Well, we’re moved in.

And though there are still boxes and furniture everywhere else, I’ve managed to get my room in order and it’s feeling like home.

The internet arrived this afternoon after the Cox guy came out. It’s kind of strange to have it back after not having used it for a week, save for time at work using tools and zuma. The first things I did with it were pay my wireless bill and check my internet banking. I almost forgot about all of the other things I could be looking at.

Speaking of internet banking, I enjoy having it on payday. Since I did not have it this morning, I went to the ATM for my balance and was shocked to find $780 extra in my account than I was a expecting. Since I couldn’t mentally track where this extra money was coming from, I drove to the Library and checked my bank statement from there. Then it all made sense- I’d put direct deposit on my tax return. Nice. I guess I wasn’t expecting them to work so fast, since I only mailed the returns in 2 weeks ago, the day before they were due.

I would also like to inform Keef, and anyone else whoever saw this wonderful thing while it was in the apartment that he and Mike shared, that the schooner banner is flying high in my room here, just as it did at the last two places I’ve lived.

I apologize for the graininess. I don’t own a digital camera like my room mates who aren’t currently home.

And that’s all I’ve got for now. I have some records to listen to.

So I was just at Super Saver stocking up on Powerade, which I’ve recently come to enjoy more than soda. I’m a big fan of Arctic Shatter. and though I’m not exactly sure how to describe what it tastes like, it’s pretty damn good. And since it’s clear, it doesn’t stain your lips red or blue like other, less tasty varieties of Powerade.

Anyway, I saw my old Barber. I realized it’s been four years since I’ve seen him. I started buzzing my hair myself my Senior year of high school and continued that pattern over the last couple of years. In fact, I’ve only tried growing and having someone else cut my hair twice since then, and both times I ended up going back to the buzz cut. I don’t really care for the way that longer hair looks on me. And I like using hair care products other than shampoo about as much as I’d like having someone drive sharp stakes into my eyes. So the buzz cut is a good hair cut for me. We joked around for a bit, chatted, and then he headed off to the race track.

I’ve been waking up a lot earlier lately. It’s been pretty nice. I go for a morning walk or jog, come home and do calisthenic exercises, eat breakfast, then bathe and shave. It’s a nice routine and it’s begun to feel natural. I enjoy my day a lot more and I’ve been a lot happier at work. It’s been a good trade off.

Ben, Mike, Matt, devin, and I are all moving in together sometime this week. I spent Saturday moving some boxes over to the house that we’re moving into and helping Matt and his family move his Grandma. I’m pretty pumped for this. Needless to say, I disassembled by computer on Wednesday, so that’s why there have been no updates. Updates wil probably be sparse until we’re all set up. But you don’t really care anyway, so what the fuck am I apologizing for?

Anyway, moving along…

Go pick this album up. Play the living shit out of it. It’s really good. And there’s definently a lot more guitar going on now that ex-Murder City Devil Nate Manny is in the band. Seriously though, go buy this. It’s good.

I put in for a schedule change at work. I hope it gets approved. I want to work 4 ten hour days and have three days off. With the proposed schedule I would be off Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday. So I’d work two days and have a day off, work two more and then have two days off. And I’d have to drive out to work less so I could save a little cash on inflated gas costs (motherfuckers).

I don’t think I have anything else left to say today.

I bought a new towel this morning as well as some other things that I will need after I move on saturday. The towel is red. That is not important. I was just removing the tags and I noticed that there was a sticker that said ‘Inspected By CAROLYN MEADOWS V’.

I’m not sure what that is supposed to mean. I guess I’d like to congratulate CAROLYN MEADOWS V on making sure my towel is red and a towel. Good job CAROLYN MEADOWS V.

This is ridiculous.

1) from King Henry the Fifth

2) Elegy for the Brave

3) Theme from Cyrano

4) Mr. Tambourine Man

5) Hamlet/It was a Very Good Year

6) Romeo and Juliet/How Insensitive

7) Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds

8) The Transformed Man

Wow. I got so caught up with this month that I forgot to mention that I’ve been blogging here for a year April 1st.

One whole goddamned year.

I conquered the Council Bluffs bike trail today. For those of you who live here, and understand the geography, that means that I rode about 20 miles today on my bicycle.

I started from my house and rode down to Big Lake Park and got on the trail there. The trail runs down to North 25th Street, and follows I-29 pretty closely all the way around past the Casinos, past South 25th Street, and winds into the Lake Manawa area. I got off the trail at Lake Manawa, rode down South Omaha Bridge Road to the South Expressway, and then rode into downtown Council Bluffs to Harrison Street and took that all the way home.

I was gone for 3 and a half hours.

I’m not in great shape folks. But I’ve been exercising a lot more as of late, and this ride did not kick my ass nearly as much as I thought it would. It’s a beautiful day out and as soon as my laundry wraps up, I’m going to go spend some more time out in it.

