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I anticipated a lot of things about what life would be like when I turned fifty. I didn't exect it to hurt. No, no, not "woe is me" hurt, but, "damn, when did I break my elbow?" hurt. Right arm joints are really having difficulty. Okay, can't blame it on turning fifty, it's been this way since last autumn, but I've really only started noticing it recently. If I try to pick up something with my arm extended - reaching for something a little distance away, say - I get a needle of pain through my elbow. An object as heavy as a glass of water is nearly impossible.
My hands are especially problematic, since they are how I make my living. The cold weather, such as it was, was a misery, and many mornings on the drive to work they hurt so bad they could hardly function.
It's a pain. Pun acknowledged.
It was a quite a weekend, an amazing weekend. I haven't played with a band in twenty years, and I was invited to play with Dogtree for the Driscoll ceili. Vic had another commitment, so they were short a guitarist. It was a much different experience than I had with Scarlet Town a year ago: Dave was patient, but Eddie is a very good technical guitarist, and like many very good technical guitarists he has little patience for those that aren't as good as he is. On the other hand, Richelle and I go back to 1990 or so (with Emerald Skye), and Chris and Rachel are just in it for the love of the music, and we're all friends outside of the music. Couple of rehearsals and we were good to go.
The actual playing was tough, though. About eight measures into the first song, the muscle that is the pad of my right thumb (the "abductor pollicis brevis" if google is to be believed) cramped, then seized, making me unable to hold my pick to strum, which is mostly what I was doing. To get around this issue since I couldn't get the cramp to ease, I held the pick between my index and middle fingers. This is turn exposed the last knuckle of my middle finger to the strings and it wasn't long before the strings cut deep enough to call it an "injury."
I didn't notice until I looked down and saw blood on the strings. Hoo-eeeee! I adjusted the turn of my wrist, which helped only a little, and when the tune was done I grabbed some electrical tape and wrapped the finger. I think if I hadn't, the strings would have eventually exposed the bone. My finger and I got through the night and it was honestly FUN. I surprised myself; I'm a lot better than I was twenty years ago.
Then off to a freinds house for post-ceili burritos and conversation. I got home at two in the morning. A good day all around.
I have three outstanding projects, a yeoman costume and two video projects, one six months old. They weigh on me, but I'm hoping that Michelle's ability to function continues to improve so I can be home to work on them.
My hands are especially problematic, since they are how I make my living. The cold weather, such as it was, was a misery, and many mornings on the drive to work they hurt so bad they could hardly function.
It's a pain. Pun acknowledged.
It was a quite a weekend, an amazing weekend. I haven't played with a band in twenty years, and I was invited to play with Dogtree for the Driscoll ceili. Vic had another commitment, so they were short a guitarist. It was a much different experience than I had with Scarlet Town a year ago: Dave was patient, but Eddie is a very good technical guitarist, and like many very good technical guitarists he has little patience for those that aren't as good as he is. On the other hand, Richelle and I go back to 1990 or so (with Emerald Skye), and Chris and Rachel are just in it for the love of the music, and we're all friends outside of the music. Couple of rehearsals and we were good to go.
The actual playing was tough, though. About eight measures into the first song, the muscle that is the pad of my right thumb (the "abductor pollicis brevis" if google is to be believed) cramped, then seized, making me unable to hold my pick to strum, which is mostly what I was doing. To get around this issue since I couldn't get the cramp to ease, I held the pick between my index and middle fingers. This is turn exposed the last knuckle of my middle finger to the strings and it wasn't long before the strings cut deep enough to call it an "injury."
I didn't notice until I looked down and saw blood on the strings. Hoo-eeeee! I adjusted the turn of my wrist, which helped only a little, and when the tune was done I grabbed some electrical tape and wrapped the finger. I think if I hadn't, the strings would have eventually exposed the bone. My finger and I got through the night and it was honestly FUN. I surprised myself; I'm a lot better than I was twenty years ago.
Then off to a freinds house for post-ceili burritos and conversation. I got home at two in the morning. A good day all around.
I have three outstanding projects, a yeoman costume and two video projects, one six months old. They weigh on me, but I'm hoping that Michelle's ability to function continues to improve so I can be home to work on them.