Persistency Unwelcome

The headache I wrote about last week, the sudden overwhelming pain in the back of the head, has come back twice over the last couple days. It kept me up last night until almost 3am. Before my sister sends SWAT to involuntarily escort me to the nearest hospital I promise I will be going to the doctor on Monday because this is weird and a completely new experience. I’m usually pretty good with pain but the suddenness and virulence is kind of scary. What has me most concerned is how suddenly it comes on and its now persistent nature. I’m usually depressed about the passing of Christmas but it’s never manifested itself physically. Stay tuned.

Before any of you leap to the conclusion that the headaches are related to my tendency to over celebrate during the holiday seasons (you know who you are) all three headaches occurred on days when I did not have a single beer. I know it’s an obvious leap to make. My Cali-Daughter sent me evidence of my celebratory nature with screen shots of our midnight FaceTime call with her and Wingman on New Year’s Eve. Pretty compelling evidence of how much fun we’d been having.

Since my wife departs for her annual Panamanian sojourn on Tuesday we spent most of yesterday taking down the Christmas decorations. I’ve found it prudent to get this done before she heads south. It saves numerous recriminations on my packing decisions next December. So the tree’s gone and I miss it, a lot. All the Christmas signs on the Wife Sign Wall have been replaced with their non-holiday counterparts, including some new and appropriate grandparent additions. We were pleased to see the Favorite Son and ABFA have produced their own version of a life affirming sign wall in their new house. Apple and tree kind of thoughts.

Non-Holiday Wall Returns

I squired the wife and PanaGal to the movies yesterday. I now realize why the holiday season is so important to the movie business. We usually walk right up to the counter to buy tickets but the line was out the door, for a late afternoon matinee. The huge parking lot which is normally minimally filled was struggling to hold the crowds. I’m sure this had something to do with a galaxy far, far away because out movie was sparsely attended.

We went to see Joy which reunited the major actors and director from Silver Lining Playbook, with Lawrence in the lead role instead of Cooper this time out. You would think this was a recipe for instant success, it wasn’t. Lawrence is her usual, compelling self in the title role as an entrepreneur fighting her family and the business world to find success for her inventions on the Home Shopping Network. I think the director was going for a message of the importance of family and if so he misses badly. Lawrence’s family members were contemptible for the most part and the rampant naiveté Joy persists in demonstrating was grating. I think Lawrence is so likable that I genuinely dislike the notion of people treating her poorly. There were some very funny fake soap operas featuring real soap opera stars as a side plot. The movie’s worth seeing but it didn’t soar which it should have with the likes of Lawrence, Cooper, Deniro, and Rossellini.

Meanwhile, out on the left coast:

Pensive

Belly Time

Yes, You Are Fascinating

And a Fashion Plate

The Boys are Already Lining Up - Wingman's Future