(artwork by former Friday Favorite, Ashley Wood)
Contrary to how I feel today, I have indeed risen from this grave illness. The comedy of this entire tragedy is that all I really had was an average cold with a couple of days of low-grade fever that would intermittently visit itself upon me. For some strange reason this poor excuse for an illness has just ravaged my body. I have gotten more sleep over the past 2 weeks than I ever get but I am still just worn out. I wake up exhausted and this wet blanket feeling of tiredness stays with me throughout the day. I am just so lethargic.
But I am back. It is October and I’ll be darned if I’m going to miss my enjoyment of this month. Thanks to some investigation by James I am up and running again and am ready to dig out of the doldrums and breathe life into this old corpse.
Illness of any kind is weird. It is interesting to take a step back and examine just how being sick affects your life. I don’t know about you, but I get very emotionally raw when I am sick. Suddenly I am flooded with the need to connect with those I love and I spend lots of time thinking about all the ways I want to be a better spouse, a better parent, a better friend. It is odd. I also find myself having an intense longing for comfort. This longing combining with a few days of colder than normal, November-like temperatures (plus a lot of rain…are we in Seattle?) found me hungering for Lord of the Rings. Since LOTR is normally a November thing for me and because I have already set the plans in motion to have a family LOTR all-day viewing with my family for my birthday, I pulled out the appendices on the extended editions and just lost myself.
You have to understand, this set of films and the extensive making-of documentaries have had a profound effect on me since their release. I keep promising I’ll post reviews on the appendicies and just haven’t gotten around to it. There is just something about the love and comraderie on this film that I love to be a vicarious part of as I watch how it was made. At the same time I felt somewhat guilty because I have piles of things to watch that I have never gotten to. After indulging my LOTR needs I decided to pull out the King Kong Production Diaries that Mary had bought for me earlier this year and watch them.
This is a fantastically packaged set and it was very fun to watch. While not near as entertaining as the behind the scenes details of LOTR it is far and away better than most DVD extras. I watched both this and the post-production diaries on the King Kong DVD. It was so fun to see all the WETA people again and all the other New Zealand crew that worked on LOTR working on King Kong. It was also amazing to watch a very think Peter Jackson and a much thinner Phillipa Boyens (co-screenwriter of LOTR and King Kong) talk about this picture. After just watching more rotund versions of them on LOTR it was an adjustment to see them this way. Isn’t it odd how if you haven’t been present to watch someone slowly lose weight that they look almost sick when you see such a drastic contrast in the way they look?
So that is where I’ve been. Extremely tired and lost in the worlds of Peter Jackson. All in all it wasn’t a bad way to spend my time. I want to say a tremendous Thank You! for all the well-wishes left on my last post. It really made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside and I appreciate it very, very much. I look forward to catching up on all my blog reading, mailing the many packages that lie scattered on my basement floor, hopefully finishing the massive RIP newsletter soon, and getting back to my regular blogging. I appreciate you all! Happy Tuesday!!!
Welcome back!
glad you’re up and around!
missed reading your regular reviews.
Oh, I hope you fully recover soon, although I do know what you mean about
the interesting perspective being sick can give you – it’s a whole different way of
experiencing time. Continue to recover, while enjoying your favorite month!
Courtney
Glad you are on the road to recovery! And just in time for Halloween 🙂
I was beginning to wonder what had happened to you. Seems like a lot of folk are coming down with the crud you’ve been battling. My poor soon-to-graduate-from college daughter had both the stomach flu and a terrible cold back-to-back. Nothing worse than being away from home when you’re sick (or being a mom who lives too far from said child who is ill.) But back to you… glad you’re on the mend!
Funny thing about LOTR. I saw the first film in the theater and thought it was ok, but shamefully fell asleep partway in. Didn’t have any desire to watch any of the others after that. BUT, my husband started to watch the behind the scenes making of documentaries and I sat down for a second and was hooked. Hours and hours later, I was a fan! Now to plan a marathon weekend and watch all the movies. Such incredible talent, that Peter Jackson!
Enough rambling! Welcome back to the blogosphere.
Just adding my congratulations on your recovery!
Carl, I had the same illness experience this month. Today, I finally felt non-paranormal!
Sorry you have been under the weather. Glad you are back at em. Hope you guys will be there Saturday!
Welcome back Carl.
Whenever I’m sick I get this huge urge to read and nap without regard to time at all. I mean, I havet hat urge no matter what, but I have to indulge it when I’m sick. And people drive me crazy, unless they’re coddling me.
Feel better!
When I’m sick prefer to alternate napping and reading. And I want people to leave me alone. If I want anymore juice I will ask for it, darn it!
Glad you’re feeling better!
Carl, I’m glad your feeling better! LOTR always helps me, too 🙂
Glad you are better. You guys have to stay well now for the hayride!
I’m glad you’re feeling better; it sounds lilke you had a bad one. I must need to give myself more nurture time because when I was reading about how you spent your time I was almost jealous. I guess the key is to spend time like that without feeling too awful to enjoy it. Anyway, I’m glad you’re back.
Glad you’re feeling better.
(it’s my turn now…)
I just lay around and watch movies when I’m sick, too. But, unlike you, it seems, I don’t tend to wax sentimental–I get cranky and bitch a lot.
Glad you’re feeling better.
Glad you are feeling better.
I totally agree that Jackson and co put so much effort into their dvd extras. Normally I’ll skim them, because they are usually repeats of each other. but the LOTR ones are fantastic and entertaining.
Carl you might try to eat some under cooked pork. It always seems to help me get over illnesses especially stomach stuff. Yep a little raw pork and a good book goes a long way to cure what ails you. I even tried a little undercooked chicken; you know when it’s a little bloody next to the bone, well let me tell you if you suffer constipation that will definitely help. Anytime you need sound medical advice you know I’m there for you.
Good advice Tom, I’ll get right down to the local slaughterhouse and see if they can hook me up.
i think the sudden resurgence of energy is just God’s way of letting you put things in place and say your “goodbyes” to everyone. face it carl, you’re gonna die. hopefully not painfully and perhaps not slowly, but my friend, you are a goner! yep, uhuh, well, been good knowing you buddy!!
just make sure mary continues with the extra cool birthday and christmas gifts!! i likes ’em!
I’ll make sure she continues my legacy! 😉
Glad you’re back and feeling better.
Glad to have you back and happy to see you on the mend!
Well said Scott, my sentiments exactly.
glad you are feeling better – it really is amazing how these tiny little creatures can wring you out to dry. if you want an awesome feel-good soup recipe, let me know.
Glad you’re feeling better 🙂
Send it on Mysfit, I loves me some soup!!!
Glad your feeling better. I find I like to be touched when I’m sick – back tickled, head message, hand held, etc. It’s like the other person can infuse me with their heath.