Oh, dear little baby Jesus am I suffering from allergies. It’s bad enough today that I took Zyrtec, Humibid, Sudafed PE, and a Benedryl kicker… all the while slamming coffee and chai so that I don’t get tired from it. I have found that even Zyrtec and Benedryl are no match for caffeine and Sudafed, whether it’s regular or PE. I have to go to the pharmacy today, anyway, because it’s time for a refill on my psych meds. While I am there, I will get the real stuff (Sudafed, I mean). Sudafed PE is the COLA brand of decongestants, when what you really need is Coca-Cola Classic.™ There’s nothing wrong with off-brand COLA, or Hydrox, or any number of generics. But you know the real stuff is better (except for possibly Hydrox. Those things are addictive).
The coffee is Cafe Bustelo, and the chai was homemade by my Indian roommate, Edu. I have Stash bags that will do in a pinch, but if someone offers to make you homemade chai, take it.
The reason I am doing all of this is to prevent my allergies from settling in my mask and chest, because it makes me very sick, very fast. I just had a round of antibiotics, and I’m not looking to have a second one. I might not be able to avoid it because shit happens, but I won’t be able to say that I didn’t try. I get sick a lot in the spring, and not because I’m not doing everything I can to prevent it. It’s that there’s only so much I can do with damn near everything is in bloom all at once. I’ve been taking my Zyrtec religiously, because it really needs about six weeks to build up in your system before it reaches maximum efficacy, and I’ve been taking it for a year now. At first, it made me really sleepy, and then I got over it. Part of it was caffeine, and the other part is that the longer I took it, the more my body adjusted to it and it didn’t bother me anymore.
I haven’t always been a Zyrtec advocate. When Allegra first came out, I thought it was a miracle drug. However, when Dana and I didn’t have insurance, we found the generic of Zyrtec at Dollar Tree, and a dollar was two weeks’ worth. Then, when I moved here, my dad sent me a bottle of brand from Costco, a year’s supply. Here is the good news- though brand name was a gift and I am grateful, there is really no noticeable difference from the generic for which I paid a dollar. You’re welcome, poor people. I’ve been there.
I still buy my Sudafed PE and Humibid there. There’s just no reason to spend $8-12 when I don’t have to. Even if I was rich beyond my wildest dreams, I’d still shop at Dollar Tree, because how do you think people keep their money? 😛 The only time I’ve ever changed my mind about that was when I didn’t have a car and CVS was within walking distance and Dollar Tree was, to put it mildly, not.
I need to stay healthy because my sister arrives today, and will be in DC for a series of trips over the next few months. I can’t tell you how much fun it was to have her in Annapolis for five weeks (a few days a week at a time), because not only did I love hanging out with her, I fell in love with Annapolis as well. It’s such a cute little town, and except for the water and all the boats, reminds me a lot of Frederick…. the adorable little town with the great restaurants and the running into David Sedaris. DC is a lot closer for me, which makes it even easier to meet up. I live 11 mi. as the crow flies from The White House, so it takes 40 minutes on the train to get to Dupont Circle, and less than that for Federal Triangle, etc. But Dupont is somewhat responsible for kick-starting my adult life, so I go back often. Larry’s Ice Cream is still there, but the HRC store is toast… as is the lesbian book store, Lambda Rising. There used to be so much for the queer community in Dupont, but as the rent has gone higher and higher, it’s not the “fruit loop” it once was… taken over by yuppies just as much as The Montrose in Houston…. and by that I also mean really rich gay men, because obviously gay men have more disposable income because you have two men in a house that make more than women.
Generally, the gays that have kids do not settle there, because it’s too expensive to pay the rent and raise children at the same time. They are DINKs (double income no kids) that tend to live on shoes and compliments, much like tenors. It’s probably a stereotype, but the thing about stereotypes is that they start with a grain of truth……..
I think I’m done rambling for now. I’m not sure. If I have something really great I forgot to put here, I’ll check in with you later.
TTFN love you miss you mean it.
Stories That Are All True 