Yard Work

So Many Aches, So Little Work, Hate Getting Old

Posted on Updated on

So finally, Spring. The temperature this weekend was in the upper 50’s and low 60’s and it wasn’t raining.  My biological clock says it was time to start tackling the yearly damage winter did to the grounds around the “estate” before we start any planting, pruning, replacing, and making multiple Home Depot runs per day.

Saturday was out.  The youngest (now 18) had a lacrosse game an hour away smack in the middle of the day.  By the time the game ended, we had a late lunch, did a little shopping, and got home all I wanted to do was read a little and take a late afternoon nap.

Sunday was more promising.  Slept late, went to the gym, grabbed some lunch, hit the supermarket and then tackled the following:

  1. Pounded 8 three foot stakes into the backyard and ran tied levels of thin rope around each of the 2 areas.  This will keep the crazy dog who loves to run and run, and whose paws dig through the grass to the dirt underneath, from doing any more damage to those areas so I can plan some seed there in the next week or so.  This will also prevent her from coming into the house with feet so muddy we wonder where the sty is.
  2. Used the leaf blower to blow out the garage and driveway.  The garage was easy and it is more efficient to do it this way than using a broom.  The driveway continues to amaze me with the amount of dirt the winter snows left behind.
  3. Picked up a garbage can full of branches, sticks, twigs and leaves from the front yard and the curb area in front of the house.

That’s it.  That’s all I did.  Two hours!

And yet, by 6pm when we sat down to a dinner of grilled flank steak (yes, we used the grill!) my body (back, legs, shoulders) felt like I had run a marathon.

I know I need to lose 20 (or more), but I shouldn’t have been in that much pain.  I exercise on a semi-regular basis (bike & treadmill at the Y, two or three days a week), and walk at work during lunch, so I know I am not in the best shape, but not in the worst.  I even PASSED a stress test today.

I am just shocked at how tired I felt after  about two hours of light work around the house.  I know I was using muscles I hadn’t really stressed that much this winter, but still….

This getting old thing, I am not sure how much I like it.

This entry was posted in Life and tagged , , , .