Rather than repeat the play-by-play that my twittering did for me this morning (also made the short hour wait go by), I'll share my initial thoughts and how they compared to my PREconceptions (har de har har. Thanks everyone, I'm here all night. Try the veal!)
I decided to run the upgrade for my phone to get the 1.0.2 version of the OS, so I have about 10 minutes to kill. (Update: Pretty accurate actually)
Hardware form impression
Once in the store, we were given a chance to hold and play around with a working Palm Pre on display. It's a good look device, for sure. Very sleek, clean lines, and shiny in all the right places. Some early reviews have complained that it feels plastic-y. I can see why they would say that, but it's not a Fisher-Price toy cell phone plastic. It's a very lightweight plastic with an ergnomic feel. Presumably they could have made it feel "harder" or more "metallic", but I prefer the weight savings that you get with such a light phone. You are likely going to be holding this phone up a lot more than your old one, and it will be nice not to have to work out in that period of time.
Sprint set-up
The Sprint Rep actually ran through setting up the Palm Profile for me. I would have rather done it myself, but I suppose it's more efficient to have her do instead. It took under 2 minutes. She also sped me through the tutorial on some basic gestures. (which I was already mildly familiar with thanks to the Internets!). Once paid out, they mention that there is a Palm "specialist" that can walk you through some additional things in the store.
Palm "specialist" and Palm Pre "training"
Feeling much like an RPG or more accurately an MMORPG where you are sent off to perform some tasks to level up, I went to get some useful tips from the Palm specialist fellow. Although I skipped on some of the advanced gesture training, we got both my Gmail and Outlook hooked up pretty quickly. The only oddity was needing to have Outlook fail on the default POP pull, so that you could set it up as an Exchange account manually. Otherwise, if you have a decent set up on Google and Outlook, you'll have everything flow in pretty nicely. I stuck around to hear a couple more tips, and then I ran off to play with stuff at home.
Contacts
One thing that's been mentioned and relatively significant in my opinion, is the fact that you can't control the contacts that are pulled in from Google, Outlook and Facebook. Google and Facebook both have nice list features which allows you to specify targetted groups of interest. Unfortunately, that type of sycronization isn't supported yet. I'm staying away from syncing with Facebook for now.
AppCatalog
Though it's relatively light right now, most of the Apps I downloaded (Tweed, Pandora, Accuweather, etc.) downloaded and installed pretty quickly.
Multi-tasking
Pretty much the promise of the videos I initially watched came to fruition. I had fired up Pandora as a background, and I was easily able to switch back and forth between different cards that I had connected to Tweed, Facebook, email and some settings that I was updating. I still feel like I'm scratching the surface on this one.
Touchstone
I'm pretty glad I took one of the last ones they had in the store. The new phone cover's matte backing is quite nice. If it wasn't obvious, you need to use the new phone cover to use the Touchstone's inductive charger. There were reviews that say that the inductive charger is slower than direct charging, but compared to my old WinMo phone charging, this seems to charge at a reasonable rate.
Keyboard
The spacing seems fine to me, compared to my old phone. A bit rubbery, but a hell of a lot more accurate than any virtual keyboard in my opinion. It did take me a little bit to switch from where letters and symbols were placed though.
Verdict
Wow. I'll write up another set of thoughts in about a week.
Saturday, June 6, 2009
PREparing for the PRE (Part 2)
I like to think that I pay attention to technology a bit. Somehow CES came and went, and I missed out on all the Palm Pre hoopla. Fast forward to April of this year, and some random browsing leads me to some Palm Pre marketing videos which hit a perfect sweet spot with me. All my random complaints on the limitations of WinMo seemed to be addressed. Even if in practice, I may never do what they showed in those videos, I kept on saying "That's me! That's what I want to do!"
Multi-tasking. True web browsing. Full contact integration. A better IM and contact screen. Better maps and true GPS. A device better suited to listen music to. The list kept growing in my head.
An aside: One thing that I realized about myself is that once I fall in love with a device, gadget, concept, etc. I can be pretty relentless in acquisition. Until the brink of death. Haha!
Needless to say, I'm pretty pysched. I'm prepared for somewhat of a line when I pop over an hour before the store opens.
I know that there's a lot of chatter about Palm and Sprint's ability to "compete" with the iPhone, and I really think that they have a decent chance, even without knowing what Apple will announce at WWDC. In my opinion, despite the so-called weak inventory of launch apps, they will have a chance to get a large number of applications quickly, if Facebook apps prove anything at all. Basically, just like with Facebook, developers will write apps (especially crappy ones) as long as they know that there are enough people out there to use them. Even better if you make it easy for them to write it versus having to learn a potentially newer language like you have to do for iPhone apps. This was supposed to be the promise of WinMo that never occurred. Not only was development difficult, you still had to learn a new language in a manner of speaking to develop on WinMo. I'm really excited to see what people will be able to come up with in the next month or so. Once they publicly launch the SDK, I may even write up an app or two if it makes sense to, to help automate some work related activities.
Well, this is it. I'm PREdictably excited!
Multi-tasking. True web browsing. Full contact integration. A better IM and contact screen. Better maps and true GPS. A device better suited to listen music to. The list kept growing in my head.
An aside: One thing that I realized about myself is that once I fall in love with a device, gadget, concept, etc. I can be pretty relentless in acquisition. Until the brink of death. Haha!
Needless to say, I'm pretty pysched. I'm prepared for somewhat of a line when I pop over an hour before the store opens.
I know that there's a lot of chatter about Palm and Sprint's ability to "compete" with the iPhone, and I really think that they have a decent chance, even without knowing what Apple will announce at WWDC. In my opinion, despite the so-called weak inventory of launch apps, they will have a chance to get a large number of applications quickly, if Facebook apps prove anything at all. Basically, just like with Facebook, developers will write apps (especially crappy ones) as long as they know that there are enough people out there to use them. Even better if you make it easy for them to write it versus having to learn a potentially newer language like you have to do for iPhone apps. This was supposed to be the promise of WinMo that never occurred. Not only was development difficult, you still had to learn a new language in a manner of speaking to develop on WinMo. I'm really excited to see what people will be able to come up with in the next month or so. Once they publicly launch the SDK, I may even write up an app or two if it makes sense to, to help automate some work related activities.
Well, this is it. I'm PREdictably excited!
PREparing for the PRE (Part 1)
Add June 6 to the dates of product launches that will soon become part of my geek history. Although relatively short, I've had a number of memorable geek gadget launch stories.
PS2
I somehow had the vision to pre-order it...except I happened to be out of town due to work that whole week. My little brother got to receive it instead. I can't remember if I let him open it or not to start playing Madden. On launch day, I do remember hitting up a Detroit-area Best Buy to buy overpriced specialized PS2 Monster S-Video cables. Who would have known that this would have been my easiest experience for something I was dying to have?
