The Blogger (That's Me!) Emerges from Depression, Discourses on this and other Topics including Blood Simple

Frances Mcdormand in Blood Simple

Came out of a prolonged depression, first thought: this can’t last. Nasty thing depression telling you things like that. Doesn’t have the decency to leave you alone when you’re not experiencing it. Follows you around like an annoying acquaintance tapping you on the shoulder saying, “I’ll be back, ya know, probably soon so don’t get too comfortable.” 

Lot not to be depressed about. Had a wonderful vacation in Paris and London. Already planning next year’s trip — getting there is half the fun, the ubiquitous “they” say.

The marriage not only survives our travels but gets stronger from them. The wife is an amazing woman who’s endlessly patient when the blackness has enveloped me. She is also good when anxiety strikes, which it often does when the depression is in abeyance. There’s some bloody unfairness for you. The depression passes and in comes the anxiety. Doesn’t always happen that way but can. Worse is getting the depression and anxiety as a set. Double-teamed. Ugly business.

Today the depression was driven away by a visit to the gym. I’ve only recently returned to the gym having had to settle for working out at home in a good example of better than nothing. Actually in the years away from the gym I was able to focus a lot on core work specifically through planks, push-ups, squats and the like. Can still do those at the gym along with other exercises but now can hop on the stairmaster, elliptical machine and do fast-walking on the treadmill.

It’s really good to sweat again. That’s what I’ve been missing. Figure I’ll trim a few pounds in the coming months.

No, I don’t need the depression about. Lord was I feeling miserable yesterday. Every possible thought came with pain. The happiest memory came with a side dish of misery. Hard to get much accomplished. A work day is no problem. You’ve got to work. The depression steps to the sideline while I’m teaching. There ARE limits — thankfully.

Novel is done. Well, it’s all in the hands of the editor. After that, depending on the verdict there could be days, weeks, even months more work. Hoping to have the whole bugger done by the end of the summer. Then fame and riches await. Actually I’ll settle for finding a publisher and enjoying moderate success.

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I’m resuming this on Monday morning (began it Sunday afternoon). Still feeling good. Don’t mind Mondays anymore. I only teach the one class so going to work is no great chore and of course I enjoy my students and helping them speak and write better English. There’s a podcast I listen to every Monday, it’s about my favorite English football team (soccer to you Yanks), the Arsenal. The co-hosts are insightful, charming, witty and do a lot of work for charity through the podcast, the blog and forums. Proud to follow them. The  season ends next weekend. The British football season is a long, long slog starting in mid August and not ending until May. Even longer this season due to the interruption of a Winter World Cup. Arsenal will finish second which is at once disappointing given how many days they were top of the table and a great accomplishment given the competition and how far they’ve come.

Sometimes when you're wearing attire representing your favorite team a perfect stranger will make a derogatory comment about said team. Why do they think this is okay? I've had this happen while entering a cafe, walking down a quiet street, standing outside my abode, leaving the gym. I find it incredibly rude. I see people wearing shirts and jackets and jerseys of a team I abhor but wouldn't think of saying anything to them. I satisfy myself with muttering under my breath. But others.... people are weird. In the most recent case I had crossed a street and a gent going the other way said, "Arsenal is bad." I replied by asking, "why would you say that?" As I continued past him he said, "it's banter." But an adult telling another adult that the team they support "is bad" (never mind that said team is having a great season) is just obnoxious. And what kind of "banter" were we going to have? Exchanges of my team rocks, yours sucks? Pointless if you're anything over nine-years-old. 

On a cheerier note I watched Blood Simple yesterday, the Coen brothers first film (wow, came out nearly forty years ago). Not sure how many times I've seen it (at least five) but liked it so much more this last time. Classic noir. Frances McDormand is terrific in her film debut, especially considering she'd only just come out of acting school. She provides quite a contrast opposite the great veteran actor, M. Emmet Walsh. It's one of the better scripts you'll ever come across and that's something that gets lost in discussing the Coens. Yes, they're great directors but they're equally good as screenwriters. Blood Simple is one of the best film debuts by a director ever.