Aches, pains and massage

It's time to do one of my rather incoherent updates as I haven't written anything on the blog for a couple of weeks with the exception of one notable item, i.e. Princess Kizzy's birthday.

Aches & Pains

So, what have we been doing. Well, rather a lot to be honest and I am very tired so I have decided that I am going to get younger and not older. Getting older isn't fun. I have numerous aches and pains and have managed to acquire lateral epicondylitis better known as 'tennis elbow' through my own stupidity. To explain, Zeki likes to jump into my arms and I encourage her to do this so that I can be sure to get her out of danger on a walk or if a large dog were to run into the ring at agility etc. She is a very cuddly dog and will stay in my arms until I put her down and I got into the habit of balancing her on my left forearm. Because she is small and light I didn't think much of it but unfortunately my arm did! Andy has been doing some work on my arm and things are improving but we have had a busy week and I haven't had a treatment for over a week so it's a bit sore again. I also have lots of pain in my neck which is really debilitating at times and I keep meaning to get him to do a treatment but I never seem to find the time. This leads me onto the next update in this voluminous rambling.

Massage training

Some of you may know, others may not so here we go. Andy has decided to resurrect his skills as a masseur. He trained a long time ago and worked in the treatment room at a gym. However, he didn't take any exams but just studied under a trained therapist. The main reason for this change of direction is that he would like a break from the drawing board and enjoys physical work as well as mental. In an ideal work I think he would really like to split his time between architecture and massage. So, Andy has gone back to college for two nights a week. On one night he studies anatomy and physiology and the other Swedish massage. His exams are next year and once he has qualified A&P and the Swedish massage he is going straight on to a sports remedial course. In the meantime he has to clock up over 100 hours of therapy and so already has a few people coming regularly for him to practise on! He is lucky that one of his fellow students lives just half a mile away and so they are able to practise on each other and help learn the various routines together. I am also an occasional guinea pig but apparently I'm the worst patient in the world. That I find very hard to believe!

At the moment he is using our small sitting room as a therapy room. Great, just as we had the fireplace installed ready for the winter so I could sit and read in there at the weekends (that's a joke by the way!) now the room has been taken over by Mr Masseur. But hopefully not for long. Andy being Andy always likes a project and so we are going to build an annexed studio as a treatment room. We are going to demolish the existing greenhouse which is really used as a wood store/shed and build the studio in its place. It will be slightly larger than the existing greenhouse and will have a treatment area plus a tiny kitchen and toilet/shower area. It will double as a place where friends can stay with their dogs which will be nice. We have had to apply for planning permission but hopefully this will soon be through and then Dennis, our builder, is geared up to come in and start work hopefully by the end of the month. No time like the present then! Liz and Geoff from next door are going to help us dismantle the greenhouse and then it will be moving next door as Liz's polytunnel is on its last legs and they will get good use from the greenhouse. It's nice that it's being recycled and not just dumped. It's a good old fashioned greenhouse and very large.

Andy had his first test last night in A&P and passed so he is a happy bunny. There is a long way to go but hopefully it will be worth it!