I love Spring.

A common entry point for the bacteria is through a wound such as a burn, cut, scrape, or insect bite. Within 24 hours after the bacteria have entered the wound, rapid swelling, heat, redness, and tenderness spread from the original wound site. Within 24 to 48 hours after spreading, the redness may darken to purple and then to blue. Blisters containing yellow fluid may also form. Within 4 to 5 days after the initial infection, gangrene develops. Within 7 to 10 days, dead skin separates from healthy skin as the infection continues to spread into other tissue. However, certain strains of bacteria (such as streptococci) can be more aggressive, shortening the entire process to 2 to 4 days.

Most patients with ulcers complain of pain or discomfort which is located in the upper part of the stomach, often in the area immediately below or around the lower part of the breast bone. This is called epigastric pain. Symptoms may be associated with meals, or occur in-between meals, or sometimes even occur at night to the point where one can be woken up from sleep. The pain or discomfort may be associated with other symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, heartburn, intolerance to certain foods, especially spicy foods, and bad breath. As already mentioned, symptoms may vary from patient to patient. Symptoms do not have to be present all the time. In fact, it is not uncommon for symptoms to come and go over time even when no medications are used. Once again, if you have symptoms that you are concerned about, then go and see your doctor to discuss your stomach problems.

It is also important to point out that the symptoms listed above can occur in diseases other than duodenal or gastric ulcers. Such diseases may include gastro-esophageal reflux disease (GERD), chronic dyspepsia (indigestion, stomach pain or discomfort) without the presence of ulcers (this disorder is often called non-ulcer or functional dyspepsia), gallbladder disease, liver disease and other disorders. Once again, if you are a patient concerned about your symptoms then it is important that you go and see your doctor about your stomach problems.

A friend of Henry’s contrasted God’s career

with Mozart’s, leaving Henry with nothing to say

but praise for a word so apt.

We suffer on, a day, a day, a day.

And never again can come, like a man slapped,

news like this

-John Berryman

Well, the game didn’t end with the steroids, and aside from a trip to the emergency room, I’ve been bed ridden since friday.

Friday I was having a difficult time keeping down food and liquid during the latter part of the day and into Saturday. I became very dehydrated and was in a lot of pain. I went over to my folk’s house and stayed with them. I drank a lot of gatorade and capri sun sport drink, to try and rehydrate my body (even plain water was causing my stomach to backfire and vomit up bile and mucus). I felt a little better, but the hives kept coming back and going away, and it was very up and down.

Around 9 PM on Saturday I was having trouble breathing. This naturally terrified the beejesus out of me and we went to the emergency room. They gave me an IV and shot me up full of adrenaline, cortisone, and vitals (those fun bags that make you feel like you’ve eaten, and are very nice to have after you haven’t been able to eat for two days). I also got a shot of ephenephrin which seemed to clear the hives up pretty well.

This is the first trip I’ve had to the emergency room that I was old enough to remember. This was also my first IV.

I feel a lot better and will be going back to work tommorow, which is kind of relieving. I have a follow up appointment with a doctor today. I hope that goes well. I’m not out of the woods yet on this one, but I can atleast see the sun poking through the branches.

Oh yeah, and I should probably mention the hallucinations the medicine gave me. Since I was over at my parent’s house and I don’t live there anymore and don’t have a bedroom there, I stayed in the guest bedroom. For part of saturday night I was convinced I was using the plant on the end table next to bed I was in as a pillow, and a little later, just convinced it was a part of my body. If you’ve never had an adrenaline shot before, it makes your skin feel like it’s crawling off of your body. This was probably one of the most distrubing AND totally sweet things about getting that shot. Though, I’d rather not have to get another one.

I’m a very lucky person.

Up until today I’ve never experienced physical pain for more than just a few minutes at a time.

Today it’s been constant and after seeming to taper off for a time comes back at full force, and has left me lying in bed with little energy. I’ve been miserable.

Yesterday I broke out in hives. The swelling was terrible. It started all around my neck and moved down my arms and legs and onto my face. The little bastards had me completely covered. All I could do was itch, hurt, cough and wheeze, and this morning started vomiting bile.

Not a pretty picture.

Finally around noon I went to see the Doctor. We’ve gathered that I had an allergic reaction to something. Terrific, I’m glad we’ve narrowed it down so well. The big catch is that I can’t take most prescription antihistamines because I’m allergic to benadryl- it makes me break out in hives.

So my Doctor prescribed me some steroids for nine days. She’d warned me that the first dose might hit pretty hard. Well, she was right. 2 hours after taking them my chest hurt like hell and I was lying on my bedroom floor in the most painful daze I’ve ever experienced. For a few hours it was hard to recollect what it had been like before I’d been feeling intense pain.

I feel a little better now though, and I almost have an appetite again. For now though, it’s back to bed.