The girl on the phone had a cold. I slept prone. Starting today, I am entering a brand new phase. Too many people see me as weak. There are only 16 days left until the next Electric Boogaloo. I miss my old nurse.

I feel light and giddy. Five is one too many. The word that best describes it is “octoroon.” Sleet, snow, rain, tidal surges, gusts, hail, strange celestial pellets. I’ve never felt drier.