After two days back at work, I took today off. I’ve had a sore throat the last couple of days. (Illness seems to be going around.) This morning I woke up and felt crappy, so I called in sick and got back into bed. I slept on and off until noon. It… was… wonderful, probably because I felt like a lead balloon.

Then I went out and bought an air purifier. Ever since we moved into this apartment last summer I’ve had occasional stretches of waking up with a dry, sore throat. I figured an air purifier couldn’t hurt, and I decided it was finally time to buy one. So I walked up to Home Depot on 23rd.

Home Depot! In the city! I’d never been to the Manhattan Home Depot before. Matt just went for the first time a few days ago, and that gave me the idea.

They’ve got a big plant selection there. I might have to go back at some point and buy plants. Plants would be so… so… green.

More fun than going to Home Depot was walking up Fifth Avenue on a weekday. There are so many glamorous and good-looking people who must spend entire weekdays walking up and down Fifth Avenue, because they were all out there today. And such beautiful architecture and fashionable shops. It felt like what people who have never been to Manhattan imagine Manhattan to be like.

So now I’m going to relax and read.

I was about to post a blog entry when the outlet to which my computer is connected turned off suddenly without my saving what I wrote. Grr.

Anyway, to reconstruct what I wrote:

I’m depressed about the end of my 11-day vacation (parties, movies) and going back to work tomorrow, but I’m thankful that I had the day off after New Year’s Day. New Year’s Day often feels like a Sunday because you usually have to go back to work the next day, but because I had today off, New Year’s Day felt like a Saturday. I took advantage of the extra day by going out last night with a few friends to Hiro, which is gay on Sunday nights. It was very crowded, very Chelsea/East Village – lots of guys in tight t-shirts – and very loud. Up to a point, it was just what I needed, but eventually I got sick of it.

Yesterday I went to see King Kong with Andy, who was all sniffles and tears at the end. I enjoyed the movie, although it didn’t affect me in the same way. At 187 minutes, it was exhausting, with some great performances by Naomi Watts, Jack Black, Adrien Brody, and the ape himself. I forgave the movie because I viewed it as a tribute to the original; I can’t imagine someone coming up with the idea ex nihilo.

Father of the Bride and Father of the Bride II, the 1990s remakes with Steve Martin and Diane Keaton, were on HBO today. I watched both movies, and both seemed all poignant and made me feel sad. I don’t know why. The passage of time, growing older.

So tomorrow I go back to work. The first time I wrote this post, I wrote that I was about to go into the living room because I was feeling sad and wanted to be with Matt. After my computer turned off, I did so. I lay on his lap with my eyes closed while we listened to music. Now I’m feeling a bit better (although still sad), and now I can go to sleep.