The Captain’s Log

So Tattoo Dave and I broke free of the grid last Friday, drank some hardcore French Roast and saw 300, the movie base on the comic book about the battle of Thermopylae in which 300 Spartans and 700 Thespians (real ones–not actors. Well, okay. The actors in the movie played the part of Thespians. Ah, never mind) fought a delaying action against a Persian invasion force of a bazillion or so. If you can get over giggling about the Spartans’ leather Speedos and red capes they wore for uniforms, it’s a pretty good story about the power of military training, battle discipline and choosing the best ground for overcoming a superior force. Though they didn’t have the element of complete surprise, there were still surprises–like they weren’t wiped out in the first day. The film was shot in that arty, desaturated style ala Saving Private Ryan. Good flick, Village People styling notwithstanding.

Afterwards we chowed on some buffalo wings at Pizza Hut. Since we hit the 4:10 show to beat the crowd on opening night, we had time to burn after dinner. So we sauntered through Sam’s Outdoor Outfitters in beautiful downtown Brattleboro, which happened to be having a snowshoe sale. I know, I know. But the urge was back. Found a pair of 30-inch Vermont Tubbs with gnarly crampons and nicely hinged bindings that were half-price. There was one pair left with black frames. They looked pretty cool. So I sucked it up an bought them.
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I swear I posted a story last week called “What’s Pneu?” after the Idiotbike entry. It was all about how I didn’t really have the flu after all. I had pneumonia and bronchitis with a light twist of asthma. I raved and complained about the injustice of it all (didn’t get to race the Jay Winter Challenge) and how close I was to either popping my diaphragm or cracking ribs from all the coughing spasms. Maybe I coughed up my brain.

Anyway. I’ve been quite ill, but I’m pretty much better now. Slight cough and a bit of an Erythromycin hangover, but nothing I can’t live with. I’m back to work and all of that. I might even be able to get out and enjoy the snow at long last, if the temperature actually does move up from the -12 F we have scheduled for this evening with the -35 F windchill. That’s a little too rough on my raw lungs.
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