Thankfulness Challenge – I’m still alive!

Yesterday was weird. I woke up at 3am, which is becoming my norm after going to bed around midnight. At first I thought I had woken up cause of the dog next door but quickly realized it had more to do with the evil magic in my belly needing to come out. For roughly the next 30 minutes I hugged the porcelain God. I’ll spare you the details. Let’s just say it wasn’t pretty. When I went to bed the night before I was fine. I took a quick shower, trust me it was necessary, and climbed back into bed around 4:30. My alarm goes off at 5:30 and the worst headache I’ve ever had was in full effect. It hurt to blink. It was bad. For the first time all year I reached for my phone and texted my boss that I was going back to bed and wouldn’t be in (see previous post about sick days). I immediately turned off all my alarms and took some medicine and passed out. 

It would be closer to noon before I’d wake up again. I was cold and achy and had no appetite at all. My hand’s kept going to sleep on me at random intervals. I spent most of the day wishing I could go back to bed. After trying to eat something at supper I climbed back in to the bed around 7pm and watched some stuff on my phone giving in to the sleeping pill I had taken around 9. Slept really good through the night until about 4 am today. Today I have felt much better. I got up helped around the house, cleaned out our pantry it was a good day. It’s not that I’m feeling better but I’m not feeling worse. If that makes sense. I still don’t have much of an appetite and while my head isn’t hurting nearly as badly as yesterday it’s like a dull ache. So I’m declaring myself well, but not 100% yet.

I keep playing I’m still standing in my head … thanks for that Elton!

Marcy
@beaslma

Thankfulness Challenge – Sick Days

Today I’m thankful that I have sick days at the office, granted they are now considered PTO which kind of makes my blood boil but whatever the point is that while I don’t do it often when I need it then it is there and I still get paid for today.

Once I can look at a screen again without throwing up I’ll elaborate on this point but for now …. I’m thankful for Sick Days !

Marcy

Happy 2016!

Hello all! Happy 2016!
So far my 2016 is going much like my 2015.
Work, sleep, be sick, repeat.

It's the worst recycling program EVER! A rut I tend to get myself stuck into far too often. I can tell you there has been a pretty big lifestyle change that's already taken place in the beginning of this year. A change that I'm not sure I should admit out loud, but I guess I will. Any of you that follow me on twitter know of my dedication and leadership in the "no pants" lifestyle. It is one of my founding principles. However, this year I have been introduced to the world of the fuzzy onesie and must admit that I, Golden "Pants free" Dean, am a fan. I know...I know...Hear me out...Please don't revolt yet. I still support the utopia of a pants free society as passionately as ever. I've always said, you No Pants at your own level of comfort, and I stand by this. But when the temperature is reaching a high of below freezing, having an ass of fuzzy angelic style warmth, well that's just tops! But fear not! I'm still living a healthy 90-92% pants free life. So I guess a couple of weeks in to this new year has brought at least that one change.

Like everyone else, I have been asked REPEATEDLY, "What are your New Years resolutions?" So far the only answer I have given anyone was "To not die" followed by an awkward amount of silence in order to not be asked again. Setting resolutions is totally fucking worthless. I think this year I will set some goals.

What's the difference in 'Resolutions' and 'Goals'?

Nothing other than a mental block. To me a goal is something I aim for, but to call it a resolution seems...well pretty resolute. It becomes a mandate or a chore. And nothing triggers my childish 'fuck you, I don't give a damn' attitude like a chore. (Trust me, deep down I'm an obstinate disobedient temper tantrum throwing child in a slightly taller package.) 

So please to enjoy some of my 2016 goals...

~See more movies in the theater- there was a time that I saw everything the week it came out, even if no one else cared to see it and I had to go alone. But for a few different reasons I haven't been as dedicated, and I miss the big screen experience. Plus 2016 has some amazing must see movies for a weirdo like myself... Deadpool, Captain America: Civil War, Doctor Strange, Fantastic Beasts, Assassins Creed, Star Trek 3, and on and on ...

~Read- I go through phases with reading. As long as its for fun I can't read fast enough. But make it a chore and well....obstinate child. But even when I'm in a phase of not reading I'm still buying as though I'm reading a book a day, which leads me to the situation I'm in now. Huge stacks of books piling up everywhere longing to be read. So it's time to knock that stack down a bit.

