Evening folks. As you can see I am still playing around with Project Playlist. Eventually I plan on taking some time to rearrange the music so that there is an order that to it that makes sense.
Right now it feels a bit schizophrenic to me. Can't say that I am all that surprised by it as this seems to be a current theme to my life. Just look through the blog and you'll find me carping about all sorts of crap.
In the meantime I have to empty out the contents of my head into this overstuffed couch. Don't ask me what that means because I haven't a clue.
Had the opportunity to go play poker with the boys. It was a hell of a lot of fun. I haven't seen those guys in far too long and I have to say that I have really missed them. There was something nice about just hanging out with the old cronies. Every now and then it is nice to be nothing more than "Jack."
For a few hours I wasn't dad, husband or son. For a few hours I didn't worry about how to pay the mortgage, retirement, kids etc. For a few hours I felt like the guy I used to be. It was nice, because sometimes I miss that guy.
He was a relatively easy guy to please. Time with the boys, good pizza, beer and the occasional moment with a special someone usually took care of most things. But before we get too far let's tie this more clearly into the title of this post.
One of the clear advantages of being "present day me" is a bank account that allows me to enjoy some things that the 20 year-old could only dream of. The downside to that is that now I am very conscious of when some things just don't hit the mark, like sushi.
I love sushi. It is easily one of my favorite meals. I could eat sushi every day and not get tired of it. The big problem is that I can't afford to. I don't want to come off as being a snob or trying to say that I have a sophisticated palate. The thing is that I have reached a place where I can taste the difference between cheap fish and that which is of a higher quality.
As a point of clarification the cost of the fish is not always indicative of the quality. But I can also say unequivocally that cheap sushi is really disappointing. Enough about that.
Let's move on to discussing knees, specifically my own. I am relatively bullet proof, or at least I used to be. Until quite recently I used to say that my only real weakness is this funky digestive system that I cart around with me, but that may not be entirely true anymore.
My knees have begun a civil war. The shots may not have been fired from Fort Sumter, but nonetheless the knees have gone beyond simply diplomacy. It should be noted that the routine and consistent pounding that they have received from 25 years of basketball, squatting, stair climbing and daily use have a roll in this.
It would also be fair to say that they are carrying a larger load than they used to, but the squeaks and cracks that emanate from them seem to be no different than before. The main change is the dull ache and the sense that they just don't give the same support as they used to.
Along with the knees there have been other signs of wear and tear. A pinched nerve in my neck, occasional shoulder pain and a back that hates the early mornings.
Did I mention that I can't just walk on the court and begin playing anymore. Well, that is not entirely true, I can. The thing is that it takes me a few minutes to get going. Until I break a sweat I feel like I am stuck in molasses. For those few of you who will appreciate it, "3400 RPMS and the Turbo kicks in!"
Hell, how long does it take for my freaking turbo to kick in. I am not aging all that gracefully. I am having a terrible time accepting that my body doesn't do what it should do. My mind remembers exactly what I could do and expects a perfect performance each time.
I keep telling myself that if I push hard enough, if I just visualize what I want then I can make it happen. Why can't we live our dreams. Why must we settle for a life that doesn't quite meet our dreams. Why can't we push the limits and try to hit that higher mark.
One of these days I'll have to make some more adjustments. One of these days I'll stop playing ball and go back to swimming. I swam competitively in high school. One of these days I'll sign up for a Masters Swimming program.
In fact if I had the time I'd do it now.
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