I don't know why I bother going to my primary care physician. I know that I'm going to be fine and just have to wait out whatever it is I have. I grew up with a doctor in the family so I have a weird relationship with doctors. I think they're all quacks and don't know any better than us, and at the same time, am very reassured when I hear a good opinion. I adore my father. He wasn't a primary care physician - he saw things a lot worse than colds and flus, and his response to any sort of illness on my part was to peek down my throat (to make sure it wasn't strep - it never was) and to tell me I'd be fine. Of course, he was right, but my youth with him has definitely left me with this feeling that doctors often can't do a lot for you. How you take care of your body is exactly how healthy you are. Doctors can recommend you take certain actions and ingest certain substances, but ultimately you are in charge of your well being. For the average human being anyway, and barring any tragic and chronic illnesses or conditions.

On the way back I walked the 3 and a half miles home - I haven't ran, climbed or biked in three days and am starting to feel antsy. I've needed the rest and shouldn't be exerting myself, but I'm still antsy. And I love walking through the city - especially during commute hours. I was almost home and was walking down Valencia when all of a sudden I heard, "Hi, Kathy". I looked up and was pleasantly surprised to see one of the lawyers I work with who I like and respect immensely, but don't know extremely well. We chatted briefly and went our separate ways, but afterwards all I could think was, what was I doing those 30 seconds before he said hello? And was it anything stupid? I remember staring at a dog tied to a post on the sidewalk, mesmerized by its incredibly light blue eyes. It had a ragged and dirty stuffed bunny between its front legs, and was shaking slightly. The shaking combined with the devilish eyes - I remember vaguely and bemusedly smiling at him wondering how far away I should walk from him so that if he is crazy he won't be able to bite me, and was just in front of the dog when I heard the hello. And then all thoughts of the dog just vanished.

Happy Birthday to Charles Darwin - I think he's almost 200 years old now...let's see...195 to be exact.

In other news...Korean scientists (yay Korea!) have cloned human embryos for stem cells. Why the fuss over stem cells? It's because stem cells can develop into any type of cells - blood cells, tissue cells, bone, cartilage, etc. Human bodies are designed to fight off and kill foreign substances. This includes foreign tissue detected by the immune system from grafts and transplants. By grafting stem cells cloned from an individual patient's own DNA, patients have a better chance of regenerating damaged tissue that should hypothetically not be rejected by their immune systems.