First note to myself: never EVER eat expired food in the US!
Two weekends ago I ate some eggs which were 2 days over their expiration date. Have done that before in the Netherlands and never caused any problems.
Well, I guess I found out the hard way that the expiration date really is the expiration date in the US. Ate the eggs on a Friday evening so soon after I got sick and subsequently I had some serious throwing up and diarrhea to deal with during the entire weekend. Fun times!
It had been almost exactly 4 years since the last time I had to throw up so I guess I'm doing fine with serious short term illnesses :-)
As everyone knows Heath Ledger died last week which for some reason was more shocking than the average celebrity death. I did like his acting, especially in the not so mainstream movie "Monster's ball".
Whatever the cause of death, accidental OD on prescribed drugs seems likely, it is a shame that he had to go at the age of 28.
To end this post on a more positive note: there will be another carnaval party at my place!
It will take place in exactly one week from now so it's going to lots of fun and I will be drunk. Hopefully I'll be able to have such a perfect after drinking experience like the few times I actually drank alcohol last year.
And who knows, maybe drinking booze will finally make the swelling in my left nostril go away? Sure enough the septum is still not healed, much to my (and the doctor's) surprise. But the doc assured there's nothing to worry about since it's still clearly healing. It's just healing rather slowly. Oh well.
Gonna see "Rambo" later on tonight! That's going to be AWESOME as hell!!!
Saturday, January 26, 2008
Friday, January 11, 2008
movies that didn't make my top 10 of all time faves
When I was making the top 10 of all time fave movies I didn't spend that much time on finding those 10. It was only after having picked those movies that two other movies quickly came to mind that easily could have ended up in the top 10. If only my memory had brought them back to my working memory faster.
This movie was my first acquaintance with the visionary film maker Theo Angelopoulis and my god, what an immensely breathtaking first acquaintance it was!
To give these two masterpieces their dues which they more than fully deserve, I decided to make this post.
My first acquaintance with Lars von Trier was his amazing TV series "Kingdom/Riget" and I was hooked from the get go. "Breaking the waves" must be his first full length feature that I saw and my amazement only grew exponentially.
I think the term "relentless" describes this gut wrenching movie perfectly. The drama is pure, heartfelt and enthralling. The lengths to which Bess will go to fullfil Jan's wishes is as shocking as it is moving. The short interludes and use of great songs give the viewers some time to catch their breath before the hammer comes crushing down again.
The way in which von Trier shows every self imposed humiliation and determination is breath taking. I honestly can't find any words to describe how much "Breaking the waves" impressed and continues to impress me. The entire cast is superb but Emily Watson takes the deserved first spot with her wonderful performance as Bess.
Interestingly, had this movie ended up in my top 10 it would have been the 3rd movie (in addition to "Naked" and "Before the rain") to feature the amazing Katrin Cartlidge who unfortunately passed away infinitely way ahead of her time.
Bone chilling, goose bump and tears inducing; this movie has it all and then some. Watch it with a box of tissues and let yourself by carried away by this extremely moving movie!
This movie was my first acquaintance with the visionary film maker Theo Angelopoulis and my god, what an immensely breathtaking first acquaintance it was!
It was once again the Dutch TV channel who gave me the opportunity to see this film, several times actually. It is one of those movies that every time it was broadcasted (3, maybe even 4 times) I simply had to shut down everything else and watch it in complete silence and darkness.
The pace is slow but hypnotizing, the story is simple but very touching and the way in which Angelopoulis breathes life into his vision is pure poetry.
There are people who say Angelopoulis is pretentious, boring and self indulging. But with all 4 of his movies that I have seen so far I have been truly touched and impressed by this man's vision. As he himself has said numerous times, he does not make movies for the masses. If you don't like "Eternity and a day" then you're simply not a huge art house movie lover. Nothing to be ashamed of really.
Yet a real loss for you I'd say. How can you not love the photography? How can you not be mesmerized by the frequent transitions between past and present filled with a human's innermost memories?
