I got up today before the sun did, after sleeping just under six hours. Normally, I would go to be good and early before a day when I have to get up at 5am, but I was up a little later than usual last night because I was playing tabletop games with a couple of my friends and a couple of guys who won the opportunity in a charity auction. And if I may humblebrag for a moment, one of those guys was Tom Vassel, and one of the games we played was his game, called Nothing Personal.
That may be a story for another time, because at the moment I am so tired I can taste time.
Getting up super early on less than the optimal amount of sleep isn’t that big a deal, but the massive pain I have in my neck is killing me. Two nights ago I slept weird and pushed one of the vertebrae in my neck out, so I have all kinds of pain down my right arm, shoulder, and back. It’s putting some strain on my throat, even, so my voice sounds a little strange to me (which may be a problem, because I’m doing a voice job and an on-camera job later today).
I haven’t done one of these off-the-top-of-my-head blogs in forever, so I guess that’s what this is going to be, because I have to leave for my voice job in 20 minutes, and if I stop to rest my eyes for even a second, I’m going to join Bart and Lisa with Groundskeeper Willie, and that never goes well, whether it’s Smarch or not.
So how about those Kings last night? And did you see that Tabletop Season 3 is about 12,000 away from a full season of 20 episodes?!
Back to my very big day: I just got back from an incredibly fun Western photoshoot with Anne and our friends Colin, Ashley, and Doug. It’s for our friend Donna’s shop, Clockwork Couture, and when it’s ready for viewing, I’ll link to it.
We had to start really early today, because I’m going to work on Teen Titans at 10am, and the minute I finish that, I’m going to shoot promos and things for The Wil Wheaton Project all afternoon.
I expect my day to end with me slipping into the sleep of the very very tired shortly after I walk back into my house tonight.
I’m not complaining about anything, mind you. I’ve had enough days in my life where I had nothing at all to do, and if I have a day like this which is so full of stuff I end up feeling like this guy, I’m really okay with that.
Also, If you’ve been playing along with me in the Dragons of Atlantis Advisor Wheaton questing super happy funtimes, be ready for a new quest later this afternoon.
i have always found that really lazy are nicely offset with really busy days!
Hope you find your balance today! 🙂
argh…lazy DAYS. Insert DAYS…
i guess i’m off balance. Oh well. HAPPY FRIDAY!!
Have you tried an inversion table? It’s great for stretching out those kinks. We’ve also found as we get older, that it’s helping with random joint/hip pain. Enjoy your day, it sounds like a lot of fun, even though you didn’t get much sleep last night.
Hey Wil, I actually like this kinda Dataday post thingy. The neck thing Dude. Been there done that. Chiropractor or Acupunturist IMHO. Don’t forget when you are super busy and awesome things are happening to schedule those kind of things so you can keep up the awesomeness reserves you need for while things are…..
Ummm….is it cheesy for someone that has only met or talked to you a couple of times (and you for sure don’t remember cause sea of people you meet thingy) to honestly say how happy I am for you right now. That so many things seem to be going well for you! I feel the urge to remind you to savior it and to embrace that you deserve it.
(you probably know that so damn I just sound cheesy) Swiss or Provolone?
Piece and Boardgames,
Dave
6 hours of sleep is normal for me…it’s the price one pays to try and have at least an hour that’s kid-free. LOL
Nothing Personal is awesome! That was another I have been meaning to tell you about. I can only imagine it would make a great story.
–Terry
This is very much unrelated to your actual post. However, after having read your blog for a whole and growing to appreciate you and what you do for the “nerd community”(that answer about being a nerd from a while back nearly makes me tear up), I have gained another level of appreciation for you and your blog by seeing that you too listen to Radiohead. I’m from an area of the US where Radiohead isn’t as popular(not country/pop/hard rock, or it’s “too mainstream” for the local hipsters) and I feel more connected to a celebrity blogger enjoying my absolute favorite band than some distant music critic.
I was curious what you thought of Nothing Personal. I got it during the Kickstarter, but have only gotten to play it once.
