February blahs

[Cardmaster]

I've actually been in my happy place lately.... which is weird, since I've been having my chronic depression all year... But it's nice, because being non-depressed is infinitely better than being depressed. ^_^

I'm sorry to hear you've got a case of the blahs, though..

-CM

[Qwazy]

its just another month
nothing special
nothing bad

the only thing that really annoys me about february is writing the stupid word :P

[Glitch Girl]

Wow... I learned a lot this thread.

1) lostas interesting historical trivia.

2) It's not just me. 

Somehow that last fact is strangely comforting.

[Cardmaster]

Wow... I learned a lot this thread.

1) lostas interesting historical trivia.

2) It's not just me. 

Somehow that last fact is strangely comforting.

And you can print out all the trivia and burn it for warmth!

....

okay, I need to go sleep now...  :huh:

-CM

[El Condor]

BTW - how many of you pronounce the month either "feb-yew-ary" or "feb-bru-ary"?
Just curious!  :D

EC

[Sevenforce]

Depends how precocious I'm going to be ;)

And sharing a problem always makes you feel better :)

[Dweomer Knight]

BTW - how many of you pronounce the month either "feb-yew-ary" or "feb-bru-ary"?
Just curious!  :D

EC

Actually, I hear a lot of Feb-wary.

DK

[BlueBard]

Hmm... Actually, February doesn't bother me all that much since I'm an indoors kind of guy anyway and I live with the blahs pretty much year round due to sleep deprivation.  This year there's a bit of extra cabin fever due to circumstances, but it really affects my wife the worst.  She needed spring about a month ago, which is obviously not possible because a) it would have been January and b) we live in Michigan.

My anniversary is tomorrow, so that tends to cancel out some (tho not all) of the winter blahs for me.

We generally get our heaviest snowfall in Feb, which is a downer for me but great for the kids.

And there's always been something sort of magical about the whole Leap Year thing.  I've always been oddly fascinated by the thought that one might celebrate their birthday but once every 4 years and measure their age by two different standards.  Makes it extra special.  Then again, if one only gets a birthday party once every 4 years, I could see how that might be a drag.

And in what other month do we have a goofy holiday observance like Groundhog's Day where we venerate an oversized rodent?  That's pretty special, too.  Not sure if it's special-special or short-bus-special, but what the hey?

So I think I prefer to think of February as a month with real character.

[Alaric]

BTW - how many of you pronounce the month either "feb-yew-ary" or "feb-bru-ary"?
Just curious!  :D

EC

I've always been a "feb-yew-ary" person, although I have to say it seems to me that that pronounciation is dying out.

Actually, I hear a lot of Feb-wary.

DK

I've been hearing a lot of that these days, too.

And there's always been something sort of magical about the whole Leap Year thing.  I've always been oddly fascinated by the thought that one might celebrate their birthday but once every 4 years and measure their age by two different standards.  Makes it extra special.  Then again, if one only gets a birthday party once every 4 years, I could see how that might be a drag.

Heh... I know someone whose birthday's on Leap Year...

And in what other month do we have a goofy holiday observance like Groundhog's Day where we venerate an oversized rodent?  That's pretty special, too.  Not sure if it's special-special or short-bus-special, but what the hey?

So I think I prefer to think of February as a month with real character.

AND it's the month of my younger brother's birthday... he was born on Valentine's Day... Don't know if that makes the month better or worse for me :)

[chuckles]

Oh, it's an okay month.
My family has 7 birthdays in February. So I get kinda overwhelmed with parties, but I've managed to make the most of it.
And I pronounce it "Feb-yah-wary"

[thalaw2]

In the US....February is Black History Month!

[catwhowalksbyhimself]

Well, this month was already a downer.  Now it just got worse.

I was driving home today, and I start smelling something, then my car loses steering, or at least it's nearly impossible to turn.

Fortunately, it was on my home street, so I just had to force it into the parking lot.

Now I have no car to go to work even if I can get a job, I have almost no money left to fix the thing, and I'll have to get it towed to the repair place in the first place.  The good news is, I think it's something relatively simple to fix, like a steering fluid leak.

[stumpy]

If it is just a minor steering pump leak (which is a pretty common thing), you can buy a can of sealant that will keep it from leaking enough to get to the repair place.

Of course, if you lost steering all at once, it may be more than a minor leak. You may want to check that the hose didn't splt or become detached.

