21. "Excuse me" is much better than "huh?"

I Survived a Swollen Uvula and the Perils of a Hay Fever Sufferer

I did it.  I survived a swollen uvula!  It was an ordeal, a trial, a time that tried a man's soul, but I resolved perseverance and pulled through to the end.

When I first moved to Denver from back in the Midwest, I could definitely tell that the altitude had something to do with the way I was feeling.  I would have to pause half-way up a flight of stairs to catch my breath and wait for my heart to slow down.  That lasted about a week before I became acclimated.  Oh, did I sleep well those first weeks in the Mile High City or what!  I also made sure to keep a bottle of water with me because I got dehydrated very easily (the climate in Denver is actually like a desert, a far cry from the humid summer days back home).  This was all and well and I found myself enjoying the adjustment to my new surroundings: wake up around 7:00 (that's very late for me), go about my daily work, squeeze in a walk, dinner, watch the news, in bed by 9:00.  I even got adventurous in my explorations and tried a couple of hiking trails in the afternoons or after dinner.  That was fun because I got to learn the birds and wildflowers of the Colorado high plains that way; this was all before I started exploring the mountains, but that is a whole other subject.

Anyways, I liked my new city and was getting used to life 5280 feet above sea level.  Then, one day it hit me in late August.  I woke up one morning and felt a huge gob in my throat.  Now, I grew up suffering terrible hay fever every August.  Around the 15th of the month, I would get that first tickle in my nose, which turned into a sneeze, and then my eyes would tear up and burn, my ears clog, my nose incessantly drip and run and itch, I would sneeze more than I could talk, and I was utterly miserable for at least two weeks.  Growing up, I tried every hay fever and allergy medicine that they made.  Seldane, Benadryl, Claritin and Allegra (back when they were prescription), Clarinex, Zyrtec, and Sudafed.  I tried nasal sprays, eye drops, herbal teas, and homeopathic tinctures.  I tried chiropractic.  I tried Chinese medicine.  One medication would work for one year, then the next year it was ineffective and I was on to the next method.  I grew desperate and would try anything whenever August rolled around.

O God, why didst Thou create ragweed?

So, when I felt that lump of goo in my throat, I thought to myself, "Oh, great, allergies!"  At least hay fever is a known quantity: I knew life was going to suck for a few weeks and more or less how I could survive: patience, a few good books (the Bible), a lot of prayer, and whatever new remedy I could find that year.  I went about my morning routine, made a pot of coffee, and tried to hawk up the ball of phlegm that was in my throat, but I couldn't get it out.  I squeezed and contorted my throat and made all kinds of funny noises trying to get that loogie out, but it wouldn't budge.  I decided to go into the bathroom to see what was going on and looked in the mirror.

To my shock, my uvula (the hanging thing in the back of your throat) was swollen to the size of my thumb and throbbing red and laying on the back of my tongue and tickling it.  I would see how I thought that it was a loogie.  That was not my concern, though.  I saw it and thought to myself, "How did it get so big?"  I could have bitten it with my back molars if I wanted to.

Apparently, a swollen uvula is caused by several things, one of which is dehydration.  I spent an hour reading all that I could find on the subject on the internet before I figured out how I was going to tackle it.  The recommendation was drinking a lot of ice-cold water and gargling with salt water.  I did this for three days and it went back to normal.  I never did get allergies that year, nor any other year since moving to Denver.  No hay fever for me!

So, the remedy that worked best for my swollen uvula was a salt water gargle twice per day and plenty of cold water.  And try not to yawn in public- it draws too many questions about your uvula!  If only curing hay fever were that easy...

http://www.swollenuvula.org/
http://www.swollenuvula.net/

Wine Tasting Notes - Corbett Canyon Cabernet Sauvignon (California)

Wine Tasting Notes - Corbett Canyon Cabernet Sauvignon (California)

I had a bottle of Corbett Canyon's Cabernet Sauvignon a couple of weeks back and I enjoyed a glass or two out on the porch after the sun went down.  The color presented more clear than any other cab I have ever seen.  Most of the other wines of this variety that I have seen have a more opaque, sometimes cloudy quality to them, but this wine had a noticeable shine to it.

I was not overly impressed with the Corbett Canyon Cabernet Sauvignon.  The aroma was nondescript, almost vinegary.  The taste was more fruit-forward than I prefer, bursting with the flavor of ripe cherries and grape juice.  Not a bad taste, and the price can't be beat.  I just don't see myself choosing this wine to enjoy with friends.

http://www.corbettcanyon.com/wines.shtml

House Cleaning Schedule - Update

Just a quick note on the experiment with the house cleaning schedule.  The project has been going pretty well so far.  I've followed the schedule closely and I completed everything that was on the chart for the day.  It' still hard to get motivated to get started, especially since I only have time to do this at the end of the day, but it's only 15 minutes per day , at most, to a clean house.  I've found that once I finish up the cleaning, I have a ton of time to enjoy the rest of the evening!

