First real 'I'm not working' day...

Friday, January 3, 2020

I’d stayed up late the night before believing I should, and would, sleep in at least a little, on my first day of retirement.  And that’s what I did, until my phone rang at 7:45 a.m.

“Hey…this is Joe from Chagrin Pet and Garden.  On my way over to the farm to pick up the tractor,” the caller announced.

I squawked into the phone with a scratchy, congested voice I didn’t recognize as my own and one that the caller could not understand.  Finally, I issued the words ‘I’m home sick.’  He apologized and I disconnected.

I waited a few seconds and tried my voice again, calling to Dakota.  It was coming back, but I was anything but well.  As I dressed to take her out, I pondered whether I’d be doing anything beyond sitting on my couch and reading or watching more episodes of ‘Cheers’ that day.

Cream of Wheat with maple syrup and brown sugar improved my condition.  I decided to drive to Mimi’s for a visit and to do a couple of minor chores she needed me to perform before making a final decision on running and riding.  I set some mouse traps and picked up some downed branches before heading back home.  Justin called from the farm as I drove.

“The furnace filters arrived, but the furnace in the classroom upstairs has gone missing,” he told me.

“It’s not in the classroom,” I said.

“That’s what I said.  It’s missing,” he replied.

“No, no.  There never was one in the classroom.  It’s across the hall in the computer closet,” I clarified.  He'll figure it all out soon.

He said that the tractor had come back from Chagrin Pet & Garden with the wrong bucket attached, but that Leslie had straightened them out and they’d be coming to handle it later.  The new John Deere tractor purchase had become the tractor from hell story as we’d allowed an informal committee to get involved in its procurement,  but that’s a story for another day.

I got home and decided I couldn’t possibly skip my workout.  I’ve done this before – ignored symptoms of a bad cold or even an injury to continue working out on a regularly scheduled basis only to make things worse.  ‘Why change anything now?’ I thought as I put on my running gear.

It was in the mid-40’s and a light mist was falling.  The ground was muddy, slushy and cold, which never makes for a fun run, but I was determined to complete the Indigo Lake course and then maybe call it a day.  I started out feeling each step in a body that was still aching from the previous run.  Since I haven’t run with any consistency since last June, this was not a surprising development, however unpleasant.  I soldiered on thinking it would improve and I’d find some rhythm, but I never did.  I completed the run in 21:26 or about 30 seconds faster than I had two days earlier, but it didn’t feel good.  I skipped boarding the trainer for a ride, showered and flopped down in my recliner for some recovery time.

I have visions of a couple of months in warmer weather over the winters to come.  I have my Uncle Bill and Aunt Eunice in Florida who would love nothing more than an extended visit from their favorite nephew (or so I’ve told them) and I do see myself loading the van with the kayak and bike and heading west and south to take in one or several parks during those cold winter months.  It is what retired, northern residents do and why should I be any different?  I wrestling with that notion and another that says I should be involved in something, anything, that gives back to those less fortunate than me…even if it means I’m here all winter.  I hope to work out the details during my semi-retirement; trying on different ideas and seeing what takes.  It’s a work in progress…

Run duration:  21:26 minutes.

Training Heart Rate:  140 bpm.

Calories burned:  400.

Bonus: 15,000 steps.