Washington

Off on a plane tomorrow v. early.

Had two days off with fever and swollen face from tooth infection. Happy to be able to spend two days loafing about doing nothing much. Antibiotics, however, work and am now back in the world again. Drat.

I understand why the happiest news my mother ever received was that she was dying of cancer. She had wanted a legitimate out for many years. After the death of her husband, (not my father) she seemed to decide that there really was no point in trying to get back into life. She hovered around the edges of it for years, just waiting. I sometimes wonder if she died because she was just fed up. People survive cancer. But maybe they are the ones who want to survive it.

But for me, nothing so nasty as cancer. Just an infected face and headache. Plus, all the fun and excitement of a root canal in a foreign country when I get back.

They do say that the way to beat depression is to give yourself things to look forward to.