Friday March 25

Today is Good Friday.

Some time I am off, others it is my family in Italy...

They  mistakenly told me by email that Chicco is going to  have his birthday soon..

In reality it is not Chicco, rather it is our youngest son Lapo.  He is an April fool boy. 

Oh well when you are not paying attention to things.. It is accepted to confuse things around from them that are thus far away and removed  from our daily struggle...

I myself have confused things but I have a brain injury.. this is the  truth and the current situation.

Yesterday I went to the gym and had a good time.

It was my time of having Zumba with Caroline. Afterward I had  cycle with Cassie..Her grandma is  taking care of the house.

She is motivating the class in focusing the mind to our effort of the moment, she is telling us to review what we can do better and to ask ourselves what can be improved for the next time.

I forgot my water bottle at the gym... I will be there the next time I am being  there. 

I am feeling well after the gym.

In the morning I went to get the newspaper at the park

I enjoyed my walk at the park.

It is a warm day. 

I had the money for the newspaper, yet today the paper was on the top of the Kiosk.

I took it and I  returned the money at the apartment.

It is a matter of Integrity, honesty and fairness.

The roses at the apartment are getting there.

Beautiful flowers 

I had my good coffee today

Together with my good breakfast.

I am having breakfast early in the morning.. as I am waking up at 6am everyday.. does not matter to me what day of the week it is.

Today the boys are busy

Our youngest Lapo is going to the Acquarium of Long Beach with his best friend Kevon, Kevon's sister Daria. 

Kevon's parents are Rashdi and Ali. They are good friends of our family.

Ali is working at Caltech like Simona my wife.

Our eldest Chicco is doing his homework in the morning and later in the afternoon is going to play Tennis.

Anna is taking care of the boys as Simona is  at Caltech.

Lunch today a really good egg-salad sandwich.

I got some soda, tasted but I did not drink it. I lost the taste for it.

Afterward I took a picture with the Easter Bunny. We had fun taking a picture today.

I see that I have a few pounds to shed from my stomach.

For sure it is the pose in this picture.

Enjoy reading this page

Sincerely

Giuseppe

Thursday March 24

Yesterday I went as usual to the gym among the  people of the community.

I like to be there. However I am not a  normal person in the classical sense..

You see I typically  snap pictures wherever I go.

More importantly I have a bunch of gear implanted in my brain, tubes going from my head around my ear and discharging the extra fluid of my brain into my stomach.
This keeps the pressure in my brain steady, it is called hydrocephalus condition...

I also have a tracheotomy scar on my neck.. you can see on the picture below.

I have a feeding tube scar on my stomach where I had once my feeding tube.

I have other scars around, on my hand..

How to forget about all this matter... when I am constantly remained who I am and why I am here at CNS.

Whenever I take a shower and dry my hair I can see the gear on the brain by myself. How to forget.. how to remove this chip from my shoulder... every day every instance every time..People around me that know me well are acting as if it was not there. I appreciate this approach. It is refreshing for me.


Four years is a long time to get thinking about your own conditions...I lost a lot of things..perhaps I am not the only one that feels this way..

The gym. Cycle with Cassie extending my legs. She pushes the class: she is telling us to focus on what we have been doing and how to push ourselves a bit harder next time we are there.

It is a matter of Conviction, Strength and wiliness she says.

Afterward  I had body pump with Sylvia.

Staying light, focusing on repetition and precision of movement. It is all I can expect from my body.

I am not loading myself beyond my  limits... "Nosce te  Ispsum"

I remember once I got carried away and loaded my body too much. 

As a result I strained my back.. I was in pain for quite some time.

 Right now every time I use my back muscle I  pay attention to my movement.

In fact I have learnt to protect my body. 

At the gym Pete, his wife Michelle, Delia, Marnita, Jim, Liz and all the nice people of the community at the gym.

I had a good work out of course.

They all see how bad  I am walking, they all see all the gear that is coming out of  my neck on my right hand side and in my head.. they all know how far I am from being a normal  individual.

Because I am not a normal person, I feel and see all these gears in my head by myself.

I am a brain injury survivor,,. it is perhaps something equivalent to be a cancer survivor.

It is a survivor feeling nevertheless..

Well you see every single instant of time at CNS I am reminded of this. 

