Saturday, February 14, 2009

Five-oh

The great thing about naming one's blog in such a way as to disabuse readers of any notion of timely updating is that no one worries when I haven't posted in over a week. This state of affairs might have gone on for another week, but my fiftieth birthday is Saturday (today), which is a big enough deal that maybe some of you would be put off if I didn't tell you.

Not that I'm doing all that much interesting for my birthday. I'm taking a friend to the airport, meeting up with my daughter, and going to a comic book shop where I will also meet up with a friend who has never bought comic books but thinks it might be cool. And we will eat. I think I will try a Greek place my daughter goes to with her best friend.  Then we will go to Goodwill to rid ourselves of things we can no longer wear. Then we will go to Half-Price Books to rid ourselves of books we have done with and to buy new used ones. And then I will be exhausted. Gad, what am I doing? That's a lot of standing and shopping for one day. My knees are already preparing their protest, I can tell. They are busy with poster paints, picket signs, and giant puppets. But I can assure them, my plans include plenty of sitting down time. And I have a cane that unfolds into a seat, which works well for browsing for comics and books.

Which reminds me.... I went clothes shopping last weekend, since I've dropped too many sizes to keep on wearing my old stuff. While I was at the mall, I spotted another woman, about my age, making her way into the parking lot with a look on her face and a gait that I recognized instantly. She was in agony, every step sending waves of pain from her feet up into her brain, and all she could think of was to keep moving, to get to her car, to sit down. She nearly stumbled into traffic but showed no sign on her face that she saw anything beyond her own pain. And she was wearing what passes for comfortable shoes, so I know this wasn't the first time. Sister, I feel your pain. Where's your cane? It needs to be your next purchase. 

Oh, other excitement today. I mean, Friday, not today which is Saturday. (No, I haven't gone to sleep yet. Yes, it is 3 am. Why do you ask?)  I had my first full fledged asthma attack in quite some time. Oh, yeah, I always have asthma, and generally have some symptoms. But except during ragweed and pollen season, when I'm prepared, I haven't had any serious problems in several years. Damn, I had forgotten just how much I hate it. Guess I'll sleep sitting up tonight. Which is today. Er. Man, my sleep schedule is just a mess.

So, why am I going to the comic book store for my birthday? Oh, you tell me what else I should do when I am severely single and my birthday falls on a day dedicated to romance, and every freaking event in the city is geared toward couples? Dammit, I'm going to commune with my kind. It's been over six months since I last had the time to go, so surely there's something waiting for me. I wish Dylan Meconis's Bite Me was out already, but I guess I'll just have to use its coming out later as an excuse to make another foray sooner than six months. At least, it better not take 6 months to finish its journey from web comic to bound graphic novel. I wants it now!

Speaking of vampires. Sort of. Last month's most interesting geeky fun was watching Kamen Rider Kiva, the touching story of a young man, abandoned by his vampire mother, raised by a mechanical bat and a possessed violin, who lives in a house with the best bathtub in all Japan and the worst locks. Seriously, if I'm taking a bath and people keep showing up and climbing in with me, I'm seeing the landlord about my deadbolt. But I really liked the character development of the story, and wish it had gone on longer so more could have been done. So far, the current Kamen Rider isn't as promising. The worst photographer in 10 worlds has to fight monsters on 9 worlds in order to keep the 10 worlds from collapsing into each other. Ummm. It's being called "Crisis on Infinite KR Worlds" by toku followers, and since versus-type stories don't appeal to me, this one is rather leaving me cold. However, Donut, I mean, Decade, does have a "light red" uniform, so I am at least amused. Oh, and Heroes is back. The entire issue of Daphne's CP seems to have been dropped. Why is it that a TV character only has a disability when it is convenient? I'd like TV shows to reflect the reality that disability is everyday, not just as a plot device. Thus, Kiva failed when Nago's eyesight came back miraculously, but succeeded as Wataru, even though he got better at coping, continued to grapple with his rather substantial psychiatric issues all the way through the series. Heroes, can't you take disability more seriously than a kids' show?

Well, now, this post has been all over the place, hasn't it? Happy Valentine's Day, all you couples and triples and whatnot out there. And the rest of you, this is my birthday, so celebrate it with me. Surely there is a comic book calling your name.

14 comments:

One Sick Mother said...

Well here's wishing you a very happy birthday. I will do something in your honor today. What; I don't know. Maybe I will treat myself to a cookie or something.

Just for you, you understand. I will take no pleasure in it whatsoever ;)

OSM

yanub said...

