Back in the saddle

  I've realized this week that I don't "recuperate." I just pause briefly.

  Well, the pause is over and I'm officially back at it. Realistically, I was back at it on Saturday, but for tax purposes, we'll call it today. My Mom, God bless her, did her best to make me rest, which I did for part of the first day. After that, I got tired of wearing bandages and tired of sitting around, so we went out and explored DC. Thanks, Mom. Best surgery ever.
  Yesterday, I went to the doc to have the plastic shunts removed from inside my nose. Remember that part in "Total Recall" where Arnold Schwarzenegger pulls that homing device out of his nose and his nostril stretches to about three times its normal size? It was pretty much like that. It's amazing what can actually fit inside your nose. After the shunts were out, I leaned forward in the chair to talk to the nurse and a huge amount of blood literally spilled out of me and soaked the front of the apron. I apologized and leaned back while the nurse sprayed the inside of my nose with a clotting agent and stuffed me with a little cotton.
  A few minutes later, she removed it and I leaned forward in the chair to stand up. Kaboom! It was like somebody pouring a shotglass full of blood through my nose. This time, I got a little lightheaded and had to lay down. She was a bit concerned about the uncontrollable bleeding, but after laying there for a few minutes, I was cleared to go. I was advised to basically do nothing for a couple of days and try to rest and let things knit themselves back together.
  So then Mom and I went out to breakfast and afterward I took her to the airport and we said our goodbyes. I went home, took about an hour nap, and considered that to be my recovery. I drove up to Maryland and rehearsed for my final scene (public performance in two weeks!), then drove back through a pounding rainstorm, went grocery shopping, and finally got into bed late.
  Today, I'm back on the job, and tonight I have class and performance. I'll get home and in bed around 2AM, be back up at 5AM for work, then leave work and go immediately to my voice lesson. Don't know how much power I'll be able to put out on that, but I have a recital in less than a month and can't afford to slack now!

  And then, of course, it'll be time for the season finale of LOST. I don't give a shit how much I'm bleeding or dying, I'm all over that.