Wu Tang Is For the Children! (or Ear Infections Aren't Just For Children)

Hello friends.

Some observations:

1. The other night after the glasses fiasco I decided to assuage my disappointment by rewarding myself with a walk-through of DSW. If I found boots, that would be even better (incidentally, my horoscope today said that I should think about buying a pair of boots - weird). I walked in and saw very cute pocketbooks on display, and thought "I need a pocketbook and those pocketbooks on display are cute!" I went over to them and looked at the price tag and thought "Why the hell are these pocketbooks in DSW priced at $400?" Then I overheard these two women say "Oh, *there* are the Prada bags!" Now. Do the DSW's in MA sell Prada and Versace and I just never noticed, or is this a uniquely NY phenomenon? Ladies, help me! I just don't know!

2. "Tarnation" was total masturbation. I have been aching to see this movie for quite some time. In fact, I have been trying to see it for the last six weeks. I finally went to see it last night and was disappointed. Yes, he had an awful life. Yes, its cool that he had video from his youth. But the video didn't tell the story. What's the point of making a movie if you have to explain the story in text? Granted, he didn't have storyline footage from when he was 10. Granted, his life sucked. Moreso than I can imagine. The payoff was amazing, though. The last 20 or so minutes are phenomenol. The first 70 were torture.

3. The good thing, though, was that I cried during the ending, which made me realize that my mood-shift may, in fact, just be PMS. Woo hoo!!!

4. Or my mood-shift might be correlated with my ear infection. I spent three hours waiting today in a super sketchy clinic thing downtown. I was finally seen by a doctor who gave me 10-days-worth of antibiotics. Two a day. Awshummmm. M convinced me last night that sleeping a lot wouldn't make an ear infection go away, and that I had to go to a doctor. But I don't have one. Nor do I have any idea how to find one. I went online last night and wrote down the names of "providers," and called some this morning. They all have weird hours - like Wednesdays 2 - 6 or something. Then I called my health insurance and they were like "You should go to Urgent Care" so I'm like "OK, where?" and they could only find TWO and both were in NJ. I kept saying "But I work in Manhattan - you mean to tell me that there's no urgent care on the entire island?" and they're like "Yes, this is what we're telling you." Idiots. I ended up calling R and asking him if he has a doctor, which he doesn't, but he walks by a Family Care place on the way to work, which is where I ended up going, because they accept walk-ins. And why doesn't insurance tell people this? Idiots.

5. The doctor was like "When was the last time you went to the gynecologist?" and I said "I have no idea." "When was the last time you had a breast exam?" "I don't know, like 6 years ago?" "When was the last time you had your cholestrol checked?" "Dunno, but I know it was good?" When he was finished checking my ear, he said "You know, you should really make some appointments to have other things checked out." Yes, yes, I know. I know. Especially now that I'm, ahem, pushing 30. He's right. I got to thinking - why is it that I don't do these things? Other people do these things. Other people are concerned. I thought about it for a while, and realized it comes from being raised by a family of people who are health-obsessed hypochondriacs, who discuss health non-stop, and who adore failing health. Who's having what test, what symptoms they displayed, how they realized they were dying. Every sniffle could mean death. Not going to the doctor is some pathetic form of rebellion.

6. Which brings me back to *Tarnation.* There is a powerful moment in it in which Jonathan is talking to the camera (being melodramatic and masturbatory, but still powerful) and says something like "I'm afraid I'm going to end up like my mother."

7. So yes. I have an ear infection. Instead of rushing home to start the antibiotics regiment, I went out for drinks with my coworkers. While I was there all I could think was "Man, would I like to be in bed starting antibiotics!" I'm totally serious. Ear infections suck.

8. But not as much as kidney stones.

9. My boss went on a date tonight. It was very cute. I was stuck late at work and still do not have access to the radiation room, so I called him to ask when he would be leaving so I could borrow his badge to get in. He said "I can't stay late tonight because I have a date, and, unlike you, I am going to go on it." Heh. My boss and I don't really talk anything but shop. The other day when I was writing the email to Intimate Apparel about being in "friend mode" my boss came up behind me to ask me about something science and said "Are you ok? You look like you're in severe pain." I explained to him that I was lying to someone, and that it was causing me severe pain. Now, apparently, we can relate since we both "date."

10. My final thought of the day is that subway musicians in NY rock. After sketchy clinic today there was a FABULOUS doo-wop quartet singing underground. In NYC the musicians you hear in the subway stations are musicians you'd pay lots of money to hear. Oftentimes I let three or four trains pass before I get on, just so I can keep listening.

OK. My eyes are burning from being overtired and my ear is throbbing, so I must sleep. But how awesome is it that I can blog from bed?!?!? Yippee!!!