True friend you are, throwing yourself on that cookie grenade like that.

Optistatic said...

Happy Birthday! As it is your birthday,I shall pack a box of clothes in your honour. If you like, I can pack some of my more obscure items of clothing, and it can be yet another never unpacked box.

For true staying power, if you would prefer that, I could pack a box of ornaments for which I have no shelf space. That guarantees a year of your box staying in its current state. I would pack the beautiful tea set in this box, and possibly also my favourite espresso cups. Thus my tribute to you and your fine blog would be a lasting monument. :-D

The Goldfish said...

Happy Birthday Yanub! I hope you have (or have had - I'm lost on the time zones) a lovely day.

FridaWrites said...

Happy Birthday!!! I hope you've had a wonderful day.

FridaWrites said...

And oh, yeah, that was my gait before the scooter if I was out for long or walked far at all. I wonder if a cane would help me for short distances more--I don't know.

yanub said...

A never unpacked box, just for me! Do you promise to move it the rest of your life, unpacked but too important to throw away, until one day, you can't even remember what you put in there? Like I have to ask even! What else happens with a never unpacked box?

If you pack the tea set and espresso cups, and open them in a year, it will be like having a present. On my birthday! Excellent choice.

yanub said...

Thank you, Goldfish. I did indeed have a lovely day. I now have one less bag of clothing I can't where, and 4 more graphic novels to read. Yay! I think I will start with The First President of Japan, which I thought a nice book to go next to Eagle, the Making of the First Asian-American President.

yanub said...

Thanks, Frida. It was a very nice day.

Oh, you should so get you a cane. Usually, you can put a cane holder on a scooter. Even if you don't walk with it, it is invaluable for pulling boxes down off top shelves.

Anonymous said...

I have a folding cane I keep in my car for when I accident myself (the ankle elastic lives in the side pocket of my purse; ain't hypermobility fun).

That sounds like a lovely day! Just the sort that we like to have. We've been moving shitloads of stuff up and down stairs, including books, more bookes, even more books, yet more books, still more books, and of course, there's a box near the door for when one of us gets around to taking them to Half-Price.

"Lightish red" always makes me giggle!

andrea

yanub said...

There's nothing like having to move books to make you start thinking, "Why don't I just use the library's copy instead?" I got out of Half-Price with only a gift for a friend. Poor Carapace, though, got in line behind me, begging "Why doesn't someone stop me?" I offered to schedule an intervention, but I don't think it will take. She's just going to have to buy more shelves.

"Lightish red" is even funnier after you've watched Red vs. Blue. I wouldn't be a bit surprised if you have. Did I ever say how much I appreciate your geeky nature?

Lisa Moon said...

Happy (now belated) Birthday, Yanub!

Despite my recent tendency to avoid blogs on the weekend (mine and others' - purely so I don't spend hours on end on the computer, you see) I psychically intuited it was your birthday and decided to order in a feast of yummies with a good friend and we ate with gusto "To Yanub!" and enjoyed a relaxing evening at home.

In your honour, there was pasta (both vegetarian and non-), gourmet pizza and delicious salads, too! We thoroughly enjoyed having our party for you and hope you did, too. ;)

And I hope that blasted asthma has gone far, far away, too; that's no way to begin the rest of your life! How simply rude!

D Phoenix said...

I'm swinging by a bit late, but I figure the Big 5-0 can be celebrated for at least several weeks, if not the whole year. I'm glad you had a good day. I'm a BIG fan of graphic novels, so that sounded like fun for me. Have you read Persepolis? One of my all-time faves. I also really like "Cancer made me a shallower person," a memoir by Miriam Engelberg.

Anyway, a great big birthday greeting to you!!!

yanub said...

Lisa and Donimo, thank you for your belated good wishes. I gladly accept all good wishes, belated, early, expected and unexpected.

Lisa Moon, you are right that asthma is not an auspicious way to begin the rest of one's life. But getting through one with enough energy for the next day to do a bit of shopping and driving around is a good thing. Having other times been incapacitated by asthma for days, I'm OK with getting away with having had to spend one night sleeping sitting up.

Donimo, I have looked through Persepolis before, but not really read it. I will have to look again. I remember the art as being intriguing. Cancer Made Me a Shallower Person? What a great title! I must find it! I've promised my niece a trip to the comic store next month, assuming good behavior (yes, I indulge in auntly bribery because it's too expensive for moms to do all the bribing themselves), so I can look for it then.