The Nest

I hate crows. Even more so after one built the biggest, ugliest nest on my roof. Normally I would have ignored it, but it was blocking the drain pipe. So, not only was there a threat of water damage, but the clogged water made the most annoying noise every time it rained. Unfortunately, an email to the homeowner's association accomplished nothing, so we had to take measures into our own hands.

Keep in mind, this is about four stories off the ground.

No wonder it made so much noise...almost half of it was made from metal! I don't know if you can tell here, but the reddish brown sticks are actually rusted pieces of a barbed wire fence or something. My goodness those crows are strong!

Thrill the World

Today was "Thrill the World." In order to try to break a world record, people around the world danced, simultaneously, to Michael Jackson's "Thriller." Of course, they didn't just dance...they did THE Thriller dance. Dan and I happened to be in Chico where people had practiced the dance every night for a week. We heard what was going to happen, so we went down to the plaza where a HUGE crowd (well, huge for Chico) had gathered. It was pretty cool. People had some really elaborate costumes and, although not everyone should quit their day job to be a dancer, they did a great job! Here's how it went:

Flying South

I've been seeing a lot of this lately:

I must live and work in the flight path of Canadian Geese who head south for the winter. It started a couple weeks ago when I was in bed one morning and heard them honking as they flew over my house. Since then, I've seen several groups fly by my office window (I'm on the 5th flow so they are easy to spot). Just another reminder that fall is here!

A Few Updates

1. You will be relieved to know that I have found Alison. I've called off the search party and I thank everyone who helped me look for her. She did in fact see my blog posting and responded by posting a comment on my Facebook wall. We are so 2009! Of course, I have yet to get back to her...but I will! And we WILL have dinner some night. I swear.

2. I'm going on day six of less back pain. I tell you folks...it's a miracle! I am virtually pain free right now. I never thought it would be possible. Yes, I do think the exercises I learned have helped, but you know what I think it really was? I had my office chair set to recline, so my back was extended all day long. For eight hours a day, I was in the position that caused me the most pain. I don't know why I didn't think of changing it before, but I honestly think that was a huge contributing factor to my pain. I still have one more class to go to, but I think I may be cured!

3. Remember this post? I had gotten this home placed with a video feature on the KRON-TV website so I thought I'd share it with you. Check it out for yourself! The agent is actually reading a portion of the column I wrote about the house. Oh, and here's another one I did that you might like.

While I'm tooting my own horn, I wanted to tell "Wine Chick," a friend of Dan's and one of my newest readers, that I had actually done the PR for this home. (Make sure you take the time to look at the pictures. Amazing!) I was driving through Pacific Heights with a few of Dan's friends awhile ago and I mentioned that I had just done PR for that house and they said; "really? Wine Chick (not her real name) just posted it on Facebook and said she wished she had $10 million to buy it." Sorry Wine Chick! Had I known you at the time, I totally would have hooked you up with a tour!

4. This is by far my most favorite video right now. I want to watch it over and over again, every minute of every day. I just can't get enough!

Whoa

I saw this video today and that it was cool...but weird. Click here. Wait for the parakeets to come in. It's the best part!

Bliss

My computer was slow to load this morning, hence my thought: I wonder if this is a real photograph. If so, I bet whoever took it made a lot of money.

Back Class

Well, I attended my first back class today. I say first because the instructor/physical therapist is making me go to at least two more classes. After that, I may have to graduate to the masters program, which is seeing a physical therapist one-on-one.

So, what did I learn today? you ask. I learned that I am currently failing the proper positions for: sitting, standing, getting in the car, getting out of the car, lying down, sitting on the couch, getting in bed, getting out of bed, brushing my teeth, pulling, pushing, leaning, bending, turning, picking stuff up and all in all...avoiding pain. I am getting an "F" in pain free living.

The good news is that there is hope. And that hope better fulfill itself before I turn out like the other 15 or so people in that class. I'm tellin' ya, they were in WAY worse shape than me. Even the dumb 18 year old chick who got in trouble for texting walks as stiff as a board. Younger is not always better. I feel sorry for the people who have resorted to shots, acupuncture and regular physical therapy sessions. A lot of people have numb legs too. That totally freaks me out. I just hope I get better before that happens to me. I'm not sure what my next classes are for, but I think I'll be learning certain stretches to help. If I'm good, maybe that will bump me up to a solid C.

Immediate action plan:

• Stop running on hills
• No more sitting on the couch (hopefully just temporary)
• Sleep on my side with a pillow between my knees or on my back with a pillow under my knees. No more tummy sleeping.
• Buy an SUV so I don't have to bend down to get in my shorty car.
• Use the "hip hinge" method to bend or lean - spread legs apart and lean from hips
• Adjust my office chair so it doesn't lean back.
• Eat dinner. It won't help my back, but I'm starving.

I'll keep you posted on my studies.