ladysprite (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
ladysprite) wrote2010-11-21 07:19 pm
ladysprite) wrote2010-11-21 07:19 pm
Entry tags:
Just A Day
Sometimes I get so caught up in my need to be Busy Doing Stuff All The Time that I forget how useful and pleasant it can be for my husband and I just to have a day to ourselves. Not a Date Night or planned activity time; just... a day.
A day to sleep in, and wake up when we feel like it instead of when our plans dictate, and maybe stay in bed after we're awake without feeling guilty. And to do whatever we feel like after that, without having to squeeze things in around an agenda.
We did have a couple of things on our to-do list, but none of them were time-critical, and, to be completely honest, if we hadn't gotten them done the world wouldn't have ended. I did have an appointment with a massage therapist (pain, stress, and an inability to raise my arms over my head finally overrode my hangups, issues, severe aversion to seeking any medical attention, and deep-seated suspicion that hiring a masseuse is disturbingly similar to hiring a prostitute), but that was far enough into the day that it didn't get in the way of a slow, leisurely morning together.
After that, we headed out to get our Thanksgiving shopping done, which was far more fun than it had any right to be. No matter how old I am, I think I'll always find grocery shopping to be more of an amusing game than a chore - it just feels far too much like pretending to be a grownup, rather than like actually being a grownup. There were show tunes and a capella on the radio, and now there is a turkey thawing in our fridge, several bags of chocolate chips and nuts in our pantry, and and a stack of recipes ready to use in the dining room.
Tidying up went much faster than I had anticipated; I adore our little house and am both surprised and glad at how quickly we can have it company-ready if need be. And then the magic of timing and the Internets let me reward myself for my dedication to both my chores and my health with a beautiful new necklace from![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
chimera_fancies, and the television rewarded me with "When Harry Met Sally" (which I had just been thinking I wanted to watch, and just happened to be starting when I turned on the tv to see if anything fun was on).
So now there are pork chops in the oven, and succotash on the stove, and a movie I love waiting to be watched, and the man I love waiting to share this all with me. And while I can't quite lift my arms over my head without pain and strain quite yet, it's a little easier. And soon there will be a house I love full of people I love and care about.
I think I might be maybe getting the hang of this "good life" thing....
A day to sleep in, and wake up when we feel like it instead of when our plans dictate, and maybe stay in bed after we're awake without feeling guilty. And to do whatever we feel like after that, without having to squeeze things in around an agenda.
We did have a couple of things on our to-do list, but none of them were time-critical, and, to be completely honest, if we hadn't gotten them done the world wouldn't have ended. I did have an appointment with a massage therapist (pain, stress, and an inability to raise my arms over my head finally overrode my hangups, issues, severe aversion to seeking any medical attention, and deep-seated suspicion that hiring a masseuse is disturbingly similar to hiring a prostitute), but that was far enough into the day that it didn't get in the way of a slow, leisurely morning together.
After that, we headed out to get our Thanksgiving shopping done, which was far more fun than it had any right to be. No matter how old I am, I think I'll always find grocery shopping to be more of an amusing game than a chore - it just feels far too much like pretending to be a grownup, rather than like actually being a grownup. There were show tunes and a capella on the radio, and now there is a turkey thawing in our fridge, several bags of chocolate chips and nuts in our pantry, and and a stack of recipes ready to use in the dining room.
Tidying up went much faster than I had anticipated; I adore our little house and am both surprised and glad at how quickly we can have it company-ready if need be. And then the magic of timing and the Internets let me reward myself for my dedication to both my chores and my health with a beautiful new necklace from
chimera_fancies, and the television rewarded me with "When Harry Met Sally" (which I had just been thinking I wanted to watch, and just happened to be starting when I turned on the tv to see if anything fun was on).So now there are pork chops in the oven, and succotash on the stove, and a movie I love waiting to be watched, and the man I love waiting to share this all with me. And while I can't quite lift my arms over my head without pain and strain quite yet, it's a little easier. And soon there will be a house I love full of people I love and care about.
I think I might be maybe getting the hang of this "good life" thing....
no subject
Lots of *hugs*.
no subject
About the arms... Did the term "rotator cuff" happen to come up in conversation with the massage therapist? Your description sounds as though you might have bilateral rotator cuff injuries. If the massage therapist is able to help you, that would be great. If not, I can say from experience that work with a good physical therapist can do wonders. The pain does tend to get worse while working through therapy, but the end result for me was fantastic: no pain and full rotation, yay! However you get there, I hope you do!
no subject
I'm *pretty* sure it's just muscle tension - due to some chronic hideous ergonomics at a previous job, I have serious knots in both shoulders that take any excuse to flare up - but I'll keep that in mind if it doesn't get better; thank you!
no subject
The thing that made me wonder about your rotator cuffs was the fact that you hadn't been able to raise your arms over your head. That's one classic symptom of rotator cuff injury. Others include pain upon reaching behind you or when turning your arms in certain ways. In my case, the thing that finally got me to talk to my doctor was that for months I'd been noticing that every time I pulled the covers over me at night it hurt enough that I'd involuntarily drop the blanket. A blanket is not that heavy!
Rotator cuff injuries can be acute, or they can result from chronic bad ergonomics. A lot of women get into trouble after years of carrying shoulder bags.
Hopefully you just have muscle tension. If it should turn out that it's something more, be warned that some medical professionals will immediately recommend surgery or cortisone injections. In some cases, those are necessary, but in others working with a good physical therapist over a period of months and correcting any ergonomic issues or bad habits can be all that's needed. IMO, it's worth trying the conservative approach first.