Day 1400 Carry that weight

11th June 2021

It is true you do get weaker as you get older. There was a time when I could carry two bags of ready mix under each arm, and walking up a hill whistling a happy tune, but now things are different.

I went to Menards to buy bags of ready mix mortar to be used when I lay the slabs.

I had my cart, and found my way to the builders material, there on the floor were the bags I wanted. Each bag was eighty pounds, and I thought “pah! Easy job” and went to lift one, it didn’t move an inch, I checked to see if it was bolted to the floor, it wasn’t, that’s what eighty pounds feels like in 2021.

I managed to slip my fingers under one corner and pulled on the bag with the other, it moved.

The next task was to get it on to the shelf of the cart which was four inches from the floor.

In the old days these bags were made from multi layers of paper that somehow retained its shape, but these were a slippery plastic that morphed into whatever shape it came into contact with.

The only way I could lift this bag was to give myself a running commentary.

It started by saying words of encouragement.

“Come on, you can do this”

“It’s only four inches”

Anyone listening to this must have been slightly intrigued.

“ After three”

“One, …..two…. threeeeeeee”

With superpower strength I humped it onto the shelf.

Now for another bag!

This time I had to lift it eight inches.

With more talking, cussing and brute strength I managed to get the bag loaded, now it was checkout time.

With one hundred and sixty pounds on the cart, it sort of dictated how I was able to steer it.

American carts steer from the front wheels, English ones steer from the back, for which I’m used to, so most of the time I’m forcing the trolly to move sideways by scuffing the wheels against their will. Eventually I made it to the checkout, paid for my purchases, then headed for the truck.

That was when I realised I would now have to lift each bag nearly twenty four inches, my personal best so far was eight, I would have to do something extraordinary to make that happen.

I looked around to see if anyone could help, but typically there wasn’t a bodybuilder when you needed one.

I called on a power deep inside to give me strength, and with a ear shattering grunt, I got one into the truck, I swore in triumph.

The second bag was even harder, but shouting loud that I hated Toyotas worked, and with my gentleman parts still intact I headed home.