Eating still seems to be a pointless venture right now. Where's the flavor!? If this is what it's like to be old and lose your sense of taste, I think I'll just starve myself to death.
This morning when I woke up my lips were all "blistered" over. I tried to keep them balmed up, but after being out in the kiosk for two hours they dried up and have officially split in numerous places.
Consultation with the family revealed that I probably consumed an unripe stalk of rhubarb. If you know about the chemical makeup of plants, you'll know that oftentimes, while a fruit is developing, there are certain noxious chemicals that later migrate to the core or seeds or whatever so that the fruit is protected during development and the seeds are protected afterward. Most likely, this stalk was unripe and I got a healthy dose of intense chemicals (which in rhubarb is probably intense acid, seeing as it's a tart plant) that pretty much killed my tastebuds and my lips. Sad day.
Tonight we're having a "Change Our Luck" movie party, where Dr. Charlo (I'm pretty sure it'll be Charley in a costume) is going to rid us of all our bad ju-ju. This season has just been crazy. Five people on staff have been in car accidents (two of them have been in two this year); four people have passed/passing matriarchs and have had to take time off for that; three people have been seriously ill (two with strep, one with 'relapse fever'); two people have had bad colds; and now I've lost my sense of taste!
Frankly, I'm a bit nervous to even leave town this weekend; but if I stay, I'm bound to come down with something, the way our luck has been! I hope Cerro Gordo has more good karma than our ghost town does this year. You have to wonder: who's stealing what artifacts to give us all this bad luck? ;)
28 July 2012
27 July 2012
How Bizarre!?
My weekend went well, by the way, and I'm bound to get pictures (and video) up soon. Like when I locate my camera (pretty sure I left it in the car...). But there's something else going on here that's a bit... bizarre.
Namely, I ate a big stick of raw rhubarb dipped in sugar the night before last. It was delicious, and rang of childhood. But then I woke up yesterday morning and couldn't taste, and my lips felt like they were on fire! I first noticed the lack of taste when I went to eat my yogurt and trailmix and threw in a handful of hoped-to-be-delicious blueberries... and couldn't taste them! What in the world!? Weird stuff, I'm telling you. My coworker gave me a benadryl, wondering if maybe it was some sort of allergic reaction, but it didn't help diddly-squat. I rubbed honey all over my tongue and my lips, and that soothed for a little bit, but frankly, it's the next day, and my taste buds are still only firing on less-than-half of their cylinders.
On the bright side, my housemate is sick, so I'm drinking plenty of the Workman cider-vinegar/honey concoction, which is pretty potent stuff to force down your throat when you're not sick. Unless you can't really taste it - in which case it is much easier to drink. Anyhow, I think this is some sort of extreme sour reaction (like sour tongue, when you "burn" your tongue eating too many sour gummy worms or pineapple) and it is getting a bit better. This morning I could taste the blueberries (somewhat), as well as the granola and the cashews (just a little bit) in my trailmix. But I couldn't taste the peanuts, sunflower seeds, or almonds. Taste is definitely something that I've always taken for granted, and I must say that it's really disappointing when you can't taste your food - it's almost like "why even bother?". As for the burning sensation on my lips, that seems to have cooled down - just a little bit. Mike and Tiffany's homemade lip balm seems to be the best at soothing them (probably because they've got a high honey/beeswax content).
So evidently, I can eat plenty of cooked rhubarb, but I am no longer able to handle eating it raw. Very disappointing. Has anyone ever heard of this happening before? I googled it and found just one other person on one of those question-forum pages who was experiencing the same thing: they said they'd been suffering these same symptoms for TWO WEEKS after eating a foot-long stick of raw rhubarb! I certainly hope that my tastebuds aren't down for the count for two whole weeks. That would really be a bugger. Especially since this weekend I'm going to be at Cerro Gordo with Roger and Cecile and they always cook the most delicious, savory foods! Hopefully my taste comes back within the next day or two. But seriously. How bizarre!?
Namely, I ate a big stick of raw rhubarb dipped in sugar the night before last. It was delicious, and rang of childhood. But then I woke up yesterday morning and couldn't taste, and my lips felt like they were on fire! I first noticed the lack of taste when I went to eat my yogurt and trailmix and threw in a handful of hoped-to-be-delicious blueberries... and couldn't taste them! What in the world!? Weird stuff, I'm telling you. My coworker gave me a benadryl, wondering if maybe it was some sort of allergic reaction, but it didn't help diddly-squat. I rubbed honey all over my tongue and my lips, and that soothed for a little bit, but frankly, it's the next day, and my taste buds are still only firing on less-than-half of their cylinders.
