Thursday, October 23, 2003
Evil, Evil Bugs
Another one of the TAs, Alison, spent the last 5.5 years working for the Entomology department. She is also a Michigan native. I said something about how awful my allergies had been since moving to Michigan, and she immediately said, "Oh, it's the lady beetles." Apparently, many people are allergic to those evil Asian lady beetles that bite. The allergy seems to mostly affect people's eyes. This makes me feel somewhat better, because now I know my pollen allergies haven't gotten inexplicably worse, but that I have some other allergy that isn't totally weird. This does not, however, make my eyes feel any better. I realized the freakiest thing the other day: it's not just the eyelid that swells up, it's the white part of my eyeball. Not something you expect your eyeballs to do. The other thing that didn't really make me feel better was when Alison said that she's just grown up used to suffering allergies 9 months out of the year. Nerg. At least I can look at the gorgeous, flaming trees and not feel like I should be wishing them all horrible deaths again. It's those evil bugs that need to die.
Sugar Added
I found yogurt raisins in the grocery store the other day. I rediscovered yogurt raisins while I was in Japan, because I could find them in Muji, and I enjoyed them a lot. Thus, I was pleased to find them here again, reminding me of elementary school snack time. But they're not the same. Yogurt raisins in Japan are just raisins dipped in plain yogurt. Here, they are raisins dipped in super-sweet, fake-vanilla-flavored yogurt, and they just are not as good. If I wanted sugary raisins, I'd get the ones covered in chocolate. Much as I like candy, some things are just better without extra sugar added.
Possessing the Printer
I have found a fun way to freak out Mark. We have a wireless network set up in the apartment, which also networks all the computers to the printer. I frequently take my computer into the living room to work, leaving Mark in the office all alone. The printer sits right next to him. Every time I press "print" on my computer in the living room, it starts up the printer in the office, and every time, Mark jumps and says, "Aaahhhh! That is so weird!" heeheehee
Another one of the TAs, Alison, spent the last 5.5 years working for the Entomology department. She is also a Michigan native. I said something about how awful my allergies had been since moving to Michigan, and she immediately said, "Oh, it's the lady beetles." Apparently, many people are allergic to those evil Asian lady beetles that bite. The allergy seems to mostly affect people's eyes. This makes me feel somewhat better, because now I know my pollen allergies haven't gotten inexplicably worse, but that I have some other allergy that isn't totally weird. This does not, however, make my eyes feel any better. I realized the freakiest thing the other day: it's not just the eyelid that swells up, it's the white part of my eyeball. Not something you expect your eyeballs to do. The other thing that didn't really make me feel better was when Alison said that she's just grown up used to suffering allergies 9 months out of the year. Nerg. At least I can look at the gorgeous, flaming trees and not feel like I should be wishing them all horrible deaths again. It's those evil bugs that need to die.
Sugar Added
I found yogurt raisins in the grocery store the other day. I rediscovered yogurt raisins while I was in Japan, because I could find them in Muji, and I enjoyed them a lot. Thus, I was pleased to find them here again, reminding me of elementary school snack time. But they're not the same. Yogurt raisins in Japan are just raisins dipped in plain yogurt. Here, they are raisins dipped in super-sweet, fake-vanilla-flavored yogurt, and they just are not as good. If I wanted sugary raisins, I'd get the ones covered in chocolate. Much as I like candy, some things are just better without extra sugar added.
Possessing the Printer
I have found a fun way to freak out Mark. We have a wireless network set up in the apartment, which also networks all the computers to the printer. I frequently take my computer into the living room to work, leaving Mark in the office all alone. The printer sits right next to him. Every time I press "print" on my computer in the living room, it starts up the printer in the office, and every time, Mark jumps and says, "Aaahhhh! That is so weird!" heeheehee
