Rest, More Rest and Recuperation

The word of the week is stupefaction.

August 17 – Wiped

I’m not getting any worse.

It’s a week of complete bedrest for me though, according to the doctors. My body’s used up a lot of energy fighting off the bacterial infection, so I’m to take it easy this week, not working or doing much of anything. I’m on some powerful daily antibiotics, so those also need time to do their job.

Fine by me.

Staying at my parent’s place has definitely helped, as it’s incredibly quiet compared to my downtown apartment. The loudest things here are neighbours occasionally being gabby a few yards over, or the wind in the trees picking up to where it’s noticeable. Even packs of motorcycles on the main road a few hundred feet away are reduced to background rumbles.

Yes, it’s restful indeed.

I’m doing little with my days, tired as I am: reading, resting and repeat, with doses of nap as needed. Not being on a schedule, or having things hanging over my head, is really helping my recovery. While I’m not too pleased that I ‘only’ managed to get 2 whole chapters of Book 2 written last week before the poop hit the fan, health-wise, I’m wise enough to know that was enough.

I won’t be pushing myself to do any writing this week. It’s a hard decision, but my energy’s low enough day to day that I can’t manage to juice up my brain enough to drive my Muse into action. I can feel things are on a hold mentally, so to speak, until I’m better, well-able to create on cue.

I’m fine with that too. I need the rest.

August 18 – G33kmeter=1000

If I had a lot of time on my hands, what would I do?

Asking myself that question this week, I had to wonder. What if I didn’t write a novel, or need to catch up on reading the 1000+ books on my To Read List, or the dozens of TV shows or hundreds of movies that I’ve yet to make the time to see?

What would I do with my down time?

Not having a house, I can’t easily slip into a basement workshop to take up hobbies such as woodworking or the like, or create cosplay costumes from the fount of my imagination. Nor do I have the leanings towards learning a musical instrument, taking up a sport… the list of ‘maybes’ and even more ‘mehs’ goes on apace, which I find interesting when I put my mind to the question.

Other folks don’t seem to have a problem filling their time with unique projects.

Take, for example, this fellow: he decided his PC needed a fully-functional control panel:

According to the posting, he didn’t know much about electronics or anything else that was needed for the project, yet he gamely threw himself into creating something from nothing. What I find most intriguing is that he could have performed almost ALL the functions of said control panel via his PC, but he felt the NEED to physically create an interface of his own design.

Bravo. I salute those who listen to their inner creativity!

I have to say I’m thoroughly impressed with what he ended up with. It reminds me of the projects I wanted to create as a kid: spaceship control panels with Real Working Switches and so forth, to power my own adventures of the imagination. Back then, I had only cardboard and markers to make things happen; neither my skills nor easily-affordable electronics were at hand for me.

I wonder if Panel Guy will take orders for a spaceship console I’ve always wanted…?

August 19 – No Big Hairy Deal

I haven’t shaved in more than a week now.

It’s a little weird, because I’m not used to feeling scruffy, in any way – yet here I am, all fuzzy-faced and feeling like a sea captain. Looking like one too, according to my lady.

I won’t be shaving for a while, either.

Looking back at last week, I’ve been trying to figure out exactly how I managed to get cellulitis on my face. After much thought( what else am I doing this week? )I came to the conclusion that after I last shaved, I didn’t moisturize or take a shower, as I usually do per my usual daily ablutions.

That, as they say, is all it took.

In the interim, while I recover, I’ve decided to simply forego shaving until I need to return to work. That said, I’ve realized that I’ve never actually tried to grow a beard: for the most part, it’s been contraindicated from the jobs I had at the time, in customer service.

So here’s me with a week’s worth of beard, plus my celluitus face on the right from last Sunday:

Like I said, pretty scruffy, eh? I knew it would come in grey, but I hadn’t expected so much of it to be white, with as little leavening on pepper as there is evident. As I don’t colour my hair, so I don’t colour my moustache, or beard in this case. I’d much rather just shave it off, which quite honestly is the best answer, as it’s easy enough to knock off a few decades with a well-wielded electric razor.

The only thing I might want to save it for is a costume…

August 20 – Planning Ahead

For some reason, costumes are on my mind this week.

Perhaps it’s because I have a little more time on my hand to think? I’m not sure, but I do think that it’s partly due to my wanting to get things done ahead of time before Halloween this year. Biting my nails while waiting for a last-minute costume piece to arrive isn’t really my thing.

Also, I broke my old phone, so Cobra Commander is out of the picture for the moment. Besides, I don’t like to repeat myself, year to year… there’s something to be said for trying something new. My costuming skills( plus available space, time and budget )tell me this year, I’m buying in…

So: superhero? Villain? Pirate? Monster? Historical figure? Hipster?

So far, this is the frontrunner...

I’ve had my eye caught by a few medieval costumes I’ve found online, as I’ve always had a soft spot for such( which some of you know from my time spent in the SCA long years back ). I still have some SCA garb in storage, but nothing that’s a ‘real’ costume… that takes time and effort and I’ve already done the ‘catch-as-can’ medieval knight a few years ago. I got rid of the helmet during the last move, as it was going funky, was quite heavy and I just didn’t want to wear it again after hauling it around for almost twenty years. I passed it on to an appreciative fellow and that’s that.

Besides, the darn thing was impossible to hear or see out of, and who wants that for parties?

We’ll see what I come up with in the next month or so. I’d rather not spend too much money, but I do want to get something unique AND of value for what I pay for it. Too many of the costumes I’ve seen this week are of questionable materials, which look good online but on closer inspection are tissue-thin or otherwise break if you look at them sideways. Such don’t bode well for wearing more than once; I’d like to look good and know that I can recycle a few pieces in the future, if needed…

I’m definitely not into one-Knight stands when it comes to costuming.

