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April 01, 2003 - 9:24 a.m.

oh dear. i hate having to update diaryland after too long an absence. too many things get left out, yet the entry still seems too long!

i went to the doctor last week and got antibiotics and decongestant. for those of you who don't know, the main chemical in most decongestants is pseudoephedrine, which, in concentrated form, is essentially the drug known as speed. simon and i like to call the much milder decongestant "speed" also because we think it's funny, and because it seems to have a profound effect on me.

within 15 minutes of taking the first dose, i turned into a domestic goddess. i went from hiding under the covers, calling simon at work just to hear his voice and save me from certain death, to cleaning the kitchen (including cleaning residue out of our kettle, which neither of us was planning to get to this year), making soup from scratch, doing laundry and generally tidying up the house at warp speed. i remember calling simon back, letting him know that i was ok and asking if he wanted me to bake cupcakes because "i need something to do".

the hyperactive effects only occur on the first dose, though. after that, it's all a zombie-like state. it's better than being sick, but it's not exactly like being yourself, either, unless "yourself" is always kind of sleepy and not so attentive (yes barb, that probably is normal for you).

this didn't help in terms of preparation for simon's birthday party that night, so i ended up baking until nearly two hours into the party's intended start time.

i was also a bit upset because i didn't get the online job, and their reasoning wasn't that firm or accurate. it's probably just as well, but it's hard to tell myself that any full-time job wouldn't be welcome in our present financial situation.

we spent sunday at simon's aunt and uncle's house in daylesford. it was his nana's 93rd birthday, but she had no idea. it's amazing how we throw birthday parties for toddlers and older people with dementia when the party means absolutely nothing to them. do we have so much fun at birthday parties that we feel they are necessary for our own sakes?

i'm starting to think simon's aunt pat is losing it a bit, too. they've explained veganism to her countless times (or so simon says), yet she doesn't seem to remember (or listen in the first place?). simon remarked that the lentil dip tasted cheesy, so i asked her what was in it. "oh it's safe," she said. when i asked what the cheesy taste was, martin (uncle) shouted out that it had creem cheese in it.

she made a bean and beetroot (beet) salad with a white topping especially for us. simon's mum asked what she used for the topping, and she replied that it was yogurt.

dessert was lemon souffle. "it's safe," she said knowingly. when i asked her what was in it, she replied that it had lemon and eggs.

i understand that veganism can be a tricky concept. i also don't expect her to go out of her way to accommodate simon's diet when he's the only one with dietary concerns. the problem came when simon avoided the particular foods and got reprimanded for not eating them. she went to the trouble of making them especially for him, yet she didn't understand the concept, so he didn't eat them.

we also brought some vegan pate and cupcakes left over from simon's party. we wanted to have something to eat that we knew was safe (we were there all day, so it wasn't a case of eat-before-you-go). pat got offended that we brought our own food, especially when she made that food with us in mind. what's a person to do in this situation?

also funny: my hair was so unworkable on saturday that even simon said he didn't like it. this is simon, the man who would love me if i wore a potato sack, the man who thinks i look sexy in overalls and no makeup, letting me know that he's seen better days. i wanted to cry.

then on sunday, everyone commented on how much they loved my hair. i don't just mean once or twice, but repeatedly. i was fuming, but i managed to quietly say thank you until pat talked about how much better she liked the orange streaks than "that awful dark color" i had at my wedding. hello! that was my natural hair color, which i happen to love!

pat used to be a hairdresser. she was adamant that i keep this hairstyle i hate. i actually came out and said, "too bad because you're retired and don't get to call the shots anymore." holy cow. luckily, no one thought i was a terribly offensive little creature. it felt good to say it, though.

the good news is that i've got an appointment at the hair salon this afternoon. they'll be cutting and coloring it for the show on monday. if it's decent, i'll keep it and perhaps grow it out after all. if i still hate it, i'm chopping it off super short again. and this time i mean it.

<<<��� - ���>>>

goodbye and hello - 11 November 2004
too busy to buy groceries like everyone else - 10 September 2004
i am the worst friend ever - 07 September 2004
going on three months now - 31 August 2004
fairfield doggy - 05 August 2004



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