PS3
With my Sony fanboy levels at historic levels, it would be a shock to no one that I was DYING to buy this, no matter what the price point. Well, check that, I wanted to pay up to the retail price point, but not the ridiculous pre-order bundles that a lot of retailers were doing. At this point, the internet combined with store employees to try to give people an idea of inventory levels, and people lined up everywhere! I don't remember how many places I tried to hit up, but all that awaited me was utter failure. Best Buy in Downer's Grove, Circuit City. Heck, I think I even walked into a K-Mart. By noon that day, we gave up. Thank gosh for my buddy Fran who hung in there, came along and stayed until the end. In fact, some weeks later, he found a PS3 at a Game Stop and scored me the PS3 finally.
Wii
Was I looking forward to getting a Wii? Not at all. One rumor was that on Black Friday, some locations were going to get a PS3 or two. So an hour before opening, I hopped over to a relatively unknown Gamestop to find a line of only 3 people. All of whom had lined up for a Wii. The store opens. The first 3 people promptly get their Wiis. Then it's my turn.
Wes: Did you get any PS3s?
Gamestop: No.
Wes: Let me get a Wii. (Since I was there anyway, what the heck.)
Gamestop. Ok. Announcement: That was the last Wii in the shipment.
In retrospect, I probably should have tried re-selling on ebay for twice or even three times the cost. Part of me was still upset to have lost the PS3 to people that were only re-selling, which is probably why I ended up keeping it. I barely play it at all. I let my older brother borrow it in the meantime.
Metal Gear Solid / Fallout (Video Games)
Yeah, yeah I know these aren't quite gadgets. The Metal Gear Solid line, had about 30 or 40 people ahead of me, though I think that some of them were lining up to get the special edition PS3 that was available too. I easily got my game, and played it that very night. Well worth getting it quickly.
Fallout was a bit amusing in that my local Best Buy was supposed to have a launch event that a smattering of publicity announced. I showed up and OOPS, the store is completely dark! Turns out they cancelled it, with no more of announcement publicly than a small piece of paper on their door. I wasn't as upset as a local blogger crew who apparently had planned to cover the event. I had to quickly drive over to a Gamestop to pick up my Collector's Edition.
Samsung ACE
My entry into the world of smartphones, my previous phone had limited data and email capabilities, and the promise of a full keyboard and work email integration had me salivating. After months of stalking the stores, and online stories about the release, I finally called Sprint Telesales and ordered mine, to receive it a couple of days later. It did a number of things well, but was horribly held back by the limitations of Windows Mobile. Amusingly, I also got it for its World Phone capabilities (it also had a GSM SIM), but I never once travelled anywhere that had GSM.
Once I really needed to push it, it couldn't do what I needed it, or rather wanted it to do...which brings us to today...
PS2
I somehow had the vision to pre-order it...except I happened to be out of town due to work that whole week. My little brother got to receive it instead. I can't remember if I let him open it or not to start playing Madden. On launch day, I do remember hitting up a Detroit-area Best Buy to buy overpriced specialized PS2 Monster S-Video cables. Who would have known that this would have been my easiest experience for something I was dying to have?
PS3
With my Sony fanboy levels at historic levels, it would be a shock to no one that I was DYING to buy this, no matter what the price point. Well, check that, I wanted to pay up to the retail price point, but not the ridiculous pre-order bundles that a lot of retailers were doing. At this point, the internet combined with store employees to try to give people an idea of inventory levels, and people lined up everywhere! I don't remember how many places I tried to hit up, but all that awaited me was utter failure. Best Buy in Downer's Grove, Circuit City. Heck, I think I even walked into a K-Mart. By noon that day, we gave up. Thank gosh for my buddy Fran who hung in there, came along and stayed until the end. In fact, some weeks later, he found a PS3 at a Game Stop and scored me the PS3 finally.
Wii
Was I looking forward to getting a Wii? Not at all. One rumor was that on Black Friday, some locations were going to get a PS3 or two. So an hour before opening, I hopped over to a relatively unknown Gamestop to find a line of only 3 people. All of whom had lined up for a Wii. The store opens. The first 3 people promptly get their Wiis. Then it's my turn.
Wes: Did you get any PS3s?
Gamestop: No.
Wes: Let me get a Wii. (Since I was there anyway, what the heck.)
Gamestop. Ok. Announcement: That was the last Wii in the shipment.
In retrospect, I probably should have tried re-selling on ebay for twice or even three times the cost. Part of me was still upset to have lost the PS3 to people that were only re-selling, which is probably why I ended up keeping it. I barely play it at all. I let my older brother borrow it in the meantime.
Metal Gear Solid / Fallout (Video Games)
Yeah, yeah I know these aren't quite gadgets. The Metal Gear Solid line, had about 30 or 40 people ahead of me, though I think that some of them were lining up to get the special edition PS3 that was available too. I easily got my game, and played it that very night. Well worth getting it quickly.
Fallout was a bit amusing in that my local Best Buy was supposed to have a launch event that a smattering of publicity announced. I showed up and OOPS, the store is completely dark! Turns out they cancelled it, with no more of announcement publicly than a small piece of paper on their door. I wasn't as upset as a local blogger crew who apparently had planned to cover the event. I had to quickly drive over to a Gamestop to pick up my Collector's Edition.
Samsung ACE
My entry into the world of smartphones, my previous phone had limited data and email capabilities, and the promise of a full keyboard and work email integration had me salivating. After months of stalking the stores, and online stories about the release, I finally called Sprint Telesales and ordered mine, to receive it a couple of days later. It did a number of things well, but was horribly held back by the limitations of Windows Mobile. Amusingly, I also got it for its World Phone capabilities (it also had a GSM SIM), but I never once travelled anywhere that had GSM.
Once I really needed to push it, it couldn't do what I needed it, or rather wanted it to do...which brings us to today...
Saturday, May 23, 2009
Updated Routine
Now that I'm thatmuchcloser to being able to run longer and potentially jump again, the unsupervised therapy exercises look a lot different.
I do aim to get these exercises done in about an hour so I can get to work at a reasonable time.
10-12 minutes warmup on the bike, moving the seat progressively lower.
Light calf stretches
Dynamic stretches (knee lift, "ankle pull", "teapot" reach down, cross leg bend)
Walking lunges
"Fencing" lunges (10 to the right, left and back)
Bozu step ups (3 sets of 10 forward, 3 sets of 10 sideways)
Agility ladder drills (forward, lateral step ins, forward/back side steps, forward/backwards steps)
Step downs (each leg, 3 sets of 10)
Ball assisted squats *
10 minutes jogging (2 minutes at 2 or 3 mph warmup and cool down, interval jogs at 4 mph, walk at 3 mph)
Doctor's follow up this Wednesday, so we'll find out how far away I am from being able to:
- play basketball
- biking (with my clipless pedals)
- golf
- dance (versus the fake dancing I've been doing recently)
Anything beyond that is a bonus, I suppose.
* I don't do these as often as I probably should
I do aim to get these exercises done in about an hour so I can get to work at a reasonable time.
10-12 minutes warmup on the bike, moving the seat progressively lower.
