Dear So and So

[Owlie]

Dear university rent-a-cop--

17 in a 15? Really? My speedometer isn't even that accurate.
I'm also pretty sure that the only reason you decided to pick on me is the fact that I was driving one of the few cars around with front and rear plates.
At least it's only a warning. Geez.

[emily_in_nc]

Catrin - my DH is that way and to some extent I am. Very likely she is a germaphobe. There are a lot of us out there. I avoid touching elevator buttons and such like that if I can. If not, I have hand sanitizer in my purse (and bike bag!) I never used to be so OCD about stuff like that, but the proof is in the pudding; I almost NEVER catch a cold.

[Crankin]

When the first swine flu hit, in 2009, I became like that. It lasted about 3 months. Basically, way too tiring for me. I've never been concerned with germs, let my kids play in the dirt, etc.
And I never get "colds," only my regular, allergy based sinus/bronchial stuff 2x a year, always at the same time.

[Jolt]

Call me old, but texting over phoning me after 10pm for non emergency stuff is inconsiderate. I keep my phone on "just in case" because I don't have a land line but am amazed at people who
think nothing of texting or leaving voice mail messages at a late night hour. I have taken to leaving it on vibrate and in the other room.

I even mentioned it to someone who called me at 11:30 the other night and she said "oh was it to late" hmmmmm how am I supposed to get my beauty sleep

I don't think that makes you "old"...that bugs me too! Short of an emergency (and given this, it always scares the heck out of me when somebody calls so late), there is no good reason to call after 10 pm, unless you know you're dealing with a night owl who will be up at that time. I am a morning person, so by 10 pm I am likely about ready to crash and not in the mood for a conversation.

[OakLeaf]

Heh Catrin, you could've been talking about me too. And I'm the farthest thing from a germophobe IMO! It's because I know I'm *not* particularly careful about not washing my hands before touching my face that I try to avoid touching public surfaces when I can. My parents' friend who works for the CDC quips that he'd be out of a job if people would only wash their hands. Being just a tiny bit careful about what's on my hands is the next best thing.

[Catrin]

One of the advantages of having my over-active immune system is that I NEVER catch anything contagious. Outside of the chicken pox when I was 11... Considering the auto-immune issues I've had over the years I would actually prefer to have a more normal system and catch things like colds instead. Glad to hear you've found a way to keep from catching them!

I guess what caught my attention about her the other day was that it was so extreme. I got it about the elevator button, but it is the first time I've seen someone who wouldn't even open the revolving door in the usual fashion. Her attire was also about 75 years out of date, which is probably what caught my attention initially. We all get through this world in the best way we can. I certainly have OCD tendencies of my own, they are just different than hers.

Catrin - my DH is that way and to some extent I am. Very likely she is a germaphobe. There are a lot of us out there. I avoid touching elevator buttons and such like that if I can. If not, I have hand sanitizer in my purse (and bike bag!) I never used to be so OCD about stuff like that, but the proof is in the pudding; I almost NEVER catch a cold.

[Catrin]

I am glad I posted about this, it has been interesting to read different perspectives. I am probably less careful than I should be, trusting in my over-active immune system probably a bit too much.

[Crankin]

Eh, if I told you how careless I've been about this in the past, you might faint. I do wash my hands more, now, and maybe that helps. I stopped carrying anti-bacterial stuff in my purse and I no longer use anti-bacterial soap at home. Just regular soap and water for me. I mean, I don't dig into the garbage aand smear it on me, but I also don't wear rubber gloves to take out the trash, as one of my friends does.

[emily_in_nc]

I don't use anti-bacterial soap either...it's not good for a variety of reasons and is making bad bacteria more resistant. The hand sanitizer I use is just alcohol based. I avoid touching my eyes or face unless I've just washed my hands, and I do wash fairly frequently but not OCDishly. I think I became more of a germaphobe after DH and I both got a horrific case of norovirus in the southwest in 2006 -- we're pretty sure we got it at a big buffet restaurant near Bryce Canyon.

After returning home to NC, we read that the CDC was reporting this big noro outbreak in the "Grand Circle" area of the southwest -- we were in good company, I guess.

I also have an active immune system, having had allergies and asthma all my life, so perhaps even without my diligent efforts, I wouldn't get many colds (like you, Catrin).

I did get a lot of colds in the 18 months we spent in Belize -- so did DH. I attribute that to tourists from all over the world bringing down germs we had no immunity to. And when we'd shop all over town, most of the little shops had doorknobs and such, and I'd sweat so much I'd be swabbing my face with a bandanna, which no doubt got germy from my doorknob hands. I had at least 3-4 colds in the time we were there, which is unheard of for me. Since we've been back (March 2013), I haven't had a single cold.

[Crankin]

My son and DIL had the norovirus a couple of years ago. It was going around Boston/Cambridge/Somerville like crazy. They are beyond the college aged demographic that mostly gets it here, in these outbreaks, but they do go out to eat a lot and DIL is the general manager of a restaurant. She was really sick and had to go to the ER. They are the only people I know who have had this.
I guess my allergies and asthma have kept the colds away? Those have been much better, too, since moving to MA. Phoenix is just full of dust and mold spores, the 2 things I am allergic to, not mention millions of people with the genetics for asthma, because someone back in the 40s or 50s told their parents or grandparents to move there! My son was on a nebulizer every 4 hours there, and I was pretty close to that.
About 10 years ago my pcp got all freaked out because she saw "something" on a CT scan of my lungs. I went to a pulmonologist who laughed and said "Cocci? When did you live in AZ?" I guess I had Vally Fever and never knew it, although I had been tested for it many times. I was really sick a few times, with what I thought was bronchitis, so I guess it was Vally Fever.

[emily_in_nc]

Phoenix is just full of dust and mold spores, the 2 things I am allergic to, not mention millions of people with the genetics for asthma, because someone back in the 40s or 50s told their parents or grandparents to move there!

You are so right. When I was diagnosed with asthma in early childhood (born in '61) I still remember my mom telling me the doc recommended we move to Arizona!

Valley Fever scares me -- we love Arizona, but that does scare me. Interesting that you may have had it without even knowing it. Strange!

Oh, happened to see this today -- looks like avoiding touching those elevator buttons is a pretty good idea:

http://www.care2.com/greenliving/hos...tudy-says.html

Even though this study was done in hospitals, I am guessing hotels would be similar.

[Crankin]

Emily, I've heard that most people who live in the Valley have had it, and unless you get really sick, you never know. Not sure if this holds true for Tucson, but I would think so.

[Owlie]

If you're otherwise healthy (not immunocompromised or anything), it's often totally asymptomatic, or it has symptoms similar to the flu and resolves on its own.

[emily_in_nc]

Thanks ladies, that makes me feel much better!

[ny biker]

Dear migraines, okay, I get it, you can still make my life miserable for days on end even though my hormone cycles aren't what they used to be. You can go away now.