Tuesday, February 4, 2014

WLEM AM

Where winning is the only thing.


This is a beautiful song about gratitude. Has anyone heard of gratitude journals? They are especially useful for negative people, as they teach one to look around during the day to think what three simple things they'll list in their journals that night. 

25 comments:

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

I'm flat on my back. Tweeked it shoveling snow. I dont know if i can post anything for a while.

Michael Haz said...

Well Lem, be grateful that it wasn't your heart.

Deborah, nice post! Thanks! Nothing like some OMDD to start a grateful day.

Shouting Thomas said...

The girlfriend did the same thing, Lem.

Time to buy a snow blower. As we age, we must adjust to the new reality.

The gratitude thing is interesting.

Non-Catholics have a lot of weird ideas about what Catholics actually do at Mass.

Mass is a communal meal expressing gratitude for the Good News.

The idea has been around for a long time.

Shouting Thomas said...

My parish offers yoga classes on Thursday nights.

The philosophy of yoga is also based in physical acceptance of what the day will bring... i.e., gratitude.

Shouting Thomas said...

Nice tune.

Reminds me in an odd way of one of my favorite John Fogerty tunes, Looking Out My Back Door.

AllenS said...

I hope you took a couple of Advil, or some other such ibuprofen pills.

Shouting Thomas said...

Thank God, it's a stunningly beautiful morning in the Catskills.

Icepick said...

@Lem, Ouch! Take care, back injuries are way up there (potentially) on the pain scale.

chickelit said...

Thanks for that link, ST. I'd never seen it.

It's amazing that bands were making
"videos" in the days before videos.

And Fogerty seems ripe for a sympathetic biopic.

Eric the Fruit Bat said...

Lem, I hope you get better soon.

My advice (a little too late, I'm afraid) is to develop a strong squat and that takes nothing more than practice.

The power needed to shovel snow should come from your base. Your posterior chain, your core, is for stabilization only.

Never surrender your lumbar curve. If you can't stay rigid, it's time to stop.

Best wishes for a speedy recovery.

Icepick said...

Eric, how goes the exercise routine? I can't remember if you had reached a steady-state condition or if you were still improving your fitness when you were encouraging the rest of us to take it up.

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

Thanks MH and Deb for stepping up.

Eric the Fruit Bat said...

Eric, how goes the exercise routine?

It's going very well, thanks for asking. I don't want to make this about me, though.

Everybody! The single best thing you can do for your health is to quit smoking.

After that, it's get back into shape.

I got to the point where I was so fat and out of shape I couldn't do one pullup. I had to do pushups on my knees like a girl.

Now I can nearly clean and press my bodyweight, strict form. I'm 53 years old.

Nobody has to be a nut about it like me but you should do your squats.

Okay, I'll stop now.

deborah said...

Feel better, Lem.

deborah said...

Shout, that's a great vid. Fogerty looks so laid back and joyful.

Icepick said...

It's going very well, thanks for asking. I don't want to make this about me, though.

Eric, you haven't made it all about you. But your progress is an inspiration to someone like me, that definitely needs it. So I was interested in your progress as a signpost, if you will.


Now I can nearly clean and press my bodyweight, strict form. I'm 53 years old.


That's impressive!

Michael Haz said...

I just finished 6 weeks of sessions with a physical therapist for a herniated disc in my lower back. The pain is gone; my mobility has returned. A good physical therapist can work miracles.

Michael Haz said...

Thanks for the inspiration, Eric.

Icepick said...

Has there been a guest post from Eric the Fruit Bat on his exercise routine and motivational talk? That would be quite good, if he'd consent. Or if we could easily round up his comments on the matter.

Eric the Fruit Bat said...

Thank you, but guest posts are unnecessary. Here it is, in a nutshell:

(1) Do something.

(2) Start now.

(3) Keep it simple. You didn't turn into a blob overnight and you won't get back into shape overnight.

(4) I'm serious about that. Do five squats every morning for a week. Next week, do six. After that comes seven. You get the idea.

(5) I'm serious. That's how it's done. One day at a time. Patience is a virtue.

(6) It wasn't so long ago I would have to undo my belt because it was too tight at 40 inches. Now it's about 31 inches. And yes, the femoral arteries are plain as day.

(7) You want to know what does that? Squats, diet and consistency.

(8) Oh, and one more thing . . . start now.

Icepick said...

Eric, mind if I post that a couple of places, with attribution? That'll make easier to remember in the future.

Eric the Fruit Bat said...

I don't mind at all.

Please do, but there's no need for attribution.

I just want to help and I don't care who gets the credit.

Christy said...

Get well soon, Len.

Good advice, Eric. I need that reminder regularly.

Christy said...

Lem! Get well soon Lem!

Icepick said...

Thank you Eric.

Done, here and here.

Attribution helps personalize it, which helps it stick in another place in the brain.