Had a good run there, chasing mountains, writing, and doing what I can to be in several places at the same time, but it’s all caught up with me—I’m sick. Hopefully it doesn’t last too long, but when I woke this morning and found myself feeling dizzy, I knew it was time to slam the brakes.
Under such circumstances, the ideal thing would be to curl up on the couch and get back to the revisions on my book, but I can hardly concentrate enough to make it through a paragraph (which I suppose tells you the level of concentration I need to make a post entry like this—Eek! Matt, don’t reveal your secrets!) But at least here I can vent without giving it too much and not worry about being totally coherent. Or grammatically correct. Or creating something in the realm of having a point.
I tried to work my day job for a little bit and was able to do it for about an hour or two, but it took a lot out of me. All I’m really good for is watching another movie on Netflix or HBO, but the idea of that also makes me want to scream. The lethargy required to recover from an illness is THE WORST. So, I’m doing the next best thing one can do when they have the attention span of a hummingbird and the mental faculties of a sloth: shopping the internet for gear for the next great outdoor adventure.
A recent backcountry hiking trip with my brother-in-law and a friend has dialed up the pressure. They more than hinted that the next camping trip into the New Hampshire backcountry will be when there is snow on the ground, and it’s time to plan accordingly. So here I am in the middle of summer, reviewing 4-season tents and merino wool and cooking equipment, and also seriously considering whether a long john union suit would have any merit, all because I can’t stand the thought of heading back to the couch.
But my mind is such a jumble I can hardly make a decision on the right gear to buy either. I’ve been scrolling and scrolling and all I can think of is… the couch. Dammit. I guess I will have to head back to the couch. But if that’s the case, I think I’m going to have to watch a mountain adventure movie to make me feel like I’m not being so idle. You know, for research purposes. Anything to make wasting time not feel like wasting time. I already watched a movie this morning called How to Make a Killing and while it was mildly entertaining, it fell short on having a redeemable point.
If I understood the theme correctly, the takeaway one should have is that an individual can get along just fine as long as they have a lot of money—love, morals, and conscience be damned. Those are two hours I’d like to get back. Maybe I’ll find what I’m looking for by following the story of some other climber’s quest for something better. That’s more my speed. This list seems like a good place to start.