August 21 – On My feet Again, Sorta

Today I managed to get out and do a few things, for the first time this week.

First stop was my workplace, to pick up a few forms. I checked in with my co-workers, who assured me that I was missed and at the same time, not to push things until I am ready to come back, whenever that happens. As I became ill while on vacation, the forms are for ensuring that my ‘sick leave’ gets activated and my vacation time is put back into place for use later in the year.

Such things are one of the many reasons I love my current job, in addition to the wonderful people. Getting sick no longer means I am tossed to the wolves if it’s more than a day or two, for though my pay is lesser on Sick Leave, I’m still GETTING paid, as long as the right forms are in place.

After dropping into my work, I went to my banks( plural: old one and much better new one )to get a few more things done that I couldn’t do from home as easily. A few more stops here and there and then it was home to rest, as even a few hours out and about had worn me out.

Good thing I can nap whenever I need to, this week – and I’ve really needed to, every day.

It’s funny, but I’m having to remind myself daily that I have to rest, in order to get better. I don’t have any of the usual ‘sick’ symptoms: no stuffy nose, no bleary eyes… nothing that I’m used to staying home from work with.

I just get tired easily, despite resting for most of every day.

It’s disconcerting, so I ensure that I don’t try to exert myself in bursts of ‘good idea, do it!’ enthusiasm. The most strenuous thing I’ve done this week, apart from going out today, was to revisit and slightly reorganize some of my book collection that resides here at my parent’s place. We’re talking several hundred books, so I took my time over the course of several hours( with breaks )and when I was done, they were finally grouped as they should have been when they were first unpacked a long time ago: by genre.

Feeling of accomplishment? Check. Nap time? You betcha!

August 22 – Saturday Hurray!

I had a visitor today: my girlfriend!

She dropped by to take me out to breakfast, to a nice little place down the road called Adrienne’s – perfect, as it wasn’t crowded at all. I had my first tea in a week, careful not to overdo it in case my body didn’t know what to do with the caffeine, it’s actually been nice waking up naturally.

After a lovely and relaxed breakfast, we spent some time making buoys.

That’s right: buoys. Here’s a pic of before( left )and after( right ):

These are painted Styrofoam floats, meant to be strung on a weighted line and used in the model-boat pond whenever we go sailing the Haulin’ Trawler( soon, I hope! )again. Six of the buoys have provision for an LED light to be snapped into the circular base on top, allowing them to be used at night, which should be pretty cool.

While the paint dried, we relaxed over on the patio at the Beach House, in perfect temperatures under blue skies. I had another cup of tea while we watched people prep on the beach for a wedding, which seemed a little underwhelming in terms of props: just a trio of fake windows hanging from an unpainted beam, some chairs and a few small flower vases set atop log slices. I suppose they were going for simplicity…? 

My lady and I amused ourselves by seeing how the planners could have done things differently, as well as just enjoying the view out across the sea.

We ended our visit with dinner at the Olive Grove, a hidden gem just the other side of the highway nearby. We had the patio out back to ourselves for almost our entire meal, as it wasn’t busy. The staff were attentive, the food was delicious and in quantity and we had a great time together.

It was hard to say goodbye, but even my relaxed day had taken a lot out of me. I found myself nodding off well before 10pm, feeling worn out but not wiped, as I have for the last week or so.

It’s impressive what spending time with the right person can do to help one recover.

August 23 – Sloth, me?

It’s funny, but I don’t feel lazy, even with all this rest.

My days have progressed easily from when I wake to when I sleep, for which I’ve been grateful. There’s been no need to ‘keep tabs’ on things in my life, for I’ve naught which requires my constant attention; even FBook has taken a back burner, with the occasional check every few hours for interesting tidbits. I’ve quite enjoyed catching up on a bit of reading, or watching some shows on Netflix, but to be honest, I’ve not done as much of that as I have simply resting.

This morning, I hauled out my hammock to facilitate that in style.

It’s been a few years since I last used my hammock, not having had anywhere to put it since I moved into the city in early 2012: not even a balcony or side yard to speak of.

My parent’s place, on the other hand, has patio space galore, out the front and the side both: ideal for a hammock, especially one I can move around easily. This particular model, ideal for one person, has a folding frame and carrying bag that makes it portable, if not easily totable due to its size:

Relaxing on the patio, I felt more at ease than any day so far since last Sunday, when I had my last IV treatment. Phone at hand( just in case )with a few books( plus Calvin & Hobbes! )plus some critiques I’m re-reading for the next meeting, a glass of water and some snacks: I’m set.

Until I fall asleep mid-sentence, that is. Have to be careful my critique pages don’t blow away!

One good thing about being on a ‘rest cure’ is that I have time to write my blog. More than enough time, in fact – I popped in sentences all day long and by late evening had enough of my blog done that I could spend some more time with my girlfriend. Neither of us can get enough B5, so we worked our happy way through a few more episodes of Season 2, grinning all the while at little bits and remembered pleasures as we went.

A great way to end the weekend, and start out my week on a high note.

It’s been really great just being able to REST as needed. While I don’t yet feel recharged, I don’t have the punch-drunk going-to-keel-over-now feeling I had earlier in the week, when I didn’t know what time it was or if I needed to sleep. I’m happy to be waking up around my regular time in the morning now and getting tired about when I should, but that does seem to be varying the last few nights. I’ll have to ensure that I’m tired earlier, or go to bed earlier, to get my body clock back in proper tune for the work-week to come. At this point, I’ll likely be back to work at the end of this week, though I’ll play it by ear the next few days to see how I’m feeling, energy-level-wise.