September was a month of sciatic nerves, Stephen King, a staycation, and SO MUCH Fargo.
A lot can change in a year, 2020 is a BIG indication of that. This time last year I raised £350 for MFR Cash for Kids by running 5K a day for the whole of September, and it was one of the hardest, silliest, but ultimately one of the most rewarding things I’ve ever done. This year I was planning doing the same, but after hurting my ankle (and subsequently, leg) during Lockdown I haven’t been running for the majority of 2020. I really miss that! I miss not being in pain the whole time! A few doctor and physio appointments this month revealed my leg pain is actually “sciatic irritation due to postural changes”. What is that? Basically months of staying at home slouching playing games and hunching over webcams have actually injured me. Being lazy actually hurt me. With diagnosis hopefully complete I’ve since been stretching, more active, and most importantly, more focussed on my posture for perhaps…the first time in my life. It’s made a difference, and the last few weeks have seen a big change in pain reduction and how sore I am- things are actually getting better. I might be able to get running again just in time for a season full of cold northern winds and rainstorms. Yay?
After reading and enjoying Stephen King’s On Writing last month, this month I decided to revisit the author properly for the first time in some while, and eagerly jumped-in to Pet Sematary. The title had always sidestepped me for whatever reason, so returning to some previously-missed dark Stephen King horror was always going to be rewarding and comforting in the weirdest possible sense. I was ready. There’s an audiobook version narrated by Dexter’s Michael C. Hall and this is something I listened to over a week and a bit, completely engrossed, disturbed, chilled, and just absolutely revelling in it if I’m honest. I’ve been a bit up and down with audiobooks previously, but the narration here is absolutely incredible, and Hall completely sells the dark, twisted, harrowing tale, while frequently ramping up tension and absolute dread. I’m an audiobok convert! I need to do a post of my favourite books at some point, and while this would probably not quite get ranked, Pet Sematary is definitely in my top 3 from Stephen King. Entertainment Weekly have a great retroactive piece on the book (and films). It’s quite spoilery but it’s worth a read if you’ve finished it!
Something that had equally eluded me previously was the film Fargo. Released in 1996, I watched the film a whole 22 years later in 2018 and loved it when I did finally get round to it. This month I’ve done something similar with the spin-off tv series of the same name, but thankfully only 6 years late this time. It’s absolutey brilliant and something that really hooked me this month. The tv series is mostly separate from the film with each season being an anthology piece with their own stories and characters. The first season feels a lot like a spiritual sequel that builds on the film’s tropes but it gives characters and scenarios more time to mature. It’s easily was one of the best things I’ve ever watched on tv…or it was, until I then watched the second season. Season 2 is a sad, tragic, and beautiful 10-parter about people misunderstanding the hell out of each other, being in a watershed moment in history, and having to brace for future change while dealing with much bigger concepts. I feel like I’m under-selling; it’s incredibly accomplished, and always just so much more than standard cop v murder case fare. The third season is equally as bold and brave, and existentially questions the meaning of it’s own stories and characters and cause and effect logic. All three seasons are beautifully profound. Staggeringly so. I honestly wish I could watch them all for the first time again but encourage anyone reading to check them out.
This month I’ve been back at work, in daily routine, doing the house chores, and everything feels mostly back to normal, at least on a surface level. After having to cancel both holidays and guesting at weddings earlier this year -and with not much event-wise on the horizon- Ailish and I decided to have a weekend break in Inverness and nearby Nairn. We’re just home. We visited Loch Ness, went shopping, ate great food, and honestly this was just a weekend that I was needing for too long- It’s great to get a change in scenery, switch off, and honestly just relax for a few days. I will do an actual longer post on our Loch Ness trip later- there’s some initial photos up on my Instagram.
Next month things are becoming quieter, and slowing down again as the weather gets colder. It’s hard to believe that it will be October already after it feels like the year has even to get started, a year that really just didnt seem to happen at all. Coming home from work, locking the door, and getting the blankets, that’s what autumn and winter is all about, at least thats what I’m hoping. It’s going to be a great time to catch up with lots of games and books!