20. You're never too old to eat ice cream.

19. Try every food at least twice.

Top Ten Baby Things We Bought

#10 - The Diaper Genie

This thing really is a genie, a work of genius, a gem.  We originally decided against a diaper pail and would just throw the diapers in any available wastebasket.  After all, what is a diaper pail?  It’s a trash can- why do you need a fancy one with expensive refill bags?

Well, after a month of tossing dirty diapers in the kitchen trash can (gross, when you think about it) and in the bathroom wastebaskets (nasty, no cover!), we started to get flies.  Little tiny ones.  We thought that they came in with some fruit that we bought, or that they were living in one of our house plants.  Then, one day I came home and the house smelled like… you get the idea.  It was rank.  It was the middle of January and we had the windows open in order to air out the house!  After that, we made a quick trip to the store and picked out a Diaper Genie.

The price of this unit is totally worth the cost of the refill bags (about six bucks a piece).  After we made the switch, the flies were gone.  No more stinky smell.  And changing out the bags is pretty easy.  Don’t buy the diaper pail odor eliminator inserts, though; a generous sprinkle of baking soda works just as well.  Rinse the pail out with a squirt of bleach spray every once in a while and it will stay good and fresh.

http://www.diapers.com/p/playtex-diaper-genie-elite-pail-7251?site=CA&utm_source=cse&utm_medium=cpc_D&utm_term=PX-053&utm_campaign=Google&CAWELAID=1338731062&utm_content=pla&cagpspn=pla&ci_kw={keyword}

Five Reasons Why Teaching Abroad Is a Great Idea

Five Reasons Why Teaching Abroad Is a Great Idea

Traveling is always an experience.  Visiting new places always opens your eyes to learn new things, meet new people, and expand your worldview.  Teaching English abroad will heighten the experience of travelling and bring even more wonderful things into your life!  The market for teaching English in Asia (China, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam, and other points east) is strong and opportunities abound for individuals with the right qualifications.  Here is a quick list of some great reasons to teach abroad:

1. Unparalleled experience.  Leaving home and going out on your own is a big decision that will change your life in new and unexpected ways.  Going to live and work in a foreign will surely take you out of your comfort zone, introduce you to a fascinating new culture, and give you the opportunity to visit exciting new places.  There are not a lot of 9-5 jobs out there that would give you this kind of experience.
2. Learn a new language.  What better way to learn a new language than to live it?  Imagine going grocery shopping, to the bank, or to the doctor in a foreign country and being able to practice the language with everyone you see.  Learning a new language will serve you well not only during your time abroad, but also when (or if) you decide to return home, this would be a great resume item.
3. Refine your teaching skills.  Whether you are planning to be an elementary school teacher, college professor, corporate trainer, or whatever, having experience teaching will benefit you in the future.  Being on your own, you will probably have a learning curve while you try to figure out what your teaching style is.
4. Save money.  Many schools will offer free housing for foreign English teachers and this is a huge savings to your overall expenses.  You can use these savings to travel abroad in Asia, make a down payment on a house, buy a car, or whatever you so choose.
5. Meet new people.  Unless you have friends that you are planning to meet abroad, everyone you meet will be new to you.  This will give you the chance to make new friends from your new home as well as with other English teachers.

See also:
Say Kimchi!
Thoughts III - 10 Reasons I Should Teach in Korea

Wine Tasting Notes - Smoking Loon Pinot Noir 2010 (California)

Smoking Loon Pinot Noir (2010)

With a name like Smoking Loon, how can you go wrong?  I picked out a bottle of their Pinot Noir for Labor day and I have a quick review here.

The color is a light semi-clear red that has a little glint of silver in it.  The aroma is light, nothing spectacular of note.  Same goes with the taste- nothing really stands out too much about this wine.  I cand detect a faint taste of strawberries in this pinot noir along with a light herbal taste- maybe sage?

I would definitely classify this one as quaffable- it would go well with sandwiches, seafood, and cold pastas.  Since its taste panel is not overly complex, there is not a whole lot to consider while dirnking this wine.

http://www.donandsons.com/ourwine/smokingloon/pinotnoir.php

18. Have a nickname.

17. Never make a joke at someone else's expense.

What I like about wine

Drinking wine is always an experience. I like inspecting the bottle, checking out the label, wrestling the cork out, pouring it into the glass, taking a whiff, savoring the aroma, taking that first sip, and enjoying the whole experience of it. I always drink wine with my wife or with my friends; it's not a solo experience, meant to be shared with the company of others. I've never been much of a cocktail drinker, except for the occassional gin and tonic or martini. I'm too young for Scotch. I love beer. There is just something special about wine. I tend to like the dry red varieties over the sweeter ones, and wine and my favorite season (autumn) go together well. Here's to a great wine autumn together- happy September!