Good luck Sean!

sj, I really like the not just foam rollers--I don't know the brand but they're...bumpy? My roommate got one that's orange and its amazing but painful.

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Found it--this one (without DVD)

[link]

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I have that one, and I feel like it's Foam Roller PhD. That shit can HURT, because it's basically knobby foam wrapped around a PVC pipe. (I love it, but my muscles are jerks.)

I think anyone's first foam roller should just be a regular foam roller like the kind you can get in the sports section at Target. Like this: [link] That way you get some idea of what they feel like. They're like Foam Roller 101. I think jumping right to Foam Roller PhD with the knobby PVC one might be too intense.

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Good Luck, Sean!

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sj, i got the super generic white full round like the PT offices always have....like this and it works great. Well, it hurts like a mofo, but like it's supposed to. Had it for more than 10 years now and with only me using it still hasn't started squishing down.

eta: and super duper interview ~ma for Sean!

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Good Luck Sean!

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Good luck Sean!! (Well, it might be too late, but, just getting back from lunch). Hope it went as well as I imagine it would.

Omnis, I know that you're concerned about the payment, but I'm concerned given the age and existing problems with your current car that you may put all the money into your existing car and end up with an even more serious and expensive problem within the next year. Is there any way to finance a bit longer maybe? Or get a different type of car?

Thanks for the concern Pix. In all honesty, the car is fine. It's showing it's age with (now) 2 bad seals. They just happen to be in rather inconvienet places, which is why they are so pricey to fix. The car is in very good mechanical condition, and I have full faith in it. I spent the weekend at work, hitting "play" on a loooong and boring dance show, and stewing, and trying to convince myself to buy a new car. I want another Prius, in order to keep the good mileage. Anything less expensive, and I'm paying more in gas, which isn't saving me all that much. And if I go cheaper car than what I was looking at, who knows what I'm buying. I'd rather follow the lessons learned in "The Prince". Better to keep the car and problems you know, then get another old one, and have to learn it's problems, which may be worse.

The frustration peaked yesterday, when doing the math. While I feel like I'm rolling in the dough, since this job pays enough that I have a couple hundred bucks a month for spending/saving/fun stuff. Unlike my past jobs, where I was on a very tight budget. But then when I added a car payment in the mix, I quickly saw how rich I was not. It made me very sad, mad, pissed, frustrated, grumpy. So I could vacate my savings for the car, to have affordable payments, or have $20/mo in spending money. Neither option thrilled me for something that wasn't dire.

The current car has easily another 75k miles in it. I'd rather spend the time saving money, and drive it into the ground, rather than jump to a new(er) shiny and be cash poor.

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Thanks for the recommendations, everyone. I wanted to ask here before I bought one, because I saw some reviews of ones that fell apart after a couple uses, and I don't want little pieces of foam all over my living room.

I used my crutches at the farmer's market today, which I don't usually do because I have trouble carrying my purchases and walking with crutches at the same time, but I fell last week because I couldn't keep my balance with my lower back hurting that badly. Big mistake. I had everyone asking me what happened, what I have, and then a bunch of bullshit about how brave I am and how well I do.

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Retroactive interview~ma, Sean!

omnis, my feeling with cars is usually, better the devil you know! If it isn't costing more in repairs than a car payment would, and it's not so unreliable you fear it stranding you, keeping the one you have is probably going to be financially better. Although I like my little hatchback a lot more than I liked the small sedan I had before, sometimes I regret buying a new new car; my old one ran well, and geez, cars cost a lot of money!

sj, I hope you feel better soon.

I am Strix w.r.t. bra straps.

ION, there might have been a little too much garlic in my dinner.

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and then a bunch of bullshit about how brave I am and how well I do.

That one always puzzles me too. And the "you are so lucky you only have x instead of y". How is it brave to just do what ya gotta do to make it in the world? and how is it lucky to have anything bad? I would say less bad luck, but not so far as to say good luck. People are weird. I suppose both of those are better than the scout master (not mine) on a Jamboree. Asked why I was on the crutches. When I said MD, his response was "oh, I guess that means you are going to die soon. Sorry to hear that" and went on his merry way. Um. No. There are 40 different types of MD, and not all are killers. And WTF are you saying that to a kid for?!?!

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Able body people are weird.

omnis, my feeling with cars is usually, better the devil you know! If it isn't costing more in repairs than a car payment would, and it's not so unreliable you fear it stranding you, keeping the one you have is probably going to be financially better.

I didn't do the a/c repair, because it's CA, and I park in garages 95% of the time. So I ignored that one. Aside from this (costly) repair, usually, it's the typical $40-60 every 10,000 miles. Maybe upto $100. Nothing compared to a car payment. And yes, the financial decision is what I went with. Emotional almost won. And yesterday was a very pouting day. But eh. I'm (mostly) over it now. I love Midori (my cars name). She's done me well. And I expect she will for another few years.

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