BTW, most cars can be driven without power steering (they are designed that way as a safety feature) though it requires more effort. Just remember that the steering is much easier when the car is in motion.

I mention all these things because I have replaced my power steering pump by myself before and, though it's not really cheap, the part itself is not usually a super-expensive item. I would hate to think you end up adding 50% to the cost of this incident just in towing charges getting the car to the garage.

Anyway, hope you are running again soon.

[catwhowalksbyhimself]

Yeah it was all at once.

The thing is, my car's a Saab, and it's near impossible to find anything in the engine.  It did happen suddenly, and I've seen this sort of thing happen before at my former job.  If I could find where the fluid was stored, I might be able to rig something up.

[Deaths Jester]

Are you MAD man!?

...Everyone knows barbeque is what makes babies taste good. Chocolate just makes you realise how stringy they are :thumbdown:

Damn straight...however, I do say that microwaving them also makes 'em quite good too!

[stumpy]

Yeah it was all at once.

The thing is, my car's a Saab, and it's near impossible to find anything in the engine.  It did happen suddenly, and I've seen this sort of thing happen before at my former job.  If I could find where the fluid was stored, I might be able to rig something up.

Ouch. Saab parts are pricey. And your mechanic may want to replace the rack as well. Sorry, man. Your best hope is that it's just the hose itself or the drive belt. At least those are both things you can spot by looking.

BTW, if you can spot a very oily hose or something, you can follow it to the pump and rack. The power steering pump will be one of a handful of devices driven by a belt on the engine (like the alternator, a/c compressor, etc.). Process of elimination will tell you which one it is. I don't recall for Saabs, but most have the fluid reservoir integrated on the pump itself. There should be cap you can get to (famous last words) with a little dipstick that lets you check the fluid level. You may be able to find a diagram on the web somewhere for your model. (At the very least, you can find a pic of the pump, since there are plenty of auto parts sites online that sell this sort of thing and most show an image.)

Good luck.

[The Phantom Eyebrow]

I seem to recall that it was 'scientifically' established that the worst day of the year was in late January / early February.

So, yeah, it seems lots of folks can be a bit down around this time of year.  Still, upwards and onwards eh?

[Midnight]

I would just like to say; today? Horrible, horrible day.

[konbiz]

Well I think this thread has jinxed this month... haha last night i got in a car wreck.... im pretty lucky to be alive right now haha

EDIT: but i also guess it is unlucky it happened in the first place hehe

[Glitch Girl]

Yup, February sucks.

Last week, I was doing my regular exercises (New Year's Resolution: be more active) and was in the middle of situps when WHAMMO, huge pain around my chest.  Apparently, trying to add those extra five situps messed up a muscle in my back and left me in a world of hurt to the point where it was hard to breathe.  A couple sleepless nights, a lot of hot baths and aspirin later, I'm feeling a lot more like myself, but my routine which I was trying so hard to keep, has been pretty much shot to hell and until I'm sure this has healed, I won't be able to get back on it.  [sigh]

Sometimes you just cant' win.

[Alaric]

Yup, February sucks.

Last week, I was doing my regular exercises (New Year's Resolution: be more active) and was in the middle of situps when WHAMMO, huge pain around my chest.  Apparently, trying to add those extra five situps messed up a muscle in my back and left me in a world of hurt to the point where it was hard to breathe.  A couple sleepless nights, a lot of hot baths and aspirin later, I'm feeling a lot more like myself, but my routine which I was trying so hard to keep, has been pretty much shot to hell and until I'm sure this has healed, I won't be able to get back on it.  [sigh]

Sometimes you just cant' win.

Have to be careful with excersise... I hope you didn't do anything permanent to yourself.

I can sympathize about the excersise, though... Every now and then, I start to excersise regularly... I think the longest I ever managed to keep it up for was a couple of months... Something about regular activity with no obvious immediate purpose...

At least I do a lot of walking. That's better than nothing, I guess...

[MyndVizion]

For me the horrible month of the year is August.

1. It's freaking hot.  Living in the desert, it's basically the hottest month in the year.
2. No new movies come out in August. The month is at the tail end of the summer blockbuster season and it's too early for the fall releases.
3. It's freaking hot.
4. No good television. Series' are typically in the middle of their break and there's still several months to go before they start up again.
5. It's freaking hot.
6. No good games. Games like to launch in spring or in the fall in time from Christmas.
7. Long summer days combined with the fact that there's 31 of them makes for a hot horrible time.