Bruno Ganz' performance as Alexander is spellbinding and I've only become to realize in recent years how good this actor really is. I shall find out more of his movies to watch a true artist show me how well an actor's splendid performance can feed the soul.
I rcently found out that a Greek company called New Star has been releasing Angelopoulis' work on DVD under the supervision of the director himself. As such these DVD versions are of the best quality one will find. Additionally, Angelopoulis prefers his movies to be seen by audiences at the cinema so very few of his movies were available on DVD until now. I bought the Greek import version of "Eternity and a day" for $40 and will most likely buy all the other titles New Star has released and will release.
I can't wait to watch the tram riding scene again, even just thinking about it sends goose bumps all over my body. God, how much I love brilliant movies!
Thursday, January 10, 2008
deviated septum aftermath
Here's a few pics from the surgery aftermath. They are bloody so if you can't stomach blood then don't look.
This one was shot by Silvia just after I got home from the hospital.
This is one of the arm tags. Interestingly they give patients two tags, one for each arms. As if they're afraid they might perform the wrong surgery on you.
This is about a week after the surgery, nose still swollen and blood crusts all over.
I shot this pic tonight, 3 weeks and 1 day after the surgery. I still have a big bump on the septum in my left nostril. I do hope that bump will disappear in time. Have my last doctor's appointment tomorrow at 11:30am.
This one was shot by Silvia just after I got home from the hospital.
This is one of the arm tags. Interestingly they give patients two tags, one for each arms. As if they're afraid they might perform the wrong surgery on you.
This is about a week after the surgery, nose still swollen and blood crusts all over.
I shot this pic tonight, 3 weeks and 1 day after the surgery. I still have a big bump on the septum in my left nostril. I do hope that bump will disappear in time. Have my last doctor's appointment tomorrow at 11:30am.
Saturday, December 29, 2007
no 1 fave movie of all time!
To avoid having Tiago jump off of a cliff here's finally my number 1 all time favorite movie!
1. Once upon a time in the West
The memories are somewhat blurry concerning the question whether I first saw the movie or whether I first heard Harmonica's theme. Fact is that Harmonica's theme was used every year for the school's Easter play of the Last Supper and the following events right up to the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. So, going to a religious school did have some benefit after all :-)
The use of Harmonica's theme during the epic crucifixion scene in the church made a big impression on me as a youngster and I fell in love with the music. My primary school performed this Easter play every year of the 6 years I went there and eventually in my final year I also had a role in the play. I ended up playing Judas Iscariot but that's another story...
Quite possibly I saw the movie some time after the first time I heard the music. Yet the combination of the western genre, the immense epic feel, the enigmatic role of Charles Bronson, and Ennio Morricone's dazzling score left me speachless. The story was so enticing, raw and one couldn't help but feel drawn in right away and root for Harmonica. There isn't that much dialogue but the characters speak volumes in their gestures, facial expressions and postures. Additionally, a strong sense of finality is present in this movie which resonated in me even back then. Not only as intented by Leone in the sense that the days of the wild west was over when the railroad started to make its way through the US, but also in the genre of the Western movie. This really is THE definite and ultimate Western.
I finally saw this brilliant movie on the big screen in the summer of 2007 and I had goosebumps pretty much the whole way through. Even thinking of Harmonica's theme at this very moment invokes goosebumps all over my body.
Honestly, how could I chose any other movie as my number one?
1. Once upon a time in the West
The memories are somewhat blurry concerning the question whether I first saw the movie or whether I first heard Harmonica's theme. Fact is that Harmonica's theme was used every year for the school's Easter play of the Last Supper and the following events right up to the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. So, going to a religious school did have some benefit after all :-)
The use of Harmonica's theme during the epic crucifixion scene in the church made a big impression on me as a youngster and I fell in love with the music. My primary school performed this Easter play every year of the 6 years I went there and eventually in my final year I also had a role in the play. I ended up playing Judas Iscariot but that's another story...
