Sinus Infections: An Environmental Impact Analysis

First, let me preface this post by acknowledging the disgusting nature of the above photo. Second, I would just like to say that this photo was not taken by me or in my home. Thirdly, this photo could have been taken in my home at any point in the past two days. My evil cold from several weeks ago returned this past Sunday, but this time it quickly became a sinus infection. For those of you who are not lucky enough to experience a sinus infection , aka sinusitis, let me tell you the pleasures associated with this condition. It is like having a really bad cold with severe congestion with the added bonus of feeling like you have a piece of granite sitting on top of your forehead. So, I have finally turned to our friend (and foe), western medicine, and started a dose of antibiotics. Still feeling like shit, but hoping I will be able to sleep tonight. At the same time that I have been in this condition, Robb is in the final throws of his first semester in the master's in environmental law program at Vermont Law School. He has been busy working on writing all kind papers in legalease about topics such as land use and zoning regulations. We always share our writing with one another so I have really been trying to be a good listener and editor despite my compromised condition. The picture above of the sick little wolf with the academic-looking racoon reminded me of what Robb and I have looked like over the past few days, only with a little less fur. Robb is a really supportive and loving person so I know it is tough for him to try to balance his studies with my sickness. Still, he has brought me lots of juice, soup, and love. While I sit there looking rather pathetic with my red and runny nose, he "happily" reads his legal briefs and tells me how cute I look (In this case, beauty is really in the eye of the beholder).
As I try to rest, I have been thinking about the environmental impact of this sinus condition. First of all, I have used an obscene amount of tissues and other paper products. I was feeling mildly guilty about this until I learned that you can compost tissues. So, my winter infection could turn into a summer tomato. How cool is that! I have also been taking lots of hot baths and showers and using more than my fair share of the water supply. It is the only way that I ever achieve the feeling that I can breath through my nose for more than a nanosecond so I will just have to ask for forgiveness. On the positive side, I have been spending a lot more time in bed and consequently using a lot less electricity. So, I think it all balances out. So, if you are environmentally minded and suffer from sinus infections, take comfort in the fact, that during this sick period, you just might be carbon neutral.

Kvetching

It has been a rough few days in the land of Sarah (at least according to Sarah). That is why I have spent much of the time kvetching. For those of you who are not familiar with the yiddish term "kvetch," I will translate. To kvetch is to complain incessantly- you know, ramble on about how this sucks or that sucks. This is not a focused argument we are talking about. Mostly kvetching is a verbal expression of excessive self-pity. So, it all started out with a nasty cold that came on Tuesday afternoon, which turned my nose into a faucet the likes of which Atlanta would have been thrilled to see (except there was not water coming out of this faucet). So, then I laid around in bed for the better part of 36 hours in a state of cold-feverish delirium. When I finally pulled myself together to go to work today, it turns out that I probably should have stayed put. Apparently, my psyche had caught the cold that had been residing in my nasal passages. This meant that everything at work felt foggy and irritating. I tried to snap out of it, but all I could think about was how I wanted to go home, sit on my couch, and work on my monkey socks. I realize in the scheme of things, I live a very comfortable life and really should not be complaining about little annoyances that pop up in life, but that's what kvetching is all about. So, I'm glad I got that off my chest. Maybe tomorrow, I will use my chutzpah for something other than kvetching. Oh, and here's something that doesn't suck. I have made some progress on my very own pair of monkey socks. Ain't they pretty in that lovely Schaeffar Anne yarn? Things are looking up already.

Cloudy Day Creature Comforts

The change in time and temperature have me feeling sleepy and a little grumpy. I love fall and winter, but this in between season, has me needing lots of creature comforts. Luckily, I think I that I live with one of cutest furry creatures on the planet, Ella T. Dogg. When I come home after a long day, there she is jumping up on the other side of the door and wagging her tail. When I am checking my bank account online in a financial panic, there she is just waiting for a scratch behind the ears. When I can't sleep at night, she curls up against me and keeps me company (Yes, she sleeps in our bed). Look at that face. How could you not be comforted?

Quiet Season? Stick Season ? Fiber Season!

What is this season in between Fall and Winter? The time where the trees are almost bare, but there is no snow on the ground. In Vermont, I have heard this time referred to as stick season and, more recently, as quiet season. While I think stick season is a better sell to the canine tourist industry, quiet season sounds a bit more romantic from the human perspective. To me, this feels like fiber season! I have dug out several projects that were hibernating in the warmer months and I have started working on my spinning. The picture to the left shows my most recent spinning efforts. In honor of this season, I did choose some fiber that reminded of the current landscape. I acquired this fiber at Vermont Sheep and Wool festival back in September. It is a wool/mohair mix from Fantom Farm. I have spun about half of what I have and, in a moment of spinning confidence, decided that I am going to spin the other half on another bobbin and try my hands at plying. I think I may have officially caught the spinning bug.