The mosquitoes are trying to tell me something in their tiny, annoying voices. Like Fran Drescher tried, before I punched her in the throat.
Sunday, September 6, 2009 at 8:06PM Our summer has been so fucked up. All our lovely hot 30 degree* weather, which usually happens in July and August, is showing up NOW, long after everybody's gone back to school and taken their vacations from work. And where mosquitoes normally plague us in June and July, this year they're having an autumn feast.
After less than an hour in the garden yesterday, I came inside with 10 large welts. Seven of them were on my ASS.
What the fuck, mosquitoes? Is it that large of a target? No - wait - don't tell me - it's so big you got sucked into its gravitational pull?
Fucking mosquitoes.
I'm going to just assume that mosquitoes have great taste, because despite the fact that I've completely fallen off the exercise bandwagon, I still feel great, my clothes still fit (mostly) and I have a couple of fairly valid excuses as to why I'm watching said bandwagon disappear over the horizon.
Mostly, and I'll just get this out of the way right now, it's that I'm just a terrible human being who had four desserts today. But also, I had to stop running because I screwed up my back. Again.
Me and my back have a rather rocky history. It started when I was in university and I was doing a lot of pottery, and all the time spent hunched over the throwing wheel sent my (supposedly youthful and pliant) back muscles into spasm. I spent several months in physio, but it's been a bit of an albatross ever since, and it often derails my exercising efforts. One of the more memorable is pre-child, when I was playing squash daily with FoN, and while showering off after one game I innocently bent to pick up the shampoo. When I stood back up something went POP.
POP is a good sound when associated with kernels, or bubbles. Not spines. That unhappy incident introduced me to my chiropractor, with whom I am now on a first name basis.
(His name is Bill. In case you were wondering.)
So I wasn't kidding a month or so ago when I said that in order to go running, I needed to visit the chiropractor at least once a week. It was getting closer to twice a week, and it was getting kind of fucking pricey. And then it wasn't keeping the pain at bay, so I had to stop running.
I was still kind of enjoying running though**, so when I've done enough stretching and had enough visits to Bill, I keep trying again. And I then I'm reaching for the Aleve-Robaxacet cocktail, and voice-commanding my cel phone to "Call. Bill."
Anyway. I think I need to give up the marathon dream, and start looking at something that's a little more suited to my general personality. Low-impact and hippie-esh.
Yoga anyone?
*It's Celsius, I'm Canadian, just deal with it. It's about 86 F, plus.
**I know. I don't get it either.
Reader Comments (32)
all male mosquitoes! They know where to go! LOL
I hate mosquitoes! they mostly only attack kids and mothers, why is that???
Bill, sounds like a chiropractor's name alright... LOL :D
I tried yoga, it's not as easy as they make it look.. so, bah.. :D LOL
Something that really helped my hip (old woman affliction) is switching from the treadmill to the elliptical. It really keeps impact down.
I second Ane's yoga assessment.
Also, I hate to burst bubbles (not really), but only female mosquitoes are bloodsuckers. So take the compliment about your butt, but don't quote it.
Thanks for the C - F conversion. I was sitting here trying to figure out how warn 30 is. Still not used to the whole metric thing yet (though I'm getting better at thinking km, not miles when I see road signs over here!).
Sorry about your back. I hurt my lower back in February. Physical therapy helped the worst of the pain, but I have some residual soreness just about daily. :(
I wish I could learn to like running. I HAVE to do it at least once a year. The fact that I hate doing it, makes it harder for me to get motivated and do it.
Good for you for running! Just can't do it (nothing to do with being short and big busted!). Keep up your affair with Bill, he sounds just what you need or you wouldn't be able to function. And mosquitoes love the sweetest flesh - I should know!
Yoga's good. It tones and I hear you can lose weight doing it. It is a lot of stretching type stuff though so I don't how your back will like that.
You've got a good reason to let go of the bandwagon strings. I'm mean permanent traction isn't good right?
And mosquitoes - well I wanted to say suck, but that's literal. Or bite but again - literal. So...They are evil little beasts. How about that?
I hate mosquitoes and they LOVE me. Everyone in my family wants to sit by me at the campfire cuz the mosquitoes feast on me and leave them alone. It's lovely.
Hope your back feels better soon. I have back issues to so I can relate-it sucks!
Back problems are what keep me from exercising too. Yeah, that's it. Seriously. I mean it.
And mosquitoes? I got a bite on the end of my...ahem...this year. There's an itch that must be scratched!
We have the mosquitoes year round down here, for some reason they adore my ankles, mostly because it's the only skin I usually expose.
I'm having issues with running too. Not back related luckily, but enough to make me look at Yoga or Pilates as a viable alternative. Or just binge eating cookie dough would work too.
Ohhh sorry about the skeeters (none on the west coast this year - hmmmm). Ahh our backs -- my chiropractor (actually make that family chiropractor) is Jim and my mom wants to adopt him as my younger wealthier brother. A couple of years ago I made a huge effort to get into shape - I had just turned 50 and decided now was the time. Pretty much after my month at boot camp my body completely turned on me - I now have three chronic problems that are - well painful.
Yoga is pretty darn good - just one word of advice try to find a male instructor (and NOT the guy in Kamloops). They are not as flexible as the girls and there is no chance they will try to make you tuck your left ankle behind your right ear all the while saying "ohmmmmm"
I used to love running. Until I found out that I had funky hips and it would just continue to cause me excruciating pain if I kept doing it. I'm actually thinking about yoga too, and not just the Wii Fit kind, although I still think men at yoga classes look creepy.
I have a love/hate relationship with mosquitoes; you know they LOVE me and I hate them! In my family I am the ONLY one who gets bit! EVER! I can be out shorter time and with WAY more bug spray never straying out of the radius of the bug candles and come back in side with 80 bites and no one else has one. you have my complete sympathy!
Don't underestimate the rigors of Hot-Yoga. That stuff's a killer workout. Sorry 'bout your back. :(
You'd probably like yoga. More than the running, for sure.
Girl. 86 isn't hot. Try 96 like we have down here in TX. And that is a good day. Ugh. I'm so ready for cooler weather.
there is no pain worse than back pain. well, labor, but other than that. but yes, yoga. it can build your core strenght and help your back - maybe you can get back to running?
Really.
Celcius makes so much more sense.
What is it about Americans that think we can't switch to a decimal system!?
Freezing should begin at 0
Not 33
Sorry about your back
The mosquitoes here are roughly the size of Volkswagens so I feel your pain. That sucks ass about your back, maybe you can swim or break dance or something less impacty?
Ugh. I HATE mosquitoes!
I once got so many bites all over even on my eyelids, that when I woke up my eyes were swollen shut and I couldn't see!
Wait, it's autumn? Where the hell have I been?
I'm visiting from Otin's site. I had to give up running years ago due to hip problems... oh wait, I never could run because of that !!!
Hope the yoga works out for you.
I can run, I just can't find the time to get off my lazy ass and do it.
And yep, lots of bugs here and they bite but my ass is covered so I get them in the hair line which drives. me. crazy. I may have to give up gardening too.
Yeah do yoga :) Hippie-ish? Nah...it'll put wind up your skirt, girl...
love,
Braja the Blogging Yogi
:)
86F come stay with me for a week in the lovely state of Oklahoma...you will be begging for your 86f LOL