Okay, it's been a while since i posted. Aside from the time it took me to write up all the Ottawa stuff, i've been sidelined with illness. I brought something back from Ottawa, something flu-like. It was worst on last Monday, the 19th, with dripping nose, sinus pain, painfully sore through, phlegm, all the good stuff. So much so, i called in sick to work for the first time in maybe 3 years on the Tuesday, though as it turned out i felt a little better (maybe because i didn't go out?). I was productive though, as i'd brought work home. I've been slowly recovering since, although my symptoms can vary through the day. My throat is okay, and i don't have much of a runny nose, but i still cough phlegm sometimes (sorry). I regret missing last week's yoga.

I wonder if i should get a flu shot? I'm still recovering, and maybe i already have antibodies anyway? What;'s more annoying than the H1N1 hysteria, aside from the fact it's not just H1N1 (which is the most common flu virus), but H1N1-09, is the anti-immunization myths.

Speaking of sorry, last Sunday i had an issue where it looked like i had internal bleeding again, like from my ulcer in 2006. I don't know what caused it, as i haven't been using aspirin, though i guess i'd taken a fair amount of acetaminophen, and pseudephedrine. My friend Lisa gave me an herbal supplement, mainly fenugreek. Its possible side effect is bloating and so on, and those were symptoms. So, i don't know. I went to the hospital ER, bringing reading material with me, though it wasn't too slow. They didn't find anything wrong, and my hemoglobin was actually a little high (opposite of what i'd expect). Anyway, i quit all medication, except my ongoing antacid - he actually gave me a different, more powerful prescription (since stomach acid helps to cause ulcers). The symptoms disappeared. Who knows?

I've still seen a handful of movies here and there, some more than once (like, this Tuesday, when i took my car in for servicing), anmd saw a show - more on those later.

Also, the Wednesday before Ottawa, i had gone to the first evening life drawing class, but my neck/shoulder started hurting and i had to quite after about an hour. The pain got worse over a couple of days, though it's faded since. Annoyingly, i'd just had massage therapy that morning. I skipped it next week and this week too. This Wednesday was my first massage session since, and i told her, so she did stuff to calm it down, and it's feeling okay. I'm going to check for a proper easel, instead of a drawing donkey - that should help.

Last Saturday, i went to Lisa & Russ's for dinner, first time in a month or so. I felt crappy after dinner, partly because i ate too much, partly, i don't think some of it agreed with me - not really big on parsnips or cauliflower, and the chicken was kind odd.

On this Friday, i dropped by Russ's place, because i needed a shirt ironed for my Halloween costume, and i couldn't find ours. I'd actually expected Lisa to be there, but it turned out Russ took tyhe day off because Lisa had to catch up on work, and the girls were home, still recovering themselves.

Speaking of Halloween, i went out as a droog again, this time with a better hat, and suspenders. Oh and better eye make-up, but still not as good as i could do with, say, a marker. The first party was at Matt's condo in Toronto. Chris and Rebecca, Miah, Dawn and Matt Jelavic were there, plus a bunch of Matt and Stephanie's other friends. I was feeling tired, and was leaving around 12:30 when some cute girls arrived. Uhh, yes, the self-described 'half-assed vampire' - you could have made me stay, though i decided it would be an effort in futility and left anyway.

Yesterday, i just ran errands during the day, including the suspenders, better yoga equipment, and so on. Polished my shoes, finally. Found the iron to give the shirt another go, lol. Oh, and i went to Dar's old house, and picked up a couple of old boxes from our TSB/Puppets days. Some videos that need posting, lol.

