THE MEASURE OF EXCESS

For some reason we have four nearly full buckets of icecream in the refrigerator. FOUR! This isn't a sanitarium for insulin deniers, fercrapsakes! It is possible that my apartment mate may be either substituting icecream for the bacon she does not much eat -- easier and spoonable, no hot spitting fat or greasy kitchen tissues required -- or she's trying to kill me.
As per the doctor last year I am "borderline diabetic" and should watch it.
But the cardialogist said that was an exageration.

Both men are Chinese Americans.

But one of them is only a few feet away from the diabetes department (糖尿病科 'tong niu peng fo') at CHSF. It may skew his perspective a bit. Many folks in C'town end up with diabetes.
And it must be mentioned that everybody there loves pastries.
Over half a dozen bakeries within three blocks.
An easy walk from his office.

Unfortunately, there is almost nowhere to enjoy a pipe indoors. After a delicious pastry. While still dawdling over one's hot cup of Hong Kong Milk Tea (港式奶茶 'gong sik naai cha').


Generally speaking, the laws against indoor smoking in places catering to the public probably please the distaff side AND my primary care physician to an unseemly degree. "No matter", they probably think, "that all the 'uncles' are outside freezing their 'donkeys' off and catching pneumonia, typhus, and the common cold; the air in here smells CLEAN!"

Meanwhile, Ah Sook (阿叔) is outside coughing his lungs out. Sucked down his Marlboro too fast, because he just stepped out and left his coat over the back of the chair, it's raining, there's a bitter wind, and night is falling. And he's just wearing a damned tee-shirt and flip-flops!

That seldom happens to me. Even in summer, when it's cold in SF. Seeing as I perforce must dress for the outdoors; it's a frigid wilderness out there.
A pipe takes a lot longer.



During Covid times I make my own strong milk tea, under the influence of which I recently paid off a frightening amount of my remaining hospital bill from last year when my apendix exploded and needed excision, suctioning, and massive medications to keep infection at bay. Which was an exciting adventure, oh boy, and I felt no need to smoke until several days later.
A complete waste, because the warm weather had started.

Often I can tell that other members of the Ah Sook fraternity envy me my warm clothing, my equitable temper, my William Faulkneresque image (福克納式嘅風格 'fuk haak naap sik ge fung gaak'), and my plurality of handsome briar pipes.

I'm swilling more milk tea than ever.
But consuming far less sugar.
Except for ice cream.

TOBACCO INDEX


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