For the Love of God, Put the Needle Down!

Today started off to a great start... or something like that. We woke up at 530 and were out to formation by 545, only to be told at 630 that we weren't supposed to be there until 645... the schedule had changed. So that was great to realize I had lost an hour of sleep. I could deal with losing sleep though. That was the least of my worried today.

The most, however, was deeply rooted in the fact that I would be recieving shots. Not just a shot, but multiple shots. Anthrax, Small Pox, Typhoid, and a few other ones. I couldn't wait for Small Pox in particular, which they described as a "two prong needle and 15 jabs." Once again, I must emphasize they said jabs... not gentle pokes... but jabs. Maybe if they had worded it slightly less... scary, I wouldn't have been dreading it all day.

I begged the first lady, which gave me all of my shots except for the Small Pox, not to do it. For the love of god, I said, put that needle down. She promised me they wouldn't hurt. I told her that she was lying through her teeth... right to my face. And then I lightened up when I saw a large jug of candy. Hey... I said to her. If I play nice, what do you say you give me a pocketful of that candy of there. She laughed, and stuck a needle into me (not making any promises of a pocketful of sweet relief). She directed me to the small pox station, and as I left her booth, I looked at her as she nodded her head. And so, to the next booth I went with a pocketful of candy. A minor compensation for the pain I endured, I feel.

However, as I stood in line for the Small Pox... I watched as a lady came out with eyes streaming down her face... clutching her arm. This was going to get ugly... very very quickly. She was much older than I, and therefor should have been tougher. But alas, I went in after her. I don't want to say that the shot didn't hurt... because over the next couple of days it will start to blister and itch like a mother... nevermind.

Also, today, I met an alligator wrangler, ex drug dealer, a black lady named Deidre, and a black man named White. The alligator wrangler, who worked as a missionairy prior to becoming a contractor for the military, was my favorite. He spoke of penis fish (little fish that are attracted to urine and swin in "certain" places quite easily, but their spikes come out when trying to be extracted from said places) and wrestling alligators to the ground. Definitely an interesting man.

Anyways... hope this finds you all well!

<3 Jacki