Granted, this diary was never intended to be a daily menu of menus, weather and bowel movements. What I wanted was a way to chronicle my activities so I'd have a record of when, where and who. I wanted a place to set down problems, because problems often don't seem as bad when you've organized your thoughts about them well enough to set them into words, and solutions often present themselves once you've identified the problem well enough to articulate it.
I'm not really upset, therefore, that I'm not making daily entries. It's an ironic twist though that the more I have to write about, the less I time I have to write about it. And of course, the longer it's put off, the larger the job becomes.
The Socialist and I are slowly working our way through Babylon 5's second season. We're trying to take it more slowly than we did the first season, so it lasts until August 12th, when the third season is released and my advanced order copy is shipped. I missed a fair part of second season because of my sophomore externship while in vet school, so many of these episodes are new to me. There are quite a few things in B-5 that owe hommage to Tolkien's Lord of the Rings, and The Socialist and I have been trying to be alert for those and point them out to each other. There are other references in there to other science fiction shows and people as well; I know I catch some of them, but I also know that some are going right over my head.
The Socialist has also reintroduced me to Cribbage. Over a decade ago, I used to play Cribbage fairly often with two friends of mine that I've since lost touch with. They played cut-throat, but I managed to hold my own against them. I haven't played in so long that I'd forgotten the rules. I'm starting to remember, though I still frequently miss points in my hand, and I constantly forget how to score jacks when they come up (who made that stupid, arbitrary rule anyhow?) I've become quite addicted to playing again in spite of my inability to count my scores correctly.
I've been moved from having to see the doctor every other week to every three weeks. Big City Hospital seems pleased with my progress, though there's been no reduction in my medications again this week. They said I could set up a dentist visit (I'm overdue for a check-up) and most importantly ...
I'm allowed to go on a trip! I need to make arrangements beforehand for bloodwork and such, but I can go to California with The Socialist at the end of August! I'll get to visit the desert and play in tide pools and eat at the Mongolian barbecue and get away! I am so psyched I can't stand it. We've decided that we're driving out. I've never driven nearly so far before, so this will be a big adventure for me. We sat down and figured out the expenses for flying out and renting a car versus driving out in the Prius, and driving turned out to be much more affordable, even with wear and tear on the car factored in. Driving will also be healthier for me, since I won't have to deal with crowds (which would probably having to wear a mask in the airport and on the plane). I am totally psyched.
I'm also psyched about this past weekend's big purchase: a new computer desk. I've needed a new one for a long time, because my current one isn't big enough to give me more workspace than is needed to hold my monitor. Working on some of my on-line projects has gotten aggravating, and I've had to set up a folding TV table next to my desk for additional workspace. Of course, the fun part lies ahead. I've emptied out my desk, but I have to dismantle it and get it downstairs so that we can build my new one. Since I remain forbidden to lift anything more weighty than 15 pounds, this means that The Socialist is going to be stuck with much of the work. I'm going to have to figure out a way to repay him.
I've started composing a letter to the family of the child whose liver I got. This is easily the most difficult piece of writing I've ever had to do. I can't just do the best I can and then hand it in like some book report in junior high. I won't be able to give this to the Gift of Life Foundation for forwarding until I know the letter is absolutely right. This could take a while. What do you say to the parents of the thirteen year old child whose liver currently resides where your own used to be? I've been shoving this to the back of my head for a while, but I can't put this off any more, or I'll chicken out completely.