behold, I am still here

Technically, it's my birthday, since I was born in Eastern Standard Time. In order to celebrate my glorious arrival in this world, blessing you all with the infinite grace of my presence, I recommend you send me money. Or donate to your local domestic-violence program. Whatever.

My friend at the library and I are now done with the "flirting" stage of our friendship, since it's now out that I have a permanent-looking girlfriend. (Apparently saying "we're expecting to stay together while I'm gone for a year" has an aura of commitment to it. Who knew?) The floodgates opened, and she wanted to see pictures of Anna and J and hear all about them and what our plans are. I like flirting, but there will be other flirting in the future, and now we get to be normal friends. It's a funny feeling when I let people get to know me.

I spent today accomplishing things: doctor paperwork, passport photos. I have paperwork for individual insurance, but it's really long and requires listing my medical history from memory while desperately trying not to forget anything, on the slim chance that if I actually need the catastrophic coverage, the insurance company's private investigators won't find some forgotten inconsistency they can use to rescind my coverage. Assuming they agree to sell me coverage at all, which is an open question.

Things are coming up quick. Anna and J move in the first weekend in February, and my flight is now confirmed to Miami (thence to Santiago) on March 16th.