Thursday April 16th, 2015

The exercise:

Write about: the roll.

I think Max might be starting to turn the corner on his recent behaviour - I actually spent the morning with him in town and at the park and there was very, very minimal fussing involved. It's probably helping that we've settled into more of a routine here since we got back from our road trip. I hope he's getting used to it, anyway.

This afternoon Kat joined me in the garden to continue weeding the strawberry patch and to get a start on pruning the raspberry canes. The second part of that was a whole lot more satisfying, what with the results of our work being much more immediate and noticeable.

Also: it was a hot one out there.

Mine:

As far as middle of the night experiences go, I can't say that I recommend waking up to a muscle cramp in your calf. Especially when that cramp feels like a muscle has come detached at one end and is rolling up into a howling ball of pain.

I get muscle cramps somewhat regularly, and usually they are caused by dehydration because I'm not always aware of how much water I'm drinking throughout the day. Often they'll come and go fairly quickly, though I've had a few foot cramps that overstayed their welcome by a significant margin.

On occasion I get ones like the one that got me last night. The pain is extra severe for a brief period, then it relents long enough for me to go back to sleep. I get out of bed in the morning and am reminded of the events of the night by a lingering soreness that can stay with me for days.

Pretty sure that's what I'm in the middle of right now. If I stepped wrong today I walked with a limp. If I sat down on the couch for too long I had to work through a limp when I got moving again. It is sensitive as *bleep* when I try to massage my left calf. Stretching it is a bit of a horror show.

With the temperatures getting back into the 20s as of today and continuing on for most of the next week, I'm going to need to be more careful about my water intake. Because I do not need to go through this again.

Or, even worse, have my right calf join in on the fun before my left is fully back to normal.

3 comments:

Greg said...

It's only April and the weather is already feeling summery over here as well; although it's cooled down again we had a couple of days in the middle of the week that reached mid-20s temperatures. Which is definitely June territory if you ask me. But I'm sure that with a sun-hat and plenty of water it must be fairly nice to be outside in it in the afternoon (though I'm perfectly happy here in the air-conditioning, thankyou!).
That cramp sounds unpleasant; I occasionally get cramps in my feet but they stretch out pretty quickly (and in fact that's the fastest way to get rid of them); I don't get anything like what you're (eloquently) describing. Perhaps you should put the water you intend to drink that day in the fridge each morning so you've got a visual reminder of it?

The roll
The smell of mildew was strong; so strong that when you swallowed you could taste it. The ceiling was black with fungal rot, dotted here and there with tiny white fruiting bodies so that when you looked up it was like looking at the night sky. The bubble of water nearby was regular and soothing, though the occasional splash was suggestive that something might be slipping in unseen, unwanted.
Isabella Bonfontaine contained a shudder and made herself shuffle forward into the space.
"Do you want a roll with that?" The shriek of a voice came from a large woman in a stained beige apron that hinted she wasn't wearing much underneath it. Isabella was sure that if the mildew stench weren't so strong she'd be able to smell body-odour, and she was sure there was the beginnings of stubble on the woman's chin. The rolls she was referring to were sat, slowly deliquescing, in a metal tray; Isabella had never seen bread try and melt before, and momentarily she felt sorry for it.
"No, thanks," she said. "Just the soup."
"They're free!" shrieked the woman, one large flipper-like hand wafting over them.
"I'm... allergic," said Isabella. In truth she thought she was probably allergic to the entire 'restaurant'.
"Have two!" shrieked the woman, and Isabella resorted to pulling the bowl of soup away and scurrying to the table where Lord Depends sat.
"What the hell?" she said.
"The item I'd like you to find for me is probably in Moravia," said Lord Depends. "This was the closest I could find to the conditions you'll experience out there."
Isabella poured her soup into his without tasting it. "I've lived off stones in the lost desert of Irem," she said. "Bring it on."

morganna said...

I'm not sure I feel like eating after Greg's prompt, but I'll carry on. :)

Marc, have you had your magnesium levels checked? Low magnesium can cause muscle cramps. You might find it helps with the water to always use the same water bottle, and make sure you drink the whole thing a set number of times. If you have a 20 oz bottle, and you drink at least 1 1/2 bottles, you should be fine? We live in the desert and my son is prone to dehydration, so I spend a lot of time thinking about how to get liquid in someone. :)

Marc said...

Greg - yeah, it's been a remarkably early return to warm weather here. All the fruits and berries are looking to be about two weeks earlier than usual this season.

Ugh, you got on a roll with these yucky descriptions of yours. I do like Isabella's response to the conditions though!

Morganna - I think it's mostly water consumption related, but the magnesium is something to keep in mind as well. Thanks!