Reflecting on the Allergy Shots

So.  For the past 18 months, I have been getting allergy shots.  Every single week.  Just when I was getting to the point of "OMG I am so sick of this, I am going to quit", I had an appointment with my allergist and he told me that I was really close to maxing out the dosage and moving into Phase 2.  It took longer than usual because:

1. My awesome immune system changed its mind about which types of mold make it mad.  I had to start over.
2. During the Great Mold Infestation of 2009, I started reacting to the weekly shots and was held back on the dosages.

Phase two is "maintenance".  I stay at this dosage and only go in for shots every other week.  I have dropped one of the three daily prescriptions I'd been taking.  BCBS will be happy to hear both of these things.  I am happy that I can start sleeping late on Saturdays.  Some Saturdays.

In my doctor's office, all of the kids get their shots on Saturdays.  So if I don't get there by 8:30, right when the doors open, the office is packed.  To get to Highland Park by 8:30, I have to be out the door shortly after 8am.  In order to be up and dressed with contacts in and teeth brushed...to give Kiwi her fresh food and water and medicine (next recheck 12/18)....Well.  I get perhaps an extra hour of sleep over the average day in a workweek.  This is not the purpose of a Saturday.  Of course, taking quizzes is not the purpose of a Saturday, either.

OK, now I'm just complaining.  Weren't we talking about shopping?

Deep Lacquer

I was at Joann Fabrics today.  While I was waiting for them to call my number, (so that I could get a yard of fleece for Kay who is making a jacket for the dog) I saw some stackable plastic drawers.  I picked up three, thinking that I really must do something about the mess of cosmetics in my bathroom.  I have an old Caboodle's box - you know, the ones that were modeled on the things fishermen use - that is in seriously bad shape.

I really did have some old stuff in there.  The experimental green eyeshadow.  Gone.  Two pairs of earrings.  I'd been wondering where they went.  Clinique Deep Lacquer lipstick.

It was a deep red.  I didn't wear it every day..I wore it on "bad girl" days.  So, not all that often after college.   The last time I wore it was perhaps five years ago.  I put it on before work, just for fun.  My friend Nicholle told me it was freaking her out and I was to go to the bathroom to wash it off and never wear it again.

Would you believe that I did?

I don't wear much lipstick because I rather believe that a lady either accentuates her eyes or her lips but not both.  I choose the eyes.  Also, I no longer wear red nail polish because my mother has convinced me that it doesn't look right if you don't have long fingernails.  Which I will never have again.  Actually, my color was "Toast of New York" but nevermind.  Back in the day, I had a signature color and a signature scent.

I also stopped wearing perfume because I don't think it belongs in the workplace.   Too many people don't know how much is too much and I don't wish to contribute to the problem.  But one day last year when I happen to be going past an H20 store, I stopped in to consider buying my old scent in a lotion.  I remember taking a whiff and thinking, "Yes.  This is how I used to smell.  I don't smell like this anymore."  And I walked out of the store.

So instead of Deep Lacquer lipstick, Mariel perfume and Toast of New York, I am wearing Bigelow lip gloss, smelling like cranberry body butter and my fingernails are...(reaching over to look at the bottle)...Country Club Khaki. 

Wait.  Country Club Khaki?  I suddenly want to kill myself.

Anyway.  I kept the earrings.  Tossed the lipstick.

What I Learned During the Black Friday Shopping

1. Those awesome-looking wireless charging pads?   I went into Best Buy where they weren't even on sale and the sales lady made sure I understood that in addition to the $100 I'd be paying for the pad, I would be required to purchase these adapter thingies for each device I planned to use on the wireless charger.  $30 each, assuming they are even compatible.  Not so awesome.   Which leads to...
2. Now I am thinking I should buy the Wii Mario Brothers for Scott.  Which means there is a very real possibility that he and I might get each other the same gift for Christmas.  Again.
3. The cell phone lot at O'Hare is a myth.  There are rumors, but I couldn't find it.  Therefore, it does not exist.  I did, however, find the Starbucks at Baggage Claim in Terminal 3.  Starbucks is no myth.
4. If there is a silver lining to the H1N1 virus, I think it is that people are making honest attempts to not cough and/or sneeze on other people.  I didn't notice it until yesterday, but I appreciate the collective effort.
5. Between the retailers planning better, the shoppers having a sense of humor and the options to go online...I think we are getting pretty good at this nonsense.

