Looking Good

Almost ready to begin some sort of more extensive exercise.

We went to the new DeYoung Museum on Saturday (see picture below) and I walked a lot and awkwardly climbed and descended a lot of stairs.

Before the DeYoung, we hit our favorite dim sum spot, Wing Lee Barbecue and Bakery, on Clement St., and took our generously-proportioned pork buns, potstickers and chicken skewers down to Ocean Beach to eat while we watched the surfers. Surfing there does not look fun. On a day like Sunday, which was bright but chilly, it just looked cold.

The museum was cool. The new design allows for surprise vistas and looks back at itself from crooked little angles. People outside can see inside some areas, turning the galleries into arsty people-quariums, and in other areas, gallery guests can look out at the display of people among the garden's sculpture, such as the two waiters I watched behind the messy cafe bus-station, shoving a plate of french fries into their mouths in "hiding". (Note to outdoor cafe designer: if the busboys had somewhere to put the trays, they wouldn't throw them on the grass behind the bus station. Nothing like a view of trash and trays strewn across the lawn to compliment a nice piece of sculpture in a beautiful setting.)

I notice these things.

The State of the Knee-tion

Not the greatest photo today, but you can see how much progress I've made. Today we went on our usual grueling loop around the manor house, which has been taking 20 minutes, and it only took 15, so I'm speeding up a bit. Felt wrecked the day after last week's physical therapy. The knee seems to be functioning better overall, however, so I'm going to keep it up.

Physical therapy is pretty funny. It's like a very small, very gentle, extra-low-impact gym. Two trainers monitor the activities of four or five people as we each execute our minimal reps of safe exercises. It's the kind of gym you wish you went to all the time. "Don't try to be a hero and push yourself too far this week." After the exercise is over, they put an ice bag on the injured limb, attach a couple of electrodes and hand you a magazine so you can get the rest you deserve. Throw in a martini and a massage and I'll start finding ways to hurt myself.

Time Heals...Mostly

One week and two days later, I still feel like there is a rubber band inside my left knee that won't stretch all the way, but the new skin is crawling inward, shrinking the lake of moist, mottled pre-skin substance in the middle. Boy, am I going to have a scar. My new board comes today, so hopefully I can put it together and admire it until I can get on it and fall down again. Off to physical therapy!

Here's What My Knee Looks Like Today

Things are coming right along.
Mmmmmmm.

I Fell Down

Because I don't have the pictures leading up to this: Picture me gearing up in my brand new, cool, dark green skater helmet and wristguards. Picture me waltzing out the door with Mike's new carveboard in hand, (deciding to forego a change into my old jeans and the kneepads sitting on the table).

Imagine how cool and graceful I look as I gain speed, suavely arcing back and forth down the gentle slope.

Imagine me almost making the last turn and sailing into the gravel, twisting, hands and knees first, as I attempt an emergency apex dismount.

Imagine me flat on my back in aforementioned gravel, waiting for the sick feeling to go away. The sky was pretty. Mike said I looked pretty good before I disappeared behind a bush and didn't come out the other side. Lesson: do not let your speed exceed your skill.

Check it out now, funk soul brother

Ok, I have a blog now. A long time ago, in the middle of some teenagerly musing (I'm sending something in to this), I wished that I could exist as a body of thought, without physical form, communicating with other like beings. I don't wish that anymore, but I thought of it as I typed this first post. I'm sure I'll get better at this. For now, if you're interested, you can also check out my Resource Design blog.