Well the meaning's changed, For what it's worth, it's just a senseless game...

So, I'm doing a crossword puzzle last night, and 41 Across was a 3-letter word with the clue "Homeric cry?" Which reminded me of the two odysseys I've been preparing for this week.

One, which is more of just a trip I guess, is this weekend I head to Maine to give a clinic for work. I'm flying into and out of Boston, and driving up the rest of the way (timing just worked out better). So I've been preparing for my departure on early Friday morning. And I've also been adjusting to the fact that my return at mid-day on Sunday will most likely mean I'll miss the Masters meet at our pool this Sunday (the June portion of the June Kraser meet: the June June meet, as opposed to the July June meet on July 8: meet info here).

The second is becoming more and more of an odyssey. In July, I head to Uganda, to give a week long clinic in Kampala. This week, my flight has been arranged and started investigating getting a visa. I've also started investigating getting my shots before I head there (I need documentation of a Yellow Fever vaccination for the visa). So, Monday morning I call the Broward County Immunization Clinic, having tracked down their information last Friday, to schedule an appoint--all travel immunizations are done by appointment. The woman who answers the phone asks if she can put me "briefly on hold"; I say yes.

After being on hold for 10 minutes, I hang up and call back. When I am about to be "briefly put on hold" again, I ask if it will be 10 minutes, I get a reply possibly as this is their busy time. I accept this, and start to ask if there's would be a better time to call back, to which I get 3:30 or later. So I call back, at 4 p.m., to get a full voicemail (read I was not a happy camper).

So yesterday morning (on 5-6-07 in non-USA date formatting), I call back again, and get put on hold again but which I was ok with. After 6 minutes (yeah! less time), I get to make my appointment. Toward the end of the call and setting up the appointment, the woman on the other end asks me which shots I want, to which I answer, well, I'm going to Uganda. To this, she replies with something along the lines of 'Well, why don't you look up online what you need and let us know..." To this, I replay, that previously when I've needed travel shots, the clinic/doctor has told me what shots I needed (which is generally 2-5 more than I want to get or do get) . And then continued to state that, from what I already looked up the shots I need were Hep A/B, Typhoid, Tetnus and Yellow Fever, but that I wasn't sure; that the only thing I was fairly certain on was the Yellow Fever, due to the visa requirement. (I think I may also need an adult Polio booster, as well... fun.)

To which I mentally said "D'oh!"... which is a 3-letter, Homeric cry. ;-)
(and this has just reminded me that I must unearth my shot history to take with me to my appointment...)

My blood is running dry, my skin is
My skin is growing thin (skin is growin' thin) oh yeah
For every time you find yourself
You loose a little bit of me (you loose a little bit)
Honey, from within (you loose a little bit)