A KICK IN THE CROTCH

12/19/25

Bill Watterson ~ April 14th, 1986

This week has seriously been a major kick in the crotch, as the title suggests. Well, the last few weeks actually. As I mentioned in my last post, I was sick with a cough. That was developed from a sinus infection I had the week prior. Thankfully I had An Interview: #1- The Wizard of Bonny Doon...Jack Thralls edited and ready to go so I didn't actually have to sit down and write anything until last week, which ended up being a rambling mess. I couldn't go to class for a few days because of the sinus infection. I finally got meds for it last week and it helped me fight it off. I was on antibiotics for 5 days. 

Lo and behold, Tuesday morning rolls around and I'm having a brief conversation on Microsoft Teams with my boss about how I was feeling. We share a few anecdotes about us being prone to sickness as I'm getting ready to leave. I had woken up with a stomach ache, one of those ones that you think is from not eating but doesn't let you eat. I got fully dressed and had eaten an apple and what I could stomach from a small bowl of cereal. My roommate, Bowie, was up and in the shower, in the one and only bathroom in the house. I had to wait him out. As I'm waiting, I start to get the hiccups. Not normal hiccups, but the ones you get when you know something is going to go wrong. I walked to the kitchen, calmly took out the cutting board and bowls I had left in the sink, and threw up for the first time in at least 5 years. I too am shocked that Tuesday morning was the first time I had thrown up in over 5 years. My coworker and friend, Ella, had texted me 10 minutes before asking when I was coming in. I told them, "Around 12." The incident happened around 12. I never made it to the studio.

The whole rest of the day I was plagued by a fever and vomiting. So much fun! Most of the day was spent in bed on my phone or sitting on the bathroom floor waiting to expel anything and everything I had left in my stomach. My already weakened immune system got bombarded with another virus as soon as the last one had left. As you can tell, I survived. I was able to take my last 2 finals yesterday and be done with the semester. 

The real kicker was that my check engine light, the beautiful orange outline of an engine that I always love to see, flickered on on Monday. I had completely forgotten about it until I got in the car to drive to campus. I can't tell what's wrong, but I'm not a f**king mechanic so it's not like I would anyways. If it's not one thing, it's another...

However, this week won't be all that bad. Tonight I'm heading to see the final installment of the Osees residency at the Teragram Ballroom in LA. I'm so lucky to have gone to all but one of the 6 shows they've played there in the last 5 months. And tomorrow is the return of Repeater for the Marrs family benefit gig. The Marrs twins are in the NICU right now, so I'm heading to Knuckleheads Sports Bar to support. I'm re-listening to I Love People by Cory Hanson for the first time in a long while. On vinyl this time! I picked up a few great records on Monday before everything went to shit. Obviously, I got I Love People. I finally got a copy of Too Much Tension by The Mystery Lights on vinyl for my roommate and I. I got Reverse Shark Attack by Ty Segall and Mikal Cronin and Live at The Broad by Osees on CD. Pretty good haul I'd say.

To end, I knew I had to get on here to write a mini post. Like I said last week, I have to get on here to write SOMETHING every week. I just have to do it. To keep myself going. This week is no exception. And now here we are. With the shortest post on the page thus far. It'll be alright. 

Go out and see a show this weekend. Put life behind you. See you next week...

Cheers,

Jack