It's been a bit of a washout of a day, not so much because of the weather -- what is now tropical storm Hanna blowing through the area tonight -- but because I've been under the weather. I thought the humidity and rain would give me a break from hay fever, generally ragweed allergies now, but they still got set off this morning and though I finally took loratadine and it helped, it made me tired and gave me a splitting headache. This with half the normal dose, mind you.
I ran some errands and then took a walk at lunchtime. No rain yet, but the humidity was more than 90% and it got tiring pretty quickly. When I got home, I wanted nothing more than to lie down on the kitchen floor with my face against the cool linoleum. But I did have the wherewithal to turn on my bedroom air conditioner and, after being revived a bit lying on the bed, it occurred to me that I needn't be conscripted to the bedroom nor air condition the entire apartment. Every room in this place has a door. So for the rest of the day I kept both and only the bedroom and kitchen air conditioned, which I haven't needed to do all summer. Forays into the other parts of the house to retrieve things have felt like entering a tropical jungle, so I've quickly retreated.
I'm lucky to be alone today, too tired and irritable and sorry for myself to come up with the energy anyone else would need from me. But at least I did get out last night. In the late afternoon I had an appointment with Maddy, whose salon is right by the Minuteman Bikeway, and it so happened that some of my walking/biking friends were meeting up there after work. I caught the tail end of the ride and then we met up with some other friends for dinner, a spontaneous treat. Plus, my friend Martha, who lives not far from there, also called me, so after dinner I stopped off to visit with her for awhile as well. Tomorrow afternoon I have plans to see a couple of friends in Cambridge. Indulging myself in slothful hermitage today doesn't seem quite so bad when sandwiched between those social events.
Still, I hate to waste my precious time off neither being productive nor having fun. I haven't posted much here lately for similar reasons. Any creative thought that might surface is quickly dulled. Maintaining my energy is a full-time effort.
One thing I've had some success with is the allergy-related digestive issues I've had. My holistic practitioner gave me digestive enzymes to take between meals. This means no eating between meals, since they must be taken on an empty stomach. I'm used to my mid-morning snack, my mid-afternoon snack, and my sometimes late night snack, which are all off-limits. It's been an adjustment, but I've been disciplined about it. I can't tell you how much I've enjoyed my meals since doing this! Sheer heaven! I am so ready to eat when mealtime comes around. And they really go down so much better when my GI tract isn't already stuffed. :-)
I also managed to spend a bit of time today thinking about food for the birthday party (I'm throwing myself!) next Saturday. Will (hopefully) post more about that. I have no big thoughts about turning 50 other than taking care of my health. That's what Virgo is all about, after all.