Quite possibly I saw the movie some time after the first time I heard the music. Yet the combination of the western genre, the immense epic feel, the enigmatic role of Charles Bronson, and Ennio Morricone's dazzling score left me speachless. The story was so enticing, raw and one couldn't help but feel drawn in right away and root for Harmonica. There isn't that much dialogue but the characters speak volumes in their gestures, facial expressions and postures. Additionally, a strong sense of finality is present in this movie which resonated in me even back then. Not only as intented by Leone in the sense that the days of the wild west was over when the railroad started to make its way through the US, but also in the genre of the Western movie. This really is THE definite and ultimate Western.
I finally saw this brilliant movie on the big screen in the summer of 2007 and I had goosebumps pretty much the whole way through. Even thinking of Harmonica's theme at this very moment invokes goosebumps all over my body.
Honestly, how could I chose any other movie as my number one?
Tuesday, December 25, 2007
post surgery day 6
Finally a sign of life huh.
I'm still recovering big time but figured it is about time to write a little here about the whole shebang. The surgery apparently fine but since they completely knocked me out I obviously don't remember anything.
I do remember waking up feeling disoriented, thirsty as hell. Since I just got out of the OR I was still on IV which means no drinking just yet. I kept bugging them and they wetted my mouth a few times but that didn't help all that much.
Once I got to the 2nd recovery room I was given a drink and soon after finished it, and bleeding all over it hehe, I needed to take a pee. Nobody around so I asked some visitors to other patients in the recovery room but still no nurse popping out. So I just belted out that I had to pee. That worked :-)
Trying to walk while still under IV is like doing the moonwalk on a beach ball.
Another nasty effect from the IV is that you feel the constant need to pee but you only trickle, if you're lucky. I seriously spent most of the night on the toilet trying to pee. Fortunately during the night the IV effect wore off and I started being able to take a decent piss.
Paul showed up while I was in the 2nd recovery room, I think while I was trying to get dressed. That took a while and although I could walk slightly better than that first walk to the restroom the nurse turned up with a wheelchair. I was rolled to Paul's car and got in, all the while bleeding. Had to throw the used tissues onto the car's floor cause the bleeding was endless.
We picked up Silvia who would babysit me since Paul had a work meeting to attend to which turned out to last till after 11 pm or so. Was I glad to have someone around me phew. I really underestimated the aftermath I encountering and which is still giving me fun times.
During the first 2.5 days I had internal packaging up my nose so my head was congested. Breathing, swallowing, talking, eating, drinking all were extremely hard. With every swallow I could feel the internal packaging go up and down. While changing the external bandage on Thursday I noticed that the packaging in my right nostril was slowly being pushed out due to the swallowing. Eventually I ended up pulling this one out on Friday morning, several hours before the next doctor's appointment was and when he would remove both packaging. But when one of the packaging is already hanging out of your nose covering your mouth you simply can't avoid removing it to be able to put on a new bandage.
Back to the first night. Silvia ordered some Chinese online while I just tried drinking as much water as I could bear to swallow. Since I wasn't allowed to use straws I rarely finished any of the glasses. I put on "La vie en rose" for Silvia while I was spending most of the night on the toilet trying to overcome the IV peeing effect.
Somewhere around 11:30pm Brad showed up and fairly soon after Paul showed up to pick up Silvia. Both Silvia and Brad helped me changing the bandage and witnessed all the bloody stuff so kudos to them for being true warriors.
I believe Brad and I watched some more DVDs before we finally decided to go to sleep. I think I got like 30 minutes of sleep that night.
From Thursday on I started getting fevers and headaches which the Tylenol didn't do jack shit about so I asked Brad to get me some decent painkillers. I forgot which night it was but one night I was feverish and half hallucinating and it felt like my nose was actually detached from my face. Scary shit!
