Tuesday, October 23, 2007

Visitation

I should not be on this addictive, borrowed laptop right now. The longterm, infrequent, faraway, romantic friend I mentioned in Disclosure and Risk is due to arrive at my doorstep any minute. (From Antwerp. From working for the International Red Cross in Chad, and then Yemen since I saw him last.) (I hate linking anything about him to my "Disclosure and Risk" incident at all, but so has gone my life.)

I discretely chewed off a white rose from the sidewalk garden of Grace Cathedral today on my way home from the Castro Street Pharmacy in the Tenderloin, to give to my good friend when he gets here. (It wasn't coming off any other way.) Otherwise I have not eaten.

All my extra medicines (two weeks worth) were successfully authorized and picked up.

We--my longterm, infrequent, faraway, romantic friend and I, are planning to take a road trip. For two weeks. Through the mountains, toward Utah, down into Nevada, and then back over to Death Valley, then maybe hitting the old Ghetti Museum (the "Ghetti Villa") in Malibu on the way back, dependent on the fires. We'll be camping (--for the most part) in the desert. That's a lot for me. I asked my psychiatrist (at AIDS Health Project) if he thought all that might not be too much. He said, "No. No. Have a good trip."

I will miss, and worry about my cat. But I think she will be OK. I think she will be tended well.

I'm not bringing this laptop, but I'll write some about the trip when I get back. Thank you for reading thus far.... I'm leaving the comments setting on "unmoderated," if you'd like to post any. I look forward to reading them when I can.

He's here.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

hope you are having a wonderful time. Can't wait to hear all about it. As for Soldiers' Angels - the founder has offered to double up on your packages for your soldier. COntact me when you get back!

+PHc said...

Thank you for wishing me a wonderful time on my trip! It was.

What I would really love to do is be an angel for a soldier in a medical unit--med tech, doctor, nurse, nurse practitioner, person who cleans up or manages supplies--anything. Not because of my personal medical maintenance preoccupations, but because of the personal intensity of my appreciation for those roles. I have more trust in the strength and reliability of my commitment if it is to a man or woman serving in a way I have familiarity with. THAT DOES NOT MEAN THAT I DON'T BELIEVE EVERY SOLDIER DESERVES LOVE. All do. This is just how I feel I can me the most help.

As for packages--I would imagine I would not be allowed to do this, but I want to put care for my soldier into baking all kinds of cookies, and breads, and cakes. Can you do that? Or do you have to send pre-packaged things.

I want to be able to say to any soldier: I'm not qualified to understand war, but I think about you and care about your wellbeing, and care that you can come home to wherever your home is, safe and sound, when you can.

Thank you and the founder(?) of Soldiers' Angels for your offers to help me help.

+PHc

PS: Is there a blog forum for soldiers' experiences that you would recommend?