We have three big dogs and one of them is blind so needs to be kept separated from the youngest who is a live wire. Ziggy's his name and trouble's his game. He means well, just still such a pup that he wants to pounce on Ham (the blind one) to play but makes Ham nervous and usually ends in a dog fight. Ham is a momma's boy. If I am in my bedroom with him and the door is closed, he's happy as an eighty pound clam. If I walk out of the room and shut the door behind me he lays by the door sniffing and whining until I come back. He sleeps right between Tim and me at night.
My back's been hurting me for the past week or so and sometimes so bad that only Tim massage's give me any relief. We quickly learned Ham ain't about NOBODY touching his momma. He may not be able to see but the minute Tim starts to massage my back he senses it and goes straight into protection mode. He nibbles at Tim's hands and wedges himself between Tim and me. He's pretty persistent. Tim's mentioned before that if anyone ever tried to attack me, Ham would most probably kill them first. I like it when the big ole hound spoons me back to back at night, he's sturdy support. Tim hates it because that means he gets Ham's huge paws in HIS back.
I felt better today. I have come to realize that although Tim's massages feel wonderful and give me immediate relief, nothing will help it permanently go away except daily and nightly stretching. It beats doctor bills so have resigned myself to the fact I have to include them every day and every night.
Thank goodness I am old enough to remember the Jane Fonda workout video. The first twenty minutes were all stretching and still remember them, in order. I remember her saying "Knees soft, shoulders back, head up" and even remember how many repetitions she did of each exercise. I suppose it's a small price to pay to be able to not only walk but work. The pain is all on the right side of my body. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out why. I've been a server since 1979. I've been carrying heavy plates and trays with just my left arm for well over thirty years six sometimes seven days a week and has my body out of whack and off balance. Actually, Tim came up with the theory but makes perfect sense...although I am sure Tim could be a rocket scientist if he wanted to. (not)
I had to work at three thirty today so went into the living room to watch Grey's Anatomy for an hour and stretch the entire time, thinking of Jane Fonda and all her instructions. Here's another plus. If that workout is part of what kept Jane Fonda looking the way she does today in her later seventies, I'm all for it.
Speaking of late seventies, tonight I had a request party of fourteen, most all over seventy and then some. Every single man at the table wore a hearing aide and all the women wore a perfectly matching outfit. They had requested me because one of the women's son is my husband's best friend. The reservation was for six thirty, the first couple showed up five forty five and asked with surprised amazement "Are we the first ones here?" I guess when you are retired you have plenty of spare time. I'll never know that feeling!
All fourteen showed up well before six thirty and the party started! They all ordered water but saw a few looking over the wine list. I went straight to my husband's best friend's mom and said "Let's have a glass of wine, I bet if you order one they will all follow suit." (and they did)
The minute they sat down, a few of them got out discount cards and had them by their plate (just in case they forgot)
They all live in a subdivision right around the corner from us. When the subdivision was first built it was exclusively for peeps over fifty five. Once the economy tanked the builders let ANYONE buy. This ticked off the old peeps and can't much blame them but can't much blame the builders either. Now the ole peeps have kids playing in the streets, at the pool and teens with music blaring from cars they drive too fast through the ole peep's neighborhood.
It went flawlessly once I got them to a drinking! I'm kidding, they only had one glass of wine but chatted them all up and by the end of the dinner they loved me. They tipped me well over twenty percent and with the few other tables I had made enough to take the next two days off and get my STRETCH on!
I think about how much my back hurts me at fifty four and wonder how much THEY hurt being well over seventy? Guess none of them were servers in their youth because they all seemed fine to me.
I'm just so happy to have two days off in a row again...a girl can start to get spoiled with this kind of free time but has sure helped in getting my house in order.
One of the Lost Boys in our house is moving out! Unfortunately it is the one who helped us out the most financially...in other words, not either of my sons. At least my garage will be a lot emptier. He's taking his washer and dryer with him along with a kitchen table, chairs, bookcases and lots of tools.
Segway "Back" to me.
Here's the thing. I HATE stretching. Tim is a great trainer and makes me do it... but need to do it when I get home from work and he is asleep. I need to do it before I go to work when he's sometimes not here. I need to do it several times a day when I'm not working. At least this latest attack has made me so miserable realize now I HAVE to do it or learn how to wait tables from a wheelchair I will be forced to buy from either Goodwill or the Salvation Army. Maybe I can find one with a tray attached to the top of the handles.
Tim has assured me the more I stretch the better I will feel. I'm going to take his advice and give it my all the next two days.
It's getting late but since Zach bought us Netflix, I'm going upstairs into the living room and watch some Breaking Bad while I stretch out my breaking back.
Til next time...COTTON
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