Our outings have been, for the most part, free of problems. Even brief trips into the yard without a mask have been bearable, although around us folks are running their fireplaces and woodstoves.
There are holiday smells we love: evergreens and hot chocolate spring to mind. So do baking cookies, cinnamon and nutmeg, and eggnog.
Tonight, we're going to my father-in-law's to visit and give his gift, as he'll be busy with church activities tomorrow. We celebrated the winter solstice quietly at home, and will spend some time tomorrow afternoon with other friends. We'll be visiting, and I'll set up and give a brief tutorial to a new computer user who's getting a laptop.
We wish everyone peace and joy, and a safe holiday season.
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Getting a haircut
It's time again for the quarterly shearing, as we refer our haircuts.
For several years, we had to get haircuts from friends because the chemicals used in most salons are overwhelming. Mostly, we wound up with moderately attractive and highly serviceable styles. Occasionally, we wore hats for a couple weeks until the worst was over.
That ended when Supercuts came to town. They don't do perms, and coloring is limited. Consequently, we only have to deal with the fragranced items. That means that we can get haircuts with a reduced chance of reaction.
We prepare to go there like we do to go anywhere. A prophylactic dose of cough syrup and inhaler in hand, we head in on a day when we're feeling well. If they're crazy busy, we skip it until another day. Early afternoons are best, especially when school is in session. We're usually in and out the door in less than an hour, at a reasonable price.
For several years, we had to get haircuts from friends because the chemicals used in most salons are overwhelming. Mostly, we wound up with moderately attractive and highly serviceable styles. Occasionally, we wore hats for a couple weeks until the worst was over.
That ended when Supercuts came to town. They don't do perms, and coloring is limited. Consequently, we only have to deal with the fragranced items. That means that we can get haircuts with a reduced chance of reaction.
We prepare to go there like we do to go anywhere. A prophylactic dose of cough syrup and inhaler in hand, we head in on a day when we're feeling well. If they're crazy busy, we skip it until another day. Early afternoons are best, especially when school is in session. We're usually in and out the door in less than an hour, at a reasonable price.
Sunday, December 7, 2008
Exterior decorations
We have a HUGE aritifical wreath, complete with lights, that we hang from the peak of the garage. In years past, we've gotten help, but everyone is busy this year, so we tackled it ourselves.
There were several problems with this plan, starting with a fear of heights that includes ladders. The other major complication was that one of the neighbors upwind of us decided to burn green wood and wet leaves, creating a heavy smoky smell. That smell sent us back inside for the nebulizer, cough syrup, and masks.
Great, now my glasses are fogged up, and I have to stop on every rung to clear them. By the time I reached the top of the ladder, I gave up on keeping them completely clear and just started hauling the wreath up with a rope, using the top rung of the ladder for leverage. I have no idea how long it took, but I finally got the wreath on the hook. Then the rope wouldn't disengage. I came down the ladder, got scissors, climbed the ladder again, and finally cut the rope off the wreath.
It is way too windy today to finish the decorating, which consists of finding out why the lighted globes won't light and stringing colored lights along the sections of fence that face the road. Perhaps tomorrow, if I don't have jury duty.
There were several problems with this plan, starting with a fear of heights that includes ladders. The other major complication was that one of the neighbors upwind of us decided to burn green wood and wet leaves, creating a heavy smoky smell. That smell sent us back inside for the nebulizer, cough syrup, and masks.
Great, now my glasses are fogged up, and I have to stop on every rung to clear them. By the time I reached the top of the ladder, I gave up on keeping them completely clear and just started hauling the wreath up with a rope, using the top rung of the ladder for leverage. I have no idea how long it took, but I finally got the wreath on the hook. Then the rope wouldn't disengage. I came down the ladder, got scissors, climbed the ladder again, and finally cut the rope off the wreath.
It is way too windy today to finish the decorating, which consists of finding out why the lighted globes won't light and stringing colored lights along the sections of fence that face the road. Perhaps tomorrow, if I don't have jury duty.
Thursday, December 4, 2008
Walmart again, plus jury duty
This trip to Walmart was much better. We were about two-thirds of the way through the store before I got too close to someone. It wasn't that the scent was displeasing; it was just too strong.
While I coughed, leaning over the cart for support, my sweetheart explained to folks who stopped to see whether they could help what was going on. I used my inhaler when I was able to get a breath, and then put the mask on. These aren't those white masks you can buy anywhere, but black and grey foam with an activated charcoal insert. Guaranteed to be good for two to three days in the most polluted city in this hemisphere, Mexico City. They are quite efficient, but again are uncomfortable and isolating. We joke that we look like junior storm troopers in training, and it scares the heck out of little kids.
Today, I was called in for my first day of jury duty. I am quite familiar with the local court buildings, since part of my job in child support was to build contempt cases against non-custodial parents who didn't pay as ordered. I took no chances this time, and put on the mask just before I got out of the car, and didn't remove it until I was back in the driver's seat.
It was a good thing I did. Although the jury assembly room is large, the chairs are very close to each other, and it was impossible to keep open space around me. The mask filtered the majority of irritants, but leaving the courtroom, one of the bailiffs was wearing something that took my breath and started a minor coughing attack that left me leaning on the wall for half a minute.
While I coughed, leaning over the cart for support, my sweetheart explained to folks who stopped to see whether they could help what was going on. I used my inhaler when I was able to get a breath, and then put the mask on. These aren't those white masks you can buy anywhere, but black and grey foam with an activated charcoal insert. Guaranteed to be good for two to three days in the most polluted city in this hemisphere, Mexico City. They are quite efficient, but again are uncomfortable and isolating. We joke that we look like junior storm troopers in training, and it scares the heck out of little kids.
Today, I was called in for my first day of jury duty. I am quite familiar with the local court buildings, since part of my job in child support was to build contempt cases against non-custodial parents who didn't pay as ordered. I took no chances this time, and put on the mask just before I got out of the car, and didn't remove it until I was back in the driver's seat.
It was a good thing I did. Although the jury assembly room is large, the chairs are very close to each other, and it was impossible to keep open space around me. The mask filtered the majority of irritants, but leaving the courtroom, one of the bailiffs was wearing something that took my breath and started a minor coughing attack that left me leaning on the wall for half a minute.
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