So I'm kinda deaf in one ear now, I have a "oh yeah, that's pretty bad" (doctor's words quote unquote) ear infection, like I was seven years old. I was never a sickly kid and this is the second time I've ever had an ear infection, but man. Getting ill is unpleasant. The NYM hospital over here is like a bureaucratic nightmare, but creepy, where you run in circles to find the walk-in emergency room, finally find it, need to get directed to the triage, find the triage, fill out a form, get it punched, and then slip it to a little slit on a windowless door on an imposing wall, where then you wait to get reviewed, and then upon said review, move into the second circle of waiting, to finally be summoned to a hospital bed, and THEN wait again for the doctor to curtly diagnose you and give you paperwork.

So when you're waking up after a party to grab some aleve, head pounding and half of your hearing gone, finding the New York Marathon in full swing right on your street is a pretty arresting experience. This city never ceases to surprise and amaze.

P.S. the illo above was comissioned by Mr. Eddy over at FierceGameBiz. Not published yet, it's gotten 886 hits in two days at my Flickr site. Not a gamer myself, this floors me, this kind of intense anticipation. Whatever, I just better be getting me a free Wii out of the deal (ahem, Mr. Eddy).