Yes! I'm going to be getting this little bastard in my neck scanned after all. I wasn't sure if they were ignoring me or checking into insurance stuff, or if there was an ultrasound order on the way to me. Well, the order came today, so Monday, Tom is gonna call and find out where we need to go to get it done. So now I can finally put my nearly decade-old question to rest as to whether or not anything is going on that isn't good. Obviously, it's not critical, or else I would have known it by now. I doubt anything will show up that requires action, but something's got to be causing the throat tickle if not a cyst or nodule. Maybe if it's not caused by my thyroid, they will at least see what is causing it. Also, we'll find out if my old doc’s arthritis theory was correct or not. She has been wrong on other things, like telling me the levo can't make you anxious, your dose isn't weight-dependent but only the life of the thyroid, and that my nails weren't fungal.

I am in a great mood. Good sleep will do that to you! I think that makes three good sleeps in a row. Too bad I'm only going to maybe get one more night of it. I never seem to get more than four decent sleeps in a row.

Because it was only $2, I couldn't resist getting a jasmine-scented candle, even though it was a prayer candle, but it has no scent at all. Even sticking my nose over the flame, I can barely smell anything. Despite doubting the existence of God, for what it's worth, I did a prayer for my new mask to work out that will arrive on Monday.

I wish there were a way to smell the candles unlit before purchasing them, but I'm learning how to get a better sense of what they're like by what the reviews say. I've learned that if more than one or two people say there's no smell, they're right. So far, the best brands seem to be Yankee, WoodWick, and Mainstays. However, I'm getting a twin pack of small candles by Inspireyes that have gemstones and dried flowers in them. They're only three ounces, and one is sage and sea salt, while the other is cotton flower.

My WoodWick candle is down to the biscotti layer, and I can smell that more than the caramel layer. I wouldn't describe the sound as crackling like a traditional fireplace. It's more like static or buzzing, but I don’t mind.

The selfish side of me was hoping the government shutdown would last until the new year because we've been here enough years for me to say without a doubt that the planes are absolutely horrible around Thanksgiving and Christmas.