Ups and downs and turn-around

 Well, this week sure had it's share of disappointments  but eventually things turned around.  On Sunday it was announced that the World Curling broadcasts would be postponed (and later cancelled) as four cases of Covid-19 were detected in the broadcast crews. Initially it was only going to be for a day or so, but as additional cases were detected, up to seven on Tuesday, there was another announcement that no further games would be aired until Friday afternoon. As it turned they were able to get back to the arena by Friday morning and all of the draws, not only those with Canada as a participant, were aired. 

In the meantime, Curling Canada provided updates on Twitter of the Canadian games and I was able to catch the live scoring on the World Curling website but it was a poor substitute.  But, I do understand the need to keep the athletes, officials, and all of the broadcast crew safe. I should note that the broadcast crews stay in a separate hotel and except for the camera crew, who maintain an appropriate distance, there is no physical interaction between the players and on-ice crew with the broadcasters. All interviews are done virtually and it seems to be working as no athlete or official has been infected. Since the return to television, the camera crew hasn't been permitted on-ice so we're getting some different looks. All good!

So, with no curling for much of the week, I thought I'd tackle some bigger projects; spend my time decluttering in the house, working in the yard and setting up containers for planting in a few weeks.  But also on Sunday, as I was putting down the bowl of cat food for Saku, I twisted and popped something in my left hip.  The pain radiated through the muscles down my leg and into my lower back.  It actually took my breath away it hurt so bad.  I spent the next 24 hours in significant pain, using Advil as an anti-inflammatory and extra strength Voltaren for the muscle pain. Monday was a write-off, as I was in a fog most of the day and I couldn't concentrate on anything.  That evening I laid down on the bed on my stomach and did a few stretching exercises.  One of them, what I would call a frog kick (if you've done the breast stroke in swimming you'll know what I mean), resulted in another pop and the pain immediately went from a 8 to a 4 out of 10.  What a relief!

I did get my grocery shopping done on Tuesday but getting in and out of the car was quite painful. Each day the muscle pain was reduced and I was able to do a bit of housework on Wednesday including laundry, sweeping and vacuuming.  

By Thursday, I was feeling some better.  The afternoon was lovely with a temperature of 16C (61F) so after lunch I headed outdoors.  No point in just sitting around and I figured I'd just stop doing something if it hurt.  An hour later I had: the back lawn raked and debris picked up, cleaned and filled the bird bath,  swept the front patio and used my grabber to pick up pine cones, and got the front flower bed tidied.  There are few green shoots starting to show but I can't recall what it is.  I'll have to find my garden book and check my diagram.

By Friday, just in time for the re-start of the curling, my hip/back was almost back to normal.  Getting up and moving from a sitting position, especially if I've sat for an extended time does cause some discomfort but I can live with that! It just means I must get up between ends and walk a little bit.  Canada was in the first draw of the day and won their game handily.  They've had an up and down week too, and needed a win by Switzerland in the afternoon to make the play-offs. Switzerland started off by scoring two points in the first end and continued to run over their competition. So Canada is in the playoffs and have a spot in the Olympics.  Phew!

Some other good news to share, my daughter was able to book an appointment for her vaccination as she was eligible as of Tuesday.  She was able to book on-line before the site crashed temporarily.  Today, she got a call from a friend who works at the local hospital - they had some extra doses so she headed down to the clinic and was able to get her first vaccine!  My son is eligible as of today, but there are no appointments available in the city and the local pharmacies are only providing wait lists. Hopefully later this week.

There are three draws today of curling, Canada is currently on the ice with Sweden.  A win and they make the semi-finals, a loss and they are out.  The two teams have played each other a few times in the past couple of weeks and the games are always tight. I'm not making any kind of prediction.

Since I didn't get out walking this week, I'll share a photo of my cat Saku.  I was able to open the sunroom in the afternoons.  Thursday, it was quite warm out there - I had one of the windows open and the fan running.  The photo was taken after he'd had his supper. I'm not sure if he's simply cooling off his belly or if he ate too much!

Have a good weekend everyone!