Pain, Pain, And, Yes —- Even More Pain

I feel like Julianne Moore in “Safe” — pathetic and stuck on a sofa which is probably toxic. …You would have to see that movie to understand my lame attempt at humor. Anyway, I think my back is a bit better, but it still kills. I might just be so sick of it hurting that I am just a wimp with it at this point. I am giving myself one more day to lay on the sofa and take ibuprofen.

Dave — don’t get mad, but I am not too good with drug intake. Karl already yelled at me. I took 5 last night thinking that would equal 100 mg — then I realized that these are 200 mg each. I do think it helped the pain tho, and seemed to knock me out for the evening! I am drinking lots and lots of water.

Well, no matter — I have to get my ass back to work tomorrow or I will never catch up. And, I am sure my boss is ready to toss me out of the 48th floor window. Especially, as Karl and I leave for Ptown a week from tomorrow. UGH!

Oh, please visit Karl’s Blog today — he is taking a poll and has published a really cute picture of himself — plus a really cute picture of Dusty in her first pink ribbon. They are both soooooo cute! By the way, please encourage him to grow the beard!

Mistake

I slept well last night with only minor back pain. Still sore, but not so bad. I was feeling quite optimistic. Dusty, as per usual, made her deposits on the floor and not on her pad.

Now, bending is rather difficult at the moment. So I do it carefully. However, while cleaning up her second deposit I did something wrong. I do not know what I did — but a pain shot thru my back that took my breath away. I’ve taken more Tylenol, but only feel OK when lying on my back. I am so sick of being stuck in this condo! Ugh!

I hurt, I feel old and fat. Dusty must sense I am upset because she stays by me all of the time making a sad sort of “coo-ing” sound. OK, back to the sofa I go. …bored out of my mind!

Karl Returns And Matt Has A MisAdventure!

Karl returned from his vacation yesterday! I am unable to put into word how good it was to see him walk in the door! He looked so sexy — and rested! He had a great time and came in with two pairs of new shoes purchased in Philly! …Alas, they for himself, but they rocked! They were selected by his on-line pal, Chris, who he met in Philly for a couple of days of touristing. Chris has outstanding taste in shoes and music — based upon the mix CD’s he had made for Karl’s train ride home. Looks like I may be meeting Chris and his life-partner this fall in PTown. Karl brought me a bar of soap with magnet letters spelling “Phagot” which I believe is the name of a cute store somewhere in Philly. I’ve no idea what that word means! He also brought me a cool night shirt from with a neat logo from a cool hang-out in that area. I also got a colonial girl paper doll set. This paper doll set is so un-cool that one must claim it as neat-O.

Ok, so I have to fess up to several of you guys. Please don’t be mad, but Karl had access to our email and my Blog while he was on vacation and I didn’t want to ruin his time. No big deal, but I got sick last Wednesday night thru to the weekend. Don’t be made at me! Anyway, I thought it was a bug or something. I felt really tired this weekend and didn’t do too much, but I figured it was just from being so sick for 2.5 days.

So, as I was walking into the lobby of the building in which I work I was struck with a horrendous pain in my back. It actually felt like a knife was going thru my back and up and thru to my chest. By the time I got to my office on the 45th floor I had lost the feeling in my left arm, was on the verge of passing out and couldn’t catch my breath to speak. I called the security office for help — the medical people arrived within minutes and they thought I was having a heart attack. They pulled my shirt off and put these sticky things on me in case they needed to AED me. I was placed on a stretcher and one of those big oxygen masks on me. Next thing I knew I was in an ambulance. Not sure if I had passed out or not. Anyway, they lifted the mask and asked me to open my mouth and lift my tongue — then they sprayed nitro or something. Then this guy was inserting an IV in my arm, the ambulance hit a big bump and something went wrong with that needle — It killed and I made the mistake of looking over to see blood shooting up into the air. I just shut my eyes and one of the guys was commenting to the poor guy trying to do the IV that he should have been wearing his goggles.

I spent the next 9.5 hours in one of the emergency rooms at Mass General while they did all kinds of EKG’s and blood tests. Luckily all worked out quite well in the end. Nothing wrong with my heart and all my blood work was fine. The doctor told me that I was very dehydrated, appeared that I had a viral infection of some sort as I was running a low grade temp which they were having trouble keeping down. …And, that I had somehow managed to put my lower back out — no real damage, just a “sprained muscle” that was/is causing a great deal of pain. The combo of the pain, weakened state and a panic attack caused me to experience what had appeared like a heart attack. The doctor wanted to know what I had been drinking from Wednesday to present. I told him soda because it settled my stomach. I guess that was not a good answer. This is why I was dehydrated. So, he told me to go home, drink lots of water, lay on my back — but to take walks around the condo or building 4 to 5 times a day. He felt I would be ready to return to work by Thursday.

