The Banal Chew

The Banal Chew ...

is currently on break while Equivag spends some time working on his tan in the desert.

Why not visit his temporary new blog in the interim? It won't be any more fascinating, but you can laugh at him sweating.

   

At last, something to be happy about

      F`CK YEAH!

California, you rock

...even if I am still bitter about not getting the job at Redlands!

Where's my fingerless glove?

Today was the last meeting of the Breakfast Club in its current configuration...at least for a while.  Per usual, we sat and discussed jobs, travel, rugby, birthdays, sex...you know, typical koffee klatsch stuff. 

Good times.  I love you guys.  Carry on in my absence!  I'll need the goss.

You see us as you want to see us.
In the simplest terms, in the most convenient definitions.
But what we know is that each one of us is
a brain...
and an athlete...
and a basket case...
a princess...
Sincerely yours, the Breakfast Club.

Alles Gute z.G.!

To my man on his birthday

Roses are red;
Violets are blue.
I'm in my 40s.
Next year you will be, too.

(Sorry, I couldn't resist.
To make up for it, here's some birthday haiku.)

Tuesday, sixth of May,
Nineteen hundred, sixty-nine.
I'm very lucky.

Sun with autumn breeze;
Birthday picnic in the park.
Laughter at your side.

When from time I gaze
Backward upon years we've had
Happy will I be.

The Word is On Your Lips

For whatever reasons, I am loving these tunes n vids right now.
Some old, some new,
Some funny, some blue.

Alphabeat, Fascination

Melanie, Brand New Key

Faker, This Heart Attack

Martin Solveig, C'est la vie (with the amazing U-Min dancers)

Pete Murray w/John Mayer, Opportunity (live)

Plumbing Issues

The verdict is in.  My nose is a mess.

Here's an image from my CT scan last week.

Notice the dog-leg in my septum, which should be a fairly straight line dividing the nose in half. And don't even mention the bony spur...or the extra air sac in my superior turbinate.  Don't know what that means?  Don't worry; you probably don't want to.

For the purpose of comparison, here's an image of a normal nose and sinuses. 

Look at them, lying there and gloating with their perfect septum.  God I hate them.
(Image from ARS.)

Anyway, despite the plumbing issues, there's no dire, visible pathology that requires immediate attention to improve my overall health.  My ENT said that at some point, I will probably have to have surgery to correct the problems, but it's nothing to rush into.

Okay fine.  I just want to be able to sing again like I used to.  When I told him that, he gave me that compassionate look that we've all seen from our medical providers...the one that translates, "Yes, and I wish I could give you the answer you're looking for."

So what's causing the vocal dysfunction?  The upshot: it could be (at least) a couple of things. 

Firstly, there are issues with the hypertrophic (meaty) nature of my sinus passages.  Over the course of my life, upon coping with so many allergies, the mucosal tissue in my nasal passages and sinuses has basically worn itself out.  As a result, it's time to call in some housekeeping assistance in the form of rinsing out my nose twice a day with saline spray.  Hopefully, that will keep the tissues working more efficiently and reduce the drainage into my pharynx...drainage that might be causing the dispatch of signals to my brain that something is wrong, thereby triggering an abnormal vocal response. Wow. Me and mixed signals.  Who knew?

Secondly, there's the teeth grinding that I mentioned in a previous post.  It might be causing hypertonicity (overworking/building) of jaw and neck muscles, contributing to a secondary vocal disorder.  I saw my dentist this week and was fitted for a nightguard.  If that alone doesn't solve the problem, I might have to have caps put on all my teeth to build them up and unhinge my jaw a bit...a big job and thousands of dollars.  Wonder if she'll throw in porcelain veneers for kicks.

Starting Monday, I'm seeing a speech therapist who specializes in hyperfunctional voice disorders.  I look forward it.  I'm ready to get things back on track, vocally.