Lazy Lounging

After a fantastic, but frenetic weekend, I find myself enjoying a relaxed day with friends. My wife flew home yesterday (and I miss her terribly), but I am staying through Tuesday with some of of my college friends. We had a wonderful dinner last night and play a super cool game - The Settlers of Catan. It is sold in the U.S. by Mayfair Games, and I was impressed looking at some of their other offerings too. Likely, one or more of their products will be appearing in my own home soon.

This morning, I slept in for the first time in weeks. My body still is quite angry about the beating that I gave it on Friday and Saturday, but it was also good for me to learn that I can still do some physical things. I am not obsessing over the possibilities (which is good), but I do have some new motivation to find an exercise routine. It was tremendously humbling to realize how much endurance and strength I have lost in the last few years, but I went into the weekend knowing that such epiphanies awaited me. Rather than feeling depressed about what I couldn't do, I am pleased with what I could do. I still made some good plays. I even ran with a person or two who is likely half my age and NOT a person with narcolepsy. So, that has to count for something. I even scored a goal, threw a score, made some defensive plays, and had at least one impressive catch. That truly is impressive for a 40-year old man with narcolepsy who has done virtually no physical exercise (other than lots of walking as a teacher and yard work at home) for over 8 months.

Another positive from the weekend is that I wisely decided not to play yesterday. We had at least one game guaranteed on Sunday. It turns out that the team we played was super spirited too. While it would have been a blast to play a few more points, I know that today would have been vastly worse if I had played. When I awoke on Sunday morning, I knew that I had nothing. I find it difficult to describe the sensation, but essentially I knew that my "tank" was empty - even the reserve supply that exists for fight or flight. Once my amphetamine kicked in, I was functional and could have played. But, the exertion would have made me even more washed out today. Narcolepsy tends to manifest differently for so many people. I am sure that when I push as hard as I did this weekend - mentally and socially, I use up energy that is supposed to go elsewhere in my body. Last year, I got sick the few times that I pushed through the way that I felt yesterday. Thankfully, I am getting better at listening to my own body.

The finally irony of today is that it is gray and rainy in Maryland. Rainy stopped literally minutes before our first game on Friday. We then got three perfect days for ultimate. Well, they were a tad windy, but the sun and warmth were glorious. Now, when the tourney is over and most of my friends have gone home, the weather is gloomy and colder. But, that is also a great reason to lay low and rest. I don't feel like I should be running around to "see the sights" in D.C. with weather like this, but had the sunshine of the weekend continued, I definitely would have felt some level of guilt. Thankfully, I can simply enjoy the presence of my good friends. I will also get a chance to see some other friends this evening. I must admit that this is a great way to spend my spring break.