Susan's Blog

Thursday, January 17, 2008

Clearing the Air

We had our entire duct system thoroughly cleaned a day ago, by a really great company. They were fantastic. Apparently our ducts have not been cleaned in years, certainly not in the 7 1/2 years we’ve lived in that monstrosity we call home. They came out with old Legos, toys, socks, all kinds of crazy things, back from the days that Nat enjoyed throwing everything he could down our Byzantine floor heating units. Even after this activity no longer enthralled, he continued to pursue it because of how much it bugged Ben.

So this is why, night after night, for years, but more acutely this year, I have been having trouble breathing at night. Our air has been filthy. You put the heat on, and dust puffs out onto the floor, immediately. And with someone as wimpily allergic as I am, this is a terrible situation. It’s just that I have been in denial over my dust allergies. Who wants dust allergies? It means either you have to clean more, take antihistimines, or suffer. Needless to say, I don’t want to do any of that.

Truly, there is nothing as terrific as clearing the air, literally and metaphorically. I have now had two wonderful nights of cough-free, itchy-throat-less sleep. (Also, I dreamt that I was a Middle Eastern Studies grad student and I woke up thinking, “Hmmmm.” I could, at very least, take Arabic at Harvard Extension or something like that. )

I am a real believer in the air power-cleaning, otherwise known as the confrontation. I am sitting in Boston Volvo right now because I told them honestly how I felt about being greeted with the “ABS system in need of service check” message every time I drive The Amazon. It seems that every time I go over a little patch of ice, she feels it is necessary to tell me, “Oh, my, I may have skidded, and I had to use my anti-lock brakes, I’m not at all sure that is what you wanted from me.” Why would such a large, powerful, beautiful creature be so self-conscious, and lack so much confidence? Why indeed.

So two weeks later, after Boston Volvo told me “not to worry,” the light came on again. Instead of driving around with a Lego on my dashboard to block unfavorable messages (like I used to do when I drove Fat Boy, my Jeep Grand Cherokee, a car that I absolutely hated; if you get one, you have only yourself to blame), I called Boston Volvo and pretty much made them see The Amazon today. And now I’m sitting at a salesman’s desk blogging. And I feel great. Also because I’m still under warranty. And all my Legos went down the drain — er, the vent.

4 comments

Argh. I so want to take Arabic and would TOTALLY take it with you at the extension school. I learned Japanese over there.

— added by andrew on Thursday, January 17, 2008 at 1:49 pm

Sonny the cat offers you a smug glance, insinuating you’ve made false accusations about him causing some previous breathing difficulties. He then walks away, with his tail held high so you can see his butt.

😛

— added by Don on Thursday, January 17, 2008 at 2:35 pm

Unfortunately, Sonny, it was not only the dust that caused my breathing difficulties. As Don well knows, even just holding your sweet self made my arm break out in a contact rash. Hives, actually. Nothing personal, so put your butt away. I miss you dearly, Sonny; please come back!

— added by Susan Senator on Thursday, January 17, 2008 at 2:39 pm

Ooh, take Arabic. We could practice together. I am studying it too. First I took a beginner class at the Cambridge Center for Adult Education. Now I am studying with the Pimsleur Audio system.

Maa Salama! 🙂

— added by Shannon Brooke Davis on Friday, January 18, 2008 at 9:57 am