So here am I on one of my few days off work having spent yesterday completing the build for my new art studio by fitting the double glazed door and managing to wreck the joints of two knees and both elbows in the process. It is amazing how heavy a double glazed door is in one piece, which is probably why builders fit the frame, and put the glass in as separate pieces. Well I never did anything the easy way so one piece it was which I have to say went really well but also have to admit left me in more pain than I could have imagined and with a knee that wouldn’t bend. But that was last night and this morning is about doing the little jobs on my lovely little land rover that I have been meaning to do for some time, like changing the oil in the gearbox and differentials, fitting the front propshaft and maybe fitting the new floor.
You can do it said the mind – it is only a couple of hours work or at least that is what it would have taken you 20 years ago so add a couple more hours and it will be fine.
No NO NOOOOOO! Said the body, don’t be daft you need some time to recover after yesterday!
Don’t be silly said the mind – if you simply put mind before matter you will have it done in no time at all.
The body went into a sulk and let the pain from the various joints that had been misused the day before sing out in pain!
Take a couple of pain killers said the mind and you will be fine!
The body started to get really stroppy about things and popped a cartilage out of the better functioning knee.
Oh bugger screamed the mind – or it might have been the body – or perhaps it was both together finally coming to a much-begrudged agreement – That really bloody hurts!
The mind started to sulk, the body started to laugh, which made things even worse for the mind and eventually the mind surrendered to the inevitable and compromised on completing the new seats for the land rover, leaving the crawling about on the floor for a day when things might be functioning a little better.
This my dears is what it is to own a series one land rover when you are as old as it is but your body has done ten times the mileage that the land rover has done.
Much as I love owning the land rover and wish that my body was in as good condition I have to recognise that both of us need to be treated with a bit of TLC and we both need a lot more time for doing things than is the norm these days.
