Fate has a funny way of dealing the cards sometimes. I've been really enjoying the new e-mountain bike. Fresh air, getting fitter - what's not to like? I haven't been on any demanding trails but felt quite comfortable on the ones I've tackled. It's much closer to home where skill improvements are clearly required.
Coming home from a ride 3 weeks ago, I went to dismount right outside our garage and the elastic lace on one of my cycling shoes caught on one of the serrated pedals. Time slowed down whilst I slowly toppled over and smacked into the garage door opening and felt a rib let go. Pain and a lot of bad words! It's not been as bad as expected, just a bit uncomfortable in bed, with sneezes and coughs to be avoided. Under normal circumstances, I'd be chomping at the bit to get out again but for the last few weeks, the NZ winter has been horrendously wet so some enforced chilling hasn't been a big deal.
As mentioned in a recent blog, Jennie and I are celebrating our Golden Wedding anniversary (actually tomorrow) and as part of those celebrations we invited our friends to lunch at a local restaurant last weekend. It was a wonderful occasion, full of laughter and irreverence. Not that we needed reminding, but we're genuinely blessed to have such great friends.
From that high point, things went downhill the next day with me testing positive for Covid. Couldn't believe how quickly it came on. Jennie tested positive shortly after. Fortunately, the symptoms have been relatively mild with fatigue being the biggest issue. Very sad that a number of our friends also became unwell although not seriously so. It would appear that we became infected at a pub quiz earlier in the week but at least we won the quiz! We've had to postpone a family gathering this weekend but not a big deal in the scheme of things as we'll get together again quite soon.
We had an email from friends in the UK who married a few weeks after us in 1972. They attached a photo which we hadn't previously seen which was taken at their wedding. It has Jennie standing with some mutual friends, Roberta and John; and it has special significance. Roberta and Jennie were good friends at uni and John and I were mates at school. They married the previous year and Roberta decided that Jennie and I would be good together. We only found out later that Roberta pulled a number of devious tricks to make sure that it happened. Pretty good judgment on Roberta's part!
So there we are, a bit of serendipity to offset the curse of Covid!
And in a non-relevant moment yesterday, we were blessed with a flock of Royal Spoonbills feeding in the harbour at the front of our house. That's the first time we've seen them since we bought the place in 2003. Absolutely majestic birds.
Happy Anniversary! Fifty years, that’s something to celebrate.
ReplyDeleteThanks Richard. It's certainly testament to Jennie's patience !
DeleteHappy Anniversary to you and Jennie. She was a bit of a spunk back in the day. Wishing you two good health and Happiness.
ReplyDeleteThanks Steve. We're still in isolation but have got plenty of good food, wine and beer laid in for a celebration 😆
DeleteYes, well done to Jennie for putting up with you for all these years! ;-) Between Covid and your rib, I'm sure she has had to stick a bit of grumbling over the last week or so too. Seriously though, well done to you both, and sorry to hear about you being laid low. May you enjoy your freedom even more when you get let loose again.
ReplyDeleteHi Ian,. I'm sure most wives will agree with those sentiments 😊. Many thanks for the good wishes and looking forward to the new normal, whatever that is!
DeleteHappy Anniversary, here's to many more years to come! Hope your rib is better and Covid has left the building (at one point it seems we all have to have it...). All the best, and enjoy the rain... we have had a dry spell for many weeks now, forests are dangerously dried up, and fire hazard is high. We are praying for water from above...
ReplyDeleteHi Sonja, thank you very much 💕. Sorry to hear about all the climate problems in Europe. I wish we could send you some of our rain! In our region, we haven't come anywhere near having any frosts, even though we only get a handful of slight ones in normal winters.
DeleteHappy anniversary!
ReplyDeleteThank you Kofla! Even in isolation, we've had a good day with good wine and cheese 😄🍾🍹
DeleteGoing to go against the grain here mate....Jenny is a lucky bird to have landed you Geoff. Good men are hard to find! (Even 50 years ago)
ReplyDeleteCongrats on the 400 years of marriage, even if it only feels like 50. 😆
I hope the Covid goes easy on both of you and your coughing is at an absolute minimum.
Hahahaha! Thank you for the sentiments Dave, l reckon we've been really good for each other, even if she does roll her eyes and sigh a lot 😄. We're coming right thanks, just need to sort out our energy levels. It drops away really fast if we overdo it. Take care.....
DeleteYes, I found I was quite tired for a month or so afterwards. Ease back into things gently.
DeleteYep, just having a shortish pedal on my static bike every day rather than getting out on the MTB.
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