Friday, July 27, 2007

173/365 Fat Bottomed Girls

Are you gonna take me home tonight
Ah down beside that red firelight
Are you gonna let it all hang out
Fat bottomed girls
You make the rockin’ world go round

On Tuesday I woke up to some serious pain. My hip hurt, my knee hurt, as well as parts environ. All day. I got more than a little freaky about it, because last time I had hip pain, I did lots of physical therapy, lots of acupuncture, and really, the only thing that worked was to rest the hip. Which meant quit exercising in the fashion to which I’d grown accustomed.

That time, I didn’t feel completely pain-free for about two years.

So even a twinge in the hip freaks me out. Tuesday was a particularly bad day. I don’t know if it was bad because I was in pain, and this colored everything, or if the pain was just one more part of a bad work day. Politics in the office of my main client, you know. Nothing directed at me, but just same old stuff. The chronic pain of the organization.

I had my ice skates in the car. I decided it best to not ice skate.

Wednesday, after hip rest, a round of antiinflammatories, and a good night’s sleep, it felt better. But I decided to not get on my NordicTrack elliptical cross-trainer. And I decide to not go back to the river, which means climbing up and down that steep bank.

Thursday arrived with a few twinges. I cut back on the antiinflammatories. I again skipped the elliptical, but, living on the edge, I went to yoga class. So far, so good. Today I have a long day of car travel ahead of me.

Here’s the thing. I’m an eater. I love food, and I eat a lot. The only thing that makes this habit possible in any semihealthy way is the fact that I exercise almost every day. I was a chubby kid, and when I truly discovered exercise that I could love and manage at age 22, it changed my life.

It also works as an antidepressant.

I live in fear that I will have to stop.

But I am forever grateful to Brian May for writing it, to Freddie Mercury and Queen for singing it: that ballad to fat-bottomed girls.

Now your mortgages and homes
I got stiffness in the bones
Ain’t no beauty queens in this locality (I tell you)
Oh but I still get my pleasure
Still got my greatest treasure
Heap big woman you gonna make a big man out of me

6 comments:

Helen said...

Can you get to some water without having to navigate a steep riverbank? Being cradled in water is soothing for all sorts of pain. I hope yours is soothed very soon...

Deloney said...

Bum massages free north of the border.

Ok, maybe not by a professional, but by a concerned citizen with pillows on his fire-escape.

Indigo Bunting said...

Helen: I am much, much better, thank you. I may even attempt a workout on Monday.

Deloney: You continue to amaze me with your utter selflessness. Always giving. You are an example to us all.

Deloney said...

We must all make sacrifices for the General Good.

On a serious note, I don't exercise at all except for walking, but I walk a lot. I'm sort of an urban hiker and I've been this way since I was a kid because my father didn't drive.

Indigo Bunting said...

Hands down, the thing I miss most about the city is being a pedestrian. It is a wonderful life.

Helen said...

So I'm guessing, Deloney, that you never had to rise at 4 am for family roadtrips?