being able to drive somewhat more capably than I can walk, but getting along fairly smoothly both on the Lofstrand crutch sticks and on the car's wheels is improved mobility on two fronts, and a definite improvement over the wheelchair. I'm looking forward to the expression on the PTs' faces when I point out--innocently, in passing--that the new license still includes the motorcycle permission.</span></p>Balefirehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06251575554875520546noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1510119915523637726.post-62202213514734575482021-02-28T21:33:00.000+09:002021-02-28T21:33:07.496+09:00Hurdle Cleared<p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Today I attended the mandatory senior drivers' training course, which includes a vision test, lecture on new traffic regulations, and a brief practical driving test. The course is provided by local driving schools at the behest of the prefectural safety commission and the National Police Agency that oversees them. Mine was done at the <a href="http://car-school.co.jp/">Saitama Motor Driving School</a> not far from the riverbank and the station. After considerable concern over whether I would be assessed as capable of driving, and thus qualifying for the upcoming renewal of my driver's license, I am very pleased that I passed the test handily, and can now go over to the local police headquarters and get my license renewed for a few more years. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Since I've been driving several times each week with no problems, including going back and forth to the rehab center and various shopping trips, I wasn't worried about my driving not making the grade. In a culture where appearances are important, though, I was slightly anxious about the response that I would get from the driving test staff when they found that I need a walker to get to the driver's seat. In effect, they were having to pass on the safe driving ability, in an unmodified car, of a guy who cannot walk properly. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: arial;">To their credit, all of the staff were very gracious and professional</span><span style="font-family: arial;">, arranging for me to sit near the door and minimizing the distances I had to walk. The actual testers very matter-of-factly asked "Can you drive?", and when I assured them that I can, they went out of their way to accommodate me, folding up and storing the walker, hovering nearby if they thought I might need balance assistance, and the like.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The entire operation went very smoothly, and I now intend to head over to the main police station to get my license renewed, maybe as soon as tomorrow, the first day of the renewal period, which is a month on either side of my upcoming birthday.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I'm very happy to have overcome that small but important senior driving assessment hurdle.</span></span></p>Balefirehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06251575554875520546noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1510119915523637726.post-42485602695699525402021-01-21T18:06:00.001+09:002021-02-03T10:03:38.115+09:00 Two Years Along the Road<div style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large; white-space: pre-wrap;">Two years ago today I broke my leg, which turned out to be a mixed blessing initiating a chain of events long and challenging, sometimes strange but often educational, and even occasionally surprisingly pleasant. I've gone from essentially bed-ridden and largely incapable, to significantly more mobile and surprisingly functional.<br /></span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">A year ago today I was, as I am today, writing a blog post in the day care center where I do my rehabilitation work. I described myself then as “sanguine about my chances for eventually being able once more to walk, and drive, and cook, and even return to my desk at the office”. It turns out that I was right to be (cautiously) optimistic.<br /></span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The doctor who officially assessed my handicap level just prior to my release from the hospital told me to prepare mentally and emotionally, and resign myself to the likelihood of being wheelchair-bound for the rest of my life. He appears to have been somewhat too pessimistic: I have returned the rental wheelchair upon which I relied for over a year. <br /></span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I am now, using a walker, walking smoothly and with relatively little effort. Completely hands-free walking is still limited to only a few steps, and I still have some balance and fine motor control issues, but walking with one hand on a railing or nearby stable surface for support is getting easier and easier for more and more steps each day. Stair climbing practice proceeds apace, and it seems that I can realistically expect to be walking with a cane in the relatively near future. Beyond that it’s a tougher call, but I’m relatively pleased with my progress on the walking front.<br /></span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">With my driver’s license renewal coming up, and the new requirement for a senior driver ability assessment in the offing, I was somewhat concerned. Thanks to Takaoka-san, my house-call physical therapist, and to the endlessly patient, cheerful, inventive, and professional crew of therapists and other staff at the day care/rehab center, I’m now able to get into and out of my car, and drive and park it pretty much anywhere that I want to. I’m quite confident about passing any driving tests that may be imposed, as long as the authorities don’t have a problem with me getting up to the driver’s seat using a walker.