Brad went to visit his parents on Thursday afternoon but returned around 9pm or so to watch the Steelers game with snowy reception on my TV. I slept through most of the game being exhausted from everything that happened since Wednesday morning on and the serious lack of sleep.
On Friday Steffi picked me up to drive me to my doctor's appointment where the internal packaging in my left nostril was removed. That was extremely uncomfortable feeling and very very bloody. But it was also a huge relief to finally have all the internal stuff removed from my nose. As the doctor put it: this was the moment from which on I would start to actually feel better. That was true with the difference of eating. Although I couldn't eat much I would get fever and headache everything I ate something. Which took hours to wear off.
So when Saturday arrived, which was also my birthday, I decided to only eat once during the entire day. However, I turned out not to eat anything until after the party.
Also had a webcam session with my parents and sister which lasted for a good 2.5 hours. Just before it started my nose exploded and started oozing pus and blood a lot. Since I was afraid I'd run out of bandages I decided to just dip my nose constantly during the webcam session.
Once we finished the session I changed the bandage but soon felt it getting soaked again. Once the party started I was back into dipping and being silent mode while my guests chatted and enjoyed some drinks/bites.
I don't remember much of Sunday, I just watched more He-Man episodes from the Season 2: Volume 1 boxset and also saw some movies. Additionally, I prepared some dinner (spaghetti) which was the first warm supper since Tuesday December 18.
I ran out of movies to watch yesterday so I decided to drive to Dreaming Ant to quickly grab some new ones. The draining seemed to have stopped so I was in dubio whether I should put on a new bandage. In hindsight, I'm glad I did 'cause halfway through on my way to Dreaming Ant the waters broke again and flooded big time. I couldn't even speak while at Dreaming Ant, that's how bad the flooding was.
So I just got the DVDs, got the hell out of there and changed the bandage once I got home.
No further drainage happened so when I couldn't fall asleep this last night I just removed it around 4:35am. Interestingly I did catch some sleep after that.
Right now I'm having some breakfast and as a consequence am dripping a bit but no way in hell am I going to put on a new bandage.
So you see, the fun is not over just yet.
I'm still recovering big time but figured it is about time to write a little here about the whole shebang. The surgery apparently fine but since they completely knocked me out I obviously don't remember anything.
I do remember waking up feeling disoriented, thirsty as hell. Since I just got out of the OR I was still on IV which means no drinking just yet. I kept bugging them and they wetted my mouth a few times but that didn't help all that much.
Once I got to the 2nd recovery room I was given a drink and soon after finished it, and bleeding all over it hehe, I needed to take a pee. Nobody around so I asked some visitors to other patients in the recovery room but still no nurse popping out. So I just belted out that I had to pee. That worked :-)
Trying to walk while still under IV is like doing the moonwalk on a beach ball.
Another nasty effect from the IV is that you feel the constant need to pee but you only trickle, if you're lucky. I seriously spent most of the night on the toilet trying to pee. Fortunately during the night the IV effect wore off and I started being able to take a decent piss.
Paul showed up while I was in the 2nd recovery room, I think while I was trying to get dressed. That took a while and although I could walk slightly better than that first walk to the restroom the nurse turned up with a wheelchair. I was rolled to Paul's car and got in, all the while bleeding. Had to throw the used tissues onto the car's floor cause the bleeding was endless.
We picked up Silvia who would babysit me since Paul had a work meeting to attend to which turned out to last till after 11 pm or so. Was I glad to have someone around me phew. I really underestimated the aftermath I encountering and which is still giving me fun times.
During the first 2.5 days I had internal packaging up my nose so my head was congested. Breathing, swallowing, talking, eating, drinking all were extremely hard. With every swallow I could feel the internal packaging go up and down. While changing the external bandage on Thursday I noticed that the packaging in my right nostril was slowly being pushed out due to the swallowing. Eventually I ended up pulling this one out on Friday morning, several hours before the next doctor's appointment was and when he would remove both packaging. But when one of the packaging is already hanging out of your nose covering your mouth you simply can't avoid removing it to be able to put on a new bandage.
