Sylvia's Journal

I am really bad living on my own – my meals are unbalanced and I work too much. At some point last night my body protested so loud about sitting in front of the computer – through aches and pains – that I got the hint and looked at the clock – 9:30 PM! I had been working on my writing assignment since 3 PM and not noticed the time. I truly was ‘in the flow.’ The good part of this flow thing is that I am nearly done with my chapter (some 40+ pages long). I expect to send it out for review tonight and can then scratch that big job off my very long to do list, shifting my attention to what’s next (Ghana).

It was good that I went walking with Chicha at noon time, so at least I had moved my limbs a little during the day. We went to Singing Beach. It was a glorious winter day, even though it was technically spring. Chicha ignored all the attentions and advances from other dogs, her eyes tight on the yellow tennis ball in my hand (which she had found for me), retrieving it like a rocket. Neighbor Ted researched Blue Heelers and said Chicha can’t help herself – retrieving is in her genes; the additional Border Collie genes only make it worse.

If Axel had been around he would never have me left in my office so long. He would have shamed me into proper meals and corrected my posture, each time he walked by. I hate it when he does that but I missed it yesterday. Instead of a proper meal I had (homemade) bread and honey for breakfast with Ethiopian coffee, then bread and summer sausage from Canada for lunch, and for dinner a piece of week old brisket and a beer (consumed at my desk).

I extracted myself from my very messy office (when I write I pull out papers and books willy-nilly and leave them right where they fall) and finished about a pint of ice cream and the remaining whipped cream before going to bed. I like to clean out the refrigerator especially if there is no one to provide a commentary.

Before going to bed I watched public broadcasters ask for money on the screen and interrupt with a movie on Chi-Qong – which you get if you contribute 80 dollars or more. Having so abused my body I felt compelled to follow the instructor, especially after he promised that the exercise would undo all the bad things I had done to it during the day. In anticipation of the promised mental clarity, energy and a peaceful feeling I got out of bed and floated my arms up and down, bend my knees, twisted my hips and spine and breathed deeply and rhythmically in and out of the belly. In the process I discovered that my shoulder joint is far from being fixed by the last cortisone shot and that any of the very simple upper arm and shoulder movements are out of bounds for now. No yoga either. Still, I fell asleep in seconds after I hit the pillow and had nice dreams that I cannot remember, so the peaceful part worked.

The mental clarity and energy will kick in now, I hope, as there is much to do before a taxi will drive up to my house in about 12 hours to take me to the airport. There is a morning of flying with Bill and then the packing and charging all my electronics. I am travelling light with my Kindle, no books – everything fits in a small shoulder bag. The small suitcase that I had planned to carry on will be checked – lifting even a small case in an overhead bin is not in the stars for now.