Out of The PIT

MJNL and I have started house hunting. We have yet to find a three bedroom house on the east end (this includes Scarborough) for less than $649000. In fact, all of the houses that we saw that were sold were sold way over asking. None under a million. A million dollars for a tiny three bedroom house. Not even detached! Madness! I am glad we don't need to move yet. It is quite a depressing state of affairs for any would be buyers. We are chalking this all up to a "learning experience". We probably should've bought that 600000 house in that nice neighborhood several years back. It certainly is worth twice that amount now!

I was a recruit; part of a force that was invading some alien structure or planet. I was with team of ten or so other recruits lead by an army veteran who was training us. We were all issued standard space uniforms as well as energy rifles. The enemies we were facing were all humanoids that were dressed in green garb and were easy to take down. I entered the room that I was assigned to and quickly dispatched the occupant before it had a chance to fire back. Mind you, our main invasion force had already gone ahead and cleared out the bulk of the enemy forces. We were just there for cleanup. As we cleared the level, we began to muster in the foyer area. The room was large, spartan, and brightly lit by white light from the walls and ceiling. Our squad, led by our team leader, was lined up in single file on one of the many elevated platforms in the foyer. There were dozens of other squads in the area, all recruits, all lined up in single file waiting for the order to advance to the next ...

I went to another specialist last week and forgot to mention that I thought that I had solved my medical issue when I stopped using the retainer. Hopefully I will remember for next time. One interesting point he raised was that the symptoms I described were very much like asthma. But I don't get short of breath, just phlegmy. It is an avenue that I should look into though.

Bill Paxton passed away. I just wanted to use that quote.

Seems like I have a case of bursitis and not anything more serious than that. I'll keep stretching the joint but I should heal over time.

Since my diagnosis last week, I had been thinking of what might have been causing my skin to react so badly. After thinking about it, I believe I have a source for my ailment. It could be the blanket I am using at my parents' place. The lesions started to appear soon after it got cold, and I started using a second blanket in the bunk bed room. During the interim period where no new symptoms appeared, I did not sleep over in the bunk bed at my parents' place, but once I started doing so again, at the end of the year the symptoms returned. In fact, since our return from Dubai, we have been staying there every day, and I had spent most nights in that room, and lesions had not spread to most parts of my body - particularly areas that become exposed - namely the lower legs, arms, neck, collar, and the waistline. There are some other spots that are not exposed, but much rarer. Now, these bunk beds were normally used by my niblings when they come to visit and they have had a history...

Well, there you go, at least I know what it is. It comes with a number of names, like nummular dermatitis, but the treatment is basically: change your soap and moisturize. I was given a cream to help too. She said that it would clear up in five weeks. Next up: Nausea.