Tuesday, September 10, 2013

The Bruise

My left thigh has been covered in bruises for months now and I just could not figure out how I was getting them.  I'm not exactly the picture of grace, so I assumed I was running into stuff and not really paying attention to hurting myself.

Then, last week while I was working at one of the parks, and doing my park duties, I realized exactly how I was getting all those bruises:  it's the way I dump the trash cans!

When I dump the trash from a barrel into a bag, I hold the bag with my left hand around the mouth of the barrel.  With my right hand I lift the barrel, but the barrel is too big for me to just lift with the only the strength of my own right arm.  So, I counter the barrel's height and weight by using my left thigh as leverage.

No wonder the bruises are only on my left side.  I'm going to have to start wearing football padding on my legs when I dump trashes from now on.  Either that or get my right arm muscles big and strong so I can just lift the barrel without using the aid of my leg.  Or maybe I'll just put up with the bruises.  Summer's over.  Shorts and bathing suit season is over.  No one's going to see the purple spots.