So I ended up just going to urgent care because I haven’t gotten any better. I may have to miss class tomorrow, but what can I do? I got a shot and a prescription for more medicine. Oh fun. I also have to get some bloodwork done, go to my regular doctor and get a referral to an allergist.

My injection site is hurting. This isn’t fun at all.

This crap is getting ridiculous. I was miserable last night. I ran out this morning and bought an OTC antihistamine. I’m hoping that works better than the prescription. I think the worse part is that outer portion of my ears itch. You can’t scratch too hard there and rubbing it just makes it worse.

I’m so miserable that I am not even in the mood to surf or watch TV. Beavis, this sucks.

I’m having an allergic reaction to something. It is bad. I mean itching, bumps, everything. I’ve taken an antihistamine and I am hoping that it works. We’ll know soon. All I know is that it is driving me crazy.

While waiting for my class to start this morning, I fell asleep on one of the couches in one of the engineering buildings. I proceeded to have a dream about solving the program I had been working on before falling asleep. Then in the dream a professor from last semester walked by me (asleep) on the couch, laughing because I always seemed to be on the same couch whenever he sees me. Funny thing is, that last part is true. I am always studying or going to sleep or waking up on the same couch when that professor sees me.

OK, itching still. Must resist the urge to scratch.

A damn squirrel just climbed on my shoulders as I was sitting on a bench. It wanted my raisins, so no we are sharing them. It is going to be pissed when I leave in a few minutes. Oh well.

I get paranoid sometimes. Just your usual home worries. Did I lock the doors, is the stove off, did I close the refrigerator door all the way? Silly, but it still bothers me sometimes. Don’t you hate those moments?

I’m on campus early. I had errands to run before I got here and they went faster than planned. The accident on the main road I take (and only one around the lake) and that I figured would slow me down, was cleared up before I got near. I’m not sure if I consider this luck or not. At least I brought my laptop. That was mainly because Eric is bringing his spork for a photo shoot. Nah, I need to take pictures of it for something we are doing. I want to check the pictures as soon as possible.

I may take some pictures around campus, just for fun. Tomorrow I should get out early enough, so I may do some more yard work and take some pictures of that. I’m sure you are all itching to see the destruction that came in the wake of the wrath of Josh.

I suppose I should head to class now. It is a two networking lab. It is the same length as the actual class. Don’t ask, I don’t know!

Am I the only one that didn’t know about the two cent increase on postage rates? Crap. I was going to mail out some bills tomorrow, but I guess I need to go buy some two cent stamps.

I used the neti pot again after all of the yardwork we’ve done and it stung again. I survived and my nostrils feel clearer. I really think it is getting the saline level correct. I found this pdf file after this latest attempt. I just need to get the right type of salt!

It would seem that the azalea plants that are still firmly planted are pleading for their lives. They have all started blooming, again. I’ve lost count of how many times they have bloomed this spring. Did the witnessing of the death march of their comrades have anything to do with it? Or was it just the rain lately? Until we develop a common language, we will never know. Josh took the chain saw to some large fallen limbs and to a tree. It felt like it missed the house by inches.

If you recall in a previous episode, I had been thinking about purchasing a neti pot. I decided to try the drugstore down the street to see if they had one. They did.

I ended up purchasing The SinuCleanse Neti Pot System. It isn’t anything fancy. It is simple plastic. It comes with a sodium chloride/sodium bicarbonate solution for you to use. The solutions are individually packaged so you don’t have to measure. Not a bad idea.

I know what you are all asking, “So how did it go?” I’ll tell you.

I read the instructions. I was mostly interested in what to do with the solution and how much water to add. They were simple instructions, so no worries there. One thing I did note is that they mention about for some people the solution packets may need to be used in two session (half a package to a nostril).

I followed the instructions in making my mix. Then I started the cleanse! I did my right side first and all went well. I blew my nose and I could already breathe better out of that nostril. Then I prepared the solution for the left side. I started that one and in my head I heard Gollum screaming, “It burns, burns…” because it was burning like hell! So, after blowing my nose and wiping away my tears (yes, there were tears), I added more water, but not any more of the solution. It still burned, so I added more water (still no more solution). That worked. It went fine from that point.

So, did it work. On my right nostril, yes. My left is still undecided. I definitely feel a difference in both nostrils. I also umm, watched some stuff come out. Hey, I was doing yard work today, what do you expect?

What I will do differently next time.

• For the love of Pete and Pete, I have to remember to use bottled water rather than tap. What in the hell was I thinking? Our water is good here, except for a bit higher level of sodium bicarbonate (one of the solution ingredients).
• Next time I will also use plain old salt. Saline solutions are what are typically recommended, but I thought I would give the SinuCleanse solution a try. I believe the ratio of salt to water is a teaspoon of salt to a cup of water. I’m going to double check that first though. That could be rough if there is too much salt!
• Oh and getting the water temperature right is important. Lukewarm is a hard thing to determine sometimes.

Tips for those that want to try it.*

• Have bottled water to use, a box of tissues to blow your nose and some salt.
• If it burns, stop! Check the water temperature. If it burns with slightly cooler water, try adjusting the solution ratio.
• All you have to do is breathe through your mouth. Don’t worry.
• Don’t use it if you have a stuffy nose. The water isn’t going to go anywhere if you have snot blocking the way!!
• Blow your nose gently. It helps, honestly.
• As much as you may want to, don’t do it every day. If you think that you NEED to do it every day, you will want to consult your doctor.

*I’m not a doctor nor do I claim to be one. I’m just telling you what worked for me. You are dumping water into your nose, not me. If something goes wrong, it isn’t anyone’s fault but your own!

I was searching for information on removing some of the shrubs in my backyard and I came across some interesting questions on Yahoo! Answers.

What should I do about a body buried in my yard? and Help i punctured my testicle. what should i do? were my favorites. Of course they are jokes, but some of the responses are pretty funny. Some people take the questions way to seriously. All you have to do is look at the other questions they have posted and know that they are joking.

Mr. Blondin, where are you? We just wanted to say hi, but cannot find you. Dagnabit!

Mr. Britt, where are you? We hear things through the grapevine, but alas no one ever has a number on hand.

So a few months back (err a semester or two ago) I bought some ice-bots. They are cute little things. I was testing out my camera (taking pictures of various things) when I snapped a shot of my ice-bots and one of the cat’s toys. It all came together.

I give you… an Ice-Bot Story. I may get more and write more stories, I haven’t decided.