Wise from your Gwave!

Hey, It's been a while! Looking good! How are the kids? That cool.. Oh where have I been. Well, I wish I could say it was a long story but it was a double-whammy of being sick and a profound desire to just take a break.

I'm back for what it's worth.

Artist's rendering of my fate

It all kinda started on Friday at GDC. I had awaken from my slumber with what could only be described as my insides desperately wanting to get out. There are only two ways anything was going to exit my body and my entire digestive system was giving it a go at both ends. You know in the movies where Death decides to pay you a visit and it's always this skeletal from in a black robe and scythe? Well, remember that he's just one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. For some reason, Pestilence decided to stop by. I can imagine he was having a great time wandering about GDC in his green cloak, quiver, and bow. I'm almost positive he delighted in putting on every HTC Vive, Oculus, and PlayStation VR at the event. I mean, he did have a job to do. There were so many people from all over the world crammed into one place. I made an effort not to put my face into any virtual reality mask, but it was all for naught.

At 3:30am on Friday, a knock comes to my door. I get up and open it, and there, I swear to God, stood Pestilence.

"Hey dude," He says. "Mind if I chill for a bit at your place for a bit?"

I thought about refusing, but over looking over his shoulder into the parking lot, death was hanging out on his pale horse. He waved at me with a grin.

"That's cool", I said, like I had a choice. "I have an extra bed and the Wifi is free. The password is on the desk. If you don't mind. I have to go to the bathroom now and empty the contents of my stomach in the most uncomfortable way biologically possible."

"Sweet!", Pestilence said, letting himself in and jumping into the extra bed. "Do they have cable here?"

"BLLUUAAARRGGAGGAHHHHHH" I said into the toilet.

I was supposed to checkout that day at 11:00am. I was planning on spending the rest of the day a GDC with my luggage tucked away and catch my red-eye home. I wound up having to pay an extra day at the hotel. I ordered room online with means the rate went to $140 for the extra 10 hours. When my alarm woke me again at 8:00 at night, the horseman was still in the other bed on his phone. I got up and packed as best I could and made my way to the office. My green cloaked friend followed. The front desk was very accommodating and, upon hearing that I haven't eaten anything all day, offered me a pizza slice. When I opened the box, Pestilence tapped my on the back with one of his arrows.

"I wouldn't eat that if I were you." He advised. "It's your call though!"

I nursed the pizza slice until I got to the airport.

The next couple of hours were kind of a blur. I honestly don't remember how I got back to Wisconsin. I kind of remember during the flight, Pestilence coming back from the bathroom and sitting next to me. I groggily rolled my head over to his direction. He was playing Candy Crush Saga.

"Look dude." I said. "I don't mean to be rude, but why are you following me?"

"Oh!" Pestilence replied, looking up from his phone. "I have this deal with the airline. I'm dead-heading to Chicago. There is this thing going on at the Jardine Water plant next to the mouth of the Chicago River. It's gonna be lit!"

"I bet"

When I got back home that Saturday morning, (I don't recall driving home, but my car is definitively in the parking lot), I fell exhausted in my bed, and spent the next week there. I have discovered that the older I get, the time to spring back from being sick gets a little longer. Not excessive, but it's noticeable. Whenever I do get sick I tend to have a persistent cough that hangs out a little longer then normal. But, as a parting gift, Pestilence decided that a bout of bronchitis would be a great way of saying goodbye.

During this time, coding was the furthest thing from my mind. I decided to just write off the whole adventure as a two week vacation. On Monday I had discovered that getting back into the code was such an awful experience I had no idea what to do. I had bookmarks all over the place. Trello in-works that were not in work, and other tasks that just seemed to be too monumental to attempt. I was drained and due to me work stoppage felt like Sisyphus at the bottom of the mountain.

I compiled the code I had. It still worked. I'm am now at my seat and ready to
start in what feel like starting over. I'm here now... I'm feeling OK. Thanks for asking :)