I ended 2016 on an ambitious note, determined to be healthier and more productive than ever. The first 10 days, however, had other ideas. OK, the first few were okay. But the remaining 5…Ouch. Shudder.
I caught a stomach bug. I didn’t think it was a bug until I learned the hospitals were filled with people with fever throwing up. I almost had a fever on my first night with some shivering, but “luckily,” it just turned into a “manageable” nausea.
By manageable, I mean I didn’t need to go to the hospital and could maintain things inside. However, my awesome diet consists of tea, toasted bread with no oil or butter, non-salty white cheese, plain yoghurt, mashed potatoes, chicken breast and……Water. That’s it. I forgot what coffee smells like, and I’m in pain.
I also lost a tooth, and now I can no longer delay a dentist’s visit. (I’d been putting one off for far too long.) I also have a cold sore. Might be because I’m pissed my Internet connection is so slow that this post took me three days to get online. I’m not kidding. I’ve been all snowed up inside. Oh, the joy.
Naturally, my productivity jumped out of a plane without a parachute; I wasn’t even able to sit straight for the first couple of days.
The upside: my wrists feel better since I couldn’t use them much, which supports my resting advice on my writing disability article on Be a Freelance Blogger.
With this kind of eating you would think I’d lose a little weight, but since I can’t move much, I haven’t.
I’m currently beta-reading a friend’s novel, and completed a proofreading job on a screenplay. I kept up with blog posts and my email, and followed-up on previous pitches.
However, I’m good at finding great binge-watching cures for myself during times of ill health; this is how I had discovered Supernatural (aff.link). (A show I whole-heartedly recommend until season 6. I totally advise you to stay away from 7, and 8 is also good. Then I couldn’t get into it again.)
This time my savior was Zoo, a sci-fi/adventure/drama that is way better than its rating (of 7) and even the engaging trailer. The pilot starts beautifully. And the rest is fast, addictive, emotional, thought-provoking, action-packed, and all suspense all the way. It stars James Wolk, Billy Burke, Kristen Connolly, Nora Arnezeder and Nonso Anozie.
I won’t go into much detail, but just to get you also hooked, here’s the premise of Zoo in a nutshell:
When animals all around the world start attacking people out of nowhere, a group of five people (two animal experts, a veterinary pathologist, a journalist and a French intelligence officer) come together to find a cure so that they can save both the animals and the mankind. Along the way, they realize they have more enemies than just the increasingly violent and unpredictable animals, and they can only rely each other for survival, and well, saving humanity.
Oh, and of course there is a very curious writer character. (The journalist/blogger.)
Also watched: (The common themes are suspense and Billy Burke; I have loved him since Revolution.)
Movie
Untraceable starring Diane Lane, Colin Hanks and Billy Burke: FBI’s best cyber crime agents try to stop a serial killer who makes sure his victims die faster as more people log on and watch his victims get murdered online. It’s a decent thriller/mystery whose flaws only come from the stupid actions of several characters. In their defense, it’s not more than your typical slasher.
Rewatched:
Fracture starring Anthony Hopkins, Ryan Gosling, Rosamund Pike and Billy Burke: Fracture is a damn solid thriller/mystery where a brilliant, rich businessman (Anthony Hopkins) murders his wife, and arranges it so that he shoots her with the weapon of her lover, the hostage negotiator (Billy Burke) who arrives first on the scene. It’s up to the ambitious young ADA (Ryan Gosling) to find the truth, and it seems like the businessman is more insanely smart than insane.
*
I’m luckily working at a desk again. Unfortunately, I won’t be able to have coffee for a couple more days. Wish me luck, full health, and patience.
On the bright side, I now know my sleeping problems have nothing to do with coffee.
What have you been up to?
Poor you! Glad you’re on the mend. On the lack of productivity front – don’t beat yourself up about it! I did absolutely NOTHING through the entire Christmas holiday season. I can’t write during the school holidays with my daughter at home, for a number of reasons. 1) we share a laptop, so even if I wrestle it out of her hands she lurks around me waiting for me to finish! 2) when she’s at home I feel like Mummy needs to be available if she needs me, but when I’m writing I’m on another planet so I’m not available to anyone! 3) if I don’t occasionally drag her out of the house to the cinema she’ll spend the whole holiday on line.
But now she’s back at school I can get back to work. Talking of which – I’m off to write!
Thanks! And poor you! The first thing you buy when you sell or option your screenplay should be a new laptop! I would be horrified if I had to share,
though my paying work is also done through the laptop too, so it is my precious!!! 🙂
Being a parent is like any mission impossible movie stunt. Thrilling, risky, fun and very difficult, right? 🙂
I shall write! (Also, I shall reread my screenplay notes, decide on which contests to enter and which producers to bother.)
Must admit I thought ‘Untraceable’ was excellent when I saw in -2009??- and it heavily influenced the opening couple of episodes of scandi thriller series, ‘The Bridge’
Hi Pete,
I really liked the movie as a whole, but it is a pet peeve of mine when movie characters act like they have never seen a horror movie before. Dude, you are a mother and a cyber crime expert. You are FBI. How can you get back into your hacked car??? Without a taser, she has her gun and I’m pretty sure she could take down that skinny psycho with basic martial arts. 😀
Ah, Pinar! It sounds like it’s been a pretty rough start to 2017. It’s good to get all that garbage out of the way at the beginning of the year so the rest of it is fun, productive, and healthy. That’s what I like to tell myself, anyways.
Although, no coffee? Are you still functioning? I don’t know if I could make it without my morning cup…
You’re the second person who has told me about “Zoo”. I just finished West World (which I highly recommend if you like GOT and can stomach gore/sex), so I’ll have to check that one out next!
With all of that said, sending some good working/working out vibes your way. Go get it, girl! 🙂
I love Westworld, though compared to GOT, I find it pretty mild. 🙂 I liked GOT in the first season, but then they killed my favorite character (who
happened to be only one with charisma, loyalty, morals and love together), and I got distracted and never could really get into it again. Which is just
as well, I have too many shows. Currently, I’m addicted to The Last Ship. I have seen all episodes of Zoo now. Can’t wait for season 3 (coming this summer.)
Thanks so much for the good vibes! Without coffee, I could just watch TV shows and do very little work. I had tea, though, at least. 🙂 2017, here we come!
Wow, what a dire start to the year. Look at it this way, Pinar, you’re “pre-disastered” for the 2107. The rest of the year should go smoothly, now! 🙂