The Internet is sometimes strange.

This has not been the best of weekends.

First of all, I've pulled a muscle. Not being athletic, I really didn't understand the level of crippling pain that can result from stress injuries. I used to see my high school's sports therapist for tendonitis, and he told me they're uncommonly similar. I can see why he'd get this idea, but the level of shooting, fetal-position-inducing agony reminds me of nothing more than shingles, which is when the Son of Chicken Pox comes back to rake its fiery claws through your nerves until you scream for mercy from God. Stress-induced, of course. How surprising that I've had this. *rolls eyes*

I feel slightly guilty for the level of pain, because I really don't do anything particularly strenuous with my shoulders -- and then I think about the positions I sit in. Sit upright, type, mouse, make about a dozen different small repetitive movements for an hour at a time, return to typing, mousing and typing, return to pliers and further small repetitive movements, hand-write for half an hour ... Other designers take note: The only wonder is that it's taken so long for me to hurt myself.

On a slightly more interesting note: I have a midterm today in Biology 40, Diseases and History, and am following my usual study method: search Wikipedia for study-guide terms, compare to textbook, note differences, rinse and repeat. It's a little weird to come into a Wikipedia article as it's being edited. The guy (why do I assume it's a man?) working on the stub about virulence factors is noting his place as he consults his books. It feels like he's leaving me little notes as I follow along. In the deliberate sterility that's created to give an impression of impersonal banks of objectivity, an odd moment of personal connection. I mean, we know there are people constantly editing wikis; it's strange to run across it as it happens, like an unplanned meeting of eyes with the nameless person who has the shift before yours at work.

So that's enough self-absorption out of me. Special offer to come!