Saturday, February 6, 2010

Skins, The OC, and an ill teenager's escapism

I really love the tv show Skins. It airs on SBS and FOX8 in Australia, on free-to-air and Foxtel respectively. (It's always delayed by months, though, last year it aired here 6 months after it's release in the UK. Fail.) I love it because it's the closest I will ever get to being a teenager, it's funny, has great music, and is more realistic than The OC (which is what I used to watch when I realised I'd never be a teenager.) On Tuesday I bought series 1, 2, and 3 on DVD, and, suprisingly they were only $30 each! I've seen every episode in series 1 and 2 at least twice, but I still love it. I'm still waiting for episode 2, series 4 of Skins to load. Streaming is taking FOREVER, and Megavideo works best, but I can't find any links for episode 2 there yet. I've watched about 12mins of it so far, and I really like it.

I wish I was well enough to have close friends, or more friends who'd stand by me with  my illness. But I don't. That's ME/CFS for you; it drives almost everyone away, even your family and closest friends.

When I was 13, and watching The OC, I'd feel happy, and hope that one day I could go to parties (when I'd be better, at 15, like my doctor said) or go shopping with my friends, or even try drinking. Or have a boyfriend. By the time I hit 17, and had bought the first season on DVD, I didn't watch it for those reasons. I had to escape. From home, from being stuck in my room, from getting B+'s and A's when I could've been doing so much better, if only I could study. Then it'd depress me sometimes, because everyone was SO rich and SO happy, and I just wanted a tv show that was a bit more realistic. So I'd watch it to escape, but fume inside at times, too.

It's frustrating for me that my school has taken away admin privileges when they reimaged my laptop - so I can't download any programs or update anything (iTunes, Flash player, etc.) and that our PC is so slow it's going to die soon. Opening Microsoft Word can take 10mins and risk freezing or crashing the PC, and opening iTunes now takes up to 35mins, then waiting 10mins to open the iTunes Store, or a tab like 'Music' or 'Movies'. And, of course, iTunes periodically freezing. I can't use iTunes on my laptop because it's such an old edition, plus I can't download songs or update the edition. So I'm going to take my laptop into school soon, and ask for admin privileges to be reinstated, or for them to enable program updates with my username. Then I won't have to go near that damn PC unless I have to print.

I got more Ondansetron from my specialist, I'm limiting the useage to a few times each month, which is why I only got a script for another 10 wafers. I also got Panadeine Forte for pain (doesn't do much, but I can sit for a little longer when I take it) and will ask for something stronger next time. My specialist thinks all the stress at home and about school can't be good for me, but that there is very little that can be done about it. She's also writing the letter to the distance education region about my application on medical grounds, and thinks that a year off, provided I don't stress about my marks, will benefit me. But I no longer trust doctors!

I went to Officeworks on Thursday, and bought two blue exercise books, one small, one large. One for notes and the other for working out, etc, respectively. I'm reusing 3-ring binders/folders that were a gift from Christmas 2005 (they're from Borders, and are transparent, with colourful translucent butterflies covering them) for this year, for distance education homework, work/notes, SACs, Unit 3 work and Unit 4 work. I also bought a blue display book for notes and working out from my tutoring sessions, plus cheatsheets from each year of Methods, and new ones for this year. And I got butterfly labels for my folders and display books. They don't match, but go together quite nicely. I'll feel completely organised once I've covered the labels on the folders, so they don't get torn, and have bought and labelled my textbooks. Then I'll organise tutoring for an evening during the week, get my mum to fill in the enrolment forms, and I'll be set. I just hope I can get through this year.

That's about it; I'm kind of sleepy, and my brain is starting to shut down. (More than usual) Thanks for reading, and if you've got any ideas, feedback, or tips on how to make my blog look less boring, I'd love to hear them. I'm rather new to this blogging thing.

8 comments:

  1. Hi fellow ME/CFS girl!

    I'm excited to have discovered your blog. I know how you feel about the Ondansetron...I have to take it everyday and the cost of it nearly kills me.

    When having difficulties keeping friends in the outside world, I say make Internet friends :).

    Come see me over at a-b-martin.blogspot.com :)

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  2. Hiya! I'm now following your blog; I'm having trouble keeping up with everything - Twitter, Facebook, my blog. It's impossible when I don't sleep! How long have you been sick?

    I agree that internet friends are good, but they can't replace leaving the house (or your bed) and seeing kids your own age. That's what I miss most of all. That and study/A+'s at school.

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  3. I know, it's almost a full time job to take part on the Internet and live in the real world.

    I have been sick for 11 years. Sickish before that but at 13 was when things really fell apart. I used to love participating in school, but now I'm long done...high school, university, college.

    I wish I could say you get less envious of people who can easily move around as the years go by but sadly...not so much. It's all about finding better ways to cope I guess.

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  4. Jinx! 11 years for me, too, but about 6 since it's been really severe, and my diagnosis. I will go to uni, and I will graduate, even if it kills me! I want to be remembered. And not as another ME/CFS "malingerer."

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  5. Hi, I'm from the UK, but I don't really like Skins! Another good programme we have over is called The Inbetweeners. Not sure if you get it over there? It's really, really funny. I love Glee...

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  6. Haven't heard of it, and I don't think it's on UKTV, either. I never really liked Glee - I watched part of one episode, and just couldn't get into it. But almost all of my friends are obsessed!

    I also love Doctor Who, I'm still waiting for the last two specials with the 10th Doctor... And then I'll stop watching. I really don't think I can bear to see this Doctor go! Torchwood is also awesome. =D

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  7. Oh the last episode of David Tennant being The Doctor is so, so sad. I LOVE Doctor Who. The new doctor, Matt Smith looks quite good actually. There is a trailer online for the new series. I'm a big fan of Torchwood too- I like John Barrowman (plays Captain Jack). Did you see the special episodes with all the children being creepy?

    I didn't think I would like Glee, but I really got into it- it's really funny. Some of the music just makes me happy.

    Feel free to have a look at my blog ;) http://cfs-blog.blogspot.com/

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  8. Yep, I saw all the 'Children Of Earth' Torchwood specials. It was great! =D There's going to be a 4th series, apparently. I just watched part 1 of 'The End Of Time' on Sunday night... Part 2 is this Sunday. >.<

    I'll check out your blog. =)

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