Sleeping with Mr. Monk

I think my body is a little tired from the time spent on gastrointestinal issues, so I gave in to the strong desire to sleep today. Almost all day. On the sofa, waking up every now and again to see which cat was now curled up beside me and episode of Monk was being shown.

Monk is the TV equivalent of Lillian Jackson Braun's Cat Who ... books. Both are about murder, but both are low on the suspense, violence and gore. So Monk was an appropriate companion this gentle afternoon.

Saturday 9

Saturday 9: Band on the Run

1) This song is about a band of musicians that escapes on an adventure. Do you consider yourself spontaneous and adventurous? This morning I just feel lazy.

2) Paul McCartney and Wings traveled all the way to Lagos, Nigeria, to record Band on the Run. That's a long, long way from London. What's the farthest from home you've ever been? Munich. It's about 3500 miles from Chicago.

3) Wings featured Linda McCartney on keyboards. Paul said

that when Linda died, after almost 30 years together, he lost the love of his life. Who is the love of your life? Or have you yet to meet him/her? Usually I answer this by saying my two most enduring loves are Sir Paul and the Chicago Cubs. But seriously, I like to think my great love still awaits me.

4) Paul has said he's very proud of Band on the Run, his most successful post-Beatles album. Brag a little. Tell us something you're proud of. I believe I am very good at something very important, and that's being a friend.
 
5) Paul's birth certificate reads "James Paul McCartney." He's named for his father, Jim. Are you named after anyone? No.

6) Paul enjoys oil painting in his spare time. What's one of your hobbies? I love movies.

7) 20 Forthlin Road, Paul McCartney's boyhood home, has been turned into a museum by the British government. It's a

modest 2 bedroom cottage, with a drainpipe that Paul used to climb to sneak in after curfew. How would you describe your childhood home? A four bedroom ranch in a really boring little town. The best thing about it was the backyard. My mother loved it for her lawn and garden, but for me, the main attraction was the swingset.

8) Paul is 5'11". How tall are you? Very nearly 5'2.

9) Actor Christopher Lee is on the album cover. He played Dracula in a series of movies in the 1950s and 1960s. Who is your favorite vampire? The original, daytime TV Barnabas Collins.

What's up with THIS?

I am not feeling well. I'm gassy and bloated and have suffered from having to go too urgently (Wednesday night) and feeling like I should go but can't (last night). It's painful and debilitating and I hate it.

While this hasn't happened to me lately, it's not unusual. I see from my blog went through weeks of it in summer 2010, and had a bout of it 2008. It's also how I remember living during my teen years. Stress goes to my gut.

But then, after my surgery two years ago this week, I started paying closer attention to how I ate -- being more careful to add fruits and vegetables. Slowly my tummy trouble disappeared.

It's back this week. I don't think it's a virus because I was fine on Thursday. I suppose it's possible I can't/shouldn't eat pork products anymore -- I had an omelet with minced ham on Wednesday and a pulled pork sandwich last night. Or maybe the malaise I'm feeling about life has settled into my gut.