Listening: A woman a few cubicles over saying ... something. I don't know if she's listening to music and singing the words or just in a lot of pain - it's hard to tell.

Reading (perhaps quality): Sister Carrie by Theodore Dreiser

Reading (definitely pulp): Finished Ballet Shoes by Noel Streatfeild.

Drinking: Iced Tea.

October 31, 2003
12:15 pm

Allergies returned last night. Sometime around 10 last night was lying down on the couch knitting another snake scarf, watching "Dogma" with Anna asleep on my stomach when they thundered in. Headache. Foggy feeling ears. Itchy eyes. Stuffed up feeling from my head draining down. I continued purling, hoping that by pleasantly pretending they weren't there they'd leave. No such luck. So I clambered up, popped some Claritin, and settled in for the fall season of sinus headaches and sniffles.

I never had allergies before I moved to DC. My mom's had them for years - I remember when we lived in Berkeley on really bad days she'd go about the place with one of those white surgical masks on. I used to make fun of her then, blissfully and uncongestedly going about my roller skating or whatever business. Then I came down here to DC for college and within a couple of years I noticed each spring and fall I would get this long cold. A cold that didn't seem to go away and got worse when I spent a lot of time outside. It took me a little time (not so quick on the uptake with this sort of thing) but I realized what it was. Have been cobbling together some kind of medical cocktail to alleviate my symptoms since. And to her credit, my mom hasn't mocked me too much.

But Fall is here. Leaves have been turning for a while and the weather's been doing temperature somersaults. Look it's 45 degrees! Now it's 80! Woo hoo, back to 50! Annoying when it comes to getting dressed in the morning though thank goodness it is all pretty temperate. Anna doesn't seem to be shedding more than normal though the change in time does mean that the early morning "let's all wake up" call is coming earlier. It's not cool but it is a little funny - she'll tap me with her paw - on my face, my arm, chest, whatever is not covered in blankets is fair game - until I open my eyes. Then when I wake up she sticks her face next to mine and looks all surprised as if saying "Oh you're awake now? Great! Let's hang out." That's usually the point where I turn over and go back to sleep.

(Wow that story really serves as a double whammy for making sure no one will want to crash at my place for a while -- not only are cat stories decidedly un-sexy but even if I could lure someone home he now knows uninterrupted sleep is at least initially unlikely. Oh well.)

Went out walking with Leigh last night - around Courthouse and Clarendon, into the neighborhoods with the lovely big and old houses. Sigh. Good conversation (of course) and a nice evening to be out walking, lusting over other people's property. I despair about ever being able to afford a great house, but a least I've got great friends to stroll around with...

Doing (life and related tasks): Work work work (at work) for this Veteran's Day project. Crazy busy social schedule hanging out with friends otherwise.

Doing (crafty stuff): Finished the snake scarf (wore it yesterday) and am working on others for gifts. Gave SS the SS the hat I worked on last week.

Wanting: Some sleep.

Anticipating: Fun at the parties this weekend.