stef_tm | My Wednesday

Morning - Intensive Outpatient Therapy Program. It lived up to the name today. It was intense. Good stuff.

Afternoon - Household chores and lovely phone conversations with my parents and

peters67 who is my daily provider of fresh juiced vegetables. Received cards in the mail - the week thus far -

hot_turkey,

elainegrey, and

tenacious_snail. Thanks! Another friend, Heather T. texts me several times per day. Diane texted me.

curiouseve texted me. My intern IM'd me, as did two coworkers. My friend Elizabeth who lives in NYC sent two fabulous, finger paint pieces from her son Felix - on canvas, heh - and also left a voicemail. I am seriously loved. I have no idea how I got this lucky.

Evening - Dinner with my wife and then I went to the gym.

Gym activities
70 minutes of cardio; 32min on glider, 38min on bike, short weight set (shouders, back.) Heart rate range/time: 144-161 42min, 126-143 43min

The set list from the glider workout courtesy of the shuffle feature on my iPod, electronic genre
Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger - Daft Punk
I See You Baby - Groove Armada
Elevate My Mind - Stereo MCs
F*ck the Pain Away - Peaches
Weapons of Mass Distortion - Crystal Method
Deceptacon - Le Tigre
ex:cel - 808 State
100% Pure Love - Crystal Waters
Born Too Slow - Crystal Method
Psyche Rock - Fat Boy Slim
Renegade Master - Fat Boy Slim

On the bike, I watched this fascinating documentary about stress: http://www.pbs.org/stress/

Fascinating discussion on cardio vascular disease in primate (non-human) societies among the aggressors and the passive, the shortening of telomeres of the mothers of disabled children (1 year parenting a disabled child = 6 years of genetic aging; happily telomerase enzymatic activity can be increased by increasing socialization and support for the caretaker,) and the effect on children who were conceived/born during the Danish "hunger winter" of WWII (here famine being the stressor.) The study found that the experienced environment starts long before birth - cohorts showed more problems with stress related diseases regardless of adult life and disposition to mood disorders.

This might explain some of my situation; my father beat my mother regularly during her pregnancy with me.

Ending on a happier note, this article mentions a Vermont lesbian couple who have been together 42 years; their 89 year old mom walked them down the aisle in 2000.
http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/03/25/vermont.samesex.marriage/index.html

A wonderful day. Happy to be here.