Written May 27, 2025
Hello Dear Readers,
Some days you wake up ready to conquer mountains. Other days, you’re lucky if you can conquer getting out of bed. Today, I woke up with the energy level of a potato. Not even a baked one—just raw and slightly sprouting. But alas, adulthood doesn’t come with a snooze button for responsibility.
It’s summer, which means the yard doesn’t politely tend itself. As a certified grown-up with chronic kidney disease (yay me), outdoor chores hit a little differently. For one, I fatigue faster than a phone battery at 2% running Google Maps. And two, thanks to dietary restrictions, I can’t exactly refuel with a protein-packed feast. Recovery is more “zen monk” than “Olympic athlete.”
Truth be told, I’ve probably been pushing too hard lately, and my body threw up the white flag this morning. Still, I’ve learned a sneaky little trick over the years: sometimes, when I feel like doing absolutely nothing, doing something physical actually kickstarts my energy. It’s like reverse psychology for the body—move first, motivation later.
My wife is a big fan of this method. She’s got low blood pressure and isn’t exactly a morning person (understatement). But she swears by the “just get up and do it” approach. Apparently, once she starts moving, she gains energy like Mario collecting power-ups. So, inspired by her, I shuffled outside to tackle the lawn.
Now, I wasn’t about to go full landscaper mode—my right knee is staging a protest, and there were off-and-on rain showers making things feel extra dramatic. But I mowed enough grass to earn my Adulting Badge for the day. Oddly, the grass hadn’t grown much despite warm weather and plenty of rain. Maybe the lawn is in solidarity with me. Lazy blades unite.
Planking was next on the list, and let me tell you, convincing myself to do it was like trying to sell a gym membership to a cat. But eventually, I managed. Was it graceful? No. Was it done? Absolutely.
Even after all that effort, my energy never quite caught up. Meanwhile, my wife zipped around the house like a caffeinated squirrel. She only slows down once—right after waking up. Then she goes full throttle until bedtime, like some kind of adorable Energizer Bunny. I, on the other hand, operate in slow-mo with commercial breaks.
Still, despite the sluggishness and aching knee, I didn’t skip any of my responsibilities. I scaled a few tasks down (because I’m not a masochist), but everything got done. Not bad for a guy running on fumes.
Hopefully, tomorrow will bring more energy and a less rebellious knee. As for running? We’ll let morning-me figure that out. He’s usually more optimistic.