Tuesday, April 16, 2013

de-Borg'd - and bad to boot!

Yesterday was warm and mild, if windy and I so longed to do something outside.  Though my back and neck had been stiff and uncomfortable for some time, it didn't stop the yearning to DO SOMETHING PRODUCTIVE.  Especially since I was DONE with that irritating HEART MONITOR as of Monday morning.  (I boxed up that thing as fast as possible and UPS came and took it way!  Free at last!)  I had to celebrate.

I should have done a little weeding, or maybe cut back the dead stalks on the ring bed.

But nooo-oo.   This de-Borg'd gal threw caution to the winds, decided to haul the battery out of the basement, truck it and a can of gasoline back to the shed and wrangle the mower back into business.    (Sure will be glad when they make batteries out of something OTHER than LEAD!  *oof*)

Anyway, expecting the worse, I was delighted that the tires hadn't deflated over winter and the battery went in smoothly.  I poured in the gas, pushed the mower out of the shed, turned the key and -- VROOM.  Oh thank heavens!  Right out of the gate. :-D

I drove it up to the garage - where it sat for 20 minutes while I contemplated my next move.  Darn, it was nice out...

Okay, I thought.  Just a little bit of mowing.  I've got that spine appt on Wednesday and don't want to show up in traction, so let's just see what happens.  I'll be good.  I promise.


Initially, I WAS good.  I mowed close to the house in back for 25 minutes, took a break, and assessed my neck/back.  No harm, no foul?  I stretched a bit, had cold beverage, and  .... throwing caution to the wind, got right back on the mower!   Yee-haw!

I was out a total of 2.5 hours and got most of the back and some of the side yard done. I just had too - they were getting long and shaggy and there was rain forecasted for the next couple of days.  If I'd let it go, it would make for harder work later on.


There, doesn't that just look nice?  Now the daffs (right at their peak) are showing great.  (They look very inconsequential in these pics, but enlarge them and you can get a little bit better of their impact in the back gardens this time of year.  Even golfers stop to look!)

And a follow up note this morning (Tuesday).  I rolled out of bed wondering how things were and was amazed that my lower back was just FINE.  My neck is still stiff, more no more than before.  Wow.  Guess my reckless adventure didn't do me any harm.  Still, I AM going to curtail myself in the gardens this year.  Thankfully,  I'm done with bed building.  Now it's all about installing more trees and shrubs.  For that I'll arrange with N. this summer.

Today should be less strenuous, just some laundry and light housecleaning.  And then there's all the pre-appointment paperwork that doctors pile on you with before  you're allowed to cross their thresholds anymore.  They sure don't show THAT on TV dramas.

Doctors, rushing bleeding patient to ER, "She's conscious!  Thank goodness!  Lady, can you hear me?  Listen, we don't have your Mother's brother's son's childhood disease history.  We need that before we put you under to try re-attach your arm.   Do you have a pen?"    *sigh*

==========

Later, something new on the menu. 
Click the pic for details.

8 comments:

  1. Gorgeous pictures - oh I love this time of year! Cannot wait to get gardening.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Looks great! I hate mowing--hate the noise and the smell and everything about it--but it sure looks good when it's done!

    ReplyDelete
  3. I shouldn't laugh, but I did. At least I was laughing WITH you and not AT you and all the while thinking "OMG, I have a dopelganger". But you know that . . .

    Am very glad you had no ill effects from all your work (but if you're as like me as I think you are you'll say "Ah, but I was just sitting on the mower, the only 'work' is emptying the grass box")

    Hang in their kiddo, it's all looking good.

    ReplyDelete
  4. And a fine result for all that hard work and expended energy. Well done :)

    ReplyDelete
  5. The lawn does look nice and I am so glad you weren't bothered by mowing. We have mowed twice now. Why don't you have any weeds in the flower beds???? Not fair......

    ReplyDelete
  6. Glenda - I am vigilant in the beds! Also - heavy mulch (leaves/clippings). I also don't plant spready plants, just clumpers.

    All - oh, the back did ache later Tuesday after the laundry. And I did go out and mow inside the ring bed that afternoon, too.

    Looking forward to going to the Neuro/Spine clinic today and see if I can get some info and guidance on the neck/back (DDD) condition and my continuing numbness. Fingers crossed.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Most excellent mowing! Sometimes the urge to be productive/busy is so intense I end up doing all kinds of things that make me sore the next day. I'm fabulous at overdoing it. I hope there's good news at the dr appt. :o)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hey Tam, Hi! Mowing is very zen - although with my bumpy lawn and stiff mower it's a real back-buster sometimes. When done, though, the lawns sure do show off the beds, don't they? As for the doctor appt? Check out the following post.

      Delete

Thank you for visiting. I appreciate your notes, comments and questions and will try to reply to each one! :-)