I’ve been so busy (oh, it’s so good to have a life!) that I haven’t had time to update yesterday’s appointment. Well, Tom thought it was just a case of it needing to be cleaned and I thought it was infected. It turned out, however, that we were both wrong. The good news is that it’s no big deal, though I don’t know that it’ll be easy enough to cure. It’s a bit complicated, but I’ll try my best to explain it. It’s actually a common problem that anyone can have, even those with normal ears. When he first looked at it he could see right away that it was actually quite clean and was not infected at all. Then, after I described my symptoms of crackling, popping and pressure, a knowing look came over his face and he then looked at it with a microscope and saw the problem. Recognition overtook Tom’s features as soon as the doctor explained what the problem was. There are tiny tubes that run from the back of the ear to the throat and apparently, my tubes are clogged. This may explain why my nose runs a lot. The clogged tubes are creating a vacuum effect and the eardrum is more or less being sucked back against the opening of the tube because the pressure isn’t equalized. The doctor explained that with normal ears, they just insert a tube that pops the eardrum to release the pressure but doesn’t know how much space was left behind the drum when Nielsen created it (I gave him my Boston and Phoenix ear history). He had me blow my nose with me pinching it. Nothing moved.

He recommended we buy some over-the-counter Claritin. I’ll be taking one pill a day. This is a decongestant that’s supposed to be better than Benadryl. It doesn’t make me drowsy like Benadryl does, that’s for sure. He also gave me some samples of the same snot spray I used to take in Arizona. Maybe my quitting the stuff wasn’t such a good idea after all.

He said that if this doesn’t help to come back in February at which time they’ll do CAT scans to see how much space is behind the drum. He doesn’t want to risk cutting the facial nerve and having my face droop forever. This was when we hit upon the subject of insurance and discussed how fucked up Oregon is with that and how they have no HMOs here. He asked what brought me here. Stupidity, I told him. It’s ridiculous how I can’t be insured through Tom without losing $4 an hour, nor can he drop their insurance to buy insurance and insure us both through a private insurance company. Therefore, I’ve decided to just live with it if this medicine doesn’t help, though Tom’s pretty sure it will. He’s had the same problem! When we left the office, pleased to see it only cost $151 and not $200 or more, he said, “You know that thing you laugh at me for?”

That “thing” is where he opens his mouth sort of wide as he swallows. He does this because one of his tubes is smaller than the other and it gets clogged so he does it to pop it open. I’ve tried it, but can’t seem to do it. Tom said he’s had his eardrums burst several times and that it’s not painful.

To wake up today knowing what the problem is and knowing it’s not something that can get worse and worse, was a great feeling. I’m glad I went after all. I hope it gets better, but I’ll live with it if it doesn’t. It seemed to be better today, but that could be because of knowing what it is. Now if only I could get my teeth fixed for just $151. But that’ll take close to a grand and I’m not sure it’s worth it.

The worst part of the day was the weather. It was unbelievably cold! God, it was awful! I’d have preferred it to be 110º! It didn’t even make it up to 20º and there were tons of snow, ice and even fog. It was weird being able to see something clearly right in front of you one minute, then have it be fogged out completely the next. The pine trees are all coated with icy frost that looks like newly fallen snow. Even some of my wind chimes are coated with the shit.

The buses were late because they had to pick that day of all days to string up Christmas decorations downtown. As we were waiting at the stop across the street from the house, we laughed at how our house was the only one on the street with no snow on its roof. Obviously, no one else keeps their place as warm as we do! Tom wouldn’t keep it this warm if he were by himself. It’s me that likes it this way. It was so damn cold last night that I had to prop the portable heater in the bedroom up on a box so it would blow on the bed. I’m at the point now where I don’t know what’s worse, cold places that are quieter, or warm places that are noisy. If he doesn’t get a partnership or a lot more money, we’re going to have a very tough decision to make as far as where we go!

We met the mailman as we were waiting for the bus and he gave us our mail then which was nice of him.

After waiting forever in the waiting room, then waiting forever for the doctor in an examination room, we left the medical building and went to Burger King. There we ran into Eddie and his wife. We didn’t speak to the wife who tended to their order, but Eddie came over and said hello. He let Tom know things fell apart at work that day since he wasn’t there, which will hopefully help the owners see just how valuable Tom is to them!

In order to avoid being stuck on the bus for nearly an hour while it looped around the city much in the screwy way that it did in Norwich, we got off downtown. What’s normally a quick walk from there to the house was so long and so damn cold!

Can you believe they’re just now emailing me to tell me my Disney Barbie has been shipped? Yet I got it days ago. It’s cute. One doll and two outfits for just a $5 shipping charge is not a bad deal.

I haven’t heard from Mary since before I wrote and told her about losing Blondie just over a month ago. If she’s stewing over my not sending Adam the shirt I wouldn’t have sent even if we had it, then tough shit! It’s amazing how someone can be so rude and selfish at the same time they’re compassionate and generous. She asks me for all kinds of things and doesn’t even have the decency to send a letter offering her condolences over losing Blondie and she can’t even acknowledge my birthday. What kind of friend is that?

The kind of rat this Tinkerbell is is a downright pest! I still love her dearly, but she’s so damn needy of attention. She really clings to me and smothers the hell out of Tom, too. Sometimes it gets so bad that I have to put her in the traveling cage in the bedroom just to get my work done.

My Esme doll traveled from Arkansas to Missouri and then left Illinois at 10:00 this morning. There have been no updates since. It wouldn’t surprise me if she came early too, on Friday instead of next Monday. Well, as I’ve learned, I know any package of ours is here if it says it left Roseburg, Oregon at 3-something in the morning.

I got the trivia game. Of course I did. I don’t want it. If Mary doesn’t buy it from me for someone she knows in the form of stamps, then we’ll sell it either on eBay or a tag sale.

I have big shopping plans for the month. This Friday we’re doing that huge oil order, as well as ordering from Yves so I can use my free $20 product voucher. Then I’ll save my money the next Friday and the Friday after that, at which time I’ll order another Tonner doll (basic Angelina with long straight black hair in a hot pink teddy trimmed with black lace), as well as a Barbie I’ve had my eyes on for a while now in a gorgeous gown of magenta and violet.

Meanwhile, on the last Friday of each month, I will put my money in a container to be used for our spring shopping spree at Walmart which we’ll do in the middle of the night to avoid the crowds when the truck is up and running again.

Anyway, after I’ve saved up enough for Walmart, I’ll put money away on the last Friday of each month to save up for Nikita. She’ll be between $250 - $300.

January’s Tonner boutique month for sure! I’ve been dying to dive into that boutique and get some more outfits.

It’s strange but cool to have had 3 Tonners for so long and now they’re about to double!

The canal dog just went off. Can dogs ever do just one or two barks and not go on multi-minute barking sprees every single fucking time they have to bark? God, I hate dogs! And more so, I hate the people who are cruel enough to leave them out 24/7, not to mention who are very rude to their neighbors.

A white car came in next door as I was peeing this afternoon and I heard doors and voices for a minute, then it pulled back out. By then I was in the living room and could see what appeared to be the chick leaving with some other chick.