still depressed, but feeling a little better now, due mainly to finding a copy of Fray #2 today (see the cover). i'll write a review for it later. for now, here's some details about my journey to the beach.

i've said before that i have a fear of jellyfish, even though i've never seen one. in visiting Corpus Christi, i finally got to see one. i'd been telling Mike since we first started planning the roadtrip that i wouldn't get into the water at the beach. he was determined that i would.

for two months, it's been a constant barrage of soothing words attempting to allay my fear of medusoid marine creatures. in the end, Mike's reassurances (helped along, i'm sure, by the half dozen cold ones he bought me at lunch) persuaded me to wade into the Gulf waters to waist depth. i stood, letting wave after wave hit me, enjoying the sand between my toes, spitting out the foul tasting water. then, i screamed like an eight year old girl.

yes, i'd been stung, along my elbow and the back of my forearm. i retreated quickly to the beach as my companions laughed at me, and i cursed myself for not researching before hand how long i'd have to get to hospital before it was too late. Mike and Co. just laughed when i said i should see a doctor. they didn't think it was a jellyfish because *they* hadn't seen it. they made fun of me, even telling me to watch out for the beach jellyfish that lie in wait under the sand until you step too close.

it kind of pissed me off. after ten minutes or so, my elbow no longer hurt, though i still had red whelps running across it and down my arm. i decided the jellyfish probably wasn't deadly since there weren't any signs warning of the beasties, so i screwed my courage to the sticking place and waded back in. i was going to find the jellyfish and show my companions.

it took me a while, but i finally spotted one (actually, i mistook it for some trash floating in the water, and almost grabbed it before i realized that it was a little too spheroid to be a plastic bag). it was small, about 6 or 8 inches in diameter, and looked like a soft white light bulb floating just below the surface. i called the others over, to prove to them that the jellyfish were out there, and they promptly began trying to catch it (in any group of people, there's always at least one dumbass. our group was lucky enough to have four). they thought it loads of fun, until Dumbass #4 actually got to touch it and was stung also. we all began searching after that, and spotted about a dozen of the buggers (or, it could have been Flash the Wonderjellyfish, moving very quickly). that was enough for me. i left.

i headed over to the USS Lexington , which was moored nearby, but turned back when i saw the $10 admission price (for ten dollars, not only should you get to tour the ship, but you should also get a blowjob from a sailor. i'm fairly certain that wasn't part of the package). i met up with the others, and we called it a day.

so that's my jellyfish story.