random observations

• Open message to the person who gave me this cold on Christmas Eve:  I understand why you wanted to come to services.  But why oh why did you have to sing?  And sing beside me?  You gave me this cold, and my respiratory system is an embattled one anyway.  Unfortunately, I didn't realize I had this cold until after I was contagious, which means some of my friends have now caught it.  If you are sick and are still within the period of being contagious, please either stay home or tell me.  And I'll stay home.  Now I'll be lucky to get over this by 15 January, because that's just how these things go for me.
• Because I figured I was past the contagious time, I went to Sip and Knit yesterday.  I enjoyed being one of the knitters and not having to answer the yarn shop phone or wait on customers.  I did help other knitters with their questions, but it was fun.  Afterwards a couple of us went to our favorite Vietnamese buffet.  I couldn't taste things as much as I would have liked, so I didn't go nuts.  It's okay, I could still taste peanut sauce.
• Joel got me the Tom Bihn Swift Knitting Bag for Christmas/Hanukah/our anniversary.  I love it.  Yes, I probably told you before.  I still love it.
• Portia has taken over my lap for most of this vacation.  I've not gotten enough knitting done (or movie watching done), but she and I've bonded, which has been wonderful.
• The weather in KC has been crazy.  Snow, ice, rain, almost 70 one day, down to -2 a few days before or later.  I follow a friend's advice to wear layers, and carry sunglasses and an umbrella.
• Ah.  Verizon.  I've used Verizon Wireless for mobile service for a long time.  They were Cellular One (I think) when I signed up in 1994 or so.  I also pay for my mom's cell phone through Verizon.  So when I got a flyer in the mail saying I was eligible for early upgrade, I thought I'd check it out.  I've been interested in a Blackberry for a while, but I've also been drooling over the iPhone (and AT&T is the only provider in the US for the iPhone).
• The vacuous young thing in high heels at my local Verizon store wasn't interested in my business.  She wasn't willing to go beyond quoting how much the service cost would change or anything.  And the phone prices she quoted me were not the same as I saw on Verizon's website.  I told her so.  Sigh.  My contract is up in April and I'm wondering if this relationship should be severed and if I could spring for an iPhone.  I don't have a Mac laptop yet, but boy... I'm hearing sweet things about the iPhone. 

What I hate about having a cold:

• Not being able to swallow -- you think you're going to swallow and yuck, there's this gunk... oh, you're grossed out already.
• Not being able to breathe through the nose.  Especially at night.  Ick.  I wind up sleeping with a cough drop in my mouth to try to avoid coughing in my sleep.  Bad for the teeth, good for the relationship (so Joel can sleep).
• Tissues, tissues, everywhere.  I stand up, walk into the kitchen, and when I come back I find wadded-up tissues on the floor.  I had no idea those were on my lap.  How did that happen?  And in the bed -- wadded-up tissues in the bed.  How weird!
• Deadened sense of smell and taste.  Popcorn tastes good because all you can taste is the salt.  Coffee is drunk because of habit, not because you can taste it.  The shower gel just smells weird -- hope I don't smell weird.
• Speaking is just too weird for words.  Making phone calls to check on things is worrisome -- I don't know if I can be understood.  Using the voice commands on my cell phone is difficult enough (there's not a Southern region or Appalachian region setting for voice recognition) normally, but with a cold it's even worse. 
• Zits and redspots.  Yeah, one's face looks so lovely during a cold.  I get zits and red skin from the tissues rubbing on my face (and I use Puffs with lotion), and it's just so lovely.  NOT.
  
  

And if you've read this far, I wish you a happy new year! I hope 2009 is kinder to us all!!!

Comments

[mosker]

FYI: you can get a 15% discount on your wireless service with AT&T because of your affiliation with the university. Let me know if you decide to change providers and I'll dig out the info about getting the discount.