Reflections in the Dragon's Eye: A Journal

12 October 2000

So, as I told the mailing list in a long, ramble-y e-mail last night, I was sick for most of yesterday. I thought it might be the typical morning sniffles or allergies, but it was definitely a cold. I went home from work early and failed to take a nap, so around 8:00, I took a couple of Tylenol PM. I went to bed at about 8:45 and crashed so hard that when K.T. called only half an hour later, the phone ringing didn't even enter my consciousness, much less wake me up. I only know about it because Matt apologized this morning for not answering the phone very quickly.

I seem to be at least somewhat better this morning, though my nose and upper lip are dry and chapped. I'm afraid to put blistex or even lotion on them, because I'm afraid the scent will set off another sneezing/sniffling fit - I can feel them lurking high up on the right side of my sinus cavity, a sort of itch just below my eyeball.

So. My latest journal that I've been reading is Earthmovers and Sandcastles by Carrie Richmond, and I've been enjoying it immensely, though she and I have a lot of differences of opinion. But that's okay. If I only wanted opinions that exactly matched my own, I'd just read my own journal, right?

I have to tell you, my method, when I start reading a new journal, is not to read any current entries until I've worked my way through the archives. This results in certain problems, most notably, I always always find myself wanting to write them about things they've said in older entries. I've had this happen to me - I got an e-mail once that I couldn't figure out at all until some days later, when I realized it was in reference to an older journal entry. I wouldn't have minded so much if they'd specified that right away.

Anyway, I usually try to curb that urge. After all, the situation might have completely changed by the present. And by the time I get to the current entries, I've usually forgotten what it was I so urgently wanted to say. But yesterday, I just couldn't help myself. Carrie was talking about the discomfort she feels when her in-laws come to visit, especially the discomfort of them insisting to pay when they go out to dinner.

I sortof knew how she felt, but I thought I might have a way of looking at it that would help her, and the entry was only a few months old. So I gave in and wrote (being careful to tell her which entry I was referring to, and even quoting a couple of lines so she wouldn't have to go back and read it herself).

Last night, sniffling my way through the tomato soup that was my dinner, I finished reading her archives and got up to her current entries. As I read yesterday's entry, all I could think was, Oh, shit. Not only had my mail been somewhat impolitic, but I couldn't have timed it worse if I'd tried - there are other, much larger issues with the mother-in-law, and my letter about the somewhat petty problem months old can't possibly have been a good thing.

Damn it. I really liked what I saw of Carrie in her journal. Despite our many differences, we have quite a few similarities, and I'd been sortof hoping I might strike up a sort of e-mail friendship with her. It's almost certainly not going to happen now. Damn, damn, damn. Should've gone with my first impulse, and kept my big mouth shut. I hate it when I do these things...

On more happy fronts...

Today is Becky's birthday. Well, okay, today isn't Becky's birthday; that was Tuesday. But she was in a meeting over lunch on Tuesday, and another on Wednesday, so today we're going out to lunch with her. Happy Birthday, Becky!

I knew Karen would come through for me! She answered yesterday's poll for me: the sign was meant to be a draw to stamp collectors, a special stamp cancellation with a picture instead of just a date. Damn, but I love having a friend who's a research librarian!

I heard a radio commercial this morning for 7-11. Not a rare occurrence, really, except this one caught my attention - they were bragging that they had the new no-cal sweetener, Splenda, available. It's made from sugar, so it's supposed to taste like sugar, without any weird aftertastes like saccharine and aspartame have. It's also supposedly available in a granulated form, so you can use it for baking.

I'd heard of this about a year ago, but it wasn't available in our area. Now I really want to try it. I almost turned into the 7-11 near our house to grab a few packets to try on my tea, and I'm still considering doing so when we go out for Becky's lunch today. A no-cal sweetener that actually tastes like sugar would mean I could drink coffee again! (I use a lot of sugar in coffee. Three or four spoonfuls per cup. That adds up pretty quick when I'm dieting.) And the granulated form would take quite a bit of the sting out of my favorite peanut butter pie, which I've been craving for about two weeks now.

I know, I know, it's probably too good to be true. Has anyone else out there tried it? What did you think?

Word of the Day: impolitic - rash; tactless; not politic

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