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WARNING: This post will includes lots of mucus so if you are squeamish do not read this one.

I’m one of those women who always has at least two hankies in my pockets. That’s because I have what my ENT called chronic vasal motor rhinitis. That means my nose runs. A lot. Think streams of clear mucus coming from my nose with regularity. Every time I eat something hot or cold. Every time I go into or out of a building where the temperature changes. Every time someone wearing too much scent passes by. And sometimes, it seems like, just because it feels like running. So I carry hankies to keep my nose from dripping.

Walk around my house and you will see many boxes of tissues. Because I can only keep so many hankies on hand. I wear them out. Not many people wear out hankies but I do.

And that’s only one part of my issue with my nose. Another one is morning congestion. When I get up my nose starts to run. But only what I call the front sinuses do that. Behind those are what I call the back sinuses. The back sinuses are not connected directly to my nose. Nope. They are connected to my throat. Those are the one that create post-nasal drip. Except, in the morning mine don’t drip. They stay stuffed up. I cannot blow them clear because they don’t connect to my nose. So I snort. Fortunately, I am able to do this in the privacy of my bathroom. Snorting brings the thicker mucous from my back sinuses into my mouth. If I swallow that mucus it overly lubricates my digestive system. So I prefer to expel it from my mouth into a tissue. Or, rather, several tissues. Between my front and back sinuses I go through about a dozen tissues every morning. It’s not lovely but it is a fact of my life.

I hate that I have this runny nose in public. I would go someplace private to blow my nose if I could. But when it decides to run it does it very well which leaves me no time to hide.

So, if I am somewhere you are and I have to blow my nose, please understand that I am not trying to gross you out–just the opposite. And if you hear someone snorting, know that the person is likely doing the best they can to deal with allergies. Yes, it is gross. Yes we would like to not have to do it. Especially in public. But, please, try to think of it as a handicap and forgive us.

TTYL,

Linda

 

I’m fine but very busy relearning how to live in something as big as this two bedroom apartment in a city with all its resources. I’m using all my energies making good food and doing a new to me exercise program. More about both of those later.

For now, here’s a post I just read during a break that I feel compelled to share:

Death, Life & The Legacy Of Clutter

Hope all is going well for all of you.

TTYL,

Linda

 

Enough said?

TTYL,

Linda

Have you ever ridden a horse? I have. Twice as far as I can remember. Both times as part of a group ride.

The second time they put me up on a horse and told me to pull the reins right to go right, pull the reins left to go left, pull back on the reins to stop. But you won’t really have to do anything because your horse will follow the group. And it did. Sort of.

My horse, much like me, liked to stop to snack along the way.  Getting further and further behind the group.

Finally, the leader came back, got the horse moving again, and said don’t let it do that. But, didn’t tell me how to keep it from doing that.

I soon learned how. Point its nose toward the barn. And it will stop wandering. And pick up speed. And, once again, get you where IT wants to go.

Have you ever noticed that the type of transportation that keeps its horses under a hood does that? Wanders all over the place, stopping at will as you head out? But, somehow becomes very goal oriented once you point its nose towards the barn?

I started out from the casino in Oklahoma on a two lane US highway. Slowing down for towns. Taking turns passing slower vehicles or being passed by faster ones. Suddenly, my vehicle turned towards the freeway and took off. Going home now.

I would be going through Des Moines, where Mary lives. Mary invited me to stop for lunch or overnight depending on when I would be coming through. So the night before I set my GPS. Once for a lunch stop. Once at a truck wash. And once for where I hoped to stop the next night. As I looked at the timing on that I decided a stop at Mary’s didn’t fit anywhere. Going home now.

Apparently, my GPS still thought I planned too many stops. After lunch (at 4 pm because of road construction) it routed me north on I-35 instead of east on I-80 to the truck wash. And I was in rush hour traffic so there was no way to get out of that exit lane once I realized what was happening. East on I-80 was out of the way and the GPS was headed for home, I guess.

Then it decided to play games. When it came time for Walmart it said get off here and go there. No Walmart. I thought it was west of 35 not east so I doubled back. No Walmart. So I pulled into a parking lot and said, “Where?” It said one more exit then east. So I did that. Sure felt wrong. But I am at Walmart so it must have been right. Do you suppose it wanted me to give up and drive right on home?

But I was too tired to do that. And the sun was going down and driving after dark would make me even more tired. If Dave was driving I’m sure we would have gone right on home. But then what? Would I sleep in my RV in our parking lot? Or try to haul everything inside before going to sleep? Or at least figure out what things I would HAVE to  to haul inside? Way too tired to do any of that.

Tomorrow I get to go home. I know how to find it. Just wonder how fast it will make me go there. Sure hope I get to stop for lunch.

TTYL,

Linda

Wednesday I was driving the Kansas Turnpike when it came time to stop for the night. TheWalmart  in El Dorado is so close to the freeway ramp that I never saw a gas station. No problem, right? There are plenty of service areas along the Turnpike, I’ll just stop at one of them.

So the next morning I pull off at the Mattfield Green service area. I see green pumps ahead so I pull up.  Uh oh. Truck pumps, I think. And no place to pay at the pump. So I pull back around to the car pumps. No diesel. So I park and go into the store.

Pump 16 has a car nozzle. I can leave my credit card and go pump then come back to pay. Or I can guess how much fuel I want then stop the pump at that point. Or I can authorize more than I think I’ll need then pump however much I do need and I’ll only get charged for what I actually pump. All lousy sounding options to me.

But I’m lower on fuel than I like and I have no idea where the next station is off the turnpike. And if I do that I’ll have to pay when I get off then again the next leg of my trip. So I authorize $80 then hurry to get to that pump before someone else uses my authorization. And fill $64.79 worth. Sure hope I don’t get charged the full $80. That would be a high price per gallon.

These service areas may be easy off/easy on but they are not easy fuel.

TTYL,

Linda