Geek at Play

Tees

I totally feel like a joiner since I’m coming late to the game, but I just love Threadless t-shirts. I have started wearing a lot less tees these days for some reason. I think it mostly has to do with feeling good about myself and looking a little better. To do that, it’s key to avoid wearing all those ugly, free vendor shirts I used to have. I’ve slowly been purging them, only keeping what I need for the gym or around the house. But I needed some good tees with a little style, and Threadless has provided just that.

Rubbed the Right Way

Today was really the “final” important practical massage class I had. At this point, I have a fairly complete set of tools for making people feel relaxed and good, and even occasionally help them heal. I still have 6 weeks of class left, but that’ll be a lot about refining my skillset. Now it’s just all about practice, practice, practice. I worked with Christine today and we gave each other a massage lasting about 50 minutes. She did great, and I felt fantastic working through my strokes. The jitters are finally gone. I even managed to gracefully do the draping work.

It’s really pretty great to get those little groans of pleasure here and there. It totally feeds some part of my psyche and brings me a great degree of joy.

Foo!

What a night. I finally got to see Weezer in concert, something I’ve wanted to do for a very long time. Although I’m not really a big fan of the new album (it’s no Pinkerton) I had a great time at the show. They played very well, and the crowd just ate it up. Rivers even did a solo/accoustic rendition of Island in the Sun from a tiny little stage set up at the back of the arena. Some hoochie hopped up on the stage and did a little dance during it, but it was still cool.

They were on the bill with Foo Fighters. I haven’t kept up with their recent stuff, but they were just amazing. Dave Grohl is a fantastic front man (just ask my concert-companion Sarah, she’s in love with him). I was truly impressed with how perfect they sounded. And the drummer: wow. The man is a machine. Aaron X. tells me that there was some initial difficulty with drummers for “the foo”, and justifiably so. Grohl is a great drummer and himself, so you’re not going to get past him as a slacker.

Stopped by at Jeff’s birthday party on the way home. “The Flury” was plowed and loud, and many of my friends were in attendance. Damn, I love that bunch!

Video Game Violence

I have to give “props” (if a guy like me is allowed to give “props”) to the fellas over at CAD for dropping a funny strip today that also makes a strong declaration about video game violence. Nice work, guys. This jackass lawyer Jack Thompson seems to be at war against the right to free speech. To me he just seems like a real-life Unfrozen Caveman Lawyer who is afraid of the modern world and its myriad blinking lights and talking boxes.

Demons of Loneliness

I’ve done some stuff to attempt to improve my ability to relate to the fairer sex, and am slowly getting better at it. Confidence is still a big problem for me at times. But I am still regularly pestered by the “demon” of loneliness. But I have never been able to frame the problem of loneliness as well as Waiter Rant has. Kudos, Waiter.

Hurty

I’m hurt. I’ve been taking massage classes, and I think one of my partners made a bit of a mistake while palpating along my spine. She got a little sideways and pressed in a diagonal fashion on about my fourth thorasic vertibrae. Instead of sensning the muscles along my vertibrae, she “firmly discovered” my spinous process. The last two days I’ve felt real tightness in my upper rib cage and back. It’s been awful.

Who would have thought that learning massage would result in my needing massage!

Regardless, it really adds gravity to what I’m doing. I really understand now how important it is to know where you are and what you’re doing if you’re using a lot of pressure or going deep. Backrubs are fine, but there is risk and knowledge required for massage.