I just made a very long-winded, opinionated, rambling post in reply to one on my club’s forum. It was nothing exceptional, just a discussion on the importance of forms in continuation of traditional styles, but writing it made me realise just how much I’m missing training already. It’s a week today since I was able to train, and while in some ways that week has flown by, it feels like an absolute age since I pulled my dobok on and tied my belt. I’ve had all sorts of thoughts over the last two days as my knee has been slowly healing – “If I went and was really careful…”, “I could just use narrow stances” – all things which I know are just asking for trouble.
I haven’t slept properly for a week now, at first it was just from the pain of moving in my sleep but lately (thanks to ibuprofen and thai oil) it’s not been hurting as much in bed, so I can only assume my body is crying out to actually do something. I made the mistake of helping to carry a heavy box at work yesterday, which left me very sore and upset, thinking that I’d put the best part of a week’s healing back, but by the evening it was feeling much better again. Not great, just better than it has been. I was able to distract myself for the evening luckily, catching up with some friends from my now-defunct rock/metal night at the cinema. Ok, so I watched the new Indiana Jones film for the second time in two weeks, but I like it! The good company was very welcome, and what do you know – my ex-paramedic friend was spot on with her diagnosis of the cause of my limping.
On Saturday morning I’m going to take my niece and nephew swimming. This has multiple benefits for me, because not only can I get some swimming in (even if it’s just with my arms if it hurts too much), but being there with kids means I can act like an 8 year-old myself, splashing and flapping around at the shallow end. I don’t need an excuse to do that I suppose, but it looks decidedly less ‘dodgy’ to have the excuse of taking the kids there. Then later in the day, in my continued efforts to make the most of being outside in the sunshine this year, I’ll be lighting the barbecue yet again. In previous years it’d only get lit perhaps 3 or 4 times over the summer, this year however is a different story, it’s already been used 4 or 5 times and it’s only just June.
I’ve got a package to pick up this afternoon, I’m not sure what it is yet but I have a sneaking suspicion… Normally if I miss a delivery I get up ten minutes earlier the next day, head to the sorting office/collection point behind the Post Office before 8, pick it up and get to work on time. When I got there this morning though I was told that I can’t pick this one up from there, and that I need to go to the actual Post Office itself, which doesn’t open until 9 – how useful. It means I have to take an extra hour off work this afternoon to head in and pick it up. It’s a good job I’ve been racking the flexi time this week. And to just top my week off perfectly I had a letter the other morning telling me that my pension company had (in their infinite wisdom) decided to stop my pension. I was quite surprised to say the least, and ended up feeling very stressed about it, additional money worries are the last thing I need right now. I’ve since managed to get it sorted out, but honestly, some kind of break would be really good about now.
Deep breath…. it’s nearly the weekend.