Tue, May 15, 2007, 5:10pm (EDT-3) snipped-for-privacy@gmail.com (Charlie=A0Self) doth sayeth: Yes. My wife and I built my shop about a decade ago. I'd hate to try it today. Age, if not infirmity, has slowed reflexes, sapped strength and kicked the living pee out of any real desire to do hard physical labor for much more than 30 minutes at a clip, preferably with a couple days between clips. I could trade my knees for worn out garbage cans and be ahead of the game, I'm sure. VA still wants me to lose weight before they'll change wheels for me, so that may never happen.
I'd responded earlier, but ate a tuna sub Sunday that seemed to have disagreed with me. Then Wednesday had to drink some barium solution, for a scheduled cancer followup cat scan. Apparently it was a mistake getting a Bojangles chicken strip snack to eat that evening, because that did not help my stomach feel better at all. Felt like crap warmed over for the next couple of days actually. Today is the first I've felt really good since.
I looked out yesterday and saw my dream shop. Spent so many years in the Army, then raising my two sons on my own, and only dreaming about getting a shop, I'd say that actually having this one IS my dream come true. I "would like" a bigger shop, but I "want" a shop, so I guess you could say that this one is my dream shop. Small, yes, but surrre beats no shop.
Ah yes, knees. I carry a cane now. Don't actually use it about
99% of the time, but those times I need it, I need it right then. And going up steps, it's very important to remember, "left foot first"; and down steps ALWAYS "right foot first". The cane is seldom really needed, but always welcome then. It's some type of wood, not one of those sissy 'luminum ones. Mine's got enough heft to do a good job on someone's knee or wrist with a good swing if it ever comes down to that - try that with a 'luminum cane. Very handy to take some weight off a bothersome hip too, waiting in a bank or post office line too. It is pretty irritating tho to have someone waay ahead of you hold a door open, and wait for you to get to it. Makes me just want to slow down, or yell out, "Let go of the door idiot, I'm not helpless, and I'm not even close to it yet". At that It beats the rude asses that zip thru a door right in front of you and let the door slam shut in your face. Plenty of that type around too.If you still haven't tried it, I recommend you mix up some "Jogging In A Jug" and give it a try. I won't guarantee it will help your joints any, but it did mine, and is probably good for you overall. The recipe I use is: Two quarts apple juice, two quarts purple grape juice; one cup honey; two cups apple cider vinegar. Keep it in the fridge and take
2-3 ounces a day. Of course, you can take more if you want. The web has all sorts of variations of the recipe, some with more or less of different ingredients. Some have no honey for example. The recipe I started with called for: One quart each of apple juice and grape juice, half a cup of honey, and 34 cup of apple cider vinegar. By the quart was too pricey, so I doubled it, adding some extra vinegar to even it all out. Tastes good, and it's the only thing I can claim helped my joint pains, and mobility.JOAT What is life without challenge and a constant stream of new humiliations?
- Peter Egan