Archive for August 2008
If fragrance were a man I'd shoot him.
Update: see Poison Scents, my blog dedicated to my fragrance sensitivity.
So this fragrance sensitivity I have, it is the real deal. As you may remember, I took out most everything in my house that contained fragrance and saw an immediate improvement. Over the past couple of weeks I have had much less eye fatigue, no headache, little to no sinus pressure. I've had a stuffy nose, but it's the regular variety. I'm getting to a point where I can live with it.
I was able to find a fragrance-free version of everything in the house, but some things are available only through the internet and cost quite a bit more, such as dishwashing soap, so I'm dragging my feet on those. We're still using the old Soft Soap, and my husband still uses his Irish Spring (making the concession of keeping it under the cabinet when not in use, not sure that's good enough), and I'm using my kid's shampoo since the smell is not nearly as strong as mine.
Everything was peachy...Until I whipped out the carpet stain remover. You know the kind where you spray it on the stain and wait three minutes and blot? That stuff will tear you a new sinus cavity. I didn't consider as I sprayed it on that even after I blotted, the stuff would still be sitting there, in my carpet, silently giving off noxious fumes. By the end of the day I had a migraine. My first headache in weeks.
The headache is only annoying this morning, but I've been sneezing and having trouble focusing already. I tried rinsing and blotting again, but it didn't work. I guess I have to break out the big guns: the carpet shampooer. Of course I won't be using shampoo, only rinsing. Just think, I used to make my whole house smell like that shit... *shudder*
No wonder I had migraines.
So this fragrance sensitivity I have, it is the real deal. As you may remember, I took out most everything in my house that contained fragrance and saw an immediate improvement. Over the past couple of weeks I have had much less eye fatigue, no headache, little to no sinus pressure. I've had a stuffy nose, but it's the regular variety. I'm getting to a point where I can live with it.
I was able to find a fragrance-free version of everything in the house, but some things are available only through the internet and cost quite a bit more, such as dishwashing soap, so I'm dragging my feet on those. We're still using the old Soft Soap, and my husband still uses his Irish Spring (making the concession of keeping it under the cabinet when not in use, not sure that's good enough), and I'm using my kid's shampoo since the smell is not nearly as strong as mine.
Everything was peachy...Until I whipped out the carpet stain remover. You know the kind where you spray it on the stain and wait three minutes and blot? That stuff will tear you a new sinus cavity. I didn't consider as I sprayed it on that even after I blotted, the stuff would still be sitting there, in my carpet, silently giving off noxious fumes. By the end of the day I had a migraine. My first headache in weeks.
The headache is only annoying this morning, but I've been sneezing and having trouble focusing already. I tried rinsing and blotting again, but it didn't work. I guess I have to break out the big guns: the carpet shampooer. Of course I won't be using shampoo, only rinsing. Just think, I used to make my whole house smell like that shit... *shudder*
No wonder I had migraines.
"She wore an itsy-bitsy, teeny-weeny..."
I really wasn't planning to post today, but I ran across this photo on my cousin's MySpace, and it's begging to be shared. That's my cousin Sinthia on the left and me on the right, the summer before my 13th birthday, 1983. We sure loved those bikinis. Oh, how I wished I could fill the thing out. But that wouldn't happen for another 6-7 years.
Those were the days. Don't I look like I'm having the best time of my life? Photos rarely tell the whole truth, but I think this one does.
[caption id="attachment_818" align="alignnone" width="468" caption="Sinthia and Sherri, age 13 and almost-13"]
[/caption]My first-ever book club meeting
Well, people, guess what I did. I threw myself back into the world of socializing adults, that's what, by going to my first ever book club meeting down at the local library. A few weeks ago I saw a flyer in the library's window advertising the book club, and luckily one of the members had already checked in Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen, so I was able to read it before the meeting last night.
I was excited about going until yesterday afternoon, when the usual social dread settled in. I couldn't remember a single reason I'd ever had for going, and in fact rationalized how it would be nice just to stay in and relax with the family. LIKE I DO EVERY DAY. And even though the hubs was pouting about it (I assume, since he'll never tell me exactly what's wrong and I usually have to draw my own conclusions and this would be something that would make him pout) I made myself pretty, finished up my housewiferly duties, dragged my ass to the van (one of the reasons for my social dread) and left.
And so I went to the library, talked about this awesome book with some very smart and personable ladies, and didn't die. Quite the opposite, actually. I don't think I inadvertantly offended anyone, so that right there puts me ahead of the game. I managed to sound halfway intelligent, and nobody threw me out. In fact, they gave me next month's book (Jodi Picoult's My Sister's Keeper) and invited me back.
I was excited about going until yesterday afternoon, when the usual social dread settled in. I couldn't remember a single reason I'd ever had for going, and in fact rationalized how it would be nice just to stay in and relax with the family. LIKE I DO EVERY DAY. And even though the hubs was pouting about it (I assume, since he'll never tell me exactly what's wrong and I usually have to draw my own conclusions and this would be something that would make him pout) I made myself pretty, finished up my housewiferly duties, dragged my ass to the van (one of the reasons for my social dread) and left.
And so I went to the library, talked about this awesome book with some very smart and personable ladies, and didn't die. Quite the opposite, actually. I don't think I inadvertantly offended anyone, so that right there puts me ahead of the game. I managed to sound halfway intelligent, and nobody threw me out. In fact, they gave me next month's book (Jodi Picoult's My Sister's Keeper) and invited me back.
