California Quick Step

In the early 1900's, a woman named Mary, or Typhoid Mary as she came to be known, infected forty seven people of which three died.

In 1975, Flu Bug Alan, went on vacation to San Francisco, even though I knew I was coming down with something. For one week I went out sightseeing, and to the gay clubs, and I did all the fun things that you only could do back in the 1970's, all the while sweating out a fever and wracked with diarrhea. I infected my host, and hundreds of the good folks of San Francisco. I will not be denied my vacation.
My recent trip to Palm Springs, California started out just fine. I was met at the airport by my host Dennis, and whisked away to an evening of drinking at a local bar. I am not sure if it was the chicken salad sandwich I had before I got on the plane to California, or if it was the water, but the next day while taking the twenty minute tram ride up the side of the mountains, I got the 'urge'. As usual when I am in a place where the toilets are iffy, I clamped down hard and figured we could do our sightseeing, take the tram back down, and then unclamp when I got back to Dennis' apartment. This worked out fine, and though the seal on the clamp started to slip as I ran into the apartment, I did make it okay.

Unfortunately, for the next twenty four hours I seemed to become more familiar with toilets than I did Palm Springs. Before I was finally able to bring the whole episode under control with a heavy dose of Imodium, I had to visit toilets in restaurants, bars, and gas stations, besides the hourly visit to the one at the apartment. It did slow my itinerary down a little bit, but it did not stop me. I hope I didn't infect too many people while I was out there, but I didn't buy a plane ticket to spend my whole trip sick in bed. I will not be denied.