The mind

[opabinia]

tries to reconcile things, to make me comfortable.

This morning at 9 (I leave for work at about 9:25am), the crazy bitch neighbor's son rang my doorbell. Young fellow. Big dude. Arlington Police Department, I think, if that's what APD stands for.

He was displeased, but civil. He stood back 10 feet -- he clearly had no desire to intimidate me. I got the feeling that he was one of those good cops. Asked questions, kept his voice down. He was quieter than I was. We weren't friendly with each other, and the exchange was tense, but compared to dealing with his bitch mother, this was a job interview.

Anyway, he said his mom said I was rude and I was laughing at her. I said I couldn't have been laughing, considering how angry I was. I told him I was rude, because that is how she started things off, so I reciprocated. I tried to explain that I left the car there because it was physically impossible for me to move it, even after digging out and salting several times, because the street had not been plowed at that time. He said if I were neighborly, I would go over and apologize. I said I would gladly do so, if she conceded that she was wrong to approach me the way she did. He said there were two sides to every story, thanked me for my time, and left. Minutes later, I thought of all the other things I should have said, to clarify matters better.

Anyway, since that guy knew his psychotechnology, I was left angry, but thoughtful. Through the day, I've been thinking about the conversation, wishing I'd thought to explain things better to him. Mr. Officer's Mind Control Kung Fu was good. :)

Anyway, I don't resent him. It's his crazy ho mom. In hindsight, maybe I could detect something in his eyes. Something like "I know my mother is insufferable, and I'm just here to make sure she was exaggerating how terrible her neighbor is."

***

I'm still in the lab, by choice. I'm putting extra space between rush hour and me on this slush-spattered evening. The morning commute was nasty, packed full of angry, tired, cold people.

Today was the first day I did more work for my new boss (call him M) than for my old boss (G). I think I'll like working for him better, just because he seems to be more rigorous.

***

For about five days (starting well before the storm), I've had mild, chronic, mysterious pain in my left shoulder. It hovers near the distal end of the clavicle, feeling like an anterior deltoid problem now, and like a trapezius issue later, and back again. Not bad, not terribly inconvenient, either -- just mysterious. Shoveling forty-seven tons of snow and ice had no effect, positive or negative.

***

Okay. I'm going home.

Comments

[atalanta.livejournal.com]

that sucks. at least the guy was reasonable.
maybe she's so bitchy because she thinks she can do anything, having a cop son...

[lepidosiren.livejournal.com]

at least the guy was reasonable.

And he looked like George Clooney minus ten years. It was weird.

maybe she's so bitchy because she thinks she can do anything, having a cop son...

I thought about that. I also wondered how the hell such a wench raised a nice, polite boy. I think it's his form of rebellion.

[shnells.livejournal.com]

what sort of pain is it? what sort of positions bring on the pain? most likely it's bad posture (usually sleeping) that can cause pain like that. and you would do well to strengthen your middle and lower traps. those are usually the culprits for many shoulder problems.

[lepidosiren.livejournal.com]

what sort of pain is it?

Mostly not even there, unless I press down on the top of the distal end of the clavicle, particularly towards the anterior side. Then it feels as though I'm pressing on a fresh bruise, but there's no visible bruise there.

what sort of positions bring on the pain?

Very particular shoulder use -- contraction of the anterior delts, with the arm held close to the torso, brings a little stab of pain to the anterior delts. Hanging from a doorsill, stretching out the arm and scapular sling, also brings pain to the anterior deltoid.

most likely it's bad posture (usually sleeping)

That's the only I can imagine is doing it.

you would do well to strengthen your middle and lower traps

Deadlifts! They fix everything.

[shnells.livejournal.com]

hmmm....might be tight pectoral muscles too (specifically pec minor). you can stretch them by standing in a corner, putting up both hands at shoulder level and then leaning your torso in towards the wall. you should feel a stretch into your pecs. i'll have to go back and reread a few things. i can't belive how much i've forgotten by not working in a hospital setting for a year :(

[damiel.livejournal.com]

Did he identify himself as her son, as a cop, or both? (Or just as her son, but wore the uniform?)

[lepidosiren.livejournal.com]

He was wearing what looked like a police-issue thermal undershirt (you could see the crew-neck under his shirt). The collar said "APD." I took that to stand for "Arlington Police Department." He didn't identify himself as an officer, but he acted like one, and he was out and about at 9am, when most people would be behind a desk or something, despite the weather.