Monday, December 8, 2008

I hurt

I hurt today.

Really bad.

We went down to the big city of Portland Saturday, stayed overnight at Motel 1.4 or whatever, and then came back Sunday. Only Sunday it snowed.

In Portland, it was pretty. There was an inch or two of wet, fluffy flakes - just right for snowballs, but not enough for snowmen yet. The roads in town were a little greasy, but the highway was OK. We headed north toward home at just before noon, and the highway was clear-ish for quite a while. But after Brunswick, it got colder, and by the time we reached Augusta, it was starting to get a little hinky. Traffic seemed to want to go much faster than I was willing to drive, so we got off the highway and took the coastal route down Route 3. Bad idea. Apparently nobody wanted to pay plow truck drivers overtime rates on a Sunday for less than six inches of snow, so things were barely plowed at all. Greasy and slippery and we saw several places where cars had hit the guardrail or slid off into the ditch. We crept along, vowing every few miles to get studded snow tires as soon as we get a few hundred dollars together to do it. I was tense the whole way home. A drive that normally takes about 3 hours took four and a half. It was hellish.

I spent some time last night on that vibrating massage thing that fits in the armchair, and that was nice, but not nearly enough. Then this morning the power went off sometime between four and six a.m. I may have mentioned here before that I have a sleep apnea, if not: I have a sleep apnea. I wear a face mask attached to a hose that constantly pushes air into my lungs as I sleep. The machine is called a C-PAP and it is a lifesaver. I am useless if I do not wear it for a night, and if I go more than one nigh without it, I am punch-drunk and incapable of any productive effort. So anyway, when the power went out, my little "breathe machine" as I call it, crapped out, leaving me with a mask over my nose and mouth and no air coming in. Helluva way to wake up, let me assure you. So, I took it off and tried to go back to sleep, but that doesn't work much at all, and when the power came back on and I finally got out of bed, my back was so stiff and sore that I could hardly bend over. Lacing my boots actually brought tears to my eyes. It's bad.

I had to get up, though, because I have some really cool senior citizen folks who depend on me to shovel out their driveways and front walks, and I knew they'd be wanting to get out of the house today. Mind you, I can't bend over, so shovelling would have been comical had it not hurt so much. Luckily, most of it could be pushed and scraped clear and I didn't have to bend and lift.

So anyway, after that, I hit the grocery store and limped on home. I am still dressed in my work clothes (the boots are as far away now as they were this morning, and I'm not excited to try that again) but hope to find my pajamas soon. Maybe sweatpants. I might travel down into the next village to sozzle in my friends' spa for a little while. We'll see how it goes with the boots first. Maybe a hot shower will be enough to let me relax a little. The spa sounds great, but it's the coming and going in 6 degree (that's Farenheit, for my Canadian and foreign readers) temperatures with sub-zero wind chills (it's howlin' a gale out theyah) that causes me some concern. How relaxed am I going to be if I have to run that gauntlet before and after the sozzle? Meh.

I suppose someone will tell me to go to the doctor, and that sounds like a great idea, but I haven't got insurance, and I haven't got any money, so hot showers and gentle treatment are what I've got to work with. Maybe I'll get the cat to curl up with me on the couch. He's a good heating pad.

11 comments:

Queenie said...

Matt was driving from Massachusetts yesterday in that same yukky mix and it took him HOURS longer to get home. When he stopped her to pick up Faye and the baby, he too looked like hell. Today he is in bed and Faye is making him soup.
Get well and definitely get in the spa to cook that pain out of your back!

Robin said...

You poor thing, that sounds miserable.

That 6 degree run out to the spa is a bitch, but if you stay in long enough you won't even notice it on the way back. Just keep a robe and slippers right next to the spa and you're golden.

Hope you're feeling better soon.

Bull said...

Hope you feel better soon. I lived in Brunswick for about a year when I was stationed in Bath, and I can completely relate to the winter conditions. They make a bad day here in Boston look easy.

And you're a saint for shoveling those driveways given the pain you were in.

Carole McDonnell said...

Take care of yourself and drink a lot of water. And rest. -C

Anonymous said...

Sorry to hear your weekend had a less than pleasant end ----but it was nice to meet you and THANK YOU for the chocolate sauce. Mmmm.

Jill

Anonymous said...

No fun to drive in weather like that. And your back...ouch! I bet a trip to that hot tub would feel very good and totally worth it. Take care and hope your back heals soon!

Anonymous said...

We rarely get weather like that in Seattle but I remember it clearly from my years in Alaska. Sometimes I miss it. Pretty sick huh?!

Feel better soon...

Anonymous said...

I know it sounds horrible right now, but ice. Alternate with heat. Our storm last night was quick and nasty and already gone. The snow was half melted by 4pm.

1138 said...

I'm trying to think of what good a doctor would do you and I can't think of a thing.
You need warmth and rest and that doesn't come in a pill or a shot.

Thank you for reminding me that although I love Blue Hill and all the parts there abouts, it's a living hell most of the winter. Even Kittery is kinder.
Here in Georgia it mostly just gets grey and chilly, maybe near 20 at night or in the teens on occasion.
But oh, what the other three seasons YOU get, and a fresh snow looks nice even if fingers noeses and toes turn blue.
I was thinking of Nanny (my great grand mother) and her house on the ledges in Stonington just day before yesterday. That house must be worth millions now, and owned by some summer people, she would have a fit.

Kaylia Metcalfe said...

Wow... I hope you feel better.

Betwent he snow and hte pain... -shudder-

I feel for you! And yes, use that cat for warm cuddles... that is what he is there for yes?

Anonymous said...

i suppose by now you've recovered :) you may wish to know about a homeopathic remedy called arnica. you can get it as a cream or as teeny tiny little pellets that dissolve in your mouth. it helps with muscle aches, bruises, trauma. so like sore shoulders from fixing bathrooms could use arnica. it's an 'alternative' medicine but can be found in the mainstream hannaford's grocery stores too

~a random reader :)