I met with my old Mandarin teacher for a language exchange today for the first time in three weeks because of the Lunar New Year holidays. I haven't seen anyone except passing strangers for three weeks. I'm willing to testify that will fuck up your ability to socially relate.

My cousin says she'll be in Taipei on Tuesday with an entourage and wondered if I could join them. I think she has an ulterior motive, so I'm reluctant. I'm a reluctant baby sitter, that is. When she calls on Tuesday, I need to ask how I'm going to be fed, and that will determine whether I meet them or not.

Soreness has returned to my lower back area and I'm no doc, but I dare imagine that my liver and kidneys are under stress. Two days between buying bottles of liquor are my norm, but I recently had to force myself to stretch it out to two days. The choice is mine to cut back against the trend towards drinking more. I really don't want to leave a body, so if there's that risk, I need to get my act together and stop procrastinating and downloading k-pop.