All Apollo-gies
Thanks for your ongoing tremendous responses to the birthday survey, appeal for help shifting a Toblerone from Birmingham to Sheffield, and other bits of business recently raised on this blog. I think the Toblerun (the name for the Toblerone run) might have to be in January because I’m going to have to get someone to organise it properly and we should definitely do it against the clock. But it mustn’t overshadow the delivery of the iPod to Anna. What a year it’s been for getting things around, eh?
I’m blogging very briefly here because most of my week is being consumed by preparations for Friday’s Hammersmith Apollo show. This is the biggest solo show (in terms of audience members, not importance; they’re all important) that I’ve ever done, so I’m rather busy trying to do last-minute publicity and work out what jokes are going to come out of my mouth and so forth. I’ll return to the question of the new book (which was posed by yesterday’s first Comment) very shortly. As a teaser, I can tell you there are TWO books to look forward to. TWO BOOKS!!
Here though are two pieces of blog-related news.
-Pandora – near-everyday Commenter, iPod logistician, and Platinum Level Watsonian – has occasionally mentioned her lack of a job. Now, according to Twitter, she’s got a job. She follows in a line of blog readers who’ve got a job this year. It shows that reading this blog is well worth putting on your CV. Congratulations Pandora (real name Rachel).
-…and now another opportunity for us to team up and solve a reader’s problem. Cymruangel yesterday laid claim to a headache which has lasted for SIX MONTHS. I mean, that can’t be right. She mentioned that she’s seeing a neurologist this week, and that’s probably a pretty reasonable way to solve the problem, but all the same: does anyone else know how to cure a half-year headache? I reckon any suggestions must be useful. Doctors always recommend getting a random sample of opinions and acting on whichever takes your fancy.
Thanks everyone. Back tomorrow. Did I mention I’m at the Apollo this week?
Posted by Tibbs on December 30, 2010
I definitely remember writing out a comment for this post before my trip, but either I am actually making that up, or it got swallowed.
Either way, I had nothing very insightful to add. I’ve had a few headaches from having my glasses ever-so-slightly bent, but never such a degree as this.
I do hope the blood tests will provide (or quite possibly, have provided) some answers!
(Also, eeee two books!)
Posted by Craig on December 10, 2010
This might seem silly and obvious cymruangel, but do you drink enough water each day?
Posted by NaomiB on December 10, 2010
Hi cymruangel, it sounds like I also had a very similar headache for about a year and more, I also wear glasses (which they get obsessed with) and tried every drug under the sun, saw a physio, chiropractor and also had acupucture, had blood tests saw the neurologist a number of times all to no avail. I ended up having to take a year out of university.
I have now not had a proper headache for about 3 months and thats all down to pilates. I’ve been working at it for about a year and its the only think that has ceased my headaches. I hope this encourages or help in any way. I wish you a fast recovery as I know what a blight it can be on life.
Posted by cymruangel on December 9, 2010
Neurologist turned out to be a her.
She was MEAN. She wanted me to go away and spend 3 months re-trying a migraine drug which hasn’t worked. Silly neurologist.
Anyway, after I burst into tears because I was so cross (oops), and my mother added some home truths of her own, she suddenly saw sense.
I am having blood tests, and will be getting scanned. I also have a new drug to try, to rule out a not-migraine type of headache, which I only have to take for 9 days.
This, chaps, is progress. Those headache gnomes may soon be dancing their last hob-nailed-boot polka!
Posted by Kate B on December 9, 2010
Best of luck for your Apollo gig!
Posted by Misha on December 9, 2010
Decided to start wrangling for the toblerun HERE
http://www.markwatsonfans.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=468
Do sign up, it’d be especially handy if the two winners could get in touch
Posted by cymruangel on December 9, 2010
Many thanks for all the headache advice. I am seeing the neurologist today (in an hour) so will put all this to him.
To answer some questions:
a) I’m a girl
b) Yes, I wear glasses and had a recent eye test
c) Have tried various painkillers and stopped taking them all in August when it became clear they weren’t helping
d) Also tried acupuncture and massage – neither helped, although the latter was very pleasant.
