Handling the "Restression"

Our current economic woes might be better called a "restresstion" than a recession. Going on for so long, it has certainly caused many people a lot of stress: financially, emotionally, and mentally which can all take a toll physically.

While certainly not the complete solution to managing stress, trying to maintain balance in your life can help stave off problems in the first place. A certain amount of stress is actually healthy (called eustress), distress on the other hand is most certainly unhealthy. So, let's turn to a positive note and "put it up to eleven". Instead of just a few of the various topics I cover each week, I'm going to try and hit all the categories and find ways to help you (or at least me) deal with stress.

The Competitor - I've seen guys get WAY too worked up watching their favorite football/ basketball/baseball/Calvin Ball/disco ball team lose. I mean seriously stressed out about it, way beyond healthy fun. What's a guy to do that loves, loves, loves watching sports? How about this? Try attending a local minor league or college game that really isn't all that important to you. For one thing, ticket and concession prices are usually a lot cheaper compared to major league tickets (less financial stress). It's less crowded (lower people pushing and shoving stress). To top it off, you can usually park close enough that you don't need to buy a plane ticket to get from your car to the arena/field. I remember years ago going to a Durham Bulls game when I lived in NC. It was one of the most fun sporting events I've ever been to. Close to the action, cheap beer, rowdy crowd, drunk women. Does it get any better?

"But why," you ask "would I want to go watch a team I don't care about?" Because it's fun, you still get to see the competition, and being a spectator when you aren't emotionally attached to the team is a whole other ball game (pun intended). And don't think that just because it's not a NCAA Div I, NFL, NBA, MLB, or NHL game that the level of play sucks or the athletes aren't "real competitors". Those folks practice just as much and have all their hearts into it - they just don't happen to have been quite as athletically blessed or as lucky.

________ (the topic formerly known as "Mr. Muscle" but I'm still working on a new title) - Almost goes without saying that exercise helps reduce stress, although the Mayo Clinic says it anyway. The exercise-induced release of endorphins provides you with a major natural high, boosting your mood and fighting off mild symptoms of depression. So if you've not exercised since that office picnic softball game back in '06, it's time to get back in the swing of things. But take it easy at first. As the legal industry has taught everyone even remotely associated with exercise to state "Consult your doctor before beginning any physical fitness program"...so you're supposed to make sure you're fit enough to get fit? Then the more sensible "Start slowly"...build into it. Nothing like the weekend warrior mentality to wind up hurt and so sore that you quit three days after starting because you can't move. Pick something you enjoy doing (duh), and give it a regular slot in your schedule.

Your Ride - Car problems? Fix it yourself and experience some eustress through the satisfaction of successful problem-solving. I picked up a used copy of Saturday Mechanic by Popular Mechanics for $1 at our local library book sale and already have a copy of the Chilton's manual for our minivan (the Chilton's manual for your particular car is a critical part of your tool set). While I'm pretty handy with respect to home repair, my auto mechanic skills are limited to tune-ups, oil changes, brake jobs and the like. However, I'm always willing to learn. Nothing like solving a problem by doing it yourself and saving money in the process.

Greenbacks - this is one of the areas where the restresstion has hit almost everyone the hardest (with the exception of those Wall St and banking execs). Scores of books have been written on this topic in the last few years alone, so I'm not exactly going to be able to provide profound financial and/or career insight and wisdom in a single paragraph. But as a way to provide stress-relief, think of three things you're thankful you are NOT. Such as "I'm thankful I'm not homeless. I'm thankful I'm not living under a repressive regime in a third-world country. I'm thankful I wasn't living in Haiti". It may seem hokey, but counting your blessings for the things you're not, is an amazing way to be thankful for the things you do have. Having trouble paying the bills is stressful, I know; I speak from experience during the course of this recession. But when we step back and think about money and career matters in the grand scheme of things, those problems are nothing compared to being attacked and your family massacred by machete-wielding mobs as happened in Nigeria this past week.

