Stuck

I visited the University of Washington this afternoon. I fault them for their IMAP server software, but lordy are their coeds above average. I had blood drawn, and had the best needle stick I can ever remember. It was barely a pinch and was accompanied with no pain. I was also invited to choose between the loaded options of peeing into a sterile specimen cup or having a cotton swab go up my urethra. I opted for a glass of water and a cup.

The total cost for all tests? $405 and seven days of waiting. The waiting I'm OK with, since I've had a loaded revolver against my head for five years without any one of the ever-growing number of people who knew my girlfriend was a walking petri dish giving me the fucking decency to even tell me it was fucking there and cocked.

Thanks, guys. For obvious reasons, I redact my hope that you die of AIDS. Instead, I hold onto the hope that you all die of cancer. Slowly and painfully.

I was talked out of an HPV test for a couple of reasons, not the least of which were the professional opinions that "just about everybody has it", "it's primarily a concern for women", "it's only really checked in pap smears", and "it's so common that it's a natural part of being a sexual person". Is that the kind of society we live in these days? "Well, if you're going to have sex, your genitals are going to be a breeding ground for an unimaginably vast menagerie of viruses and parasites." HPV is mostly found on the surface of the scrotum, so condoms don't even protect you. So unless you're remarkably careful with who you sleep with — and who they sleep with — your bathing suit area is about as clean as a toilet bowl. It's so common, they don't even care anymore.

In other words, the medical community is pretty much giving men a blank check to spread HPV however the hell they feel like it. If medical professionals don't recommend HPV tests for men, I will defer to that. I'm not entirely sure I'm OK with it, but the ever-growing misogynist in me says "to hell with it, I'm free of any responsibility", which is probably what was going through everyone's minds when they were fucking my girlfriend.

Dinner tonight consisted of chili, consumed while watching the theatrical version of Dune in HD. Quite nice. Then we made some space for the movers, who finally called me and stated that they would be arriving tomorrow afternoon. Finally. As expected, this means that they packed my stuff at the very first opportunity to do so, and will be delivering it at the very last opportunity to do so, depriving me of my stuff for the mathematically maximal amount of time possible without violating our outstanding agreements.

I am looking forward to having my things back. I hope to have pictures available soon, right after I finish hoping a certain subset of people die of cancer.