Desperate Times

I felt the urge this afternoon - that little tickle that precedes the intense need that grows by the minute. It finally got so bad that I went searching in the medicine cabinet trying to find the only thing that would work. I was desperately pawing through an old first aid kit when I found two of them. I unwrapped the precious pills, ignored the fact that they had expired in 2004 and slugged them down. Sweet relief. By evening, the effects had worn off and I was desperate again. I had no choice. I had to go the the drugstore and buy some real cold medicine so that my nose would stop running. After donning the trench coat and the baseball hat so nobody would recognize me, I approached the pharmacy counter. Once I'd turned over my photo identification and signed a two-page release, they finally let me walk with 18 pills, enough for almost 5 days. If this head-cold lasts any longer than that, I'm going to have to send in DH for reinforcements.

For those of you who don't live in the US, in order to combat the evils of methamphetamine production, the federal government in all its wisdom has put any over-the-counter medication containing pseudoephedrine under strict lockdown. You must swipe your identification, sign releases and then are only allowed a limited supply per month. God help the poor soul who gets a cold lasting more than a few days. You start bargaining with your friends and neighbors to see if they will go get you some, because you have used up your allotment for the month. "Psst...hey buddy. There's a tenner in it for you if you'll go buy me some cold pills."

On this date: In 1963, the University of Alabama was desegregated.