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I had my annual pelvic exam/STD testing today at Kaiser in Oakland. I switched to a new OB/GYN, because the person I had previously made some remarks about my weight and my level of exercise that made me very uncomfortable, and indicated she was not of the Health At Every Size mindset. So I refused to go see her again, and took a shot in the dark with a new person. WHO I NOW LOVE SO HARD! She was just so amazing.

I was just going in for a routine exam, but she asked if I needed anything else. I mentioned I’d been waffling about going back on the pill. Told her that I had been on it for years, but then stopped about 4 years ago, because I wasn’t having vaginal sex with guys, and then had been in a relationship with a woman, where I didn’t have to worry about pregnancy. And she said “Oh, that’s so nice, isn’t it!?” And she offered to write me an Rx for Plan B so I’d have something as a backup until I decide about the pill. I know you can get Plan B over the counter, but it’s cheaper if you have an Rx for it, and get it at the Kaiser pharmacy as opposed to Walgreen’s or something. And by cheaper, I mean it turned out to be free. The pharmacist was so nice, and did not say exactly what I was picking up out loud. She just said “so you’re just getting….one prescription today?” I could hear the pause, as she realized what I was picking up and decided not to say it out loud, in case I was embarrassed or didn’t want people knowing I was picking it up. I actually wouldn’t have cared, but she did not know that, and I appreciate that she took the cautionary route. And then when she handed it to me, she said “No charge.” Which was great, I had thought it would be around $10, but nope!

Also, the guy who did my paperwork in the lab was so nice, and we chatted about how nice my OB/GYN was while he checked me in. I had to give a urine sample, and they have this awesome little slidey door in the bathroom where you put the pee cup when you’re done, so you don’t have to carry your own pee around in the waiting room. And then the woman who drew my blood was really nice. I told her that was the quickest anybody had ever taken my blood, and it made her smile.

So really, that was possibly the nicest and most considerate doctor’s appointment I think I’ve ever had. I sometimes get into a weird mood when I have my annual checkups, because I have anxiety about STDs and whatnot, but I actually left in a better mood than when I went in.

Judy Garland, singing the original version of "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas, from the musical Meet Me In St. Louis, released in 1944.

I have been riding my bike a lot lately, and it feels awesome. Well, my left knee is not too happy to be cranking away on a creaky single-speed, but it seems to be holding in there (both my knee and the bike). Beanie had been hibernating over at Emma’s about a month before I finally went to pick zir up, and zie was very much missed. Riding to work everyday, and to go hang out with Theo. It’s actually quite refreshing to be zooming around downtown Oakland and Chinatown late at night or early in the morning. It’s very brisk, and the ride by the lake is amaaaaaaaaaaaazing. The other morning I kept giggling at all the birds popping up from underneath the water after diving for snacks. Lake Merritt is kiiiiiinda smelly, but I still love it. It is really truly gorgeous to go by at night when all the lights are on, and the fountain is lit up.

I’ve been looking at my finances, and if I play it right, I can buy a new bike sometime around my birthday. Definitely still going to keep Beanie, but I need something that is better for commuting, and has more than one gear. Betsy unfortunately bit the dust (literally) at Burning Man, and it’s way beyond my capabilities to fix her. I’m hoping to get a very light but sturdy commuter bike. My dad is going to help me research ones when I am home, and I think Theo might go with me to pick one out/look at some out here. I may also finagle his roommate to assist as well, since he knows more about the kind of bike I want than either of us do.

Sometimes I feel like the Wicked Witch riding around on Beanie, with my basket full of stuff. Really the only thing I can’t stand to ride in is rain, usually I can deal with cold and/or wind.

Very nicely done...

Monty Python and the Holy Grail in Lego