(The return of the) Wank Holiday
This week I have been diagnosed with Sciatica. Although easily treatable with a mixture of physiotherapy and osteopathy, it means that I have to spend virtually all of my time up to being cured in nagging and constant pain. For those that don't know, sciatica is nerve pain in the lower back and legs that comes from trauma caused to the spine. When I sprained my back last year I could not walk upright, having a distinct lean to the right. Part of my spine (close to the base) has curved to help compensate for this, which has trapped a sciatic nerve, which sends pain right down my left leg, in particular the thigh. And it is fucking painful. When I sprained my back (which, make no mistake, was a load more painful) I could get into a comfortable position which, although inconvenient, abated the pain for the majority of the time. With the pain in my thigh I am finding that there is little or no way to really get it to stop. The safest, surefire way with back pain is to lie flat, but this, if anything, makes my leg feel worse. Sitting properly in a chair or on the sofa does help but I can still feel it. I am using the strongest Ibuprofen gel that can be bought and am taking regular paracetamol (I was taking codeine but was finding that it was making me too stoned to work or drive) which is probably unpsetting my liver, but what else is there? Apparently smoking pot helps, but I'm not sure that I want to get into all that.
In spite of all of this, I am rather happy and upbeat at the moment. I am having a lucky streak with electronic goods, having fixed my iPod (broken for over a year but worked with a good charge) and my laptop. Having an iPod again is brilliant. It's only a 1gb First Gen Nano, but its still sounds great and is loaded with the best music that I can think of for my current mood. I have been walking to work for the past few days as I now don't really have an excuse not to, and I'm loving it. I can get 2 - 3 songs in before I get there and it relaxes me and, possibly more importantly, it gives my back and legs a good stretch.
If that wasn't good enough, Kate found my Sony headphones! I have a pair of the standard iPod headphones, but I like to listen to my music with a load of bass and have a tendency of blowing the smaller, in ear headphones, so I bought a pair of decent quality over ear ones. Sadly, I lost these the other week, meaning that I've been using the old ones, but when I got home yesterday Kate gave me the Sony pair that she had found! :-D So I now have comfort, extra clear quality and a thumping low growl of bass when I listen to "my shit".
As it says on my best friend's Facebook "Life ain't as sweet without the sour". I suppose that's true.
***
Kate and I went to Tesco earlier and found that the whole town was there as well. Fucking bank holidays. I might be wrong but if you are given a day off work and have your weekend extended then that is a time to do something with your family, see something new, take a trip or, at the very least, relax with a book, movie, videogame or whatever. I was at the supermarket as I was working all weekend and this is my only day off this week, but what were all those other people doing there? Is it simply because they are panic buying because the supermarket is not going to be open for 16 hours? I personally think its because a lot of people out there do not know how to relax or enjoy themselves without having some kind of direct focus or control. I think that these same people also hate their families and friends and, therefore, need as many distractions away from them as possible. And where better to shout at your bored 7 year old son or daughter than a packed and busy supermarket? Bet that makes the realisation that you live in a shitty town, do a shitty job and have a shitty home life just melt away into oblivion. And if it doesn't then you can get some cheap vodka on special offer in aisle 14.
I finally watched Joe Strummer: The Future Is Unwritten the other day and yes, it did make me damp eyed. I thought that it was a great account of Joe's life that handled the man and myth with style and presented a warts an' all characterisation of a man who was neither saint or sinner. I don't think that it would be that great for those with no or even a casual interest in Joe Strummer or The Clash, but for dedicated fans like me it really was something special. I now have to buy it and watch it again. A few times.
In spite of all of this, I am rather happy and upbeat at the moment. I am having a lucky streak with electronic goods, having fixed my iPod (broken for over a year but worked with a good charge) and my laptop. Having an iPod again is brilliant. It's only a 1gb First Gen Nano, but its still sounds great and is loaded with the best music that I can think of for my current mood. I have been walking to work for the past few days as I now don't really have an excuse not to, and I'm loving it. I can get 2 - 3 songs in before I get there and it relaxes me and, possibly more importantly, it gives my back and legs a good stretch.
If that wasn't good enough, Kate found my Sony headphones! I have a pair of the standard iPod headphones, but I like to listen to my music with a load of bass and have a tendency of blowing the smaller, in ear headphones, so I bought a pair of decent quality over ear ones. Sadly, I lost these the other week, meaning that I've been using the old ones, but when I got home yesterday Kate gave me the Sony pair that she had found! :-D So I now have comfort, extra clear quality and a thumping low growl of bass when I listen to "my shit".
As it says on my best friend's Facebook "Life ain't as sweet without the sour". I suppose that's true.
***
Kate and I went to Tesco earlier and found that the whole town was there as well. Fucking bank holidays. I might be wrong but if you are given a day off work and have your weekend extended then that is a time to do something with your family, see something new, take a trip or, at the very least, relax with a book, movie, videogame or whatever. I was at the supermarket as I was working all weekend and this is my only day off this week, but what were all those other people doing there? Is it simply because they are panic buying because the supermarket is not going to be open for 16 hours? I personally think its because a lot of people out there do not know how to relax or enjoy themselves without having some kind of direct focus or control. I think that these same people also hate their families and friends and, therefore, need as many distractions away from them as possible. And where better to shout at your bored 7 year old son or daughter than a packed and busy supermarket? Bet that makes the realisation that you live in a shitty town, do a shitty job and have a shitty home life just melt away into oblivion. And if it doesn't then you can get some cheap vodka on special offer in aisle 14.
I finally watched Joe Strummer: The Future Is Unwritten the other day and yes, it did make me damp eyed. I thought that it was a great account of Joe's life that handled the man and myth with style and presented a warts an' all characterisation of a man who was neither saint or sinner. I don't think that it would be that great for those with no or even a casual interest in Joe Strummer or The Clash, but for dedicated fans like me it really was something special. I now have to buy it and watch it again. A few times.