Pen-Elayne on the Web

Drained

I didn't realize how exhausting this mourning period would continue to be. I have even less energy today than I did yesterday, if such a thing is possible. I didn't sleep much at all last night, my sciatica is much worse (due in part to walking up and down uncarpeted stairs in my slippers), I'm not seeing very well (not a real surprise considering how much of a workout my tear ducts have gotten, combined with this annoying twitch I keep getting on my lower left eyelid which I think must somehow be related to the sciatica) and my range of motion is shot. My sister-in-law is teaching me some stretching exercises to increase movement but all they seem to be doing now is increasing pain, possibly because I'm so tired.

Reading your comments and other blogs has really buoyed me through this time. Of particular interest or amusement to me, and therefore posts I highly recommend, have been:

• Bint Alshamsa's inspirational essay about living with cancer, as a reminder to people wondering about Elizabeth Edwards' strength that "incurable" and "terminal" are not necessarily synonymous.

• Tom Russell's analysis of why it's hard for many writers to get a handle on Wonder Woman, and why meta-fiction just isn't satisfying storytelling (hear hear).

• The Truffle's comparison of argumentative Usenet trolls and reactionary pundits, and how laughter is her best medicine in dealing with both.

I'm looking forward to recovering my equilibrium a little more, at which point you'll see a mess of catching up here. I'm just not sure when that's going to happen.