Day 133: Sick Sad World

On Day 133, I was icky sicky. I woke up feeling icky with a headache, went to Starbucks for the biggest green tea they had, and by 4:00 was feeling that all-over fatigue of impending illness. For whatever reason, however, I was really hell-bent on going to yoga. I figured to myself, "Hey, I don't have a fever, I can breathe okay, I'll go to hot yoga--it's good to sweat out a few toxins when you're sick! Don't be a wimp."

Well, I went to hot yoga, almost puked a couple of times, experienced what felt like desiccating dehydration and came home with a raging fever, chills, cough, and the works.

It was no time for New Things.

I stumbled into our apartment, clutching a Gatorade with my full life force and plopped down on the couch to take part in Mark and my most recent favorite pastime--watching Daria reruns on DVD.

That's right, I said Daria--the '90's hit MTV show starring Daria Morgendorffer, her popular sister Quinn, her straight-laced but flawed parents and her closest comrade Jane Lane. It documents the life of a well-to-do wickedly sardonic girl making her way through high school with all of the teenage moodiness she can muster, based on observations of the Sick Sad World we live in. 

If you're my age, you couldn't have possibly appreciated the show when it was on TV. It is so brilliantly witty, thoughtful and quick, with such an off-beat tone that nothing can compare to. That signature tone that made it so famous and unforgettable. It makes me laugh out loud every time--and even moreso now that I *get it* with 20/20 hindsight to high school.

All of the characters seem completely exaggerated, making Daria seem so normal, making her off-beat-ness seem like the only plausible state of mind. Whenever it gets a little too complaining, pretentious and, um, Daria-ish (?), however, Jane puts Daria in her place and shows her why she's all messed up.

As I said, there's no way in the world you could appreciate the show then as you can now.

So.

Good.

On this particular day, I finished the second season of Daria, making that my completely passive New Thing for the day.

I'm lucky I had a New Thing at all!