[The Phantom Eyebrow]

Yeah, you have to be careful when on one of those exercise kicks.  I go through the odd one and they often end with me putting back out.  (I'm on an exercise buzz right now as it happens - stretches, weights, cycling).  I'm no expert but I was always under the impression that sit-ups were dangerous for the back so I have assiduously avoided them at all times.  This was advice I received from a physio, back in the day, although I don't recall if this advice was specific to people with bad backs or if it held true for all cases. 

Rest and recuperation is the order of the day now. Don't even think about restarting your programme until you're better.  Says I with no qualifications on this matter whatsoever.

[Lord Elcorion]

Yup, February sucks.

Last week, I was doing my regular exercises (New Year's Resolution: be more active) and was in the middle of situps when WHAMMO, huge pain around my chest.  Apparently, trying to add those extra five situps messed up a muscle in my back and left me in a world of hurt to the point where it was hard to breathe.  A couple sleepless nights, a lot of hot baths and aspirin later, I'm feeling a lot more like myself, but my routine which I was trying so hard to keep, has been pretty much shot to hell and until I'm sure this has healed, I won't be able to get back on it.  [sigh]

Sometimes you just cant' win.

you need to be careful about doing exercises when your not acoustumed to it.. the body sets itself to a particular condition, and tends to react badly when that condition is suddenly subjected to change. this is why many dieters can never keep off the weight, they change their food intake all at once and often to completly different foods, or just stop eating as much, and the body says "oh crap, i'm not getting the same levels of these certain things anymore, i better try and stockpile." and since this is often carbs, fats, and other things, once the dieter loses their chosen weight and goes back to the old way of eating, the body gets flooded with carbs, fats, etc. and the pounds come right back, becuase the body wasn't burning the stuff off as fast now. if your serious about exerciseing, it might be a good idea to go to a fittness center, and consult with a trainer. most places are willing to give you a free consultation to see what your needs are before they offer you the membership plan.

[TigerStyle]

Sit ups aren't necessarily bad as part of a balanced work out routine.  The problems could arise if you're not doing any exercises for your back, or if bad form causes you to use your hip flexors (the muscle right below the outer points of your pelvis going down to your legs).  If you're not strengthening your back, your abs or hip flexors will get stronger and tighter, stretching the back muscles out, making them weaker and more prone to injury. 

The same can be said for guys who focus too much on increasing chest size and ignoring the opposing muscle on their upper back.  They can eventually develop serious problems with their shoulders. 

Solutions can be pretty simple.  Start your workout with some dynamic stretching.  Work opposing muscle groups.  GG, if your case I would recommend plank exercises since they work the abs and lower back simultaneously and there's little chance of accidentally using your hip flexors.  Then when you're done working out finish with static or traditional stretching. 

Diets are a whole other topic, but suffice to say the amount of carbs and fats you eat is less important than the kinds of carbs and fats you eat. 

[Uncle Yuan]

Diets are a whole other topic, but suffice to say the amount of carbs and fats you eat is less important than the kinds of carbs and fats you eat. 

What is the goal of your diet?  Are you trying to reduce your cholesterol or your risks for certain kinds of cancer?  If so, then the types of fat matter.  Are you a boarderline type two diabetic trying to control your blood glucose?  If so, then the types of carbohydrates matter.  Are you simply trying to loose weight?  If so, really only the amount of either matters.  Numerous high quality studies comparing the various weight loss diets show that any of them that result in meaningful weight loss at one year (and there are quite a few) have only one thing in common: you wind up consuming fewer calories.

[Reepicheep]

Its nearly over, guys.... nearly over.

[Glitch Girl]

But it goes out with a bang.

Spent yesterday and today at the DMV trying to renew my tag. 

short version: the DMV says I haven't had insurance since August.  My insurance agent and my bills say otherwise.  The DMV won't take the bills or the faxes, it has to be on the insurance carrier's letterhead otherwise I have to pay $100 reaplication fee. The official documents are in transit, but won't get here until March so I still have to pay a late fee.  ($15, much less than the $100 at least)  Bleah.

However, February wasn't all suckage - I did get to see the Capitol Steps live and a very good performance of Swan Lake over the weekend. 

[Gremlin]

DAMN YOU DMV!

The bane of all existence.