Badders


I can hardly move my hips.
My knees feel like shit too!

But it was worth it!
During my Sheffield days I used to play badminton a couple of times a week. My partner, a diminutive Yorkshireman called Mike (who was built like a Staffordshire Bull terrier ) then worked for British Telicom in the city centre so I used to play at Pond's Forge sport's centre, one of the "White Elephant"  sports facilities developed for the World Student Games in 1990.
I used to be a fair player

Now I have piled on the weight, developed a dodgy knee and have not played for fourteen years or so, so it was with a heavy heart that I pulled on my elasticated joggers and new trainers and dug out my old racket.
I was convinced I was going to make a real tit of myself

The Prof goes to the University gym every day, and is physically so much fitter than me so as we squared up on the badminton court he was all buff and confident and I looked like a jellyfish wrapped up in muslin.
Thank goodness for muscle memory for I may have sweated like a hot pig and sounded like an asthmatic buffalo but I had not forgotten how to play the game and despite everything I kind of beat the Prof into the ground!
I enjoyed myself.
A great panacea to the ills of the day!

******************************************************

Postscript. I finally spoke to the Irish Vet this morning and we shall work towards Winnie getting Spayed at some point. Obviously there are many ifs and buts before that point, and I am fully aware that any operation may well finish the old gal off, but I feel that I owe it to her to try one last time.
Things I know can change very quickly, that is the way of infections, but at the moment, although sleepy, she is eating and drinking and taking her antibiotics without complaint. 

32 comments:

  1. Anonymous10:52 am

    Thanks for the update on Winnie. All your readers, including those of us who don't comment very often, are pulling for her.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Best wishes for you all and for Winnie, its heartbreaking when they are ill.

    Dydd Gwyl Dewi hapus i ti a dy deulu i gyd. Happy St. Davids Day to you and all your family.

    ReplyDelete
  3. thank you for the winnie update. and you and the prof should get your exercise!

    ReplyDelete
  4. I am glad you beat the Prof and that Winnie is improving! Did you manage to plant up the daffs? :)

    ReplyDelete
  5. Thank you for the update on Winnie, I do hope all goes well for her. I spend 30 minutes a day on the treadmill or elliptical trainer, I have been doing so for 3 months and I still look like a "jellyfish wrapped up in muslin," but I feel better, I am stronger. That is what counts.

    ReplyDelete
  6. I feel your glowing pride in beating the Prof into the ground! (I also feel the hips and knees but that's another story).
    Somewhat more sobering news about Winnie and I can only hope that everything goes well with her. Dear Winnie. :(

    ReplyDelete
  7. Thinking of all of you and especially Winnie.

    As I said yesterday, our little lady was 14 when she was spayed. We had no time to think about it because the situation with her pyometra was critical and it was quite literally a life or death choice to make on the spot. We chose the operation to give her a chance at life - she recovered and we had four more healthy and happy years with her for which I am forever grateful. So these tough old gals can and do surprise you with their resilience. Hang in there, Winnie. ♥

    ReplyDelete
  8. You beat the Prof! Well done (and I'm sure you didn't really look like a jellyfish wrapped in muslin).

    ReplyDelete
  9. Two lots of good news in one! Well... kinda good news in Winnie's case but let's wait and see. And give Chris a hug of condolence for being the loser. Poor bugger. I hope you've stopped dancing around him by now. Or will soon... Or to put it another way, goodonya, mate!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Oh well done on the badminton.
    Love and kisses to Winnie-x-

    ReplyDelete
  11. Well done on the exercise! I do hope all goes well for your Winnie.

    ReplyDelete
  12. The World Student Games were held in Sheffield in 1991, not 1990. What a crazy fiasco! The Don Valley Stadium has now been demolished and they are building a high-tech secondary school on the site.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Yay for muscle memory. So glad to hear Winnie is responding well to the anitbiotics.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Dear Winnie has been on my mind so often. Not being familiar with pyometra, I went Googling and found this rather technical but very informative piece. Can't provide a link, but if you search "Dags Naturally Magazine pyometra" you will find it. Written by a holistic vet whose own dog had pyometra, it discusses non-surgical options at some length. This may not be an alternative for Winnie, but it's good to be informed in any case it seems to me.

    I see I'm the second Sheila to comment.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Good for you on the Badminton court, talent always shows. Many years ago I was working helping my husband at work, his office was an in/out station for all the people who passed. We knew many of them and one of them was so talented musically. If someone brought in an instrument he could play it within minutes. One of the other musicians there looked at me one day and said, " Don't you just hate talent!" That statement has become a byword for the whole family, especially when someone does really well. Read it and weep, Chris!! Hoping Winnie does well, and is able to have her operation. Love Andie xxx

    ReplyDelete
  16. I took up playing badminton once because I mistakenly thought "How hard can it be? It's badminton!" Gawd, it almost did me in. My sympathies to the Prof for the loss and to you for today's aches and pains.

    ReplyDelete
  17. She sounds like she's feeling a bit better. I'm glad. As for you, good job on winning the game, but I think your muscles will soon let you know who's truly the boss around there. Have your pain killers ready :-)

    ReplyDelete
  18. Like you, I played a lot of badminton in my youth. After a break of 20 years, I started playing again. The next morning, I couldn't get out of bed (literally). I'm not sure if you have g

    ReplyDelete
  19. I was cut off! Just wanted to warn you that the day after is not easy.

    ReplyDelete
  20. Looks like there's life in both the old dogs yet - thank goodness. Please give Winnie a kiss from me. xx

    ReplyDelete
  21. nice to know one can be unfit and still win. I used to play volleyball with a group every Sunday for about a year or so. some of the guys were not good about playing their position and would lunge into you to get the ball. I got knocked down more than once.

    ReplyDelete
  22. maybe you and winnie have one last game in you! how old is winnie?

    ReplyDelete
  23. I used to be a very fair volleyball player - made up for shortness with sheer determination. However, I would kill myself if I tried to take it up again. Good for you! Glad to hear that Winnie is holding her own. Maybe you could order up a workman to fix something at the cottage? That would charge her batteries!

    ReplyDelete
  24. Any game could be dangerous if one is overweight. Don't do this again unless you manage to loose some weight.

    ReplyDelete
  25. Is this the profs way of getting you to lose some weight so you can to fit into your budgie smugglers? We don't want to look like a beached whale on those Aussie beaches now do we.
    Hope all goes well with Winnie, not nice having a loved pet feeling poorly.

    ReplyDelete
  26. I'm glad things have settled down for Winnie. With you by her side she has every chance of living a good life for a long while yet.

    Jean

    ReplyDelete
  27. We had a badminton set when we were kids. I have never known anyone who played it except as a childhood backyard game.

    ReplyDelete
  28. Well done you!! 'Diminutive staffordshire bull terrier' eh? I'll take it! Great memories of those times. Everytime I pass ponds forge on the tram my mind wanders back...x

    ReplyDelete
  29. Once you've ridden a bike 🚴 you never forget. I'm glad you gave the Prof a run for his money on the court. Giggles... Thank you for the news on Winnie. Albert probably won't let you kiss him. I love cats John. Mary is a doll. Am I leaving one out? Hugs and kisses to the babies from GG.

    ReplyDelete

I love all comments Except abusive ones from arseholes