My immune system is needing an overhaul. Either it's working too hard, or not enough. Maybe a new timing belt.
There was definitely something evil in the library air today. It smelled like mildew, but may just have been a perfume sample in one of the magazines. They pretty much smell the same to me. Icky. Even perfume that smells good makes me sick. And now I can make you sick, too, via remote control. Here goes:
The ickiest thing about being allergic to fragrances is that they taste bad. Right. When there's a strong scent in the air, I can taste it, like a coating on my tongue. I'm assuming that this isn't normal because it didn't happen to me before I developed allergies. Back then, good smells just smelled good. Now all strong smells -- floral or chemical smells, mostly -- just taste bad. Fortunately, fresh baked chocolate chip cookies (and most other food smells, except that vegan crap) still smell and taste good.
I was trying to track it down all day, but no good. It came, it went. It was strongest at my desk, and in the dead center of the library. I thought for awhile it might be in Colleague's office, but she assured me that she would already be dead if that were the case. Her allergies are way worse than mine.
What is my allergic reaction to all this? Either an asthma attack, which means very very mild wheezing and a whole lot of chest pain, or a killer sinus headache. And of course, the icky taste.
Sinus. Sinii? The human head generally holds five pair of sinuses. [Warning: this link is to a very strange picture.] My head's only got four; I was apparantly born without frontal sinuses, the ones that sit above your eyebrows. Three different doctors refused to believe their own x-rays, or what I told them, and felt the need to prove this repeatedly some years ago. The last one told me oh, well, one less pair to get infected.
Swell. My problem is those damn maxillary sinuses, the red ones in the picture. The one under my right eye is going to kill me. I can see it now:
"Middle-aged Librarian Felled by Rogue Sinus. Film at Eleven."
For years, it's gotten all infected up and given me one of those "knife in the eye" headaches. That's what my sister calls them. That's what they feel like.
But not this time! Right Max has thrown me a curve this time! No eye pain at all! Instead, just a toothache.
A toothache. Since July, in fact. I should probably see a doctor, you think? Okay, I'm going tomorrow. Really.
No idea why I waited so long, very unlike me. Very. I'll bet I just need an antiobiotic, but I think I was afraid it was the tooth, and I would need root canal. Look at me, I had brain surgery, no problem, and I'm afraid of a root canal.
As inkdragon pointed out, the fine Mr. Patrick Stewart is on Frasier tonight. Alas, he is playing a character somewhat more gay than I generally prefer my men to be. I can always turn the sound off and watch. (Although I did enjoy his performance in Jeffrey, and they don't make men gayer than that.)
Speaking of gay men -- I was, wasn't I? -- just wanted to share this, since I enjoyed it myself. At lunch today, I was talking to my GSA co-advisor about an upcoming presentation to the faculty we're planning (examining one's attitudes towards gay people, etc. etc.) and I said something general about gay members of the staff and not wanting them to feel uncomfortable, so I asked for his opinion, since he would be a good source for this. Which he was. He then described himself as "deeply closeted" and I pointed out that he is most certainly not that, since he came out to his whole family, church, and a variety of other staff members he's close to. He just doesn't talk about it real publicly, and especially not to kids, because why would anyone do that, anyway? So he thought a minute and then agreed with me. "It's really more of a ... walk-in closet" he said. I liked that.
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I'm watching Golden Girls
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Sweet Sorrow - 06.12.2007
So ... - 12.19.2006
Christmastime Is Near - 12.18.2006
Fifteen Years - 12.17.2006
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