Walking Yesterday - Another Great Day!

Walked a ton on Friday, more than usual. Look closely at Sandy's hands - instead of applying a lot of pressure to help me keep my hips and legs in a vertical position, she's barely pushing at all. I'm holding my hips up myself, using more of my lower back than I thought I was able to. It was definitely a challenge but it felt great, and receiving the trainers' congratulations afterwards felt even better.

Bonus:

So handsome...I mean, cool shoes.

Michigan vs Notre Dame Preview

Well, the game we've all been waiting for has finally arrived. 9/10/11, Under the Lights, the first official night game in Michigan Stadium history. (There have been games that extended into the night, by means of overtime and whatnot, but tomorrow's 8pm start is by far the latest kickoff time.)

Something happened last week to get 'ol Brian very angry. Stay classy, Brian.



I've got about 20 friends from undergrad coming in for the game, to join 114K of my other closest friends, for what will surely be the highest attendance ever at a football game. As for predictions? This is a tough one. I'm still wary of our defense's ability to stop anyone after Western carved them up in last week's first half. Some choice halftime adjustments led to better second half play, but this ND team is very talented and well-coached, by the Bob the Tomato impersonator you see above. Denard will have to play a monster game, not quite equaling his breakout performance from last year, but close. It will likely come down to turnovers (last week's tally - UM:0, ND:5), and being at home with a sure to be well-lubricated crowd, I like our chances there.

Denard has 150 yards each rushing and passing, and Michigan wins 24-20. (Dear God, don't let it come down to a field goal.)

This year's hype video...pretty cool when it's on an HD screen the size of a house.

Last week's marching band halftime performance.

Michigan Preview

The long-awaited day has finally arrived. After 9 months of predictions, speculation, and day dreams, the 2011 college football season will be born today, a possibly rainy September afternoon. But the rain won't deter 100,00 strong from rooting on the Wolverines as a new era begins in Ann Arbor, one hopefully more successful than the last. The return of tradition, power running football, and WINS starts today in the Big House.

Slightly cheesy, but catchy enough, and by a local band, so it warrants adoption.

Me and the inimitable voice of Michigan football Frank Beckmann.

Awkward...

Come 8pm September 10th...

Irish Destruction!

Heisman winner, future Heisman winner?

Making band cool.

Yup.

Their shirts say, "I'm too pretty to go to Michigan."

Riggghhtttt...don't think so. 

A New Walking Video, plus some bonuses...

This was last Friday, although I wish I had footage from therapy today - there are good days, and bad days, and today was definitely a good day. Sometimes, the spasms and stiffness in my legs and hips are too stubborn to resemble anything close to a smooth gait, and occasionally, like today, they cooperate and I can use the spasms and tone to my advantage. For now, check out this stroll through the gym, and I'll try to get some more footage soon.

                                                                                    
Now, bonus video:

Skyliners Paris trailer from sebastien montaz-rosset on Vimeo.
Soon, I'll be doing this. On second thought...

Mackenzie in 20 years. (On the left, not the right.)

Squished! "Mom, whatever you do, don't break wind!"

Awwwwwwwwwwww....

Humans tricking animals, especially in costume form, never fails to amuse me.

Agreed.

You've got mail!

Jon Asleep

From the recent O'Loughlin family reunion...a few rum and cokes and Jon's out like a light.

Walking Last Week

Astute observers will notice something different between this latest video and previous videos I have posted. New wardrobe? Nope, same stylish clothes. Ability to levitate? Nah, gravity keeps dragging me down. Any more guesses? We flipped the walker around, so the blue bar is behind rather than in front of me. This subtle change actually makes a large improvement in my posture and my ability to lock my legs into extension and then initiate pulling them forward. (Compare to walking from May.) Without the bar in front, risk of epic faceplant increases, but my core is strong enough to balance and stay in position without it, so who needs that crappy little bar? Not this guy!

It is now easier for the trainers to assist my legs through the stepping motion; in trainer jargon, we've moved from "max assist" to "min-mod assist", so if you speak trainer, you'll know what that means. For those non-cultured English-only speakers, it means I am continuing to make progress, and that is all the motivation I need.

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On a related note, from the excellent Reeve Foundation research blog comes a post entitled "NRN Data: Activity-based Training=Functional Recovery". The research, done by the NeuroRecovery Network (NRN), a collaboration of 7 centers that offer activity-based rehab in a clinical environment, focuses on benefits from locomotor training to ASIA C and D patients (people with sensory and motor function below their level of injury. I'm technically ASIA A but (profanity-alert) f*** that, doctors don't know sh**, amiright?). Basically, this puts into published form what was already known: locomotor training (what I am doing) works and can help someone with an SCI regain function, sensation, and movement. Good enough for me.

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The 3rd annual CSCIR (my gym) golf outing is upcoming - August 22nd at Blythefield CC, 1pm shotgun start for all you golfers out there. Let me know and I can email you a form to sign up to play, or if you simply would like to support scholarships for those un- or under-insured who wish to walk again someday. Thanks and God Bless!

25 days 'til Big Blue kicks off! Can't wait!

A Series of Beautiful Short Films

I came across these videos on a friend's Facebook page, and thought they were great. Beautifully shot,
and able to demonstrate their mission with only footage, editing and music.
The description under each video on Vimeo said: 3 guys, 44 days, 11 countries, 18 flights, 38 thousand miles, an exploding volcano, 2 cameras and almost a terabyte of footage... all to turn 3 ambitious linear concepts based on movement, learning and food ....into 3 beautiful and hopefully compelling short films.....

Which is your favorite?


Eat.

EAT from Rick Mereki on Vimeo.


Learn.

LEARN from Rick Mereki on Vimeo.


Move.

MOVE from Rick Mereki on Vimeo.