The last thing I really remember was wanting to write something exceptionally witty on the Groupon Superbowl commercial for Twitter. This was to prove: my ability to write short wonderful retweeted things, show my disdain for Groupon (yes I got the intended joke just didn’t find it funny) and destined to make me famous. Ha!
You know the one about going to the doctor perfectly healthy and two days later….I went for routine blood tests (fine) and even had the doctor check my lungs as I’m weird that way (fine.)
Two days later I began coughing. And coughing. And have never coughed so much in my life. Only it’s not from my lungs it’s from my diaphragm which is getting such a great workout I could barely get out of bed.
In the past three days I’ve had the time to re-evaluate my life. I kept telling myself I was sick and everything was under a cold/flu haze but still. There are times that I feel as if I’m intellectually dying here. I don’t miss the ice or the grit (not that cities are anymore) but I miss being able to walk 24/7. I miss stores that assume you want delivery. I miss great take out. OK I would kill for good chicken in the pot and I don’t eat chicken. I miss classes that I can take or not take. I miss dark haired people like me who constantly question everything.
I can’t live a virtual life. It’s just not me.
I miss saying no to dinners and sometimes saying yes. I miss not having to make elaborate plans to do just about anything.
I don’t understand the South’s hatred of public transportation. It’s ironic because so many of the homeless began with jobs but their cars died and it spiraled from there. Don’t they understand that economic growth happens to areas that are prepared and being prepared includes public transportation?
I know I’m feeling better tonight and will probably be feeling almost healed tomorrow, but I so miss feeling part of a community. I’m the different one here. And no I’m not going to change my religion, change my politics, change my belief that we have free will, and sometimes that leads us to great places and other times not so great ones but it’s always our choice. (Which is going to be at odds with somethings I write for Psychology Today but I’m writing the different sides of me.)
Well it’s Thursday and I ventured the few blocks to “town” today. I was hot. I was cold. I couldn’t wait to get back home and into bed.
If I bring two shopping bags with me, am I bringing one for show? I always wonder about this as they put all the groceries into one bag though I always ask for them to use both or let me do the packing. For once one bag left me breathless and I had to stop in the middle of the walk home and redistribute everything. The bags felt weightless.
Before I grocery shopped, I spoke to the pharmacist I have a not so secret crush on who told me to keep drinking liquids, and agreed with me that going to the doctor was iffy. For some reason the coastal part of Horry County is the hardest hit by the flu.
When Eldon drives me to the doctor he waits outside so he can laugh at all the people who come out while waiting to have a cigarette break–as they’re coughing. I think that’s the reason.
The newspaper says it’s because we get so many tourists but I’m from New York and have never seen such a virulent outbreak. And if you don’t have a tissue or something that will pass for one, cough on your elbow. Thanks. Signed a public service announcement!
I am feeling better. Actually have an appetite–the one thing I liked about this was not eating!
I’m back to liking the South! Just need some down home NY cooking, and some New Yorkers!!!!! CLo and W, my former landlords, here, are coming in three weeks. Let me go as I’m beginning to babble!
Friday: It’s raining again. Yesterday was the first day since last Sunday it didn’t rain and before that I can’t remember. It feels as if it’s been raining forever. I’m bored but I’m still sick. My sinuses are still clogged. I don’t think I will need the newest version of my will because of this but you never know.
Tomorrow begins a spate of warmer sunny days. Please, please!!! I moved here thinking the weather while still cool in winter was decent. Then every winter has been “the coldest winter anybody can remember.” Tired of that. Tired of people who don’t believe in climate change. If they don’t believe the industrial revolution and everything that happened after was enough to foul the air and….They deserve the ramifications. The rest of us don’t. Let me go before I lose my last two friends or something.
I was going to write something about the Superbowl, but have been so busy that I haven’t had time and today, when I have breathing room, it seems so long ago.
Chicken in a pot? Down East that’s called a chicken bog. It’s one of the few SC foods that I have made, it’s cheap and feeds a lot of people (some chicken and sausage and rice and a five gallon pot).
As for public transportation, outside of a few cities, the South never had it. THat’s even true in most places up north and in the mid-west. You always had it in the cities and linking out to the suburbs, but you never had it in the rural areas. Atlanta and Charlotte and places like that had it (even WIlmington had electric street cars, before the War!), but it’s been a long time and the mentality is still rural. That said, many places there could use a good public transportation system.
@sage
Sage that’s not chicken in the pot! Chicken in the pot is boiled chicken, no sausage ever, carrots, onions, matzoh balls, maybe noodles and peas and chicken broth
I’m from the NorthEast and public transportation is our middle name or first really
Someone suggested I write a review of the Super Bowl commercials. My problem is that by the second half, I’ve forgotten what I saw in the first half… if you can imagine.
You are right about public transportation, and as for that matter, walking. From what I’ve seen, many people around here have only discovered what a crosswalk is in the past five years. And some still don’t have a clue.
The last thing I remember was wanting to write something exceptionally witty here… 🙂
Hope you are feeling better soon!
@Bone
DVR Sir Boneville, getting a DVR would be an answer to so many of life’s biggest problems for you.
The problem with this years Super Bowl commercials was that most weren’t great. Though I really wanted a Motorola touch pad until I remembered I have an Ipad, and am an Apple fanatic. Really had to remember that one.
More people walk here now than did when I moved here. 61% of all people who voted voted for public transportation. That is a mandate. So it’s wanted. But they can find money in the budget for all kind of non essential things but transportation which helps an area grow, no. And then they wonder why industry won’t come. Industry often depends on unskilled labor. Now of course they can have their pick of skilled labor, for unskilled jobs. But cars still die and…..
Good news there at the end. Actually, North Cackalacky has been developing its public transit infrastructure and Atlanta has something of a system. It might just be there on the coast where, when the car breaks down, people think “that’s ok. I’ll just sit on the beach, then.”
@Doug
Sorry Doug too many people think “I can’t get to work now.” It’s a growing problem that the residents realize is a problem–nearest working train station is in Florence 90 minutes a way
There are train tracks in Myrtle Beach and Conway–10, 15 minutes inland. Occasionally freight trains pass by. Sometimes they hit homeless sleeping on them!
This area certainly could use improvement but we do have public transportation. The cities in the Northeast are better than D.C. and Baltimore though, but we do have transport even in the outlying areas and cities.
I hope you continue to improve health-wise , the flu sucks for sure, but I think you may be getting some warmer weather this weekend.
@cooper
You have great public transport I think. I question why I didn’t move to Fells Point or some other funky area where people enjoy thinking!