I’m home from work with a blood-filled eye today. I don’t know if it was the eye itself, or the fact that I stopped drinking coffee when my eye exploded, but something gave me one hell of a headache last night. I didn’t get to sleep until about 6:00 AM. So, when the alarm went off at 7:00, I called in sick and just went back to bed. The good news is, when I got out of bed at 11:00 AM, the little pouch of blood that had been sticking out from the corner of my eye was gone… My pupil is still floating around like a light blue iceberg in a see of blood, but at least there’s no longer the piece that hangs out like a tentacle and gets caught between my upper and lower eyelids when I blink. (I kept imagining that it was going to pop yesterday and that I’d start weeping blood.)
Last night, after going to see my doctor and being told that I had a “serious hemorrhage,” I was confronted with a problem that could, I think, make it’s way into philosophy textbooks someday… Here’ it is: Linette’s mom had two tickets to see a performance by the Japanese drumming group Kodo last night, but no one to go with. So, I was confronted by this dilemma. I could either go with her to the show, with my headache, and my throbbing eye, and listen to over two hours of intense Japanese percussion (with the occasional burst of flute), or I could stay home with the baby while Linette went to the show with her mom, in which case, I’d have to endure at least an hour of the indescribably painful “what the fuck have you done with my mommy” shrieking. Either way, I was fucked. It was just a matter of degree… I ended up rolling the dice, going with Linette’s mom and subjecting myself to the assault of the Kodo, which was quite spectacular. I spent the second half just praying for it to end, but, even with the pain, it was one hell of a show. (Be sure to check them out if they come though your town. Or at least check out their half-English, half-Japanese blog.) Linette’s mom absolutely loves them, like a thirteen year old girls loved the Beatles in 1964. It was fun to watch her reacting to them through my good eye. In the end, when they came out on stage and waved at the audience, she was the only one in the audience who started waving back. It was cute.
OK, I’m going to slink back to the couch and drape a wet cloth over my eye again now… More later.
11 Comments
Was it Taiko drumming? It must’ve been. You sir, are one lucky man. My first experience with Taiko was at my cousin’s wedding in the mid to late 70’s in the backyard of the family’s Haight Ashbury home. Both Angela Davis and Grace Jones were in attendence but not one another’s dates. The last time I saw it was last month at the Epcot Center. I guess you could say I LOVE Taiko. Lucky you.
In fact, it may have been the rhythmic pounding connecting you to the healing pulses of the universe that took down the pressure in your eye.
I think at this point you and Dan can trade eye horror stories. Take care of that thing my man.
Yes, I’ve heard this same group has some people that work for Disney. My mother-in-law was telling me something about how they work it… I think every member of the group does 1/3 of the year in the town they’re from, 1/3 touring Japan, and 1/3 in the wider world, which apparently includes Disney. They started coming to the University of Michigan in 1982. I think they come about every five years or so. And, yes, it is very, very cool stuff
You know I was around 12 which means that I remember very little other than those drums and a lot of pot smoking (not that these two illustrious individuals were smokin). I just remember looking at the photos of the wedding when I was 18 and saying, hey that looks like Grace Jones and that looks like Angela Davis and my cousin saying, “Well, that’s because it is”. Than me saying, “I don’t remember them being at the wedding” and him saying, “that’s OK, I’m sure they don’t remember you were there either”. Although, my cousin was pretty interesting and is now unfortunately deceased. I’ll ask his wife about the wedding.
Cool. Let me know if anything comes of it, Chris… And I’m sorry to hear about your cousin.
My god, Mark. I hope … (what does one say in reference to a bloodfilled eye?) I hope you feel better soon.
mark, are you wearing an eyepatch like a pirate? that would really rate.
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Well, a third option would have been for you,Linette, and Clementine to stay home and send me with Bette to see the drummers. |COnsider that next time! Hope you are betternow.
maybe we could have a regular, “go on a date with my mother-in-law” feature here at mm.com…
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It’s wrong to be turned on by this, right?
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