No sleep

I hate colds. I hate cold medicine.

I tried using Alkaseltzer Plus Cold Medicine. Last year it was a pretty good standby. But yesterday, I had ringing in my ears. And I couldn't sleep last night (this morning? right now?), which used to happen with Sudafed (which actually seemed to make my heart race). The ringing in the ears is listed on the package and says I'm supposed to stop taking it and call the doctor. Like I have time for that. Doctors are only available during working hours, but what am I doing then? Working. So I have to carve out a bit of time to call. Then I'll get a triage nurse, who will take my problem down and then I wait while at some point she talks to the doctor and then calls me back later to tell me if I need to do something different or if I need to set up an appointment.

I have a feeling they'll just say, stop taking it. Ugh. So now what do I do to clear up my sinuses? Yes, I'm drinking hot liquids and taking hot showers. I suppose we really ought to pull out the humidifier.

Meanwhile, I am awake right now at 5:30 am. Well, I've been awake since 3:50 am. And not really tired. And now I'm hungry. I am supposed to get up at 6:30 am (usual time). I don't think I'm going to be sleeping for an hour. If I went back to bed, I would probably toss and turn.

Lack of sleep will not be good for my cold. I worry if I'm not careful, I will get an ear infection. Which adults don't usually get. I got one about 7 years ago, much to my surprise and the doctor's. I had a fever and my ears were hurting after all the nasty draining and plugging of my ears. I went in and the doctor looked in my ear and says, "Well, you have a raging ear infection." She sounded super surprised. I'm thinking, "No, sh*t, sherlock," because it was hurting badly. Ever since then, when I hear the goop slopping around in my head, I worry it will infect my ears again. So maybe it's good I'm upright and drinking hot liquids.

At least I'm getting some blog posts in.

Brrr.....

In an economy where we all need to watch our money, it makes for strange habits here in the WC household.


We were freezing, and no one was really admitting it to anyone else. I checked the thermostat and it was reading 65 degrees F. I knew it was cold, but it seemed wrong to start up the heater. If we could just squeeze out one more day not having to use it. It was pretty warm at the beginning of September and we used the air conditioning a little the first couple of weeks. I was hoping we'd be temperate for a few more weeks and just let the sun heat us and the air cool us.

Mr. Wild finally said to me, with his sweatshirt zipped up to his chin, "Are you cold? Because I think we should turn the heat on."

"Yes, I'm cold and I'm so glad you said that."


"Were you going to wait until I said I was cold before you turned the heat on? Do I really have that much influence over you?"


"Well, I didn't want you to think I was a wimp. I just figured I'd wait for your go ahead. I didn't want to start up the heat before you thought it was time. I know how conscientious you are about the heat costs. But it is 65 in here today."

I think Mr. Wild thought I was silly. I don't know what I thought, except I thought I should be able to stand this cold a little more. Like it should be 60 in here before I cave. I want to save on natural gas and on money.

The cold air made me finally go into the basement, drag up all the covered plastic bins and pull out the winter clothes and put away the summer ones. My daughter was a good sport about trying on footie jammies her brother used to wear and his old turtlenecks. I am hoping she will now have more long sleeved clothes to send her to school in.

Ok, I have to admit, fall is finally here.