It is as if at the hospital the doctors would walk around with a T-shirt saying "You all had a disease.. perhaps it is cancer"

How would you  feel about it? How would you feel about this hospital?

I would feel that it is  trying too hard to sell and to self advertise.

Anyway yesterday I cooked by myself.

 I prepared corn on the cob in the mircowave.

Afterward I seared the chicken on the hot pan

After searing the chicken  I cooked it in the oven.

I seasoned it with salt, peppers, and oregano.

 I went downstairs to get rosemary from the CNS garden at the apartment.

I added the Russel potatoes  that I cut into small cubes. 

I seasoned everything  and cooked properly in the oven.

It is all well, cooking light and healthy.

Like the doctor Newbro said yesterday my cholesterol is as low as  the one of a young boys and  yes I like to eat healthy and well.

I do not eat nor drink any food I consider bad or junk food.

I eat plenty of vegetable, some white meat mostly chicken. 

Right now I do not buy any read meat. 

 I  am eating a lot of fish, I  love Tilapia indeed. It comes really healthy and tasty in the oven seasoned with capers, peppers and bread crumbs.

I use a lot of Olive oil in my food.

Whenever I purchase a new food I am looking at the nutrition information.

I am eating different nutrient, a lot of colorful veggie.

I enjoy cooking hence  I am always cooking for myself. 

Yesterday evening the boys were busy with piano lesson with Liz.

These are the pictures of the flowers at the apartment.

Imagine what you can do with a real DSRL camera. Perhaps a camera that has wifi connectivity.

Nowadays it is needed to link with you cell phone and it is used to upload the pictures one is taking with the camera... Actually I found that Sony has this product.

Imagine what this technology would like. ..

Oh well yes,, but imagine would you would be able to do or how far you would be able to go with this technology. It is a very interesting product

Lapo is at home. He is working on a research project with Anna.

They are working on the Western Tanager bird

it is a well articulated research project. He is working on a subject every day. At the end it will be about a ten pages long project.

I found a useful link at this website.

Anna mentioned that Chicco worked on a similar project as well. He had a subject a king snake.

Today the newspaper was the old one.. or at least it appeared to me on the front of the machine.

I returned the money at the reception to miss Mary

I have been paid today.

The usual $75 for grocery and $24 for outing.

I had a good lunch today. I brought the left over chicken, Russel potatoes and corn.

I had a serving of vitamin C as I had a couple of Kiwis.

Amanda let me have a small amount of coconut oil and I put it on my lips.

I feel it dry on the side.

By the way,  the celebration of S. Joseph is past.It was the 19 of march.

Thus far I did not receive any card nor any email from my Italian family.

My sister Isabella received my birthday card yet she was careful in making sure S. Joseph Onomastico had past without noticing.

Different temperament? Oh yes completely different attitude in life and with yourself.

Let's not start about this soar matter to me. I am surprise I am still wasting my time on it.

You cant's expect somebody to be somebody else,

In life by now I will be lowering my expectation with respect to them all.

After all ... enough said about it

Enjoy the reading

Sincerely

Giuseppe

Wednesday March 23

My sister Isabella just mentioned she has received my letter for her birthday.

I enjoyed sending her a Happy Birthday card I made by myself.


Yesterday evening I sent my family the following email

"Dear Chiccco, dear Lapo Amore mio, I am about to go to the gym. As I have time I just wanted to write you all. The boys are in Spring Break and  are busy at home with Anna.
She knows how to keep the two gentleman busy, particularly she knows how to organize  the family business while Simona is out at work
I had a good dinner already, I cooked a wonderfully good  brown rice and a great salad."



At the gym I did body pump with Ellie and later I had Zumba.

As Mike was out I had Zumba with Caroline. She normally is at the gym on Friday for Zumba toning.

At the gym I normally meet a lot of people I know from the community.
I met Rod- a general contractor from the apartment-Marnita, Debbie. I met a lady with her husband I do not remember her name. I also met her at church once. 

It is all well. Anyway I enjoy very much working out, no matter the activity.

I do a lot of cardio, especially cardio and a lot of repetition for my general wellness.


I do not load my body with too  much weight.

I do not have ambition of getting big, I like the way I am as I am feeling fit and healthy.