Toys - Want to have a crunchy-granola, New Age experience that is relaxing without being illegal, yet high-tech, at the same time? Check out the Wild Divine website, specifically their product called Journey to the Wild Divine - The Passage. I received this as a Christmas present several years ago and have come back to it time and again as a way to relax. In short, it's a computer game you play using biofeedback: Wearing sensors on your fingers, you meditate to control your breathing and heartbeat causing your energy level to rise or fall as required to move on to the next stage. While the storyline and some of the characters you meet are definitely a bit, no...a lot, New Age-y, the computer graphics are top notch and the original music pretty cool. Don't expect to complete "the journey" in one sitting or even to master the ability to control the your heartbeat the first time out. The meditation exercises become increasingly difficult as you move through the evocative landscape which I would compare to some idealized Tibetan monastery. Regardless, I always end a session feeling greatly relaxed and centered no matter how my day went.

Tasty Licks - No doubt you know by now - and if you don't what the hell is wrong with you? - that one of the best ways to create a relaxing environment is music. While one man's trash is another man's treasure, I think it's safe to say that most people will agree on what makes for relaxing music. At the same time I'm not suggesting you open up iTunes and download John Tesh's latest offering. Not always, but in general I find straight acoustic music over something with lyrics more relaxing as I'm not either consciously or subconsciously trying to sing along or figure out what the words are.

Assuming you have an iPod or other MP3 player, put together a "relax" playlist, turn off the TV, send the kids out to play, and forget about the world for a short time. Some of my favorite music for relaxing is baroque (Vivaldi, Mozart, Chopin, etc), some New Age Celtic stuff (John Doan and John Boswell), Sade, Enigma, classic blues and jazz like Ted Hawkins, Miles Davis and John Coltrane (NOT Kenny G...I had a bad experience with him one time while having an MRI done although I'm not sure I could ever have a good experience with Kenny G regardless of circumstances), and on and on. Chill out and stay cool daddy-o.

Arguing - No doubt at some point you've been frustrated by something going on locally, at the state or national level. You bitch and moan about it, saying "Somebody should do something about it!". Well, now's your chance. Send your elected leaders a letter. Get it off your mind! Even if nothing happens as a result of your actions, simply knowing you took action and spoke your mind is a great way to feel better about it. Here are the websites (and contact info) for The White House, The House of Representatives, The Senate, and a page having links for the main website for each of the 50 states, DC and US territories. And last but not least, a website to find and contact your mayor for many cities in the USA. Do your part as a citizen: speak your mind and remember to always exercise your right - and duty - to vote!

The Great Outdoors - Few things relieve stress like being out in nature (other than time in that "special time" with your woman!). At the end of a hard day or if you find yourself feeling overwhelmed, put everything aside, take a deep breath, and take a walk. Get outside. If it's raining, take an umbrella. A walk in the rain can be quite relaxing. If it's sunny...hell, no one needs encouragement to get out on a sunny day. If it's nighttime, look up at the stars and moon. Just get outside.

WWWD? -  Go out of your way to be nice. It'll make you feel good. Helping others is a great way to feel good and reduce stress, especially when they haven't asked for it. You've probably seen the bumper sticker "Commit Random Acts of Kindness"; what you might not have known is that there is a foundation behind it that is "...committed to spreading kindness..." Not a bad way to spend your life running an organization like that when you think about it.

Not that I prowl the streets Boy Scout like and look for old ladies to help across the street, but I do try and go out of my way to help a complete stranger if the opportunity presents itself. I can't say I get a rush out of it but it definitely put a spring in my step afterwards. One of my favorite chances to help someone occurred at the library down in Florida. An older gentleman had a flat tire and I changed it for him. He offered to pay me - which I refused. He then offered to buy me a case of beer - which I refused (reluctantly). He then asked for my name and address - which I gave him. A month or so later he sent me a very nice letter thanking me for helping him. I've kept that letter.

