December 08, 2006

Bah Humbug!

Posted by Scott at 05:56 AM

I started writing this last night and just started fading within about five minutes. I think I'm getting certain sleepy genes from Grandpa Bob!

Dinner - I'm justing sitting up in bed but not quite ready to go to sleep. Michelle and I just got back from one of our periodic 'date nights'. We often go back and forth between the Black Forest Cafe in Amherst and the Pasta Loft on the Milford Oval. Tonight was a Black Forest night, and they didn't let us down. We each had the day's special, cream of chicken florentine, for an appetizer soup. A few times I've had their soup of the day and found it too strange, but this was delicious, one of the best soups I've had all year. For dinner I "just had a salad," but it was so full of other stuff if was hard to categorize as a salad. The local area still doesn't seem to have gotten the message that the Black Forest is open for dinners, so we had the dining area to ourselves for much of our visit. It's just as well — we hear enough noise at home. It gave us plenty of time to talk. Still, I hope for the owners sake that they can get their marketing presence up regarding their dinners. They've had them for two years now, but most area locals still think of them as a bakery.

Scrooge - My favorite story of the week is a recent trip Michelle made to Milford's local book store, ToadStool Books. As Michelle was getting ready to pay and leave, she couldn't help but overhear the fuss the next person in line. I'll paraphrase it below:

Client: Excuse me. Is that Christmas music?
Seller: Pardon me?
Client: I asked if that was Christmas music.
Seller: Yes, it is. Are you interested in buying it?
Client: No, no. I don't like it. Is there anyway you can turn it off?
Seller: Not easily. The system is setup in back playing a preprogrammed list.
Client: Well, is the next song going to be a Christmas song?
Seller: I couldn't say for sure.
Client: Well, I'll stay for the moment, but if the next song is a Christmas song, I'll just leave.

Michelle tells the story better than I. Still, you don't expect something like that. It reminded me of the Chicago Christkindlmarket issue with showing promotions for The Nativity Story. I half expected the ACLU to show up. Where does this woman think she can shop that doesn't play background Christmas music?

Speaking of The Nativity Story, I hope to take Claire to see it this weekend. I wanted to go last weekend but first wanted to follow through on taking all the kids to see Happy Feet.

Craft Fair - One thing I forgot to mention in last Monday's writeup is that Michelle and I took the kids to the Milford Elementary annual Christmas time craft fair. They had a great time. There were things to buy, things you could make, a few games, face painting, food, etc. If you look at the last album, the craft fair explains why the girls had paint on their faces and why Abby was wearing a scarf indoors. Both Abby and Claire got scarves with cat patterns on them. Abby wore hers all weekend long.

Doctor - Anyone who has spoken with me on the phone these past few months knows I've had a nagging cough for the past couple of months. I went to see my doctor in mid October and she gave me a prescription for some antibiotics and recommended Pseudoephedrine and Robitussin. I went to see my new doctor last Wednesday and he thinks at this point it's just an allergy, likely a mold allergy. Besides colds, mold allergies are common in the fall and winter. So now I'm on Allegra and Flonase. I'm hoping this works because the post nasal drip has been annoying. In the mean time we've done what we can around the house, cleaning a few things, changing the air filter, etc.

While on the topic of doctors, Michelle told me yesterday that she and all the kids have an appointment for next Friday to get flu shots. The girls are anxious for fear that it'll hurt. Worse yet, the younger ones (Abby and the boys) have to get it in two phases, one now and a booster in a month. I guess they can't give them a regular dose all at once.

Well, I've got to go for now. Today is the Feast of the Immaculate Conception and I plan to attend 7:30am services before I head down to Marlboro.

Comments

Hey Scott,
Being I have horrible allergies, I finally started regular allergy treatment. I went in and was tested for 48 different allergens and they found out what specifically bothers me. Now I go once a week and get 2 shots of the stuff that bothers me. Its supposed to make you build an immunity. They say it can take quite awhile before you are feeling good all the time and it is something Ill have to do forever in decreasing frequencies. Talk to you later.

Posted by: Chris at December 9, 2006 10:09 AM

Hi Chris,

I don't get it. You're already exposed to it and it gives you allergies. Yet they inject it into you and hope that you build an immunity to it. More of the allergen is supposed to help you get over it? Medicine sometimes seems so counterintuitive.

Posted by: Scott at December 9, 2006 09:31 PM