A Great Day to Work from Home

Traffic is inching along outside our door. Our street is not usually a main thoroughfare, but today President Obama is in town and attending a fundraiser in a neighborhood not far from ours. I guess for security reasons, the road closures weren't announced, and now hundreds, probably thousands of people are trying to drive home, either forcibly detoured, or ducking down smaller streets in hopes of sidestepping the snarl. Such hopes would be in vain however, as every path is bumper to bumper. After spending an hour trying to move the two blocks remaining to our house, our roommate finally gave up parked, and walked the distance.

Worse than being in bad traffic jam I think, is being in a traffic jam and lost, so that when you finally get an opportunity to move or turn, there is the chance you could add more hours by choosing the wrong direction. Giving up any thoughts of an evening trip to the gym, I took a walk to the drugstore. Several people called out to ask if I knew of any way out of the neighborhood--sadly, I did not, since I don't know what streets are closed. One woman called, "Excuse me, can you tell me what street I'm on?" I outlined the grid of main streets around us, then returned to my nice quiet house.

Another reason it's a good day to be working from home, is that I am feeling not the greatest. My brother likes to go to San Gabriel--a Chinese enclave--for their cheap massages, and last night I decided to tag along. The large front room of a Chinese massage establishment has twenty or thirty reclining chairs, where you can relax and have a foot massage. Full body massages are set up in the back, a row of tables sectioned off by curtains. Not a spa situation, but for 25 bucks plus tip, private enough. As I settled in for my massage, I could hear my brother giving me advice through the curtain, "Is it deep enough? You can tell her if it's not hard enough." Apparently my masseuse could hear as well, because it was a DEEP massage. At one point I said she might go a bit lighter, but I'm not sure she heard me. I decided to breathe and endure, that despite the pain it was probably good for me. This morning I woke, looked at my back and found it streaks of bruises. I also felt headachy and tired and maybe a little feverish. I know this can all be attributed to toxins being released. Which I buy, at least in theory, but I just feel beat up. If someone gives you a black eye, is that releasing toxins?

But because I work at home on Mondays, I was able to take two forty minute naps...just not on my back.