Light calf stretches
Dynamic stretches (knee lift, "ankle pull", "teapot" reach down, cross leg bend)
Walking lunges
"Fencing" lunges (10 to the right, left and back)
Bozu step ups (3 sets of 10 forward, 3 sets of 10 sideways)
Agility ladder drills (forward, lateral step ins, forward/back side steps, forward/backwards steps)
Step downs (each leg, 3 sets of 10)
Ball assisted squats *
10 minutes jogging (2 minutes at 2 or 3 mph warmup and cool down, interval jogs at 4 mph, walk at 3 mph)
Doctor's follow up this Wednesday, so we'll find out how far away I am from being able to:
- play basketball
- biking (with my clipless pedals)
- golf
- dance (versus the fake dancing I've been doing recently)
Anything beyond that is a bonus, I suppose.
* I don't do these as often as I probably should
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Heel to Butt
For the first time in what seems like a long time, my right heel re-introduced itself to my butt at physical therapy today. It's another major milestone in the road back to recovery. It's also been about 3 weeks since I've been cleared to do some light jogging. And by light jogging, it means running at about 4 mph for about a minute or two at a time.
I can eventually see myself running again in the short term, but as far as playing basketball at even half-speed or half-intensity is tough to imagine right now. I'll probably have a better idea once they let me start jumping.
I do get to do some agility work using a flat cloth ladder on the ground. It's 4 basic patterns: forward, a side-to-side inside-outside step, a step towards-step back-step side, and an "opposite attract" step (two steps forward-one step back step).
It was truly a team effort by the PT gals (Denise, Amy and Kristen) on this one to help me turn the corner and even get to this point. I do believe that I'll probably have to stick with the morning routine of stretching out and flexing my knee through the end of the year, if not longer.
It's good to know that I can make it through a rehab process, but you know what, rehab? Let's not plan to meet anytime soon, or ever again.
I can eventually see myself running again in the short term, but as far as playing basketball at even half-speed or half-intensity is tough to imagine right now. I'll probably have a better idea once they let me start jumping.
I do get to do some agility work using a flat cloth ladder on the ground. It's 4 basic patterns: forward, a side-to-side inside-outside step, a step towards-step back-step side, and an "opposite attract" step (two steps forward-one step back step).
It was truly a team effort by the PT gals (Denise, Amy and Kristen) on this one to help me turn the corner and even get to this point. I do believe that I'll probably have to stick with the morning routine of stretching out and flexing my knee through the end of the year, if not longer.
It's good to know that I can make it through a rehab process, but you know what, rehab? Let's not plan to meet anytime soon, or ever again.
Saturday, March 28, 2009
The Ups and Downs
I've realized that I've pre-written a number of blog posts in my head, but never actually committed any of them into blog form. Just like rehab, I suppose that blogging has it's ups and downs too.
Here are some short snippets of the never realized blog posts and what they were supposed to be about:
Final Countdown
-- About 3 weeks ago, I had my doctor's follow up early in the morning. A very bad idea, as when I got measured in terms of range of motion, I did terribly. I basically received the final warning that without additional progress, I was going to go under the knife again to get scar tissue broken up. This was supposed to be reflection on that.
Turning the Corner
-- I can't quite put a finger on it, but shortly after the final warning, we took a significant step forward. One different thing that we added was an assisted stretch using the wall. The biggest change was being able to tolerate on the stomach knee stretches, and even Graston with minimal bruising. This was supposed to contain all of the fun details.
Grace
-- I have always felt that certain events happen to give you a chance to see things in a different way. (Much like the point of the Nic Cage movie, "Family Man".) In a lot of ways, having this knee injury and the rehab process involved has certainly changed my perspective in a lot of ways, in addition to giving me the chance to meet and get to know people I wouldn't have met otherwise. I still might right out this post.
Here are some short snippets of the never realized blog posts and what they were supposed to be about:
Final Countdown
-- About 3 weeks ago, I had my doctor's follow up early in the morning. A very bad idea, as when I got measured in terms of range of motion, I did terribly. I basically received the final warning that without additional progress, I was going to go under the knife again to get scar tissue broken up. This was supposed to be reflection on that.
Turning the Corner
-- I can't quite put a finger on it, but shortly after the final warning, we took a significant step forward. One different thing that we added was an assisted stretch using the wall. The biggest change was being able to tolerate on the stomach knee stretches, and even Graston with minimal bruising. This was supposed to contain all of the fun details.
Grace
-- I have always felt that certain events happen to give you a chance to see things in a different way. (Much like the point of the Nic Cage movie, "Family Man".) In a lot of ways, having this knee injury and the rehab process involved has certainly changed my perspective in a lot of ways, in addition to giving me the chance to meet and get to know people I wouldn't have met otherwise. I still might right out this post.
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
117/120 !!!
There's a new crew in place at physical therapy, with Catherine and Jordan moving over to the Athletico on Irving Park. Also, I have been trying some changes to my nutrition and when I take my multivitamins (at night instead of the morning). Finally, I've been able to do a solid hour of flexionator work every night for the last couple of nights.
...could any of these factors help in breaking past the 108 degree bend?
The PT Gals v2.0 (Amy, Denise and Kristen) all helped to either hold, bend and measure, and here's what we got:
117 sitting up (assisted bend)
120 on my stomach (very assisted bend)
Wow!
After a good stretch, I was able to scoot my leg past 105 as well.
There's still a lot of work to do, but certainly this is a very positive development that continues to improve.
We also did the Grafton (sp?) scraping for the first time last week. It's basically metal tools with flat rounded dull edges which are used to do deep tissue work and break up scar tissue and loosen tight muscles. Due to the nature of the pressure applied, most people experience bruising as a result. I've had to delay doing another round of Grafton, since I still one last bruise spot lingering on my calf muscle.
...could any of these factors help in breaking past the 108 degree bend?
The PT Gals v2.0 (Amy, Denise and Kristen) all helped to either hold, bend and measure, and here's what we got:
117 sitting up (assisted bend)
120 on my stomach (very assisted bend)
Wow!
After a good stretch, I was able to scoot my leg past 105 as well.
There's still a lot of work to do, but certainly this is a very positive development that continues to improve.
We also did the Grafton (sp?) scraping for the first time last week. It's basically metal tools with flat rounded dull edges which are used to do deep tissue work and break up scar tissue and loosen tight muscles. Due to the nature of the pressure applied, most people experience bruising as a result. I've had to delay doing another round of Grafton, since I still one last bruise spot lingering on my calf muscle.
Saturday, February 7, 2009
Super Dimensional Fortress Macross Launch!
(Disclamer: Quite possibly, the nerdiest thing I have ever mentioned)
Today, February 7, 2009 would have been the day that the Super Dimensional Fortress Macross would have launched.
Macross is an anime series that became famous and eventually was shown in many countries and spawned countless sequels. It also was adapted into an English language repackaging of many of the story elements and also a series of books called Robotech (which many people are familiar with on this side of the world.) In fact, I gobbled up all of those books, and knew all of the characters by their localized names:
Rick Hunter (instead of Hikaru Ichijyo)
Lisa Hayes (instead of Misa Hayase)
Max Sterling (instead of Maximilian Jenius)
Miriya Parnia (instead of Milia Fallyna)
...among others
And although I have strong feelings for Robotech, the source material still resonates with me. In a touch of nolstagia, and coming along the heels of watching Macross Frontier (the 25th anniversary tribute series since the release of the first Macross), I have been rewatching Macross from the beginning.