So, that was my day yesterday, but Karl is home! And, I do wear his shoe size! Yay! I am drinking water and taking Tylenol for the back pain. My legs are still kind of achey — so I guess I am still running a bit of fever. Fun!

Liz Taylor Gets All Kinky on our Ass!

Granted, it was the early 70’s and the world seemed to be going a bit crazy with polysester and the combination of colors like orange, blue and pink — but THIS may be the strangest movie I have ever seen. …And, I have seen a lot of strange movies. I take pride in that, but this one just kept my mouth dropped through to the very end.

Please note I did not state that it was good, but when one puts Elizabeth Taylor, Andy Warhol and an eccentric Italian filmmaker in Germany and Rome in 1973 — the results are destined to be quite odd, but quite interesting to watch all the same. I wonder if Liz lists this one on her resume. I think it even tops BOOM! for sheer so bad it is good! One really must see it to believe it.

What makes me all the more curious is that this was no small budget venture. I mean they had Vittorio Storaro behind the camera for this! I wonder what they were all thinking.

My Friday Night

Missing Karl and feeling a bit blue. However, poor Dusty seems to be in a state of perpetual fear of being abandoned. It is not unusual for her to want to cuddle with me when I am watching a DVD or listening to music, but she loves to play with Karl. If I even get up to go into another room she is on my heels crying. At first I was worried she was sick or something, but she is not. She just wants to be held all of the time. She even let me give her a bath without putting up any kind of fight. Yet, she sat beside the shower as I was bathing myself. …And crying until I opened the curtain and she could see me.

I will be chatting with Karl for a few in about 20 minutes.

The rest of the evening will be me, Dusty and some DVD’s. Exciting stuff, people! I live on the edge. Anyway,I plan to watch Jacques Demy’s THE YOUNG GIRLS OF ROCHERFORT, a Claude Chabrol flick called L’ENFER and an Italian film by Michelangelo Antonioni called L’Avventura. So, after a chat with Karl — this will be an evening of French musical, French sexy mysteries and experimental Italian film from the 1960’s.

Last night I watched Bruce Campbell as a geriatric Elvis and Ossie Davis as a dyed black JFK battle an evil mummy terrorizing an old folks home in East Texas. This was called BUBBA HO-TEP and I loved every minute of it. I highly recommend it! Who knew that mummies could suck your soul from your ass hole? I do not understand the sort of warped mind that could write such a script and then direct it for the big screen, but I am thrilled that such an individual exists!

Hope your Friday night is more interesting than mine!

The Ever-Expanding Cult of Ayn Rand

So I took this test that I found on Famous Author Rob’s Blog. This is how I “scored”

Wackiness: 40/100
Rationality: 60/100
Constructiveness: 60/100
Leadership: 96/100

You care absolutely nothing what other people think, and this somehow attracts people to you. Treat them well, use them wisely, and ascend to your rightful rank.

…The only thing which annoys me is that I do not care much for Ayn Rand. I always felt I was being pelted by her words as I read them. …And she always seems so, (shudder) Republican or something.

Also, I have tried and tried. I know that I am supposed to love Truffaut’s The Last Metro, but I just do not like it that much. I find watching it to be a chore. So, why do so many brilliant people love this film??? To be honest, I do not think I have ever liked a Truffaut film. Does this make me a bad person? What would Ayn Rand think?

Chasing Your Tail and Crying at the Door…

…such is the life of my poor little princess, Dusty. We are both missing Karl, but Dusty has a harder time hiding it. Seems that I am either soothing her in my arms or she is chasing her tail for hours on end. She has also grown fond of sitting at either the front door or the door to our bedroom and crying. I made the mistake of putting Karl on speaker phone last night. Karl spoke to Dusty. She has been somewhat obsessed with the phone ever since. In addition to spoiling her, I fear I am making her neurotic as well.

While I am missing Karl, I am enjoying the fact that the TV is off and I am listening to whatever I want at top volume! Dusty really likes the new Angie Stone CD! However, Nana Mouskouri and Cleo Laine seem to upset her a bit.