<br /></span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Cooking and related tasks have become feasible, and I’ll be doing more as the time increases during which I can stay standing up and balanced while using both hands for the fetching, chopping, stirring, or whatever. Cooking has moved from the “can I?” to a “how smoothly can I?” area.<br /></span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">As for my paying jobs, I continue to work from home on one or another computer, having gotten a head start on the COVID-19-driven teleworking campaign with my hospitalization around a year before the novel coronavirus became an issue. Using either a portable WiFi router when at rehab or my home internet provider when in the house, I have relatively little trouble with the job, and probably became acclimated to large-scale teleworking much sooner than my colleagues, who have been forced into at least partial teleworking more recently. By the time that COVID-19 is no longer serious enough to demand teleworking and other anti-infection measures, I may actually be physically recovered enough to return to a physical presence in the office. We’ll see whether or when that takes place.<br /></span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The world has changed considerably in the last two years, particularly in the last year, and so have I. Restrictions on activities imposed by the pandemic have affected me personally less than they have most of my friends and relatives, because my movement and activity had already been severely constrained by the vagaries of my nervous system and musculature. It now seems much more realistic to look forward to actually visiting restaurants and bars and other places that I had erstwhile been wont to frequent. <br /></span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I have reasonable hope that restrictions on operation—whether those of shops or of my own body--will be lifted before too very much longer. I’m not letting up on my rehab efforts, and a full—or at least sufficient—recovery will, I know, take as long as it will take. I’m hoping that’s less than another two years, or even another year, but I intend to keep up the pace, and maybe even increase it a bit.<br /></span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I can get down the road by driving now, but that doesn’t mean that I won’t be walking, too.</span></div><span id="docs-internal-guid-afb89322-7fff-f046-d63a-ea9f03d8c184"><div><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div></span>Balefirehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06251575554875520546noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1510119915523637726.post-40940282762793415752021-01-01T02:24:00.001+09:002021-02-03T10:01:30.893+09:00Diligent, Dogged, Determined<p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">I wish all of you a very happy, healthy, exciting, and prosperous Year of the Ox!</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">In the Oriental zodiac, the Ox is the second animal, after the Rat and preceding the Tiger in the race to visit the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jade_Emperor">Jade Emperor</a>. One version of the story goes that the Ox, not the most fleet of animals over the long run, but very diligent and ambitious, started out early to ensure a first-place arrival. That the cunning Rat tricked the Ox by hitching a ride and then jumping off and scampering across the finish line ahead of him does not detract from the prudent perseverance with which the Ox approached the race.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">People born in the Year of the Ox are supposed to have some of the characteristic traits of the Ox: they are said to be hard-working, prudent, methodical, steady, conservative, enduring, and responsible.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">On the other hand, their admirable determination might on occasion become stubborn and inflexible, and they are not known for being expressive of their feelings.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">I'm not a believer in astrology, whether Oriental or Occidental, but I find the tales amusing, and if the behavior of Ox-Year people matches the image, well, perhaps that's a self-fulfilling prophecy. And it doesn't hurt to contemplate the characteristics of the year's zodiac animal, whether to emulate or to avoid throughout the year.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">After what seems to me to have been a long, slow slog, but which various therapists and medical personnel assure me is remarkably fast, I have progressed over the past year from <i>"barely able to strand up, with assistance"</i> to <i>"no longer needing a wheelchair, pretty quick getting around with a walker, probably walking with a cane soon, and able to drive, carefully"</i>. Practical mobility has improved from a question of "whether" to one of "when". There is a lot of work still to be done before I enter any dance contests, however.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">The Ox's diligence and dogged determination may be just what I should be striving to imitate this coming year, and in particular I should perhaps attempt to emulate its prudence and responsibility...two traits for which I have not necessarily been well known.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">May the coming year be a very safe and happy one for you, and much, much better than this past year has been.</span></p>Balefirehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06251575554875520546noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1510119915523637726.post-82993802387137568002020-12-25T19:16:00.002+09:002021-02-07T12:06:29.872+09:00Merry Christmas & a Present for Me<p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Fervent wishes for a very Merry Christmas to my family and friends, and to the others who visit the blog.