TOh-oh

I spent last weekend in TO having a fantastic time. Chocolate eating (arigato to Cory for the delicious stuff), and bed rest (merci to the Royal York - beds to die for!), and tak kal bi and walnut cake eating (props to Pat for walking an hour from the hotel to get to the only places in Ktown with these dishes). Loverly. Even included shopping and running pant purchasing. Oh, and watching P. get weirded out over multicoloured money, east coast coffee roasting flavours, and bilingual food containers (Americans are so entertaining!).

My journey home on Sunday was waylaid by me suddenly getting ill at the train station while in the damn line for the train back to the 'Wa. I got so sick while standing there, that I left the line to sit down. 10 minutes later I ran to the bathroom to be ill, and I missed the )!*$#$ train. Feeling even worse, and wondering if I was coming down with a severe flu, I went to St. Michael's emergency ward (I have no idea where the walk-in clinics in downtown TO are), and after 2 hours was back on the street - having missed the last train out - with some gravol-esque drugs in hand, a hospital bracelet on my arm, and my panic ("I'm sick! By myself! In a not-my-home city!") gone. Sleeping in the waiting room for 1.5 hours seemed to have helped. Anyhoo, the train dude gave me a free exchange on my dead ticket for one for the train leaving to the 'Wa at 6:55 am Monday, and I found a place at the Delta Chelsea near St. Michael's for a decent price. Phew. Then I slept like a dog, got up, made the train, and didn't go into work like I planned to the night before (am I crazy or what?!?). I was still wayyyyy tired, and achy, and fuzzy headed, etc. Apparently, I was fatigued. Thanks for the diag, doc.

But, I do feel better after a few days of taking it easier (more sleep, um, a bit better food, um, less coffee and sugar?!). I went to the doc today and apparently I am okay enough. Blood tests results will see if I am a tired freak, or just a freak, I guess. Point is, what a great birthday!!

Kidding, and yet not. I had lots of fun, and everyone has been really kind about not pressuring me to do too much this year (schedule is crazy). Oh, and I am on the road to academic happiness, as things with the thesis are beginning to heat up (letters go out this week for interviews)!!! Woohoo!! So big thanks to you all for your good wishes, and general swellness!