Hey, how many of you boys were in NYC for Stonewall Anniversary Pride? And, if you were — do you remember how fucking cool Liza Minnelli was when she came out and sand “The Day After That” from KISS OF THE SPIDER WOMAN? Remember how she pledged that she would sing this song till we beat the AIDS crisis? …Does anyone know if she stood by her pledge? That was a great Pride! I got pictures of Liza, Carol Channing, Lady Bunny, Lipsynka, Chita Rivera, Pete Townsend and Nathan Lane. …Then I smashed my camera and exposed my film when I thought I found THE PERFECT pair of platform boots! …Damian would not let me buy them.

So, now — that very special Pride is just a memory. But the memory that sticks in my head the most is Liza singing that great song. …And my “ex” — we will refer to him as AssHole — shared a bed with me at the Paramount and tried to “do” me and then claimed he was sleep-fucking. Granted, that was a witty response, but I was still embarrassed because 2 other friends were sleeping on the floor and heard the whole sorrdid escapade and actually accused me of being cheap. I was not — nor have I ever been cheap. I am just a little bit easy.

I wonder whatever happened to the 3 of them? Hmmmm…

Matt Attempts A Top 10 List of Favorite Movies!

About 3 weeks ago, an email pal suggested I create a listing of my 10 favorite movies of all time. He suggested this because he knows how much I love movies and also because he knows how hard it is for me to make up my mind. I mean, what is the criteria for a top 10 listing of this type? Do I include some of my all time favorite bad movies like MOMMIE DEAREST or VALLEY OF THE DOLLS? I mean, we all know it isn’t easy to make films that straddle the line between genius and horrendous like those two films do! What about all of those musicals I love? I could create a top 10 listing for horror films alone! So, what I have done over the course of the last couple of weeks is to list out the names of movies that have had an impact on my world/life view — movies that matter to me! — movies that I can watch over and over again. It hasn’t been easy for me. At any rate, these are my top 10 favorite movies of all time. If you haven’t seen them, then I think you should! Oh, and there is no particular order to my list. I am just not able to break it down that far!

1. Nashville Robert Altman’s brilliant 1975 film feels like it was all improvised, but this is a very scripted look at American pop and political culture captured in the world of the country and western music industry. Watch out for Ronee Blakely’s nervous breakdown scene! Like the film, it is both comical and tragic.

2. The Wizard of Oz this is a perfect film. It can entertain any age and continues to do so 60 plus years after it was originally released. I do not care what you say — you know that those flying monkeys scare you. Go ahead, you can admit it! I also find it interesting that I always notice new things when I watch this film — and I have watched it a lot! I think it really is a magical film.

3. Manhattan Woody Allen’s 1979 film is the ultimate tribute to the ultimate city! Just the first 10 minutes of the film — a collection of breathtaking shots of the city to the music of Gershwin. Amazing. I feel that this is Woody Allen’s greatest moment as filmmaker. It also features one of Diane Keaton’s best performances. The cinematography is outstanding and, I think, the best that Gordon Willis has ever done.

4. Annie Hall This film helped me to create the fantasy that Woody Allen and Diane Keaton must be my real parents. I was convinced that I was their forgotten love child who desperately needed to be removed from Texas and returned to what had to be my natural surroundings. I have lost count of the number of times I have watched this movie. ANNIE HALL played in my hometown of Beaumont, Texas for exactly 4 days. Is that not culturally sad or what?!?!?

5. Tommy Ken Russell’s film version of The Who classic. Like the original record by The Who captured the pop culture of the 1960’s and the Broadway play captured the pop culture of the late 80’s/early 90’s — Russell’s film perfectly captures the pop culture of the 1970’s. And, he captures it with folks like Elton John, Tina Turner, Eric Clapton and Roger Daltrey! I really think that MTV owes a great deal to this groundbreaking film. Plus, how can anyone resist watching Ann-Margret roll around in beans and soap bubbles!?!?! God, I love this movie and all of its excess!

6. All About Eve A perfect Hollywood movie about Broadway. This 1950 movie still packs a punch and manages to convey things to the audience without having the benefit of going R-rated. Brilliant screenplay. And the cast could never be better. However, I think this one belongs to Bette Davis and Thelma Ritter all the way. If you do not want to belt Anne Baxter by the second half of this film, you are not human! A must see!!!

7. Under the Sand Francois Ozon’s first serious film is a classic. I suspect that this will be one of those movies that film scholars study in the year’s to come. This film is not so much a story as it is a study of grief. Charlotte Rampling is brilliant in the lead role. This film is fascinating, scary, mysterious, sexy and very French.

