Of Sickness and Toys

Hello friends.

Reporting to you from my bed via my son's iPad. I bought him a new one for xmas last year and I forgot that I can actually use it too if I want to. Right now he mostly uses my ps4 to play Lego Star Wars and later for calm down we watch Episode 4 together. I don't think I will ever get sick of that. It's a moment I've always waited for as a nerd dad. I didn't get that experience with my oldest son, (who just turned 18 this week btw) nor my middle kid, who could never focus enough on a movie to sit down and enjoy it. Part of the joys of autism. He told me he went to the movies and saw THE LAST JEDI. I'm sure he enjoyed it. He is a big BB8 fan. I was actually thinking about taking him to see it, hoping that five years old would be good enough to try and take him to the movies and he would act okay, but I missed the chance. Oh well. Maybe Episode 9 I will get my shot.

Anyway, I am doing this from bed and not my computer because I am severely sick and am to be bedridden for at least the next couple days. At the day job, a couple people were out sick and a few came to work sick... So it's likely I got it from someone there in the office. All week I could feel the symptoms start and then would dissapate, only to return worse the next day. By Friday I had developed a really bad cough and chills. I spent all day Saturday in bed, not being able to enjoy my kids' visit at all. By midnight I had enough and reported to a 24 hour urgent care clinic. You know it's serious when I actually volentarilly go to a doctor!

Surprisingly, I had dropped more weight and my blood pressure is slowly inching toward normal. Which, as a fat fuck, is great news! What isn't good news is that I was diagnosed with a major bronchial infection that is borderline pneumonia if not dealt with immediately. I got prescribed four meds and ordered to stay in bed or I would get worse. Also the news that I was HIGHLY contagious and would be for another two days. So I had to abort the weekend visit with the boys. It really sucks all around. I cannot afford to take two days off of work and get points racked up on attendance there. (They have VERY strict policies) But it is what it is and I have to to what is best for my health. Luckily I have a very supportive and helpful girl at my side who helped with the boys and has been tucking me in and checking on me. I sure hope she doesn't get what I got!!

Most of today I slept and sweated. Ive finally been able to keep some food down me. I hope this upward trend continues. But this will be my life for the next couple days. Hey, I wanted a "vacation," I guess I got one! (Sneezes)

I've been falling asleep to old DEEP SPACE NINE episodes, as I am giving that series another run through. Tonight I watched a couple documentaries. One on The Beatles making of SGT PEPPER called IT WAS FIFTY YEARS AGO TODAY. The other was another part of Netflix's THE TOYS THAT MADE US. I've seen the He-Man episode already, so tonight I watched the Star Wars one.

I am a complete nut for vintage Star Wars figures, as they were my "Woody and Buzz Lightyear" of my childhood. I have some of my original figures still, but none in the box like I do my Trek figures. The prices are astronomical now to collect them for real. But I sure love to look at them! I've always called myself a big child for collecting toys still and I even get strange looks when I am in a Toys R us by myself. But something a dude in the doc said made me feel better about it.

Religion has its symbols, things they use so you can define your faith. Sci Fi is something not real. You cannot touch it. But you can define your love and devotion to it by collecting the toys... Symbols of nostalgia.... Symbols of your faith in a thing... A rememberance of better times. I will have to remember this the next time I am looking at a toy and I put it back because I "should be too old for that sort of thing." Like a football jersey or a rookie card means something to a sports fan, so should it be with the toys.

I have been blessed to work on Star Wars art in an official (albeit small) capacity. It truly is a special thing and it means a lot to me. I had a fan come to me at a con one time and he had a binder full of my cards because he loved my style on all those Star Wars figures I had drawn. I was floored, to say the least. I am honored to do so and this next week, I will again. But this time I think I will keep one of my return cards for my kid. Maybe a BB8... For when he grows older. And maybe he will appreciate his dad and his love of Star Wars... and that he got paid to work on stuff for it. That would be very cool.

I watched the tail end of the Super Bowl via a crappy stream on my phone. Congrats to the Eagles on their big win. I did not watch much football this year, unfortunately. Good cable TV is just too expensive!

Anyway, Ive typed on this thing enough and my nose is really starting to run, I better sign off. Listen folks, this flu season is NO JOKE!!! It is worth it to be a little obsessive germaphobe this year. Carry a small sanitizer bottle with you. Invest in Clorox wipes and Lysol. And if you are sick, for god sakes stay at home and dont infect your coworkers!!! We have families and obligations too, you know! Don’t be an arsehole. Stay home and get well. I had my weekend, and my errand running plans for tomorrow ruined because of this. Dammit (sneeze)

-T