Book of Days: asher553

After six weeks away from work, I'm back at my old gig at Big Pharma. My job is mainly interoffice deliveries, which obviously involves a lot of walking - I'm basically on my feet and MOVING eight hours a day. When the attack of the fascist peanuts made it impossible for me to work any longer, I told my manager I was taking a break from work for three weeks. He wasn't able to keep the position open, so I was technically "fired" at the end of the three weeks and I started interviewing again. But the Office Services angel was on my side, and the manager managed to eventually get me back on board at the same site after all. So, I'm working again, and it's good.

The foot problem, as it turns out, was the result of bad posture - as were the back problems that had been plaguing me with increasing ferocity over the past couple of years. If you, dear reader, have been suffering from random lower back and/or foot pain, I urge you to read up on Esther Gokhale and the Gokhale Method without further delay.

At any rate, Gokhale provided me the key to the things I was doing wrong with my posture and how to correct them. To wit, keeping my lower back (lumbar) firm and curved in the proper direction, bending at the hip (rather than reversing the curve of the lumbar spine) when I need to bend over; and keeping my feet pointed forward, with the weight on the balls and outside edges, rather than walking duck-toed and pronating as I did in former days. And that was all it took to get my body working properly and pain-free once again.

In other news, I went to Portland with G and Bunny last week/weekend. We left SFO on Thursday and returned Sunday. The main purpose was to get Bunny familiar with PDX so that she knows where I'm moving to, and understands that I'm not moving because she did anything wrong. We had a great time. Bunny loves Portland, and apparently G is warming to it too. I wouldn't mind if G decided to move there too - but that's a whole 'nother drama, and subject matter for another post.

But the plan as it stands is that I'll finish out this calendar year here in SF, work as much as I can and build a strong resume, and move to PDX around the beginning of 2014.

Me: The thing about people in movies and TV, is that they're usually very famous and lots of people want to meet them. And people like Kevin usually just want to be left alone.

Bunny: So Home Alone wants to be alone?

Me: That's right. Home Alone wants to be home alone.

Friday evening Bunny went out with the babysitter for a walk in Dolores Park. I'd given her a little spending money for a snack, and she came back with a flower stick and some other nice-smelling dried things that she'd bought from some lady in the park. When I invited her out to light the Shabbat candles, she lovingly laid the flower sticks on the tray at the base of the candles, because she wanted to make G-d happy.

I love her so much.

Bunny on her way to slumberland. Her bedtime story tonight was Genesis, chapter 1. I used the Artscroll translation, occasionally ad-libbing a simpler word here and there but basically sticking with the text. She did not complain!

The last couple of nights I've been reading from "Bible Stories for Jewish Children" and she seemed engaged and interested. Sometimes when I don't think she's paying attention or understanding the words, she'll surprise me with a very specific question about the story.

Earlier today we were talking about her school schedule - Was she going to school today? Yes. Why? Because today is Tuesday. - and so on. I thought this was a good time to review the concept of the week, so I explained that the week has seven days. She proudly recited the names of the weekdays from Sunday to Saturday.

So then I asked her if she knew why the week has seven days; of course she did not. I said it's because there is a story in the Bible that describes G-d making the world in six days, and resting on the seventh day, Shabbat. I explained that the Bible is a very old and very important book, and that we learn from it about right and wrong, wisdom, traditions, and history.

So tonight seemed like a good time introduce her to the actual Bible. I am not a scriptural literalist but I do believe the Bible is important and that, in some way I won't try to exactly define, it comes from G-d. I want Sophie to be raised with an outlook that is rational and humanistic, but also has a place for G-d and the Bible.