Bloggers Block

Having spent the last forty minutes or so sat on my hands, to ease an ache in my wrists and elbows, I’ve now permitted their release to knock out a little blog posting.

Unfortunately, a fog in my mind has taken over from the discomfort in the wrist; although the flesh may be willing the mind’s too numb to supply the appropriate words.

Saving for a rainy day

Just like bananas, they come in bunches. Tonight, this seems to be the case with terrestrial TV here in the UK; the programmes we’d like to watch this evening are on at 9.10pm ‘Sea of Souls’[BBC1], 9.10pm ‘The Talented Mr Ripley’[BBC2], 9.30pm ‘Rosemary & Thyme’[ITV1] and, 9.10pm ‘CSI:NY’[Five]. Also showing at 9.10pm on Channel 4 is ‘Sleepy Hollow’ but, fortunately we already have that on DVD. So, choices must be made so, I think we’ll watch the first, record the second to DVD, record the third to VCR and give the fourth a miss. It really is quite exhausting working out such action plans.

We’ll also be recording ‘The Pianist’ [10.45pm ITV1]; it’s a bit like saving up for a rainy day.

It’s certainly not that often we feel so spoilt for choice. Just because we don’t follow any of the “soaps”, I often get the feeling that we don’t watch much TV but, I must admit that it’s an enjoyable pastime when my emotional stamina is up to it.

Keeping the Faith

Today, my alter-ego Heterocon decided to rejoice and be glad. So, I rejoice in my stiff neck, clogged sinuses and rheumy eyes, in order to keep the faith. I give thanks that I felt incapable of emerging from the duvet lair until long after my beloved had ventured out, for her first appointment of the morning but, the thanks are even more heartfelt that she is now back home.

Concentration is rather low-level today and, although I switched on the Afternoon Play felt incapable of following plot, characters, or anything else. Still, I did manage to do a posting on Heterocon as well as this one and, for that I am grateful.

Felt Moments

A period of sound sleep followed an initially restless night; I only wish I could report that it was refreshing as well. Somehow, the rather grey day outside seemed to empathize with my generalized state of fuzziness. It was almost as if my head and torso had been bruised by a felt hammer but, brave soul that I am, I rescued myself from the duvet’s clutches by 11.00am and, come lunchtime prepared a dish of griddled Salmon, peppers, mushrooms and cherry tomatoes, served with jacket potatoes (pre-emptively prepared by my beloved).

Even as I prepared the meal, numbness down the little finger side of my left hand insisted on distracting me from my noble endeavour; I suspect the felt hammer had an ice pack at its core.

Weighty Matters

It’s almost too tempting to describe my lower limbs as feeling “leaden” today but, that wouldn’t be quite accurate. The reality is more akin to them being stuffed with sodden kapok and, getting up from a chair to walk across the room, my control of them doesn’t feel much better than if that actually were the case. Although it’s not an altogether unfamiliar sensation, I’m just hoping it’s a transient one.

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Little Pricks

Had a welcome visit from my acupuncturist this afternoon but, events of the past couple of weeks had caused such a build-up of tension in my body to the extent that my body (or at least my right hand) persistently rejected one of the needles. The throbbing persisted, for a little longer than usual, at one of the insertion points in my neck but, no problems with those in the feet. I was already tired when the practitioner arrived (not really surprising after last night’s manoeuvres) and, she seemed to recognize that fact as she checked my pulse but, after the treatment the ordinary tiredness was replaced by a more spaced-out variety.

A short while later, as I sat on the sofa, I was unable to control a trembling in both lower limbs so, the only solution was to have a (recommended) little rest, tucked under a cosy blanket on the sofa.

"In Everything Give Thanks"

It really feels quite strange, sat bolt upright in front of the keyboard, head tilted slightly back as if I’m rearing away from the LCD. This is actually the most comfortable position, at the moment, as it alleviates the throbbing spasm in the right side of the neck. At least I know, or hope its knowledge and not just wishful thinking, that this phase will soon pass; apart from being one of the stiff-necked people I feel pretty alert (or is it the neck spasm that’s keeping me alert?).

Anyway, rather than bemoaning these little upsets, I think it’s time that I remembered to give thanks for:

Love and care shown by ma belle amoureuse, friends and family
The opportunity, yesterday, to help someone by setting up some programmes on her laptop computer
The glorious red sky that I’ve just observed
The (partial) restoration of my appetite for food
Last nights ‘Child Of Our Time’ [BBC1]
The Afternoon Play on Radio 4
A roof over my head
The kind comments left recently on Heterocon’s blog

Come to think of it, I really am quite privileged!

To the kitchen and back

I just don’t know where the day has gone and yet, it has at times seemed interminable. When I eventually emerged from the duvet lair, just after mid-day, I discovered a bright sunshiny day beaming in at me, as I slumped on the sofa, whilst the radio babbled it’s accompaniment to my day.

I managed a degree of concentration for ‘The Saturday Play: The Bitter Pill’ (Radio 4), in spite of a marked degree of discomfort. An odd combination of sinus ache, indigestion and, aching arms struggled to distract me but, I persevered.

Shortly after 4.00pm, I thought it was time to start my preparations for Sunday Lunch but, this effort was swiftly curtailed as, having struggled to chop an onion, I found it well nigh impossible to cope/ co-ordinate my fingers whilst attempting to deseed and slice the peppers. At this point, I yielded to my bodies demand for rest and, swiftly fell asleep on the sofa. A couple of hours later I returned to the kitchen and prepared a Chicken Chasseur related dish; after the earlier difficulties, my sense of achievement feels all the greater.