On the bright side, my housemate is sick, so I'm drinking plenty of the Workman cider-vinegar/honey concoction, which is pretty potent stuff to force down your throat when you're not sick. Unless you can't really taste it - in which case it is much easier to drink. Anyhow, I think this is some sort of extreme sour reaction (like sour tongue, when you "burn" your tongue eating too many sour gummy worms or pineapple) and it is getting a bit better. This morning I could taste the blueberries (somewhat), as well as the granola and the cashews (just a little bit) in my trailmix. But I couldn't taste the peanuts, sunflower seeds, or almonds. Taste is definitely something that I've always taken for granted, and I must say that it's really disappointing when you can't taste your food - it's almost like "why even bother?". As for the burning sensation on my lips, that seems to have cooled down - just a little bit. Mike and Tiffany's homemade lip balm seems to be the best at soothing them (probably because they've got a high honey/beeswax content).
So evidently, I can eat plenty of cooked rhubarb, but I am no longer able to handle eating it raw. Very disappointing. Has anyone ever heard of this happening before? I googled it and found just one other person on one of those question-forum pages who was experiencing the same thing: they said they'd been suffering these same symptoms for TWO WEEKS after eating a foot-long stick of raw rhubarb! I certainly hope that my tastebuds aren't down for the count for two whole weeks. That would really be a bugger. Especially since this weekend I'm going to be at Cerro Gordo with Roger and Cecile and they always cook the most delicious, savory foods! Hopefully my taste comes back within the next day or two. But seriously. How bizarre!?
21 July 2012
Getaway!
Things have escalated, and I'm getting out of town for the weekend. And for next weekend as well.
This week I've made reservations at Grover Hot Springs, where I'm going to relax and enjoy some solitude Sunday and Monday. Then on Tuesday I've got a haircut appointment in Reno, where I will also get my tires rotated and my oil changed while I wait. :)
Next weekend it looks like I'll be going to Cerro Gordo - very exciting. That means I get to hang out with my good friends Roger and Cecile, probably play lots of Scrabble, and enjoy plenty of fun time exploring a new-to-me ghost town. Woohoo!
I know people say it's bad to run from your problems, but I can't help it: I'm surrounded by them every other day of the week! So, judge as you will, but I'm definitely going to kick it and cross my fingers in the hopes that this will all blow over while I'm gone.
I really can't wait for tomorrow.
This week I've made reservations at Grover Hot Springs, where I'm going to relax and enjoy some solitude Sunday and Monday. Then on Tuesday I've got a haircut appointment in Reno, where I will also get my tires rotated and my oil changed while I wait. :)
Next weekend it looks like I'll be going to Cerro Gordo - very exciting. That means I get to hang out with my good friends Roger and Cecile, probably play lots of Scrabble, and enjoy plenty of fun time exploring a new-to-me ghost town. Woohoo!
I know people say it's bad to run from your problems, but I can't help it: I'm surrounded by them every other day of the week! So, judge as you will, but I'm definitely going to kick it and cross my fingers in the hopes that this will all blow over while I'm gone.
I really can't wait for tomorrow.
19 July 2012
There's a snake under my house.
It's been a bit since my last update, so I decided that today would be as good a day as any. I just got done giving my second living history tour as Jack Workman, Irish latch bar man for the Standard Consolidated Mining and Milling Co. It's a pretty fun tour, though I'm definitely still working the kinks out of it. My first one was rockin', but this one was only so-so - I felt like my flow was a bit off. Regardless, when I got done, Helene informed me that a rattlesnake had been seen going under my house. Yay. But I suppose I can't complain (as long as it doesn't come inside) because it'll probably help keep the mice down.
In other news, this morning was absolutely beautiful. Water-logged clouds painted the sky a gorgeous grey-blue as storms swept over the Eastern Sierra. The temperature is down to a good 62 degrees and I am reveling in getting to wear layers again. I love the cold! Someone made the joke the other day that we were two weeks away from winter here, and it would seem he was a bit gracious in his estimation of when it would come! But no, I don't think this cold will stick around any more than the ridiculous heat that we had a couple weeks ago. But I'm happy to be heating up some defrosted homemade minestrone for lunch today. :)
Things are just rolling along right now. I might be going to Virginia City this weekend, so perhaps there'll be more on that to come.
In other news, this morning was absolutely beautiful. Water-logged clouds painted the sky a gorgeous grey-blue as storms swept over the Eastern Sierra. The temperature is down to a good 62 degrees and I am reveling in getting to wear layers again. I love the cold! Someone made the joke the other day that we were two weeks away from winter here, and it would seem he was a bit gracious in his estimation of when it would come! But no, I don't think this cold will stick around any more than the ridiculous heat that we had a couple weeks ago. But I'm happy to be heating up some defrosted homemade minestrone for lunch today. :)
Things are just rolling along right now. I might be going to Virginia City this weekend, so perhaps there'll be more on that to come.
10 July 2012
Paintings, Bible verses, Bookshelves, and Carrot Cake
I've been busy lately. Especially when faced with stressful situations, I have a tendency to put myself to work. I'm sure my former roommates can attest to this. This weekend? I rode my bike 50.5 miles, hiked at least 5 miles on a VERY hot day, rearranged the furniture in my room, vacuumed, balanced my checkbook, made a bookshelf, wrote up Bible verses to put on my wall, baked a carrot cake for lunch and Amish baked oatmeal for breakfast, and even marinated pork chops for supper!
