Crawling Out of The Grave

I was really sick.

I was the kind of sick that when you are marginally better, you feel 100% improvement.

I have not been this sick in a year.

OK, there was the week after my birthday when I could barely get out of bed for 2 days, but that was the flu. This was bacterial infection, pneumonia, whatever. It sucked and pretty much sucked the life out of me for a week. But, I am coming back. For all 3 of you who have missed me posting, worry not! I am back! And, had a few brainstorms last night before going to bed about what I am going to write about.

I was chatting with a friend last night, about my current recovery from this nastiness and came up with a revelation. I told him, "I think I may sometimes confuse laziness for exhaustion. Maybe this is why I am sick all the time." He answered back "Mayhaps".

After a show or a long push on multiple projects, I will find myself sitting on a couch watching multiple movies and/or catching up on TV shows, what have you. This feels like such a guilty pleasure. I'll put my phone somewhere I can't hear it and just decompress. I always feel like I am slacking off.

I really haven't done that in too long.

I find that recently, even when I do have a movie or TV show on, I will feel "lazy" and get up and clean or organize or work on a project. The first day I stayed home from work I re-organized my ITunes for hours. Didn't nap, I sat up on a computer for hours. The next day, thinking that I had slacked off the day before, I got home and did laundry (auditions for our upcoming show haven taken up my weekend), in...the...rain. Oh persevere and get through your chores!

Between Tuesday and Wednesday morning, I was snapped awake by the sound of my own wheezing and with what felt like something caught in my throat. Except, that it was my throat caught in my throat. Luckily (?) through many throat infections as a juvenile, I was able to force/swallow down some Advil and some antibiotics that I had kept and not taken from a previous illness.

I got up the next day and, foggy minded, called into work saying I would be in to work later that afternoon. Work called back and said "Stay home." This is the first time I ever heard them say that and I slept for pretty much the rest of the day.

I got up later, found the antibiotics I had taken the night before and found out they were expired. Well, in pharmacy terms, so I just kept taking my over the counter stuff and hoped for the best after some much needed rest. You see, I could only really walk to the couch and to my bed and to the bathroom that day. And, even that was like walking through molasses and for miles.

Next day, no improvement. All right, doctor time.

I'm not going to go into my frustrations at the clinic I went to. Cause, in the end, all worked out well and I was seen a lot quicker than I thought and, believe me, I really had nothing better to do than sit in the doctor's office because it was now apparent that I really couldn't move that much.

The doctor did the normal look about and then washed his hands. Then a couple of minutes later put on antibacterial lotion while staring at me. Was this a sign?

He asked when I needed to go back to work. I responded with tomorrow. He asked if I worked on the weekend. I responded not really. He said, good, then you are going back on Monday. Stay in bed or at least resting for the next 2 days.

Luckily the weather stayed cold to nasty and I didn't want to go outside. But by Saturday, I couldn't stand it anymore and ventured out. It was gorgeous outside and I took a deep breath, well as deep as I could. Coughed. Then enjoyed the sort walk to the grocery store and back.

I can definitely say I am improving. It feels like slow going, but compared to last week, I am feeling better. I am also not smoking. The thought of a cigarette sounds good for the craving, but the lungs say, heck no. I always talk to people who say, after pneumonia or awful bronchitis - that's it - no more. However, I see them a few weeks later smoking again. I'm saying we'll see. One thing I do know about myself is that I enjoy smoking. And keeping it to a minimum would be ideal. But, until there is a real reason to completely quit, I probably won't. But, so far - 10 days. And, until the day that I wake up and don't feel like I have smoked a pack of cigs, I won't be considering having one.

Or I may just stop. Who knows.

Now to writing down the other ideas I had for my blog postings!

Belly Full Of Happiness

This is a post from December 2008 that never made it up. Since I am fighting some writers block , saw a really fun band last Thursday - the Supermajor, I thought I would dress up this one below from another great band night and call it a day. :)


What? What is that you say? Belly full of Happiness? What did you just digest that was so delectable that your tummy is smiling on the inside? I ate up a whole concert last night by Ted Leo and the Pharmacists.

