You’ll never believe what happened.

Friday afternoon I laid down for a nap. I had been up and at ‘em all day. In the morning, we had a Peace Corps Volunteer meeting, which I partially led since I’m the Volunteer Representative. The office has been in a state of upheaval. One person left staff this week, and another joined in a new position. Also, people were running all over to prepare for the new batch of trainees that would arrive in the afternoon. After the meeting, Chris, Lauren and I practiced our songs for the reading camp on Monday. After that, we all rushed over to the airport to meet the arriving trainees. Everything went well, but it was busy.

So I came home, got some things together, and went to take a nap. Just as I lay down, Cheeto came bounding into the room. He was having an attack of high spirits. He jumped up onto the bed and put one paw right into my eye. I literally saw stars. It hurt quite a bit and I said some swear words at Cheeto. After writhing in pain for a couple minutes, I went to extract my contact lens and see how my eye looked. He hit my right eye, and the white part just below and to the right of the iris (when I look in the mirror) was all bloodshot. Not bloodshot like "I’ve been up all night" but solid red. So I made a little ice pack and called the PC nurse. Luckily she was still in the office, but up to her neck in paperwork for the new trainees. She took a look and recommended that I go to see the ophthalmologist. My friend Geoff is an optometrist, but unfortunately I saw him pass leaving town as I was going into town. He would have seen me for free! But as it was, I got into see the doctor. His office and what he had to say were right on--not like a bush doctor or something. The doctor said the protective covering to my eye was scratched, but not large or deep. He gave me some antibiotic ointment to put in my eye, and I have to wear an eye patch. As if people didn’t stare at me enough as it was. And strangely enough, I was 100 times more self-conscious with the eye patch than I am normally.

So I had to come home on the bus looking like a freakshow. While I was on the bus, I came up with some "Snappy Answers to Stupid Questions". I got to use several today when I went out:

I was waiting for the bus, and a smarty loser type walked past. He said, "Ooh, beautiful white lady, your boyfriend did you that?" I said, "You should see what I did him". He said "For true?!" But then I told him what really happened. Then he proceeded to tell me how he likes to see me and my nice skin. I turned my patched eye to him.

On a more normal note, all of the neighbors were shocked and concerned at my appearance. Luckily I only have to wear the patch through today.

T-minus three days to Mexico.