Best Intentions, Outcomes, Or…?

For those interested, and as I mentioned in the previous post, I’m currently recovering from my most recent back injury.

I say recent, as this is most definitely not the first or second time this has happened…

…not even this year!

In fact, by my reckoning I’d say it’s my 10th time and it’s still only mid-June.

(Oh, and by the way, for those visiting from other planets it’s 2026, or 2569 in the Buddhist Era here in Thailand where I live.)

“Oh my, Russ, that’s terrible news. We really feel for you, so pray tell us more…” said no-one ever :D.

But, as my wife frequently tells her students, “Context is everything”, so it’s best to give you a little insight into my back-story.

For one, my good lady is correct; context is important, and two, I have no idea what will happen with this blog in the coming months, and if this journal does turn into “Nothing today as Russ’ back’s still knackered!” at least you’ll know why.

I used to be in the British Army (infantryman here) and when I left, I went on the North Sea drilling rigs as first a Roustabout, then a Roughneck, and finally an Assistant Derrickman.

I say finally as though I was destined to rise to higher things my rig career ended by falling headfirst through a hole in the rig floor and head-butting the steel deck 10’ below.

Though there was a lot of blood (an awful lot! Head injuries are renowned for it), thankfully the gas platform’s deck was undamaged…

…me on the other hand!

Well, take it from me that if the bets are on between human skull and steel deck, I know where my stake would go!

A few broken bones, a perforated eardrum (which was actually the reason I didn’t die that day), and a compressed spine were the headlines for that one, and it’s the latter that still plagues me today. (And prompted this post.)

Of course, the finely-tuned athletes reading might comment that flying a desk for 8-hours a day, and being 20 kg heavier than I really want to be likely aren’t doing me any favours…

…but I get that, and public accountability is a key driver for me creating this site.

So, that’s where we are, why I’m whinging <joke>, and why recuperation and stretching are most definitely the order of the day.