Fingers crossed it all works…
Posted by Madeleine on December 9, 2010
That’s awesome for Pandora! I look forward to the day “almost-daily-Watson-commentor” is a qualification in itself. Like “first aid trained’ or “certified alpaca breeder”.
The only headaches I even get are from too much TV or computer, so unless Cymruangel has been trying to watch all the series’ of LOST or trapped in some kind of Wikipedia hole for the last six months I have no advice. If they are, well… stop that, it may help.
Posted by hornseygirl on December 9, 2010
TWO BOOKS WATSON! Exciting news and looking forward to hearing more on this front…
Good luck with your preparations for the Apollo gig. My husband and I are really looking forward to being there tomorrow. : )
Rachel/Pandora – Congratulations!
Cymruangel – I hope your appointment is positive and ultimately re-assuring. I know from recent personal experience that the simple lack of a diagnosis is often the worst thing. I am not in the least qualified, but your symptoms might suggest a long-running tension headache, which can have all sorts of causes (stress, lack of sleep, dehydration, posture etc…); but I am sure your neurologist will get to the bottom of it. All the best.
Posted by Tracey on December 9, 2010
Hi Mark. Good luck for Friday night at the Apollo! Regarding Cymruangel’s headache that does not sound right at all. I suffer with headaches, not as much as I did but they can be prety severe due to one thing or another and I usually take Syndol – however these tablets can put you to sleep, they’re pretty strong so I would advise completing everything and settling down to a rest before anyone takes them.Also, make sure that you aren’t taking anything else!I don’t mean to teach people to suck eggs but the amount of people who mix medicines is horrifying.They can be addictive too because of the codeine content. The neurologist for a headache of that duration sounds like the best bet though. I hope Cymruangel recovers soon as that sounds awful to cope with. Congratulations to Pandora on getting a job. My achievement for the day so far is very mundane – managing to drag the bin through the snow! I wondered why the council were being so assiduous – not sure if that’s spelt properly – about gritting yesterday and then it clicked.Traceyx
Posted by Rachael on December 9, 2010
It would take some explaining to the non-initiated interviewers! Congratulations Rachel, hope it is everything you were looking for
Posted by Rachel/Pandora on December 9, 2010
Thanks guys.
Not sure about putting blog reading on my CV, but the lovely Natalie-Helen did suggest that I put iPod Challenge organising on there, as an example of organisational skills, but I don’t think I could face the ‘I’m sorry, you’ve done what?’ Why?!’ at every interview…
Posted by Misha on December 9, 2010
Maybe that’s where i’ve been going wrong.
Although having said that, the forum (www.markwatsonfans,com plug plug) got my shortlisted for interview as a social media enterprise thing. Unfortunately they never got back to me about when/where the interview was. So i’m still desperately job hunting. Anyone want to employ me? Seriously.
As for the toblerun, if it suits people we could co-ordinate via the forum again. Worked well for the ipod?
And the headache, have you had an eyetest? I had one for a good month and it just turned out to be an astigmatism. Hope it gets well soon.
Posted by Kate W on December 9, 2010
Hope you have a lovely show tomorrow Mark; I know the audience will. Two books sounds like bonus good news – will look forward to hearing more about it/them.
Re Cymruangel’s headache, a neurologist is an excellent plan. However, other things to consider might include: do you wear/need glasses? If you’re prescription’s out of date or you have any sight problems, that can cause headaches. As other people have mentioned, stress might also be a factor. Another possibility is posture (especially if you spend a lot of time at a desk) and how you sleep; if your neck and shoulders are constantly tense, that can give you a headache, which then makes it harder to relax. Hope you find a solution – six months of headache is six months too long.
@Josh There’s a whole Watsonian ancestry developing here that I applaud without entirely understanding….
Posted by Josh on December 8, 2010
I feel I should explain that I do not call you grandpa as a reference to your age, merely that you are Misha’s fictional father and I am her and Sam’s fictional son. So proxy-fictional grandpa would be more accurate. But “all hail proxy-fictional grandpa” doesn’t have quite the same ring to it.
Posted by Josh on December 8, 2010
I’ve not got a job and my CV consists of a piece of paper that says “I Love Grandpa Watson”. Mind you, every time I complain about my lack of job it reminds me that maybe I could have done more to get one and that maybe that was the point of my TYSIC.