Black Socks and Flip-Flops - Embarrass your kids! My kids have gotten used to seeing me wear black socks and flip-flops - literally. Not that I'm some kind of fashionista or metrosexual, but I do like to look professional and pulled together for work which, on a daily basis, can be somewhat stressful especially if you haven't gotten to the cleaners to pick up your shirts. Thus sometimes when I get home, I really don't care to take off my dress socks simply to put on another pair so that I "match". I'm not going anywhere. It's my house and I'm the king dammit.

I've also gotten to the age where I really don't care if I look cool or whatever when I'm running out to the store to pick up milk or toilet paper or light bulbs. And after 16 years of marriage, it's not exactly like I'm looking to meet some hot babe in the grocery store. I find it incredibly relaxing to more-or-less throw on whatever I find laying around or hanging in the closet, especially if it's one of my favorite ratty old shirts or pair of jeans. What I want to know is where this guy got a pink Darth Vader helmet. This outfit is SO bad that's it's really cool. I particularly like the Hello Kitty touch. Finally, while North Korea is a whacked out country, ya gotta give props to Kim Jong-il for clearly not giving a shit about what anyone thinks of his sense of style or lack thereof.

 

Honeydew - I'll keep this one short (like the aforementioned dictator). End the personal shame and stress you feel each time you pull into your driveway. We're a week and a half away from the start of Spring for crying out loud! Make the commitment to go out this weekend and finally take down those outdoor Christmas lights.

The Wide World - It seems like many times in life it's the undiscovered spots (and not the "great ones" filled with tourists) which turned out really special and have stuck with me as places where all my cares have slipped away. It's probably because they are not only beautiful but quiet and unfettered by tramping feet of another busload of grey-hairs snapping pics or screaming, sticky kids. These special places can be natural or man-made, but they are places where you simply relax and escape. I've come across a few in my travels across the US, Europe and the South Pacific. In the Republic of Ireland's County Donegal, not far from my great-grandparents' village is The Poisoned Glen. Wild, empty and forbidding, the name itself conjures up magic. It was a cool, windswept July afternoon when I was there and encountered not another soul. I left physically tired from hiking the mountains, yet spiritually refreshed.

Taking things to the other extreme is Burp Castle in NYC. My wife and I chanced upon it about 15 years ago when wandering around the Village. Just down the street from the famed McSorley's, it seemed intriguing enough to venture in. A quiet and small place heavy with incense and signs indicating that whispering only, not talking, was allowed. Behind the bar stood a man dressed like Friar Tuck ready to take our beer order. A superb selection of Belgian ales, compelling murals on the walls, and an unusual atmosphere offered an escape from a busy day in the city. Like most of those special places we come across in our lives, it was a chance find; certainly not a destination.

Eye Candy -In keeping with the theme of restression relief, I've selected this comely hippy chick for your viewing pleasure to close out this peaceful sojourn.

Channeling Jim Morrison...

Trolling for stuff to write about takes time. Whether I'm surfing the web or staring at a blank wall thinking about the need to find something worth musing on, I start on the next week's blog about as soon as I hit "publish" on the one just completed. And I do this weekly. Why once a week? I contribute a portion of my blog to another website on a weekly basis and I need to have my blog updated for the folks who click on through to the other side (to paraphrase Jim Morrison). And...I don't want you to get bored. Although I know in advance I've got to get it done, somehow time seems to slip by way too quickly each week and I wind up scrambling to paste something together at the last minute. I dunno...I guess with three young boys this seems like a metaphor for my life. They keep us so busy that I never seem to have time to complete things before I have to move on to the next. Of course, there is the inevitable "speeding up" of our perception of time as we grow older. I recently heard an interview on NPR as to why this might be.

In the meantime this challenge raises the interesting question of why I do this when I get neither glory nor gold. I'm certainly not the ultimate purveyor of The Very Important Things Every Man Must Know (although it'd be nice). And at this point, my weekly readership is small (but growing as I've figured how to better inform the blogosphere and world that I'm here). I do, however, appreciate those that read (thanks to each and every one of you) and am amazed at those from the far-flung ends of the earth: so far I've had readers from every continent except for Africa and Antarctica. However, stepping into their shoes for a moment I realize that for them, I'M the one from a far-flung corner of the globe. With much in life, it's all a matter of perspective.

