Had a nice week off from the blogging treadmill. It was a bit weird at first as one of the motivations for starting this blog up during my CFS recovery was to give me some kind of identity, a thing that I do that counts for something other than sitting around getting better, and suddenly taking that away reminded me of that need. So it was good to embrace that void of purposelessness for a bit and try not to fill it, at least at first.

And then just as I was getting ready to try something new over the weekend I threw my back out. I think it was when I stupidly picked up a 20 litre bottle of grey water and carried it a couple of meters across the lawn though it didn’t really kick in until Saturday. Proper bad agony stabs and all that jazz. I don’t think it helps that I’m now three years into zero exercise, thanks to the CFS, so my core muscles are weak as shit and can’t support a sprained back. Fi had had similar a few years ago so she knew what I needed to do and it’s slowly getting better.

The biggest issue is I can’t sit on a chair for more than 10 minutes, so I can’t really be on my laptop, even at the desk. So my blogging break is going to be extended by a few days, maybe longer.

Years ago I was at SXSW in Austin, Texas and all the bars were carding, seemingly regardless of how old you looked. I asked one doorman if there was anyone he wouldn’t ask for ID. “White beard and a cane.” Today a neighbour dropped off a kneeling stool for me to try out and I answered the door with my long white beard and a walking stick. I can now go drinking in Austin without any ID.

10 minutes is up. Posting now. Apologies for any typos.