So It Begins

I hadn't planned on doing Black Friday for real. But yesterday during the Lions game I was going through the paper and had an idea. And then I compared prices. And then I found one that was substantially better than the others. That could only be found before 1pm on Friday.

I was at Carson's by 7:30 this morning. Shopper's tip: the Rewards Card discount works on Door Busters. Ha ha!

I can't go into detail because people for whom I shop also read my stupid blog. But suffice it to say that I rocked the shopping today. In between getting my allergy shot, having lunch at Meatheads, and picking up my brother at the airport.

And I have three gifts wrapped. 

Night Castle, by Trans-Siberian Orchestra

I believe I mentioned that I had pre-ordered - on CD, no less - the new release from Trans-Siberian Orchestra.  It is a 2-disk rock opera called Night Castle.  TSO is best known for its Christmas-themed rock operas.  You know that commercial with the house and the holiday lights that rock out to music?  That was TSO.  You know that rock version of "Carol of the Bells"?  That was actually in an earlier rock opera called Dead Winter Dead.  I believe the song was called "Sarajevo 12/24", but anyway, that was them, too.  Although now that I am thinking about it, that might have been Savatage, Paul O'Neill's other band. 

Whatever.  You know what I am talking about and I am too lazy to check my iTunes right now.

So.  Night Castle.  Just before I started writing, I remembered that I hadn't finished reading the liner notes yet.  They contain the narrative of the story, in addition to the lyrics.  Then I decided that the music should stand on its own merits.  As if I really know anything about music.  A good story?  I know something about that.  Good music?  Not so much.

What has attracted me to TSO has been that they take old, familiar classical tunes and turn them into hard rock so that we hear it in a whole new way.  So I guess what they do is more "arranging" than "composing" but I sure don't care.  And I don't think Beethoven minds, either.  In fact, I am pretty sure that Beethoven would appreciate the new audience.

The instrumental arrangements were great, as usual.  I thought the vocals were rather hit-or-miss, though. 
And also, something about this piece sounded a bit...recycled.  TSO absolutely recycles its own stuff, and that's ok.  In fact, I am pretty sure "Sarajevo 12/24" is on one of the Christmas albums.  But I still felt like I have heard it all before, particularly with some of the cheesier lyrics.  "You are the star that is wished upon" is a good example.  I clicked into the reviews at Amazon.com to find out if I am all jaded or insane or just plain wrong.  Instead, there was some validation.

Bottom line:  not bad.  But not Beethoven's Last Night, either.

I should go finish reading the narrative now.

Volunteers are Cool.

Yesterday was my regular day at the Rescue.  My office closed early, so I figured I would take care of one room by myself and leave the others for the rest of the team, which would arrive between 4 and 5pm.  I asked the Karen, Volunteer Director how we were staffed for Thanksgiving Day.  She said that she would be there with one other person, Brett, who is a regular Thursday volunteer.

Unacceptable.

Back in the old days, two people could manage the daily chores.  Sort of.  If I remember the math correctly, we figured that one person could feed, water and clean the cages in 7 hours.  So two would be there for 3 1/2 hours.  Now the place is bigger and there are more birds.  I would say three people is really the minimum.  Four is decent.  Five is good.

Most of the time, though, if one extra person can put in an hour it helps a lot.  So I said I could put in an hour.  Which generally means I will be there for 1 1/2 hours or maybe two.  When I arrived at nine this morning, Karen said that Pat, Jose, Susanna and Bijan were all coming in addition to Brett.  Word got around, it seems.

