I'm not as young as I once was

This morning I decided to join the early bird P.E. class for a game of dodge ball.

Mind you, this isn't the dodge ball I grew up with, where the group forms a square around the person in the middle, at whom a ball was thrown.

These days a game of dodge ball is played with two teams, each in a line or sorts facing the opposing team. Several balls are now employed in the game - the favorite being a volleyball. The object of the game is to eliminate each player of the opposing team by hitting them with a ball. If a player should catch a ball, the one who threw it is out and another player on the catcher's re-enters play. The game is much more lively than it was when I was a kid.

I agreed to play on one condition: that the opposing team not throw every ball at me all at once (I remember being in high school), a condition they kept.

At one point during the game I was standing on the sidelines - I missed a dodge - and I noticed that my lower back felt like it needed a good stretch. After a visit to the doctor it was determined that somehow I pulled a muscle.

I've no idea how I did it. I was never hit in the back. I never hit the floor. And I don't remember making any real sudden moves. Nonetheless, somehow I managed to pull it.

I'm now on a regimen of muscle relaxers, ibuprofen and heat, trying to determine what activities can be scaled back over the weekend so as to have the opportunity to rest.

If I sit or lie down I feel okay, but walking for a length of time is rather painful. Not excruciating, but painful.

Today yet, I have Vespers at 5:30 (which I may ask another to lead) and Stations with Benediction at 7:00. I should probably go to the fish fry and then there's the high school musical that I would like to at least make an appearance at.

Tomorrow morning, I'm to go with the track team to a meet in Charleston (I've already rearranged tomorrow's schedule to be able to go) and at 1:30 I'm supposed to give a talk at a De Colores weekend. Confessions need to be heard at 3:30, Mass celebrated at 5:30 and a baby is to be baptized after the Mass. Then there is the high school musical that I should go to, because I won't be able to see the first half of it tonight.

Sunday morning I will celebrate two Masses and the high school musical will be performed in the afternoon (we have a double cast this year, so I should be there, too). After the musical I'm thinking of celebrating a Mass for our high school students who can't attend Mass Saturday afternoon or Sunday morning (because of work) and who don't enjoy the Life Teen Mass in the area. In the evening, I think the Dead Theologians Society is meeting, but I've not heard confirmation of that yet.

What to do, what to do...