what not to do on your Monterey vacation...

...eat something unknown that you are unknowingly allergic to that results in your poofing up in hives in all areas of your body and making your face look like some horrible hollywood post-plastic surgery nightmare. and then especially don't take half doses of benedryl even though you're worried about the warnings on the labels of not OD'ing on benedryl since you haave to have the anti-itch creme or you'll rip your wrists and hands off...because then your throat starts to swell which sends you to the ER for three and a half hours where they can't get an IV in because your veins are normally just difficult but when you're cold they're impossible, so instead you get oral steroids and an intramuscular epinepherine shot- an Epi-Pen without the pen.

and. they. suck.

ouch and burnination. and then you're all jittery, and kind of unsteady when suddenly you get bundled out of your room (goodbye, insanely-drunk-homeless-guy behind the curtain!) to sit in the hallway because someone more dying than you is en route to the ER. and there you sit. and sit. and sit. and finally someone comes and detatches the cool little laser finger thing and gives you a form to sign which you can't quite do because you still can't really move your fingers and you get home and pass out.

the worst part of all this? for my indeterminate age spent sitting in the hospital bed...I couldn't knit, even though it was mere inches away in the bag at the feet of The Boy.

sad. day.

Today is much better, though. only isolated bits of itchiness are still evident, and it no longer hurts to swallow, and I'm only slightly feeling hit by a truck.

here's hoping it's tomatillos, like my dad. if it's shellfish, there's going to be tears. I liiike my shellfish. lesigh.