Fat and Happy?

Fat and Happy?

Oh did I have a weekend. On Friday, I woke up to my allergies deciding that it was time to do a full system test. I am still not entirely sure of a the physics of having a runny nose and being stuffed up at the same time. Certainly I don’t understand how I could sneeze 12 times in a row and end the dance with even more in my nasal passages than before the explosive fit.

I get these seasonal allergy fits every once in awhile. Though, I have noticed the frequency usually steps up when half of the western states are on fire and I can’t leave my place without the smell of campfires and ashes falling from the sky. They are rather common though.

In the world of Covid the typical one day allergy burst of phlegm was extended to a voluntary 3 day couch session nervously taking my temperature every 15 minutes until the digital thermometer just read “enough already”.

Old Comforts

Luckily the yearly allergy fest coincided with the start of the pro football season and some the first games of the college football season. I was in my old comfort zone in the gravitational pull of my couch, with snacks in hand and pizza on the way. It is what I thought of as perfect just a year ago.

Then I got bored. Then I took a nap. The nap made me tired. Maybe some caffeine would help? Nope, time for another nap perhaps? Saturday was pretty much the same thing with naps followed by snacks and football and baseball on the TV. Sunday I managed to skip the nap!

What I couldn’t understand was why I was so tired. I had literally done nothing. Didn’t even pretend to do anything. I took the few steps from my bed to my couch and then occasional shifts to the kitchen. Again exhaustion.

This used to be my routine every Saturday. Wake up, get to the couch to start watching football and keep my eyes on the tube while I flipped between multiple games and I absolutely loved it. Now it felt a little empty.

New Mindset

The complete lack of energy really surprised me compared to when I wake up early and hike. The air-conditioning didn’t have that same bite as the crisp (even smokey) mountain air. I’m not sure if my muscles ached from atrophy or they yearned to be on the side of a mountain. I also don’t really know what yearned means but I think I used it right.

I will admit that I was doing a lot of hiking and my feet did not argue with a weekend off from stepping on rocks but I was surprised at how my priorities had changed. Opening weekend of football and the Cubs throwing a no-hitter would have been a dream weekend just a year ago.

Now my mind and body have changed to the point that I was really missing the woods and mountains and moose and deer that I have come to enjoy. I did not miss the squirrels. They are evil but that is for another blog. I just couldn’t get over how tired I was from doing absolutely nothing as opposed to how much energy I have while hiking.

Fat and Happy

My high school wrestling coach had a phrase “fat and happy” for the wrestlers who weren’t cutting to try to make weight. When you could eat as much as you wanted you were happier. I found that when I was happy being fat, then fat was happy. On this journey I have learned that the important part is the happy. You can change the happy. I’m still fat but now I am a lot more happy but not because they are connected but because, screw it, I’m trying. I’m making the effort.

Happy is always hard to find and if you have found yours in these crazy times that is a good thing. I would suggest every so often to try to find a new happy. It might be better, it might be worse but at least you will have something to compare to. That way you will know how happy your happy really is.

More from the Fatman

If you enjoyed this page you may enjoy the posts on my Thoughts page. Some popular classics such as “Screw It, I’m Trying”, “Hiking alone not Lonely Hiking”, and “Bad Days and Bidets: Just wash it off”. You can also follow me on any of the below social media platforms. Feel free to email any questions or comments to fatmanlittletrails@gmail.com. Happy Hiking!