hiking, cough syrup and reviews - not necessarily in that order.

I woke up yesterday to not only another overcast morning, but also a full-on "bug." I don't know if it was a cold, or virus, or a severe allergy attack (see aforementioned "snow" in previous post).
Kinda sucked. The shit I was coughing up was pretty gross and the sinuses made me wish my head would just get it over with and just pop - ending my misery.

A misery, I fear, that compromised my performance the previous day. It was raining in some way that I never experience before (I find each city has its own type of rain. Weird...but true.) Having to carry all my crap to the theater in the monsoon was no fun. That, plus the fact that by time I got there I was soaking wet - I was a crabby bitch (Cancer, what can I tell ya!). Anyway, while the show seemed to be tighter than the previous, I inevitably "went up" in the end of the last piece. Fortunately, the actor's problem was appropriate for the character's problem, and therefore no one noticed. That is, except the playwright - he did write the thing after all.

And, to prove that the actor is the last one to really know what is going on - we received a great review! Check it out!
Goes to show, what is felt, and what is seen (perceived) are often two very different things.

So, as I said, yesterday was a off day from the show -  a recovery day. Considering my condition, I took a day off from my cardio regime and decided to take a light hike up Mont-Royal. It was a nice substitute for the usual routine, with the added spiritual bonus.

I found myself becoming quite reflective. 

In my Theater History class, when discussing Romanticism and its impact on theater, we cover (briefly, mind you) the Transcendentalists: Emerson, Thoreau, Dickinson, Whitman and their affinity towards nature and its impact. One must have a stone for a heart if such beauty has no affect on them. The solitude, sounds of nature (crackling leaves under your feet, a rolling brook, birds calling, the wind through the trees), a barely noticeable rock path discovered (evoking the poetry of Robert Frost). I wish had the stamina to make more of a day of it - but that will be tomorrow.

I made it to the Chalet, and took in it's stunning view of the city below.

So, after the hike. I went home, made dinner (found a cool grocery store that enabled me to eat a little more healthy and cheaply!). Took 2 giant gulps of Buckley's (this abhorrent tasting cough syrup [sirop]), watched "The Wire" on my laptop and went to bed.

This morning I woke up feeling much better and with a sense of accomplishment (It feels good when one is able to "will" himself into health - ego? perhaps...I don't care, I feel good!). Went to the gym, had a fantastic workout and ready for another show.

Sun is out, "snow" is back....

Looking forward to another hike of Mont-Royal tomorrow.