Back to the first night. Silvia ordered some Chinese online while I just tried drinking as much water as I could bear to swallow. Since I wasn't allowed to use straws I rarely finished any of the glasses. I put on "La vie en rose" for Silvia while I was spending most of the night on the toilet trying to overcome the IV peeing effect.
Somewhere around 11:30pm Brad showed up and fairly soon after Paul showed up to pick up Silvia. Both Silvia and Brad helped me changing the bandage and witnessed all the bloody stuff so kudos to them for being true warriors.
I believe Brad and I watched some more DVDs before we finally decided to go to sleep. I think I got like 30 minutes of sleep that night.
From Thursday on I started getting fevers and headaches which the Tylenol didn't do jack shit about so I asked Brad to get me some decent painkillers. I forgot which night it was but one night I was feverish and half hallucinating and it felt like my nose was actually detached from my face. Scary shit!
Brad went to visit his parents on Thursday afternoon but returned around 9pm or so to watch the Steelers game with snowy reception on my TV. I slept through most of the game being exhausted from everything that happened since Wednesday morning on and the serious lack of sleep.
On Friday Steffi picked me up to drive me to my doctor's appointment where the internal packaging in my left nostril was removed. That was extremely uncomfortable feeling and very very bloody. But it was also a huge relief to finally have all the internal stuff removed from my nose. As the doctor put it: this was the moment from which on I would start to actually feel better. That was true with the difference of eating. Although I couldn't eat much I would get fever and headache everything I ate something. Which took hours to wear off.
So when Saturday arrived, which was also my birthday, I decided to only eat once during the entire day. However, I turned out not to eat anything until after the party.
Also had a webcam session with my parents and sister which lasted for a good 2.5 hours. Just before it started my nose exploded and started oozing pus and blood a lot. Since I was afraid I'd run out of bandages I decided to just dip my nose constantly during the webcam session.
Once we finished the session I changed the bandage but soon felt it getting soaked again. Once the party started I was back into dipping and being silent mode while my guests chatted and enjoyed some drinks/bites.
I don't remember much of Sunday, I just watched more He-Man episodes from the Season 2: Volume 1 boxset and also saw some movies. Additionally, I prepared some dinner (spaghetti) which was the first warm supper since Tuesday December 18.
I ran out of movies to watch yesterday so I decided to drive to Dreaming Ant to quickly grab some new ones. The draining seemed to have stopped so I was in dubio whether I should put on a new bandage. In hindsight, I'm glad I did 'cause halfway through on my way to Dreaming Ant the waters broke again and flooded big time. I couldn't even speak while at Dreaming Ant, that's how bad the flooding was.
So I just got the DVDs, got the hell out of there and changed the bandage once I got home.
No further drainage happened so when I couldn't fall asleep this last night I just removed it around 4:35am. Interestingly I did catch some sleep after that.
Right now I'm having some breakfast and as a consequence am dripping a bit but no way in hell am I going to put on a new bandage.
So you see, the fun is not over just yet.
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
a nervous septum
Yikes, tomorrow is surgery day and the nerves have finally found me big time.
To think how much effort it costed on my part to actually have them do it tomorrow. While we set the date 2 weeks ago they told me I'd receive some paperwork. Never did. I called them almost every day and on Monday they finally admitted that the paperwork was lost.
Fortunately they did recover it and told me I needed to get some blood work done before the surgery date. Since I didn't feel like taking even more days off from work I told them they should do it on the surgery date. They had to get this authorized last minute.
I guess things finally worked out 'cause I have to be at the hospital at 10am to get the blood work done while the actual surgery is scheduled at 12:30pm. The procedure takes about 1.5 to 2 hours followed by 2 recovery hours.
Will prolly be kicked out around 5pm.
It's silly how nervous one gets over something stupid like this. And I want this operation done so I really am doing it to myself. Could easily have said no but I'd like to be able to actually breathe through my left nostril for a change.