</span></p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">If you celebrate other holidays instead of or in addition to Christmas, I hope that you enjoy them very much.<br /><br />May the season be very happy and healthy for you in any case, and may the coming new year be much better than any that preceded it.<br /><br />May peace and good will prevail throughout the world, and the sooner the better!</span><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Earlier today, a small foray intended to practice driving in the parking lot of a nearby supermarket worked out so well that I was able to just drive away and--smoothly and without incident, but not without a certain amount of trepidation--head over to the main post office and return home. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Learning that the confidence I felt in driving, after nearly two years, and with half or so of that bed-ridden, was in fact not misplaced, was a very welcome Christmas present for me.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">I hope that all of you get for Christmas whatever gift you most desire, and that you have a very happy holiday season.</span></div>Balefirehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06251575554875520546noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1510119915523637726.post-7775754175817190682020-12-23T11:14:00.004+09:002021-02-07T12:05:40.193+09:00It Takes Nerve<p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Looking over some older posts, and reviewing some email
messages I’ve sent to friends and family members, I notice that I’ve been
describing the condition that was (mostly) responsible for my long
hospitalization as “myelitis”. That’s true enough and simple enough, but it’s
also somewhat as if I had said I had a fever, sore throat, and breathing
problems when in fact I had influenza.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Strictly speaking, the spinal cord condition that caused me
so much trouble was a “<a href="http://www.ajnr.org/content/30/4/639">spinal dural arteriovenous fistula</a>”, which the medical
folks seem to refer to as “SDAVF”. It seems to be a fairly rare condition, and
from what I’ve read it appears that I was fortunate that it affected my spinal
cord rather than my brain.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">I was definitely fortunate that it was discovered and diagnosed
fairly early, and that I had excellent medical care in top-notch facilities. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Since being released from the last of the three hospitals
and concentrating on rehabilitation, I’ve been concerned about how soon—and how
much—I’m likely to recover. I am of course hoping and striving for a full
recovery that has me eventually in better-than-ever condition, but I’ve never
been so optimistic that I could ignore reality. For a while it didn’t look as
if my legs and feet were ever going to follow my brain’s orders properly.
Lately, however, my recovery has been accelerating, with nerves and muscles
cooperating rather well. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Dr. Nishida, the doctor whom I’ve been visiting for a couple
of decades now for everything from colds to sprains, and who is now making monthly
house calls to check on me, runs <a href="https://nishida-nouge.com/">his own clinic</a> as a GP these days, but was
originally a specialist neurosurgeon/brain surgeon. He tells me that although
the nerves <i>connecting</i> spinal cord to limbs readily regenerate it’s very
unlikely that <i>spinal cord</i> nerve cells had died and are now regenerating.
Instead, it’s rather as if some of them had been temporarily “asleep” and are
now gradually awakening. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Whatever the nerve details may be, I’m very pleased to see
returning function and almost daily expansion of my range of physical activity.
Less than a year ago, I could barely stand up. A couple of days ago, I was
practicing precise control of my foot and ankle as I maneuvered my car around
my yard. It did take some courage to fire up the engine and hit the gas pedal
for the first time in nearly two years, since it requires a light and careful touch
to avoid sudden and very dramatic acceleration, and many people would be
annoyed if I were to embed the car in my house, but in fact it went very
smoothly. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Sometimes it takes nerve, sometimes it takes nerves,
sometimes it takes both.</span><o:p></o:p></p>Balefirehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06251575554875520546noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1510119915523637726.post-43034080432599953352020-12-16T19:03:00.002+09:002021-02-07T12:05:09.973+09:00Drive<p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><span lang="en-CA">By this coming
spring or summer, it’s quite possible that I may once again be
driving…before I’ve entirely recovered my ability to walk
properly. That’s not </span><span lang="en-CA"><i>too</i></span><span lang="en-CA">
odd, since driving has been an important part of my life for a very
long time, whether cars,<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sAB-mWN1JeY"> motorbikes</a>, or trucks; I even drove a
forklift for a while, back when I was 18 or so.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><span lang="en-CA">My driver’s
license comes up for renewal within a month either side of my
birthday at the end of March. Before I can get it renewed, I have to
pass the recently-mandated senior drivers’ evaluation. This
involves going to a nearby driving school, listening to a safety
lecture, passing a vision test, and doing a 10-minute practical
driving session with an instructor/evaluator. </span>
</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><span lang="en-CA">The requirement for
