So, today is Saturday. The weekend. But, of course, for many years my life hasn’t been scheduled around clearly marked work days and then weekends.

I have heard (several times) that during this time of “stay home, work safe” or quarantine or whatever you call it, that it is good to actually have a schedule in order to maintain at least a little semblance of normalcy. So I’ll try it. Whatever, I suppose.

I know I’ve been eating more lately, but just now my naked weight is still just 139 pounds. I’m not sure why. And I am trying to consume more muscle-building proteins. I just had a bowl of cereal and a banana for breakfast, and I also have 4 strips of bacon cooking in the oven. And I have some Kroger fried chicken to nibble on, and lots of other meat in the freezer.

Last weekend I dyed a small bit of yarn, and yesterday I reskeined it. There are specific muscles used in reskeining and twisting yarns into a presentation twist. Those muscles are reminding me they’ve not been used in a while. UGH. No, it’s a good thing really, but still just the reminder is a bit annoying. I think, “What the hell? I’ve been doing this for thirteen years …. oh yeah, I’ve not done this particular thing for several months.”

And the entire process — soaking, dyeing, washing, hanging, reskeining, and all the rest — involve specific body actions and muscle movements. And some dye techniques are definitely more labor intensive than others.

Virtually everything about my life and my work has become a bit of a challenge, as far as actually doing the things I need to do. It is becoming better, ever-so-slowly, but nearly everything I want or need to do requires a bit of thought: “Do I actually have the energy to do this? Will I need a rest afterward? How will today’s activities affect my ability to function tomorrow?”

For me, thankfully, it is simply a process of recovery and getting back to normal. For so many others it is a chronic daily life-long battle, so I suppose I’m fortunate. It does give me an appreciation for what I do have, as well as some understanding for those living with chronic conditions.

Speaking of chronic conditions — I’ve been on the celecoxib for a couple weeks. Hardly any pain in the hip or knee. This stuff is amazing, and so much better than the OTC NSAIDs I’ve been using. There may come a time when it isn’t as effective, but for now I am happy with the results, and my ability to walk and function without a lot of pain.