A couple weeks ago, I skipped hip hop class to check out Odd Couple at the adorable Broadway West Theater. It was a fun night out with Tina and my Fremont peeps, plus I finally got to meet Joe’s woman, Jessica. He’d been yammering on and on about her (remember the Salad Years when everything was so perfect and lovely through those rose-colored glasses?), so it was nice to finally meet Miss Perfect (that’s what John calls her). Unfortunately, I didn’t get to chat with her for long, but she seemed sweet and smart and beautiful… all the things Joe said she was. So cute.

So the following week, I went to dance class. I kept adequate pace since I’d memorized all the steps up to the new ones… but my god, I really suck. I mean, seriously. And to think I used to do ballet and Chinese dance? There isn’t an ounce of cred to my movements. I keep eyeing the teach, watching her every step but my body just does not funk like that, you know? So frustrating. I mean, yes it’s entertaining and I can’t help but laugh, but at the same time, it’s pissing off the OCD side of me. So first there was the wobbly knees-crab movement– two steps to the right, two steps to the left coupled with this hand around the back of the head motion. Then the following week, it was robocop or whatever she calls it: this rocking motion. Shit. I need to download tutorials on YouTube or something. Last time we also did this step thingy with the stomping and slapping but damn… the bottom line is that I really suck. Sigh. How many more classes are left?

John and I are back in Maryland this week. My dear friend’s father passed away… mother and daughter are doing ok, as well as could be expected. His health had declined rapidly in recent years but as with all the other times, we’d expected him to pull through. The funeral was really touching. So many people spoke: they told such vivid and humorous stories. One of his kidney transplant patients even drove down from New Jersey. God. Medicine just touches people in such a profound way. Patients, healthcare… people complain about how it’s turned to shit, shuffling patients through like cattle and wading through all the paperwork but frankly, I don’t think there’s any profession (in its purest form) nobler than practicing medicine.