st. louis exposed
I just read a damn funny and accurate account of St. Louis (Don’t Meet Me in St. Louis) from the perspective of someone who had left San Diego for desperately needed work which unfortunately led him to St. Louis. I should also mention that this is not meant as a slight to my friend David who, I’m certain, would agree to most of the information provided in the writing but who would also be quite capable of expounding some of the positive aspects of the glorious midwestern city. Trust me. If you’ve been to St. Louis, this little analysis will have you hooting in agreement. The only issue I really have with the article is his final sentence that seems to denegrate toasted ravioli.
On a more personal front, I’m currently up at 6:33am due to a coughing fit an hour and a half earlier and I’m trying to decide if I should go get a haircut at 7:30 or get my car smog tested downtown whenever that particular business opens. I’m not sure if I want to roll the dice and pray that my stylist is a morning person. If you even vaguely know what I’m like you’ll know that there are very few reasons why I would be up at this hour. Because I actually went to sleep earlier this morning and I haven’t been up all night, we’re left with the next most likely cause: a serious health condition.
I really need to get this shit sorted because I’ve been hacking/coughing and feeling like shit for roughly two weeks now and for the past week it has totally wrecked my ability to sleep. The single thing that, without fail, is a part of the normal Eric Gehner experience is, of course, the innate connection with and celebration of sleeping. In between checking hours of operation and prices for barber shops and smog test stations I’ll be researching my eligibility for Medi-cal and the possibility of free/discount medical clinics in my area. If I step into a doctor’s office, much less an emergency room, my fiscal status will move from worse to “Where’s the pawn shop?” But, I am even more sick of going to bed only to be blasted out of sleep every few hours by a dry coughing fit. Coughing so much that you accidentally spit up on your monitor (regularly) is really annoying. But it’s just a stupid dry cough.
Not to worry though, my condition is not getting noticeably worse and I have access to the finest store brand imitation Dayquil and I even splurged and got some Ricola cough drops and apple juice. Can’t wait to cough and spasm away my impending vacation in Seattle. Considering the timing, the best I can hope for is that my condition isn’t communicable. Yes, momma did raise a fool but it’s definitely not her fault. And no I do not have SARS.
Did I tell you I got a fix-it ticket for the cracked windshield that has been in the same condition since I bought the car 5 years ago? San Diego… That’s what I get for deciding to splurge, changing course to buy lunch at the La Posta taco stand since I was “already out.” “Bwoop! Bwoop! That’s the sound of the police.” I scheduled an appointment but the expert (who was really, very helpful in sorting out my options and answering my tedious questions about repairing my beloved hoopty) informed me that the rust on the car’s front left pillar would prevent a proper installation and that I would need to get some body work done. (Yes Greg, that rust spot was unfortunately a pertinent concern.) This is a part of life, much the same as the $90 muffler which turned into $260 dollars for the muffler AND all the adjoining pipes that needed to be replaced. Whingeing on and on does make me feel a little better but mostly I wish I were in a slightly different position in my life right now in the hopes that these issues would be much less problematic. Sucker. But in the end, this sad state of affairs, much like sleeping, is integral to the Eric Gehner experience. For now.
29 May 2003, 05:46 ::
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Maybe you’re pregnant?
If not, I suggest a gentle humidifier in your bedroom and saline nasal spray (the fun’s in the application, my friend).
— Dr. Ruth 2003-06-02 09:25 #