Last week, all of the trees decided to finally bloom and our campus is now its Really Beautiful Phase, which is perfect to seduce those prospective students and their parents visiting the school. (The tour guides also know how to work it. “This is The Beach, where everyone hangs out!” said one, pointing to a picturesque scene of carefree, lounging college students having fun. Unsaid: 3 months of the year only.) This week, all of the trees seem intent on releasing as much pollen as they possibly can, as my phone screen was covered in pollen when I walked outside this morning.
At least trees don’t release dust. Then I might go into anaphylactic shock.
Spring is the perfect time to enjoy a really nice cup o’ joe, but at least for me in the next few months, I’m banned from any caffeine. Apparently, my stomach doesn’t know how to handle caffeine, because I get terrible acid reflux (and now am formally diagnosed with GERD – thank you, stomach) whenever I drink coffee. Or strong tea. Coming from a family of avid tea drinkers, being banned from caffeine is a hard fact to swallow. Pun intended.
I ALSO am not allowed to have “excessive amounts” of chocolate. As you might imagine, the conversation with the doctor did not go as smoothly as I think the doctor thought it’d be.
Me: But it’s one of my food groups. (Tries to pawn this comment off jokingly, but desperation in my eyes leaks through. I know because the doctor makes a strange face in response)
Doctor: Just go without it for now.
Me, any pretense of having any “chill” completely lost by this point: B-but will I be able to have it again? Soon?
Doctor, looking extremely bewildered and weirded out: But you can’t right now. Just take 2-3 weeks off.
Me: 3 weeks????????
Since that conversation, I’ve had chocolate 3 times (I tried, I really did), coffee twice, tea once (didn’t believe that I could get acid reflux from tea; boy, was I wrong) and have only regretted my choices a few times. From the coffee. And the tea.
Last week, the class went to the Archaeological Museum and drew 1700-year-old masks sampled from the Roman empire, ancient Egypt, and Aztec era. Really fun to draw.
Leave a Reply