Since I've Been Sick: Captain EO, Festive Lily, and Misty Watercolor Meeeeemorriiiies!

After two weeks of being down and out with a mild cold-turned-ear infection, I still have broken glass shards for sinuses, I'm half deaf in one ear - which is completely clogged - and near-deafened by the loud ringing in the other, which is not.

I've been living in front of the humidifier, sleeping sitting up, drinking gallons of ginger tea, and using the neti pot once a day. I've been through a 5-day regiment of antibiotics, I'm taking huge doses of garlic and probiotics, regular doses of ibuprofen, and just recently Flonase. The only thing I'm NOT taking is Sudafed, since even this misery is preferable to a panic attack.

It's been SWELL.

Every night John assures me, "You're going to wake up all better tomorrow." I think he may stop, though, since the medicated glint in my eye turned especially murderous this morning.

Still, it could be worse, and today I think - I hope - I'm finally turning the corner.

I've had just enough energy to do a few things while I've been sick. Here are my favorites:

Last week, the day before we realized I wasn't getting better, I was getting an ear infection, John helped me make a special trip to Epcot. I was pretty weak even then, but I was on a mission: to say both hello and goodbye to an Epcot classic:

The last time we'd seen Captain EO - and the first time, for John - was in California six or seven years ago. He'd never seen it here at WDW, and I hadn't since it first opened when I was a kid. Blame my agoraphobia, which makes me panicky in theater situations.

I've been working on that, though, and I was determined to see EO one last time. (It closed permanently December 6th.)

The place was practically empty, so I got some nice pics of the lobby area:

Fuzzy panorama shot:

Inside the theater, a cast member let us sit in the very back row, usually reserved for the disabled:

They'd already turned off all the special features, so the seats didn't move and there were no water or air affects. Even so, it was awesome seeing EO on the big screen again. I literally sat at the edge of my seat, bopped around to the music, and wondered WHY I'd waited so long to do this again.

So in case you're keeping score, that's:

Jen: 1, Agoraphobia: In your FACE! 

(I'm bad at smack talk, I know.)


Just walking to EO had drained me, so we headed home right after. On the way we talked about this year's Christmas cards, and I suggested taking some festive - but ridiculous - photos of Lily.

John set it up, and somehow we got the whole thing staged, shot, and edited in one night. I'm keeping the final design a surprise for now, but here's one of my favorites from the "reject" pile:

"We must never speak of this again."

And finally, and most recently, I've been trying something that's honest-to-goodness artistic for the first time. John cut some watercolor paper into ACEO size, bought me a $4 Crayola set, and told me to have at it.

 

 I'm still getting the hang of it, of course, but it's been surprisingly nice just experimenting.

Here I'm trying out different outlining styles:

 I hope you guys like the middle one, since that's what I went with. o.0

Those will be gifts for a few special people who I hope wouldn't have preferred a nice candle or something.

And speaking of gifts and awkward segues, I just listed a final batch of Epbot pins over on Etsy. Anything that doesn't sell by tomorrow (Thursday) night will be pulled, so if you'd like a pack in time for Christmas, be sure to grab it now!