What Are You Going To Do ...?

[copied from dland]

I was born during a January blizzard and have been cold ever since. Well, nearly ever since. I was cold from the minute I was born until I had my first hot flash, and then all bets were off. Now, I'm generally too warm or too cold, but rarely in between, which is not that big a surprise, I guess. Even so, I can't stand to carry around bulk. This weekend, I washed both my winter jackets -- the warm one and the really, really warm one -- and put them away. I don't care if it snows, I am not bringing those mofos up from the basement until next year.

When I was a kid, and I would bundle myself up for a trip out into the winter wonderland, my father would say "What are you going to do when it gets cold?" Keep in mind that he would say this during, say, a January blizzard when I was going out to shovel snow. He personally shoveled snow wearing ordinary clothes, a twill windbreaker, a hat that used to be known as "a Rex Harrison hat" and his Army boots. Jack did not experience cold as we know it, at least not until years later when he was taking a blood thinner and was thereafter cold all the time. Even so, this was just one of his jokes. Reminding us, in his way, that no matter how bad it seemed, it could still get worse. He grew up in New England winters, after all.

This morning, I put on a t-shirt and a cardigan, and threw my heavier weight denim jacket on over it when I went to take out some garbage. Then I left the jacket home before heading off to work. Yes, it was about 40 degrees, but it's going up to 70, they say. What did I need a jacket for?

On my one-mile way to work, I passed several people walking who were wearing down parkas, all zipped up, and wool hats pulled down over their ears. Let's be realistic, people. Seriously. What are you going to do when it gets cold?

My weekend was as dull as dishwater. Not negative in any way, just very duuuullllll. The one thing I really wanted -- sleep -- eluded me for the most part, and I am exhausted. Once again, I wake up in the morning and my first thought is I'm so tired! It's on my list for the doctor. Maybe I have some kind of iron or magnesium or some other deficiency. Maybe they'll tell me take a vitamin and suddenly I'll have energy and be like a kid again! Hey, don't laugh, it could happen.

By the by, here's the result of an itty bit of research I've been doing today. Did you know that peppermint is good for a whole host of complaints, especially stomach-aches? Well, I did know that, but never cared much because I'm not a fan of peppermint in general. Even so, lately I've been enjoying peppermint life-savers for some reason, and they have practically no calories so I have maybe one a day. Sometimes more. Now here's the kicker: did you know that if you have GERD (which is Gastric Reflux something or other) you are supposed to AVOID peppermint because it causes ... wait for it ... heartburn? Learn something new every day! I never even noticed that peppermint was on the list of foods to avoid because I avoided peppermint anyway when I was first diagnosed with the GERD. So there you go. Mystery solved. My heartburn last week was caused by life-savers, which is certainly ironic. (I actually remember having more than usual that day, because I'd had a coughing spell and was trying to soothe my throat afterwards.)

In other news, I have my new hearing aids back -- I've decided to call them Rose and Ben, after my late aunt and uncle -- and so far, so good. Everything sounds the way it should sound -- I guess; how would I really know? Okay, everything seems to sound all right. I need to wear them in many more situations before I pass judgment, but it looks like things are good.

On another note, something or other prompted a discussion in the faculty room this morning -- all *ahem* older women -- about being worried about your kids or something, and I told them the story I told you yesterday about being nuts because R's cellphone went to voicemail so naturally I assumed she was dead, and their reaction was pretty much Oh, yeah, that happens to me all the time. !!! I was not the nutso in the room! You coulda knocked me over with a feathah. I guess I am a more typical nutso than I ever imagined.

Speaking of which, K's train is due in from DC ... let me see ... now, exactly, 3.51 PM. I expect a phone call from her within the half hour telling me that she's gotten her car out of the parking garage and is about to start the ride home up the Parkway. So within a half hour I will either be a) fine, or b) insane. It's a crapshoot. We'll see what happens.

WATCHING DR. PHIL :: ENTRY #1419