The dangers of nice days

I'll admit it. If Australia is in the world cup, I catch world cup fever. It's practically un-Australian not to. We're like that.

For most people this would mean stay up to ridiculous hours to watch games that are played at sensible times - in South Africa. Not me though, I can't do ridiculous hours. Nor do I have the stamina to watch game after game. Or even just a few games really.

So I was really happy when the Australia vs Ghana game was on at the watchable time of 10pm. I thought that we might have a chance of winning, so was quite excited by the prospect.

Well we started off well, scoring a goal in the 10th minute, but it all went pear-shaped when Harry Kewell was sent off in the 24th (after all the pre-game hype about whether Kewell was going to play or not we had joked that now that he was playing, he would probably come off injured in the 23rd minute - spooky! Sorry Australia!) Then Ghana scored and it was basically all over.

I had thought we still had a good chance of winning, but at half time retired to bed as I was feeling, to put it bluntly - utter shite (not soccer-related, just me!). I was disappointed, the world cup doesn't happen every day, but sometimes (actually, quite often) even just sitting on the couch watching telly is beyond my limits.

Anyhoo, I knew that any further goals would be heralded by the screams of the guys still watching.

Didn't pick me as a sports fan, did you! Well honestly, I'm not really. I really only take an interest in the big things. World cup, The Olympics, playing England in the cricket....

As far as sports participation goes, my lack of enthusiasm was largely due to the fact that I was really really really bad at it. I'm more of a bush-walking kind of person. I love getting out in nature. I'm lucky enough to live in an area which has a lot of nice bushland just a stones throw away. Plenty of wildlife to go with it too.

So last weekend, I suggested that we go on a picnic at this lovely bush spot with a great view. The weather was glorious and I was feeling inspired. It's a little bit of a walk to the spot, but I was convinced it was worth it. It almost was.

Now to be totally honest, I knew it was a bad idea when I suggested it. It's just that sometimes I get stubborn. Being sick means there is so many things I can't do, or have to avoid. I get fed up, and just want to do something. So I do it, even though I know that I will pay for it later.

Predictably, I was really sick the next few days. And have been ever since. In fact, it was probably the reason I couldn't watch the whole game last night. Weird, whether I am watching, or participating, the M.E. will still impose itself on me.

At least it stopped me from watching a disappointing game. There was no more goals scored after half-time. That's a bit of a bonus, I guess.

So as I sit here in a dark room, with my darkest sunglasses on, feeling awful, nauseous, and in horrendous pain. I ask myself was it worth going on that picnic? Well, it was a really, really nice day......