All of the Macross sequels never really captured me quite the way that the original did. That is until Macross Frontier came last year.
Here's a breakdown/comparison between the series:
(If you haven't finished watching either series, beware because there's spoilers galore!)
Male Lead Characters:
Both Hikaru and Alto are talented pilot civilians that are drawn into fighting with the military (military contracting in Alto's case) in order to protect their respective heroines (Lynn Minmay and Ranka Lee).
Female Lead Characters (Main Love Triangles):
Macross had Lynn Minmay, idol and celebrity singer and Misa Hayase, 1st Lieutenant and CTO of Macross. Frontier had Sheryl Nome, the Galactic Fairy, super-idol, singer and well established celebrity and Ranka Lee, young energetic girl, who breaks out as an idol and singer whose popularity eventually surpasses Sheryl's late in the series.
A couple of interesting notes and parallels here is that neither Mari Iijima (Minmay) and Megumi Nakajima (Ranka) were professional voice actresses (seiyuu). They were primarily singers that made their debuts on the shows, and later in concert afterwards. In fact, one of Mari's original compositions made it on Macross in a short scene.
Both love triangles were compelling with their ups and downs. The Macross triangle, was difficult to read at times due to the fact that Minmay repeatedly denied any feelings for Hikaru beyond friendship, but would occasionally lapse into situations that introduced some doubt over how honest she was really being. Was there really no meaning into your debut song "My Boyfriend is a Pilot?" Minmay? The Frontier triangle became interesting as all three became close friends with one another, alongside the fact that Alto never made any definitive move for either Sheryl or Ranka. The worst part of it all (assuming no sequel or follow-up OVA) is that the series ended without Alto choosing. So in some sense, we'll never have the answer to the question raised in the opening song "Triangler".
Mysterious Alien Conflict:
Macross had the Zentradi, a race of war hungry humanoid giants with advanced technology and a massive military armada. We later learn of the forced separation between genders in their fleet, and the avoidance of miclone civilizations because of the presence of protoculture (basically culture like music).
Frontier has the Vajra. A seemingly mindless race of giant insect like creatures that communicate in hive like fashion, able to fold and adapt future generations to previously seen tactics or attacks.
Mecha:
Macross introduced a ton of mecha. The Valkyrie fighter is legendary for having 3 transformation states: Fighter, Gerwalk (partial fighter with use of battloid arms and legs) and Battloid. As a young child, how could you top that for imagination? Plus, when they released the toy versions, and they were completely functional and solid, I think it took me a while before I fully calmed down. The Macross ship itself, turned out to be transformable as well, turning into a robot form at the sacrifice of speed. There were various other support mecha given some airtime as well such as the Destroid. The Zentradi had some interesting mecha designs as well with the Battlepods and the Armor Suits, but my favorite as to be the Officer Battlepods, which added much needed arms to the Battlepod design.
Frontier didn't do anything revolutionary with their mecha designs. (Is the Tomcat fighter jet design so enduring, that nothing has been able to surpass it?)
Music:
Music is a big core for all the Macross series, as it harkens back to the core of who we are (Macross) or is a vehicle for communication across species/races (Frontier). Both series used music as a weapon.
Macross has 3 classic ones here: "My Boyfriend's a Pilot", "Little White Dragon" and "Do You Remember Love?". (Robotech took these songs and localized the heck of out them taking away any additional meaning that they had.)
Frontier had a definite edge bringing in Yoko Kanno (music for Cowboy Bebop) and churned out songs that will be sitting on my playlist for years to come:
Triangler
Seikan HikÅ (kira!)
Lion
Iteza☆Gogo Kuji Don't be late
What about my Star? @ Formo *
Anata no Oto (dokon dokon dokon!)
...and of course: Nyan Nyan Service Medley**
* Duet with Sheryl and Ranka. In the anime, the duet unexpectedly breaks out as a type of rivalry song battle for Alto's attention. If Alto wasn't affected by that performance in any way shape or form, he's just as feminiate as the acting roles he ran away from.
** Lion, Infinity, Watashi no Kare wa Pilot, Diamond Crevasse, Seikan Hikou, What 'bout my star?, Lion, Ai Oboete Imasu ka, Lion, Triangler, Anata no Oto, Aimo. In the finale, you knew they were leading up to a large scale battle, with our heroine songstress(es) leading up the charge. What I didn't expect was a long medley, that turned into a duet, with updated lyrics while the action cut back and forth between battle and the singers. Each song reminding you how much you liked it, and bringing you to a very satisfying and enjoyable conclusion (pay no attention to any plot holes you may have tripped over!).
Story composition:
Macross had a much deeper story, but had the advantage of telling it across 36 episodes.
Frontier was quite enjoyable, but I'm not going to lie and tell you it was a terribly deep or complex piece of work over 25 episodes.
Minmay or Misa?
As attractive as Minmay is, at the end of the day, I'd choose Misa.
Sheryl or Ranka?
This is potentially unfair, as I was already sold on Ranka and uninterested in Sheryl. Over time, Sheryl became more likeable as a character, but had way too much ground to ever catch up to Ranka. Ranka!
Ranka or Misa?
Ranka! Misa doesn't sing, and I think Ranka/Megumi Nakajima has the most enjoyable singing voice of the 3 singers. No contest!
Learn more here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macross
http://macross.anime.net/wiki/Main_Page
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robotech
Today, February 7, 2009 would have been the day that the Super Dimensional Fortress Macross would have launched.
Macross is an anime series that became famous and eventually was shown in many countries and spawned countless sequels. It also was adapted into an English language repackaging of many of the story elements and also a series of books called Robotech (which many people are familiar with on this side of the world.) In fact, I gobbled up all of those books, and knew all of the characters by their localized names:
Rick Hunter (instead of Hikaru Ichijyo)
Lisa Hayes (instead of Misa Hayase)
Max Sterling (instead of Maximilian Jenius)
Miriya Parnia (instead of Milia Fallyna)
...among others
And although I have strong feelings for Robotech, the source material still resonates with me. In a touch of nolstagia, and coming along the heels of watching Macross Frontier (the 25th anniversary tribute series since the release of the first Macross), I have been rewatching Macross from the beginning.
All of the Macross sequels never really captured me quite the way that the original did. That is until Macross Frontier came last year.
Here's a breakdown/comparison between the series:
(If you haven't finished watching either series, beware because there's spoilers galore!)
Male Lead Characters:
Both Hikaru and Alto are talented pilot civilians that are drawn into fighting with the military (military contracting in Alto's case) in order to protect their respective heroines (Lynn Minmay and Ranka Lee).
Female Lead Characters (Main Love Triangles):
Macross had Lynn Minmay, idol and celebrity singer and Misa Hayase, 1st Lieutenant and CTO of Macross. Frontier had Sheryl Nome, the Galactic Fairy, super-idol, singer and well established celebrity and Ranka Lee, young energetic girl, who breaks out as an idol and singer whose popularity eventually surpasses Sheryl's late in the series.