I have a few people to thank for all this wonderfulness - Scott, Tim, Andrew WK, Ted Leo, Studio B, the NYC Cab company and the New Yorker.

First off, for the price of admission, a measly $23 (that's $20, plus $3 handling fee), I received - entrance to the concert, an open bar from 8pm to 9pm and a year's subscription to New York Magazine. Seeing that my admission to most shows I see now a days is anywhere between $18 to $20, plus the handling fee, this was a steal.

If you have not heard Ted Leo, I suggest you take a moment and go here. Don't worry....I'll wait.

Hmmmhmmmhmm, la, la, la, la.....

You all done?

Good, OK- they are not musical geniuses and yes, people can say that a lot of their music sounds the same - but whose doesn't anymore. When listening to an album of an artist, there tends to be a style, a sound, etc.

I listen to Ted Leo a lot when I am working out. It is peppy music that has a good driving beat - whether you are running or using an elliptical - you just want to keep on moving. It's also one of the few bands that gives me a skip in my step sometimes or a jolt of happiness in my belly - like they did last night.

So, the venue is in the no where of Brooklyn. You wouldn't even know it was a club. It is a large white building, doors that are more like panels that open up to the night. There was the large bouncer walking up and down the line proclaiming "If you haven't bought your tickets online, come see me." He was kind of intimidating and it was fun to watch us all cringe and thank goodness that we had bought our tickets prior, then deal with the scary bouncer. Ah, it wasn't that bad, but entertaining and a moment to bond with your fellow icicle line mates. It was cold!

Then we were let in, got good standing spots right near the stage. There is also live band Karaoke. Yes, I know, I am a little crazy for the Karaoke. Unfortunately, when I got in, the list was already full. Sadness, I so wanted to do "Since You Been Gone". Ted Leo does a cover of that too. :)

So, with free drinks in hand and DJ's playing, we began to watch the screen rotating pictures from past shows and people singing Karaoke, when Scott said, "Is that Tim?" Tim is an actor from a recent show Scott was in, a schoolmate of mine Rusty, produced called Stones In His Pockets. Anywho...Tim's picture of him screaming into the mic in rock star fashion had flashed on screen. We both did the nah, well maybe, no it has to be him thing. Scott took a picture and texted Tim. Yup, it was him and lo and behold, he was on his way to the show.

The band pretty much started on time - woo-hoo! 9:05 or so. Andrew WK, got up in his white jeans and white T-shirt and announced the festivities for the night - the raffle for a Flying J Gibson - yum, some shoes I had never heard of and the (single tear) Karaoke. Then, Ted Leo came out, guitars a-blazing.

I don't have the exact song list in my head, because the songs came one after the other after the other. It was exhilarating to watch a band go from one to another to another without a break. And, all of us in the audience, jumping up and down and dancing along. This is December and it's hotter than a July 4th up in this joint. Sweat going everywhere.

After the concert was over, we met up with Tim and had a couple of more drinks, discussed the concert and waited for the Karaoke participants to come on up. There were costumes that went along with this Karaoke (I believe one was an Aquaman costume, wish I could remember which song he sang) and some pretty fun renditions of songs. Again, really can't remember which ones. Then, a girl got up to sing "Just Like Heaven" by the Cure. Not that great - of course I remember the bad one. Then, she forgot the lyrics, 2x and just mumbled. That was our cue. It had been fun. The drinks flowed like water - in fact, got a couple of bottles of free vitamin water - and dancing and fun had ensued. Gosh darn if a good memory of a great night out was going to be ruined by singing poorly and forgetting the words to a Cure song? A song that you knew was going to be played, you got there super early, pushed your way to the line and got on the Karaoke list, just for you to forget it? Sigh. Away we went.

So, it was now time to find the bus and/or a cab in a near deserted area. As we were walking and chatting, a cab magically pulled up, out of no where and with little to no cars. Scott and I decided to split the $10 or so cost and away we went saying goodbye to Tim - who lived in the area.

Cabbie took the fastest route ever. A route I take to this day when coming from Williamsburg by cab. By passing Tillery and just getting you down the path that is right off my house. Scott and I parted ways and I went home to enjoy the after glow of a good effing concert. Like a good meal, my heart (and belly) was full of happiness.