As I mentioned in a previous posting I'm going to try and direct to you to far wittier and more knowledgeable people if I can. Case in point, The Savage Truth, which usually has commentary on sports but on occasion Mr. Sheridan strays to other topics that are at least

tangentially connected to sports. I also happen to like The Swell Guy...not too far removed from what I'm trying to do here in The Balanced Guy.  The biggest challenge with trying to be "The Balanced Guy" is that I try and be "fair and balanced" in what I write about and how I write about it...within reason. There's a lot I hold back at times...maybe I should anonymously start a counter blog called "The Unbalanced Guy" where I can lay it out there. But I digress.

So back to why I do this. I read a lot and do a lot and am busy like the rest of you. So I figure I might as well share some of the interesting tidbits of life I come across and distill them down in a single serving once a week for you to partake. Think of me as the animal parent pre-digesting food and then regurgitating it for your consumption. Lovely visual.

I'll close this week's intro with a nod to my father who passed away 2 years ago today (March 3). I'm a bit biased but he was a stud. Two full athletic scholarships to college (lacrosse and soccer), fighter pilot, highly decorated Vietnam combat veteran, a solid father who was always there for us (although maybe not always the most communicative), and the most upstanding, honest and honorable man I've ever known. Here's to you Dad.

The Competitor - Click on the link above (or this one here) to get The Savage Truth about sports. Be warned: this ain't for the faint-hearted or those with delicate ears.

Mr. Muscle - You know, I've got to come up with a better name for this segment. "Mr. Muscle" just sounds way too much like a nickname some guy might have for his johnson. Either that or some late night/early morning infomercial product. By the way - I've seen this pic around the web a few times...this can't be frickin real...at least I hope not. I can't see how it's physiologically possible but if it is, this guy's a freak!

Tasty Licks - In honor of Oscar week (since when did this become a "week"? Almost like Super Bowl Week or the week between Christmas and New Year), and in honor of my home state, I'm selecting the most prominent movies set in New Jersey. A bit of clarification is in order. I tend to consider NJ my home state although I wasn't born here but I've lived here longer than any other one place...which is odd because I've actually lived about half my life south of the Mason-Dixon Line, but not the other half of my life north of it due to living overseas for a few years. Oddly enough, about 1/4 of NJ lies south of that aforementioned line. But I digress...again. So here's the list.

The Toxic Avenger (1984) - This has got to be one of the tops. Funny, funny, funny. Campy too. But why does Jersey always get such a bad name and associated with toxic waste? OK. We've got a lot of Superfund sites but they're concentrated in few towns, counties, ...ok fine...regions. However, the majority of the state is very pretty...really...sweah ta Gawd.

Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle (2004) -  Simply very funny and written by two guys from my high school. It's a bit geographically-challenged in that I'm pretty sure you wouldn't have to drive all the way from somewhere in North Jersey to Cherry Hill to find a White Castle. Neil Patrick Harris as a deranged version of himself is one of the highlights of the film. A good Saturday night watch - after the kids are in bed. According to the White Castle website, the closest one to me is in New Brunswick, aka Hub City, despite the movie situation of it being closed down. But it made for good cinema.

The Wedding Singer (1998) - Adam Sandler is pretty funny, although Happy Gilmore is his opus. Having come of age in NJ in the 1980's this movie is almost uncomfortably, painfully funny to watch with regard to the clothes and music.

A Beautiful Mind (2001) - The mostly (so I've heard) true story of John Nash, the brilliant mathematician from Princeton and his battle with mental illness. He actually lives not to far from me here in the Princeton area. If you've ever known someone who has suffered psychologically this can be an emotionally moving movie.

Clerks (1994) - Can't leave out this indie classic with Silent Bob.

Friday the 13th (1980) - One of THE classic teen slasher horror movies, one of the ones that started the genre. I remember the first time I watched it on HBO was a rainy night and we lived on a lake in North Jersey not to far from Greystone Park Psychiatric Hospital. Think I was scared? Nah...more like petrified.

