If it's not one thing ...

I should have been playing cricket yesterday ...

I'm involved in two evening cricket teams at the moment, although I'm at "making up the numbers" status. Cricket's quite frustrating at the moment because :

Can't throw
Can't bowl
No batting technique (it's hiding due to lack of practice)
Slow legs

And that's when I'm actually intact enough to play. I let the captain of one team know on Friday that I'd got a bit torn up and was doubtful for Tuesday, this was when he was letting me know that he'd probably need me for the game.

That's where the making up the numbers comes in. If the team's short, I'll turn up and play. Like a couple of years ago, I'll even play when hobbling due to torn groin muscles or heavily bruised legs. Hell, I even put dislocated thumbs back in on the field (wicket keeping injury) and kept playing. There's not much that'll keep me off the field if the team needs me, I've only had to leave the field twice :

Nose Job Number 1 (being hit in the eye by the ball)
A couple of heavy hits to my knees

The knee one was when I played for the village side, I got hit twice heavily on my right knee when I wasn't wearing the padding I see as essential now. My legs were pretty stunned from that, couldn't put power through the leg. But I was back on the field again after getting my knee pads on. Oh - I've also retired hurt once, after getting hit on the legs again. But that was more because I was scoring slower than a sleeping turtle and my side was losing.

I think I've picked up on another thing I have to avoid at all costs.

Pick N Mix.

I'd been recovering quite nicely, enough to be able to play two games. However, I barely made that second game and my condition the day after was ... poor. And that decline continued with me scratching my head wondering what I'd come into contact with that caused the decline. I think it's Pick N Mix, I picked up some on Tuesday at the Mall having had the rare chance to have the car in work. That was fortuitous because I also needed more jeans - I can get those from Matalan, which is within walking distance ... but I suspect I react to their dyes.

So - Pick N Mix lasted a few days. And I seem to have improved since it ran out. I'll just avoid it for a little while, there's all sorts of strange things that'll go into Pick N Mix stuff.

Anyway - enough of the gross stuff. I've improved overnight and over today and if it continues, I'd be intact enough for a game scheduled for tomorrow.

If the game actually happens that is. I phoned one captain up yesterday to let him know that I was too shredded for last night's game, which turned out academic because Summer's been and gone here just like last year. We've had days of continuous rain. I suspect we've had enough rain today that tomorrow's game is doubtful.

What have I been doing over the holiday ?

It's been a little strange and restless. I'd usually mark the beginning of a holiday period with a run to the places where pizzas grow. This time though, I've been hiding because of those unhealthy legs. It was just tonight where they'd improved enough for me to head out. Actually, Friday was ok too but I still had a bit of that Pick N Mix left to gobble. And when I say Ok, that's like someone saying they're just fine when they can only move with the aid of a walking stick. Cos I'm like that.

Restless ?

I've always been someone who needs to divide their attention up between different things. Like at the moment, I'm keeping a loose eye on the TV news while writing this, thinking about a bit of pooter management, listening to music (Life by The Cardigans). But ... I seem unable at the moment to totally devote my attention to one single thing. And that would be reaaaaally useful as it would distract me away from "helping" (translation - poking and making it worse) my legs to recover.

I've bene having trouble focusing on one thing to keep my attention. I've been bouncing from game to game, only settling on :

Defense Grid - because certain levels I can leave running after an initial set up
Endless Space - space game which is Bad but is newer than ...
Master of Orion 2 - I keep going back to this :-)

I have a tonne of others which I've barely touched since I got them. And that's like - 30 minutes played according to Steam.

Need something to get my teeth into ! Or someone - oo-er. Tomorrow will be different, I'll be on the road to get the car serviced. Which could either be me sitting in the garage waiting for them to get the job done (new book by Jack Campbell to keep me busy!) or me wandering around Cheltenham for a little while.

For now though - it's back to another run through Deus Ex Human Revolution, or perhaps a nostalgia soaked trip back to the original Neverwinter game ... (yep - there's a new Neverwinter Nights game - I'm avoiding it).

Musical accompaniment ? For now : Fine by The Cardigans. Happy songs :-) It's from before The Cardigans turned quite dark ... Life's a bouncier, happier album than the rest of their's.