'You know, they call me the cautionary whale...'
Okay so... It's been a while. And I've been up to a lot so this could get a bit long.
I last left off on a Sunday two weeks ago after Allie and I had been out blackberrying.
One day early that week we watched Juno. We both loved it and I was particularly taken by the soundtrack which was of the really mellow, laid back variety.
That Wednesday I went to see my GP for a little catch-up and Allie and I watched Dylan Moran's stand-up DVD Monster which turned out to be far funnier than either of us was expecting and was just what we needed on a night when we were both feeling a bit tired and grumpy.
The next day I went to the hospital to see my rheumatologist and got some of the best news I've had in a while. Since I started on methotrexate a couple months ago I've been going in for bloodwork every two weeks to make sure it's not damaging my liver. The good news is that it's not and the extra good news is that the last couple tests I've had have showed my inflammation levels dropping by half each time. So something's clearly work working and as it's too early for the methotrexate my doctor think's it's probably the increased dose of sulfasalazine I started a while back. Whatever it is I knew I'd been starting to feel better and I hope it continues to improve. Now if I could just get the whole POTS problem under control before I end up losing my job or something. I'm having tests done for that early next week and will be seeing a specialist at some point in the near future.
On Friday we went to the Powers Bar in Kilburn to see a band called Rubella which is led by a good friend of Bill's. The band that was on before them - if you could call it that - was little more than backing music and a guy reciting witty poetry that perhaps wasn't as witty as he thought. Rubella themselves were decent enough, but I'd left my ear protectors at home and ended up leaving after a few songs as they were really loud and my ears were starting to hurt. Is this a sign of common sense or of getting old?
Allie was working the next day so I was at home alone and watched Hard Candy which Allie'd borrowed from work for me. I was meant to be going to the Great British Beer Festival that day, but ended up skipping it this year as I can't really drink enough at the moment to justify the entry fee. Next year definitely. As it was, I just popped out to Wetherspoons for a pint and then met Allie to come home, buy some Chinese and watch The Wire.
The following Monday - that's the Monday of last week - Allie and went to see the Queen tribute We Will Rock You. I don't have a lot to say about it apart apart from a) it was the most unintentionally funny thing I've seen in ages and I actually had tears of laughter on my cheeks at one point and b) I'm sure Freddie Mercury has probably spinning in his grave like a dervish for the past eight years. Allie laughed until she cried, too. Twice. :o)
The rest of last week was a bit quiet. Allie and I finished finished the first season of The Wire and started the second in as well. One night, we made a nice big pot of corned beef hash. And I bought a copy of Trivial Pursuit on the way to have more bloodwork done on the first day of my annual leave on Friday. We've been looking for a second hand copy of Trivial Pursuit for a while and I'm really looking forward to playing it, but I have serious doubts about how good I'll be as a lot of the questions have a serious UK bias. I may need to buy some US cards to mix in or buy a book to even things up a bit.
This past Sunday Allie cooked lunch for a couple friends of mine from church and they stayed all afternoon which was really nice. She made barbecue chicken, baked sweet potato with goat's cheese, salad and biscuits. Afterward we finished off the second season of The Wire and just had a relaxing evening together.
I'm on leave all week this week. Yesterday I did very little all day and then went out to see Let the Right One In at the PCC in the evening. It was a brilliant, subtle little film that more or less got everything right from the acting to the direction and cinematography.
Today I've done very little yet again. Allie will be home soon and I'm going to go see her off on her train to Blackburn (she'll be back Sunday night) and then I'm going back to the PCC to see Ferris Bueller's Day Off as part of the John Hughes tribute they're running this evening. Afterward I imagine I'll be coming home to start watching the first season of Star Trek: TNG which Allie has very kindly given me as an early birthday present to watch whilst she's away so I won't think about work too much and, you know, get bored. I imagine that'll take up a good chunk of my free time over the next few days and I've been giddily looking forward to it as I've not seen a lot of those episodes in years.
Other plans this week include watching a few films, catching up some email, doing a bit of gaming, visiting a couple people and generally just sorta... relaxing. And trying not to think about work, of course.