Desperately Seeking Susan (1985) - If you graduated from high school in the mid 80's you probably saw this one on a date. Also one of Madonna's first flicks. It's time to order it from Netflix and watch it with your kids.

Big (1988) - Back when Tom Hanks was a younger man - pun intended.  While the whole movie doesn't take place in NJ, a good chunk of it does. The scene with Hanks telling Elizabeth Perkins that she can spend the night but he gets to be "on top" (the top bunk that is), is still funny 22 years later.


The Godfather Part III (1990) - Hard to go wrong with part of the peerless Godfather trilogy.

I've listed nine movies here. Yes I know there are a lot more set in Jersey (Jersey Girl, Wise Guys, The Wrestler, Paul Blart: Mall Cop, Cheaper By The Dozen (the 1950 version), and many others). However, that's why I supplied the link above to a list of movies set in the Garden State. Have at 'em. Yooz got a problem wit dat? Cause if yooz do, I know dis guy...

The Great Outdoors - A good knife. I'm always intrigued by the varied answers people give when posed the following question "If you were stranded on an island what is the one thing you'd want to have with you." Other than a satellite phone to call for help, some of the objects people choose perplex me, others I would give serious consideration to but in the end I always arrive back at the same answer - a knife. Not a butter knife, not a kitchen knife, not even a pocket knife (although useful). I'd want to have an honest-to-goodness survival knife. There's a reason it's called a "survival knife".  I'm not too sure I'd want to be stranded with someone who thinks an iPod is the one object they'd want to have. A water filter is a much better choice, but I can always boil water if need be. And while ideal in terms of providing solace, even a Bible is probably not the best choice in terms of helping you stay alive on a daily basis or if a bear is after you.

Why a knife? There's not much you can't do with a good knife in a pinch. Now it may be cheating a bit in terms of having only one object but on many survival knives the butt end unscrews to reveal a chamber containing a compass, waterproof matches, and fishing line and hooks. Furthermore, there is often a woodsaw crafted along the spine of the knife (the top edge) and the heavy butt can be used as a hammer. The exceptionally heavy blade of a survival knife is useful for prying and even chopping wood if need be.

Even in daily life a well-made, sharp knife is a pleasure to use, especially if you match the knife to your need. I carry a small French peasant's knife made by Opinel around in my front pocket at home and it's amazing how often it comes in handy for this and that. If I'm venturing out and about, I frequently have my Leatherman on my belt. This is one of the greatest all-around tools ever invented - better than a Swiss Army Knife, although it doesn't fit into a pocket quite as well. However a Swiss Army knife is a great starter for your children to learn to safely handle and use a knife. Just make sure you stick with either the Victorinox or Wenger brand; they are the original, licensed makers and there are a lot of cheap knock-offs.

So what's my point? (pun intended) A knife is about one of the handiest tools you can carry around. And while I don't recommend wearing a survival knife to work, a small Swiss Army or lock-blade knife is a terribly handy thing to keep in your desk or car. You never know when you'll be called upon to open up one of those pain-in-the-ass clam-shell packages or free yourself and co-workers from terrorists.

Eye Candy - I just like Kim Kardashian so I'll throw a gratuitous pic of her on here for good measure. Julia Mancuso too. What's not to like about Julia? Olympic gold (2006) and silver (2010) medalist and smokin' hot.

The Russian Alchemist

And away we go!

