Travel, Physical Therapy and Mystery

First, let me start by saying I was traveling last week.  My husband and I went to visit our grandkids, then headed to New York for an annual event where we get to see some really great entertainment.  This year we saw Steve Martin and Martin Short doing standup comedy together and separately at lunchtime, and then were entertained by Alicia Keys in the afternoon.  Even better for me was that I got to spend some time with my Harlequin editor the day before. 

Now to the other thing on my mind: PT and mystery. 

I have a pinched nerve under my left shoulder.  It's improved significantly now, but initially it was painful.  I've gone to several doctors as well as a chiropractor, and I'm still attending physical therapy.   

One of its symptoms was the limitation of movement in the fingers in my left hand.  The physical therapist worked with my left side, including my shoulder and my arm, as well as providing exercises so I could work on the problems at home. She also gave me other exercises to improve the mobility in my left hand. 

While I was there the last time, she had me exercise those fingers by pinching edges into some putty, then pick up some pennies from a table and turn them over and over. 

Okay, I'm a mystery writer.  For my hand issue, I laughed when I was done with the exercise, saying it's a good thing she's honest (I hope) since she could potentially get some of my fingerprints from the putty.   

 

And then there were those pennies.  I write Superstition Mysteries and seed the floor at venues where I speak with some lucky heads-up pennies!  But turning them over and over, including heads down, seemed potentially unlucky to me. 

Yes, I told the therapist all this.  Perhaps she thinks me nuts.  But I'm heading there this afternoon, so we'll see.

By the way, the entertainment at the other lunch venues for the event I attended included Lady Gaga with Tony Bennett, and Michael Bublé.  I couldn't have gone wrong!