Urrrh, life, huh?
I prefer the internet.
Posted by Carl on December 8, 2010
Hi Mark. You were fantastic tonight in Southampton, despite a tricky customer at the front! It never fails to impress me seeing an individual clearly talented at their job.
You asked me to say hi after the gig and I genuinely wanted to, however there was a big queue waiting to see you and my housemate needed to get home. Furthermore, recently I appear to have developed a bit of a fear in doing things I want to do. I’ve been excited about meeting you, yet something (not just my housemate) stopped me. I hope to get over it. I’m sure you’d be a lovely person to talk to. I’m hoping to get a little project underway on the new year that will encourage me to do things I want to do.
Great gig again, Mark. And I really do hope I get over this odd self conscious period and meet you very soon. Have a safe journey home.
Posted by Virtual Lintu on December 8, 2010
I can’t believe that I’m going to be the ninth poster – and I’m a qip! Nothing else to say but I wanted to prove to myself that there’s nothing to be scared of and that I’m getting braver. xx
Posted by lisan66 on December 8, 2010
I tend to get bad headaches when I’m stressed (which happens a lot) and my aunty told me that if you go and lie down in a dark room and close your eyes and breath in and out slowly. When you breath in you’re meant to imagine a calming colour (I use purple) and when you breath out you’re meant to imagine an angry colour (like red). Don’t just imagine the colour, imagine it as if the air going in and out of your nose is the colour. The idea is that when you breath out, you’re breathing out your pain and when you breath in, you’re breathing in this nice calmness.
Now, I was really sceptical of this at first, but one night I was in bed and my head was in bits, so I tried it. I wouldn’t say it had the same effectiveness as painkillers, but it definitely helped and allowed me to get to sleep that night which I did appreciate. I use it all the time now with headaches and even though I still do take panadol, it defintiely takes the edge off, which is especially useful when you’ve no painkillers/are in an exam etc.
I really hope this helps because I know how bad a headache can be.
Hope everything works out well and your headache goes away
Posted by Ingrid on December 8, 2010
Cymruangel- I would say, dont take pain killers! maybe its just me, but i never take pain killers because they always seem to make things worse.
So mark is this going to be on Live at the Apollo on Thursday? Thats exciting! Good luck!
Posted by DeborahF on December 8, 2010
Cymruangel – Mmm a 6-month headache sounds awful and I can offer no useful suggestions. I hope you manage to get rid of it soon.
Pandora/Rachel – Congratulations to on the new job – I hope it goes well for you.
Finally Mark – good luck with the shows at the Apollo – I won’t be there in person, but I will be laughing with the audience in spirit
Posted by Josie on December 8, 2010
I can’t believe I’m not first commenter – one of these days I will be. And I will pick a really difficult subject on purpose.
Good luck with the Apollo (nice sneaking it in the title) and the Toblerun. And congrats to Rachel/Pandora!
Posted by Katie on December 8, 2010
Two books? Oooh, the excitement!
I did say it before, but congratulations Rachel. You really deserve that job!
x
Posted by Stuart on December 8, 2010
Hello.
This is not entirely relevant to the above, but I have a dilemma. Not one that’s actually a dilemma, but I need advice all the same.
Mark, I know you’re a big fan of the Super Furry Animals. I’ve decided that this is a band I need in my life. What’s the best album to start of with?
Thank you!
(I’m also willing to accept advice from anyone. Build a consensus and that)
Posted by Hari on December 8, 2010
Technically, a complete brainectomy would work (I’m not a doctor, but I’m pretty sure that’s a real thing). However, it would create lots of other problems, but I’m sure it’s nothing fellow commenters can’t solve.
Posted by Beth (Bloomability) on December 8, 2010
Recently my friends & I were talking about our favourite TV/ stand up comedians, and we got onto the topic of recycling material. One of my friends has recently been to see a live comedy gig and it turned out to consist of about 1/4 new material, and the rest old jokes she had heard before. What do you think about recycling material? How do you know if a joke has been used enough?
Posted by Beth (Bloomability) on December 8, 2010
*Placeholder comment*