Major thanks to Paul for picking me up after the hospital kicks me out and Brad for coming over to my house after band practice and spend the night. The hospital said I need someone with me the first 24 hours just in case something happens. That increased my nerves by tenfold haha.
I guess everything will be fine but never having had surgery it's all just a big unknown. I've already accepted the fact that they'll be cutting my nose to shreds and break it to straighten to septum. But that doesn't mean I look forward to it.
Hell, it's just a nose right???
Michael Jackson's nose can prolly use some company har har.
Oh, if shit goes terribly wrong then the few folks who read this blog will never know my favorite movie of all time.
Tough luck :-)
To think how much effort it costed on my part to actually have them do it tomorrow. While we set the date 2 weeks ago they told me I'd receive some paperwork. Never did. I called them almost every day and on Monday they finally admitted that the paperwork was lost.
Fortunately they did recover it and told me I needed to get some blood work done before the surgery date. Since I didn't feel like taking even more days off from work I told them they should do it on the surgery date. They had to get this authorized last minute.
I guess things finally worked out 'cause I have to be at the hospital at 10am to get the blood work done while the actual surgery is scheduled at 12:30pm. The procedure takes about 1.5 to 2 hours followed by 2 recovery hours.
Will prolly be kicked out around 5pm.
It's silly how nervous one gets over something stupid like this. And I want this operation done so I really am doing it to myself. Could easily have said no but I'd like to be able to actually breathe through my left nostril for a change.
Major thanks to Paul for picking me up after the hospital kicks me out and Brad for coming over to my house after band practice and spend the night. The hospital said I need someone with me the first 24 hours just in case something happens. That increased my nerves by tenfold haha.
I guess everything will be fine but never having had surgery it's all just a big unknown. I've already accepted the fact that they'll be cutting my nose to shreds and break it to straighten to septum. But that doesn't mean I look forward to it.
Hell, it's just a nose right???
Michael Jackson's nose can prolly use some company har har.
Oh, if shit goes terribly wrong then the few folks who read this blog will never know my favorite movie of all time.
Tough luck :-)
close but not yet: no. 2
2. 2001: A space odyssey
I remember vividly seeing this movie at a very young age on the German TV. Back in those days there weren't that many indie or classic movies broadcasted on the Dutch TV channels so I caught a fair amount of flicks dubbed in German. When it comes to "2001" it doesn't matter that much since there isn't a whole lot of dialogue anyway.
I was truly hypnotized. From the cavemen scene and the introduction of the black monolith it was apparent that this movie would have a world to say in imagery. The minutes long space trip after Dave has left the space station is dazzling to say the least. The effect of all those colors and shapes being thrown at you must feel similar to tripping out on acid or something. This scene was imprinted into my memory, sparked my imagination and led me to read some obscure science fiction books whose authors or titles I can't remember anymore.
Kubrick has only made a fairly small amount of movies and although I really love all of them, it is "2001: A space odyssey" that introduced me to this film maker and which changed my entire way of experiencing movies.
I remember vividly seeing this movie at a very young age on the German TV. Back in those days there weren't that many indie or classic movies broadcasted on the Dutch TV channels so I caught a fair amount of flicks dubbed in German. When it comes to "2001" it doesn't matter that much since there isn't a whole lot of dialogue anyway.
I was truly hypnotized. From the cavemen scene and the introduction of the black monolith it was apparent that this movie would have a world to say in imagery. The minutes long space trip after Dave has left the space station is dazzling to say the least. The effect of all those colors and shapes being thrown at you must feel similar to tripping out on acid or something. This scene was imprinted into my memory, sparked my imagination and led me to read some obscure science fiction books whose authors or titles I can't remember anymore.
Kubrick has only made a fairly small amount of movies and although I really love all of them, it is "2001: A space odyssey" that introduced me to this film maker and which changed my entire way of experiencing movies.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)