From the flu to near sunstroke

Hard on the heels of the flu, I get one of the worst sunburns in years yesterday; pasty white boys of Irish decent are not meant to stand outside in the bright June sun. It wouldn't be so bad if the burn wasn't heavier on my right side than my left. I looked like Richard Dreyfuss in Close Encounters of the Third Kind.

I feel a sudden urge to sculpt.

Did anyone get the number of the truck that ran me down?

Ugh...I feel like five miles of bad road.

Sometime on Tuesday, as I was running about and getting some much-delayed tasks done, I must have gotten exposed to a virus. When I woke up yesterday, I had all the usuall symptoms of the flu--headache, dizziness, ringing in the ears, stomach ache, flashes of nausea, and muscle cramps in my legs. I managed to tough it out at work yesterday, but I felt no improvement this morning, and banged in from work.

I'm getting old. Ten years ago I would have soldiered on and gone to work anyways. Just can't do that anymore.

I hate taking a sick day; I much rather cash them at the end of the year when the city offers to buy them back. To add insult to injury, I had to kick in my overtime--the overtime won't be so available in the future.

I just finished Gene Wolfe's Free Live Free, and I have to admit that I felt strangely cheated by the story; up until the last two chapters, I thought it was a fantasy instead of the science fiction story it is. Mind you, it's still a great story, but I would have liked to known what kind of story it was before hitting the end. But, hey--that's just me.

Still haven't received my uniform yet--I've gotten measured over at Doughboy's, but with the cadets going into the Academy this month, my order gets lower priority. I hate looking like a banker with a shoulder mike.

I also got measured for a tuxedo over at the Men's Warehouse--expensive, and a bit embarrassing, but it is for my brother's wedding next month so I can't exactly blow it off. With Frank tying the knot, myself and my youngest sister are the last to be unmarried. Hopefully, she will have more luck than I.

Landmarks

I worked a detail assignment at Faneuil Hall today, manning the doors to the Great Hall for the Urban Sciences Academy graduation. One of the little-know things about Faneuil Hall is that the front of the building doesn't face the street (Congress St.), but in fact faces Quincy Marketplace. So, when people are looking for the Great Hall, they can get a little lost. Kids were standing on the steps, trying to give their friends landmarks to guide them to the right location. Over my shoulder, I heard one say, "Just look for the big white dude with glasses".

It's official folks--I'm a landmark.

My mom will be so proud. **rolleyes**