No Time For Work

Nothing to do with, and yet a nod to, George Ryan

On yet another wet, miserable June morning I awake and consider the agenda for the day.  So many tasks have accumulated that I've made a list which expands daily.  Apart from the necessities of life, I think I may have too many interests to dedicate sufficient time to any one of them.  The phrase 'Jack of all trades' comes to mind.
This week I've been concentrating on music.  It started on Sunday evening while watching the Italy vs England match, which presented an ideal opportunity to dust off the clarinet.  The Italian national anthem is the only tune I can play on it, due to Valentino Rossi's domination in Moto GP (albeit not in more recent years).  Plus, it's catchy and fairly easy to play.  I just can't seem to get to grips with the clarinet though.  Still in soccer mode, after the penos I took out the flute and low whistle and gave a few renditions of Rocky Road to Dublin.

Monday morning and it's off to the gym for a 10 minute swim, followed by half an hour of aqua-aerobics and 20 minutes in the sauna catching up on all the gossip.  I haven't been since March and it's alarming how unfit I've become. I mean, fair enough I've been very ill, but you'd think that staying off cigarettes would increase your lung capacity, not leave you struggling for breath after 5 lengths!

After a quick trip to the shops to stock up on provisions, it's time for lunch, after which I go back to music.  I've recently started playing the cello, so I put in half an hour's practice on that.  I've signed up to play a the Persuit them in the Sherlock fan orchestra, so that required about 40 minutes on the horn (yeah, yeah I've heard all the jokes - it's the French Horn, the brass instrument) and then Debussy started calling to me so that was another hour spent on the piano.  That was practically the whole day gone, and I got nothing done on the computer, the weeds are flourishing, the spare room is still a mess, I've no holiday booked and I don't even know what bills need to be paid!

The garden a couple of weeks ago on a rare sunny day

Me, relaxing while the father does the work :)

I remember four years ago, when I was recovering from my ganz osteotomy (hip operation), that I had a lovely routine going.  I'd wake up, go to the sym, come home, have a little snooze, make dinner, potter about.  Basically I did everything in my own time.  I didn't feel that I had to get things done as I was recovering from major surgery.  Life was good (the past always is, isn't it?).  Then, when I eventually went back to work, it was a major shock to the system.  It really interfered with my life-style and it took me almost another year to get my stamina back to an acceptable level.

I've had a lot of time off this year due to a very different kind of illness.  And still I potter around and still the jobs accumulate and never get done. 

Oh and if you haven't read George Ryan's book, give it a go - it's quite good!