One Flu Over The Cuckoo's Nest

I've been cooped up at home for six days, but it wasn't by choice.

I felt great last Monday (May 25); I took my normal boxing class and had a few nice chats at the gym and on my way home. I was already looking forward to seeing the new Pixar movie, Up, in 3D. I was also looking forward to bowling on Friday night with young adults from my church.

On Tuesday morning, however, everything changed. At first, I just started coughing; no big deal, right? On that same day, however, the aches, headaches, chills and fever followed. This was definitely not a cold.

Since I determined that evening that this was the flu at work, I decided to stay home and recuperate, even if it meant that my plans for the week (including the weekend) would have to be put aside. As a result, I've pretty much been resting in bed for entire days, only taking breaks to do necessary things like eat - and that was when I had a full appetite. I recall one time when I mixed my nightly protein shake and took a very small sip, but at that point, I felt like I was ready to vomit! I quickly washed my shaker and briskly walked straight to bed, only getting up again when I felt okay.

It's almost Tuesday morning as I write this post; I'm feeling much better, thank God. Note to self: get a flu shot this year!

Grizzly Bear - "Two Weeks"

I've already made room in my spending plan for new albums by Franz Ferdinand (Blood) and the Jonas Brothers (Lines, Vines And Trying Times). I might have to squeeze in Grizzly Bear's Veckatimest if this song has anything to do with it.

They've been getting excellent buzz for that album, but I've largely ignored it...until now.

Grizzly Bear - Two Weeks (official music video)
by WeeRezZ

Good To The Last Drop

I've been sick with the flu for one week so I haven't been updating this blog. I'll explain in more detail later, but in the meantime, enjoy this photo which I captured this morning.

Doors Open 2009

I took 259 photos yesterday at Doors Open 2009; here they are.

Doors Open 2009

Of all the years I've been attending Doors Open, this one was definitely the best. This was the most fun I've had taking photographs in a while.

One Down, Three To Go

I did something totally unexpected this morning: I paid off one of my student loans.

Even though I'm not working right now, my former employer is helping me in my job search with its own brand of employment insurance. Unfortunately, I cannot access my pay stub online anymore, so I can't know what my net pay will be in advance. As a result, I had to wait until this morning in order to find this out.

When I plugged the numbers into my budget spreadsheet (which is really more like a spending plan), I discovered that I had enough money left over in order to pay off the balance of one of my student loans. Ergo, I did just that.

Yes, I'm pondering the biggest decision of my life right now - but even with that, I have cause to celebrate today. Pop the bubbly and get me a chocolate chip cookie dough Blizzard while you're at it...

Eric B. & Rakim - "Let The Rhythm Hit 'Em"

I used to borrow CDs from the library when I was younger; one of them was Let The Rhythm Hit 'Em by Eric B. & Rakim. I didn't realize the significance of what I had back then, but I'd come to realize that Rakim was - and still is - one of the most respected hip-hop lyricists of all time. Listen to the title track from the aforementioned album and see how Rakim's deft wordplay makes people like Soulja Boy Tell 'Em sound like cheap impostors.

Mind you, this is coming from someone who likes "Kiss Me Thru The Phone."

Do I Know Where I'm Going To?

As I continue to recover from my recent outsourcing, I'm faced with possibly the biggest decision of my life so far: continue to look for a job or go back to school.

So far, it looks as if I should go with the former option. If I go with the latter choice, I'd still need to look for a part-time job to sustain myself while I hit the books. I'm the primary breadwinner in my household and I have no one to fall back on if my income dries up. Besides, Lord only knows that this job could be an even bigger insult to my intelligence than my former job ever was, and there is no way that I'm going to willingly put myself through that again. Having said that, some short-term pain (the part-time job) is probably warranted in light of the long-term gain (the dividends from returning to school).

At least my provincial (Ontario) government has a program to help people who are in my situation and willing to go back to school for retraining. It's fittingly called Second Career; the gist is that the government pays for tuition and other expenses if you qualify for this assistance. Mind you, there is a process which every applicant needs to go through - however, the prospect of changing careers on the government's dime sounds worthwhile, especially considering the possible long-term benefits.

Personally, the fields of study relating to the arts sound very appealing to me, especially as a person who thrives on being creative. I used to produce drum 'n bass music as Charlie Van Pelt, and I terribly miss those days...