Working Away

This is what kept me up until 3:15 in the morning last night. This is just a sliver of the project. We are growing the words "Gift of Growing" with wheatgrass and creating a time lapse film out of it. There are three separate cameras with three separate views. Big thanks to Tim Wilson, Tim Nackashi, Kevin Sullivan, and Elliott Grant and his family.

Morning Clouds

We went for a run and I set up my still camera to run while we were gone. When I got back, I took the 260 pictures it took (1 every 15 seconds) and created this time lapse movie of the morning clouds. It's a minute long. Enjoy.

****As an aside, one of the pictures towards the end of the video caught Michelle and I walking back on the beach (yes, that's 1 of 260). See if you can see it. We're in the lower right hand of the video (I'm in white shirt and Michelle is in a blue top).

Stormy on Maui

Stormy on Maui
Originally uploaded by Polish Carpetlayer.

We got some rain yesterday on Maui. But we also got some rainbows and we found some waterfalls (as you can see in the video below) on The Road to Hana (we only did about 1/3rd of that road, it's long). Rain doesn't bother us, well me, especially when sun is just around the corner. That makes Michelle a happy girl.

Today we to a surf lesson...and got up. Oh yeah, It was sunny. Great! No worries, I wore sunscreen...and got some salt water in my mouth. That's surfing...at least for me.

(Michelle:) Surfing this morning was A-W-E-S-O-M-E!!!! I can't wait to hit some "real" waves! I think we'll rent some surf boards tomorrow to practice after para-sailing.

The wind blew the beaches into a full-on sandstorm this afternoon. I guess that was to remind us that the conditions of Paradise are up to Mother Nature. My complaints were quelled with the decision to partake of Happy Hour Mai Tais, Paradise Punch and poo-poos at the Bar-foot bar in the sand. Wee! That's what vacation is all about!

After we were good and buzzed we headed back to the condo to finish our books and grill some fresh Ono (moon fish). Mmmmm....

Maui, I think I Like You

We just landed on Maui yesterday morning. Yeah!! Here's our first walk on the beach. We wish you were all here. It's beautiful. Good. Stuff.

Best Obama shirt EVER

Best Obama shirt EVER
Originally uploaded by yummyporky.

Found this on flickr. Awesome. That's Obama hammer dunk'in on McCain.

Carson is 1! (Already? How did that happen?)

It's Been a Good 1st Year
Originally uploaded by Polish Carpetlayer

Our first nephew, Carson Jones turned one last Saturday. He has grown into one cutie-patootie! Although he is not quite walking yet, he has made a few brave steps from one person's leg to another. He's starting to babble and talk but what I have enjoyed most is his laugh and smile. It is true that nothing lifts your spirits more than a child's laughter. We're looking forward to the next year.

Another One

Really?
Originally uploaded by Polish Carpetlayer.

All the cool kids are doing it...except Michelle and I.

Steve and Amy have a son, Kayden, and he's a really good looking, ginormous kid. Look at those blue eyes. They've got two great kids and it was awesome hanging out with them. I look forward to watching them grow up. Here are a few more pictures.

Pop

Pop
Originally uploaded by Polish Carpetlayer.

Do you see the resemblance?

You got it. They're both wearing a head band and they are both in a museum.

Michelle and I got to go to the Portland Museum with mom and dad. It was great. I don't remember the last time we went out with both of them like this. I hope we make it more of normal thing. Hanging with my parents and taking in a cool experience was really nice.

Just Learned that Smiling is Fun

Just Learned that Smiling is Fun
Originally uploaded by Polish Carpetlayer.

Truck just learned how to smile and I was there to see it. Awesome. That's one happy little guy. It looks like he's got some great parents...and an awesome aunt an uncle. Lucky him. Lucky us.

Today I followed another therapist at the clinic. We had one particular patient in for her second visit with unspecific pain in her back and legs. She gingerly got out of the chair in the waiting room and hobbled to the treatment room. Nonetheless, she was a funny patient, in good spirits.

After our subjective reassessment, the PT and I stepped out of the room to get the inclinometer. She said to me "I don't really know what's going on with her. Do you have any ideas?"

"Have you checked her pelvic alignment?" (My CI is big on that and checks it on everyone.)

This therapist admitted that she hadn't checked it yet and thought that would be a good idea. So back in the room we took her lumbar measurements and I checked the height of her PSIS, did a march test and checked the height of her ASIS in supine.

I found this patient was VERY flexible in her hamstrings and it appeared that her left illium was not moving as well on the sacrum and was slightly tilted anteriorly. So I decided to do a contract/relax treatment to adjust the ilium posteriorly. The treatment realigned her pelvis and she reported immediate relief.

I instructed her to stop doing hamstrings stretches into the extreme that she had been doing them and modified the abdominal exercises she had been doing as prescribed for her back pain several years ago, to focus on her transverse abdominus and stabilization of the pelvis.

When the patient got up from the treatment table, she was standing tall. She said, "Wow, I do feel better! You guys are miracle workers!" and she walked out of the treatment room fully upright.

It was a great feeling that my clinical reasoning all came together together to provide such quick relief for this patient and that I had thought of something the other PT had overlooked. That's what it's all about. :) Posted by Michelle Gilpin,