Still a Little Itchy

After lying in bed for about 5 minutes last night, I started to have a strange sensation that I might be having an allergic reaction to something. I was right. They came on slowly, but I had hives.  All over my back, arms, neck.  Really itchy.  Even in my ears.

You might think that having a husband who is a doctor is useful in a moment like this. He was only interested in sleeping, though, and I had to make a lot of scratching and whimpering noises just to get his attention.  When I finally woke him with a loud DAVE, he didn't even want to see my hives.  I was shocked.  Then, I had to suggest my own treatment -- Benadryl and a shower.  A flat "fine" was all I got.

When discussing the incident this morning, it seemed that I had really inconvenienced Dave by waking him with something so trivial.  "But my body was on fire!" I exclaimed.  "And you didn't even try to help!"

His reply: "Taking the shower was a bad idea.  It just triggers the body's histamine blah, blah, blah, and makes everything worse."

Huh.  Wish I had known that the night before.  He was right.  The shower really put me over the edge, but I managed to lie there quietly burning up until the Benadryl kicked in because I really wanted to believe that I had handled this medical emergency myself.

Warming Up

I'm going to try not to be all meta-cognitive about the blogging, but let me just say, it's really hard.  I've been working on today's post for at least 20 minutes.  I had a pretty solid entry about a student in my class who is ALWAYS on his laptop, but then I decided not to post it in case my blog is easy to find.  So, that's lame.  And now I have to leave for the day.  There's probably some necessary warming up going on here since it's been a while.  I promise not to blog about the blogging after this. 

 

The Contest

I've been shamed into this contest, and I'm already losing.  The premise is that KC, Lee, and I will each blog every day until 2010.  And comment.  I just learned about that comment part this morning.  I like a good competition, and even though I've already technically lost, I think that I can make up for missing a blog post and comment yesterday with flashiness.  FLASHINESS.  There.

So, stay tuned daily.  This is going to be excellent.  Best blog ever.  (KC assures me it's all in the attitude).

Weekend Update

The school year is off to a good, busy start so far. I am juggling four different obligations -- teaching, observing student teachers, and gathering data for two projects, my own and one I've been a part of for a couple of years. I'm enjoying each obligation, but finding time to just sit, think, and write has been a challenge. Hopping here and there each day is bearable due to the new vehicle we purchased over the summer. I didn't know I could love automatic windows and a cd player so much.

Married life is as amazing as I hoped it would be. Sure, we argue every night about who gets to use the bathroom sink first, but if Dave keeps making squash soup and baking apple pies on the weekends, I could stand to forfeit my corner of the bathroom until he's done.

Here's a long-overdue shot of the rockingest wedding band in all of history.

The Life-Saving Brew

I worried enough about Dave's fish allergy during our first day in Ireland that I actually managed to convince him to stop by a pharmacy and pick up some epi just in case. This was a miraculous feat as he typically brushes off any suggestion of precaution with a snide comment like, "How have I managed to live 32 years without you?"

Of course, Dave never had any trouble with the fish on our trip (unless you count that sea kelp rash), but he did have an incident involving chicken at the Poet's Corner Pub in Ennis. We tell this story a bit differently, and I'll do my best to capture both versions here.

My version: Dave was having the steak. I was having the chicken. I offered Dave a bite of my chicken, cut a modestly sized piece, and placed it on his plate.

Dave took the chicken into his mouth, and almost immediately, he stopped chewing, put everything down onto the table, and looked at me. "Are you choking?" I asked. He nodded. "Are you breathing?" I asked. He nodded. "Do you need the Heimlich?" I asked. He shook his head. Confused by these somewhat contradictory responses, I did nothing.

Then, Dave started to make the most amazing, horrendous, and LOUD noise I have ever heard. Hhhhhcccchhhhhmmmm. Hhhhhcccchhhhhmmmm. HHHHHCCCCHHHHHMMMM.

I looked around. Despite the incredible volume of this noise, no one seemed interested in the goings-on at our table.

After about 30 seconds and much hullabaloo, the chicken came out into Dave's hands. Relieved and still a little scratchy, he took a drink of his Guinness.

Dave's version: I was having the steak. Jessie was having the chicken. Jessie offered me a bite of her chicken, cut a moderately sized piece, and shoved it in my mouth where I was already working on a bite of steak.

I didn't know what to do with all of that food in my mouth, and when I tried to swallow it, I immediately choked. Jessie looked at me. "Are you choking?" she asked. I nodded. "Are you breathing?" she asked. I nodded. "Do you need the Heimlich?" she asked. I shook my head, imagining how well that would go.

Then, quietly and discreetly, I made an attempt to eject the chicken.

Ahem. Ahem.

Nothing. So, remembering how the bubbles fall in a pint of Guinness, something I had been studying each night in Ireland with multiple pints, I took a drink of my brew. The liquid worked it's way past the obstruction, and as the bubbles worked their way down, they pushed the chicken out of my throat and into my napkin.

I looked around. The people cheered and clapped their hands.

And that was how Guinness saved my life.


***

Whenever we tell this story (every time Dave orders a Guinness), listeners tend to believe Dave's version. "Really? Wow? I can't believe you were able to drink while choking?"

It does make for a better story. That, I admit. And I realize, too, that people just want to believe in something these days. And what better than a Guinness?

Love in the Time of Allergies

Here's the spot in Ireland where I told Dave that we should really hold hands and walk on the beach seeing as it was our honeymoon and all. He humored me and then broke out in a rash later in the day from all of the sea kelp in the water. Just the kind of sacrifice I'll be expecting for the rest of our marriage.

The Knot

Married life is good so far. We started it with a trip to Ireland, so how could it be bad?

This is the day-old donkey that I wanted to bring home with me. It was hard to get a good pic of him because his momma made sure she stood between us. That's just good parenting.

I'll post more pics in the days to come.