Too Much

Had to take the day off. Wear and tear. A large bowl of chicken and noodle soup that I kept reheating in the microwave. The last of the pone of cornbread. Every time I got up I stretched and rolled my shoulders. The old body is still working, but my legs are sore. If we don't get snow I'll get the Jeep in tomorrow, then start ricking wood inside. If it does snow I'll still get wood inside but won't get to the garage. Trent said not to worry, he'd hold the tires. I remembered I had some ash flooring scarps I had retrieved from a dumpster. I'd forgotten them. They split into beautiful kindling that you could light by rubbing two sticks together. Rounds of oak from further up the tree, where there might be a branch, I split out the larger chunk that includes the gnarly twisted grain, and set it aside as a nighttime log. I finish drying these right in front of the stove. They have to be top-loaded, which is a pain in the ass, but they burn for many hours. Prospects seem so much better than they did a couple of days ago. I wanted to take an Aleve or something, when I first got up, but I forgot; once I got started, that first cup of coffee and a walk out to the woodshed, surveying, what was done and what needed doing, it was clear I was ahead (barely) of the reaper. I need to get some rock-salt for the back deck. I need to sharpen the chain on my chainsaw. I feel like I'm doing pretty well, balancing a small boat in heavy seas. The ridge is a brutal mistress; not always, but sometimes, if you make a mistake you die. More often you have to laugh, you and David, with a slingshot. I called, they had the tires, so I went to town; couldn't find anyone to drive me back to the pub (where I could read and have a draft in the front room) so I walked. Spitting sleet, cold, I had forgotten to take gloves. Met TR for lunch and he agreed to come and get me, take me back to the garage. The bill was under the estimate, which never happens. Stopped by B's, to pay him for whiskey and tobacco he'd bought me when I was trapped, we had a wee dram and talked about editing. He's very good at it and I'm not. I'll probably go back to town, Saturday, to talk with TR about the opera, but I have several days to haul and split wood. I found a nice piece of beef; reduced in price, so I'm going to cook a stir-fry on rice, I can eat that for several days and not have to worry about cooking. Driving back in, the new tires keeping great traction, and the new shocks keeping great contact, I felt like the King Of The World. The feeling only lasted a few minutes, but that was enough.