I’ve had this OBNOXIOUS pain in my neck for about three days now. Off and on in my ears as well. The lymph node behind my left ear was swollen up like a baboon’s ass and I could barely turn my head left to right. 

So, naturally, I walked through the snow on foot to Urgent Care, no biggie. They poked and prodded me all over, negative for everything, and then gave me a script for Antibiotics and a Steroid pill for soreness and swelling. YAY!!! 

NOOOOOOO!!! Every store and pharmacy has had differing hours for the inclement weather, and barely any of it is publicly available, AND no one is answering the phone…. ok..?

 In my delirium, and overall exhaustion, I decided to walk down Chippewa 30 minutes (+ or - time spent trying to not bust my ass on the road) to Walgreen’s. I was on hold with Walgreen’s for like half of this initial trek before listening to The Clash. I had my thumb stuck out as I walked, but nobody honked, slowed down or stopped for me, damn!!! ‘o’ 

Finally arriving at the famed Walgreen’s and they had a sign outside that just says “closed.” ok..

Walked to Schnucks across the street, got all of the garlic naan left for girlfriend and I to make shakshuka later, and seven apples. THE PHARMACY…… was open for only ten more minutes, so they couldn’t fill my script. So I bought my stuff and jaunted across the OTHER street to Target. 

Target is open!!!! AND so is the pharmacy!!! AND they filled my scripts!!!!! The guy was sort of grumpy, but I was glad to just have the medicine. 

The trek home was arguably more brutal than the trek out. Less direct sunlight, more sloping streets, more bitter-er winds, and less energy… damn…. 

I was fading pretty bad if I’m being honest. I was on the phone with my girlfriend for about four minutes discussing dinner plans, and while I caught what was being said, I don’t think that I fully realized I was speaking to another person because I was becoming increasingly confused. Some kind folks in the suburb stretch behind Target cleared some of the sidewalks, and the level ground helped me stay upright considerably. However, as I made my way up Nottingham, past Francis Park, I was being whipped by the wind so directly that my breath felt like it wasn’t totally entering or leaving my lungs. 

(Side note: I saw one of my teachers, Prof. Detering, drive past me on the road, as expected he didn’t even look towards me, I have to wonder if he registered that I was there, even standing in the middle of the street.) 

I was not able to write anything down, which frustrated me, as that’s what I do on walks. So I kept audibly putting strings of words together, repeating and repeating the verse(s) to myself so I didn’t forget. It wasn’t anything insane or profound, just kept my mind busy, as usual. 

This lady was walking with her son, about 200 feet behind her husband and other son, yelling to communicate how slow her son was walking. He was really going through it, I felt a strong sense of sympathy for him, and I don’t think he even had to walk like 2.5 miles in that weather. But as she was complaining, she slipped on the sled that she was pulling behind herself, thankfully laughing & unhurt, but nonetheless hilariously timed. 

I finally made it back home about 20 minutes later, collapsed onto my couch, BUT not without writing down my ideas. Called my girlfriend, decided I should eat something since it was about 5:30. I ate yogurt, applesauce, and an english muffin with butter, because it hurt to open my mouth. 

Finally walking over to my girlfriend’s, usually a one minute walk, it took my like five minutes, and I want to be honest with you superfans, I genuinely think that THAT was the hardest thing. I stumbled at a point over a little patch of snow and thought that it was over, no drama or anything, I thought, “this is it, I am actively lifting my legs with my arms to move forwards, I can’t do this.” I was like 15 feet from her door. 

Once I finally got inside, I literally just fell on the floor. Eventually, I moved to the couch very slowly and deliberately. I managed over the course of like 20 minutes to get under a heated blanket and meditate until I could not feel my limbs anymore. I slept for a little while she made shakshuka, dreamt of nothing, and woke up barely able to speak or lift my head. 

I don’t think I’ve ever felt so debilitatingly exhausted in my life. I’ve worked and worked and worked and had plenty of reeeeally long days in the sun, but this was just different. I came back to life slowly over an hour, and then we saw our neighbors!!! We watched “Spirit of Truth” videos, “oh shit it’s pac-man” and my favorite “the tree little pigs” @elferererererere it was very fun to dance and clap as always. And I made a joke that when Madeline comes home, Collin and I hide under the bed with our butts out, wiggling, like the three little pigs. It was fun. 

I don’t usually do more recounting journals on here like this, but I thought it was such a peculiar day that it would be funny to comprehensively write it out on here.

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