June 11, 1999.

Anniversary update:

St. Jack, the Boy & I were sitting around inertly when the following phrase passed the Boy's teeth:

"So, are you busy on Monday night? I was hoping we could get together and burn some MP3's of my music."

I stared. I couldn't do anything else. In less than 2 hours since we'd last spoken of the topic, he'd completely forgotten. I far too astonished and amused to be mad, though. Looks like it's going to be an uphill battle with this one, folks.

In other gift news, I've completely bankrupted myself this afternoon with the purchase of Pixie Stix's birthday gift. This seems to be a pattern with me. Maybe that's why it doesn't annoy too much. Besides, there's something nice about spending your 8th last dollar on a gift. Makes you feel like something more than a hairless ape.

Of course, all that fades when you start owing people money. For them as well as for you.

Went back to get my TB test checked this afternoon. Apparently I'm not going to be consumed by the flame of my genius anytime soon, which is a relief. I'm not sure if I could've sustained anything more than the pose of genius anyway.

It was a rather bizarre trip to the doctors, all told. I wandered into the nurse's station with another patient and was instructed to weigh myself & sit on the exam table. After the nurse finished a Hep C shot for the other guy, she turned to me.

"So, it's been a year since your last pap smear?"

Needless to say, I was a bit surprised at the line of questioning.

As it turns out, my file was on the "pap shelf" instead of the "infectious diseases that destroy poncey poets shelf." And I weighed myself for nothing. How embarrassing.

Yet despite all this low comedy, it was quite a relief to hear the negative results. On Wednesday night I suffered the most intense and dehabilitating headache of my entire life. I couldn't sustain useful thought, talk to others or bear light. And of course, I was incredibly paranoid. I was convinced that the TB shot would turn out positive, and that this headache was the first salvo in a short decline. Fortunately, the Boy came on the run with aspirin, and the twitching, crying - and most importantly, the pain that sloshed around my forehead every time I moved - soon subsided. But not before I freaked out a whole bunch of neighbors, including Guy. It was really touching, actually...the little grrl next door made me herbal tea and everyone asked after me the next day.

Sometimes I forget how good res can be.