February 4 (Friday):   I got interviewed for television today!  At 10:17pm we got called to the police station because apparently some SORT officers had shot some other officers.  We got them to the hospital and a news crew caught me to ask me what happened.  I couldn't say much, but it was enough to get on the air.  I told my folks and they are going to try to get a tape from the station.

February 7 (Monday):  I had four people in the last week compliment my looks, including my mom.  By the time it got to Bill L. telling me I looked like a pretty girl, I was too off balance to hit him.  (I'll get him next week.  I know he means it as a compliment, but he's just such a jerk sometimes.)  I decided I'd better check myself in the mirror.  I felt a little weird stripping naked in front of a full length mirror, but was glad I did.  My muscles are better defined than they were even a few weeks ago, but somehow they are more feminine at the same time.  My breasts are firmer, fewer freckles and more even skin tone.  I checked my face and found a few things there -- my nose isn't crooked anymore (an old college boyfriend broke it accidentally one day while we were wrestling), my eyelashes are straighter and fuller, my hair has more body, and the few facial hairs I used to worry about are gone.  My waist is an inch smaller than last Thanksgiving (the last time I measured it).

This is more than just vitamins and exercise.  Maybe I changed too with the New Year.  I don't seem to have gained any powers (its not like I can levitate or lift cars, and I don't have wings or a tail), but I have definitely changed!  (What if I did get powers?  How would I know?  How do any of them know?)

I have not changed my biography .  I'm going to wait and see if this change is permanent, or until I stop changing.  This is both exciting and frightening at the same time.  Well, since it seems to be for the better, I'll just go along with it for now until I figure out what is going on.  I've got lots of doctors I can talk to if I need help.

February 8 (Tuesday):   It's been in the news all week that law enforcement agencies are looking for one Jason Faulkner.  Apparently he was a SORT officer until he unloaded on his fellow officers last week.  (Christ, it was a bloody mess.)  It's a media frenzy to speculate on why he might have done it.  I don't know why he did it, and what I  hear from the cops I run into is a mixed bag of "he was always a dangerous loon" or "it's totally out of character for him".  Either way, it's a sure bet he's dead if the Lexington PD finds him before the FBI does. 

I can understand the need for revenge, but I can't condone taking his life or at least hearing his side of things (however twisted it might turn out to be).  I mean, I would just need to know what he was thinking.  I guess that's the only way I can hope to comprehend this tragedy.

February 19 (Saturday):  It was my day off today.  Judy, Tom and I took our bikes for a day of hiking outside the city.  It was a lot of fun.  Judy and Tom are a cute couple.

Jason Faulkner is almost gone from the news.  There was a short blurb iin the paper today reminding people of the $10,000 reward for information, but nothing on television.

February 20 (Sunday):   OK, right.  It's been a weird day.  I handled a powered patient today.  A teenage kid with the ability to change the color of other objects for an hour.  A really nice kid, but mischievious.  Apparently, some guy cut him off in the school parking lot, so he turned the guys car a bright green color.  The guy went ballistic and started a fight.  I didn't quite get the rest of the story, but the powered kid got his head cracked on the curb and they called us.  The kid will be OK, but I hope he got some sense knocked into him.

Hmm.  As I write these entries, I'm still deciding what I'm going to consider important and unimportant.  What do I want to talk about?  If I have an important issue, should I put it first or last?

I'm stalling for time against myself.  How silly is that?  The nice thing about a personal journal is I can write anything I want and only I will care about it.

Melissa called today.  She's doing fine.  She had two big pieces of news.  One was more shocking than the other.  Let's start with the bigger one.  [I know I'm going to have to edit this later after I rethink things.]

I guess Cuba, that little country in the Atlantic ocean, has a new ruler.  With the New Year, Fidel Castro -- who had survived numerous attempts on his life including CIA assassin squads -- disappeared and was replaced by a man named Helios Hope (a pediatrician who may also be powered).  Apparently, last week he revealed that Cuba had enormous oil reserves and now American oil industry is pushing the Feds to drop the embargo.  I didn't know Castro was missing.  I'm not sure this means much to my life personally, but I know it's going to change the world.

