It’s been a while since I wrote an actual blog.
Sure, I’ve been gracing you with the delightful chaos my brain dreams up, but now… brace yourselves… I have actual news.
It began with a hard decision. I’d been dealing with sneezing fits and mild breathing issues while caring for our budgies, Yin and Yang. Yang, the drama king, had also been refusing to eat for himself. Instead, he continuously begged Yin (our long-suffering female) to feed him — which she did, at the expense of her own weight.
For the uninitiated: in the bird world, this is not normal. Males feed females when they’re on eggs or when they want to score points. Females rarely feed males unless they’re young or sick. My two? Healthy adults.
On Monday, July 28th, I talked to Mom. Allergy tests were coming up, and one would be for animals. I needed advice — both for Yang’s food shenanigans and whether her aviary could be a backup home in case my body had suddenly decided it hated birds. The sneezing was suspicious. Mom suggested moving them sooner rather than later, and by Wednesday, she came to collect them.
After a day in a holding cage at the bottom of the aviary, they joined the flock. It was hard letting them go, but the results speak for themselves: Yang is now eating on his own, Yin has gained weight, and they’re clearly loving their new social life. I’ll just be over here missing them… but also breathing better.
Fun Stuff Break:
July 31st, Jessy and I headed to Maastricht during her two-week vacation. My day began with a 6:55 a.m. train — three hours later, we arrived in a city full of cobblestones, history, and enough photo ops to exhaust my phone battery.
Highlights included:
- The church-turned-mahoosive bookstore (basically my version of a cathedral).
- A charming water mill.
- The famous square where André Rieu has performed countless times.
I even crossed a bridge that lifts for boats… and later stood on another bridge photographing boats. Thrilling, I know.
Naturally, we fueled the day with food: cherry vlaai, cheesecake, ice cream, and an exceptionally tasty tuna sandwich. Between that and a series of “walk-rest-walk” intervals, it was the perfect mini adventure.
Quarantine… sort of:
The following week, I began “quarantine” for allergy testing. I had to stop taking allergy meds for seven days, so my genius plan was to stay indoors and avoid pollen entirely.
Spoiler: it didn’t go to plan.
I had planed on easy meals, canceled live streams, and sworn allegiance to the couch. But when I didn’t feel as bad as expected, those plans flew straight out the window. Jessy and I ended up moving my pc and her computer desk downstairs — which escalated into rearranging the entire upstairs.
Four days later, Jessy had a bigger bedroom, I had a long, narrow room that feels like a boat (perfect, since I am obsessed with Moana), and our guest/hobby room became actually functional.
July 7th — Massage vs. Couch Potato:
We took a break from our career as amateur furniture movers. Jessy went for a proper massage, and I… committed to the couch and YouTube like it was my full-time job.
Allergy Test Day — aka “The Itch Trials”
Friday arrived, and I thought I was ready. I knew there’d be allergen drops on my arm, little scratches, maybe some itching. What I did not anticipate was that within 30 seconds, my arm would feel like it had been possessed by itchy, stinging fire ants in steel-toe boots.
To spice things up, I had a severe asthma attack (Jessy had predicted this, because of course she did). She helped me with my relief meds, we stabilized things, and then… I waited.
The assistant came back — possibly earlier than the official 15 minutes, and thank goodness for that, because my skin was blistering. She circled the blisters, gave me antihistamines, and sent me to the waiting room.
The verdict? I’m allergic to grass pollen (severely), possibly birch pollen, and I have OAS — Oral Allergy Syndrome. Translation: my pollen allergy has gone rogue, and now I’m reacting to foods with similar proteins. Apples, bananas, cherries, raspberries, raw tomatoes, raw onions, fresh nuts… all potential troublemakers. I also need to watch milk and bread, because apparently my immune system likes collecting new hobbies.
The doctor switched my meds and referred me to an immunotherapist. I’ll update you after that adventure.
For now, I need a moment to process the fact that I went in for hayfever symptoms and came out with an allergy list longer than a grocery receipt.
While I’m adjusting to my new normal — which now includes being betrayed by half the fruit I actually like — life continues. Jessy’s back at work, I’m back on my PC, and live streams resume August 17th.
In the coming weeks, I’ll have an audiology appointment and meet the immunotherapist. Buckle up for another ride.
If you made it to the end of the blog, type BANANA BOAT in the comments under whichever social media post you found the blog link. Otherwise, leave it in the comments under the blog below.
Here are a few of the pics I took in Maastricht.
CRS Life 