Nice Last Night, Stress This Morning

What a good way to spend a birthday.

I met Shelley at the store and we had a nice walk and kvetch and then got cuddled into a corner at the Manx. The lovely David brought us beer in short order. I had the luxurious opportunity to order a menu item that didn’t involve having to ask about what might contain wheat, or where a bit of corn might have snuck in. I drank Guinness, laughed a lot, opened some great presents. People know I like to eat, that is one thing that became obvious last night. I was given two dinners, vegan brownies, banana cake and a crazy cookbook from 1963.

It was a bit nerve-wracking to start, because it was the first time GD had met all of my friends. And by friends, I mean family. Most of the people who were there are the people I have chosen to be related to. The poor boy, he met them all at once. More than one wracked nerve, I’m sure. But he’s lovely, and they’re lovely, so it all went swimmingly.

GD went off to the bathroom at one point and Shelley shoulder-checked to make sure he was out of sight, then leaned over and grabbed my arm and said “He’s awesome! He’s funny! He makes ice cream! He’s so handsome! Good job!” And everyone nodded in agreement and looked happy for me.

I felt happy for me, for every reason.

Not so happily, however, I woke up with cold sores this morning. Fuck and fuck. They actually started last night, but last night I thought it was another zit on the skin between my lip and nose, two centimeters over from where I just got over having another zit. This is a new spot for cold sores and me – the first non-mucous-membrane outbreak. Hoorah. I do love to break new ground. There was no warning either – no tingling, no redness, no itching. Today I am all over the lysine and zinc and vitamin c and licorice tea. Maybe I’ll start getting more sleep and maybe I’ll stop getting fucking herpes.