Damn, it took me forever to get those comments working properly. Each time stuff goes wrong and I spend hours pouring over html and random sites...I realize how utterly unworthy I am of being the daughter of two computer programmers.

Anyway, onto a more cheery topic, compared with previous posts...you know what that means! Self-mockery. Ooooh, gotta love it.

So each year I hypochriacally (neologism) make my way over to the Tang Center and get myself a flu shot. I've been doing this since freshman year when my parents came up for some sorta parents' weekend...and I took them on a tour around the campus, including our medical facility. (I was a very thorough freshman...). Anyway, I left the medical facility with a flu shot and an achey arm....as well as a new tradition. Flu shots every year...woohoo! The Berkeley flu is some nasty shit, you don't wanna mess with that. It always hits during midterm season...Did I mention I hate needles?

Digression: When I was younger and had to go for my booster shots my entire family would come with me in order to hold down my limbs. I don't remember if they stuffed my mouth with a toy or an apple...I do remember trying to yell and scamper off that table though, hitting the doctor near the nuts, and causing hysteria as they tried stabbing my arm numerous times in the wrong spot.

Yeah, I hate needles. (Spiders too, for those taking notes.)

Well, of course, since I'm in Paris, there's no reason, nor any really possible way to get this flu shot this year. Frankly, I was kinda glad about it. One less needle to deal with, until next year (*cue creepy music*). Plus, I had already had every type of European flu known to man. Normally when people change continents, countries, cities even, they are not always used to the microbes/germs flying about. So, I've spent enough of these past seven months sick, thank you very much. I had just gotten over my last flu about a week and a half ago when my great friend from Berkeley came to visit me. With the Berkeley flu.

And yes, I am sick now. It moved in quickly through my throat and lungs and then my head. 102F fever for three days. Cough throughout...horrendous headaches are pretty much constant and now it's moved into my nose. Damn tissues. The worst of it? I've missed pretty much all my classes this past week, have been a horrible hostess (all my other guests come here and get sick)...and now I think we're mutating this strain into some bizarre Berkeley-Paris flu, because people aren't getting better and are acquiring new symptoms.

Someone get the CDC over here.