At the gym I greeted Marnita, Debbie, Rod and many others.

I was in  the middle of the Zumba and Diego came at the gym to let me know it was time to leave.


Today's newspaper front page is about the attacks in Belgium.

There have been a series of coordinated attacks. Many people have been killed and many people are mourning their loss.

As usual my morning has been filled with a nice walk at the park. The morning hours are still cooler 

At the apartment the roses are getting ready for the warm season.

I just saw my dr

He checked my blood test result.

Everything is well.

My cholesterol level is the one of a high school kids.

I had a good lunch. Breaded Tilapia wit capers. A small serving of brown rice. A healthy serving of fruit.

I brushed my teeth and then got ready for my phone calls.

I called back home in Verona. I talked with  my mom and my brother Francesco.

My mother is  well. She mentioned the following:  The  mail service delivered back her the Easter letter she had sent me beforehand. The postage was not enough for the US service.

It is good as she had the chance of correcting my apartment number before sending the letter to me one more time.

I will be receiving it in a week or so..

I also called Anna at home in La Canada.

She is taking care of the boys.

She is currently helping our youngest one -Lapo -with a project for school. 

He is enrolled in first grade.

As a project he has to make a feathered bird.

This is the bird I found on the web,

As Anna knew it ahead of time of the craft, she brought the useful material ahead of time from Rome. 

In Rome there are a lot of haberdashery shops  where you can buy any  useful and simple material  for home art craft.

Anna is always helping the family ahead of time. 

Simona is in charge of doing the office work for Lapo, Anna to work with Lapo on his art work.

Equal distribution of duties.

For Easter Simona mentioned I am going to La Canada for a home visit.

She is going to pick me up on Saturday in the afternoon. 

In the morning I  have the usual routine.

Cleaning the apartment, washing all my personal dress. I have also grocery shopping at Trader Joe's.

I most likely will go to the movie on a Friday as this outing has been consolidated with the one on a Saturday.

Before  you use to be able to decide to go either on Friday or on a Saturday.

We will see what happens this week.

Giuseppe

Tuesday March 22

Yesterday I came back to the apartment and cooked some good Tilapia.

I dressed it with bread crumbs, spices and capers.

I cooked it in a pan and let it browned a bit.

I sprinkled with lemon juice to flavor the Tilapia.

Later I went to  the gym.

It was obviously my Yoga day.

 Afterward I  did cycle with Lolita.

I am clearly  happy to be at the gym to work out  in the familiar place I  really like to be. 

I have to say there is a sense of satisfaction to be there.

At 7pm as always I was ready to leave the gym.. They were already waiting for me.

Lisa took me to the gym and then she came to drive me back to the apartment.

Our kids were busy. They had piano with Liz first and then at 4pm they went to do Taekwondo.

I am  following my memory book at my best, because I  have no real images to show you about their activity. 

Perhaps you  can check my entry and report back how many times you see the images of my family sent to me... I am lessening and waiting for your input.

Obviously my evening  goes along the normal procedures shower, night snack and meds were next.

By  930pm I am allowed to get my Ambient sleeping pill and go to bed. The nurse Delia is bringing the Ambient  to me and then I am going to bed.

At 6am I am up and running after a good night of sleep.

I would not be able to stay in bed more, my body is used to get up and get going.

Once I am leaving the sup come in the apartment to check it is everything as usual, it clicks on check in device in the sheet cupboard and then it goes another day. 

Today it is a nice breezy day at the apartment.

I walked around as every morning to do my morning laps .

The local roses are getting there. Look at the following picture. Isn't it beautiful..

At time I believe somebody next to me is like this person: simply nervous..perhaps overwhelmed 

Meditation is next

During Meditation with Matt we talked about the four frames of reference. 

You can also find this matter discussed at length at the following link 

1) Remain focused on the body in & of itself: in regard to itself

2) we  have the body and the feeling

3) mind: the mental quality of doing an ardent job

4) One trains oneself :"I will breadth in and out" sensitive to the whole breath.

One train itself calming bodily fabrication " how the mind interacts with the body"

The sense of awareness of the body is a body fabrication.

Simona was in her office at Caltech during lunch break. 

Right now  she does not have any lecture  as the school is in recess.

The boys were at home were Anna my mother in law is covering for Simona.