The source of all of this I am sure you will find amusing, given that I have had very little trouble with this in the past - or very much, depending on how you look at it. But to put it simply, I found out that two of my coworkers were in a competition to see who could get me to like them first. Meanwhile, I was really enjoying the opportunity to go hiking and such with my coworkers, attributing this to the younger age of the staff this year. Apparently I am horribly naive. The real problem with all of this is that I am now in a predicament because I am not interested in having a relationship with either of them - but I still have to work and live with them without things being awkward. Okay, all you college friends can start laughing at me now. Go on, laugh away. ;PWhy does this always seem to happen to me? What wrong signals am I sending? Is it too much to ask people to not think I'm hinting because I don't realize that they're hinting!? C'est la vie.
So anyway, the produce of all this? The pictured creations (excluding the first couple paintings - those I did over the last couple weeks), a newly assembled bedroom, a delicious dinner, and very tired legs. And yes: there are chocolate chips in the carrot cake - it's to make up for the lack of frosting. There are worse things I could do when stressed...
09 July 2012
201st Entry: A reflection on the journey
Most useful thing in my road trip arsenal: spare old towel. Original purpose was to insulate my bike from the terrors of the stuff that was packed all around it in the car. Since serving that initial purpose, it has found many uses, from lawn blanket to bicycle shade. Definitely a good thing to toss in when all is said and done.
Item I've missed the most: definitely my trash can. That Wishbone trash receptacle has been with me for years! In Arizona I made do by putting a plastic bag inside a paper one and changing out the plastic one when it got full. Unfortunately that bag ripped in the move to California (and got soaked with maple syrup, but that's a whole nother story!), and here I've just forced myself to walk my garbage to the kitchen or bathroom receptacles, though I do have plenty of paper bags that I could probably put to work if I really wanted to - perhaps I'll do that today...
It's been over 200 entries and almost half a decade since I started this blog. My first entry is from 15 December 2007, thanking God for the snow that I had been praying to see that day. I was still working at the bike shop, I was still in high school. I'd had little knowledge back then of where I would be four and a half years later. I had no idea that I would go to Africa, not only once, but twice! I didn't quite see then that my days at the bike shop were numbered, but that God had a much more fulfilling line of work for me in a remote ghost town on the other side of the country. Since I started this blog I have: gone through college; had my first official "boyfriend" and first kiss (it was gross) as well as my first experience dumping a guy; ridden two 100-mile bike rides; lived with 17 different people (at least) at different times in different places apart from my family; learned my third language; had to disappoint at least a few guys who were set on chasing me; fallen deeper in love with God; felt a deeper connection with nature; hitch-hiked; driven across the country; driven across the state; started paying my student loans; made some real friends; learned more about myself, who I am, and how to give voice to my thoughts and feelings; watched the entire Avatar: The Last Airbender series; and so much more!
It's been 200 entries, and a lot has happened. A lot has changed. But I can't complain: I love my life, and I'm grateful to God for bringing me safely through this far. I look forward to what He's got planned for me next. What an adventure!
~Jay
Item I've missed the most: definitely my trash can. That Wishbone trash receptacle has been with me for years! In Arizona I made do by putting a plastic bag inside a paper one and changing out the plastic one when it got full. Unfortunately that bag ripped in the move to California (and got soaked with maple syrup, but that's a whole nother story!), and here I've just forced myself to walk my garbage to the kitchen or bathroom receptacles, though I do have plenty of paper bags that I could probably put to work if I really wanted to - perhaps I'll do that today...
It's been over 200 entries and almost half a decade since I started this blog. My first entry is from 15 December 2007, thanking God for the snow that I had been praying to see that day. I was still working at the bike shop, I was still in high school. I'd had little knowledge back then of where I would be four and a half years later. I had no idea that I would go to Africa, not only once, but twice! I didn't quite see then that my days at the bike shop were numbered, but that God had a much more fulfilling line of work for me in a remote ghost town on the other side of the country. Since I started this blog I have: gone through college; had my first official "boyfriend" and first kiss (it was gross) as well as my first experience dumping a guy; ridden two 100-mile bike rides; lived with 17 different people (at least) at different times in different places apart from my family; learned my third language; had to disappoint at least a few guys who were set on chasing me; fallen deeper in love with God; felt a deeper connection with nature; hitch-hiked; driven across the country; driven across the state; started paying my student loans; made some real friends; learned more about myself, who I am, and how to give voice to my thoughts and feelings; watched the entire Avatar: The Last Airbender series; and so much more!
It's been 200 entries, and a lot has happened. A lot has changed. But I can't complain: I love my life, and I'm grateful to God for bringing me safely through this far. I look forward to what He's got planned for me next. What an adventure!
~Jay
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