A couple of interesting notes and parallels here is that neither Mari Iijima (Minmay) and Megumi Nakajima (Ranka) were professional voice actresses (seiyuu). They were primarily singers that made their debuts on the shows, and later in concert afterwards. In fact, one of Mari's original compositions made it on Macross in a short scene.
Both love triangles were compelling with their ups and downs. The Macross triangle, was difficult to read at times due to the fact that Minmay repeatedly denied any feelings for Hikaru beyond friendship, but would occasionally lapse into situations that introduced some doubt over how honest she was really being. Was there really no meaning into your debut song "My Boyfriend is a Pilot?" Minmay? The Frontier triangle became interesting as all three became close friends with one another, alongside the fact that Alto never made any definitive move for either Sheryl or Ranka. The worst part of it all (assuming no sequel or follow-up OVA) is that the series ended without Alto choosing. So in some sense, we'll never have the answer to the question raised in the opening song "Triangler".
Mysterious Alien Conflict:
Macross had the Zentradi, a race of war hungry humanoid giants with advanced technology and a massive military armada. We later learn of the forced separation between genders in their fleet, and the avoidance of miclone civilizations because of the presence of protoculture (basically culture like music).
Frontier has the Vajra. A seemingly mindless race of giant insect like creatures that communicate in hive like fashion, able to fold and adapt future generations to previously seen tactics or attacks.
Mecha:
Macross introduced a ton of mecha. The Valkyrie fighter is legendary for having 3 transformation states: Fighter, Gerwalk (partial fighter with use of battloid arms and legs) and Battloid. As a young child, how could you top that for imagination? Plus, when they released the toy versions, and they were completely functional and solid, I think it took me a while before I fully calmed down. The Macross ship itself, turned out to be transformable as well, turning into a robot form at the sacrifice of speed. There were various other support mecha given some airtime as well such as the Destroid. The Zentradi had some interesting mecha designs as well with the Battlepods and the Armor Suits, but my favorite as to be the Officer Battlepods, which added much needed arms to the Battlepod design.
Frontier didn't do anything revolutionary with their mecha designs. (Is the Tomcat fighter jet design so enduring, that nothing has been able to surpass it?)
Music:
Music is a big core for all the Macross series, as it harkens back to the core of who we are (Macross) or is a vehicle for communication across species/races (Frontier). Both series used music as a weapon.
Macross has 3 classic ones here: "My Boyfriend's a Pilot", "Little White Dragon" and "Do You Remember Love?". (Robotech took these songs and localized the heck of out them taking away any additional meaning that they had.)
Frontier had a definite edge bringing in Yoko Kanno (music for Cowboy Bebop) and churned out songs that will be sitting on my playlist for years to come:
Triangler
Seikan HikÅ (kira!)
Lion
Iteza☆Gogo Kuji Don't be late
What about my Star? @ Formo *
Anata no Oto (dokon dokon dokon!)
...and of course: Nyan Nyan Service Medley**
* Duet with Sheryl and Ranka. In the anime, the duet unexpectedly breaks out as a type of rivalry song battle for Alto's attention. If Alto wasn't affected by that performance in any way shape or form, he's just as feminiate as the acting roles he ran away from.
** Lion, Infinity, Watashi no Kare wa Pilot, Diamond Crevasse, Seikan Hikou, What 'bout my star?, Lion, Ai Oboete Imasu ka, Lion, Triangler, Anata no Oto, Aimo. In the finale, you knew they were leading up to a large scale battle, with our heroine songstress(es) leading up the charge. What I didn't expect was a long medley, that turned into a duet, with updated lyrics while the action cut back and forth between battle and the singers. Each song reminding you how much you liked it, and bringing you to a very satisfying and enjoyable conclusion (pay no attention to any plot holes you may have tripped over!).
Story composition:
Macross had a much deeper story, but had the advantage of telling it across 36 episodes.
Frontier was quite enjoyable, but I'm not going to lie and tell you it was a terribly deep or complex piece of work over 25 episodes.
Minmay or Misa?
As attractive as Minmay is, at the end of the day, I'd choose Misa.
Sheryl or Ranka?
This is potentially unfair, as I was already sold on Ranka and uninterested in Sheryl. Over time, Sheryl became more likeable as a character, but had way too much ground to ever catch up to Ranka. Ranka!
Ranka or Misa?
Ranka! Misa doesn't sing, and I think Ranka/Megumi Nakajima has the most enjoyable singing voice of the 3 singers. No contest!
Learn more here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macross
http://macross.anime.net/wiki/Main_Page
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robotech
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Doctor's Note
With the doctor's follow up coming up on Tuesday, Catherine wrote up the doctor's note today. It's basically a PT rehab report card of sorts. Exercise-wise, I wasn't asked to do my regular routine. Instead, we focused on doing particular exercises, prior to some additional testing and some taking of measurements.
At incline level 8, I did single leg squats on both legs until fatigue to measure out the strength difference between the two. I got my left (normal) leg up to 40, and the right (repaired) leg up to 25.
After some more exercises, we did a big bend stretch (the two PT gal combo). Apparently I got a pretty good stretch on this one (I never watch while we do the bend, as I think I tend to fight it, when I can see what's happening...haha!). We did a measure and I was at 100 degrees on my own, and 108 with a helpful *push*.
I also got to do e-stim for the first time. Same concept as Russian, but instead of attaching on my quads, and doing an exercise at the same time, I got to lay back, and have ice on my knees with electrical current to my knee area.
Good times! (Says Wes-5-Months-From-Now)
At incline level 8, I did single leg squats on both legs until fatigue to measure out the strength difference between the two. I got my left (normal) leg up to 40, and the right (repaired) leg up to 25.
After some more exercises, we did a big bend stretch (the two PT gal combo). Apparently I got a pretty good stretch on this one (I never watch while we do the bend, as I think I tend to fight it, when I can see what's happening...haha!). We did a measure and I was at 100 degrees on my own, and 108 with a helpful *push*.
I also got to do e-stim for the first time. Same concept as Russian, but instead of attaching on my quads, and doing an exercise at the same time, I got to lay back, and have ice on my knees with electrical current to my knee area.
Good times! (Says Wes-5-Months-From-Now)
Sunday, January 25, 2009
2008 Anime: Year in Review Ramble (Part 1)
It is a bit late, but here's the long-awaited Anime: Year in Review Ramble for 2008. There is no set criteria, other than I started watching it in 2008. (I'm including links to Anime News Network's encyclopedia pages.)
Spice and Wolf
Genre(s):
drama, fantasy, trading/economics/bartering (is there such a genre?)
Synopsis:
Set in a European Middle Ages period, this is the story of a traveling merchant and a 250 year wolf-god/deity who appears in the form of a 15 year old girl. (13 episodes)
OP/ED impressions:
The ED is quite catchy (broken engrish and all), and the drawings during the ED are nice too. It took me awhile to warm up to the OP. I rarely skipped through either when I watched the episodes.
Ramble:
I wasn't sure what to expect of this series, but certainly the chemistry/banter between Lawrence and Horo was quite entertaining. There were elements of intrigue (the influence of the Church in society), and a mild dose of bartering, but it never went too deep. I really liked Horo's character design. A sequel is coming up.
