4/13/2002:

And so we close this chapter of Scrubs. Sil would like to say that drawing arms tangled in handcuffs is a pain in the ass. I had a good time writing them (and, gosh, I guess I have to start writing strips again).

So, as I said before, Sil and I got to see Neil Gaiman up close and personal on Thursday. We got a bunch of stuff signed (a poster and Death book for her, and my copy of The Kindly Ones). We also met Jill Thompson and Sil and they talked for a long time about being female comic artists. I told her about how I read that chapter of Brief Lives every time I get dumped. Finally, she flipped through a copy of Brief Lives, showing us random characters inside who were modeled off real people. We of course dropped the URL to Scrubs off with both Mr. Gaiman and Ms. Thompson. Fingers crossed that they check it out and like it...

From his journal, Neil didn't seem to be too thrilled about the signing. Sil told me afterward that she was so glad that I wasn't a creepy Sandman fan. There were definitely many of those in attendance. I guess that's the downside to making something that people can key into. There are always people who will key in too far. I was reading a post on Slashdot about Akira and someone posted that they watch the movie every night, without fail. Alright, there are some books, movies, CDs that I love. But reading or watching or listening to one of them every night would rapidly strip them of that lustre.

I was hit on Thursday after the signing with a pain in my legs and lower back. I tried to go to sleep early, but I couldn't get comfortable. I just tossed and turned for most of the night. The next day it was worse. In class, I'd have these stabbing pains through my torso. So, I had to bail on Jason for going downtown last night. Instead, I curled up fetal on the couch reading and then watching Iron Chef. Went upstairs for more tossing and turning. I asked my dad what to do. His answer for everything: "Tylenol."

I'm feeling better today though. I guess it works.

The best thing to come out the days of illness was that I finally visited this used bookstore. I pass it all the time on the way to the CS building, but I never stopped in. But since I was feeling like warmed over crap on Fri, and I knew that I was going to spend most of the day on the couch fetal, I stopped in to get some books. The owner's policy is that if a book doesn't sell in 6 months, its price gets halved. So I expected to pay 9$ for 3 books but based on the entry dates, 2 of them were just 1.50! Score. I told him I was sorry that I hadn't stopped in before. He smiled a grandfatherly smile and said, "So am I."

-kip