Nick - True Stories About Jellyfish, Part 3

We went to Virginia Beach a couple years ago, my family and I. Age 16. We stayed with my aunt and uncle, who had two kayaks. (Kayaking is and always will be one of my favorite activities.) They also lived directly on the beach.

One morning I was building a sand castle, and there was a group of little kids freaking out, so we headed over to see what was up. When we got close, there was this huge ol' jellyfish just swooshing around in the shallows where people swim, and the kids were all scared / intrigued by it. So my dad gets our net and fills our bucket with sea water (we're experienced with catching sea animals) and he puts the jellyfish in. The kids all gather round to check it out.

"What are you going to do with it?" one kid asks my dad.

"I guess I'll bury it in the sand," said my dad, "because I can't let it go here where people are swimming."

So the kids watched it for a few more minutes, and then they sort of lost interest and went back to playing.

"Don't worry, I've got this." I said to my dad.

I went and got the kayak.

I filled the jellyfish bucket with more water and then strapped it into the back seat of the kayak with those stretchy cables that people use in cars. Then I set out.

I battled my way out for more than half an hour, way past the pier. I was so far from the shore that I had no idea where I had set out from; the entire stretch of beach I had ever explored was just a short line on the horizon.

Then I put the bucket on my lap, and looked in.

"Goodbye. Stay out here, okay?" I said aloud to the jellyfish, and then dumped it into the water.

It danced around in the sunlight for a moment, as if to show me that it was really grateful, and then it disappeared instantly beneath the water. I started heading back toward shore. It's way harder to go back than to go out. I thought about my new jellyfish friend as I began the very, very long kayak ride back to the beach.



A couple minutes into the trip, it hit me: I had forgot to ask its name.

-Nick.

Nick - True Stories About My Wisdom Teeth Surgery Yesterday, Part 1

So yesterday I got all four of my wisdom teeth removed, the most interesting part of which was the anesthesia they used. Basically I don't remember anything that happened after taking two small pills when I woke up.

I got up early, at 5:45, and came downstairs to take my pills. (No breakfast; no food or drink 8 hours before surgery.) I brushed my teeth (without swallowing any water) and downed the pills. I went downstairs and started reading a GameFAQ on Super Smash Brothers Brawl. (A Pokemon Trainer player guide, specifically.)

I kept thinking that I didn't feel anything yet. And then I sort of had that feeling where you think it's working but you know that it's only because you're thinking about it.

Finally my mom called down that it was time to go. I stood up. As soon as I took my first step I felt like everything was moving very very quickly and I just wanted to slow down. I very very slowly made my way to the stairs, almost missing several steps along the way. I tried to turn the door knob and I fell backwards down the stairs, almost giving my mom a heart attack.

The interesting thing was, in my head I was still certain that the medicine wasn't really affecting me. I felt completely normal to myself.

I remember getting out of the car and walking into the office. I tweeted this, but I don't remember it. I remember the doctor nodding in my direction as he came into the office. I remember him putting the IV in, and it pinched but I couldn't say anything. I remember that I was mad that the surgery was over and there was nothing hooked into the IV but the needle was still in. Somebody took it out. I woke up on my couch. I think I played Super Smash Brothers sometime in between coming home and waking up on the upstairs couch. I don't know.

Anyway, my mom made me a milkshake and gave me the medicine I was supposed to take. I drank it, took my medicine, and immediately threw up.

This story doesn't have a very good ending; my mouth is still bleeding. It's not full of gauze anymore, which is nice, but I've got an ice pack on it. I think I'll go try to eat some noodles. (I had ice cream and yogurt and milk and anti-inflammatory for breakfast this morning.) I don't want to take my painkillers because I'm pretty sure they'll make me throw up again.

I have the week off of work. Games I'm currently playing:

Animal Crossing
Golden Sun: Dark Dawn (1 hour in, unlikely to continue)
Final Fantasy IX (With Conor and Classic Brian)
Final Fantasy XIII 2 (With Classic Brian and not Conor)
Super Smash Brothers Brawl (By myself or with Ben Dietrich or Classic Brian)

Wish me luck.

-Nick.

Nick - True Stories About Jellyfish, Part 2

When my dad was in college he had a poorly-assimilated Chinese roommate. (The only part of this story that would still likely happen today.)

He also had a black and white TV. For Christmas, his parents got him a brand new, state-of-the-art color TV. Which was a huge deal at the time.

My dad gave his roommate the old black and white TV, and he was so grateful that he invited my dad over to his parents' house for dinner. They were very traditionally Chinese, and also didn't really speak English very well.

My dad was then assaulted with a bunch of very, very strange foods which he could not refuse because he was trying really hard to be polite. Not the least of which was jellyfish. Raw jellyfish.

I think this is an actual picture of jellyfish but I have no way to verify

Luckily my dad is more adventurous with foods than I am. I don't know if this story has a moral, but I want to tie it to my broader theme of not understanding human eating habits.

-Nick.