thoughts arrive like butterflies

Dogwoods are in bloom all over the city. These are particularly beautiful on a grey day, on a rainy day, even when the rain forces the petals down to the ground. Even the most rundown streets can suddenly seem idyllic. How I would love to wax poetically about the dogwoods, but alas, this signal of the impending spring brings with it, once the rain has ceased some, allergies from the netherworld. Yes... it's not that I'm insane and therefore unintelligible, it's just that I can't think straight thanks to the pollen wreaking havoc with my immune system.

Immune systems are odd things. The best ever anthropomorphic demonstration of the immune system can be viewed in The Fantastic Voyage, when a white blood cell attacks what it views to be a foreign object. The immune system is the most bigoted mechanism known to man- if it's foreign, kill it, baby, that's the immune system's motto. Sadly, like man himself, the immune system has flaws, mistakes in wiring. Mine stupidly believes dogwood pollen wants to hurt me, and the war that follows compromises me, because all of my energy gets diverted to this worthless cause instead of things of a more useful nature, like thinking, and breathing properly. Maybe our government could take a lesson from the mistakes of the immune system, and think about whether we're attacking the right problems. Just a thought.

Spanish class continues to amuse. This time, we were asked to describe Madonna. When we ran out of descriptors, and had exhausted a review of what she was wearing, a clever fellow in class offered "La Isla Bonita?" El profesor was confused. I keep waiting for him to have a meltdown at some of my classmates who refuse to do any preparation prior to class and just yell out "Stupid gringos!" He's a small, sprightly man, which is why I think it would be hilarious if he threw a napoleonic fit at us. No such luck. But there's always next class.

Another Office Space moment today- a coworker says "We'll have to flush out the details of that." Really, dude? Because I'm not going to the toilet for work. That's where I draw the line.