No Pain, No Gain

Today. Weird day. A weekday, no job, no money and all 'pity friends' - as Little Blister called them - are working. Non-pity friend (i.e. Bear) was also at home today as Holland played their first World Cup game. Draped in fruity coloured football paraphernalia and looking like a big Dutch satsuma sitting in the lounge, it was impossible not to take a photograph of him.

Photograph is now showing on Facebook, much to the delight of his recently-back-in-touch Dutch best friend who is excitedly posting messages to Bear at a rate most of us (except Little Blister of course) couldn't keep up with. Incidentally, this friend is the self-same 'best friend' who on our first introduction blanked me, because he thought I was 'stealing' Bear from him. Never mind that Bear was happy. Just the kind of best friend you need really.

Well 'Dutch best friend' (DBF) is undoubtedly concentrated joy at the thought I am discarded, so he has come sniffling back to his former playmate. And if I sound a little bitter, it's because I am. Well, annoyed at least. Annoyed at those kind of friends that make enemies unnecessary. I would never deliberately hurt Bear (even if I could) and feel awful that I have inadvertently done so at points in our journey together. Understandably in many ways, I am now paying the price. Yet DBF can behave like a right 'see you next Tuesday', be downright rude to Bear's new girlfriend, not contact Bear for years and yet not so much as a hint of a frown crosses Bear's face. I don't understand, does anyone else?

But I digress (I told you I did). Today's 2-0 victory for Holland did bring a smile to Bear's face and a few woop-woops could be heard throughout the game, yes, even above the incessant drone of the vuvuzelas. But then he did the ironing, which resulted in me wandering off for a football siesta and his general good humour dipping a little on my return an hour or so later. So to inject some more light entertainment into the day, Bear showed me how to do lunges (I did ask) ... and now my legs hurt (he kept that bit quiet).

However, I have completed a full set of exercises today - an hour walking the dogs; 10 x 4 biceps thingies; 10 x 4 bingo wing thingies; 10 x 4 crunches (crunchies would have been nicer) and 10 x 4 leg lifting thingies to work on the lower abdominals. But I only managed 3 x 5 lunges for thigh/bum toning and then discovered my legs didn't work properly.

Which makes me think, perhaps therein lies the reason why DBF didn't work properly on the friendship front ... no-one warned him about the bits that hurt.

Seems that exercise is good for the brain too.


Yours in hope and fear, AJ x