Oct 16,2021

I stood on the top floor of the building and looked toward the lake. The sky was covered in grey and black, ominous clouds hovered over the mountains in the distance. Would it start to rain again? 

I shrugged off my apprehension and continued to set my ropes. I had a job to do.

Hanging off the side of high-rises used to be a daily routine for me. Now it was an occasional thing. I was replacing windows on the seventeen-story condo building and my job was to be on the outside removing the stops that held in the windows. Rain or shine it was time to get ‘er done.

I keep thinking about the scene in Lethal Weapon, “I’m getting too old for this shit.” 

I laughed at the thought of that. When I told it to the guys working on the inside, they didn’t get the humour, they never saw the movie. Indeed I must be getting too old when my cultural references are that far out of date.

Man am I stiff and sore.

It feels like whining when I type out those words – if they weren’t so true. Taking time off and getting away from work has had a double-edged effect on me. I used to be in pretty good shape and hanging off of high-rises for an entire day was no big deal. Now it feels like my body is screaming at me every time it moves.

I have a new goal.

It is time to get back into shape. I have a trainer, I have a counselor. The only thing left is actually doing the work. Why isn’t life like the Rocky movies? Our hero just does a bunch of running and skipping rope and then bam he’s the heavyweight champion of the world. Meanwhile, in the real world, I use out of date cliche’s and find it tough to get out of bed in the morning. Let alone run up the stairs or skip a fucking rope.

God, it hurts.

But it won’t get any better. I know that. This next week I have to hang off buildings for another couple of days. Maybe it will get easier if I do it more. I sure hope so. 

Maybe hiding in place is good for health when it comes to the pandemic. But sitting on the couch or in the captains’ chair is definitely not good for the body in the long term. Somehow I have my doubts if it has been good for everyone over the last year and a half.

Use it or lose, I’m told. And that has come back to haunt me in spades. I don’t want to lose it yet. I am only fifty-one not eighty-one and I know a couple of people that are into their seventies that hurt less than I do.

It’s time to make a change.

I went golfing yesterday, I will work again this week. I will get into the pool and do my best to swim four times a week. Ski season is just around the corner, I have my season pass. I have my goal…

Part of living the dream is being in shape. I will do my best to be in good shape. I really don’t want to mutter words like “I’m too old for this shit” anymore.