... Starting with Tuesday. Went to work with a terrible headache, thinking I could beat it. But I only felt worse as the morning wore on -- I was feeling dizzy, my whole body was aching -- and I was home by noon. Took some medicine, fell flat on the couch, tried to watch movies but pretty much slept the afternoon away. And by Tuesday night I was beginning to think I almost had the thing beat ...
Right.
Wednesday. Went to work, feeling better, but still not 100 percent. Even hosted some friends Wednesday night to watch the new "Lost" (which I thought was excellent by the way! 'Bout time, right? I enjoyed Juliette's back story, and I was glad to see some of The Others actually showing some humanity ...)
But the worst was yet to come.
... I didn't sleep well Wednesday night. I was sweating, chilled, and coughing so painfully hard I thought a lung was going to come up through my throat. But I went to work Thursday, kept coughing and I think I blew away my office's Kleenex supply ...
Oh yeah, and there was a police shootout. Which meant I had to work harder and faster than I would on an average day, no doubt worsening my condition. By an afternoon press conference I had nearly lost my voice and didn't realize how badly I sounded until I opened my mouth to ask a question. My throat was burning.
Finished my work day. Came home. Laid out on the couch again. Kates brought soup and Chinese for supper.
And today arrived.
I had to get to work today. I had to finish a weekend story for a museum exhibit. I was looking forward to following more of yesterday's police shootout. And tonight I had a ticket to see The Shins, a concert I've been sooooooo looking forward to for weeks ...
It's not happening.
Once I sat up from the bed, it took me another 10 minutes to stand up and soon I was pacing in the kitchen, now choking on the lung I probably coughed up the other day. I soooo didn't want to give in. All I need to do is get going and get in the shower and I'll be fine, I thought. But I couldn't even get that far ...
And at the time I'm usually reporting to work, I was instead calling in sick.
Dang.
A wise co-worker warned me yesterday not to overdo it. I hate this, I never get sick, I told her. "Yeah, then your age doubles and it knocks you on your ass!" she said.
Double dang.
... This isn't me. Today was the first day of school or work I've missed because of sickness in 18 years. I've made a life of rarely sitting still, late nights and early mornings, always being on the go, always working, active (hence, I'm still pushing myself to blog in this condition ...). And now I can't get myself off the couch, and it almost hurts to breathe ...
And I'm coming to the realization that I'm not going to make that Shins show tonight. 34 bucks I won't get back. That may kill me yet ...
* * *
… If there was a highlight today -- between nearly choking to death this morning, spending the morning stuck on the couch and missing the Shins concert -- it was finally being able to watch The Royal Tenenbaums …
That one had been on my list since it was appearing in theaters and the first time I saw that dazzling trailer. The image of Ben Stiller leading his two curly-haired boys in matching red jogging suits is embedded in my mind for every time the subject of the movie comes up.
… Kates and I rented the DVD not long after it was released and tried watching it one Saturday night, but -- go figure -- I fell asleep about five minutes into it …
So several weeks ago I caught it in the TV listing and set the DVR to record it. Today, I finally had a chance to watch it. And I didn’t fall asleep.
I liked it. But it won’t rank among the best films I’ve ever seen; the story dragged. On the upside, it might be one of the most beautifully shot films I’ve seen.
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