Unexpected Trip Planning

Nothing to do with anything, but I did something this morning that I'm not sure I've ever done before: I didn't get all the shampoo out of my hair when I showered. There was a weird, kind of "crackly" spot on one side when I combed it. Since I wasn't going anywhere, I didn't bother getting back in the shower to rinse it out, but man, what an odd thing to do. Or not do.

I was too tired and sore after swimming last night to write, even to share a happy piece of news. Yesterday I was checking that my frequent flyer miles from Christmas were credited to my account, and noticed that there are quite a few in the account--not enough for a first-class trip to Paris or anything, but enough to scrape together a trip to visit my mother, with luck.

I emailed her to see what she thought of my taking a "working week" down there, and as she was enthusiastic, I dug around the (soooo annoying to navigate) website and found an itinerary in a few weeks that fit the miles I had available. Aside from the not inconsiderable pleasure of seeing my mother, it will be so nice to be warm for a while! Warmth and light and color, ahh.

Really, the only downside is missing Carlos. I wish I could bring him, but he's not a good traveler (I've only driven him around here, meow, meow, meow, but I'm told that he meowed for three hours straight in the car before I got him). He isn't going to be happy with me, though.

Just for his sake, here's a picture of him I put on Facebook last week. How did he breathe?

He only stayed that way for maybe five minutes, and when he moved, there was a damp noseprint in that spot.
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Humidifier Update
It's a week since I set up the new humidifier, and I think I am seeing some positive changes. It's been running around the clock, on the medium setting, and I fill it twice daily. I also flip the filter over at the same time, to try to extend its life; it definitely dries out a bit at the top and sides, and I'm thinking I should soak it in water again to really get the benefit.

As I mentioned, the humidity was reading 35% when I started; it went to 40% within a day, stayed there for a while, then started ranging between 40% and 45% for a few days. Monday I noticed that it was close to 50%, and it has been in that 45% to 50% range since then. I am also noticing that I get fewer static shocks, which is much appreciated, and though I still wake up with some congestion, it isn't as bad as it was. Hopefully improvements continue.