“Of all the seasons, autumn offers the most to man and requires the least of him.”
Some days just don’t have a chance. Today is already one of them. I woke up with my back hurting, something which hasn’t happened in a while. I know why. Yesterday I was an idiot. I changed the litter boxes and hauled the heavy, used litter downstairs then to the car. I brought laundry up two flights. I went shopping and brought in several bags including new litter which I then hauled upstairs. I gave my back no thought. This morning I was reminded.
Now for today’s fiascos: I was putting on my sweatshirt and my arm knocked over the bag of dog treats. I picked up the treats and swept the small pieces. I decided to take a few Aleve’s for my back. I dropped the bottle on the floor and had to stoop to pick up the pills which were strewn across the bathroom floor. I went to change the water in the dog dish and found one of the cats had thrown up in it. At least her aim was good. I got my coffee and was walking down the hall juggling the cup with the mail and the newspapers. Yup, I spilled the coffee but not all of it, a good omen I figured. I cleaned it up and was finally able to sit and read the papers. There was no good news.
It rained all night. The fallen leaves are plastered to the deck, the walkway and the driveway. From the right viewpoint, they look like a painting of reds and yellows scattered here and there on the canvas. It is warm and the sun has just appeared. I am becoming optimistic, even rosy, about the prospects of the rest of the day.
I had plans for today, but they are now scrapped. The dump will be there tomorrow. Low lights will hide the dust on the bookcases and the shelves. I’m thinking I need a sloth day, maybe even a ride to nowhere.
The last three days have been filled with chores and errands, with me making up for lost time from being sick. I’m done with that. I’m going to brush my teeth which is about as strenuous an activity as I’ll have today.
Explore posts in the same categories: MusingsTags: hurting back, idiot, kitty litter, Laundry, painting, plans, rain
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October 29, 2015 at 12:20 pm
Lions at Wembley, Spurs at WHL, The World goes Pop at The Tate Modern, ABC at Drury Lane, Gravetye Manor, Sunday Times, Waitrose, Fred Perry store, and lots and lots of ordinary stuff. Its wheels up for Mrs MDH and me and……
October 29, 2015 at 12:38 pm
My Dear Hedley,
I am sending you and Mrs. MDH well wishes for a pleasant flight and a wonderful time. May the Lions be triumphant and all your relatives burst with happiness at your return.
Perfect posting!!!
We will miss you!
October 29, 2015 at 2:10 pm
An old German Beat Club TV recording 🙂 Psychedelic effects replaced the blue screen, very progressive for old-fashioned German TV and highly controversial back then. The rebellious young beatniks are old now and we celebrated Beat Club’s 50th birthday recently.
Hedley, have a great time and rock old Europe!
October 29, 2015 at 4:29 pm
Birgit,
“The rebellious young beatniks are old now” is so very true!!
October 29, 2015 at 1:53 pm
I haven’ had one of those days in quite a while now thankfully. I’m in no hurry to have another one either 🙂 I hope the rest of the day goes wll for You.
Frost this morning and I think it was a nice day, didn’t look out of any window at work today more than for a few seconds at lunch time and it looked nice then 🙂
I think it’s a good idea to skip what You had planned, it could never go well with a start like that 🙂
Have a great day anyway 🙂
Christer.
October 29, 2015 at 4:31 pm
Christer,
Luckily the afternoon quieted down. I took some pills for my back and slept a couple of hours.
It was so warm today it was almost balmy. It will get colder by the weekend.
I did nothing of ay substance today. I do have a few things to do tomorrow, and we have to go to the dump. The trunk is full.
Enjoy your evening!
October 30, 2015 at 12:17 am
Wow. I can hurt without having to go thru the intermediate step of idiocy … yeah, I’m that good. Those times when idiocy is included in the mix are just that much more ‘special.’
Ever since my freshman year in ’62 when I was in a mandated PhysEd class (I hate PhysEd), I’ve had intermittent back pain. ‘Why is that?,’ you ask. Well, lemme tell ya: I was on the trampoline bouncing up and down and not worrying about much while I waited for the hour to be up so I could get into my regular clothes again. While I was doing that, ‘Coach’ walked by, looked at what I was doing, and said ‘Ya need t’ keep your back stiff when y’ drop!’ and walked out with his PhysEd buds.
Okay. I figured he, being all ‘Coach’ ‘n stuff, knew more about this than mere me. My very next drop was done with a stiff back. Oh holy crap! I pitched forward and – more because of luck than sense – found my head inches from the trampoline frame and wedged between the wires. ‘Coach’ – of course – was nowhere to be found.
When I hit, I heard a ‘Skkkkkrrrzzzznkkchhhhh!’ bone-on-bone sound coming from somewhere in my back – prolly in the T-vertebral area. Ever since then I can count on at least one – usually more – event during a given year that puts me down for the count for at least two, usually three, days. I’ve found the only thing that even starts to help with the inflammation, and, by extension, pain, is Celebrex 200mg. The only ‘cure,’ tho’, is waiting for the muscle to un-knot … sometimes it’s quick, most times it’s not.
I still try to keep to my every-other-day workout routine. When the Fitness Center had dedicated machines to work specific muscle groups, it was fantastic. Then the property was sold, and the new company took those away and replaced ’em with free weights, ellipticals, steppers, and treadmills. That kept me away from the Center for about 2.5 years. I hate free weights ‘cuz it’s just too easy to hurt yourself with ’em. I’ve since re-started my workout – using free weights – and just do it quite slowly and methodically. The other day I smashed a finger ‘cuz I wasn’t watching when I replaced the weight in the rack. Instant pain is usually a good reminder to be careful.
I’ll work out again tomorrow … it’s about 45 minutes of intensive workout with very few pauses, and when it’s done I feel better even tho’ I’m sweatin’ heavy. Hey, it’s hard work stayin’ cute when you’re 71 … so far, I’m ahead of the power curve – and I’m not takin’ a dirt nap yet, either.
October 30, 2015 at 11:09 am
Richard,
I used to walk 8 miles a day-back and forth to work. Now I walk to my neighbor’s house, and my back starts hurting, but I have learned the perfect technique. I stop for a bit then walk again. It takes longer to get anywhere but at least I’m moving. I do the same thing when I’m changing my bed. I take a tiny break then finish the task.
My back injury dates to when the lip on my step broke, and I went down. My back hit the step part where the lip once was. Then over time my back got arthritic. Despite a shot and three surgeries I still have back trouble.
During the summer I carried a part of my fountain to the deck. It was so heavy I had to keep stopping. I was an idiot for carrying that. My back hurt all the time for weeks. I’d even wake myself up groaning. When the daily pain finally went away, I was delighted and far more careful with my back.
I keep forgetting I am not 25 or 30 or even 40 any more. What I used to do I can’t do any more. I am a 68 year old woman with a bad back who was told by her physical therapist to lift nothing heavier than a telephone book. That presented a conundrum. Today’s thin book or the books of thirty years ago? I went with the old book. I’m probably wrong.