So much for writing every couple of weeks. I guess I’ll never be as dutiful at typing in my electronic journal as good ol’ Doogie Howser was. But then again, I wasn’t a doctor at 16, and I’ve never had a girlfriend as hot as Wanda, either. Not that it much matters – I think my loyal readership of 2 has now evaporated, too, so I’m pretty much just typing this into the void. So be it; it’ll be useful as a reminiscing tool later on.

The other day I found out I’m not allowed to donate blood. Ever. It seems I’m at risk of being a carrier of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), known more commonly as mad cow disease. Since anyone who spent more than 6 months cumulative in Great Britain between 1980 and 1996 is prohibited, and I spent 33 months there from 1984-87, I figure the prohibition extends to me. I hadn’t donated in over 2 years anyhow, but I still kind of wish I could.

That was this month’s random bit of nonsense. Now on to the news, such as it is.

Life in my apartment’s been great so far. I’m a lot less nervous going out in the evenings than I was at first. The place is still a wreck, but it’s coming along slowly. Like I said before, I should be completely unpacked just in time to move out.

My great uncle Clarence passed away 10 days ago. He had been fighting lung cancer for quite a while. We had gone to visit him in the hospital the weekend before, right after he had a feeding tube put in so he could get nourishment. It’s tough to see someone in as much pain as he appeared to be. My parents and I spent Saturday afternoon with his widow, my great aunt Alma. It seemed to me, as we went out to lunch, that it must be very difficult, only a week after losing your husband, to have to explain to people you run into why he isn’t with you. I tried to imagine what it must be like to lose a spouse after 58 years of marriage – I just can’t get my mind around it.

I saw my first opera yesterday. I went with my mom to see Opera Colorado’s performance of Puccini’s Turandot at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts. I liked it, even though it was a little tedious not knowing the language and having to read the supertitles. I was really impressed by the soprano playing Liu, Theresa Santiago. She had amazing vocal control.

I had my first date in ten months last Monday. I met her through some friends at work that I went out clubbing with weekend before last. I thought dinner went very well – we went to Cafe Odyssey at the Denver Pavilions, and our conversation was relaxed and not forced. Since we’d gone straight from work, though, we were done with dinner by 7, and I suggested a movie, which I think may have been a mistake. We went and saw Head Over Heels, which I thought was very funny. I think it was my laugh – anyone who knows me knows that I laugh very loudly, and have a tendency to cackle when I really get set off. I still didn’t think things had gone too badly, though. On our way back to my apartment (she was giving me a ride home, since I had walked her to her car), I asked if I could have lunch with her later that week. She said she’d have to check her calendar, and she’d give me a call. That was last week, and still no call. I’m thinking I may give her a call tonight and nonchalantly see what’s up, but I’m figuring it’s a bust. It’s too bad – it’s not often that you find a pretty, smart, college-educated, single, practicing Catholic your own age when you go out with friends from work – or come to think of it, at all.