Monday, Dec. 29, 2008 - 4:38 p.m.

Back from Florida. The weather was nice, I saw lots of gopher tortoises, I was bored a lot, I read most of a book about the Archimedes Palimpsest, and my brother is unfortunately still my brother. The changes in that department were not as great as I had hoped.

We also told our news fairly far and wide when we were down there-- so now, here, too: I seem to have sprouted some sort of parasite in my abdomen. I'm told it will take about 9 months total to expunge it from my system. I have about 7 1/2 to go. Even after that I'm told we have to keep it warm and feed it, and possibly eventually send it to college.

You can tell I'm not very good at telling people about this. Sometimes I can just say it, other times I have to whisper it, and other times I have to poke J and make him say it for me. Even here in my own private diary, I have to try to be funny about it. Such a wiseass.

Well, that's how I am. I'm happy about it but still very nervous about the whole proposition. I haven't been around these things much; I have no idea what to do with them or why people say that aspects x,y, and z will be nice or difficult or soul-draining. I'm skeptical of the whole thing.

I am also not at all sick, not especially emotional, and have to pee slightly less often than previously. Why this should be, I have no idea, but I won't argue.

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