Content-type: text/html Ray Manning

Monday, June 24, 2002 7:55 AM

Recovery Weekend


After the traumatic and difficult Wednesday, I put my head down at work and get a lot accomplished. It almost makes up for all of the disappointment and frustration of the previous day.

Thursday sees me heading up to K-Town to visit Person J_VKPI. We go walk around the farmer's market and have a dinner filled with philosophical conversation. As we're sitting in the truck outside his apartment, Person J_VKPI wants to check the time with my mobile telephone. He pushes the wrong buttons and accidentally dials an ex in Sausalito. So the ex and Person J_VKPI and I have a nice conversation and we try to decide when we are going to go visit the ex in Sausalito. Maybe in August.

Friday, after the visit with Dr. B for the treatment, I'm home in bed sleeping most of the day. Except that there is a telephone call late in the day from the KM that lasts about 45 minutes. The bottom line from me, as he pleads that we should still try to be friends, is "We are scientists and engineers. Based upon the events and observations of our relationship over the past year, it is highly unlikely that we will become friends. Thus we should just quit wasting our time." The KM does not take this well, but there is no point to being in contact with someone who continually makes one miserable and upset.

Saturday and Sunday are recovery days. I visit Dr. L so that he can monitor my progress on Saturday, but the rest of the day is busy monitoring the regiment of antibiotics and catabolic steroids. And relaxing on the couch and reading. I get out for a slow bicycle ride on Sunday morning, possibly or possibly not against docotor's orders. But it's a slow ride - taking almost 67 minutes for a typical 62 or 63 minute ride. I do work on a conceptual art piece related to genetics and DNA. It has some bugs, but they can be worked out. And I watch the European Grand Prix and read the LA Times.

But Person J_VKPI calls and soon I'm headed to K-Town to pick up Person J_VKPI and head over to West Hollywood. We meet up with some of his friends and make it to a number of different clubs, parties, and events over the course of the next 7 hours. We also have discussions about how to find ways to spend more time together and the shock/grieving process (as the grandmother of Person J_VKPI has suddenly died the previous night). Person J_VKPI is currently under a lot of stress.