I must be 80

I think it's official. Only when you enjoy thinking and talking about your ailments are you old. I am there.

So now I'm having a "topical" reaction to the vaccinations I received on Monday. It looks like someone hit my arm really, really hard. It's all red. The cool thing is that since it seems to be slightly swollen, my arm muscles seem huge! Oh, but what a price to pay to be svelte. It's like some dumb twit saying "I want the flu to lose weight." No, I don't want the flu, but I'm also trying to see the bright side! Another problem is that since I got two of the vaccinations in nearly the same place on my left arm, I don't know which one is causing the problem. Of course that didn't help me today when I tried to explain to the nice nurse on the phone what my problem is and that it doesn't match the list of symptoms on that sheet of paper they sent home with me. However, good news: the doctor thinks it's just my skin reacting to the shots, so I should apply heat and take an advil. Good to know. It was also good to know that if I am still having problems on Monday I should go in to see my doctor. And it goes without saying that it was good to know that if things get serious I am to go to Urgent Care. I'm glad they told me; I might not have thought of that on my own. (Which is where I went several years ago after my last set of immunizations.)

Tomorrow I'm off to do my civic duty and help people get registered to vote. Provided I'm not in Urgent Care, that is, and can squeeze it in between speaking about my ailments to other, non-interested persons. See what I mean? It can be addictive talking about one's doctor's visits, and I can see why old people do it so much. You get going, and can't stop. And then it gets competitive, too. I am in no way, shape or form ready to compete with old people yet, so maybe I'm not as old as I'm sounding.