When I was younger, I loved to be barefoot when outside… but broken glass and trash made me less enthusiastic about doing it. In my teens, I would take jogs around my neighborhood on the sidewalk/asphalt without any shoes on because it “felt” better and more efficient…. meaning that it felt like I could run faster and with less energy. Nowadays, I don’t run so much… various medical/health issues prevent me from doing too much out in this Florida heat. However, when I first heard about Vibram’s new FiveFinger shoes, it was like a dream come true.

I must say… these are NOT the type of shoe that you should buy without trying them on first. As you can see, they look like feet… so if your feet don’t fall into their template, they can be rather uncomfortable. Also, the sizing is not always the same. For example, my measurements put me in the men’s 42 size, but the 43 fit & felt better.

After the first day of wearing the shoes, I noticed that my right, pinky toe hurt from wearing the shoes. Apparently, it seems that my pinky toes are a bit longer than the template of the shoes, but there are velcro straps on the back that I’ve learned to adjust to allow for a better fit. As I can’t wear these to work, I can’t wear them ALL the time, so I can’t tell if they have had any positive effects on my lower back pain…. so that may take some time to find out. However, when I wear these to walk down to the mailbox, I notice that I feel more balanced and… like when I was barefoot… I seemed to walk faster with less energy.

The razor-sliced traction on the soles really do give so better grip on wet, slippery surfaces…. but, just as it you were barefoot, you WILL notice that tiny rock that just hit you in your instep. ;o)

I plan on getting another pair (black “Classics”) for just indoor use… like at a gym or exercising at home or something… at least, until I decide to get a third pair. hehehe

Do they feel funky? Sure… if you’ve worn regular shoes for most of your life, it’s going to take some getting used to. Are they hard to put on? The first few times, yes. Again, it’s a new experience, so it will take a few times before your brain and feet “figure it out”.

Overall, I am EXTREMELY satisfied with the Vibram FiveFingers. They are as close to being barefoot as you can get…. they are stylish… they are conversation starters (not something I particularly enjoy)… they are great for all sorts of weather and activities… and they won’t break “most” pocketbooks. (@ $80)

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Website: www.vibramfivefingers.com
Style: Sprint
Color: Khaki/Putty with Clay sole
Where Purchased: Fit 2 Run (Int’l Mall, Tampa FL)
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Anyhow, the other day, my wife had a client come to get their haircut and turned out that they had worked with neurological disorders. The discuss turned towards me and how I tend to shake went trying to do fine-motor skills.

• Flashback… I had already asked my regular Dr about the possibilities of having Parkinson’s, but that was pretty much ruled out as I don’t shake all the time or during regular tasks (like drinking a glass of water).

Well, turns out that after just a brief discussion, it may be that I have something known as Essential Tremor Syndrome. This person recommended a doctor that works out of USF’s College of Medicine that I will probably be going to see sometime soon.

I’ve been dealing with these tremors for the past 15 years or so, but never thought much of it. I noticed it mostly when practicing sharp-shooting when I thought I wanted to work for law enforcement (had already taken a pre-test and passed with flying colors). Having tremors when trying to focus on sniping put a REAL hamper on this prospect, so I gave up the dream to work for the law.

Over the years, the tremors would creep up whenever I was working with small things… actually, I just remembered something… I must have had these tremors even earlier than I thought as I remember friends asking why my hands shook when playing the piano. I would just say that I must be nervous (but I wasn’t) and leave it at that. hmm… interesting.

…oh well…

I posted a message on twitter about this (my tweets feed to my Facebook) about the experience my wife had and two friends from High School chimed in… one saying that he also suffered from ET and another sent me a link to the USF webpage (I didn’t know that was the same place Miranda was told about until later). I checked to see if they were covered by my insurance and it looks like they ARE.

My wife is always looking out for me. I’m so lucky to have found someone who cares enough about me to notice my “differences” and helps me to try and get them treated. Without her, I’m certain that I would be alone for the rest of my life… mostly because of my desire to stay home and not be around people because of my quirks.

oh… remember how I mentioned playing “Boom Blox” at the top of this post? Well, it’s REALLY aggravating for me because it deals with aiming the Wii-remote at tiny little blocks on the screen…. something that someone like myself has trouble doing to begin with! LOL

Cheers!

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I’m talking about LASER GRAFFITI!

It’s nothing new, but I thought I’d look into it a bit more to see about doing it myself… the only thing I’m lacking now is a projector.

Here’s what I’m talking about from the folks over at MAKEzine.com: LINK

I’ve already been drawing on my walls, but it’s just not the same as drawing on an entire building!

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What some don’t realize is that many college & university professors are catching on too… they are recording their classes for students to use throughout the year. Good news is that many of these recordings are being put online for free downloads.

I”ve found a few on my own, but here is a website that put together a comprehensive list of 130+ FREE academic podcasts for your learning pleasure: LINK

If you copy the URL on the linked webpage and in iTunes click on Advanced > Subscribe to Podcast it will automatically download the lectures and new ones as they become available.

Cheers!

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