December 05, 2007

Fifth Month in Worcester Marked by a Cold

Yesterday marked the beginning of our fifth month of living here in Worcester. So far, so good. OK, so it's not Boston or New York or San Francisco in its scale, but it's not a bad place. Despite being a typically broke graduate student and living in an apartment that's two sizes too small and doesn't have conveniences like a dishwasher, washing machine or garbage disposal, I can't say I've had any regrets about coming here. Even the currently smooth-as-glass icy streets haven't been too much of a deterrent quite yet, and it was almost fun chipping my car out of its glassy-bumpy casing of ice a couple of days ago if only for the novelty of doing so.

On the other hand, I keep catching colds. This is probably the result of a combination of trying to adjust to the weather while sealing myself into a lab with coughing, sneezing students for up to six hours per week. It's no exaggeration at all when I say that every week this semester, without fail, I've had at least one or two students come to lab with a cold. I'm certain that once the door is closed, that airborne rhinoviral load in there goes through the roof in no time at all. I should probably get myself a clean suit for next semester. I wonder if anyone makes one with a nice Holstein cow pattern.

My current cold is a bit odd. It started in my chest, but it has now progressed into my eyes, or at least the sinus cavities behind them. I essentially have a sore throat in my eyeballs and there doesn't seem to be anything I can do about it. I haven't had this symptom before. I'm not particularly fond of it.

Having been a bit logy these last several days, though, I haven't had much energy for writing in here. Combine that with all of this end-of-the-semester grading and the whole thing gets a bit frustrating. I've had a number of things I've wanted to jot down and no time or energy for it. Classes end on 12/10, though, and then I'll have the bio final exam to grade... and then it will be Winter Break. I should get back to my normal writing regimen soon.

In the meantime, I'll go attempt to gargle Dayquil with my eye sockets. See you all later (or maybe not...)

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