Friday, June 16, 2006

About that wall . . .

I don't know why I put off fixing the wall all this time. I think I've probably been telling myself for the last two or three years that it needed some attention. It actually took surprisingly very little time or effort to finish.

I thought I might run into snake nests. What I ran into were insect nests: wasps, bees and fire ants. Good thing I had a can of bug spray handy.

I thought I was going to have to move all the rocks onto the yard and literally rebuild it. That wasn't necessary at all. I started working as soon as I got back from the first part of my walk [the four-mile loop] and was done a little more than half an hour later.

Forty minutes! No big deal! I'd been talking myself out of doing something for years that took less time to complete than watching an episode of Desperate Housewives.

That negative self-talk … ya gotta watch out for it.

As the day went on, my biceps and back muscles started aching. I expected that, but this morning I'm really sore. I guess there are some muscles you only use when you move rocks. [Just as there are specific water-skiing muscles and snow-shoveling muscles; you all know that, don't you?]

I hope the experience of having my perceptions blown completely out of the water will stay with me the next time I put off some once-in-a-great-while task. [Dusting the wall of bookshelves in the bedroom, maybe?]

It's a good feeling to have the job done. It's even good to feel the muscle aches, knowing I've pushed myself beyond my normal limits.

Doesn't mean I won't be taking an Aleve today, though!

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hey Debbi
When the dog bites and the bee stings, simply remember how cool the view is from the middle of Nowhere. Are you planning to kill the dog as part of tomorrows fitness plan or is it quarantined awaiting to see if it froths.
Have the soon to be spouse buy you a big walking stick for your June present. Then you can defend yourself.

Debbi said...

Thanks for that lovely sentiment ... the view is cool here, despite some of the critter problems.

I hope the health department has followed up with the dog's owner by now. I may call one or the other today to see if the dog is still alive. I don't plan to kill it, but I do think it's a shame its owner has allowed it to be so aggressive.

I'm arming myself with dog treats, not weapons. Seems to be working on another dog buddy who used to bark wildly at me every day. Now he just waits for a treat!

Anonymous said...

uh oh better clear this up before all the bloggers think I am down here in Ga beating dogs with a stick. My dh gave me a "Kalf Katcher " stick after I had some problems with herding my cows. Its white with a orange tip. I walk and ride on the gator ( 6 wheels) to check cows. The stick doubles as a cane to get up a creek bank and also can be twirled as a baton if I feel like leading the band. I hope all the dogs don't take to joining you in your walk abouts now that you will smell like treats.

Jack Sprat said...

That dog bite freaked me out. I absolutely adore dogs. But I'd have the health department put that one down.

Anyway, congrats on the wall. Now you know why *I* blog. Seems like once you write something and put it out there in public, it starts to become real. You write about wall repair and the next thing you know, you're repairing the wall.

Way to GO !!

-J

Anonymous said...

Hi Debbi,

I have some rock walls that are crumbling too. We have a cabin in the mtns, and my walls were no match for jumping deer I guess. So I spent 10 days in May making them wider/ thicker. I still have to do more, You are right about keeping your regukar workout though. I had not thought of that, but it is true!