evaluating older drivers’ physical and mental condition was
prompted by numerous high-profile traffic accidents involving
seniors, including fairly numerous incidents—sometimes resulting in
tragedy--of hitting the accelerator instead of the brake, and a few
highly publicized cases of older drivers going the wrong way on
expressways. </span>
</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><span lang="en-CA">Driving the wrong
way on an expressway is something of a feat, actually: virtually all
exits have toll booths that should severely impede if not prevent
entry, and entering the roadway from service/parking areas in the
wrong direction is not something done out of merely </span><span lang="en-CA"><i>slight</i></span><span lang="en-CA">
confusion.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><span lang="en-CA">I haven’t reached
that level of confusion yet, and my reflexes are still quite good. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DQc_HLYh_NI">My judgement is as good as it ever was</a>…I’ll wait until the laughter
dies down on that last one. </span>
</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><span lang="en-CA">I am, however, still
recuperating and rehabilitating from being mostly bed-ridden for
nearly a year. This time last year, I could barely stand up even with
assistance. These days my mobility has improved greatly, but I’m
still not able, while seated, to raise my right leg as high, or move
it as quickly, as I would like. This worried me when I got the notice
about appearing for the senior driving evaluation: I cannot pick up
and move that right foot from the gas to the brake and back fast
enough to make driving feasible. Not yet, anyway. </span>
</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span lang="en-CA"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">So, while my and the
therapists’ and other rehab-related folks’ efforts are aimed at
returning me to full mobility—or as close to it as possible—the
immediate focus is on devising a strategy and tactics for making
driving practical (and safe, of course). With the cooperation of my
house-call therapist I’ve discovered that swiveling my foot at the
heel is quite sufficient to deal with the gas and brake pedals on his
<i>kei</i>-sized company car, and—since he very kindly drove his personal
vehicle the other day so that I could try it—on a Toyota Voxy, as
well. This swiveling motion, somewhat as in “heel & toe
shifting”, is fine as long as the pedals aren’t too far apart, or
too different in height from the floorboard. Using the walker when
entering and exiting the car works pretty smoothly, too.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span lang="en-CA"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Next week, I’ll be
trying out my own car, despite not being too sanguine about my
chances. Shimada-san, my friend the mechanic, who has for many years
been selling us used and new cars and bikes, and insurance, and along
with his brother fixing our vehicles, too, has been taking care of my
car since I entered the hospital. He went down to Tokyo to pick it up
from the parking lot where I’d left it when I broke my leg and
started my long hospital stay, and he’s been keeping it safe and
starting it once in a while until I’m ready to drive it again. The
car, a 2014 Suzuki Escudo, is an AWD compact SUV, and while its
legroom is a plus, its height from the ground may prove a bit
challenging for entry and egress. The gas and brake pedal
configuration may cause some difficulty, too. We’ll see what
happens next week.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span lang="en-CA"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Whether it’s in my
own car or a rented or borrowed one, there is a fairly strong
possibility that I may soon end up being able to drive quite
competently and safely while still needing a walker (or maybe a cane,
depending on near-future rehab progress). If so, it will be thanks to
the efforts of the very dedicated PTs and my other valued supporters,
and of course partly due to my own determination. Or my, well…<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l6avuh3K_70">drive</a>.</span></span></p>
<p lang="en-CA" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br />
</span></p>
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</p>Balefirehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06251575554875520546noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1510119915523637726.post-1189827302442875362020-12-11T10:14:00.008+09:002021-02-07T12:13:59.761+09:00Stepping Up<p> <span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">It has been a little over 14 months since I was—finally--released
from the hospital after a seven-month-long stay spread across three
institutions in Tokyo. About a month after that, I started rehabilitation at a hospital-connected
day care/rehab facility near my house.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">At first, I was essentially unable to stand up unaided, and
the apex of my physical accomplishment was an increased facility in
transferring from wheelchair to bed and back. For a long time my legs hadn’t
been able to obey my brain’s commands, and the lengthy hospital stay had led to
significant muscle atrophy to go along with the spinal nerve issues. The very
dedicated and professional physical and occupational therapists (PTs and OTs)
had done their best, including arranging to borrow some specialized equipment
to help start me walking again, but the conditions weren’t ideal and when I
left the hospital I had a long way still to go.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">The very able supervision and assistance of an extremely
capable care manager--an ex-nurse who managed to be simultaneously compassionate,
competent, friendly, and incisive—made all sorts of arrangements for renting
