Wednesday, July 18, 2012

Heavy Weather


















Last week I wrenched my arm and shoulder lifting something heavy. I exacerbated the injury on Sunday by sailing (which always involves pulling hard on many ropes) and have suffered nearly a week of considerable pain that has kept me awake most nights despite the popping of handfuls of pain killers and anti - inflammatory medication. So today I took the day off with the intention of going to the doctor and finishing off the last of my work planning that was due today.

At one point during the day I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror - Old, overweight, limping (another long story) holding onto my sore shoulder and feeling somewhat worse for wear. It might be easy to bear if the Pohutakawas were blooming on a warm summer wind; but its rainy, wet, cold, my car failed its warrant of fitness (rust), my plannings late and my jeans don't fit anymore. Bugger is all can say at the moment - bugger, bugger, bugger. In fact I feel like shit.

But maybe I should take the advice of Christopher Robin who when talking to a completely different kind of Pooh said - "Promise me you'll always remember: You're braver than you believe, stronger than you seem and smarter than you think." ---- Maybe.
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3 comments:

Ben said...

Hi Alden,
It looks like you are suffering from a serious midwinter depression. I thought that only could happen to people, living in areas where it is dark during 3 months in winter.
So far you only have mechanical problems. Being over 60, that is good news, because they can be fixed and can be lived with. As an old saying goes: creaking wagons run the longest
Overweight: don’t start a diet, it will make you more depressed. Why don’t you pick up biking again like you did in the Netherlands. You make your own happiness drug (endorphin) and fat will disappear slowly, but certain.
Roman wisdom: Mens sana in corpore sano" : a healthy mind in a healthy body.
Reading your lousy sailing performance: An old sailor like you should know all the tricks. So it must be the teamwork. Why don’t you throw in a couple of teambuilding sessions in the harbour cafĂ© before sailing, about tactics, strategy etc. Even when it doesn’t work, it is still fun to do .
You have my sympathy, living myself in a country where there is summer only one week in July.

Alden Smith said...

Hi Ben, You are right about the mechanical problems. I need a knee replacement - a good mechanical fix. Having a 'wonky' knee restricts what I can do and at times I find that restricting.
"Creaking Wagons run the longest'? certainly hope so!
Yes I have given up on diets and are trying to embrace healthy eating and cutting down the portion size - we all know this is the best way to influence our weight, having the will power to resist the temptations is another story.
As for doing more exercise (biking) I think that is certainly a good idea and I will do that, as well as going to the pool and start the swimming again.
The sailing performance was both the skippers (me) and the the crews fault. I chose a job that was far too big for the conditions - the crew kept getting the jib sheets jambed on the winch drum by puttin too many turns on the drum too early - there is a trick to all of this and as they are relatively new to all this mistakes are inevitable (practise makes perfect).
You are right about the teambuilding sessions - we really do need to do this in regards to coming to terms with using the spinnaker.
Good to hear from you. :>)

Kate said...

I'm back looking at your blog... and what do I find?? That way back in July you ground to a blog-halt!? I do hope you're feeling better now that it's September and there's more sunshine and some lambs and flowers etc etc...

(Sings 'Sunshine and Lollipops..." in an effort to cheer him up)