DAY 290
01.19.08
TREE 132
I was up till 4:30 in the morning with Will trying to get five stars on all 42 songs on level medium of Guitar Hero III. It was a stupid goal. It made my stomach hurt. Just as I started to pull out the fold-out bed of Will’s couch I was getting a little abdominal pain. I just thought it was some gas and went to sleep. All night I tossed and turned in pain, dreaming of Guitar Hero and that damned Aerosmith song, over and over. By morning I knew something was terribly wrong. I went to the bathroom and had a rear-end explosion. I lay back in the bed and debated if I felt good enough to go to my Thai cooking class I was supposed to attend at 11 this morning with Norman. He called a little before 9am and it was clear I couldn’t make it. I went to the bathroom a few more times and then the worst happened. I got really hot and nauseated. I rushed to the bathroom and had a long vomiting session. It made everything feel achy but helped by making a little bit of the stomach pain go away. After that I lay back down and writhed around… all day. I couldn’t eat and I thought constantly about what tree would be best to climb in my condition. After many trips to the bathroom and watching The Blues Brothers, I set my mind on the big beech tree in Cherokee Park. By the time I got out of bed and dressed, it was 6:30pm. I asked Will to drive me and watch me just in case.
So we headed out and stopped at Rainbow Blossom on the way to pick up some Emergen-C. Then we wound through the dark park look. I got out, walked up the tree trying to prepare myself for this, and it was damn cold tonight. I jumped for that first little limb and like a sudden wave, I felt energetic. My activity, my focus made all pain and sickness disappear. I moved up to the large limbs and had never felt more normal all day. I even hit my hands on a branch, no problem. This tree was my savior, my remedy. I reached my ribbon-tied limb and began to crawl out.
I had wondered before if I’d be in good enough condition to get all the way out to get the ribbon. Well, I felt so good there was no question. I went out that limb with no problems.
I took a seat by the ribbon in the far end of the long, spindly limb and took some pictures.
I stuck the ribbon in my pocket,
took in the cold night air, and then headed back down. The night was so cold and Will was just waiting for me and I didn’t want to keep him too long. So I scrambled back down to the ground in no time. I felt great, rejuvenated. I decided on our way back to Will’s that I was in good enough shape to drive home. As I did I listened to good music and marveled at the power this tree climb gave me. Stupid it may seem, but not only did I vow to climb every day no matter the sickness or weather, but it heals all woulds.
1-19-09: Looking back I find it funny that I didn’t feel well enough to drive myself to the park, but I thought I would climb a tree. But, really, it was amazing how quickly I felt better once I got in that tree. They heal, they are wondrous healing creatures of the soil. Oh trees… *sigh*
I was also really disappointed I missed that Thai cooking class. I should check to see if Mai’s Thai is going to be doing that soon this year.
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I went to my parents’ yesterday to get some badly needed laundry washed and to spend some time with them. We went out to eat at J Harrods in Prospect and I took my camera just in case I found a tree. But I did not. So once I got back to their house I got my things and headed back to Butchertown. When I left my parents’ house it was snowing pretty good and by the time I got back to Louisville the roads were covered and I was slipping and sledding around corners. I knew then I was going to go for a nice long walk in this beautiful snow. I changed into snow gear and then headed out the door. I walked down Spring Street and thought of all those late evening walks I took in the snow during my winters at Amherst College. I got to Lexington Avenue and walked along the left edge of the road and tried to catch the large snowflake clumps in my mouth. I made it to Cherokee Park and wondered if there were many people at Dog Hill trying to sled. I decided to go check it out and slowly made my way to the bottom of the big hill.
I knew exactly which tree I was going to climb to try and capture images of the sledders below.
But when I got there the place was deserted and the hill was un-scarred.
I couldn’t believe I was the first one at the hill. I went to the base of the large oak and found my entry.
I pulled down an overhanging limb and crawled into the trunk.
Then I started to climb the snow-covered branches.
It was slow but easy since they were so numerous. I got up to the top of the tree and still the golden landscape was empty of people.
I shot pictures looking all over hoping some people would show but it was quiet.
Then just after putting my camera away I heard voices, an engine, and loud scraping. A truck was coming up the loop dragging someone on a sled. Finally, I thought, and pulled my camera back out. These kids got to the top of the hill with their sleds and one went for it.
They got about 10 feet and stopped. The snow was too light and too thin to sled. I was disappointed that I wasn’t going to get my shots of sledders and they were probably disappointed that they could sled. I took what I could of them in the distance,
then decided to climb down once they had left. It was a good thought, but it was just too bad it didn’t snow more.
On my long walk back I had fun following my foot prints back and making my own funky foot trails as I went.