Favorite character:
Horo
Have I rewatched episodes since completing?:
Yes
True Tears
Genre(s):
slice of life, comedy, drama, romance
Synopsis:
Slice of life piece, centering on the life of Shinichiro, and his relationships with Hiromi, a girl living in his house, and a new strange girl, Noe who can't seem to cry.
OP/ED impressions:
The OP, Reflectia is definitely still a favorite of mine. I don't remember the ED too well.
Ramble:
I am quite a sucker for slice of life series, and this one did not disappoint at all. The characterizations were strong and consistent, and I was quite pleased with how the story ended. The animation quality was wonderful, including their computer generated stuff.
Favorite character:
No favorite in particular, since I did like most of the major characters, but if I had to choose I'd probably choose Noe.
Have I rewatched episodes since completing?:
No, but I'd probably watch this one from start to finish after some time away from it.
Itazura Na Kiss
Genre(s):
slice of life, comedy, drama, romance
Synopsis:
The story of 3rd-year high school student Kotoko, who finally tries to confess to fellow 3rd year student Irie Naoki (ultra-smart, ultra-athletic, ultra-handsome) only to get her confession letter soundly ignored and rejected. In a twist of fate, her home is destroyed by a small earthquake, and her dad moves them in with a close childhood friend...Irie's dad. (25 episodes)
OP/ED impressions:
The OP is lively and fun, much like the base tone of the series. The OP animation also adjusted as the series timeline moved forward. I didn't care so much for the first ED, but definitely liked the second ED a lot more.
Ramble:
The anime was based on a popular manga that started back in the 80s (hence the 80s character designs). The manga was close to completion when the mangaka passed away. The anime is supposed to incorporate her notes on how the series was supposed to end. Going into the series, and given the tone, to a certain degree you already figure to know how the series will play out. That being said, the series is quite hilarious and heartwarming, given the fact that Kotoko (despite her various character flaws) is a likeable kind character.
Favorite character:
Kotoko, of course. (And to a degree, Irie Naoki, because I've been similarly mean to girls I've liked when I was his age...haha!)
Have I rewatched episodes since completing?:
Yes (and probably more than I should be!)
Special A
Genre(s):
comedy, drama, romance
Synopsis:
The story of two eternal childhood rivals, Takishima Kei and Hanazono Hikari, and their 5 friends in a special elite school group called Special A. Hikari is always trying to, but can never seem to beat Kei in any challenge, and hence is teased by Kei, being called Ni-san. (Miss Number Two).
OP/ED impressions:
I liked the OP, and the second EP. I generally watched through both since they're equally catchy.
Ramble:
A pretty light-hearted comedy of sorts, especially when it comes to the ridiculous nature of the contests between Hikari and Kei, or the over the top idea of a special elite class containing the top 7 students of the elite school, who don't seem to do anything more than sit in a garden conservatory eating snacks and drinking tea. Surprisingly, when some of the more dramatic/romance portions came up, they were done quite well. Also, when it comes to large casts, usually the supporting characters don't really get their stories or characters flushed out very well, but that wasn't the case here as we got decent back story, and solo stories as well.
Favorite character:
Hikari. I'm a sucker for the energetic, well-meaning, and sometimes clueless heroines.
Have I rewatched episodes since completing?:
Yes
Kamen no Maid Guy
Genre(s):
comedy, ecchi
Synopsis:
Naeka is a granddaugther and heir to a large inheritance which she'll receive when she turns a particular age. For her protection, she is assigned a ultra-aggressive male maid, Kogarashi who despite Naeka's wishes will do anything for the well-being of his master. (12 episodes)
OP/ED impressions:
The OP is okay, but not catchy enough to listen outside of watching the series. I could do without the ED.
Ramble:
Comedic elements aside, most of this series is intended to generate major fanservice for its male viewers, since most of the moe/ecchi elements are represented by the various female characters. The comedy is quite over-the-top, but if you have watched enough action flicks, you may get a kick out of Kogarashi's antics to do the right thing for his master. Obviously, if you are a fan of ecchi, there's an ample amount for you to enjoy here.
Favorite character:
Kogarashi. Who knew that if you understood the language of computers/printers, you could stick a USB printer cable into your ear/head, and directly print out your memories?
Have I rewatched episodes since completing?:
Not really. I haven't quite finished the series either, but the math tutoring episode is funny.
Spice and Wolf
Genre(s):
drama, fantasy, trading/economics/bartering (is there such a genre?)
Synopsis:
Set in a European Middle Ages period, this is the story of a traveling merchant and a 250 year wolf-god/deity who appears in the form of a 15 year old girl. (13 episodes)
OP/ED impressions:
The ED is quite catchy (broken engrish and all), and the drawings during the ED are nice too. It took me awhile to warm up to the OP. I rarely skipped through either when I watched the episodes.
Ramble:
I wasn't sure what to expect of this series, but certainly the chemistry/banter between Lawrence and Horo was quite entertaining. There were elements of intrigue (the influence of the Church in society), and a mild dose of bartering, but it never went too deep. I really liked Horo's character design. A sequel is coming up.
Favorite character:
Horo
Have I rewatched episodes since completing?:
Yes
True Tears
Genre(s):
slice of life, comedy, drama, romance
Synopsis:
Slice of life piece, centering on the life of Shinichiro, and his relationships with Hiromi, a girl living in his house, and a new strange girl, Noe who can't seem to cry.
OP/ED impressions:
The OP, Reflectia is definitely still a favorite of mine. I don't remember the ED too well.
Ramble:
I am quite a sucker for slice of life series, and this one did not disappoint at all. The characterizations were strong and consistent, and I was quite pleased with how the story ended. The animation quality was wonderful, including their computer generated stuff.
Favorite character:
No favorite in particular, since I did like most of the major characters, but if I had to choose I'd probably choose Noe.
Have I rewatched episodes since completing?:
No, but I'd probably watch this one from start to finish after some time away from it.
Itazura Na Kiss
Genre(s):
slice of life, comedy, drama, romance
Synopsis:
The story of 3rd-year high school student Kotoko, who finally tries to confess to fellow 3rd year student Irie Naoki (ultra-smart, ultra-athletic, ultra-handsome) only to get her confession letter soundly ignored and rejected. In a twist of fate, her home is destroyed by a small earthquake, and her dad moves them in with a close childhood friend...Irie's dad. (25 episodes)
OP/ED impressions:
The OP is lively and fun, much like the base tone of the series. The OP animation also adjusted as the series timeline moved forward. I didn't care so much for the first ED, but definitely liked the second ED a lot more.
Ramble:
The anime was based on a popular manga that started back in the 80s (hence the 80s character designs). The manga was close to completion when the mangaka passed away. The anime is supposed to incorporate her notes on how the series was supposed to end. Going into the series, and given the tone, to a certain degree you already figure to know how the series will play out. That being said, the series is quite hilarious and heartwarming, given the fact that Kotoko (despite her various character flaws) is a likeable kind character.
