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| Not shown: Bowl of borsch |
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My sleep schedule is creeping forward in a way I'm not really happy about. Woke up today at 7:20, stumbled out, fed Catalina, had some yoghurt while I watched the highlights of last night's NFL games, watched an episode of Law & Order, then stumbled back to bed at 9:00 am and fell asleep until 10:20 or so, when I woke up to a headache.
I don't like this. Tonight will aim for bed around 10 pm, see if I can shift things back. I'd like to wake up no later than 6:30, and ideally around 6:00 am.
The subject of the headache only leads to other physical ailments though. Pretty much ever since I got to Prague in early December I've had really unprecedented soreness and aches in my right foot, ankle, and shin/calves, which has been especially problematic during tennis, making it more impressive that I've been able to win a few tournaments, since running has been sort of difficult — meaning not only do I not go as fast as normally, but I find myself hesitant to launch myself into a run for a ball, as I know how painful it'll be.
Today I woke up to that as well, but then also a really painful back, for some reason. The combination has made it especially difficult to put on socks and shoes, for instance, and I'm walking fairly gingerly.
I wasn't that bothered by it at first, of course. I assume it was something simple that would go away in a couple days or a week or two. And it does wax and wane, certainly — some days it's far less pronounced than others. But it is lingering, and it's annoying. It's connected to my age, of course. This is the kind of problem that I can only assume will become more common in coming years.
Still and all, I'm really hoping it's not a permanent addition to my life. I didn't tweak or injure my leg, and I don't know what's going on. All I can figure it, as these ailments did arrive just when I started wearing my casual Sketchers shoes pretty much every day, and walking in them a great deal, instead of only a couple days a week, and mainly when driving, as I had been in the US, that it's somehow related to them. They're flimsy, and comfortable — easy to slip on and take off, which is especially useful when your body would rather not bend down to tie shoes — so perhaps they're not actually giving my feet the kind of support they need, as I reach my late 50s?
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| The problem? |
The good news it that the pair of shoes I have now is pretty worn, and it wouldn't be a problem to throw them away. The bad news is that I've already bought another pair to replace these when they're done — they were on sale shortly before Christmas, so I thought "why not?". I don't think the pair I bought is exactly the same kind I have now, so perhaps they'll be better?
I think my plan is to wear some running or tennis shoes for the next week or two, to see if that makes any difference. (I could also go buy some shoes famous for their support, but I've spent something like $600 on shoes since I got here already — I'd just as soon not invest more right now). If not, then at least I'll know it's not the shoes. If my pain does go away, I'll probably limit my use of the new Sketchers to walking to the store or for quick errands, or if I'm traveling —easy on/easy off is very helpful in airports, and if I'm sitting on an airplane or train it won't be a problem).
One way or another, I'd really like to go back to feeling quick sometime soon. 😀
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Before going to the gym this morning I stopped at a tiny little coffee shop next door and had my morning cappucino. As I put on my coat to head out, the young blond woman behind the counter, noticing my M hat, said to me, "did you go to U of M?"
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| Not my hat, but you get the idea |
This kind of stopped me in my tracks, as almost nobody here even knows what the hat is from, let alone knows to say "U of M."
Turns out her parents — mother Czech, father American — met in Ann Arbor, and she was born and lived her first five years in my old home town, though she's lived here for the last 15 or so. Small world.
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At the gym itself, getting ready to get on elliptical machine, arranging my headphones, a guy approached me. "How are you doing!?" I said I was fine, and he said, "You're American, right?" I said yes, I was, and he said, "you know how I could tell?! Because of your optimism, the look of positivity on your face. You can always tell!"
I murmured my amazement at his deductive skills, and said something like, "you sure were right!", but then got back to my headphones, and I think successfully indicated that this was not a conversation I had any real interest in continuing. I think he — an American too, by the way, based on his personality and American accent — got the message, in any event, and we didn't speak to each other again during my time there.
I don't know. He may be right, I guess. Maybe I walk around with a big ol' American grin on my face. Could be. Or maybe he picked up how I was dressed or some other subtle cues. Who knows? In any event, I think maybe he kind of hoped I would immediately join in a conversation with him about how dour and drim Czechs are, but I wasn't in the mood.
Besides. I didn't really move here to meet Americans, to exchange our views on how much happier Americans are than Czechs. How dull. I enjoyed the brief interaction with the young woman in the coffee shop more.
But maybe on a day where I didn't have a headache and my back didn't hurt it would have been better. His bad luck.
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