In the evening, i picked up Felicia, Torrie and her boyfriend Adam, and we drove to Toronto for a party at Andrew P's/Diego's/Mo's place (though Mo was not there). Quite a few people were there - Andrew & his girlfriend Gina, Diego, Ryan & Diane, Molly & Justin M, Natasha & Justin G, Mike R and his girlfriend (Ellery?), Jackie, who brought a friend (and eventually the friend brought her boyfriend), aside from Felicia, Torrie, Adam and me. That's 12 of my students. Plus there were a handful of other people's friends/relatives. As a DD, i kept my drinking to a minimum - a couple of Magners, and a handful of jello shots., although some barely knew each other (Torrie was in third year while Molly was in first). Drama was kept to a minimum, ha ha, though there was a lot of crude behaviour, ha ha (Torrie used someone's sword as a substitute penis all night, lol). Also some took advantage of my not being their teacher anymore, ha ha. Got a lot of hugs and such. the four of us left around... i dunno, there was a time change in there. We made it to Whitby and went to a Chinese restaurant (my General Tao chicken and fried rice were not that good). After we parted, i had to stop for gas, and then it was just past 3 EDT, so 2 EST, but when i got home, i went online for a bit.

Woke up at 9/8 this morning, not feeling too bad, just tired, as usual. Cut my hair.

One of the movies i've seen (a couple of times, actually) is Where The Wild Things Are. It's dark, unbelievably dark if you're thinking of taking children to see it. I liked it, it's great as an adult fable, about a kid in a newly broken family who uses his fantasies (we can assume) to learn to deal with his emotions. It's interesting, because i didn't find Max all that likeable at the beginning. It's also interesting that Maurice Sendak was involved in the movie's production.

I was kind of appalled at the scene in class, where the teacher tells the small children that the sun will die, destroy the earth, though humanity will probably have destroyed itself by then. What the hell are you thinking?

"Let the the wild rumpus begin!"

The Wild Things - Alexander, Carol, Judith, Ira, Max, Bull.

"It's going to be a place where only the things you want to happen, would happen."

Douglas, Max and KW.

I also saw Astro Boy, the CGI movie based on the old manga/anime. Overall, it was enjoyable, although not one of the greatest - i liked it more than Shrek, but less than Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs. Kids apparently love it.

It tries to remain faithful to the original story, but it felt a little by-the-numbers, and also a little not full thought out. There are issues they don't explain, like, is anyone running the surface world? If Metro City jumps dumps its garbage onto the surface, where do they get their resources (to build robots, or just food?). How did Cora get separated from her parents, and down to the surface. The very last scene is set up something similar to the last scene of The Incredibles, but they should have done it the same way, with a break - otherwise it's a weird transition (does this happen all the time, and we just didn't know about it?). Also - if all robots are sentient, doesn't that mean Astro killed some of them?

I didn't really like the adult character voice actors - Donald Sutherland's voice was too soft and muffled to be the militaristic President, and when i heard Dr Tenma, all i could see Nicholas Cage (who is not the right voice for a brilliant and aloof scientist). Nathan Lane was fun as Hamegg, although the character looked much different than the original, he was closer in personality.

Drs. Elefun and Tenma.

Astro Boy.

The Robot Revolutionary Front - the oddly Marxist, English-accented comedy relief.

Nicely designed trashcan-dog hybrid.

Cora, the character not from the books or anime.

Last weekend i saw An Education, a very different movie, about an about-to-turn-17-year old girl in early 1960s Britain. Both she and the country are about to engage in a social revolution, but at the moment, her prospects are a little limited. She's very smart, and her father pushes her education, but to what end? When she meets a young man who not only charms her but her parents (naively in both cases), her life takes a dramatic turn, dropping out of school, travelling to London, paris, eating in fancy restaurants, going to galleries, all the things she's dreamed of. Something that wasn't mentioned but i found a bit odd was the obvious age difference. Sure, he was supposed to be older than the high school boys she had been seeing, but he had to be at least a decade older than her (the actor is actually 38).

Her 'education' is more about life than school. It was a funny movie, in a witty, and an interesting look at a period and place. The actor who played Jenny was great.

Someone is repressed...

"Do you go to concerts?"
"We don't believe in concerts."
"Oh, I assure you, they're real."

"You seem to be old and wise."
"I feel old. But not very wise."