It's That Time Again

Yes, it's that time again, where I take a few moments to complain about the now-commonplace

acceptance that the Christmas season immediately follows Halloween. And every time I enter a retail store for the rest of the year, I will let out a sigh of disappointment at the displays.

Christmas has been encroaching on August more and more for years now, but it is now accepted that every store—from the local mom and pop's to the national chains—will have everything Christmas starting on November 1. Which is just more proof that if you do something enough and repeat the mantra enough times, people will just roll over and come to accept it as normal.

As early as Halloween night, stores have cleared their shelves and moved in Christmas candy, those feel-good mug gift sets that no one really asks for, and all-things-Santa and no-things-Jesus. It is ironic, as someone stated, that Christmas has been turned into the most materialistic holiday ever, when it is about the birth of the most un-materialistic man to ever walk the earth.

So once again, I'm going to hold out and not buy anything Christmas until it's after Thanksgiving.

Poor Thanksgiving, no one cares about you anymore. No one wants to be thankful.

I think I'm finally turning the corner and starting to feel better, after well over a week of ridiculous amounts of coughing, low oxygen, and having a hard time falling asleep. I started a higher dose of meds Friday, and I really think that is helping. I came up with a good analogy to explain why it's so hard for me to fall asleep, in case anyone was confused by that. So, it's like a bottle of molasses. And when you tip the molasses over and lay it down, it starts to slowly shift place. That's what happens to me, laying down and the shifting of mucus tickles all of the little airways and thus: coughing galore! Oh yay.

I had milestone on Saturday... I had to wear my oxygen out in public for the first time. I've worn it around family and friends, but never before have I needed it out in public, around other people. We had a funeral to go to Saturday morning, our friend's father passed away, and that morning my sats were 90% so I felt it a good idea to bring a tank along. I wore it in the car ride there, and tried going without it for a time to see how I felt. It was more comfortable with it on, and I didn't feel I had to work as hard to just breathe normally. So... I toted my oxygen tank, strapped over my shoulder, into church. I know I received a few stares, a few eyes lingered on me more than usual. I understand, people are curious—What in the world does that normal-looking young woman need oxygen for? But honestly, it went quite well.