Favorite character:
Kotoko, of course. (And to a degree, Irie Naoki, because I've been similarly mean to girls I've liked when I was his age...haha!)
Have I rewatched episodes since completing?:
Yes (and probably more than I should be!)
Special A
Genre(s):
comedy, drama, romance
Synopsis:
The story of two eternal childhood rivals, Takishima Kei and Hanazono Hikari, and their 5 friends in a special elite school group called Special A. Hikari is always trying to, but can never seem to beat Kei in any challenge, and hence is teased by Kei, being called Ni-san. (Miss Number Two).
OP/ED impressions:
I liked the OP, and the second EP. I generally watched through both since they're equally catchy.
Ramble:
A pretty light-hearted comedy of sorts, especially when it comes to the ridiculous nature of the contests between Hikari and Kei, or the over the top idea of a special elite class containing the top 7 students of the elite school, who don't seem to do anything more than sit in a garden conservatory eating snacks and drinking tea. Surprisingly, when some of the more dramatic/romance portions came up, they were done quite well. Also, when it comes to large casts, usually the supporting characters don't really get their stories or characters flushed out very well, but that wasn't the case here as we got decent back story, and solo stories as well.
Favorite character:
Hikari. I'm a sucker for the energetic, well-meaning, and sometimes clueless heroines.
Have I rewatched episodes since completing?:
Yes
Kamen no Maid Guy
Genre(s):
comedy, ecchi
Synopsis:
Naeka is a granddaugther and heir to a large inheritance which she'll receive when she turns a particular age. For her protection, she is assigned a ultra-aggressive male maid, Kogarashi who despite Naeka's wishes will do anything for the well-being of his master. (12 episodes)
OP/ED impressions:
The OP is okay, but not catchy enough to listen outside of watching the series. I could do without the ED.
Ramble:
Comedic elements aside, most of this series is intended to generate major fanservice for its male viewers, since most of the moe/ecchi elements are represented by the various female characters. The comedy is quite over-the-top, but if you have watched enough action flicks, you may get a kick out of Kogarashi's antics to do the right thing for his master. Obviously, if you are a fan of ecchi, there's an ample amount for you to enjoy here.
Favorite character:
Kogarashi. Who knew that if you understood the language of computers/printers, you could stick a USB printer cable into your ear/head, and directly print out your memories?
Have I rewatched episodes since completing?:
Not really. I haven't quite finished the series either, but the math tutoring episode is funny.
Friday, January 23, 2009
The Gauntlet Has Been Thrown Down!
So yesterday at physical therapy, the therapy gals had enough. They had tried to gradually get me to bend my knee on its own past a particular point, but I hadn't quite shown what they wanted to see.
Thus, the stage was set for a frightening experience (well, more for the next PT patient that happened to walk in during the process...haha!). So, while sitting up and leaning against the wall, surgical knee bent, Catherine held and pushed above the ankle area. Eventually Amy also came over to hold and bend my knee as well.
It was not very...comfortable at all. I can say that it was pretty close to crossing some type of pain threshold, either physically or psychologically, because the first couple of times we tried to cross my "bend" point, my body tried compensating by getting up. Not cool. So, as best as they could, we set up a very uncomfortable point of bending/stretching and held it for 30 seconds for 3 sets. I don't think I looked well at all during this process. In fact, I think I forgot to breathe out a number of times. I think when I try to break a new bend point, my body reacts adversely. It may be more of a psychological thing rather than a physical thing, since for all intents and purposes, the ACL is reconnected, and my patellar tendon is still intact. I definitely do feel my heart rate increase. The patient that happened to walk in on this, was a bit worried after seeing my display of facial contortions.
Anyway, Catherine and Amy pretty much gave notice that unless bending improves, Jordan is also going to get in on the action to do the "human seatbelt" action of holding me down, while they push for the bend. I do not want to get to this point. So I promised to ratchet up the flexionator-use this weekend, so that things aren't so crazy on Monday. (Last night I had it at under 9"...maybe 8.75" with my foot in the flat position.)
I know a number of people that have said that they've had sub-par physical therapy experiences where the therapists have just set them up for exercises, and just let them go off on their own. That has not been my experience at all, as the ladies have certainly ratcheted things up when they've had worries. I'm definitely going to have to get them something nice when all of this is over. For now, I might bring in some muffins from this place that just opened in the Loop: http://www.sugarblisscakes.com/.
Thus, the stage was set for a frightening experience (well, more for the next PT patient that happened to walk in during the process...haha!). So, while sitting up and leaning against the wall, surgical knee bent, Catherine held and pushed above the ankle area. Eventually Amy also came over to hold and bend my knee as well.
It was not very...comfortable at all. I can say that it was pretty close to crossing some type of pain threshold, either physically or psychologically, because the first couple of times we tried to cross my "bend" point, my body tried compensating by getting up. Not cool. So, as best as they could, we set up a very uncomfortable point of bending/stretching and held it for 30 seconds for 3 sets. I don't think I looked well at all during this process. In fact, I think I forgot to breathe out a number of times. I think when I try to break a new bend point, my body reacts adversely. It may be more of a psychological thing rather than a physical thing, since for all intents and purposes, the ACL is reconnected, and my patellar tendon is still intact. I definitely do feel my heart rate increase. The patient that happened to walk in on this, was a bit worried after seeing my display of facial contortions.
Anyway, Catherine and Amy pretty much gave notice that unless bending improves, Jordan is also going to get in on the action to do the "human seatbelt" action of holding me down, while they push for the bend. I do not want to get to this point. So I promised to ratchet up the flexionator-use this weekend, so that things aren't so crazy on Monday. (Last night I had it at under 9"...maybe 8.75" with my foot in the flat position.)
I know a number of people that have said that they've had sub-par physical therapy experiences where the therapists have just set them up for exercises, and just let them go off on their own. That has not been my experience at all, as the ladies have certainly ratcheted things up when they've had worries. I'm definitely going to have to get them something nice when all of this is over. For now, I might bring in some muffins from this place that just opened in the Loop: http://www.sugarblisscakes.com/.
Monday, January 19, 2009
New Exercises...and Weight Loss
It looks like I'm ready for new exercises and they were quite the challenge today.
Reach for the cone
A small cone is placed in front of you. Balancing on the surgical leg, with a bend in the knee, you bend down to reach the top of the cone, and slowly straighten back up. 3 sets of 10.
There's a lot of pressure on the leg with this one, but it looks like this one will build back general strength with balance and stability.
Band Stretch 1 - Hip
Using a rubber stretch band clipped to the wall, one leg is hooked to the band, and while facing towards the wall, away from the wall, and the two remaining 90 degree angles, pull your leg away from the wall in each position. This exercise is performed with both your strong leg, and the repaired leg.
There's also a lot of balancing involved here, and trying to make sure that you're balanced and upright while performing this exercise. Very tiring the first time.
Band Stretch 2
Using the same rubber stretch band, face the wall, with the band hooked behind your knee. Roll your foot towards your heel to raise your toes. This action should force your knee to stretch the band.
