Sick and…Some Comedy

May 2022

Well, the vaccinations I had yesterday hit me. I had both the flu vaccine (right arm) and Covid 4th booster (left arm).

At the moment, the fourth booster is for those over 65 and there’s little to no advertising about it. Covid seems to be a long and distant memory (but that’s not really the case). However, as I may be classified as immunocompromised (are asthmatics this?!) maybe that’s why they let me have it yesterday? The cynic in me tells me that people are generally unaware that they need a new booster for winter (because there’s no advertising or mention of covid anywhere anymore) so there may be an abundance of booster so whoever asks for it, gets it.

My how things have changed. I remember how Australia was behind the 8-ball because our government didn’t secure vaccines at the start of this pandemic.

Besides it was more than 4 months ago that I had my third booster and I wasn’t going to wait before I caught Covid.

Thing is, I simply don’t want to catch covid. As much as people say, “it’s only a matter of time!” much like I don’t want to catch flu either. It’s a bugger being sick.

So I get my vaccination and for a day or two afterwards I feel like crap. This time I got the Moderna booster. I’ve had the first two doses of Astra Zeneca, third booster Pfizer and now Moderna. It seems the latter seemed less of an impact on me. Overnight, I had a fever, chills, body aches and pains and woke up today with the worst headache and walking around with shaky legs. I even fainted this morning in the kitchen while trying to make Andrew’s sandwiches. So back to bed I went feeling like I ran a marathon between the kitchen and the bedroom.

Now, I’m feeling a lot better after getting up tenuously to get something to eat. I’ve been drinking aspirins every four hours to reduce the feverish chills too. I’m going to take it easy and just stay in bed all day. It’s such a lovely day out there too so it’s nice to look out the window and see a cloudless blue sky while listening to a CD.

Yesterday I cleared out some CDs and DVDs and came across a CD box set of Little Britain. I loved that show with David Walliams and Matt Lucas. While lying in bed, I listened to the CD where they recounted the story of how they got into comedy. It seems that many British comedian duos have their start with university theatre and revues.

I miss great comedy. It’s the one thing that obviously makes me laugh but what we so need today. I grew up with British comedy and to this day, much of it is still relevant and brilliant as it was then. I can safely say that today’s comedy lacks something. Australia has had some exceptional comedy over the years especially satire on the ABC. However, with funding cuts and our government getting narky about how they’re portrayed in satirical comedy, they put a stop to satirical shows. Just like that, Australian comedy died overnight because politicians egos were fragile.

In the past, my favourite shows were (and I’ve pretty much seen many of their series) the following. It’s amazing to think how much they have shaped me and given hours of north, laughter and enjoyment.

Monty Python
Open All Hours
Porridge
Ab Fab
The Goodies
Black Adder
Rhys & Jones
Not the Nine O’Clock News
Kenny Everett Show
Dave Allen (loved!)
Little Britain
Vicar of Dibley
Armstrong and Miller ????
The Office
The League of Gentlemen
The IT Crowd
Black Books (brilliant)
Fawlty Towers
Derry Girls (fantastic)
The In Betweeners (oh so wrong but hilarious)
Dad’s Army
Yes Minister
The Thick of It
Mind Your Language
To the Manor Born
French & Saunders
Extras
My Family (bought entire DVD box set)
Coupling (bought DVD box set – brilliant show)
Horrible Histories (I’ve got ALL the books AND ALL the DVDs)
Billy Connolly
Smack the Pony

Here’s some of my favourite skits I watched today for a laugh. These are what I watch when I want a mood booster.

With my interest in the story of code breakers during WW2, when I saw this clip I “literally” lost it. For sho.

Griff Rhys & Jones. When I think of this show, I think of the Darts skit. Watch it and see the brilliance of the background where the other competitor throws darts

Best moment in The In Betweeners. Who hasn’t had a guy dance up to them when they were younger? This is what they may have thought about how to pick up girls.

This is a song I played repeatedly when on tour through York. Hubby thought I was mad. Literally. I can’t wait to get back to York to see their Viking Centre…and play this song. Maybe say hello to Constantine sitting there casually outside the abbey.

Black Adder was one of the best series ever. When I think of what I loved, the “Darling” one always jumps to mind. Why? I’ve been in situations where stupid decisions from leadership are fed down to you because they think it will increase morale. (Ill never forget in one instance of my life, where one leader decided taking their team for a week long survival trek in the bush was one way of increasing morale! It turned out to be more Lord of the Flies but nevertheless…)

My 7 yo nephew is crazy about WW2 ships and planes but had never seen Horrible Histories. I’ll never forget the first time I put this clip on the tv. He stood there mesmerised as his brain tried to make sense whether they were ACTUAL pilots – who danced. He then asked me to put this on over and over again.
Proud aunt moment.

First time I saw this, I LOST THE PLOT. Hubby heard me laughing from the other room and had to come out to investigate.

Black Books was one of my favourite shows of all time. This episode with the wine was one of the BEST skits I’ve seen ever. I laughed so much.

Who can forget this episode?! I CRACKED UP. What made this little skit are the reactions of people watching. You can see the simmering jealousy and then this happens that breaks up any good will. We have these type of emotional monsters around us who are determined to make everything about them.

The IT Crowd where Moss happens to be the main course of a serial killer was hilarious.

And this one. Well when I saw this, it just reminded me of all the conversations I had with my girlfriends in taxis and bars, cracking up at the ludicrous situations of our working life.

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