Entertaining

I had some guests over yesterday--my book club. The book we read was Nickle and Dimed. I really liked the book, but not everyone did.

Tonight I'm having more people over. Last night I made macaroni and cheese. Tonight, it's butternut squash soup. Guy holds a personal grudge against butternut squash soup, for some reason. He calls it "soup for ladies."

Cheers & Jeers

Here's some stuff I've been liking and loathing this week.

1. Cheers! to Clinique Face Scrub Exfoliant Visage (for men). I was excited when I discovered this product. It felt and smelled and worked the same as an incredibly expensive product that I bought once at a spa...the only difference, in my opinion, is that this one is marketed to men who aren't willing to pay as much. This Clinque product costs $16.50 which might sound like a lot but it works really, really well, removes dead flakes from your skin, smells good, feels good, and is very refreshing to use. It lasts a long time too. (By way of contrast, the product it reminded me of cost $40!) It instantly makes your skin look and feel better.

This is the description on the official site:

"Pre-shave essential. Revives and smooths skin, removing dead flakes and oil buildup, clearing the way for closer, nick-free shaves. Lifts beard, helps reduce ingrown hairs. Contains rounded granules that won't scratch skin."

2. Cheers! to The Island of the Colorblind, by Oliver Sacks. I really like his writing and I just started this book and am enjoying it. The title is not a metaphor--it's about a tiny Pacific island where a strangely huge percentage of the inhabitants are colorblind from birth.

3. Jeers! to that 20-something hippie who parks outside our apartment, running his engine forever and slowly loading and unloading his children and camping equipment from his duct-taped car. Our new apartment is waaaaaaaay quieter than the old one, but that hippie still irks me! Turn off your engine, man!

Dude You Have No Quran

This is all over the Internet but I still just had to post it. Not only is it hilarious, but it's surprisingly danceable as well!

Burning Mouth Syndrome

This is a weird disease that I'd never heard of until last week, when I found out that someone I know has it:

Glossodynia or burning mouth syndrome (BMS) (also known as "Burning tongue" and "Orodynia") is a condition characterized by a burning or tingling sensation on the lips, tongue, or entire mouth.

Typically, there are no visual signs like discoloration that help the diagnosis.

Possible causes include nutritional deficiencies, chronic anxiety or depression, type 2 diabetes, menopause, oral disorders such as thrush or dry mouth, or damaged nerves (specifically, cranial nerves associated with taste).

One cause of burning mouth pain, which may be often misdiagnosed as burning mouth syndrome, is a contact sensitivity Type IV hypersensitivity in the oral tissues to common substances such as sodium lauryl sulfate, a surfactant commonly used in household products, cinnamon aldehyde or dental materials. There are now several toothpastes on the market specifically without sodium lauryl sulfate or other preservatives which have been found to be associated with sensitivities.

This condition appears more often in women, specifically women after menopause, than men. Pain typically is low or nonexistent in the morning and builds up over the course of the day.

Low dosages of benzodiazepines, tricyclic antidepressants or anticonvulsants may prove to be an effective treatment.

Alpha-Lipoic Acid 600 to 800 mg administered daily in three or four doses has been found to reduce symptoms. Trials have been small, but alpha-lipoic acid may be an appropriate adjunctive treatment option.

In the Land of the Blind, the One-Eyed Man Is King

When I started my job, I was initially nervous to realize that my new boss thought of me as a "computer expert" which is not a label that I would ever apply to myself. I suddenly had a case of imposter syndrome. Even though I tried to be totally honest in my interviews, I wondered if I had somehow accidentally misrepresented myself.

After a few semi-harrowing days, it slowly dawned on me that when it comes to computers, everything is relative. My boss turned out to be one of those people who hand writes everything and, compared to her and to my office mates, I actually am a computer expert. What a relief!

In other news, today at work I met a retired service dog who was actually the first ever (official) service dog at the hospital where I work. She was little and gray and soft, with pointy ears and sweet eyes. It was quite an honor.

Mactini

Guy and I disagree about this Peter Serafinowicz skit. I think the character is supposed to be somewhat of an imitation of Bill Gates (even though it's a Mac product). Guy thinks he's just a generic computer geek.

Pool Party: Success!

We ended up being lucky last week. Even though it wasn't a particularly hot or sunny day, when we got to the pool, the sun suddenly came out. We got to have the pool all to ourselves and it was plenty warm enough....especially since it's a heated pool (80 degrees).