Tuesday, February 17, 2009

Sore Muscles and a Snake

Wow. I can barely move. Today is actually better than yesterday, but good god do I hurt.

Now, for those of you who've known me for awhile, you know that I've always been athletic so it always comes as a bit of a surprise when I actually have sore muscles. I'm usually in pretty good shape and only feel sore when I play a new sport (the first tennis game each spring always kills me) or if I injure myself. But since I've been slacking, my body is rebelling.

Right now my abs are the worst. I'm not sure if it was the big-boy push-ups I did or what, but I can't seem to sit up from a lying position. (Very stressful while sitting in a beach chair.) After the running yesterday morning, Ibis and I went to the beach with my dad where we played a bit of soccer, volleyball, and walked another mile or two. Today I'm moving as little as possible. He, of course, also swam several miles and is at the gym again today, crazy boy.

Now for the snake. We were in the ocean hitting the volleyball back and forth, during which time he spiked one in my belly when I wasn't looking. After I got him back, we called it quits and were heading back to shore when I stepped on something smooth and slithery. I screamed and leapt into the air, only to step on it again, and I think I levitated at point until I was safely on dry land.

There was a couple nearby who'd been watching something in the water, and they smiled and told Ibis what I'd stepped on. It took a moment for him to translate, but finally he looked at me and said, "snake."

AHHHHHH!

After a few convulsions, I went back to the safety of my chair and didn't move again for several hours. I'm not sure how soon I'll be going back in the ocean.

Have you ever stepped on something creepy?

22 comments:

Janna Leadbetter said...

Ugh for the sore muscles.

I don't remember stepping on anything gross. I most often step on harmless fluffy things that still wind up injuring me, because I'm that kind of clutz.

colbymarshall said...

I love snakes! I probably would have wanted to play with it, lol!

Worst/grossest thing ever...jellyfish. Not to mention they hurt. Ugh!

Jewel Allen said...

I love sports and dancing, too. The aches are a good reminder I can eat chocolate that day :-)

Creepy -- mmm, blood, I guess.

Melanie Hooyenga said...

Janna, that made me smile, but I swear I'm not laughing at you. I trip over Ibis' shoes ALL THE TIME.

Melanie Hooyenga said...

Colby, yuck! How can you like snakes? This one was at least a foot long and they said it was red. I'm so glad I didn't see it.

Melanie Hooyenga said...

Pink, I agree, when the pain isn't debilitating. This is just getting ridiculous. :)

Ibis said the same thing last night - that he could eat anything since he'd exercised for like ten hours, lol.

JLC said...

I would have freaked! Ew! I don't remember stepping on anything slimy in particular, but I had a couple of experiences with snakes while swimming in a lake. I don't mind snakes and I won't kill one because I know how important they are, but I don't like 'discovering' them.

Melanie Hooyenga said...

Turkey, I just got the chills AGAIN remembering it. Yuck! Ibis was surprised it didn't bite me, but I don't think it had a chance, what with the levitation and all.

Lauren said...

Ug! I hate snakes. Go gross.

Hope your sore muscles feel better quickly!

Melanie Hooyenga said...

Lauren, I'm trying to stretch but it hurts! Yes, I'm being a wimp.

I keep looking at Pink's comment about stepping in blood and I must say, I've very glad I didn't step in blood.

Anonymous said...

I LOVE the feeling of sore muscles. Makes me feel as though I accomplished something.

:-)

When I was a kid I used to step on bees on purpose. I liked the way the sting felt.

------
Wow, this comment of mine sure has a lot feel/felt.

Nadine said...

That is scary! I don't know much about water snakes - when they bite, do they have poison?

Can't think of anything really gross that I stepped on besides cat throwup.

Melanie Hooyenga said...

Auria, on PURPOSE? Gah!

lol, I think I started it with talking about how my muscles feel.

Melanie Hooyenga said...

Nadine, I have no idea. I like to think they do not have poison...

And I think car barf qualifies as something very gross.

Allen said...

My latest book has a story about a snake and Chester's wife. It stems from a real life story, but it is much too long for a comment.

Anonymous said...

Come on you are afraid of snakes????

It is just a little snake, no reason to be afraid of it.
Not like it has a gazillion legs and gives nasty bites like a spider.

I couldn't even begin to tell you all the gross stuff I have stepped in, you remember Max? He used to take great pleasure in leaving nasty piles of stuff on the floor(dead animals from outside, dead animals that he captured inside, all sorts of very smelly things.)
So muscles, I hear ya on that one. Let my body go and now I am a wreck. A simple day of snowboarding and I am wiped.

Melanie Hooyenga said...

Allen, all snakes are evil. Evil.

Melanie Hooyenga said...

Penguin, I remember the stories of the gifts Max would leave. Yu-uck.

And let me repeat: snakes are evil. :)

My body isn't completely gone, but I do feel it more than I used to, that's for sure.

Robin said...

If I stepped on a huge slimy red snake, I would be obligated to cut out my brain so that I never thought about the incident again. You're very brave. Ew.

I once stepped bare footed in dog poop, but everyone's probably done that. Right, guys? Right?

Melanie Hooyenga said...

Robin, I shudder every time I remember it. Did I mention how loudly I screamed?

Dog poop barefoot, eh? I feel like I've done that as well. And you know, as gross as it is, at least that washes off and isn't suctioned into the tread of your shoes. Yucky.

Anonymous said...

Haven't stepped on it - but did come across a "small" shark of approximately 3 ft. in the shallows of So. FL while snorkeling once. I like to think of myself as very stable and even in a crisis - but I walked on water like Jesus all the way back to shore!

Melanie Hooyenga said...

Holy crap! I believe it! I levitated for a snake. :)