~Do more- It can be extremely hard to plan activities when you live with a chronic illness. It's getting harder and harder to travel and having a compromised immune system makes it hard to be around large crowds. Plus when I'm "up" and feeling good I make all the plans, but then the date of the event comes around and it seems that the pain sets in and I just have to forgo my plans. I've got to get better at taking advantage of when my body is in a healthy phase and also take advantage of local adventures.

~Look up- This isn't some spiritual or metaphorical realization but a literal one. I spend so much time looking down when I walk, at work, when I'm out and about, that I miss so much of the world around me and it can become a self imposed isolation. So just by looking up more often maybe I can find ways to engage with the world around me.

~Cook more- I like to cook and I'm not too bad at it but I just don't do it. Instead I exist on mostly heat up frozen or fast food. So not healthy.

So there we have it, 5 goals for me to aim for in 2016. What about you guys? How are you handling your New Year? Join in and let us know. If your goal is cool, I'll probably steal it and do it myself!

-golden (@theonlygolden)

Thankfulness Challenge - Day 15

I am writing this to you all from the cozy tissue littered sick nest of my bed. Please consider this my last will and testament. Well, ok so I may not be dying, but I'm close to it. Ok, so I may not be close to it. It may just be the flu and I'm a dramatic fevered bitch. Either way, I totally feel like ass! Ok. Ok. Ok. I will shut up with my bitching before you turn the blog channel. Plus this month is supposed to be about being thankful not about boring the shit out of people with my snotty lifestyle.

My past few blog contributions have been about the importance of the chill. And how it does a body, mind, and soul good.

Marcy is a huge music fan. Music allows her to mellow out and melt away. I like music, but my taste in music is really bad. I admit that freely. Plus relaxing is not how I use music. Music tends to pep me up, but it could be because the type of music I prefer is fast with a beat. So I usually lean on music to get me revved. Like while I'm getting ready to go out, or while I'm trying to meet a deadline, or even that one time I went to the gym. So music doesn't really soothe my soul. But movies, movies totally do!

I love going to the movie theater. Especially the older classic theatres that you can still find across the U.S. The ones that play "The Wizard of Oz" or "It's a Wonderful Life" and allow you to melt away into a past life.

I even love curling up on the couch and watching a movie. I crave movies the way some people crave food. Being sick recently, I've been craving my "Sick Time Movie Playlist". It has such great hits as "The Labyrinth", "The Princess Bride" "Stardust" "Flight of Dragons". You know excellent movies that don't work against the cold meds but instead enhance the experience.

Have you ever gone to a proper theatre and been so drawn into the production that your peripheral falls away and you are completely focused with such tunnel vision, that you forget where you are when you snap back to yourself? I love that feeling. And I love it when that happens when I'm watching a good movie. As the holiday season is starting i, like most people I'm sure, have a "Seasonal Movie Playlist" so you will probably get tired of hearing about my love of movies. So I will do my best not to bore you with my love of Movie Playlists. I am so thankful for the creative people who create these movies and hopefully you too can extract some of the beauty and movie magic that I am so thankful for. Because movies, especially some of the classics, are magical and I am thankful that they allow me to suspend my mind and journey to places and times that would otherwise be impossible for me to reach.
 

I know that there exists a type of person that doesn't like "old movies". Hey, you like what you like. So I'm not trying to tell you that you are wrong to feel that way, but yeah....you're wrong to feel that way. Just kidding (no I'm not). But if you find yourself with time on your hands and you need a movie to escape to, here are a few of my favorites.
 

Please to enjoy...

§  Dr. Strangelove or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love The Bomb (Peter Sellers is comedy gold in the absurd)

§  Cat on A Hot Tin Roof (I can't turn away from the beautiful perfection of Liz Taylor and Paul Newman.)

§  To Kill A Mockingbird (I cry every time. "Miss Jean Louise, stand up, your father's passing")

§  Guys and Dolls (You just can't beat Frank Sinatra and Marlon Brando. Brando was gorgeous before he went all nutters.)

§  Harvey (I dare you to not believe in a giant 6ft, three and a half inch tall invisible rabbit after you see this)

§  The Goonies (Because come on we all are Goonies at heart. Plus, Hello? Cyndi Lauper soundtrack)

§  Jurassic Park (Because you can't get much cooler than dinosaurs. Well you could if you put them in space!)