8. The Piano Teacher From German born filmmaker, Michael Haneke, comes the story of a piano teacher’s downward spiral to insanity due to the sick sexual relationship she establishes with one of her students. This film can be read several ways. Is it a study of madness? The story of obsessive love gone too far? Or, is it a symbolic story of a country slowly caving into madness thanks to the re-birth of fascism and hatred? However, the viewer interprets, this is a powerful film. Isabelle Huppert gives the performance of her career. Warning — this is not a film for everyone.

9. Wild At Heart Who knew what to make of David Lynch’s 1990 film? While not as powerful as BLUE VELVET, as weird as ERASERHEAD or as seductive as MULHOLLAND DRIVE — this is my favorite David Lynch movie! Disturbing, funny, sexy and always surprising — this is a great movie. In addition, it is oddly American in style and form. This is the ultimate road movie —- and you never know where the road is going to lead! This film also contains one of my all time favorite film lines read with great bravado by Laura Dern who begs for some lovin’ from Nicholas Cage by letting him know that she is hotter than Georgia asphalt! This movie also proves that Grace Zabrinski may be the most terrifying woman in the world! If anyone understands the many references to THE WIZARD OF OZ — please let me know. And why isn’t this masterpiece on DVD yet????

10. OK, I am unable to restrict myself to 10 movies. There are just three more that I dearly love for various reasons and I simply must have them on my listing! A Star Is Born Barbra’s 1976 remake and the biggest moneymaker of her career is my favorite Barbra movie. Shut up! It just is! Also sharing the spot for my 10th favorite is
8 Femmes a silly and campy little musical staring some of the key French Cinematic Divas! A twisted little tribute to Vincente Minnelli and Douglas Sirk, I think this movie is just a lot of fun. Obviously, I love the work of Francois Ozon. The last film to share the spot for number ten is Valley of the Dolls staring the picture-perfect Barbara Perkins as Anne Welles, the stiff-acting style of Sharon Tate as Jennifer North and, of course, a pre-medicated Patty Duke as Neely O’Hara! The great thing about this movie is how very bad it really is — and how much fun it is to watch! You know you are watching a true gem when all of the female characters seem to be drag queens! How can anyone not love THE VALLEY OF THE DOLLS! Be sure to watch out for the great Susan Hayward who, rumor has it, demanded to do her own singing. …As any viewer will painfully observe, she should have opted for the singing stand-in!

Well, that is my list. If I were forced to pick 10, well 12, movies to call my favorites – these would be my choices!

Me, Myself, Dusty and I

Karl leaves for his trip to NJ and Philly tomorrow. He will be gone for a week. He felt he needed to get some time alone. And, I think it might be good for both of us. So, for the next week it is just me and Dusty — all alone. It will be OK. I can play the stereo as loud as I want with music I love, but that Karl hates. I will be able to listen to Angie Stone, Mary J Blige and Diana Ross at top volume without protest!

However, I am going to miss Karl. I am also going to be worrying about him a lot. Karl is a very smart man with a great sense of direction, but he does not always seem to notice his immediate surroundings. However, I am just not going to think about this.

And, let us not even discuss poor Dusty. She is going to be so lost without Karl. Despite the fact that Karl does not care much for her and is consistently yelling about the poor puppy — Dusty loves Karl blindly. He is the man for her. She will be missing him big time! Also, I am going to have to leave the office at lunch to come home and let her out of the cage for about 10 minutes or so and give her lunch. Our normal pet sitter is on vacation. Luckily, this is a slower time of year for accounting firms — so I don’t think it will be a big deal. The main problem is that I will be a sweating mess by the time I get home via the subway and back to work within an hour!

I am anticipating a great return gift from Karl. He better get me something nice! …And, I am not talking about a magnet!!! Are ya readin’ this,Baby?!??! lol!

4th of July

You know, I have a friend who was born on the 4th of July — but I am unable to remember who it is. I think it is Bill. So, Bill if you should read this — Happy Birthday! …I think.

I think I feel less patriotic than usual. I do not like a lot of what I see our administration doing. However, I hope everyone has fun watching fireworks. They scare me. Sounds like what I think war must sound like. Hope I never have to know what it sounds like for real. I would much rather leave it to my imagination.

Our pal, Sven and his boyfriend are in town later today. We are going out to dinner and I think Karl is going to take them somewhere to watch fireworks. I think they wanted to trek over to the Boston Pops thing at the Hatch Shell, but they agreed that they really didn’t want to join the other 800,000 folks who will be there. The weather in Boston is fantastic, tho! A bit warm, but does not seem humid. It is currently 75 degrees at 1pm.

Well, as you can see this is an exciting post! Sorry. Promise to do better later!