DON'T PANIC!

(shout out to whoever can name the piece of literature I just quoted for the title of this post)

But really, don't panic. I'm ok. In fact, you probably don't even need to panic right now. Until you hear this (sorry mom):
Apparently I have developed an allergy to something. Not sure what yet. But yesterday morning I woke up with some hives, which got worse last night (even though I was taking some benedryl). Went to the clinic today downtown and they told me to take loratadine (ie claritin). Believe it or not, it is working, I just have to take multiple doses in the day. We'll try to figure out what the allergen is once the hives go away (I may post a picture or two once they're loaded)...can we say "community builder?" We'll have an epi-pen and a benedryl injection ready "just in case" the reaction is bigger than the one I had. Hopefully they won't be necessary.
The ride to the clinic was pretty fun, I always enjoy riding in the back of a truck or flatbed and just letting the wind hit me and feel like an adventurer (Indiana Jones, perhaps). Even when broken out in hives, it's awesome feeling.

School is officially starting in less than a week, more of the students are on campus and I'm starting to learn some of their names and just chatting wtih them. Hopefully they don't think I'm a total nut case from this allergy stuff (and hopefully they don't use it against me if they find out what it is!).

Yesterday I watched A Clockwork Orange, crazy movie to get you thinking about morality/free will. We're in the process of transferring all our VHS movies on campus onto DVDs so that they're easier to skip through and watch with students (well, when they can be watched with students, Clockwork would definitely not be one of them!).

Again, don't panic. It's rarely necessary. Just keep remembering to breathe.

Editors note morning after this post: Even though I was taking loratadine even over the night (when I woke up and checked my watch it was time for another!), I still broke out again -- the hives were almost completely gone by the time I went to bed. So, Joan (the infirmarian) and I believe it to be the laundry detergent. We'll be trying out a new one once someone can go downtown to buy some and then we'll try it out. If it's not that, it might be the bed.