Speaking of changing my personal world, Melissa got her tongue pierced!  This doesn't bother me (hey, she's the middle child, she's supposed to rebel, right?), per se, but I wish she'd given me the news a little differently.  She's such a turkey.  I was over at my parents when Melissa called.  She talked to mom and dad first and I heard mom giving her all this advice about a "sore throat".  Fine, right?  So mom gives the phone to me and I say "Hey, hear you have a sore throat."
     Melissa responds "Don't say anything, but I got my tongue pierced.  It's small, but I'm talking funny so I told mom I have a sore throat and that I have a losenge in my mouth making me talk funny."
     Really?  I thought to myself.  "Really?"  I said to Melissa.  I recovered quickly and continued "Yeah, mom's sore throat cure is great.  Dr. Lopez at the hospital explained all the chemical reasons to me." as I closed the den door behind me isolating me from everyone.

OK, looking back, it was a lot more awkward at the time than now.  Melissa made me promise not to tell mom and dad.  She wants me to fly out there in March and come back with her when Spring Break starts (mom is making Melissa spend at least a couple days with us since she wasn't here at Christmas). 
     "Look kid sister of mine, you only want me to fly back with you so mom blames me for not telling her and forgives you for getting your tongue pierced in the first place."
     "You're right, but will you do it anyway?"
     "OK, but only if you can get me round-trip tickets for under $200."
     "Jenn that's impossible!"
     "So are you kiddo."

Ha!  let her try to get those tickets!  I promised I'd make time if she got them, and she promised to show me the sights of Berkeley and take me to a party.

February 24 (Thursday):   After a pleasantly misleading emergency call today, Bill W. and I went for coffee with Police Officers Dale Opp and Lyle Kingery.  We all work similar shifts, so our paths have crossed several times.  (The emergency turned out to be a minor traffic accident, but someone saw blood and made a panicy call to 911.  Bill and I were able to treat the minor cuts and bruises on site.)

The four of us went for coffee.  This by itself is not unusual.  What was weird was near the end, though as we were getting ready to leave.  Lyle went to the bathroom and Bill went to pay the check.  As soon as they were out of ear-shot, Dale leaned over to me conspiratorially.  To keep a short story short, apparently he'd heard rumors going around that the police chief had let some killers-for-hire free and he really needed to confide in someone.  Dale doesn't think the rumors are true, but he feels his source is "mostly reliable" and did I think he should look into it?  About this time, Bill came back and wanted to know what we were talking so seriously about.  <hah> Dale looked all flustered and blurted out "lingerie".  I have no idea why, but the look on his face was priceless.  Bill, of course wanted to offer his input, but I pushed him and explained (as if I was talking to a child) that Dale "wanted a woman's opinion."  Bill looked chastised (<g>), and I went on to cover for Dale by telling Bill that "Officer Opp here is sweet on a certain lady.  Unfortunately something awkward happened between them before she flew off on a business trip a few days ago, and he was wondering if a gift of lingerie would make it up to her.  I told him to be patient and maybe it would blow over."  Heh.  I was good.  Bill sympathized (he almost forgot his third wedding anniversary last week; but I hear it turned out very special) and told Dale to have flowers when he went to pick her up at the airport.   Bill is alright.

Well, that was the fun part of that conversation.  Personally, I don't think the police chief would do that.  I guess I want to hope the rumors are just that -- rumors.

February 29 (Tuesday):   2000 is a leap-year!

I am so screwed.  I thought I was being so smart.  Melissa called today.  She has a friend who found airfare for under $200 from Lexington to Oakland.  Claims he can find anything on the Internet.  Melissa instantly bought the tickets.  I fly out on March 22nd, and we come home on the 24th.  If it's a good party (or mom and dad take the pierced tongue well), I may let her live.

Copyright © 1999-2002 by Patric L. Rogers.  All rights reserved.

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