Tyneil, Denise, and Bill broke me out of stir yesterday for a night on the town. We went to a Gasthaus for Wild Goulash (venison and wild boar, hence the photo)and a couple of Licher Dunkel Weizen. Heavens, those beers were tasty! And they really do taste better if you don't have any for a few days. I'll have to remember that. There's a small cafe here in the clinic for guests and visitors that serves coffee and cakes, but I asked (read begged, pleaded, sobbed like a baby) and they don't have beer. I suppose I could have someone sneak a couple in, the forbidden ones always seem to taste better too.

Not much therapy on Saturday, and none on Sunday, so I'm just killing time until the Ravens game starts. It doesn't seem like a very productive system to me, but the doctor and the therapists insist your body needs a break occasionally. I think it's just an excuse for them to have the weekend off.

My day starts at 0800 with a shot of anesthetic near the problem disc. In theory this is supposed to relieve the pain in my leg and allow a more productive therapy. In fact, all it does is turn my left leg to rubber. Those of you who have been to the Oktoberfest with me should have no trouble picturing how I walk for the next three hours. At 0850 I'm on a traction machine, followed by something called Dynamis at 0910. Dynamis is like electroshock therapy for your back. Basically, you lay on a three foot long wet paper towel that has a metal plate under it that sends an oscillating current up and down your spine. THIS IS SPINAL ZAP. I like this one.

At 1030 I have about 45 minutes of physical therapy followed by lunch, and then Hydrojet at 1230. I'm rather fond of this one, too. Actually, I'm fond of any therapy that involves laying on my back in a dark room with my eyes closed. The Hydrojet machine looks like a one person waterbed with no sheets. Unlike a waterbed, you lay on the bare membrane while jets inside the bed message your back muscles. Just like a real waterbed though, getting off the thing is a pain in the ass.

Jake is coming to take me out for a pizza, so that's it for today. Go Ravens!