So I opened all of the rooms.  Uncovering all of the cages, I now know, takes 20 minutes.  The morning meds were already done.  I pulled out all of the dirty water dishes, unloaded and reloaded the dishwasher.  I snuggled the killer lovebird in a towel so that Susanna could clean out her cage.  At some point I looked up and I had been there 90 minutes.  Four of the five other volunteers had arrived and were working at a pretty quick clip.

It's nice that no one had to be exhausted before hanging out with their families.

Awesome.

Billy has some flash-eye here, and apparently Picasa can't fix that the same way as it can fix red-eye. But I am putting it up here for two reasons:

1. Proof that Billy stepped up for me. Do you think I could get a grey on that hanging, swinging perch any other way?
2. To show you that awesome swing. $30 at Drs. Foster and Smith. There is another one with an additional tier for $10, but I was afraid it wouldn't fit in that corner. I was very pleased.

Simon's Cat

I had never heard of this before, but it was posted in USAToday.com's Pet section.  It might be the funniest thing I have ever seen. 

The Bookshelves

Since I had a dangerously high tower of unread books piled on the speaker next to my to-be-read bookcase, and since the Library's Used Book Sale is in a couple of weeks, I decided to cull.  As in Donating Books I Haven't Even Read Yet.

Who does that?

Well, I do.  Since most of the books I buy cost a dollar or two, it isn't all that much of a waste.  And really, I was never going to read that sequel to Pride & Prejudice, anyway.  And that biography of Charles Lindbergh?   I'm no longer excited by it. 

I nearly pulled out that Ellroy novel, because utter_scoundrel informed me that it was the second in a series.  I won't get to it for years.  First, I have to find the book that begins the series.  In a used book store for two dollars or less.  Then I have to decide that I am in the mood for Ellroy.  Then six more months will go by before I decide I am in the mood for more Ellroy.  Is it worth the space it will be taking up until then?  Eh.  I'll ask myself again before the summer sale.  There is also a non-fiction about the Lusitania that I nearly pulled out, but then I remembered I actually borrowed it from my friend Eric.  Eleven years ago when I was living in the old apartment.

I cheated and pulled out a book on Jefferson and Hamilton.  I know I'm not going to read it, but it is lovely older piece - 1926 printing - that I can't quite give away.  I shelved it in my real library and if anyone asks I will say, "I use it for reference purposes".

I did so well that I think I might have room for three more new books on my seven shelf to-be-read bookcase.  Maybe if I did more reading and less blogging about reading....

Holiday Travel

USAToday.com had a good article called, “Ten tips to ease the hassles of holiday flying”. It listed the usual stuff, but won me over with two gems.


First, “If you're planning to drive, remember that this is one of the busiest times of the year and that the parking facilities hit capacity at some airports. If you drive to the airport and find a full lot, that delay could cause you to miss your flight.”

That could so easily happen to me. While I am fully aware that there will be fools in the security line, I would be totally thrown if I couldn’t park in my usual spot.

And second, “If your flight gets canceled or you miss your connection, the only people that can help get you out of the airport work for the airline. So no matter how frazzled your nerves, smile and be pleasant. Even if you're sure the airline is at fault, a smile is more likely to fix your problem than snarky comments and a raised voice.”

Seriously, people. When you are disrespectful to the airline staff, you are making everyone miserable. Just don’t do it.

Thanks to Joy, who ran a meeting for me on Monday, I am not travelling on Thanksgiving week for the first time in…several years. I will give you my trick for surviving the travel day. It works for me every time and I am pretty sure that I am a less patient person than you. Are you ready? This is what I tell myself:

“As long as I get there today, I will be just fine.”

I can say this because I have never been stuck in an airport overnight, so I presume that my luck will hold. Once during a delay, I read two books and had to pay retail for a third. I once packed my iPod charger and had to buy a new one to keep my music going. I once had to talk to strangers because I was so bored. Whatever I have to do to get through the day without being part of the problem, I will do.

That’s what Thanksgiving is all about, Charlie Brown. Don’t be part of the problem.