Sore Gainer

Huh.

So, it's like this. I spent about 8 hours gardening yesterday. Wielding the (damn heavy) weed whacker over grass too long to mow, trimming lawns, pruning stuff, planting stuff, killing weeds by hand and by roundup and by digging the stubborn little bastids up by the root. I'd thought there were 'just a few' blackberry shoots, but they apparently multiplied when I wasn't looking. (That sound you just heard was the bitter laughter of many a Northwestern gardener.)

Long story short:

• Several hours physical labor.
• Not a lot of food.
• Very sore leg muscles.
• Unhappy arm muscles.
  
• Got up this morning to find that I've gained five pounds in two days.

People say "oh, it's just water." Somehow that doesn't leave me encouraged. They say "oh, you're building muscle." Since that doesn't translate to lost pounds or smaller pant sizes, it doesn't seem like a fair trade.

Then again, that co-worker last week could see a change.
Maybe this is Just A Phase. Or whatever.
But I'm depressed now.

Update du 8:40 pm
On the plus side, the sunburn was applied evenly, from the top of my forehead to the base of my throat. No awkward white patches.
On the downside, I've taken to wearing a wide-brimmed hat, even though these have been referred to as "Old-lady hats" by a friend and even though this is not the day to wear something "old-lady" ish.
On the plus side again, I was serenaded by three generations of family tonight. (Picky people might insist that my great-nephew was too young to sing, but his vocalizations sounded extremely tuneful to me.)

Okay, two plus, one minus, looks like I've come out ahead. Another day and another year older, but I'm ending the day on a positive note.