1. The Competitor - Sports
2. Mr. Muscle - Fitness and Health
3. Your Ride- Cars
4. Greenbacks - Career/Money/Finance
5. Toys - Gadgets (i.e. boys toys)
6. Tasty Licks- Music, Movies, Books and other Entertainment
7. Arguing - Politics
8. The Great Outdoors - hunting, camping, extreme sports
9. WWWD? (What Would Ward Do?...think about it, it'll come to you) - Family
10. Black Socks & Flip-Flops - Personal Appearance
11. Honeydew - Home Improvement/Tools
12. The Wide World - Travel/Vacation
13. Eye Candy

The Competitor - Unless you've been down in a well the last week-and-a-half you no doubt know the Olympics are shaping up to be an America blow-out in terms of the medals race. Still not a sure thing as Germany is only 3 medals behind us (26 to 23 as of this writing). Wondering if you've heard about the platinum medal now being awarded.  As far as news of the weird goes, Russia's Plushenko takes the cake as the whack job of the Games. (OK a total non sequitur here but this friggin' Blog editor keeps changing fonts on me as I type; I'll just correct it when I'm done. It's definitely a squirrely system). So back to that rascally Ruskie. You probably know by now that he bitched and moaned when he won the silver behind America's Evan Lysacek, claiming that because Lysacek didn't do a quad jump, he shouldn't have been awarded the Gold Medal. Never mind that Plushenko received notably lower scores in for his technical execution and artistry. So anyway, to take his life further into the odd (as if skating in a fake muscle suit and thong ain't strange enough) he's now bought himself a first-class, one-way ticket on the weird express by magically "transforming" his Silver Medal into a Platinum Medal, platinum being a more valuable metal than gold. This Russian Alchemist's website was showing it as such. However, when I visited the site while writing this, it appears to have been changed back to "normal". Can you say "sore loser"?

Mr.  Muscle - More than likely you've got antibacterial soap, antibacterial all-purpose cleaners, antibacterial hand sanitizers and who knows what else around your house. Heck, I even received a pair of antimicrobial SOCKS for Christmas this year. All well-in-good. However I've believed for years that this stuff is simply not healthy. Now I'm not a doctor or microbiologist or epidemiologist (I spelled that correctly the first try!), but I don't think it takes a rocket scientist or one of the previously-mentioned professions to realize that when you kill off 99.99% of the "bad bugs" with anti-bacterial products that the  0.01% left over are gonna be the really strong ones that only survive to make more bad bugs that aren't killed off so easily. A recent study backs me up. And it goes hand-in-hand with the folk wisdom that kids who play in the dirt are healthier than those that are too clean. Another study backs up this common-sense knowledge as well. 

Simply put: low-level exposure to germs encountered in daily life appear to help to build our immune systems. Try and stay too clean and sanitized and you run the risk of a weakened immune system trying to fend off super bugs created by using antibacterial products...exactly the opposite effect a hyper-clean person is trying to achieve. 

This effect is even reflected in our culture by the old image of the strapping farm kid contrasted with the weak, sickly rich kid. Prior to the modern era, when most people were raised on farms or out in the country allergies were almost unknown and considered to be a "rich person's disease". Even today, populations in industrialized countries suffer a higher incidence of allergies than those in developing nations.

While the choice is a personal one, we've taken to eliminating antibacterial products in our house. On the other hand, with three young boys in the house, the hyper-clean, don't-let-your-kids-play-in-the-dirt syndrome has never been an issue or even a battle we ever attempted to fight. Our challenge is kicking them outside and making sure they get away from the  screen, go out, and GET DIRTY. 

Greenbacks - If you're like me and most young boys growing up in the 1970's, you were a reader of comic books. Some of us were, and remain, collectors of them. I've still got my collection from when I was a kid and it includes some early-on pieces such as X-Men #26, and The Amazing Spider-Man #3 King Size Special. After the recent news of a near-mint condition copy of Action Comics #1 selling for $1 million, I wish my father had saved his comics from when he was a kid. Published in April 1938, it introduced the world to no less than Superman. And it's no wonder why it sold for a million bucks given what the franchise has been worth over the years not to mention the cultural icon the Man of Steel has become. So, if you've got those old comics lying around you can 1) dig them out of your parent's basement or attic and see if you've got a winner, or 2) dig them out of your parent's basement or attic and give them to me and I'll see if I now have a winner. Who knows? One of us might just be able to retire.

