Spring Sprung Sprang

Today's the first day of Spring which I know 'cause Google's logo was filled with tulips.  But it was reinforced when I was standing in the pouring rain wishing I had sunglasses on because the sky was so bright.  Ah, Spring in Seattle.

This year I gave up the entire contents of my intestines for Lent.  And to show my religious devotion I had a fever for 36 hours.  In honor of the baby Jesus who would be sacrificed for our sins, I curled up in a fetal position and prayed for hours on end.  Though there shall be no false idols, I worshiped at a porcelain god and was duly punished. 

I shake my fist at the damned stomach flu that's weakened me, moved work deadlines to my weekend, and necessitated the cancellation of planned manly drunkenness and skiing planned for a weekend bachelor party in Canada. 

Perhaps it's the cosmic forces of the universe telling me that a weekend of drunkenness and skiing would land me in the hospital.  But I'm annoyed I won't be able to trot around in my new, stylish, high tech, orange parka (thank you REI dividend!).

Seriously, the last time I felt close to this horrible was 20 years ago when I found myself alone, with dysentery, on a houseboat in Kashmir, watching my bloody diarrhea go straight into the lake creating a feeding frenzy among the little fish that apparently thrived on the trauma of travelers.  Sorry.  That was gross.  But that was also the only point in my life when I really thought "you know, it wouldn't be so bad if I just DIED right now."

I didn't come close to that threshold this time, but it sucked and I do wanna reach out and hug my mom (an RN) for her medical advice and my dear friends who texted/emailed support and care offered to bring me whatever I needed. Thankfully I had tuna to feed my blind cat and managed the energy to buy Gatorade so dehydration was avoided.

TMI, I know.

<sigh>

But I walk on . . .

Round here, not much to report except:

• My minor sound bite this week on Morning Edition prompted multiple friends to text/email me, reminding me that mass media is, well, mass media. (And reinforcing that when your PR ace puts talking points together, you should stick to them. Doh!)
• Our data on iPhone made splash, which is awesome, though I wish the New York Times hadn't made me out to be such a fanboy 'cause my thoughts on the device are more nuanced.
• My brother sent me an article that made me change my underwear and confirmed again that it was a good decision to give up rockclimbing.  I posted it to MetaFilter.
• I need a haircut (shaggy on the sides, balding in the center--can't we have some equity here?)
• I'm in Seattle all next week.  Unless I go to LA on Monday.  Or NYC on Wednesday.
• Having turned in my expense reports for the year to date I've realized that the expense of keeping me aloft in my gig would be a fine living for more than half of the populous. I'm completely unsure about how I feel about that.
• I'm not sure there is any bigger way to feel like an asshole than to be approached by a homeless person while talking on your iPhone and preemptively (and truthfully) say "sorry man, my wallet's in the restaurant" and have them respond "I just wanted to say God Bless You"

Over and out.

Comments

[T]

Ugh. I had no idea you were so sick. I'm sorry you were ill. I hope you're fully recovered now, and if not now, then soon!

[Mark F]

EEEK! I din't know that you were sick either. I join T in hoping that you are better now--and if not, I would also like to join the chorus of friends offering to bring you whatever you need.
Some comments:

1. Alex is blind?
2. I feel the same way about my expenses--my first moment of feeling uneasy about it was last year when I stayed in a super-posh western hotel in India and had a driver take me to and from the office. I'm sure that dozens of families in India could have lived the high-life on what I spent over 5 days.
2.