Random Whining Tidbits

Okay, just a few things:

#1 The other day, while I was walking to the hotel elevator with my coworker, Bonnie, some guy approached us and said to me: "I saw you down here today, didn't I?" I was baffled. I had no idea if I'd seen this guy. He was unremarkable in appearance: Short, 50-ish, unattractive, creepy. I'm one of the most unobservant persons I know. I routinely am introduced to people, am will immediately forget their name once it leaves their lips because I am distracted by other things, like remembering to breathe, a twisted sock on my foot, grocery list, etc. Now, I know I had never seen this guy before, and he certainly hadn't seen me in the hotel that day because there was nobody in the hallways or lobby when I left for work earlier that morning. But let's stop for a second. SO WHAT if he saw me? Why feel the need to bring it up? Am I going to be impressed that he has seen me before? So, I said, "Um, no." Then he offered to carry my shopping bags. I declined. He offered again, a bit forcefully again. I declined again, so he wandered off to the nearby vending machines. Bonnie and I exchange "weirdo alert" looks, and I am freaking out a bit, so I blurt out: "My boyfriend's coming over tonight!" Bonnie, bless her heart, because this woman is like my damn brain twin, says, "Oh, good!" Then I say, "Yeah, he's down at the gym. He's lifting weights." I was trying to find a way to say that my (imaginary) boyfriend was a police officer or something when the elevator arrived. We got in, and since I didn't want the guy to know what floor I got off on, or to be able to get on the elevator immediately after it returned to the lobby, I pressed all of the floor buttons. And then she made sure I got to my room safe, where I called up Austin and he calmed me down. And I haven't seen him again. And so there is nothing else to report about that, but I am in the mood to post pictures, so here is a picture of Bonnie. It will embarrass her but I think she will secretly like it. Can you believe she is a grandmother of TEN?

#2 I was at Old Navy today, buying a pair of pants, and as I walked to my rental car, I had this weird feeling come over me. I felt like I couldn't breathe, and I started to get the shakes like when I haven't eaten recently. I get to my car and call Austin and manage to blurt out that I'm having a panic attack. At least I think that's what it was. So Austin calms me down. And then the moment passed. What is weird is that I've only had one other episode like this before....and it happened at the Old Navy in Wausau, WI. Weird.

#3 I have had a cold/sinus-y thing for about 10 days. Amelia and I caught it from a little girl on the playground. Amelia is pretty much back to 100%, but I cannot, CANNOT shake this thing. I am coughing and blowing out enormous quantities of snot out of my nose. I mean, I am on my 3rd box of Kleenex in 10 days. The girls in the office I'm working at joked that they will have to decontaminate the desk after I leave. So yesterday I go to the VA clinic near the base, figuring that at least I won't have to pay any co-pays for any prescriptions. So the Dr. says I have bronchitis, and gives me cough syrup, amoxicillin, and motrin. And I'm taking it, but I cannot stop this cough. I cough so hard that I gag. I am coughing so hard that I am getting worn out.

So that's all. No more whining (today at least).