Cherry Blossom Festival

I had my first attack during the Cherry Blossom Festival here in Washington, DC. It was still pretty cool outside and the breezes picked up the light scent of cherry blossoms. My boyfriend and I decided to go downtown and walk around the Tidal Basin for a bit. At the time, the left side of my body was only partially under my control. I'd lost taste in the left side of my mouth.

My left arm and leg were fascinating to me at the time because they were like disobedient pets: if I wanted to walk forward, those two limbs would only partially pay attention and I'd have to put extra effort into steering them correctly. If I approached stairs, my left leg would shoot up in the air, suddenly attacking the steps as I went up, which certainly surprised the public. If I went to put a glass down on the counter and turned away, my left hand would "forget" to let go of the glass and instead swipe it off the counter.

I know it sounds kind of alarming but at times it was humorous. I would turn back to my hand and say in my head, "What is your problem? Do I have to do everything for you?," which made me chuckle.

This silent confrontation rarely resulted in any improvement. Later I would turn to my leg and say "Grow up! Stop overreacting, you baby," when it would charge up the stairs.

Needless to say, the trip downtown was interesting because there were tens of thousands of tourists and crowds everywhere. I managed to navigate just fine and didn't fall off any walkways into the tidal basin. I even reached up to smell the blossoms clinging above our heads. I noticed I had already developed a fear of accidentally kicking someone walking near me, but I did not.

It was a beautiful night, despite the unruly pets.