Tasty Licks -  We took the kids to see Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The  Lightning Thief this past Saturday. Definitely a fun Saturday afternoon movie especially if your kids have read the books.  A time-tested premise of a demi-god setting out on a challenge but with the added twist of being set in the modern-day USA.  The special effects are great (but then what CGI isn't good these days?) and the storyline moves along  nicely.

All I can say is  thank God the actress playing Annabeth, Alexandra Daddario, is over 18 (she's 23). It's not clear in the movie what her age is and I was starting to feel a bit odd checking out her curves. No need to worry though if you're wondering if the movie is appropriate for kids ..considering the last movie dealing with ancient Greeks that came out of Tinseltown: 300

Now if you've not seen 300, it's like a live-action comic book that is really gory, has lots of action, is generally pretty cool (if you're a guy) although there is the slightly uncomfortable and somewhat, no make that VERY,  homoerotic nature of a movie about sweaty muscular guys running around in leather diapers. Witness exhibit 1:

If if wasn't for  the smoking hot Lena Headey as Queen  Gorgo, 300 would have to go down on the list with The Village People and Adam Lambert.

The Great Outdoors - are not so great this week.  I don't know about you but I'll take 25 and snowing anytime over 37 and rainy. Ask and ye shall  receive - now they're calling for 12" or so of snow again for our area. Holy crap this weather sucks. However I know that  spring is not too far away at this point...

Honeydew - Do your kitchen chairs squeak and seem to shift underneath you when you sit in them? If you've got wooden chairs there's a good chance, especially if they're older, the glue in the joints has deteriorated. I've got this problem right now with our 30-year old kitchen set we inherited from my parents. Happily, there is a cheap, albeit time-consuming, way to fix it...assuming you've got the time and inclination. Many people would be surprised to learn that most all-wooden furniture has very few metal components, if any. The magic behind its strength is the joinery (the types of joints) and glue. I'm going to go through the repair process briefly. 

In order to fix this problem, the first thing you have to do is take the chair apart. So I set about taking the first of my five chairs apart. This is not that difficult if you have the proper tools and do it carefully. You'll need a deadblow hammer or a rubber mallet, spreaders/clamps and side pliers (there are sometimes a few finish nails here and there that need to be removed). Before you get started, take a careful look at the chair to figure out the best way to take it apart; some pieces will need to be disassembled before others. Additionally, examine all the joinery to ensure there are no metal fasteners. If there are, these will need to be removed prior to knocking the chair apart. Once examined and any metal out of the way, it's a simple matter to use your deadblow hammer or rubber mallet to knock the chair carefully apart. Oh yeah, make sure you label each piece FIRST, indicating which side it came from and the direction it was originally oriented. Mix pieces up and it may be nigh impossible to get your chair back together.

Next you'll have to remove or otherwise clean the old glue off each part. This can be accomplished in a number of ways. With an older piece of furniture it most likely has an animal-based glue and this can be softened using hot water.  Then scrape it off, taking care not to remove any of the wood. Doing so could cause the joint to not fit snugly when reassembling.  Modern glues may require a solvent of some kind, with acetone  or some other adhesive remover being the most commonly used (but be careful as these can damage the finish). I've found that it's a heck of a lot easier to get the old glue off the tenons (the "male" part) than out of the mortises (the "female" part). It just takes patience. There are just WAY too many sexual innuendos I could make at this point, but I'll let you come up with your own.

With the chair now in pieces and parts cleaned it's time to put it back together, assuming there are no broken or missing parts (repair and replacement is a whole other discussion). Just like when pulling the chair apart, think this step through, realizing that some pieces need to go back together before others. You'll need to use a yellow wood glue, my preference being Titebond III. An artist's paintbrush helps to spread the glue around both parts of each joint prior to reassembly. 

Then it's simply a matter of putting it back together one section at a time, clamping it well and letting that section dry for 24 hours before moving onto the next section if necessary. It'll take some time to completely fix a chair, especially if you're doing it in the evenings like I am. But I'm in no real rush and expect it to take me a month or two to disassemble, refinish, and then reassemble all the chairs since I'm doing them one at a time.