§  Mothra vs. Godzilla, 1962 (I. Love. Godzilla! And mothra is the only kaiju I know that comes with her own tiny bitches)

§  Godfather (which has Brando during his nutters period and Robert Duvall who also plays Boo Radley from "To Kill A Mockingbird". Connections are fun.)

§  The Birds (I'm not sure what's most impressive, the fact that this movie is frightening no matter how many times I see it or the fact that Tippi exists in that same outfit all weekend long through numerous bird attacks and still looks fly!)
 

-golden (@theonlygolden)

 

 

Halloween is near....

This is NOT the post you are looking for ….

So earlier today I started a piece of fiction. Yeah that’s right I’m writing again. I’m still pretty medicated and after reading it again decided it wasn’t ready to post. It’s far too long, and way more ramble like than I’d like for it to be as it goes onto the interwebs for anyone to find. So I’m going to keep working on it and will share it with you all one day, just not today, maybe not tomorrow and frankly maybe never. However if it’s not this piece it will be another, that’s the thing about writing as you write it you either get a good vibe from what you wrote or you delete the file and pretend it never existed. That’s the great thing about writing. IF I don’t tell anyone I’m doing it then no one is disappointed when I don’t produce. Mental note to self don’t tweet that you are writing cause then the pressure and expectation is on and writers block takes over.

Since Dragon Con I’ve been sick, not as bad as Golden but then I’m not a Medical Marvel. Between my cough medicine, the 4 shots, and the 3 antibiotics I’m on it’s amazing I can even string a sentence together. I’m felt more human this weekend than I have in the last two weeks. I had to get up this Saturday and run some important errands which wore me out by the end of the day. This sickness is getting old. Like Golden as of Sunday I was still looking at suitcases with un-worn clothes still in them, I just haven’t had the energy or time with a crazy work schedule to get them unpacked. I did do laundry this weekend and changed the sheets on my bed so that’s a win for me.

As I said I also ran some errands … and what did I discover as I ventured back out into the world … HALLOWEEN had sprung. Ok sure most of it was CANDY but still I like candy. Walmart had some costumes out, ironically some of the adult sizes. Nothing was on the floor yet, everything in a neat and tidy place cause little hands hadn’t found the isle yet. I also discovered the Spirit store is set up and has started loading all their Halloween goodness into the stores. That’s a small parking lot, it’s going to be a nightmare and I can’t wait for it. I haven’t ventured to Party City yet, the mecca of all things costume but yes I can feel that trip coming and coming soon.

What I’m most excited about is that TV Networks are starting to post their October plans. I’m looking at you ABC Family, AMC, and Syfy. I LOVE IT! This is the earliest they’ve revealed this information. Usually this time of year they are focused on their season premier week and promoting their “new shows” hoping they will be the next big thing. Truthfully with no How I Met Your Mother premier who cares what’s coming on. However last night …. FOOD NETWORK HAD A COMMERICAL FOR HALLOWEEN WARS!!!!! It returns October 5th !!! It's by far my most favorite thing on earth. It’s a pumpkin carver, a sugar artist, and a cake decorator who will work together to make a cohesive design for the given theme of the week. IT’s by far the best reality competition show on TV seriously … watch it…fall in love with it. It doesn’t hurt that Justin Willman is the host of the show, he’s awesome and fantastic. BTW he has a new show coming up on Comedy Central Sleight of Mouth but don't worry i'll tell you all about that when he does. It too will be must see TV!

So why all this interest in October TV, cause I create a Halloween TV schedule. It’s funny cause it started out as something I did for Golden and myself, then I gave it to my Sister In Law for my nephews, and she gave it to a few people and then they gave it to a few people and now there’s an huge email list of people this thing goes to. People who I work with send me an e-mail asking about it, people I used to work with who send me e-mails reminding me to put them on the list. Heck Golden starts asking about it in August. Ha! It’s a mixture of Movies, Halloween themed TV shows, cartoons both classic and new and a little adult/kid mix. I also make one for Christmas but it’s gotten insane with Hallmark and Lifetime doing everything they can to extend the season well before Halloween.

So stay tuned cause this year I’ll be posting it here so that you can enjoy it, if interested. There are rules…as always but we’ll deal with those later!

Happy Monday! Have a fantastic week! - Marcy