Happy birthday to me…

Why yes, those are Wonder Woman Underoos. I was a cool three-year-old.

Cat Scratch Fever
Amy’s officially been with us for a week now so we’re tentatively giving her the run of the house. (She’s been spending nights and workdays in our big guest bathroom.) Last night we left the door open so she could sleep wherever she wanted. She spent some time curled up beside me on the bed but in the morning she got antsy and started clawing the blankets, so I locked her out. She didn’t like that. She hasn’t gotten into any trouble though, and she hasn’t pulled any bookcases down on herself. We may try leaving her out tomorrow during the day.

Oh, and did I mention the scratches? Because I’m covered in them. I made the mistake of pulling on shorts yesterday morning and I regretted it the first time she tried to jump in my lap. Not good. Everyone in the gym’s going to think I’m a battered housewife or something. We headed to the pet store this morning for some nail clippers and a brush, so hopefully we’ll do some much needed grooming today. The Snook also has plans to make her another scratching post, hopefully an ultra-mega tall one that she can really stretch out on. We were going to buy one but they’re expensive! It’ll be cheaper to nail a piece of wood to a board and then buy a premade cover to slip over it.

Aww, man, I’d kill for some Girl Scout cookies, no matter what you call ’em. I love all three of those kinds if anybody’s got some extras. 🙂

Aussie underwear maker Bonds is launching a swimwear line. Cool. I really hope they do an underwire bikini top.

How did I miss this? National Corndog Day is next Saturday! “Celebrating 12 Years of Golden-Breaded Goodness…” HA! I was always partial to mustard on my corndogs, but some plain ol’ Heinz 57 is good too. The only problem with throwing my own corndog party is… no corndogs! They don’t really exist here. Hmm, you can make them from scratch, right? It’s just basically a cornbread-type batter on a hotdog. Maybe I’ll have to try it.

Addendum: The Snook informs me that corndogs are available here! They call them “Dagwood Dogs”. (No idea why.) He says you can only get them from greasy takeout joints though, so I still might try and make my own.

Lite Brite online! Fun.

“Cleaning your face is different from cleaning your… oh, let’s say, ass. You shouldn’t just soap it up and rinse it off. You need to know that the skin on your face is special and different and when you treat your face like your ass, no one’s happy.”

HA! That’s from Lance’s Guide to Man Grooming, Part One: Facing Facts. Now I just have to print this out and slip it under the Snook’s pillow…

I spent a good portion of the afternoon today in the office of Dr. Karl Baumgart, an allergy specialist. He was great. Not only did he finally identify the stuff that’s making me feel crappy, but he also managed to explain a lot of random secondary symptoms I didn’t realize were related. After talking to me for a while, he brought out the skin prickers. Basically there were these four plastic things, each of which had six metal spikes on them (like cleats). He dipped them all in my suspected allergans and then stuck them into my forearms. Within minutes I started swelling up and itching intensely. It turns out that I’m severely allergic to dust mites, with minor allergies to three different kinds of Australian grass. He also told me that I have a touch of “allergic conjunctivitis”, which I was relieved to learn does not mean I have pink eye. (It means I have itchy, watery eyes and dark circles.) I don’t have a food allergy as such, but certain things (like the preservatives in wine) will irritate my sinuses and bring on a reaction. I have to use allergy pills and spray for four months, boil all my bedding, and get hypoallergenic mattress and pillow covers. Then I have to go back for a checkup. If I haven’t improved, I have to get a “scan” of my sinuses to see if I need surgery. Then we’d begin “desensitization” treatment, which (as I understand it) involves them injecting me with the stuff I’m allergic to. Yeah, I want to try to avoid that.

But at least I know what I’m up against now! Dust mites are my arch enemy.

Hey knitters! Debbie Stoller is taking submissions for a sequel to her Stitch & Bitch book. Sounds pretty cool!

Pauline Hanson is pissed off that the Red Cross won’t take her blood because she’s been in jail. Boo frickin’ hoo. In the past five years I’ve been denied on the basis of an ear piercing, a tattoo, and the fact that I ate beef in England. Rules is rules. At least you’re not gay…