Perpetual Ruminations

Thursday

I was doing so well, logging in and making an entry in here, daily. Even with little time, overworked and tired, I managed to make entries through the month, but yesterday I missed. It seems not a month goes by that I don't miss a day or more. But, for the first time in a long time, it wasn't work related.

I had three days off work this week, but had to spend the first half of the first day off advising and consulting a new guard. I could have just left him on his own, he's trained and tested, but eight hours of training and cramming for the test isn't enough to get a person ready to work alone. So, I have made it a habit of mine to go in and advise and consult them for their first shift. It's usually a shorter shift, and I always explain that I am not on the clock, not getting paid, and can't help out since I'm not covered under workers compensation. I also add, that as soon as they feel comfortable enough, they can let me know and I'll go home and enjoy the rest of my day. Not one ever has let me leave before they are done with that first shift. But, I don't mind, it's a bit of a hassle for sure, but a small investment to make. And, if they can then work solo, it means I have less work and more time off.

Tuesday, it ran over, and I ended up assisting the second person for a while, too. It was just one of them things, and by the time I finally got home, the day was half over, I was plenty tired, and in dire need of a nap. After I woke, it was a relaxing evening, a fire, and some time with Rhonda.

Wednesday then, was my first actual day off with no work. Again, i was able to share it with Rhonda, and we enjoyed the day. But, we had a lot of work around here to catch up on; the lawn was up at the top. Our grass was a foot or more tall in most places, and it needed to be mowed down. With rain forecast for today, it only made sense to cut the grass yesterday. Day off or not, it needed to be done.

So, we enjoyed a nice morning, sleeping in some, coffee, and just relaxing. Then, it was a trip into town to pick up a new blade for the rider. I ended up getting two blades, one for bagging and one for mulching. Then, since it was a day off and our first day off together in months, I took my beloved out for brunch.

Once home, we serviced the mowers and put a new blade on the rider. Then we set out to cut down the overgrowth we called a lawn. I knew it would be slow going, being so tall, but it actually went pretty good. The new blade made quite a difference. Being sharp was a big part of this, but being a mulching blade also helped it clear through the tall overgrown lawn. It also prevented that terrible clumping that takes place when the grass is so tall it plugs the mower.

Three hours of mowing did the trick, not a lot longer than normal. Of course, I believe the new blade will speed up the normal mowing time, too. That's alright with me. I don't mind mowing, but I do have plenty of other things I can utilize that time for.

By the time I got off the rider, and we did take a couple of breaks, I was in sorry shape. My recent accident had me in pretty rough shape, and all the jostling and bouncing over this rough yard did a number on me. By the time I finished, I was moving pretty slow, and the stiffness was settling in fast.

We relaxed on the patio for a while, then moved in to the house and got ready to shower. The lawn is composed of half grass and half assorted weeds, or possibly more. Being tall made the effects worse, and mowing with sustained winds in the thirties and gusting into the forties had us both full of debris and feeling the results of allergic reactions. Nothing serious, just dirt and dust in our eyes and nose, itchy skin and lots of sniffling. So a shower was in order.

it was during my shower that I first began to notice the ill effects of sitting on the rider for three hours and bouncing my still healing body. I began to get a severe headache which soon combined with dizziness and a sick to my stomach feeling. Luckily, Rhonda had gotten in the shower with me and was now able to help me finish washing. I had become just unstable enough to risk falling without holding on to something. She helped me finish up, dry off, and get sat down, then finished her shower and checked on me.

I was doing alright, but not going anyplace; still dizzy, still sick, and still suffering a severe headache. I sipped on water and after a while the sickness subsided. But, in it's absence, I found my body ached in all the areas that had been injured by my fall. I had overdone it, and was now hurting bad. The headache, however, was the worst of it. It stemmed from my neck and shoulders being strained, and now, restrained from all that mowing. Also, my bruised abdomen, both inside and out, had taken a lot of shaking up, which accounted for the sick feeling. Second to the headache was y two broken toes. The bouncing and use of them on the rider had them hurting worse than they did when I first broke them.

A light dinner helped out some, as did sipping water and settling back on the love-seat. Some over the counter pain medication helped ease the headache a little but not much. It continued into the night, and was still present this morning when I got up around sunrise. I took some more over the counter medication and returned to bed, waking later this morning with just a slight ache left over from yesterday.

That's why I didn't write yesterday, not just time, although that was a factor, but the pain and misery I was in just didn't allow for any thought or activity. I did enjoy our run into town, and brunch with my wonderful wife was the highlight of the day. It was also great to get the grass all mowed down, although I could have done without the rest. But, it needed doing, and time was limited. We finished about an hour before it began to drizzle out a bit, and shortly after dinner, it was raining. Today has been a wet and rainy day all day; no way we could have done any yard work today.

I do know that I will have to restrict myself next week when we mow again, and with the rain, it will need it within the week. But, it will go faster next time, and I know I have to give myself more time to heal before I push myself like that again. I'll set a limit and mow for a half hour, then take a break and relax for a bit. Then, I'll go for another round, continuing like this until the work is done. I'll also be more likely to get my journal entry done, either during a break, or after I finish, as I had intended this last time. If I had felt better, I would have written after my shower, after all.