I last left off on a Sunday two weeks ago after Allie and I had been out blackberrying.
One day early that week we watched Juno. We both loved it and I was particularly taken by the soundtrack which was of the really mellow, laid back variety.
That Wednesday I went to see my GP for a little catch-up and Allie and I watched Dylan Moran's stand-up DVD Monster which turned out to be far funnier than either of us was expecting and was just what we needed on a night when we were both feeling a bit tired and grumpy.
The next day I went to the hospital to see my rheumatologist and got some of the best news I've had in a while. Since I started on methotrexate a couple months ago I've been going in for bloodwork every two weeks to make sure it's not damaging my liver. The good news is that it's not and the extra good news is that the last couple tests I've had have showed my inflammation levels dropping by half each time. So something's clearly work working and as it's too early for the methotrexate my doctor think's it's probably the increased dose of sulfasalazine I started a while back. Whatever it is I knew I'd been starting to feel better and I hope it continues to improve. Now if I could just get the whole POTS problem under control before I end up losing my job or something. I'm having tests done for that early next week and will be seeing a specialist at some point in the near future.
On Friday we went to the Powers Bar in Kilburn to see a band called Rubella which is led by a good friend of Bill's. The band that was on before them - if you could call it that - was little more than backing music and a guy reciting witty poetry that perhaps wasn't as witty as he thought. Rubella themselves were decent enough, but I'd left my ear protectors at home and ended up leaving after a few songs as they were really loud and my ears were starting to hurt. Is this a sign of common sense or of getting old?
Allie was working the next day so I was at home alone and watched Hard Candy which Allie'd borrowed from work for me. I was meant to be going to the Great British Beer Festival that day, but ended up skipping it this year as I can't really drink enough at the moment to justify the entry fee. Next year definitely. As it was, I just popped out to Wetherspoons for a pint and then met Allie to come home, buy some Chinese and watch The Wire.
The following Monday - that's the Monday of last week - Allie and went to see the Queen tribute We Will Rock You. I don't have a lot to say about it apart apart from a) it was the most unintentionally funny thing I've seen in ages and I actually had tears of laughter on my cheeks at one point and b) I'm sure Freddie Mercury has probably spinning in his grave like a dervish for the past eight years. Allie laughed until she cried, too. Twice. :o)
The rest of last week was a bit quiet. Allie and I finished finished the first season of The Wire and started the second in as well. One night, we made a nice big pot of corned beef hash. And I bought a copy of Trivial Pursuit on the way to have more bloodwork done on the first day of my annual leave on Friday. We've been looking for a second hand copy of Trivial Pursuit for a while and I'm really looking forward to playing it, but I have serious doubts about how good I'll be as a lot of the questions have a serious UK bias. I may need to buy some US cards to mix in or buy a book to even things up a bit.
This past Sunday Allie cooked lunch for a couple friends of mine from church and they stayed all afternoon which was really nice. She made barbecue chicken, baked sweet potato with goat's cheese, salad and biscuits. Afterward we finished off the second season of The Wire and just had a relaxing evening together.
I'm on leave all week this week. Yesterday I did very little all day and then went out to see Let the Right One In at the PCC in the evening. It was a brilliant, subtle little film that more or less got everything right from the acting to the direction and cinematography.
Today I've done very little yet again. Allie will be home soon and I'm going to go see her off on her train to Blackburn (she'll be back Sunday night) and then I'm going back to the PCC to see Ferris Bueller's Day Off as part of the John Hughes tribute they're running this evening. Afterward I imagine I'll be coming home to start watching the first season of Star Trek: TNG which Allie has very kindly given me as an early birthday present to watch whilst she's away so I won't think about work too much and, you know, get bored. I imagine that'll take up a good chunk of my free time over the next few days and I've been giddily looking forward to it as I've not seen a lot of those episodes in years.
Other plans this week include watching a few films, catching up some email, doing a bit of gaming, visiting a couple people and generally just sorta... relaxing. And trying not to think about work, of course.