Obviously I don’t have to explain what’s been going on for most of this year. There’s a lockdown in effect, and with the hubbers working from home, our slow ass internet connection won’t allow me to be online at the same time he’s working. But I was actually off the net for a couple months before that and the reasons may shock you. Or not.
In February, I went out to the plot of land set aside by our landlord for a garden and started digging up weed roots. This took me the better part of four months. For one thing, with the land not being used in years, the top layer of soil was close to 80% roots. I’m not exaggerating, either. On a daily basis, I loaded a wheelbarrow with roots and carted them away, always thinking, “Surely, I’m getting close to the end.” And every day, I dug a bit more and found more damned roots.
There were days when I ignored aches and pains because I thought, “Oh, one more meter won’t hurt.” Then that night, I’d get full body shakes and end up stuck in bed for anywhere between two and six days. I thought because I had MS, this was a job a healthy person could easily do in a week. But then my neighbor, inspired by my work, started in on her own garden, and after turning over one row in a two day flurry, she too ended up confined to bed for two days. She’s a teacher and a soccer coach who still plays with her friends, and this wrecked her. So it shouldn’t be a shock that it took me so long to clear three rows measuring one meter by five.
Once I got past that hurdle, the next was planting seeds, daily weeding and watering, building a frame for my tomatoes, and all sorts of minor tasks. On any given day, I’d get up and decide that I would just play video games all day to get a review in, but then remember one task that couldn’t be put off. That would lead to another, and then another, until I arrived at midnight, too exhausted to play anything.
The thing about tending a garden is, it isn’t an easygoing hobby. It’s an ongoing war with Mother Nature, and that bitch does not play fair. She can keep throwing more problems my way, so much so that some days, I’ve been sorely tempted to say fuck it and walk away.
But I didn’t, and now we’re eating food I grew myself. At this point, I now find I’m able to game a little bit, and as such, I can think about posting reviews again. I can’t say this kind of extended hiatus won’t happen again because when there’s work that must be done here, I only have so much energy and something has to be set aside. I love writing for this blog, and always have. But it’s a hobby that doesn’t put food on the table, so sometimes I have to pause the posts.
I’m back now, and I’ll have a game review up real soon, with a couple more to follow soon thereafter. I hope you enjoy them, and that you’ll forgive my absence. If you do, then I’ll see you around real soon.