the wheels were definitely not working on this friday. i basically spaced out until my 2:30pm appointment for my first of three japanese encephalitis vaccination shot. i walked to the doctor's office (just 20 minutes) instead of taking the bike because i was afraid it'd start raining. the doctor gave me some documentation to read about the vaccine then i had to sign a consent form. 1 out of 5 patients will get localized tenderness, redness, and swelling. 1 out of 10 patients will experience chills, dizziness, muscle aches, nausea, vomiting, and stomach pains. and if you're especially unlucky, there is a possibility of actually getting encephalitis, or having a seizure, or going through anaphylactic shock. it's definitely not a worry-free vaccine. why even get it? what's encephalitis anyway, other than a slight swelling of the brain. that's just like a hangover, right? better safe than sorry i suppose.

the shot was administered to the fatty area underneath my arm, and i was held for 30 minutes of observations, an epipen on the counter in case i got an allergic reaction. the injection was definitely a little bit more painful because i could still feel the sting (like an insect bite) and my left arm felt tired. other than that i didn't show any symptoms (the nurse and the doctor would occasionally poke their head into the office to make sure i didn't pass out) so after 30 minutes i was free to leave, to come back next week for shot number 2.

there was a mild drizzle but not the downpour i'd been expecting. regardless, i was relieved because it meant i didn't have to go water my garden. i went to walgreen's looking for some sort of poison ivy cleanser (for my shoes - if i got them on my jeans who knows what's on my shoes) but i didn't find any. instead i just bought some candy. walking home i stopped by johnnie's foodmaster to buy a pound of ground beef for the lasagna i wanted to make tonight. back at home, i went to star market across the street to pick up a few more ingredients.

in the evening i made lasagna with alternating patterns of ridged and smooth lasagna noodles (only because i didn't have enough of one kind). i ate just a small square, saving the rest for the next few days. later i'm taking a bath with the latest issue of entertainment weekly, my weekend ritual.