I’m all for the return of the “off-the-top-of-my-head blogs”! They are the best. Takes me waaay back to the days when I started following your blog and they’re the reason why I stayed.
Oh, and take care with that neck.. I have no advice on that whatsoever, but I do hope it will get better soon. No, I take that back, I DO have one small piece of advice. It’s the advice my husband gives me every time I have a little ache somewhere: don’t try to strain it, just to feel if it still hurts.
Most of me is clucking in sympathy at Wil’s off day, but the rest of me is trying to figure out what time tastes like…is it worse than drinking orange juice after brushing your teeth? That’s gonna bug me.
I somehow feel time tastes like aluminum, for some reason? I, too, can relate to the orange juice/toothpaste combo; thanks for the sensory reminder!
I’m with you lonehsmom70 – orange juice after toothpaste/mouthwash? Shudder!
Wil – ditto the chiropractor / acupuncturist. And / or massage therapy. So glad you’re enjoying these opportunities and please take care of yourself!
I’ve noticed it gets a little bit harder to do the ‘less than 6 hours of sleep followed by really busy day’ as I get older. 10 years ago, I could do it several times a week. Now? MAYBE once every few weeks. And forget about doing anything except sleeping after the busy day now.
However, you have to admit that that heavy sleep after that busy day is glorious!
Hey there, Wil. That show of your – mind if you divert some of the extra funds to getting your show captioned for us poor deaf tabletoppers? If you can guarantee that, we’ll definitely donate what we can.
T.J. / Wil,
I have some experience in captioning videos; if you can find someone to transcribe the dialogue, I’d be happy to format it to be uploaded to the video. I can take a whack at transcription, but I’m awfully rusty, and although I used to do transcription with dictation, it’s much harder with video. Please let me know if I can assist in some way.
Glad you know who Tom is now 😉 Looking forward to next season 🙂
I definitely would recommend a visit with your doctor about your neck. Even the most simple of movements can cause you to have chronic pain – and if you can address it now you may be able to avoid the long-term issues. Do you have one of those pillows that people take on planes as a neck rest?? That might help when you sleep tonight. I’m happy for you that you are so busy!! It’s wonderful to witness.
For a second, I thought you had landed a job on the Simpsons. Silly me read “if I stop to rest my eyes for even a second, I’m NOT going to join Bart and Lisa with Groundskeeper Willie”. I guess I’m sleepy too. 🙂
Like other, I enjoy the stream-of-consciousness or brain-dump or rambling posts. Next time, you could even add some dog pictures 🙂
I have a couple of herniated discs in my neck and am trying to avoid surgery. There are a couple of stretching exercises you can do to try to undo the kink; also, I have a stretching machine that really helps. There’s a better option for the stretching machine at a physical therapy office—DO get yourself checked out; wonky necks can lead to pinched nerves, which are perhaps the most painful things in the world.
On a totally different note, I had to re-read your second sentence several times due a small typo:
“Normally, I would go to be good and early before a day when I have to get up at 5am, …”
I kept trying to switch the word order to make you “good to go”; that didn’t help. You dropped a “d”, kind sir.
Hope your neck feels much better quickly. Thank you so much for the entertainment and joy you bring to my life.
Take good care!
I hear you on the neck, I woke up one morning having done something to mine that I spent two days on the sofa lying completely flat, in so much pain I just had to lie there while tears trickled out the corners of my eyes.
Fortunately I have an excellent physio and I didnt kill myself driving there and back with no mobility to have proper visibility!
There are lots of stretches but if your vertebrae are out I can recommend this as a quick self remedy – get two tennis balls and duct tape together. They will sit nicely on either side of your spine and between your vertebrae and if you put on the floor and lie down on them (starting from your lower back and working up) it can often be quite helpful. Kinda like self acupressure.
I had a car accident about 15 years ago that gave me a really bad case of whiplash and did permanent tissue damage so I know all about the fun that an unhappy neck can bring – my best advice is to have an awesome physio who can help when you need it and regular visits to a good theraputic deep tissue massage therapist.