Tough Stuff

Hate to think what my right shoulder is going to
feel like in another 15-20 years, but I guess I'll
cross that bridge when I get to it.
All those farm chores..
Carrying buckets of water and endless hay bales,
grooming horse after horse after horse, getting
bucked off so many times I stopped counting.
Then there was that horrible winter in ninety
something when it rained and froze one day on top
of the other.
By myself then, I broke ice all day long.
Trying to get the encapsulated barn doors open,
and hours later, when I finally succeeded, I kept
chopping, in an effort to make channels in the
layers of ice so the rain would go around the barn
and stop flooding the stalls and the sheep shed.
That winter really took a toll on my right shoulder.
Couldn't sleep on it for close to a year, which was
a pain because I'd always been a right "side" sleeper.
Couldn't lift it over my head either.
There is only so much one shoulder can take and I
guess I've abused mine.
Last year, (was it last year?) I separated it in a
corner fall, skating. That made driving hard for a
few weeks.
Last night I fell, bunched in line during a passing
drill. It's been awhile since I've gone down, and I
whacked it a good one again.
Felt like Thor had taken his hammer to it, shoulder
to elbow.
It rang my bell and reverberated for hours.
Made a icky grinding noise when I moved it, and hurt
to use when I drove home.
Must be made out of really tough stuff 'cause it
feels much better this morning.

First League Meet of the season is this Sunday and
I'm uninspired to race, though I do plan on going to
watch.
What happened to the racer woman of a few months ago?
I don't know.