equipment such as wheelchair, lift, etc., for selecting and scheduling home
helper and nurses, and for securing transportation infinitely easier. Her help
with navigating the complicated paperwork involved in welfare, insurance, and
tax issues was absolutely invaluable. She has recently taken a leave of
absence, and has been replaced by another lady who has so far also been quite
helpful and kind.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Since leaving the hospital and returning home, I’ve been spending
about three days a week at the day care/rehab place, working my way through
various exercises with the help of a new set of hard-working, friendly therapists,
nurses, and support staff, using a succession of equipment. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">I’ve come up from barely capable of standing up from my
wheelchair at the parallel bars, to striding along pretty smoothly with the aid
of a “pickup walker” (i.e., one without wheels, that you pick up and set down
ahead of yourself as you walk along).<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">For the last couple of months I’ve been fortunate to have
another PT making weekly visits to my home, to help with tactics and tricks for
specific functions such as cooking, showering, and the like in that more
straitened environment.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">While broadly aiming at increasing strength and restoring
mobility overall, the current therapy focus is on climbing and descending steps
and dealing with slopes and uneven surfaces. Walking smoothly on flat flooring
is one thing, but my study is raised 15 cm from the next room, and climbing up that
step was essential to being able to use Barghest, my desktop PC, and to accessing
the books with which my study is lined floor to ceiling. Then there's the <i>genkan</i>, which as with most Japanese houses requires stepping up into
the house from outside. My yard is far from even-surfaced. There’s my car, too,
an SUV with a floorboard fairly high off the ground, but that’s a topic for
another post.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p>
<span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="160" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/yoViarWXZEQ" width="280"></iframe>
</span><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: large;">So far, I’ve finally been successful in accessing my study—I
now spend a major portion of my waking hours there--and have become
progressively smoother getting into and out of the house through the <i>genkan</i>.
Climbing steps is an important milestone along my mobility journey, and I’ve
been stepping up to it with a will.</span><span style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>Balefirehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06251575554875520546noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1510119915523637726.post-28197883998516980302020-04-12T23:20:00.002+09:002021-02-07T12:04:04.367+09:00Yakitori<br /><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">
On my first day in Japan, I arrived with only about five US dollars in my pocket. I made the silly mistake of getting it changed to yen as soon as I arrived at the airbase in Yokota...before I found out that you couldn't spend yen at the shops on the base. That turned out to be a mixed blessing: I couldn't buy anything until after I'd been left to my own devices in Yokosuka, so I still had most of my money left in the evening when I went to explore the area outside of the Navy base's gates.<br />
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At the time, the exchange rate was 360 yen to the US dollar, and the 1800 yen I got for my $5 had quite a lot more buying power than it has now. For example, a small bottle of beer cost 150 yen if memory serves, which is probably half of what it is now, maybe less. I say "probably" because it has been a <i>very </i>long time since I bought a <i>small </i>bottle of beer.<br />
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Naturally, I intended to investigate a local bar as one of my very first off-base actions, but before that I wanted something to eat. By the time we had arrived in Yokosuka after being driven down from Yokota, it was too late to do the administrative tasks such as checking into the command, getting billeting assignments, and the like, and it was too late to get a meal in the mess hall. I'd gone most of the day without anything to eat, so after getting directions and a basic language lesson--more about that in another post, one of these days--from the guy standing watch at the barracks, I set out in search of food and a beer.<br />
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Within a minute or two of leaving the base, I was captured by an irresistible aroma, and led to a corner <i>yattai </i>food stall/cart selling charcoal-grilled skewered chicken: <i>yakitori</i>. You don't see many yakitori <i>yattai </i>these days, especially not the mobile, hand-drawn ones like that one was. They tend to be vans nowadays, and they set up shop outside of supermarkets more often than in entertainment districts. Considering it now, I suppose that the one I encountered on my first evening in Japan was probably getting most of its business from the bartenders and hostesses and shopkeepers in the area.<br />
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In any case, a few skewers of yakitori were my first "meal" in Japan, and they were delicious, fulfilling the savory, sweet, smokey promise that had caught me downwind. In commemoration of my first meal in Japan, a half-century ago, tonight's dinner centered on yakitori.</span><br /></span>
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<br />Balefirehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06251575554875520546noreply@blogger.com0