I don't really experience that much pain during or after physical therapy. (Unless we are talking about the straight knee hang stretch...which is still quite a challenge to make it through the 10 minutes with weight. They put 7.5 lbs today, which was not fun.) I do get extremely tired though, and my ankle has been acting up a little bit more than usual. It may be the fact that I've been walking a lot more.
One situation that I'm starting to monitor is the fact that I've lost more than 15 pounds since the injury. At one point, I think I was somewhere between 185 - 190. The first time I weighed myself after the surgery I weighed in at 172. These last couple of days, despite feeling like I've been eating more, I've been weighing in at 170. I know a lot of my weight loss is losing a lot of my muscle mass from my quad muscle area. I'll need to continue to keep an eye on my weight. Even though having a variable weight between 165 - 170 would probably be okay, I think a healthier weight during this period would be between 170 - 172.
p.s. I don't endorse/recommend soft tissue injuries as a way to lose weight. Haha!
Reach for the cone
A small cone is placed in front of you. Balancing on the surgical leg, with a bend in the knee, you bend down to reach the top of the cone, and slowly straighten back up. 3 sets of 10.
There's a lot of pressure on the leg with this one, but it looks like this one will build back general strength with balance and stability.
Band Stretch 1 - Hip
Using a rubber stretch band clipped to the wall, one leg is hooked to the band, and while facing towards the wall, away from the wall, and the two remaining 90 degree angles, pull your leg away from the wall in each position. This exercise is performed with both your strong leg, and the repaired leg.
There's also a lot of balancing involved here, and trying to make sure that you're balanced and upright while performing this exercise. Very tiring the first time.
Band Stretch 2
Using the same rubber stretch band, face the wall, with the band hooked behind your knee. Roll your foot towards your heel to raise your toes. This action should force your knee to stretch the band.
I don't really experience that much pain during or after physical therapy. (Unless we are talking about the straight knee hang stretch...which is still quite a challenge to make it through the 10 minutes with weight. They put 7.5 lbs today, which was not fun.) I do get extremely tired though, and my ankle has been acting up a little bit more than usual. It may be the fact that I've been walking a lot more.
One situation that I'm starting to monitor is the fact that I've lost more than 15 pounds since the injury. At one point, I think I was somewhere between 185 - 190. The first time I weighed myself after the surgery I weighed in at 172. These last couple of days, despite feeling like I've been eating more, I've been weighing in at 170. I know a lot of my weight loss is losing a lot of my muscle mass from my quad muscle area. I'll need to continue to keep an eye on my weight. Even though having a variable weight between 165 - 170 would probably be okay, I think a healthier weight during this period would be between 170 - 172.
p.s. I don't endorse/recommend soft tissue injuries as a way to lose weight. Haha!
Week 4 / Month 1
Four weeks later, and things are gradually returning to normal. The CPM machine went back, and got replaced by two new devices: the flexionator (knee flexing) and the extensionator (knee extension). The flexionator is basically a folding chair with an attachment that holds your leg in a bent position to give it a stretch for 10 minutes at a time. The extensionator is a brace which "gently" pushes the top of your leg into a straight position. Needless to say, I'm not very fond of the extensionator.
After a week of being off the crutches, I attempted a Sunday morning trip to the grocery store. Walking at a very deliberate pace, it took me about an hour to collect a bagful of items.
In the realm of physical therapy, things have gotten a lot more aggressive. Warmups begin with 10 minutes of stationary biking at 40 - 50 rpm. 3 calf stretches for 30 secs each. Leg squats, calf raises, then single leg raises. Walking raised leg marches, step ups (on 4"/6" box) and stand and sits (currently at 20"). For additional extension, they have had me walking backwards on the treadmill for 5 minutes at a time.
Now that it appears that my general leg circulation is doing okay, they have me doing e-stim while doing straight leg lifts and rotated leg lifts for 10 minutes.
An absolutely new stretch that they've done is what they excited called a "moob", a two therapist activity. Basically, they have one therapist lean on the thigh right above the knee pushing down (usually Jordan, affectionately known as the human seat belt.) The other therapist (usually Catherine or Amy) will grab the foot above the ankle, pulling out slightly, lifting up and rotating the foot inwards and outwards. It is just as uncomfortable as it sounds.
But things are improving day by day, so I'm looking forward to when I can look past this portion of the rehab, and get to the portion of the rehab that will get me ready to play sports again.
After a week of being off the crutches, I attempted a Sunday morning trip to the grocery store. Walking at a very deliberate pace, it took me about an hour to collect a bagful of items.
In the realm of physical therapy, things have gotten a lot more aggressive. Warmups begin with 10 minutes of stationary biking at 40 - 50 rpm. 3 calf stretches for 30 secs each. Leg squats, calf raises, then single leg raises. Walking raised leg marches, step ups (on 4"/6" box) and stand and sits (currently at 20"). For additional extension, they have had me walking backwards on the treadmill for 5 minutes at a time.
Now that it appears that my general leg circulation is doing okay, they have me doing e-stim while doing straight leg lifts and rotated leg lifts for 10 minutes.
An absolutely new stretch that they've done is what they excited called a "moob", a two therapist activity. Basically, they have one therapist lean on the thigh right above the knee pushing down (usually Jordan, affectionately known as the human seat belt.) The other therapist (usually Catherine or Amy) will grab the foot above the ankle, pulling out slightly, lifting up and rotating the foot inwards and outwards. It is just as uncomfortable as it sounds.
But things are improving day by day, so I'm looking forward to when I can look past this portion of the rehab, and get to the portion of the rehab that will get me ready to play sports again.
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
Off Crutches!
Yesterday was 21 days after the surgery, and after getting rid of one crutch on Friday, I was cleared to get rid of the other crutch. It certainly feels a lot better not having to lean on anything to get around.
My walking style takes one of two forms:
1) Baby Learning to Walk Style: tentative baby steps, followed by occasional or random arm flapping.
2) Wannabe Rapper Style: deliberate small steps, accompanied by coordinated but unnecessary arm thrusts
From a PT perspective, I have to focus on walking normally. This means I need to take smaller steps (larger steps right now will just lead to compensating movements, which is undesirable), I need to focus on bending my knee, leading with my heel and driving the motion all the way through pushing off the ball of my foot.
I could have sent back the CPM machine already, but my PT recommended continued usage until I could get a comfortable flex at full range. I'm at an uncomfortable 120 right now. Insurance will only pay 80% of my costs here after my deductible is satisfied, and at $35/day, I don't think I should keep it that much longer.
My walking style takes one of two forms:
1) Baby Learning to Walk Style: tentative baby steps, followed by occasional or random arm flapping.
2) Wannabe Rapper Style: deliberate small steps, accompanied by coordinated but unnecessary arm thrusts
From a PT perspective, I have to focus on walking normally. This means I need to take smaller steps (larger steps right now will just lead to compensating movements, which is undesirable), I need to focus on bending my knee, leading with my heel and driving the motion all the way through pushing off the ball of my foot.
I could have sent back the CPM machine already, but my PT recommended continued usage until I could get a comfortable flex at full range. I'm at an uncomfortable 120 right now. Insurance will only pay 80% of my costs here after my deductible is satisfied, and at $35/day, I don't think I should keep it that much longer.
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