The boys had scrambled eggs,  bread and fruit.

I have not been doing much exercise today so I only had a salad with two pieces of fruits.

I am going to eat my fish tonight at the apartment before going to the gym. Anna recommended me to make it with a rice and some cherry tomatoes. It all sound good to me.

Right now my stomach it tight. 

Monday March 21 2016

Today is Monday and I just had an electrocardiogram at AAC. Melissa checked my heart.

My heart bits at 55 Hz.

This is consistent with the last one I had.

My heart has a slow pulse because of my excellent physical condition or so I believe to be.

The truth of the matter is that I am enjoying working out.

 I am doing a lot of cardio and like to be fit.

I have always enjoyed doing a lot of sport.

Cardio mostly.

At the apartment I have been organizing my space

The park near the apartment is really nice during this time of the year.

This morning I brought Palms at CNS.

I had it yesterday at Church.

Yesterday at church they reenacted the process to Jesus Christ and the time He was condemned.

At church I gave the whole $24 of my outing money as last weekend I did not go to the movie.

I met Nelson a former patient of CNS. He is doing fine. He asked me when I will go home.

The true of  the matter is that I  do not know. 

I have been at home all this time since I came at CNS more than 4 years ago.

Last  Saturday the usual cleaning activity of the weekend.

I washed all my personal clothes, changed the bed, cleaned the bathrobe.

First I had time to wash it all. Later I left the drier going and went to grocery shopping at Trader Joe's.

I spent $85.24.

I greeted  Andy. 

He mentioned that next week he turns 42 and her will not be at the store.

I purchased everything on my list. I got OJ for extra vitamin C.

I  purchased two quarters of milk as well. For my morning cappuccino.

As usual my Economist magazine arrived on time.

Once back I had time to put it all away. I  got all my items  that were drying in the laundry area.

In the afternoon I wrote to my family .

It is about the virtue of doing a good clean up.

In the afternoon I wwalked to the gym

I signed out from the apartment, at 1 pm walked to the gym by myself. 

Once there I called CNS to let them know I reached the gym. worked out  a bit. 

I walked back and at 3:30 I signed back in at the apartment.

My weight is 176.2lb

The distance is 3 miles  all by walking by myself.

Of course I am following the rules of the street.

Crossing with the green signal and walking on the side of the road.

Enjoying every single moment of it.

Of course after all the physical exercise  I  had  good carbs to refuel my body.

Pappardelle pasta with ham, basil and Parmesan cheese.

A great salad home made.

the roses are getting there

Can you spot the different shadow?

I am having a great time, the greatest time of my life.

Indeed I would put myself in such a wonderful setting to be simply  be able to enjoy.

This morning I have almost cut myself with throwing away the trash.

 It had what felt like as  a broken fluorescent tube in it...

Dear CNS let's understand that I care about my finger integrity perhaps more than your own trash.

At lunch I called my family. The boys are in Spring break and they were at home.

Obviously my mother in law Anna is with them to keep them busy.

my mother sent me from Italy the following picture.

 It is of Magnolia flower near my brother Francesco house.

My mother sent me as well this  picture of these orange tree.

In my own town in Verona they are using Pizza Bra to have an outdoor exposition of  orange trees.

Yesterday I wrote this thank you note to CNS. I left it at the reception at the apartment.

For whoever that would like to see it.

Enjoy the reading
Sincerely

March 18 Friday

I still had a lingering cough today, so I informed CNS that I intended to stay back

As I had the time I cleaned the whole apartment.

I checked out the refrigerator ad freezer to sort out the old food that needed to go.

I cleaned the food dispense to dispose of some old dry beans that I was not using.

I cleaned the apartment to make sure it gets ready for Spring time.

I washed the floor of the apartment after cleaning it with my broom. 

  

Before cleaning the apartment I prepared a healthy vegetable soup.

I used celery, carrots, potatoes, cooked corn. I used a bouillon cube I had available.

I have been writing two letters.

I wrote to my family in La Canada

I  have been writing to my mom in Italy

I sent them today in the mail.

Yesterday I was feeling better.

I went to the gym to do Zumba and the cycle with Britney

There has been a bug that went around.

I am getting over it.

Not 100% yet

Enjoy and thank you Jolanta

Sincerely

Giuseppe