Dear John,
Why does everyone think that I am physically weak? I mean...people generally know that I am smart and capable, and therefore "strong." And I know that my size reads child rather than adult. But forever, everyone sees me lifting things and runs to take it from me. Not you, of course - you would make fun of me for not carrying more blocks. But I'd be hauling around retaining wall stones for you, and bags of dirt or mulch. If your mom saw me, she, who used to be an inch or two taller than me, would try to take the item from me like I wasn't able to carry it. I don't think I've ever had to put my suitcase in the overhead bin on an airplane. It's really weird to me.
Anyway, this came up yesterday, because I was trying to pull the stove out to clean behind it. I haven't done it since you've been gone, and I think it was almost a year before that. I was trying to lift up the front legs to slide some cardboard under there so I didn't scratch the floor, and I called your daughter over to help me. Your daughter, who spends a lot of time at the gym or using your weights downstairs. Your daughter who brags about how much she can bench. That daughter was absolutely useless at tilting the stove...or even lifting it at all. I basically did it myself, and she said "How are you so strong?" I was all...how do you spend so much time at the gym and you still can't lift anything?
I guess part of it is that I have stick-like forearms and pretty skinny wrists. Maybe that's what people notice and assume that's indicative of how much muscle I have. I guess they don't notice my sturdy Polish legs. Power comes from your legs anyway.
I guess this is about the last time I can appreciate my ability to lift things, as I really started having issues a couple years ago. I lifted a 20L can of methanol at work and injured my back. As long as I don't twist, I'm fine. But for now, I can still move the stove and refrigerator out to clean. Aging sucks.
Anyway, it was pretty disgusting back there. But it's clean now. And I will try to keep it that way. On to my next New Year's cleaning binge task.
Love,
A
Well, as usual, you keep me laughing (at juxtaposing your stick-like forearms and your sturdy Polish legs). But I am also feeling angsty because I don't think I've ever cleaned out behind the stove or fridge since the days we replaced them.
ReplyDeleteYEARS have passed. I shudder to think what's back there!
P.S. Wanna come visit? I could use some sturdy Polish legs for a project I just though of. 🤣
Put that project on hold for a year or two - after I retire, I will have plenty of free time for random stuff!
Delete(I have sturdy Polish legs, because my mom was Polish and my dad was Irish. And fitting well with Mendelian genetics, my 3 sisters have skinny, delicate lower legs, like my dad. Mine, however, are much more muscular, and in fact, looked exactly like my mom's and my friend's childhood boyfriend's legs...and he emigrated from Poland. Mendel was also reliable for the eye color - 3 blue eyes, 1 with green. I got ALL the recessive genes.)